Kristen Pratt Kalaman
About Kristen's Work
Kristen studied Urban Environmental Leadership at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. Kristen's thesis and final action research project focused upon building relationships between grassroots environmentalists and local government.
Kristen currently serves as the Director of Illinois Residential Programs at Resource Innovations, a women-led clean energy transition consultancy. Kristen leverages her experience in program management and design, facilitation, and team leadership to guide energy efficiency program launch and implementation. She led the launch of the ACEEE Leader of the Pack award-winning Home Energy Savings Program in 2021, managing extensive partnerships with: utilities; community action agencies, state agencies, and the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies; energy efficiency service providers; other implementation contractors; and community-based organizations. She led the launch of the Whole Home Electric offering in 2022, a comprehensive energy efficient electrification program serving income eligible single- and multi-family residential customers.
Kristen previously worked for the Chicago Academy of Sciences and its Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, leading the institution's sustainability efforts and the Chicago Conservation Corps (C3). C3 recruits, trains, and supports residents of Chicago as they plan and implement community-based environmental service projects. Kristen led this network of more than 500 volunteers from 2008-2019, developing a strong base in community engagement best practices that inform her work today.
Kristen has a B.S. in Zoology from Michigan State University, with a concentration in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology. She also specialized in Environmental Education and Community Engagement. She has extensive experience in qualitative and quantitative research on place-based education in youth, and in developing and implementing community-based youth programming. She was named a 2007 Udall Scholar in honor of her environmental education efforts, and is certified through the National Association of Interpretation as an Interpretive Guide.
