Brian Swett is a Arup’s Boston Office Leader and serves as Director of Cities and Sustainable Real Estate. In this role, Brian leads the work of Arup in the Americas to integrate its advisory services with its key strengths in design, engineering and planning, delivered in the city context. He is a nationally recognized leader in climate change and sustainability strategy with over a decade of leadership experience in municipal government, real estate development, federal government, and non-profit sectors. Brian brings a breadth of experience on the government and private sides of sustainable urban development and management that allows him to deliver integrated and actionable strategies and solutions for major clients. Prior to joining Arup, Brian served as Chief of Environment, Energy and Open Space for the City of Boston. Encompassing 400+ employees and a $40 million budget, Brian led a variety of major policy initiatives; launched Greenovate Boston and Climate Ready Boston; and led the 2015 update to the City’s Climate Action Plan. Under his leadership, Boston was recognized by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) as the #1 city in the country for energy efficiency policies and programs in their 2013 and 2015 biennial rankings.

With more than a decade of experience in project development, program delivery and policy implementation, David Hodgins is a recognized leader in the sustainable real estate field. He began his career with the Clinton Climate Initiative, where he led private sector project development for three years. Building on the perspective he gained through that work, he founded sustainability services company Sustento Group in 2011, which serves as program manager for the Los Angeles Better Buildings Challenge. David has worked with a diverse set of clients, from federal, state and local governments to global lenders, investors and asset managers, utilities, advocates, national labs and affordable housing developers. He has contributed to the development of a range of industry standards and resources, including the Department of Energy’s Asset Score Audit Template, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Energy Performance Contracting Toolkit and several ASHRAE standards. A sought-after speaker and recognized leader in the sustainable real estate world, David holds an MBA and a master’s in real estate development from the University of Southern California, as well as a bachelor’s in business economics from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Phoebe Romero is passionate about the intersection of climate policy and racial equity. She works at the City of Austin Office of Sustainability focusing on air quality and climate action that reduces environmental impact and improves quality of life outcomes for historically impacted communities. Formerly she was a Program Manager at CLEAResult implementing utility energy efficiency programs for large commercial and institutional organizations across Texas. Prior to CLEAResult, she was an Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps Fellow tasked with evaluating energy and water conservation initiatives at Huston-Tillotson University. She has a BA in Political Science and Latin American studies from Brown University and a joint Professional Science Master's in Environmental Management and Sustainable Development from St. Edward’s University and Université Catholique de l'Ouest.

Ashley is the Executive Director at the KC Building Energy Exchange. She specializes in transforming ambitious community visions into successful projects, programs, and policies. Her strengths include strategic planning, client management, stakeholder engagement, and creative problem-solving. With social equity being the driving force behind her work, she has directed affordable housing projects, urban redevelopment, neighborhood planning, and mobile app design. In her 14 years as a project manager and licensed architect, Ashley has managed the design and construction of several million dollars worth of community assets. Her entrepreneurial spirit, ability to manage staffing, and excel at business development have led to significant growth in her previous firms. Ashley's relentless commitment to serving her community has led to her appointment on the City of Kansas City's Planning Commission, local and national leadership in the Urban Land Institute, and selection for AIA's first Design Justice Summit.