Experience makes the difference.
Sieben Energy Associates has long been a leading force in the professional energy management field. Meet our leadership team.
Craig Sieben
Founder and President
Craig is a nationally recognized authority on energy efficiency and a leader in the field of energy management. Since 1990 Craig has successfully piloted Sieben Energy Associates (SEA) through significant transformations in the energy industry while maintaining the firm’s dedication to providing exceptional client service. In addition to his executive responsibilities, Craig plays a key role in the firm’s strategic consulting and energy management services.
Craig speaks extensively to businesses and civic organizations on energy efficiency and sustainability, especially as they relate to corporate finance and public policy. He is also a frequent commentator on television and has contributed his energy expertise to journals and periodicals.
His professional career began in Washington, D.C., where he worked for the U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy Conservation & Power and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Solar Energy. He also worked in research and marketing at Daniel Yergin’s Cambridge Energy Research Associates and was vice president for marketing at The Lighting Corporation.
Craig is active in numerous civic and professional organizations throughout Chicago. He serves currently as President of the Leadership Greater Chicago Board of Directors. He was a Producer of Carbon Nation, a feature-length documentary on global warming solutions. He has served on energy and environmental policy advisory committees for political candidates as well as for Chicago and Illinois. He was a Crain's Chicago Business "40 under 40” and a member of the 1999 class of Leadership Greater Chicago. He graduated from Hampshire College with a degree in Energy Policy and Planning.
Jerry Burin
Executive Vice President
Jerry leads SEA's energy purchasing, energy efficiency, and LEED for existing buildings services. He also contributes to SEA’s integrated energy management team, which delivers a single-source service combining energy commodity management, energy engineering, and energy information management. Jerry supports clients in a broad range of industry sectors, including real estate, higher education, healthcare, manufacturing and retail services.
He joined SEA in 1998 after spending 25 years in the commercial real estate industry. Jerry’s arrival coincided with the spread of electric deregulation nationally, and he took a lead role as SEA began consulting on electric supply transactions in nearly every deregulated market in the country. His expertise in energy commodity purchasing and management has proved invaluable to clients seeking to optimize their building operations.
Jerry is a member of the Association of Energy Services Professionals, as well as the Association of Energy Engineers. He has contributed articles regarding energy matters to national and regional business publications. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Science degree from Chicago State University.
Michael Kuk
Director of Technical Services
Michael (Mike) works with clients, design teams, contractors, and fellow engineers on a wide range of energy efficiency projects. He leads SEA’s Commissioning Team for new construction and has extensive experience successfully commissioning building systems as part of the LEED certification process. In addition to commissioning services, he also contributes his expertise to energy auditing and retro-commissioning projects, computer simulation modeling, utility rate analyses, and specialized HVAC analyses.
Mike is a Major in the Wisconsin National Guard and a veteran of the Iraq war. He came to SEA in 2004 after 14 years with Exelon Corporation, where he held multiple positions in the energy company’s Marketing and Technical Services departments. He is a LEED AP and has obtained both Commissioning Process Management Professional (CPMP) and Operations & Performance Management Professional (OPMP) certifications from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Mike is a member of the Building Commissioning Association, ASHRAE, the Association of Energy Engineers, the International Ground Source Heat Pump Organization, and the U.S. Green Building Council - Illinois Chapter. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology from the Milwaukee School of Engineering.