2012 Member Bios - Pennsylvania

Jordan Goldsmith | Pennsylvania Project Coordinator
Jordan is a graduate of Montana State University as well as a native Montanan. Jordan has a strong desire to protect natural resources and promote sustainable living practices. He is a registered engineer-in-training and is pursuing his professional engineer license. Jordan has a diverse background and has worked at NCAT as an energy analyst helping local business become more energy efficient through lighting and HVAC upgrades. Outside of work Jordan enjoys a wide variety of activities, including the sport of alpine ski flying.

King Adjei-Frimpong is a certified Californian. Born and raised in Orange County, he has always enjoyed being outside. With the famous Southern California weather at his disposal, King made use of it by participating in a variety of activities such as football, running, and skateboarding. He studied at UCLA and received a bachelor of arts degree in political science in 2010. King spent six months after graduating from college travelling the world. After finally returning stateside, King is thrilled to take his talents, no not to South Beach, but to the Energy Corps in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

With the Energy Corps he will be exercising his passion for sustainability through teaching members of the Wilkes-Barre communities, and neighboring counties, ways to implement energy conservation in their homes and lifestyles. He plans to expand on the experience he will gain by partaking in other professional sustainable opportunities and attending grad school.

Ben Carlsen has worked on alternative fuels research projects at the EMS Energy Institute research laboratory and performed institutional energy audits at Matson Environmental, a commercial energy assessment firm. As an Energy Corps AmeriCorps member, Ben will be supporting the Penn State Center for Sustainability's National Energy Leadership Corps (NELC) energy auditing and weatherization curriculum development program. He will assist NELC research by performing residential energy modeling, by assisting with energy auditing and data analysis, and by engaging in outreach activities. He looks forward to continuing to pursue a bachelor's degree in energy engineering at Penn State while participating in the Energy Corps.

Kayleigh Cornell is a native of northeastern Pennsylvania where she is glad to be serving in the quaint, progressive town of Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Always fostering an interest in activism and the environment, she attended the University of Pittsburgh to pursue a degree in Environmental Studies. "I was so blessed to have such amazing mentors, teachers, and fellow activists guide me to work towards a more sustainable planet," she said.

Kayleigh also spent four months learning about sustainability in Scotland in the eco-village of Findhorn. "Going to Findhorn was probably one of the best choices I ever made with my life because it opened my eyes to see that whole communities can live sustainably and comfortably when a group of people consciously move towards this goal."

Since graduating Kayleigh worked as a watershed specialist with the Lackawanna River Corridor, protecting water resources and performing water quality testing in the Lackawanna River watershed. Now she is eager to serve as an Energy Corps member in transforming her hometown to be a community that appreciates and conserves the wonderful natural resources of northeastern Pennsylvania.

Matthew Dahlhausen is from Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated with a degree in environmental engineering from Dartmouth College where he was active in the Dartmouth Outing Club. He directed the "Appalachian Trail in a Day" hike, celebrating the Outing Club's centennial. Matt has previously served as an intern with the Center for Whole Communities. Matt joined energy corps to learn more about home energy systems and building science, and hopes to continue graduate study in the field. He is an avid bike mechanic, hiker, wood carver, cook and bread baker.

Allison Elick grew up in Lancaster, Ohio and is excited to be a new member of the Pennsylvania Energy Corps. She graduated from Allegheny College in May of 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies. During her time at Allegheny she played tennis, and traveled to Northern Europe for with a sustainability program. During her time with Energy Corps, Allison hopes to reach out to children and adults and help them understand how to work as a community to become more sustainable and responsible for present and future generations. She enjoys playing tennis, mountain biking, fishing and cooking. After Energy Corps Allison hopes to get a job with a non-profit organization or a college where she can work to create sustainable development and educate others.

Taylor Haag graduated from the University of Oregon in December of 2010. He earned his bachelor's degree in economics and minored in environmental studies. Upon college graduation, he joined the Energy Corps program through Americorps and began working at GTECH Strategies. At GTECH, he spends most of his time working with the ReFuel PGH team. Before moving to Pittsburgh in April of 2011, Tayler grew up in Portland and attended college in Eugene, Oregon. He is eager to learn about the emerging clean energy sector during his time at GTECH. While taking environmental study courses at the University of Oregon, he developed a strong interest in environmental issues. Taylor spends his free time following sports and enjoying the outdoors.

Shailean Hardy graduated from St. John's University in New York with a bachelor's degree in history and anthropology then went on to get her master's degree in environment and sustainable development from University College London in the United Kingdom. Her experiences include researching sustainable agriculture in Ghana and working with human rights organizations in England and Jamaica. Shailean is interested in community development and environmental advocacy. She joined Energy Corps seeking to gain experience in the energy field. She hopes that through the program she will influence behaviour change that will have a meaningful impact on environmental sustainability.

Kevin Ketchman has a bachelor's of science degree from the Pennsylvania State University in civil engineering and is currently working towards a doctorate in civil engineering sustainability and green design from the University of Pittsburgh. His background includes courses on green design, sustainable development, life cycle assessment, and design for the environment as well as several years for an environmental services company in Philadelphia. Kevin will be working for the Penn State Center for Sustainablilty. He will perform energy audits at homes in Pittsburgh neighborhoods as part of the National Energy Leadership Corps (NELC) and Energy Corps. In his free time, Kevin is an avid runner.

Michael Maholtz is from Benezette, Pennsylvania, growing up in a small town outside of Saint Mary's. He is a graduate of Clarion University in 2010, where he majored in accounting and minored in economics. He joined the Energy Corps in order to be about of the solution to climate change and be apart of the growing green economy. Currently, he is working for the Scranton Lackawanna Human Development Agency Inc. In the program he helps to install hybrid water heaters, real time energy information displays (EID), and educate the home owners on energy saving methods.