Seventeen leaders were recognized for their efforts to strengthen the PACE marketplace for local communities and property owners

NEW YORK, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- PACENation, the national membership association for PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing, announced at the 2025 PACENation Summit this year's PACE Champions of the Year and PACESetter Award recipients. Awardees were honored for their distinguished leadership in several categories, including policy innovation, program design and implementation, innovative deals of the year, and for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the PACE marketplace.

"The PACE Award winners' accomplishments have helped accelerate the industry from an $8b market six years ago, to a $20b market today," said Mary Luévano, PACENation's Executive Director. "Their commitment means that hundreds of thousands of property owners are able to finance improvements that make their buildings more efficient, more cost effective and more resilient."

To date, PACE financing has promoted over $36.6 billion in local economic development, reduced carbon emissions by an estimated 17 million metric tons, and led to the creation of as many as 269,000 local jobs.

"Receiving the PACE Champion Award is a personal highlight and I want to thank PACENation and my industry colleagues for this honor," said Colin Kalvas, Partner at the law firm Bricker Graydon. "PACE financing is a valuable tool for commercial property owners that has made major impact in a relatively short time span and I look forward to working with PACENation and other leaders to continue that success."

2025 PACE CHAMPIONS

PACE Champions are recognized for extraordinary leadership over multiple years to strengthen and expand the PACE marketplace. The 2025 PACE Champions are:

• Colin Kalvas, Bricker Graydon
• Rafi Golberstein, PACE Loan Group

2025 PACESETTERS

PACESetter Awards are designed to recognize individuals and teams whose efforts have advanced PACE as a critical public policy tool that strengthens communities. The 2025 PACESetters are:

PACESetter Award for Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the PACE Marketplace

• LaShanya Washington, City First Bank
• Tom Nida, City First Bank

PACESetter Award for Excellence in Program Design and Implementation

• Eric Christensen, New Mexico C-PACE

PACESetter Award for Excellence in Advocacy and Policy Innovation

• Steve Wiese, Keeping PACE in Texas & Frontier Energy
• Eric Cowan and Michael Turner, CO C-PACE
• Senator Lindsey Port, State of Minnesota
• Representative Ned Carroll, State of Minnesota

PACESetter Award for Innovative Deals of the Year

Under $5M

• The Alley North Office Development Project Team, Amalgamated Bank & Allectrify
• The Old Soldier Hedden Empire Building Project Team, Last Best PACE Program
• Republic Elite Multifamily Interiors Inc. Project Team, Steve Garwood and Texas PACE Authority

$5M-$50M

• The Stella Project Team, PACE Loan Group

$50M+

• AREA 15 Project Team, North Bridge
• Habitat LA Project Team, CounterpointeSRE

Women Leaders in PACE

• Kim Bebchuk, PACE Loan Group

ABOUT PACENATION
PACENation is the nonprofit membership organization that advocates for expanded access to PACE financing. PACENation provides resources and support to local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that are committed to allowing American property owners to improve the efficiency and resiliency of their homes and businesses with PACE.

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SOURCE PACENation