Will Byrne
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Will Byrne is a Cofounder and the Executive Director of The DC Project, a non-profit based in the nation’s capital organized around the mission of creating clean energy career opportunities for people in need.

The DC Project’s first campaign, WeatherizeDC, envisions a model green city with more efficient and prosperous homes, local green jobs for people who need them most, and clean air. WeatherizeDC utilizes the community-based and data-driven field methods of President Obama’s Campaign for Change to conquer market barriers, spur investment in weatherization, and create local jobs in energy efficiency. WeatherizeDC has quickly become a leading community mobilization model in the clean energy economy.

Will comes to his role as Executive Director at The DC Project after a long trajectory with President Obama’s campaign, including a start as a field organizer in New Hampshire, leadership in the youth vote program in Oregon, and a role as regional field director in Lansing, MI. After studying English and German at Vassar College, Will relocated from Boston to Berlin, Germany, where he worked in international policy and journalism for the American Academy in Berlin and Der Spiegel magazine.

Will has led The DC Project from a passionate group of innovators working from their apartments to a force of national impact in the green jobs movement. He views his involvement with The DC Project and WeatherizeDC as a continuation of the spirit that made the Obama campaign different, with its focus on sustainable systems of bottom-up empowerment to ensure lasting change on the local level.

Will and The DC Project team have been spotlighted by The Nation magazine, The Washington Post, Yes! magazine, and the New Organizing Institute.

Blog Entries by Will Byrne

Weatherizing Can Help Change D.C.'s Future

Posted December 9, 2010 | 16:00:30 (EST)

With this week's cold snap sending chills across the District, I wanted to share the story of D.C. homeowner Gretchen Toles who's enjoying a warmer and cozier home this winter because she weatherized. She also helped to make a difference in the city where she lives.

WeatherizeDC partners with...

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Honor Our Nation's Veterans

Posted November 11, 2010 | 11:02:39 (EST)

In honor of Veterans Day, I write to share the words of Carlos A. Velazquez Lopez, a former United States Marine Corps member, and a new leader of the United States' emerging green economy.

Carlos writes:

Every year, we set aside this day to honor service members and the...

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Your Home is Your Environment

Posted April 22, 2010 | 14:34:07 (EST)

Your home is your environment and addressing any unnecessary air leakage in a home is the most cost-effective way to reduce energy consumption and improve comfort.

This past weekend at WeatherizeDC's Weatherization Block Party, an energy auditor gave tours of the recently weatherized rectory that was celebrating...

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A New Kind of Service

Posted January 19, 2010 | 19:38:07 (EST)

In preparing for yesterday's Energy Canvass in honor of the MLK Day of Service, I restored in my mind Dr. King's vision of the attainable "Beloved Community," where the all-inclusive spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood nurtures an environment of conversation, reconciliation, and progress. Over 40 volunteers of all ages joined...

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The Face to Match Obama's "Sexy Insulation"

Posted December 16, 2009 | 11:24:33 (EST)

Stephon normally wakes up to arrive at work around 7AM. He's a weatherization technician and often rides on the Ardently Green insulation truck to the day's job site. He meets homeowners with outrageous energy bills and a pile full of blankets for the winter months.

Yesterday morning...

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Home Weatherization: One of America's Few Industries Primed for Expansion

Posted December 10, 2009 | 17:46:03 (EST)

It's been a big few week for jobs. At last Thursday'sJobs Summit President Obama announced the question of the moment, "How do we get businesses to start hiring again?" How do we get folks back to work?

We all know someone. We spoke to a friend just yesterday...

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