News
Janice Romanosky Retires from Pando Alliance, Thiel Butner Becomes Chief Executive Officer
Ellicott City, MD (February 2, 2024) – Janice Romanosky, founder of Pando Alliance, has officially retired as of January 1, 2024 after leading the company for 13 years. Thiel Butner joined Janice at Pando in 2013 and became a Principal in 2016. For the past 8 years, Janice and Thiel ran the company together. This slow transfer of oversight and ownership has ensured that this transition will be smooth for all of our clients and project partners. As Chief Executive Officer, Thiel will continue to lead the team at Pando Alliance.
Janice has worked tirelessly to position Pando as an industry voice in the development and evolution of national energy and sustainability certification programs. As Founding Principal, Janice made significant contributions to the affordable rental housing industry, particularly in Maryland. Listening closely to owners, developers, design teams and builders, she has been able to understand their practical concerns and present recommendations to national programs with positive results. Many of her recommendations have been incorporated into these programs, easing the certification process for affordable housing projects. While challenging to achieve, these program certifications are far-reaching and improve the livability of housing and quality of life of the residents for years to come.
Janice developed Pando’s service portfolio to provide affordable housing project teams with comprehensive consulting on their energy and sustainability requirements as well as to provide guidance on local and national program incentives. By taking the time to understand the complexities of various energy and sustainability program requirements, Janice has helped hundreds of project teams navigate the most cost effective path to compliance. Under her leadership, Pando Alliance has provided energy and green certifications to tens of thousands of units of affordable housing in Maryland and the surrounding region.
As a testament to their work together, Pando Alliance achieved third-party B Corp certification at the end of 2022. B Corps are verified to follow governance best practices, provide excellent working conditions and benefits, have a positive impact on the local community and the environment, and work with clients who also have a positive impact.
Thiel and the entire Pando Alliance team look forward to continuing to serve you.
Contact: Thiel Butner, thiel@pandoalliance.com, 443-364-8047
Janice Romanosky can still be reached at janice@pandoalliance.com
Pando Alliance Earns 2023 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Partner of the Year Award
Ellicott City, MD (March 28, 2023) — Pando Alliance is proud to announce that it has received the 2023 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Partner of the Year Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
“We appreciate that the ENERGY STAR team is responsive to questions and receptive to feedback and recommendations,” said Thiel Butner, Managing Principal at Pando Alliance.
“We have a real opportunity to address climate change with every new, all-electric building that is verified to achieve ENERGY STAR certification,” said Janice Romanosky, Founding Principal.
“As we accelerate historic efforts to address climate change, public-private partnerships will be essential to realizing the scale of our ambition,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I applaud this year’s ENERGY STAR award winners for working with EPA to deliver a clean energy future that saves American consumers and businesses money and creates jobs.”
Each year, the ENERGY STAR program honors a select group of businesses and organizations that have made outstanding contributions in the transition to a clean energy economy. ENERGY STAR award winners lead their industries in the production, sale, and adoption of energy-efficient products, homes, buildings, services, and strategies. These efforts are essential to fighting the climate crisis, protecting public health, and creating a clean energy future for everyone.
Winners are selected from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners. For a complete list of 2023 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR’s awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.
About Pando Alliance
Pando Alliance is a leading provider of green certifications and energy consulting services for affordable multifamily projects. We are passionate about creating sustainable living environments and promoting energy conservation. Our team of experts has years of experience in the field and is dedicated to providing quality and efficient services. We strive to help our clients create a more sustainable and cost-effective environment for their community. With our help, clients can reduce their energy costs, reduce their environmental impacts and create healthier living conditions for their tenants. We believe in the power of collaboration and use our expertise and resources to support our clients in achieving their goals. Our mission is to create a better future for all through sustainable development and energy conservation.
About Energy Star
ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped American families and businesses avoid more than $500 billion in energy costs and achieve more than 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. More background information about ENERGY STAR’s impacts can be found at energystar.gov/impacts.
Pando Alliance Earns 2022 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award and Achieves Sustained Excellence
Ellicott City, Maryland (May 5, 2022) — Pando Alliance is proud to announce that it has received the 2022 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy for the third year in a row.
