Management Team
Executive Management
Peter Krajsa
Co-Chair and Managing Member
pkrajsa@neifund.org
(610) 737-4977
Peter Krajsa, Co-Chair & Managing Member
Peter has been a recognized innovator in energy efficiency finance for over two decades. He co-founded the National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF) in 2018 with fellow Co-Chair, Matthew Brown, and Founding Partner and COO, Laura Nelson. Prior to NEIF’s founding as the nation’s first Certified Benefit Corporation (B Corp) focused on increasing the affordability of energy efficiency improvements, he spearheaded the creation of major national energy finance programs as CEO of his family’s business, AFC First Financial Corporation, a specialty energy lender and mortgage banker founded in 1947. In this role, he built a network of over 6,000 participating contractors. Peter later headed national channel business development for the innovative energy lender, Renew Financial, which acquired AFC First in 2015.
He has been acknowledged with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Financial Services Association for his long association as a Board member and Chair of the Independents Section, and with the Sustainable Energy Fund’s Epstein Award for a “lifetime of work moving society towards a sustainable energy future.”
Peter led the development of the AFC’s national EnergyLoan® program as one of Fannie Mae’s first approved energy lenders; created the Keystone Home Energy Loan Program in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, DEP and PHFA, which laid the foundation for WHEEL, (Warehouse for Energy Efficiency Loans), the world’s first investment grade rated securitization of a portfolio of unsecured energy loans; the Connecticut Solar Leasing program, the nation’s first state sponsored solar leasing program and many other state, utility and manufacturer financing program including on-bill financing programs in Connecticut and Illinois. After running AFC with his brother, primarily as a mortgage banker and direct lender, Peter moved the company exclusively into energy efficiency lending in 1999. Under his leadership, AFC First closed over $500 million in energy efficiency loans, was named by the U.S. DOE as the nation’s first private Home Performance with ENERGY STAR sponsor, selected as one of five national pilot lenders for the HUD PowerSaver program, received the Alliance to Save Energy Andromeda Award and established the Green Energy Training Academy supported by the Rockefeller Foundation.
Peter holds a BS Economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Matthew Brown
Co-Chair and Managing Member
mbrown@neifund.org
(720) 878-5018
Matthew Brown, Co-Chair & Managing Member
Matthew has worked in the energy finance and policy field for more than 25 years, beginning his work with the accounting and consulting firm of KPMG in New York. He subsequently worked with an environmental, energy and finance consulting firm conducting research on viability of clean coal companies in the late 1980s. He went on to work with the City of New York, where he was in charge of establishing public-private partnerships for the financing of natural gas fueling stations, among other related activities.
In 1994, he moved to Denver where he headed the National Conference of State Legislatures energy program for 11 years. In this role, he directed a program that provided non-partisan advice on a wide variety of state clean energy policies, including renewable energy standards, tax policy, and establishment of public benefit funds, among numerous other roles. During this time, he testified in more than 35 state legislatures, as well as in front of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In 2005, Matthew moved to Paris, France to begin consulting work with the International Energy Agency, focusing on renewable energy and energy efficiency. Upon his return to Colorado, Matthew built upon his background in a combination of clean energy policy and finance to develop an extensive practice that involves assisting state governments, utilities, lenders, the U.S. Department of Energy, national associations, and others in the area of clean energy finance.
As Co-Chair and Founder of the National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF) he provides strategic direction for the overall activities of the firm, co-leads all capital raise activities to satisfy loan and other capital needs, and leads implementation of the firm’s commercial and rebate advance product activities. Prior to the founding of NEIF, Matthew was principal with Harcourt Brown and Carey, a clean energy finance consulting firm. In that role, among many other activities, he led HB&C’s engagement with the four California investor-owned utilities to develop and implement energy efficiency financing programs as well as a similar engagement to develop a third-party financing program with utility bill collections for utilities, utility commissions, energy offices or others in many other locations including Michigan, Colorado, New York, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Wisconsin, and elsewhere. Matthew has worked extensively with financial institutions to advise on deployment of capital through loans and leases for clean energy in the western United States as well as nationally. Matthew’s expertise in advising governments that are looking to support financing program development and has developed multiple public-private partnerships between state governments and private capital providers and lenders.
Matthew holds a BA from Brown University and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School.
