Brad Varnedoe | HR Generalist
Mr. Varnedoe supports the organization by assisting in employee recruitment, onboarding, and retention.
In September of 2023, ICAST reached a milestone of 100 active employees. Some have been on deck since ICAST’s infancy, and others joined during the period of rapid growth we’ve been sustaining for the last six years. Regardless of their start dates, we’re grateful to these individuals for their collaborative and entrepreneurial spirits, their competence and drive, and above all—their passion for ICAST’s mission. They have grown our organization significantly and helped us evolve the scope and nature of the work we do in underserved communities.
When ICAST first launched in 2002, we were part of the Engineering School at the University of Colorado Boulder. We relocated first to the Colorado School of Mines campus before settling in our current headquarters in Denver, CO. The early days were marked by founding a solar company and exploring building new initiatives and projects in developing countries, such as a job skills program in Tunisia, an anaerobic digester initiative in Tanzania and Kenya, and a solar thermal project in Pakistan.
Almost 10 years ago, we launched our affiliated Community Development Financial Institution, Triple Bottom Line Foundation (TBL Fund). TBL Fund is one of our most important partners, as they often provide technical assistance and financial products and services to support our retrofit projects. Almost seven years ago, we launched our Green Construction Careers (GC2) program, which provides green construction education and training to underserved individuals and businesses in our service territories. Participants can learn how to design, install, and service a range of technology solutions that includes high-efficiency heat pumps, health and safety measures, and more.
Now, closing in on 2024, we have a nearly fully remote workforce stretching across 25 US states. We have launched programs that re-imagine the operation of federal programs in order to better serve the multifamily affordable housing market. We have expanded our efforts in Tribal communities, and we are collaborating with numerous Tribal nations to help implement energy efficiency, electrification, and solar solutions. Our solar and weatherization services have increased significantly. The expertise and dedication of our 100-person-strong team is helping us drive the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds into underserved communities.
The coming days will continue to see rapid growth for ICAST, and we look forward to bringing ever more like-minded individuals on to our team.