“We are honored to be recognized as a long-term Energy Star program partner,” said Pando’s Managing Principal, Thiel Butner.
“Energy Star’s proven value aligns with our clients’ missions to provide homes with enduring quality,” said Pando’s Founding Principal, Janice Romanosky.
“We know it’s going to take all of us working together to tackle the climate crisis, and the 2022 ENERGY STAR award-winning partners are demonstrating what it takes to build a more sustainable future,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “These companies are showing once again that taking action in support of a clean energy economy can be good not only for the environment, but also for business and customers.”
Each year, the ENERGY STAR program honors a group of businesses and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy achievements. ENERGY STAR award winners lead their industries in the production, sale, and adoption of energy-efficient products, homes, buildings, services, and strategies. These efforts are essential to fighting the climate crisis and protecting public health.
Winners are selected from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners. For a complete list of 2022 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR’s awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.
About Pando Alliance
Pando Alliance was established in 2010 by Janice Romanosky who was later joined by Thiel Butner, now Managing Partner. We provide energy and sustainability consulting services to affordable housing developers throughout the region from our base in Ellicott City, MD. Now a company of 16, our continued growth stems from a tireless commitment to attentive client service, backed by deep expertise in a rapidly changing industry.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500®—rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped American families and businesses avoid more than $500 billion in energy costs and achieve more than 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. More background information about ENERGY STAR’s impacts can be found at www.energystar.gov/impacts and state-level information can be found at www.energystar.gov/statefacts.
EPA's Indoor airPLUS Program Honors Pando Alliance with 2021 Indoor airPLUS Leader Award
Ellicott City, Maryland (August 5, 2021) — Pando Alliance has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a recipient of the 2021 Indoor airPLUS Leader Award. This annual award recognizes market leading homebuilders and raters who promote safer, healthier, and more comfortable indoor environments by participating in this home labeling program, utilizing the Indoor airPLUS brand in their marketing, and educating the general public about the enhanced indoor air quality protections they offer to new home buyers.
“Every year we look forward to the opportunity to recognize the great achievements of our Indoor airPLUS partners. This year we are pleased to award 15 organizations with the 2021 Indoor airPLUS Leader Award,” said David Rowson, Director of EPA’s Indoor Environments Division. “Despite the home construction industry facing unparalleled challenges over the past year, these Award Winners continued to deliver healthier homes for the American consumer. On behalf of EPA and the Indoor airPLUS team, I extend our congratulations and deep appreciation to these organizations for their outstanding work!”
“We are honored to receive this award for the first time this year. Indoor airPLUS builds on ENERGY STAR certification with improved filtration, radon mitigation, and low-emission product requirements. These features enhance the health and safety of the residents of the buildings we certify,” said Thiel Butner, Managing Principal at Pando Alliance.
About Indoor airPLUS
Indoor airPLUS was created on the foundation of EPA’s ENERGY STAR Certified Homes Program and encourages builders and raters to go further with construction practices to help minimize exposure to airborne pollutants and contaminants. Homes that earn this label offer superior comfort, durability, indoor air quality, and peace of mind for their home buyers.
To learn more about the 2021 Indoor airPLUS Leader Awards or the Indoor airPLUS Program, visit www.epa.gov/indoorairplus.
Pando Alliance Earns Award for 2021 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year
Ellicott City, Maryland (April 13, 2021) — Pando Alliance is proud to announce that it has received the 2021 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
“We appreciate the partnerships that allow us to deliver this rigorous, performance-based program to affordable housing communities. Energy Star is one of only a few certification programs that reliably deliver affordable energy bills for residents. We are delighted to have received this prestigious award for the second, consecutive year,” said Pando’s Founding Principal, Janice Romanosky.
“We wholeheartedly support ENERGY STAR’s mission because it aligns with our clients’ mission of delivering housing built with quality, comfort, durability, and affordability in mind. Our passion for energy efficiency and environmental stewardship is evenly balanced by our real-world practicality,“ said Pando’s Managing Principal, Thiel Butner.
“ENERGY STAR award-winning partners are showing the world that delivering real climate solutions makes good business sense and promotes job growth,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Many of them have been doing it for years, inspiring all of us who are committed to tackling the climate crisis and leading the way to a clean energy economy.”