Laura Nelson
Chief Operating Officer
lnelson@neifund.org
(484) 838-5469
Laura Nelson, Chief Operating Officer - Founding Partner
Laura has been involved in financial management, operational controls, process improvement, and regulatory and investor compliance for over 15 years. Most recently she was Vice President, Financial Operations for Renew Financial, where she was engaged in all financial aspects of unsecured and PACE lending. Prior to Renew’s acquisition of AFC First in 2015, she served as AFC’s Chief Financial Officer. As AFC’s CFO she oversaw all investor reporting to states, utilities and financial institutions as well as managing systems, IT, licensing, accounting and compliance. She was previously Vice President, Corporate Actions Department at Deutsche Bank and worked in mutual fund accounting at State Street.
She holds an MBA from Boston College and a BSBA from Bucknell University.
Senior Management
Tessa Shin
Vice President, Lending & Programs
tshin@neifund.org
(484) 838-5471
Tessa Shin, Vice President – Lending and Programs
Tessa has helped develop and manage some of the nation’s most innovative energy financing programs including Keystone HELP and on-bill programs in Connecticut and Illinois. Most recently she was Director, Unsecured Programs for Renew Financial and prior to Renew’s acquisition of AFC First, she was AFC’s Director of Lending and Programs, where she managed policies and procedures for AFC’s energy efficiency lending programs as well as AFC First’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR and Power Savers programs.
She holds a BS from Cedar Crest College.
Teri Stoffey
Vice President, Accounting & Servicing
tstoffey@neifund.org
(484) 838-5473
Teri Stoffey, Vice President – Accounting and Servicing
Teri has had leadership roles in both accounting and loan servicing management, overseeing general ledger, audit and internal systems and controls, as well as loan level servicing reporting and financial compliance for relationships with states, utilities, and capital sources. Most recently she was Accounting Manager for Renew Financial and prior to Renew’s acquisition of AFC First, she was AFC’s Director of Process and Reporting.
She holds a BS in Business Administration/Accounting from Bloomsburg University and an MBA with a concentration in Accounting from DeSales University.
Edward Matos
Vice President, Business Development
NY & New England
ematos@neifund.org
(201) 618-0878
Edward Matos, Vice President – Business Development
Ed joined NEIF as Business Development Director for NEIF’s Rebate Bridge program, where he was responsible for doubling the volume of contractor advanced funding for efficiency program rebates. In his expanded role with the senior management team, he currently focuses on all aspects of NEIF’s residential, commercial, and rebate advance financing. He leads NEIF’s national Business Development team in developing its network of qualified HVAC, home performance, roofing, and energy contracting companies while also working with partners to escalate program uptake.
With over a decade of diverse HVAC and energy efficiency direct sales and management experience, Ed previously served as Senior Program Manager for CLEAResult’s NJ Comfort Partner’s retrofit program; Regional Sales Manager at Brightcore Energy, a commercial energy efficiency contractor; and as Vice President of Sales & Business Development for Powersmith Home Energy Solutions, an award-winning residential energy efficiency contractor. He is also a highly regarded sales training expert and has been a featured speaker at many industry and contractor events,
Ed attended Tufts University and holds a BA from New York University.
Business Development
Randy Bak
Senior Director, Business Development
Maine & Mid-Atlantic Residential
rbak@neifund.org
(978) 766-7348
Randy Bak, Senior Director, Business Development
Randy is an experienced contractor and channel development specialist. Most recently he was an award-winning sales leader for the innovative energy lender, Renew Financial. Prior to that, Randy had extensive experience in building successful regional and national dealer-driven sales teams for Toshiba and other technology companies. He serves as the main point of contact for NEIF’s residential contractors in Maine and the mid-Atlantic states.
Randy holds a BA from the College of New Jersey.
Trey Muffet
Senior Director, Business Development
National Residential & Commercial
tmuffet@neifund.org
(415) 812-8105
Trey Muffet - Senior Director, Business Development
Trey Muffet has joined NEIF to serve as a Senior Director of Business Development, with a focus on our national accounts. He comes to NEIF with vast experience in the energy industry, and some of his past roles include leadership positions at Renew Financial, Recurve, Inc., and Sustainable Spaces.
Trey holds a Masters of Science & Sustainable Systems from Slippery Rock University.
Commercial Financing
Liz Pike
Senior Director,
Commercial Finance
lpike@neifund.org
(720) 689-7482
Liz Pike - Senior Director, Commercial Finance
Prior to joining NEIF, Liz served as Senior Vice President in Retail Banking Operations and has an extensive background in the banking industry. Her areas of expertise are construction loan administration, leading sales and operations teams, managing all aspects of consumer and small business financing, and organizational strategy development and management.
Liz holds a BS in Business Management from Colorado State University and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Colorado Denver.
