When Mayor Ravenstahl took office in 2006, he named green living and sustainability as one of his top priorities. In 2008, he created the City of Pittsburgh’s first Office of Sustainability and Energy Efficiency, and hired the first Energy and Utilities Manager followed by the City’s first Sustainability Coordinator.

As the City of Pittsburgh’s first Energy & Utilities Manager, Jim Sloss began an outreach program designed to bring local government agencies together to decrease overall energy costs for all. The newly formed Western Pennsylvania Energy Consortium saved $1.5 million per year in electricity costs for two years and purchased 10 percent green power, totaling nearly 12,000,000 kWh per year in green energy. Since then, Jim has helped increase the annual green power purchase to 21,000,000 kWh per year through 2013, and has added over a dozen municipal agencies to the Consortium.

Jim is also the project manager for the City’s solar energy program, established through a Department of Energy grant received in 2007 that named Pittsburgh a Solar America City. The Solar America City program has provided funding to create a Solar-Fellowship program as well as train Pittsburgh Public Works employees to install and maintain solar equipment. To date, the professionally trained City staff has completed five solar thermal installations and one solar PV installation, with the next solar thermal installation scheduled for spring 2012.

For his work in the creation of the Western Pennsylvania Energy Consortium, Jim has received a Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a Green Achievement Award from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Jim received his master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public & International Affairs, specializing in Urban Public Finance, in 2000.

Aftyn Giles joined the City of Pittsburgh as its second Sustainability Coordinator in June 2011.  She oversees green initiatives in the Mayor's Office of Sustainability and Energy Efficiency and executes recommendations from Pittsburgh's Climate Action Plan. Aftyn remains focused on continuing the promotion of sustainable and green practices within City government and City neighborhoods.

Aftyn comes to the Mayor’s Office with a diverse background in architecture, international relations, sustainable design, operations management, secondary education program management and project management.  She has a bachelor’s degree in architecture and in international relations, as well as a Master of Science degree in Sustainable Design from Carnegie Mellon University. She also received a Graduate Certificate in Project Management and a master’s degree in Project Management from DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management.

Zinat Naderi began working for the Mayor’s Office in May 2011 as an intern in the Office of Sustainability and Energy Efficiency. During this time, she has worked on a number of projects ranging from district energy analysis to utility purchasing for buildings owned by the City of Pittsburgh.

Zinat is a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. She has a background in local government and non-profit organization, and received a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Political Science from La Roche College.