Jun 28, 2023

GLASE welcomes new executive director

GLASE announces Gretchen Schimelpfenig as the new executive director.

Gretchen earned a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University in 2014 and a bachelors degree in Architectural Engineering from the University of Wyoming in 2012. She is a licensed civil professional engineer in California and Vermont. At GLASE, Gretchen will work with academics and industry stakeholders to reduce the environmental impact of the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry through pioneering and commercializing emerging greenhouse technology and systems.

Gretchen is also a senior engineer at Energy Resources Integration (ERI), where she helps greenhouse growers and indoor farmers identify and implement efficiency strategies through cost-effective energy management. Gretchen is the former Technical Director of Resource Innovation Institute (RII) and author of RII’s Lighting, HVAC, and Facility Design & Construction Best Practices Guides for CEA in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“I believe in a carbon-neutral and climate-smart future for controlled environment agriculture. High-performance systems are key to increasing greenhouse energy productivity,” said Gretchen Schimelpfenig.