Simon Burgess
Senior Account Manager
Commercial Finance
sburgess@neifund.org
W: (484) 284-3995 x219
C: (201) 280-4266
Simon Burgess - Senior Account Manager, Commercial Finance
Simon comes to NEIF with a diverse professional background in commercial energy financing, contractor relations, and solar energy.
As an Account Executive at USA Refrigerants, Simon managed a Freon recycling program that serviced over 1,000 HVAC contractors nationwide. He also led the Carbon Credit Offset division of the company, created via the acquisition and certified destruction of the Ozone Depleting CFC refrigerant gases such as R-12. He has developed solar projects for leading contractors including Pfister Energy and Geoscape Solar, ranging from 5 kW residential projects to over 2 MW in the C&I and municipal space. Most recently serving as Transaction Manager at Standard Solar, Simon managed portfolio transactions ranging from 5-50 MW, leading projects through contract signing, investment committee approval, and acquisition to construction handoff. He has developed several net-zero projects that have implemented LED retrofit, cool roofing, battery storage, and electric vehicle charging to optimize on-site production of solar energy.
Simon is originally from Cardiff, Wales, and holds a BA in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Manchester.
Capital Markets
Karl Buettner
Senior Director, Capital Markets
kbuettner@neifund.org
(610) 283-0891
Karl Buettner - Senior Director, Capital Markets
Karl Buettner is a seasoned executive with deep expertise in capital markets, capital raising, and financial operations. Throughout his career, he has raised over $400M in capital and led more than 45 acquisitions ranging from $500K to $100M. His extensive background spans specialty finance, investment banking and private equity, where he has successfully structured complex financial transactions, sourced acquisitions, and secured capital from a broad network of senior lenders, alternative asset managers, hedge funds, mezzanine funds, and equity sources. With a focus on financial structuring and due diligence, Karl brings a strategic approach to capital formation and transactions.
Karl brings his 30+ year career as a finance professional to NEIF’s growing and vibrant team, along with a strategic experience in growing and scaling enterprises through knowledge of capital markets.
Compliance
John L. Krajsa III, Esq.
Director of Compliance
jkrajsa@neifund.org
(484) 602-2134
John L. Krajsa III, Esq. - Director of Compliance
John serves as NEIF’s Director of Compliance, having a legal background rooted in business and banking matters. Most recently, he worked as an attorney at Fitzpatrick & Lentz Bubba, P.C. where he represented and provided counsel for clients in business, real estate, and banking departments. He additionally worked as a Litigation Associate for White and White Williams LLP.
Prior to his career in law, John oversaw day-to-day operations as Vice President of AFC Reverse Mortgage, Inc. In this role, he managed staff activities relating to sales, finance, accounting, corporate compliance, and loan documentation. He also wrote the company’s compliance systems and was responsible for implementing all related policies.
At NEIF, John oversees, develops, and monitors compliance with lending, B Corp and both third-party and internal corporate policies. He also manages all compliance with state and federal lending laws for residential and commercial licensing and lending.
John holds a Juris Doctor Degree from Drexel University and a BS from Elizabethtown College. His attorney licenses are active in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Human Resources
Jennifer Tornetta
Human Resources Business Partner
jtornetta@neifund.org
(484) 838-5476
Jennifer Tornetta, SHRM-CP
Jennifer is a dedicated and results-driven Human Resources professional with several years of experience in a variety of HR functions, including talent acquisition, succession planning, performance management, employee relations, and process improvements. Passionate about creating people-centered solutions, she has built a reputation for being a strategic partner who helps organizations build strong, engaged teams while fostering a positive workplace culture.
As a certified SHRM-CP professional, Jennifer combines a solid foundation in HR best practices with a forward-thinking approach to talent management, ensuring that companies are equipped with the right people to drive success.
In Jennifer’s current role at NEIF, she leads efforts in recruiting to ensure a pipeline of quality talent; improves processes to enhance employee development and engagement; and fosters open, supportive employee relations to maintain a healthy and inclusive work environment.
Jennifer holds a BS in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Kutztown University.
Program Development
Jensen Handwork
Senior Director
Program Development
jhandwork@neifund.org
(720) 724-7673
Jensen Handwork - Senior Director, Program Development
Jensen leads NEIF’s engagement with prospective and existing commercial program partners, develops and implements commercial contractor training and education, and manages business development and portal development. Previously, Jensen served as a Water & Energy Associate for Harcourt Brown and Carey, where he worked with several state energy offices and the DC Green Bank, specializing in research, financial product design, organizational development, stakeholder engagement, and marketing/communications.
Jensen holds two degrees from the University of Puget Sound, including a BA of International Political Economy and a BA of Business Leadership, as well as a minor in Spanish.
