About Us
Our mission is to lead and inspire change towards an equitable and sustainable future.
We accomplish this mission through two areas of focus.
The first is serving as the neighborhood convening organization in Duluth’s low-income Lincoln Park neighborhood, working on all aspects of sustainable revitalization that advance opportunities for residents and businesses.
The second is a focus on community sustainability and resiliency including aspects of energy transition, housing stock improvement, economic security, and health.
We excel at understanding high-level challenges and then designing and implementing programs, partnerships and projects that address those issues.
Our work has been nationally recognized for excellence in programming and community impact.
White House Champion of Change for Building Resilient Communities Award
US Environmental Protection Agency’s Seeds of Change Award
US Conference of Mayors Outstanding Achievement Award
Board
Chad Ronchetti, Board President, Economic Developer, City of Duluth
Carole Newkumet, Board Treasurer, Community Volunteer, Retired Public Health, Chair of the River Corridor Coalition
Dana Kazel, Board Secretary, Director of Communications, St. Louis County
Chris Benson, Owner, Frost River
Jodi Broadwell, Executive Director, Lincoln Park Children and Families Collaborative
Joe Drexler, Population Health Specialist
Mindy Granley, Sustainability Officer, City of Duluth
Sumair Sheikh, Career and College Readiness Specialist, Duluth Public Schools
Staff
Jodi Slick, Founder and CEO
Jodi Slick is the founder and CEO of Ecolibrium3, leading the organization’s community resilience and sustainability work. Jodi previously founded Common Ground Construction, a green affordable housing social enterprise. She received her Master of Educational Administration and BS in Broad Field Science (Chemistry and Physics) from the University of Wisconsin Superior. She has also completed training with the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University in Social Entrepreneurship. Jodi was named a White House Champion of Change for Building Resilient Communities in 2013.
Shannon Laing, Director of Partnership Development
Shannon Laing, Director of Partnership Development and Main Street Lincoln Park Coordinator, is responsible for all facets of the Ecolibrium3 brand, media relations, social media, as well as marketing for the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Shannon facilitates monthly Main Street Lincoln Park meetings and is the first point of contact at Ecolibrium3 for all things Lincoln Park, with food access/issues coming in a close second. She is a member of the Lincoln Park Middle School Leadership Team, Twin Ports Interchange Stakeholder Committee and sits in an advisory role for the Lincoln Park Business Group. In her spare time, she performs with the Maritime Improv Crew, writes, gardens, rides her sweet cruiser bike, and tests recipes that she loves to share with her co-workers.
Tristen Eberling, Community Energy Specialist
Tristen Eberling works as Ecolibrium3’s Community Energy Specialist. Originally from Litchfield, Minnesota, he graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa with a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in History. After serving two years with Green Iowa AmeriCorps doing home energy audits in Northeast Iowa, Tristen moved to Duluth in 2016 to continue his focus on sustainability and local energy. He is a BPI certified Home Analyst, and Ecolibrium3’s go-to for making Duluth homes energy efficient. Tristen enjoys fly fishing, hunting, mountain biking, skiing, and hiking around Duluth and the North Shore, as well as spending time with his beautiful black lab, Sadie.
Laura Beck, Finance Director
Laura provides the financial backbone for Ecolibrium3. In addition to keeping Ecolibrium3’s finances in order, she coordinates contractor certification for Ecolibrium3’s energy efficiency and flood recovery programs.
Laura provides over two decades of accounting experience with restaurants, commercial and residential construction companies and non-profit organizations.
Mackenzie Foley, AmeriCorps Vista Program Coordinator
Mackenzie Foley is serving with Ecolibrium3 as the AmeriCorps VISTA Program Coordinator. She considers herself a native Duluthian having graduated from Esko and has had family scattered around the area for generations. She attended the University of Wisconsin Madison where she studied Community and Nonprofit Leadership, African Studies, and Global Health. After graduation, she served three years in Peace Corps Botswana working on local and national projects relating to HIV. She is also currently working on her Master’s degree in Social Justice. Upon returning to Duluth, she has fallen in love with the city and enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband Sean and puppy Tully
*Ecolibrium3 also hosts ten AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers. Meet them here!
Our History
Ecolibrium3 has a rich history of serving northeastern Minnesota.
Ecolibrium3 began as Common Ground Deconstruction Services and Reuse Center in 2004 to train low-income individuals in the trades while recovering building materials. Over the course of its first eight years, the social enterprise of the 501(c)3 nonprofit, Northern Communities Land Trust, expanded its role from deconstruction to green affordable housing construction.
Common Ground completed 124 single-family new constructions and extensive remodels, a national demonstration project of the Green Communities standards with solar for affordable housing, two multi-family buildings for veteran transitional housing, and development of the community-scale Duluth Energy Efficiency Program (DEEP).
In 2011, when Common Ground’s parent nonprofit merged with another housing agency, Common Ground spun-off half of its staff, board, and programming to form Ecolibrium3. Under the new, non-affiliated 501(c)3, Ecolibrium3 staff and board have been able to expand its community impact in areas of residential energy efficiency, environmental protection, and sustainable economic development. Ecolibrium3’s CEO, Jodi Slick, is the founder of both Common Ground and Ecolibrium3.