Each year, the ENERGY STAR program honors a group of businesses and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy achievements. ENERGY STAR Award Winners lead their industries in the production, sale, and adoption of energy-efficient products, services, and strategies. These efforts are essential to fighting the climate crisis and protecting public health.
Winners are selected from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners. For a complete list of 2021 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR’s awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.
About Pando Alliance
Pando Alliance is a regional leader in sustainability and energy efficiency consulting for the affordable housing development community. We attribute our success to an unwavering commitment to technical excellence and attentive client service.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500®—rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped American families and businesses avoid more than $450 billion in energy costs and achieve 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. More background information about ENERGY STAR:
https://www.energystar.gov/about and https://www.energystar.gov/about/origins_mission/energy_star_numbers
EPA media contact:
Enesta Jones, Press Officer; Jones.Enesta@epa.gov
Pando Alliance Pledges 1% of All Revenue to Environmental Causes
Ellicott City, Maryland, November 1, 2020 — Pando Alliance joined 1% for the Planet, pledging to donate 1% of annual revenue to support nonprofit organizations focused on the environment.
“With high performance buildings central to our mission, we are choosing to support the Rocky Mountain Institute, a research-based organization focused on market-based solutions that bring buildings to the forefront of a clean energy future,” said Founding Principal Janice Romanosky.
“Partnering with 1% for the Planet allows us to formalize our commitment to positive climate impact as well as the associated health and financial benefits to residents. We’re proud to support this visionary organization,” said Managing Principal Thiel Butner.
“Currently, only 3% of total philanthropy goes to the environment and, only 5% of that comes from businesses. The planet needs bigger support than this, and our growing network of business members is doing its valuable part to increase giving and support on-the-ground outcomes. We’re excited to welcome Pando Alliance to our global movement,” says Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet.
Pando Alliance believes that quality housing relies on the community and the environment in which it’s built. 1% for the Planet supports the broader environment while Pando focuses on ensuring that home environments for individual residents and families are decent, healthy, and affordable.
About 1% for the Planet
1% for the Planet is a global organization that exists to ensure our planet and future generations thrive. We inspire businesses and individuals to support environmental nonprofits through membership and everyday actions. We make environmental giving easy and effective through partnership advising, impact storytelling and third-party certification.
Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, our members have given more than $265 million to our approved nonprofit partners to date. Today, 1% for the Planet’s global network consists of thousands of businesses, individuals and environmental nonprofits working toward a better future for all.
Look for our logo to purchase for the planet and learn more at onepercentfortheplanet.org.
For more information, contact:
Allyson Bartlett, 1% for the Planet
allyson@onepercentfortheplanet.org
Office: 802-861-0460
Pando Alliance Earns Award for 2020 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year
Ellicott City, Maryland, April 15, 2020 — Pando Alliance is proud to announce that it has received the 2020 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Award for its outstanding efforts to certify multifamily housing.
“We deeply value the opportunities we’re given to deliver this rigorous, performance-based program to the affordable housing communities we serve. We are especially delighted to have received this prestigious award in this, our 10th anniversary year,” said Pando’s Founding Principal, Janice Romanosky.
“I salute the 2020 ENERGY STAR award winners,” said Anne Idsal, EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation. “These leaders demonstrate how energy efficiency drives economic competitiveness in tandem with environmental protection.”
The ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award recognizes ENERGY STAR partner businesses and organizations in good standing that demonstrate superior leadership, innovation, and commitment to environmental protection through energy efficiency and ENERGY STAR.
To see Pando Alliance’s profile on the EPA’s website, visit energystar.gov/about/content/pando_alliance. For a complete list of 2020 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR’s awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.
About Pando Alliance
Pando Alliance is a regional leader in sustainability and energy efficiency consulting for the affordable housing development community. We attribute our success to an unwavering commitment to technical excellence and attentive client service.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500 companies—rely on their partnership with EPA to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its thousands of partners helped American families and businesses save more than 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity and achieve over 3.5 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. In 2018 alone, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped Americans avoid nearly $35 billion in energy costs. More background information about ENERGY STAR can be found at: energystar.gov/about and energystar.gov/numbers.
