Experience

  • 2017 - Present

  • 2021 - 2024

    At Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, leadership in energy efficiency was my arena, where I piloted initiatives to alleviate energy burdens for underserved communities. Our team's achievements included implementing process improvements and database implementation to improve transparency and accommodate online enrollments.

    My tenure as a Division Director was marked by strategic alliance creation and the application of Six Sigma principles to optimize operations. With a dedication to quality assurance and contractual compliance, I have facilitated impactful solutions, consistently pursuing innovation and operational excellence.

  • 2018 - 2020

    Volunteer promoting the mission to transform the way our buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, heathy and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.

  • 2019 - 2020

    TRC’s Energy Efficiency Project Manager leads delivery of utility energy-efficiency portfolios—planning and managing budgets/schedules, overseeing cross-functional teams and trade-ally networks, ensuring QA/verification, reporting performance, and maintaining client relationships. Many postings emphasize market development and program operations (e.g., small business/commercial & residential programs), data/pipeline tracking, and stakeholder outreach, including upstream work with heat-pump distributors and contractors.

  • 2016 - 2018

    Developing and managing a State of CA Department of Community Services & Development, Low-Income Weatherization Program funded through the Climate Change Initiative offering solar PV, solar water heating as well as HVAC and water heater replacement, insulation, windows, and other energy saving measures. Connect with me and let me know how Highlands Energy can be of assistance in guiding you through to an energy efficient and sustainable future!!!

  • What I enjoy most as leader of the QA team is being able to affect positive change. In this role I am guiding contractors through a maze of contractual compliance, best practice standards and methods to measure and analyze program success. Integral to this process is clear communication, well written reference materials and continual examination of processes to ensure feedback loop is addressing deficiencies and has mechanisms in place to drive improvement.

    Milestones:

    Meeting CPUC mandated compliance requirements while maintaining inspection pass rates and customer satisfaction scores in top 10 percentile.

    Developing observation protocols to determine if contractors had adequate processes, operations and personnel (POP) in place to meet program performance requirements.

    Being recognized as a subject matter expert on natural gas appliance testing, weatherization installation standards and other building science related topics.

 
 

Our Process

A Systems-Thinking Approach to Buildings

Joseph’s approach is grounded in a simple but often overlooked principle:

buildings perform best when treated as integrated systems, not collections of equipment. 

Over the course of his career, Joseph has seen firsthand how well-intended energy upgrades fail when they prioritize technology over fundamentals. In response, his work emphasizes:

• Passive-first strategies that reduce demand before adding generation

• Whole-building analysis that accounts for envelope, occupancy, climate, and operations

• Data-informed decision-making grounded in real utility usage, not assumptions

• Phased, right-sized solutions aligned with governance, reserves, and long-term stewardship

This philosophy reflects both best practices in building science and the realities faced by volunteer boards and community decision-makers.

Experience That Bridges Policy, Practice, and People

Joseph has held leadership roles across the clean energy ecosystem — including utility programs, weatherization, quality assurance, training, and consulting — giving him rare visibility into how buildings actually perform over time.

Highlights include:

• Leading large-scale energy services programs serving thousands of households annually

• Managing multidisciplinary teams and multi-million-dollar program budgets

• Advising utilities, nonprofits, and CDFIs on decarbonization and portfolio strategy

• Delivering training and field verification programs for building performance compliance

• Championing solar and battery storage projects for multifamily and HOA communities

Throughout this work, Joseph has been recognized for his ability to build consensus, communicate across disciplines, and align technical solutions with human and organizational realities.

Values-Driven Leadership & Global Perspective

Joseph’s practice is informed by his participation as an Inaugural Fellow in the University of San Diego’s Global Executive Seminar: Using Business for Good to Shape a Better World — an immersive executive education experience exploring sustainable business models, cooperative governance, and social enterprise across the United States, Spain, and Rwanda.

This experience reinforced a core belief that continues to guide his work:

Lasting energy and climate solutions must align economic performance with social responsibility and community well-being.

As a result, Joseph approaches consulting not simply as technical problem-solving, but as long-term stewardship — supporting communities in making decisions they can stand behind for decades.