DEDICATED TO THE MISSION

Tara was born and raised in Santa Cruz where she developed a strong foundation for caring for the planet and all beings. In 2006 Tara moved to San Diego to study Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University (SDSU). She became very involved and held top leadership roles with the Enviro-Business Society (e3), the leading grassroots environmental student organization on campus and the Green Love Sustainability Advisory Board, the Associated Students. Tara helped start the weekly on-campus farmers market, first-ever SDSU bike lane, Meatless Monday campaign, compost pilot program, Greek Life and residence halls recycling programs and oversaw sustainable upgrades such as additions of solar power systems. As the Sustainability Commissioner on campus, she also sat on the GreenFest Executive Committee, planning annual Earth Day events on campus that focused on sustainability and environmental justice. She also advocated for the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum student union in the world, the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union.
‍
In 2011 Tara joined a leading solar and energy storage developer in San Diego. From May 2011 - February 2020, Tara played an instrumental role in that organization’s success, including four years as the Director of Community Development during which time the company won numerous awards for its community involvement. Over this same time span, San Diego was named Environment America’s top solar city in the country several times.

In response to San Diego Gas & Electric’s egregious attack on solar in 2011, Tara founded the San Diego Solar Coalition, which later transformed into the founding chapter of the California Solar Energy Association San Diego in 2012.  This coalition has successfully defeated numerous utility attacks on the rooftop solar industry, and remains committed to promoting the expansion of solar, storage and middle-class green jobs.  In 2013 Tara became the Chair of the California Solar + Storage Association's San Diego chapter, and still holds that leadership role to this day.

In 2014 Tara earned the North American Board of Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Technical Sales Certification and became one of a handful of women in North America to do so.
‍
Tara joined the board of directors for local nonprofit GRID Alternatives San Diego in 2016, and has been the board president since 2018.
‍
In 2020 Tara became one of 10 San Diego County residents on the San Diego Community Power Community Advisory Committee, helping shape California’s second-largest community choice energy program. Tara serves as the vice chair of the committee and was selected to be on the CEO search committee.
‍
Tara is the proud recipient of the San Diego Business Journal’s 2020 and 2019 40 Leaders Under 40 awards and the San Diego Business Journal’s 2019 Business Women of the Year award.  Tara was also recognized by San Diego Magazine as a Celebrating Women finalist in 2019.

Karinna was born and raised in Chula Vista and received her BA in Sustainability from San Diego State University. After exploring which direction she wanted to take her career, interning for Zero Waste San Diego and a presidential campaign, Karinna found her passion in the climate justice and clean energy space. In 2018, she began her career as a Project Associate at the Center for Sustainable Energy where she worked on a number of programs to help expand renewable energy access to communities of concern across the state and helped to launch the statewide Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing Program, which provides incentives for multifamily affordable housing to go solar. She now works to track important energy and climate justice legislation and policies, advocating for good policies that help create a more just and livable future. Karinna is also involved in various San Diego climate coalitions, working with local activists to influence policies that stop climate injustices and reduce the impacts of the climate crisis. Karinna serves as a Steering Committee member for the California Alliance for Community Energy and the San Diego Green New Deal Alliance. Karinna also serves as a board member for GRID Alternatives San Diego.

Dan Mueller (they/she) brings over a decade of experience supporting community-led environmental and social justice initiatives through strategic planning, partnership development, and resource mobilization. Across their career, Dan has helped organizations and coalitions mobilize approximately $50M for clean energy, climate resilience and community-based programs—working at the intersection of nonprofits, funders and grassroots leaders. Since moving to San Diego in 2018, Dan has collaborated with local and national partners to advance equitable climate solutions and projects that power up healthy, thriving communities.
Dan holds a Master of Arts in Peace & Justice from the University of San Diego’s Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies and brings a background in intercultural communication, peacebuilding and restorative practice to their work. Early in their career, Dan supported grassroots community development initiatives in Belize, Jamaica and Puerto Rico—experiences that continue to shape their approach to partnership, power, and sustainability. Dan has remained actively engaged in local and regional equity efforts, including serving as a co-steward of Community-Centric Fundraising San Diego and the San Diego Solidarity Network.

John, a Southern California native with a passion for sustainability and adventure, has spent his career bridging luxury homebuilding with environmental responsibility. After years as an entrepreneur and luxury custom home builder in the Washington, D.C. metro area, he returned to San Diego to pursue his vision as a California-licensed General Contractor. John has specialized in coastal luxury homes that integrate sustainable design, earning accolades such as San Diego Home & Garden’s 2019 Home of the Year, a Coastal Homesmagazine cover feature, and LEED Platinum certification. His 2019 project was also ranked #1 in San Diego County’s Green Home Tour. He looks forward to bringing his passion and expertise to supporting the community in achieving their sustainability and environmental health goals. Recognizing the environmental challenges in construction, John has become a champion of deconstruction, repurposing, and material reuse—minimizing landfill waste and maximizing sustainability. When he’s not building, you can find him exploring Baja California and the Southwest, always seeking new inspiration for sustainable living.

Dr. Alexis is currently a plastic surgeon completing fellowship training in craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgery at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She completed her undergraduate degree at UCLA in psychobiology.  She earned her medical degree at Penn State Hershey Medical School and subsequently completed her plastic surgery training at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.  After 7 years of working in the medical field and participating in both local and global medical missions, Dr. Alexis has developed a passion for bettering the health of future generations.

Rocio is a Bilingual (Spanish and English) Talent Acquisition professional with ten years of International Recruiting and Business Development experience. With a focus on People Analytics, Strategy and Operations, she empowers teams with useful metrics and predictive models to help hit company-wide financial and strategic goals. She thrives with data, efficiency, learning from others, and loves managing projects through completion with methodical organization. She is originally from Spain, has given public presentations in 15 countries and enjoys reading, writing, and cooking with family and friends. Rocio holds a MSc in Project Management, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management, a BA in Business and Bilingual Tourism and a Certificate in Tourism Management