Board of Directors

Jonathan Morse – Chair of the Board of Directors

Worked in the building trades since 1975. In 1976, moved to the Brattleboro area, and started working for Rich Blazej, an innovative builder in the area. Worked for him, mostly on a solar heated condo project in Brookline. Worked for various people until Steve Mindel and I started Mindel and Morse Builders in 1981.

Our priorities always were (1) energy efficiency, (2) use of local materials when possible, (3) a productive and congenial workforce, and (4) high quality workmanship. We regularly took our crew to training workshops and seminars, and often had spirited discussions at lunch, and other non-work times, about the intricacies of building science and energy efficiency. We always tried to stay ahead of the curve of the latest information and techniques.

My emphasis has always been on energy efficiency and natural materials. Over the years I have educated myself and my employees in cutting edge ideas, techniques, and materials in order to make our buildings as energy efficient and sustainable as possible. I am a founding member of SEON, and in my retirement am very excited to be at the forefront of educating professionals and the public in sustainable building practices.

Gary Swindler – Vice-Chair

Gary Swindler, Vice President, brings several decades of building science and construction management background to SEON. Gary joined the Board in 2019 after over 11 years as a commercial/industrial energy consultant for the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. Before then, Gary served in several construction management positions for both commercial and residential projects, including nearly 20 years of on-the-job field experience. Gary’s passion for high-performance building issues is surpassed only by his dedication to a 10 acre Guilford farm where he’s established a vast diversity of tree fruits and nuts, maintains a productive grape and kiwi vineyard, while encouraging a complex diversity of native, naturalized and endangered plant species to thrive.

Gary’s education includes a Master’s Degree in Building Science from Arizona State University’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design, as well as a Bachelor of International Studies and Communication from the School for International Training in Brattleboro.

Matt Musgrave – Board Member

Matt is a lifelong Vermonter who spent the first 20 years of his career in the residential real estate industry. There he got to know the needs of Vermonters and the challenges faced developing safe, efficient, and affordable homes that are desperately needed. Transitioning out of the real estate market, Matt joined the construction field as an advocate and association executive representing builders of all kinds throughout the state. As the Vermont Regional Director of the Associated Builders and Contractors, NH and VT Chapter, he is positioned to continue working to build a workforce that is skilled and ready to meet Vermonts needs.

Matt has a passion for bringing people together to meet common goals by engaging with different views to find solutions that fit Vermonts needs. Matts served on Vermonts lead taskforce, building energy code update working groups, Vermont Residential Contractor working group, Act 47 building energy study group, many workforce development groups, and past chair at the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Matt brings pragmatic thinking and dedication to serving Vermont to all projects he participates in.

Candace Pearson, Esq. – Board Member

Candace Pearson leads BuildingGreen’s consulting practice in the areas of resilient design, alternative project delivery models, and collaborative construction contracts. Candace believes that the best projects come from project teams aligned around values, and that such alignment can be reinforced by clear, artfully-crafted contracts. She has a knack for facilitating kick-off meetings and she has partnered with construction attorneys to translate learnings into contractual agreements. In 2015, she co-authored a guide on Integrated Design and Delivery funded by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation.

In addition to her consulting work, Candace serves as in-house counsel at BuildingGreen and is an adept writer and researcher. Her areas of expertise include resilient design, biophilia, and grid services. Articles with her byline have appeared in GreenSource Magazine, Arch-Daily, and the Architectural Record.

Mary Anne Sheahan – Board Member

Mary Anne Sheahan brings extensive experience in workforce development, talent management, and project management to her role as a member of SEON’s Board of Directors. As the Chief Talent Officer of the Vermont Business Roundtable’s Foundation, she leads the Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) initiative, an employer-led, data-driven model that has successfully addressed skills gaps in critical industries such as Construction, Healthcare, and Advanced Manufacturing.

Mary Anne’s career highlights include serving as the Executive Director for Leadership Champlain and overseeing Workforce Development for the Lake Champlain Chamber. She has held leadership roles at Middlebury Interactive Languages and consulted on continuous process improvement for prominent Vermont businesses, including Banknorth Group, Burton Snowboards, the University of Vermont, and the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Mary Anne holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and is certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and an Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner. Her expertise in talent development and management aligns perfectly with SEON’s mission to promote and implement best practices in building science.

Steve Spatz – Board Member

Steve Spatz is a Residential Energy Consultant and Account Manager with VEIC specializing in both Residential New Construction and Existing Homes programs and managing the partner contractors in Efficiency Vermont’s EEN contractor network in Vermont. Previously Steve owned and operated Redbarn Design and Build Inc, a residential construction and building energy contracting company. Steve is a BPI certified Building Analyst, Envelope Professional, Heating Professional, Healthy Home Evaluator, a licensed Home Inspector and is a certified HERS rater.

Steve received his undergraduate degree from McGill University and a master’s degree in Building Science from UMass Amherst. He lives in Putney, Vermont with his wife and two daughters and serves on his local school board.