Leadership Team
Marnese Jackson
Co-Director, Community Engagement & Equity
Pontiac, Michigan
Marnese Jackson is an Environmental and Climate Justice activist, advocate, trainer and educator from Pontiac, Michigan where she is a mother of two children London and Dawson. Marnese was previously with the Mothers Out Front in December 2018 as the Frontline Organizing Program Manager where she focused on building the base of Mothers in Frontline communities. During this time, Marnese was the staff liaison to US Climate Action Network, staff Equity Team and BIPOC Affinity Team member. Marnese also managed the Youth Global Climate Strike (2019) and Earth Day Live (2020). She is the former Midwest and Great Plain States Regional Organizer for the NAACP’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program. She was the Weatherization Coordinator for Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency and Energy Outreach Specialist for the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office.
Marnese holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism and African American Studies from Eastern Michigan University and Masters of Arts Degree from Marygrove College in Social Justice specializing in Environmental, Economic and Racial Justice. Marnese is a board member of the USCAN, she is the membership chairperson of the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, a Environmental and Climate Justice chairperson of the NAACP Northern Oakland County Branch. Marnese is a 2020 Michigan Clean Energy Leaders Cohort member and a 350.org BIPOC Cohort member. Marnese was appointed in 2021 to the Governor Whitmer’s Michigan Council on Climate Solutions. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Building Performance Institute.
Jacob Serfling
Co-Director, Manager of Building Policy and Technology
Des Moines, Iowa
Jacob joined the Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition in the fall of 2021 after 8 years working as a commercial building energy efficiency program implementer. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Iowa. Jacob serves as the Vice-Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Iowa Market Leadership Advisory Board and has previously been a member of the City of Des Moines Energy Benchmarking Task Force and the Iowa Association for Energy Efficiency’s planning committee. Jacob resides in Des Moines, Iowa with his wife and two children. In his spare time he enjoys reading, pretending he knows how to garden, and getting out for long walks with the family dogs.
Staff
Maggie Heiser
Communications Manager
Columbus, Ohio
Maggie Heiser joined the Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition in the Summer of 2022. She manages the Communications needs of the ever-growing Coalition, supports meetings and operations, and provides resources and outreach tools to members of the MWBDC.
Previously, Maggie has worked as the Communications Associate at the Ohio Environmental Council, where she served on the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee, facilitated the Emerging Leaders young professionals program, and co-lead the yearly internship cohort. She has Bachelor of Arts degrees in Communication and Cinema from Denison University. While pursuing her undergraduate degrees, Maggie lived at the Denison Homestead, an off-grid intentional living-learning community that centered sustainability, connection with the outdoors, and communal leadership practices. In her free time, Maggie enjoys running, supporting her local movie theater, and cooking for friends and neighbors.