Newsmaker: Melanie Popovich

Melanie Popovich

Noteworthy: The South Side nonprofit Conservation Consultants Inc. has picked Popovich for its 2015 Conservation Luminary Award. The award recognizes individuals who have made advancements to residential energy and water conservation in low-income communities in Western Pennsylvania.

Age: 67

Residence: Franklin Park

Occupation: Popovich worked for Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Columbia Gas of Maryland and their parent company, NiSource Inc., for 33 years. She started her own consulting business in 2003 and is project manager for a Peoples Natural Gas safety compliance program.

Background: Working for Columbia Gas In the late 1980s, Popovich attended several town meetings with customers who had been laid off from area steel mills or other businesses. Discovering their homes were “like sieves,” she persuaded the company to start programs that helped cash-strapped residents identify ways to insulate their homes and otherwise conserve energy to lower their bills.

Education: Popovich holds a bachelor's degree in home economics from Youngstown State University.

Quote: “To me, the real solution wasn't just helping them short-term.”

— Brian Bowling