People
Susan McFaddin, PhD, LEED-AP
Susan McFaddin learned about sustainability and LEED through a Leadership Fort Collins class. The “ah ha” of sustainability and how each of us can make a difference in the world we leave our children led her to learn about sustainable design. The CSU Institute for the Built Environment has been a great resource on sustainable practices and as a result, Susan earned the LEED Accredited Professional designation.
Susan graduated from Columbine High School and earned a Bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering at University of Colorado - Boulder. She worked as a research engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and earned a masters degree in Chemical Petroleum Refining from the Colorado School of Mines and a Ph.D. in Mineral Economics from the Colorado School of Mines. Her doctoral thesis was an economic model of corporate sustainable growth and was directed by Dr. Clouse at the University of Denver. Susan went on to teach finance at both the graduate and undergraduate level and the integrated MBA at DU.
She and her husband, Gary, started Compliance Partners, an environmental consulting company, in 1997. Compliance Partners had offices in Oklahoma, Wyoming and Denver and finally consolidated to Fort Collins in 2004. They formed Agape Group, LLC., to develop and hold real estate assets.
In 2006, Dave Sitzman, a Northern Colorado developer and community leader, and Susan formed Seven Generations, LLC to pursue sustainable commercial development in Northern Colorado. Their intent was to “LEED by example” by showing that LEED does not have to cost more and it is the right thing to do for today and future generations.
Susan was a founder of the Northern Colorado branch of the USGBC and serves on the Executive Committee of the NoCo branch, Fort Collins Climatewise Steering Committee and the CSU Institute for the Built Environment Board. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Colorado School of Mines Alumni Association. She was the Principal Investigator for Fitzsimmons Army Hospital Redevelopment Plan Homeless Study (1996) and Jefferson County’s Homeless Families Study (1993) and Jefferson County Food Bank Study (1994). She has been a member of Jefferson County Commission on Hunger and Homelessness and a Board Member of the Caring Connection. She has been actively involved in her church and schools.
Her hobbies include bridge, traveling, biking and skiing. Her three children – Elizabeth, Christina and Jeffrey are the pride of her life.