With over 25 years of experience in policy and technical expertise in building energy and environmental sustainability, Smita brings a unique perspective in visioning and strategic thinking for implementing projects, programs, and policies. As a thought leader and strategic thinker, she employs a data-driven, systems-based approach to policy and decision-making including for performance management. Her diverse professional background spans roles in public and private sectors, including State and Federal Government, NGOs, consulting in private industry. She has contributed to products, policies, and programs encompassing research, demonstration, implementation, evaluation, and market transformation for energy efficiency and decarbonization of the built environment. Notably her affiliations include the California Energy Commission (CEC), Itron and New Buildings Institute (NBI), with seminal roles in market transformation programs like California Solar Initiative (CSI) for rooftop solar and the Advanced Water Heating Initiative (AWHI) for heat pump water heaters. Most recently she served as Director for Federal Facility Decarbonization at the White House, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in the Biden-Harris administration, driving some of the most ambitious policies in Federal sustainability.
