Meet the GLASE Consortium’s New Executive Director
June 16, 2023 
The Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) consortium welcomes Gretchen Schimelpfenig as its new Executive Director. With an impressive background in Civil Engineering and extensive experience in the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry, Gretchen brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her new role.
Schimelpfenig’s educational journey includes an M.S. in Civil Engineering from Stanford University in 2014 and a B.S. in Architectural Engineering from the University of Wyoming in 2012. As a licensed Civil Professional Engineer in California and Vermont, she has demonstrated her commitment to innovation and sustainability.
At GLASE, Gretchen will spearhead collaborative efforts with academics and industry stakeholders to drive groundbreaking advancements in greenhouse technology and systems. Her primary focus will be on reducing the environmental impact and increasing the profitability of the CEA industry by pioneering and commercializing emerging solutions.
In addition to her role at GLASE, Gretchen currently serves as a senior engineer at Energy Resources Integration (ERI), where she assists greenhouse growers and indoor farmers across the country in implementing cost-effective energy management strategies to maximize efficiency. Her expertise in this field is further highlighted by her previous position as the Technical Director of Resource Innovation Institute (RII). As the author of RII’s Lighting, HVAC, and Facility Design & Construction Best Practices Guides for CEA in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Gretchen has already made significant contributions to the industry.
“I firmly believe in a carbon-neutral and climate-smart future for controlled environment agriculture. High-performance systems are the key to increasing greenhouse energy productivity,” Schimelpfenig says.
As the new Executive Director, Schimelpfenig will lead GLASE in forging new partnerships, creating opportunities for knowledge exchange, and driving the adoption of cutting-edge solutions across the industry. Joining GLASE as a member means becoming part of a visionary community dedicated to transforming the future of controlled environment agriculture.
Schimelpfenig is also a regular contributor to Greenhouse Grower; you can read her articles here. To learn more about GLASE and how to become a member, visit www.glase.org.
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