The EIS Management Team
Lewis M. Kwit (President) founded EIS in 1983 to develop institutional and technological solutions to spiraling energy costs in New York City’s residential sector. A former city official and consultant to the U.S. Conference of Mayors and U.S. Department of Energy, Lewis has addressed significant institutional, technological and policy issues in the energy field at all levels of government. Today he leads EIS in research and implementation of load controls and advanced submetering systems and in analysis and reform of city and state energy legislation and policy. The force behind the city’s first RTP project at Manhattan’s 322 Central Park West, Lewis accepted for EIS a NYSERDA 25th Anniversary Pioneer Award for “excellence in energy innovation” on behalf of the city’s residential sector; he was honored as 2004 Energy Services Professional of the Year by NY’s chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers. Mr. Kwit is currently spearheading an initiative to win approval of regenerative elevator drives as a New York State renewable energy resource, which carries special promise for the vertical landscape of New York City and other urban areas. Holder of a political science degree from Hunter College and a graduate urban planning degree from NYU, he has written widely on energy and the residential sector for professional and lay audiences and speaks frequently on energy and the environment.
Jack V. Woolams (Senior Vice President) is an attorney with extensive management, legal, financing, technical and policy experience in energy and housing services and programs who joined EIS in 1999. Putting all of his skills to work, he manages client participation in a number of public incentive programs including the NYSERDA Multifamily Performance Program, oversees corporate contracts and performance, and works on an ongoing basis on issues of regulatory compliance and reform as part of EIS policy initiatives. Since 1980, Mr. Woolams has provided energy and housing consulting services to metropolitan community organizations, government agencies and private energy companies, and was founder and executive director for eight years of the nationally recognized nonprofit NYC Conserve, where he developed and managed customized energy conservation and financing services for multifamily housing. Mr. Woolams holds a B.S. in political science from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law.
Cristina L. Villegas (Technical Director) oversees a range of analysis and billing programs for EIS clients. She analyzes and prepares bills for a portfolio of submetered buildings, hedges natural gas and electricity purchases based on analysis of fuel pricing data and rate structures, manages the EIS curtailment program which calls for monthly bids on the NYISO spot market, prepares cost/benefit analyses for energy-related improvements, and coordinates clients, contractors, engineers, architects and public agencies in energy-related construction projects. A BPI Certified Multifamily Building Analyst and Certified Energy Manager (CEM), she holds an engineering degree and graduate certificate in project management from Stevens Institute. Before coming to EIS a decade ago, Ms. Villegas was a process engineer for New Jersey’s Cardolite and Celetex Corporations.
Amelia Axtell (Project Manager) joined EIS in 2009. A graduate of Mills College with an M.B.A. in finance and a B.A. in economics, she focused her interest on energy issues and industry regulations while interning with the California Public Utilities Commission. Instrumental in developing the singular EIS sustainability audit, Ms. Axtell oversees research, analysis, budgeting, production and presentation of the comprehensive planning document for residential building clients. She applies her considerable financial and management skills to manage a range of EIS projects, working on the front line with both commercial and residential building clients.
Brieanne Waltman (Energy Analyst) interned at EIS before joining the staff in 2011. She oversees collection and analysis of client energy data and production of EPA-certified benchmarking reports for the EIS building portfolio. A graduate of The George Washington University with a B.A. in anthropology, Ms. Waltman served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali where she worked with communities to establish and strengthen sustainable farming and gardening methods. Applying her background in ecological restoration and small-scale urban sustainability, Ms. Waltman received a 2010 M.S. in urban affairs from Hunter College, graduating with honors.