OLLIE PENDERED
Chief Executive
Ollie is Chief Executive of Community Energy Pathways and leads on our Partnerships and capacity building support Community Energy Groups. He is the regional representative for Community Energy England and Chair of the Greater Brighton City Region Energy Working Group.
Ollie is a hockey player, coaches his local village junior cricket team and is a keen gardener and nature expert.
ESMÉ DONGHI
Executive Director – COO
Esmé has 20 years’ experience in energy and environment project management, primarily in team and businesses leadership roles. She worked in a variety of sectors including higher education, local authorities, SMEs, facilities management, construction and waste management and community energy.
In her spare time Esmé is kept busy with her active toddler and also enjoys long walks countryside, dancing and pub lunches.
NICK BOHANE
Development Director
Nick leads on new business models, business development, partnerships, marketing and brand. He was formerly a Managing Partner for public affairs firm Instinctive Partners, working in the electricity sector for many years.
ROLAND BALDOCK
Technical Director
Roland joined us after working in the community energy sector as a project developer and project manager. Previously he worked as manager on complex marine infrastructure projects across Europe, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East.
Roland enjoys travelling, bouldering at his local climbing centre, sea swimming, and reading.
JESSIE-MAE COLEMAN
Corporate Services Manager
Jessie looks after our day-to-day financial administration – running the office and membership services and supporting the executive directors. She is one of our Climate Literacy trainers and chair of our CIO: CES Warming Communities.
The demands of two children take up most of her time but she enjoys yoga, boxing, reading sci-fi, cooking new things and creating outrageous cakes.
DANNY OLSSON
Head of Programme for CommuniPower
After a decade working in Japan and Europe, Danny retrained and graduated in Global Energy Transition and Governance, Following three years in the public sector as the manager of a climate-change programme, he now leads the team at CommuniPower.
In his spare time Danny likes to tread the boards as a member of his local amateur dramatics group.
NICOLA DAVIDSON
Project Manager
Nicola has worked in the public and community development sector for 20 years. Her degree is in rural resource management and her specialisms include community energy project development, fundraising and mentoring new groups to pioneer their own projects.
KELLY DIBBERT
Project Manager
Kelly has over 20 years experience as a project manager. She has a wealth of experience in fundraising, community engagement, development and a passion for bringing people together to do good things. She previously worked for Brighton Energy Coop, The Big Lemon and FareShare Sussex.
She loves year-round sea swimming, scuba diving, dancing, long country walks, her bikes and sharing good food.
SARAH MACBETH
Engagement and Design Manager
Sarah is a socially responsible designer, researcher, artist and community activist. She has a masters degree in Sustainable Design and more than 25 years’ experience, including working for design and technology cooperatives and collectives. She was a founder of Hastings Transition Town.
Sarah is a keen forager and spends a lot of time at her allotment or cooking what she harvests.
PHIL OSULLIVAN
Project Co-ordinator
Phil is responsible for supporting community groups in providing energy advice and building their organisational capacity. He has extensive experience in advising and supporting people who are facing fuel poverty as well as training community groups.
Phil enjoys playing instruments, seeing live music, reading and getting out in nature.
BEN WHITE
Community Energy People Project Co-ordinator
Ben has a background in plant sciences and education. He prevously worked in the community team at Kew Gardens, where he ran the learning and access programme for disabled people. He is passionate about engaging underrepresented communities with nature, sustainability and social change.
In his spare time Ben enjoys swimming, spending time in nature, reading, and playing Dungeons & Dragons.
KIRSTY SHANAHAN
Project Co-ordinator
Kirsty Shanahan is one of the co-ordinators of the CommuniPower project.
She founded Buckinghamshire Community Energy and she co-ordinates the Community Energy England Energy Efficiency Working Group. She has also worked on retrofit projects at Low Carbon Homes, so domestic decarbonisation is a subject close to her heart.
CAMILLE RODSKJAER
Energy Advice Coordinator
As well as a retrofitting, art history and languages study base, Camille has extensive experience in running sustainably focussed events, grassroots fundraising and project organisation. She has worked with vulnerable clients and diverse communities in education, run a training school and created strategic marketing plans to raise organisations’ profiles.
Spare time is filled with wild walks, swimming, an allotment, food, arts of all sorts. Currently working towards becoming a DEA.
