Bay Area Sustainability, Energy & Power Summit

As Vice President of Real Estate Sustainability at The Sobrato Organization, Alex Spilger leads sustainability strategy across the company’s real estate portfolio, aligning environmental goals with core business priorities. In this role, he advances initiatives to reduce emissions, lower energy cost, mitigate risk, and create long-term value while fostering a culture of environmental responsibility and innovation. Alex brings over 15 years of experience in sustainability and decarbonization, with expertise spanning multifamily, office, retail, hotel, affordable housing, and industrial assets. He has shaped sustainability strategy, built cross-functional engagement, and delivered measurable impact across complex real estate portfolios. Prior to joining TSO, Alex led sustainability at Kennedy Wilson and Cushman & Wakefield, and founded GreenStep, a training firm that equipped more than 5,000 professionals to advance their careers in the green building industry. A California native and UCLA civil engineering graduate, Alex and his wife Amelia co-produced an award-winning documentary while working with coffee farmers in Costa Rica. Outside of work, he enjoys surfing, cycling, and spending time with their three sons.

Sara Neff is a Partner and General Manager of Sustainability for Microsoft's Cloud Operations + Innovation team. Prior to joining Microsoft, she was Head of Sustainability, Lendlease Americas, where she provided leadership and management oversight in developing, implementing and driving Lendlease's corporate sustainability framework in the Americas region. Prior to that role, she served as Senior Vice President, Sustainability at Kilroy Realty Corporation. Under her leadership, Kilroy was recognized as a leader among publicly traded real estate companies on sustainability in the Americas by GRESB for seven of the last eight years as well as being recognized by NAREIT, and achieved carbon neutral operations at the end of 2020. She is a LEED Fellow and holds a BS from Stanford and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Virginia Calkins is Director of Environmental, Social, and Governance for DivCore, providing leadership and management oversight in developing, implementing, and driving DivCore’s ESG framework nationally. She also serves on the development team, managing ground-up and significant repositioning projects, including the development of Peninsula Crossing. Prior to joining DivcoWest in 2020, Virginia worked with Sares Regis managing development and infrastructure projects and real estate R&D efforts on behalf of Google and other major technology firms. Virginia began her career at the interdisciplinary design firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro in New York City. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in architecture and economics at Yale University and received a Masters of Business Administration from Stanford.

Matt is a proven leader with more than 20 years of experience navigating complex challenges and delivering innovative, high-performance solutions. As the Electrical Market Leader in AEI’s San Francisco office, he brings deep expertise in efficient, resilient building systems, maximizing sustainability and guiding projects seamlessly from concept through execution. Known for his collaborative, solutions-oriented approach, Matt emphasizes clear communication, thoughtful coordination, and strong alignment with client and stakeholder goals. He excels at translating technical complexity into actionable strategies, enabling teams to move forward with clarity and confidence. His work consistently prioritizes performance, reliability, and long-term value, ensuring projects are executed with precision and purpose.

Derek Hansen has had a passion for all things Building Performance since childhood and began working part-time, as a teenager, in his father’s company TGC, Inc. Following his passion for architecture he worked as an intern at the prestigious Thatcher and Thompson Architects before moving into construction during the housing boom in Hawaii in the mid 90’s. Upon his father’s pleading to return back to Santa Cruz to be groomed to eventually run the family company he began working his way up the ranks until, after 15 years, reaching the role of Chief Executive Officer. Within his 5 years at the helm, he worked with his team to more than double company revenue and build a national presence. While running the company, Derek wrote the business plan for a company idea that he’d been working on for a number of years (MYNT). While developing the plan with his wife and business partner, he pitched a number of investment groups and in a short time found the perfect fit in a private and unnamed group who had tremendous experience in the energy and commercial real estate space. MYNT was born from a desire to create a paradigm shift in the energy and sustainability world by combining multiple functions that would result in a turn-key model with massive results for people, planet, and profit. Since its inception, Mynt has broken new and uncharted ground by reimagining commercial and industrial real estate by bringing new value to both owners and tenants while simultaneously reducing carbon footprint. MYNT’s reputation for dynamic and groundbreaking work began to attract Fortune 500 clients and some of the top talent in their fields. Derek is known for his far-reaching vision and the ability to inspire others with his passion. Derek’s uncanny ability to find and recruit top talent has grown the MYNT team into one of the most dynamic and capable groups in the market. It’s Derek’s mission to prove that not only can legendary results be achieved for people and the planet, it can also be wildly profitable for businesses, simultaneously. Derek believes that MYNT is pioneering a new form of commerce in which the zero-sum game of corporate finance is outmoded by one where legendary results are achieved by everyone from the people working in the buildings they renovate, to the community in which they work. When not at work Derek can be found teaching Jiu Jitsu, skateboarding with his 14 and 15-year-old sons, or reading the latest book on spiritual enlightenment or quantum physics. Derek is committed to living in the service of others and hopes his mission can be an example for others in the pursuit of their dreams.

