Our team fixates on
EFFICIENT COLLABORATION
& COORDINATION
We prioritize
SPEEDY RESPONSIVENESS
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We organize
STRATEGIC CONVERSATIONS
while focused on thinking
outside of the box
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We are wholly
ENGAGED, DEDICATED
& FULLY COMITTED TO OUR CLIENTS
Core Team Abilities
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Collaboration & coordination
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Responsive
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Engaged
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Committed to our clients
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Strategic conversations
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Thinking that is outside of the box
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Dedicated
Meet the Team
Meet our wonderful team members who strive to deliver the best solutions to you and the environment.
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Rebecca Fiissel Schaefer
Chief Executive Officer & Founder
Rebecca Fiissel Schaefer has over 20 years of experience in energy management with a depth of knowledge in research, design and delivery of climate change policies and plans coast-to-coast.
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Trusted by government and utilities across the provinces, Rebecca has a reputation of ensuring deliverables exceed expectations through collaborative teamwork and partnerships, strategic stakeholder engagement and transparent high-quality client management.
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Laura Gareau Sanchez
Chief Operating Officer & Founder
Laura Gareau has 15+ years of experience in energy management with a depth of knowledge of implementation and execution of energy efficiency programs.
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Laura has a strong track record of leading teams to successfully deliver province wide energy efficiency programs - meeting program targets on-time and on-budget across Canada.
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Christina Pidlaski
Director of Operations
Christina has been a Senior Consultant at RFS Energy since 2020. She is passionate about the Canadian energy landscape and enjoys working on diverse projects aligned with meeting climate action targets. At RFS, she contributes to project planning documents, process flows, data analysis, and technical writing.
She completed a BA in Linguistics at the University of Alberta, an MBA at University of Calgary specializing in Energy Management and Sustainable Development, and also holds the Project Management Professional designation.
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Justus Knutson
Accounting Assistant & HR Support
Justus Knutson is a project coordinator for RFS Energy. She joined the team September of 2021 through an internship opportunity to gain a stronger background in administrative tasks skills applicable to her future career.
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Her ability to be a quick study and hard worker has supported the team in areas such as proposals, website development, data analysis, slide deck presentations & onboarding development.
Kara Beacham
Project Coordinator
Kara Beacham is a Research Assistant with RFS Energy through the Indigenous Clean Energy’s (ICE) Generation Power program. Through this opportunity Kara will gain knowledge of the clean energy world and develop leadership skills.
Kara has previous experience in conducting research and exercising her skills in data collection, data entry, survey design, and engaging with stakeholders on various projects in the Manitoba region. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies with a minor in Indigenous Studies from the University of Manitoba.
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Madison Green
Research & Project Assistant
Madison Green joined RFS Energy as a Project & Research Assistant through the Indigenous Clean Energy’s (ICE) Generation Power program. Madison completed one year in the construction engineering program at Fanshawe which is where she first became interested in the clean energy sector, with her interest rapidly growing during her participation in the Generation Power program.
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She hopes to empower Indigenous youth by encouraging them to join STEM programs and careers while bringing forward Indigenous knowledge of sustainability. Madison currently lives in Southwestern Ontario and is a member of the Mohawk Nation from the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve with Newfoundland and Irish roots.
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Jasmine Qiao
Website & Graphic Design Support
Jasmine Qiao is the Website & Graphic Design Specialist for RFS Energy. Jasmine has background in design, web development, and IT assistance. She joined the team through working on a web development project with RFS in April 2023.
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Her abilities in IT and web development has and will continue to aid RFS through various projects, slide deck presentations, onboarding development, and data entry.
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Trennon Wint
Research Assistant
Trennon (Trent) Wint joined RFS Energy as a Project Manager in the spring of 2024. Trent received his Bachelor’s of Science in Wildlife Biology and Conservation at the University of Guelph, where he took a particular interest in sustainable land-use and conservation policy.
Today, Trent is an incoming Master’s of Science in Planning (M.ScPl) Candidate at the University of Guelph, focusing his studies on climate change adaptation in Northern Canada. He hopes to use his, while contributing to promoting healthy and prospering communities in Canada.
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Aarisha Haider
Project Manager
Aarisha has a background in Political Science from the University of British Columbia and has accumulated over 4 years of experience in climate justice, decolonial research, and project management. All throughout her studies at university, she felt there was a disconnect between academia and collective action until she found herself participating in a global seminar in Peru that introduced her to the concept of Rights of Nature-- a concept which would later shape her passion in climate justice. Living and learning from the Indigenous
Kichwa-Lamista community informs the work that she does to this day. Some of her memorable work includes the Longhouse Dialogues Project, a Women Deliver satellite event bridging climate change, gender equality, and Indigenous solidarity into action; co-leading an independent arm’s length project with Nuclear Waste Management Organization & Shake Up The Establishment on collecting youth perspectives on handling Canada’s radioactive waste; developing a Youth Impact Framework that acts as a universal language between higher level institutions and governments, and youth leaders doing meaningful climate work in their communities with the hopes of getting youth-led work funded.
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Briana Berger
Senior Project Coordinator
Briana Berger joined RFS Energy as a Senior Project Coordinator, bringing a wealth of experience in project management support and strategic communication. In her role, she provides comprehensive coordination support for projects and internal initiatives, including data collection, research, and business development efforts through drafting funding proposals and grant applications. She is proficient in project management software, social media marketing and content creation. She is committed to fostering strong relationships with clients, partners, and funders, and contributing to the success of RFS Energy.
She has extensive work experience in education and completed her BA in French Studies from York University. She is very excited to be a part of RFS Energy and feels privileged to contribute to this extremely important and timely work.
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Sandra Tutka
Project Manager
​Sandra Tutka has a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Human Resource Management, showcasing her expertise in customer and human relations and stakeholder engagement. She has a depth of knowledge in energy efficiency and on-the-ground implementation and community engagement, having been part of province-wide mass market programming in Canada since 2018. With a fluency in both English and Polish, Sandra brings a multicultural perspective to her work.
Sandra is detail-oriented and driven by a passion for energy efficiency and climate change, she possesses a unique blend of skills that make her an invaluable asset to any project. Her experience in stakeholder engagement, client-facing interactions, and communication strategies has been honed through involvement in numerous large-scale projects.