A New Year’s Letter from Sandra Henry, President & CEO of Slipstream

Here at the start of 2024, we at Slipstream look forward to a future based on continuing to cut carbon emissions from our buildings, communities, and neighborhoods. But we also understand that any success in our mission means working closely with our partners and communities.

In 2023, any progress we made happened thanks to our strong partner relationships, whether we’ve been working together for decades or rolling up our sleeves together for the first time. These successes are worth celebrating.

I would like to share a few of the many examples of Slipstream staff working together with our partners to bring climate solutions to everyone.

In partnership with officials from the 密尔沃基市政 ’s Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO) and the Sherman Park Community Association , Slipstream staff helped envision a new initiative to inspire weatherization and electrification and improve health and safety outcomes for Milwaukee’s historically disadvantaged communities: the Cream City Climate Challenge. This innovative approach to community-scale decarbonization starts with a focus on houses of worship, whose role as trusted sources of information for their congregants and neighbors will help them highlight electrification and green projects.

To make the team’s vision possible, the Department of Energy awarded a Buildings Upgrade Prize to design and launch the Cream City Climate Challenge. Slipstream and the Sherman Park Community Association also received a “Greening Congregations Project” Grant from the Daybreak Fund to establish a streamlined pathway helping houses of worship pursue green stormwater infrastructure and further decarbonization projects.

Working with Greenprint Partners , EcoBalance Technologies , Walnut Way Conservation Corp , WESTCARE WISCONSIN, INC , and BlocPower , Slipstream will bring systems and scope expertise to projects for congregations as well as connecting the team with funding for implementation. The project is a group effort but focuses on the faith leaders seeking eco-friendly green actions initiatives with the awareness that these projects could also inspire other congregations to live more eco-friendly in their own homes and neighborhoods.

In Chicago, Quinn Chapel, a pillar of the Bronzeville community, invited Slipstream and our utility partner, ComEd , to help them achieve their goal to add high-efficiency variable refrigerant flow (VRF) to keep the 128-year-old building's chapel space cool year-round. By leveraging technical acumen and listening to the community’s priorities, the Slipstream team was able to help create a lasting impact as part of ComEd’s Community of the Future initiative.

A successful 2024 for decarbonization will include taking advantage of the opportunities to listen, share and work side by side with key organizations and groups. Considering these are only a few of many examples of programs, projects and thought leadership done by our Slipstream teams this year, we will use the momentum – alongside our partners and the communities we work with – to make an even bigger impact in 2024 accelerating climate solutions for everyone.