Community Energy Project is proud to provide a variety of direct, in-homes services and educational workshops, and participate in important advocacy work. Behind all of these vital efforts is a team of vibrant, multifaceted, and hardworking individuals. We are excited to introduce the CEP Staff Spotlight, a series dedicated to the people who make everything we do possible. Today’s spotlight shines on CEP’s Program Director, Sherrie Villmark.

1. Describe your role at CEP and what makes you passionate about your position.

I am a Program Director, and I oversee our Community Education, Advocacy, and low-income side of the Oregon Community Solar Program. I’m passionate about many aspects of my work – I love that we reach so many people and that they find what we do valuable. I enjoy sharing what I know and learning what others know, and coming together in a collaborative space to solve problems. I find deep satisfaction in spaces that serve the planet and people at the same time. 

2. Describe your work/relevant personal background and how this empowers you at CEP.

I’ve been at CEP for almost 18 years, so a significant part of my professional life is directly relevant. I was an intern here, the outreach and volunteer coordinator, I ran our marketing, created a few versions of our websites, and now I am here. I grew up on the Oregon Coast as part of divided working class families and I have worked since I was 15. I’ve worked in retail, food service, environmental interpretation, and helped run a campaign to register and mobilize voters. I have a BS in sociology from PSU that took me 6 years to get. I know what it is to struggle, to come from generational poverty, and how lucky I am to have come out of it. I utilize all of this to be a better advocate, manager, and educator, and I’m fortunate to be taken seriously here. 

3. Describe the program/department you run and why it is important to CEP/the community you serve.

Community Education is a department that provides workshops to thousands of households each year. Our Weatherization Workshops are 44 years old and still meet the needs of those in a variety of homes. Our Lead Poisoning Prevention Workshops keep families safe in older homes. Half of our workshops are translated into multiple languages. There are few things more beautiful than sharing important information with people who will use it, keep it, and share it with others. Knowledge really is power. Community Solar connects people directly to renewable energy projects. I love that we have so many new folks who get to have the environmental pride, excitement, and financial benefits typically only available to homeowners. Everybody deserves that. And, in our advocacy work, we have the opportunity to create systemic change. We bring a unique perspective to spaces that have never worked with program implementers or those who work with community or use an equity lens. To me it is community education, just to people with power over systems. We are fierce, but also collaborative and solution-oriented, and it has changed the way actual programs get delivered. 

4. What makes CEP unique in addressing climate change?

The climate crisis has arrived. We are unique in that we are addressing carbon reduction at multiple levels – individual and systemic. Wonderfully, energy efficiency upgrades not only reduce carbon emissions but also create real climate resilience for those that we serve. From cooling workshops to deep retrofits, we are helping people stay safe on an individual level while also collectively reducing emissions. In the advocacy arena, we are working to ensure that the clean energy transition is just and equitable. 

5. What is your favorite hobby?

I do invertebrate conservation work, highlighting pollinators such as charismatic microfauna, but you’ll quickly learn that I want to save the less popular ones as well. 😉