Erick brings 23 years of experience in local government, environmental sustainability, energy policy, and finance. Alongside his work with 5 Lakes Energy, he serves as the Director of Environmental Sustainability for the City of Milwaukee, a position he has held since 2015. In that role, Erick leads the city’s Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO), where he and his team develop and oversee programs like the Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me²) program, EV MKE, the Eco-Neighborhoods Initiative, Water Centric City Initiative, and the Green Jobs Accelerator. He also oversees the implementation of Milwaukee’s Climate and Equity Plan and secured $41 million in grants and cooperative agreements from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for the city.

 

Over the course of his career, Erick gained extensive experience developing renewable energy projects and associated financing methods for local governments. He negotiated Milwaukee’s largest solar energy project and developed rooftop solar energy systems on five municipal buildings to achieve the city’s 25% by 2025 renewable electricity goal. He also launched Wisconsin’s first Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program that financed over $41 million in projects and became a model for the state’s PACE program.

 

Prior to his role as the Director of Sustainability, he was the Deputy Director and established various energy financing programs including the Me² and Milwaukee Shines solar loans that continue to operate in Milwaukee through a partnership with Summit Credit Union.  Erick started his career in city government in Milwaukee’s Budget and Management Division, where he advanced to the position of City Economist.

 

Erick is the local government co-founder of the Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition (WLGCC.org) and is now the Board President. He holds a Masters of Public Affairs degree and Certificate in Energy Analysis and Policy from the University of Wisconsin and certificates in Water Technology and Business Communications from UW-Milwaukee.