Celebrating 20 years of connecting California’s public-sector leaders with sustainability solutions
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From Vision to Impact: Delivering Sustainable High Performance K-12 Schools Through Integrated Energy and Infrastructure Planning
Date: September 16, 2026
Time: 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Ballroom C
School districts are under pressure to meet climate goals, modernize aging facilities, improve indoor environmental quality, and manage tight budgets all at once. This panel brings together multiple district leaders and an implementation partner to show how sustainability can unify these priorities through real, funded, and measurable projects. Panelists will share how they moved from resolutions and aspirational goals to executed work, including solar generation, HVAC and boiler modernization, lighting and controls upgrades, and ongoing energy management. Attendees will learn how to align environmental stewardship with financial responsibility using tools such as Government Code 4217, energy savings performance contracting, and tax exempt financing, while also building stakeholder support and delivering greener, healthier, and more resilient schools.
This session addresses the most pressing question facing school districts today: how to turn sustainability goals into real, funded projects that deliver measurable environmental and financial impact. Attendees will gain a clear, practical understanding of how to use sustainability as a driver for greener schools, lower emissions, and healthier learning environments, while also solving core challenges like aging infrastructure and budget constraints. The panel format provides direct insight from district leaders who have successfully implemented these strategies, offering credible, experience-based guidance rather than theory. Participants will leave with a replicable roadmap that connects planning, funding, and execution, along with strategies to accelerate projects, secure stakeholder buy in and deliver visible results. This session is especially valuable for districts looking to reduce their environmental footprint, meet state and local climate goals, and create high performance school environments that support both student success and long-term fiscal sustainability.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Attendees will:
- Understand how to integrate sustainability master planning with capital improvement programs to create a unified, actionable strategy that delivers environmental and financial results.
- Identify high impact energy and infrastructure measures, including solar, HVAC modernization, controls, and energy management systems, that reduce carbon footprint while improving student comfort and operational reliability.
- Evaluate funding and procurement pathways such as Government Code 4217, guaranteed savings models, incentives, and tax-exempt financing to move sustainability projects from concept to construction.
- Develop strategies to engage boards, staff, students, and community stakeholders to build long term support for sustainability initiatives and green infrastructure investments.
- Apply data driven approaches to track performance, measure sustainability outcomes, and communicate success in terms of emissions reduction, cost savings, and educational benefits.
Speakers:
Shea Dibble, Sr. Partnership Manager, Veregy
Marni Harmon, Director of Maintenance & Operations, El Segundo Unified School District
Lance Bidnick, Administrative Director II, Maintenance and Operations, Newport-Mesa Unified School District
Kevin Humphrey, Charter School Superintendent, Guajome Schools
Shea Dibble is Sr. Manager and Cofounder of Veregy, where he helps lead energy efficiency, demand response, and sustainability solutions for K 12, higher education, and public sector clients. With more than 25 years of experience serving school districts and public agencies, Shea brings deep expertise in regulatory affairs, policy, and performance contracting, helping clients deliver high impact energy and infrastructure improvements.
Marni Harmon serves as the Director of Maintenance and Operations for El Segundo Unified School District, where she oversees facilities, maintenance, custodial operations, grounds, and infrastructure projects across the district.
With more than seven years of school district experience and a background in finance, human resources, payroll, benefits, and operations, Marni brings a practical, cross-functional perspective to facilities leadership. Before joining public education, she owned and operated a commercial janitorial company for nearly a decade, giving her firsthand experience managing employees, budgets, service delivery, and customer expectations.
Her work focuses on turning operational challenges into measurable improvements through data, accountability, preventive maintenance, strategic planning, and collaboration. She is especially interested in practical sustainability strategies that help districts modernize aging facilities, reduce operating costs, improve building performance, and create healthier environments for students and staff.
Marni believes sustainability is most effective when it is integrated into everyday operations, capital planning, and long-term fiscal decision-making rather than treated as a separate initiative.
Kevin Humphrey has been serving as superintendent of Guajome Schools since 2016. Kevin began his career as a history and government teacher and spent twelve years in the classroom. He then served as a school administrator at Guajome for four years before becoming Superintendent. Kevin earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of St. Mary. He later completed his administrative credential at California State University, San Marcos.
Kevin grew up in Ohio and moved to California in 2008 to become part of the Guajome family. He enjoys being a proud father of his two young daughters, Mia and Lyla, and a supportive husband to his wife Megan who is also in the field of education.
Currently, in his twenty-third year in the field of education, Kevin embraces and appreciates the opportunity to work with all stakeholders to create the best possible learning environment for all families, and strives to build a community of life-long learners at Guajome.
Lance Bidnick serves as the Administrative Director of Maintenance and Operations for Newport-Mesa Unified School District, a TK–12 district of 32 schools supporting more than 18,000 students. With 31 years of experience in K–12 maintenance and operations across Orange and San Diego Counties, Lance brings deep operational knowledge and a strong track record of building high-performing facilities teams.
He is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton and a recent alumnus of both the CASH School Facilities Leadership Academy and the CASH Maintenance and Operations Leadership Academy. Under his leadership, Newport-Mesa has elevated Maintenance and Operations as a districtwide priority, with a strong focus on implementing its comprehensive maintenance master plan and advancing critical deferred maintenance projects.