SARAH PENDERED
Executive Assistant
Sarah brings a wide range of international experience, including running an outdoor adventure company. A qualified Montessori teacher, she has held multiple positions as executive assistant/PA, managing events and setting up energy advice cafes. Sarah managed one of the teams involved in setting up the London Congestion Charge on behalf of TFL.
In her spare time Sarah loves to walk on the South Downs with her 2 dogs, she is a keen swimmer, has an active interest in nutrition and loves to cook!
TIM SHERMAN
Project Assistant
Tim is joining the CES team as a Project Assistant, responsible for supporting both the coordination, technical and data management aspects of the CommuniPower Unit and the development of community energy generation projects.
Tim finished university in 2022 and took a year out where he worked a ski season as an instructor and was an outdoors instructor at Branching Out Adventures (a local high and low ropes course).
In the local community, he plays hockey for Lewes and enjoys football, tennis and pool as well.
EMER GILES
Communications and Project Assistant
Emer has recently graduated with a bachelor of science degree in Geography from the University of Sussex. Her passion for the climate led her to write her dissertation on the effects of eco-anxiety on gender, age and education. Her experience in geography has brought to the team a new perspective of younger generations dealing with and tackling climate change.
Emer also enjoys making lemon drizzle cakes, doing yoga and spending time with her dog PJ.
SUSIE TAGUE
Communications and Project Assistant
Susie’s experience of travelling round South East Asia for three months in 2023, witnessing first hand, how other communities around the world approach daily life and tackle different challenges sparked her passion for innovation and tackling the climate crisis.
Susie brings extensive experience in customer facing roles, an ability to adapt quickly to changing situations and a keen interest in sustainability and problem solving to her role as a Communications and Project Assistant.
In her spare time she loves walking her dog, live music, design, and fashion.
ASMAA ELSOUDA
Communications and Project Assistant
Asmaa has joined as a CommuniPower assistant to support communication between teams and with content production for training and policy updates. She studied Global Sustainable Development and Ecology at university, and since graduating in 2023 she has worked as a researcher in political ecology and as an engagement producer for an independent film festival.
Outside of work, Asmaa is a community organiser in London, and enjoys yoga, hiking, and making soup.
EMILY HILTON
Energy Adviser
Emily has always loved the outdoors, which is what lead to her Environmental Science degree, and ignited a desire to work for a more sustainable future. Her extensive experience in events organisation and management, combine with a passion to bring environmental improvements while genuinely making people’s lives better.
Previously competing in world class sport, Emily now moonlights as a horse trainer, providing second chances for our 4 legged friends.
JOHN PHILPOT
Energy Adviser
John gives advice on energy-saving tips, grants and retrofit options for those in the able-to-pay market. John co-founded eMpower Maldon and is an active member of the local climate action partnership in the Maldon district.
John brings over 18 years of customer-facing experience in the motor trade and seven and a half years in the Army Reserve, specialising in signals and EOD & Search. John has implemented various projects, including transitioning to a zero-waste-to-landfill policy.
When not at work, he enjoys spending time with his family and tinkering with his cars.
SILU ALI
Energy Adviser
After working for over 40 years in IT and transformation programmes for multi-national organisations in a number of sectors, Silu decided to pursue a career in Sustainable Energy and the fair transition to Net Zero.
Whilst retraining she worked for a few years in a London Borough assisting SMEs in addressing their various challenges including their Net Zero strategies. Further courses and hands on projects in renewable energy technologies and their applications gave her a comprehensive understanding of how their use could deliver energy security for individuals in the UK regardless the prevailing global political and economic situations.
On joining CES in November 2024, she has worked on the Leaving No-one Behind Programme which provides advice and guidance on cost effective methods of reducing fossil fuel energy usage and where possible moving to renewable energy usage.
On a personal level, she continues her education in renewable energies together with her other interests including travelling to new countries to explore their cultures, food and environments.
REBECCA COLBY
Energy Adviser
Rebecca joins the team as an Energy Advisor. With a passion for the health of people and the planet she elected to study an MSc in Humanitarian Engineering at the University of Warwick. Rebecca brings a range of experience in event planning and customer facing roles.
In her spare time Rebecca enjoys live comedy, roller skating and cross stitch.