Suzanne Fallender is VP, Global Global Impact & Sustainability for Prologis, overseeing the company’s ESG strategy, stakeholder engagement activities, public reporting, and strategic initiatives. Working with groups across the company, Suzanne and her team advance integration and scale of Prologis’ sustainability and social impact strategies, and proactively engage with investors, customers, and other stakeholders on ESG topics. Suzanne has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of corporate responsibility and sustainable investing. She holds an M.B.A. from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and a B.A. from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. Suzanne has served on a number of industry advisory boards and committees on sustainability and corporate responsibility over the past decade. She currently serves on the board of the non-profit Net Impact/Good Institute which equips emerging leaders to use their skills and careers to make a positive impact on the world.

Melissa Gutierrez-Sullivan is a senior level sustainability expert with 15+ years of experience in driving change and strategy on climate change and ESG integration across various sectors. As Head of ESG at CIM Group, a Private Equity firm based in Los Angeles, Melissa oversees the integration of the ESG program into all of CIM’s sectors - real estate, infrastructure, and lending. Melissa works with each of the verticals within the organization to integrate ESG programming and is responsible for overseeing the ESG strategy and program implementation, and executing results across various reporting tools including GRESB and UN PRI. Melissa is a professional who is passionate about creating value for investors, future-proofing assets, and decarbonizing the planet. Prior to CIM, Melissa worked at JP Morgan for 6 years before moving into the world of sustainability. Since Melissa began working in sustainability in 2007, she has managed various sustainability related programs including: thought leadership guidance for large tech and financial institutions, green building certifications, Corporate Sustainability Reports, PACE Financing, and Revolving Loan Funds. Melissa has conducted educational workshops and spoken on numerous panels, including panels for Cushman & Wakefield, Bisnow, IMN, USGBC-CA, Greenbuild, and more.

Kairee is Senior Vice President responsible for the development and implementation of portfolio-wide policies and programs in Sustainability, Innovation and Community Impact. Kairee oversees h³experiences®, an initiative that brings The Swig Company’s elevated experiences for building clients and community impact programs together. h³experiences® provides flexible, urban experiences designed to inspire and connect, elevate workplaces, enhance wellness and sustainability, and engage with communities in and around our buildings. Within the Asset Management Team, Kairee plays a key role in acquisitions due diligence, conceptualizing new and value-add projects and establishing Company procedures and best practices. Kairee brings over 20 years of commercial construction management experience and joined the Swig Company in 2016, overseeing the successful repositioning and sale of 300 Lakeside. Kairee has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Davis. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and ULI member.

Zachary Russi serves as President of Western Allied Mechanical, a design-build mechanical contracting firm delivering premier HVAC, plumbing/process, controls and service to buildings across the San Francisco Bay Area for more than five decades. He brings a practical, real-world perspective on how the built environment can accelerate decarbonization while delivering smarter, higher-performing buildings. His team reduces environmental impact by integrating long-term sustainability strategies into client projects, including all- electric retrofits and comprehensive decarbonization initiatives that balance performance, constructability, and lifecycle cost. With more than 25 years of experience spanning commercial construction, design-build educational facilities, and complex life science laboratories, Zach partners with developers and general contractors to provide conceptual HVAC design and preliminary budgeting that evaluates feasibility and drives cost-effective, sustainable outcomes. Zach holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and maintains his Professional Engineering license and LEED Accredited Professional credential.