Benefit From Our Experience

PennTAP’s staff is composed of highly certified technical advisors with diverse expertise, dedicated to helping Pennsylvania businesses thrive. Our team offers hands-on support in areas such as energy efficiency, pollution prevention, and technology commercialization, ensuring that companies can innovate and grow sustainably. With a deep understanding of Pennsylvania’s business landscape, our experts are committed to providing customized solutions that drive measurable success across the state.

Meet Our Expert Team
Tanna Pugh
Director
Tanna Pugh is the Director of PennTAP, bringing over two decades of experience in environmental management, sustainability, and energy efficiency to the organization. With a strong background in leading technical teams, she is dedicated to helping Pennsylvania businesses improve their operational performance while reducing environmental impact. Tanna's leadership and expertise play a crucial role in advancing PennTAP's mission to support economic growth and sustainability across the state.
Alanna Colvin
Associate Director – Programming
Alanna Colvin, MBA, C.E.M., EIT, is the Associate Director of Programming for PennTAP, working from the Corner LaunchBox in Penn State New Kensington. She provides strategic direction and oversight for the statewide network of advisors to ensure successful delivery and execution of PennTAP’s energy, innovation, and economic development services. She will also develop educational programming for Penn State and K-12 students, as well as identify, lead, and expand PennTAP’s capabilities overall.
Jenn Jones
Technical Advisor
Jenn Jones, C.E.M., CSSGB, C.W.E.P., is a technical advisor who works at Innovation Park located at Penn State’s University Park campus. She connects small businesses, industries, and organizations in the region with University resources, as well as those provided by our statewide resource partners, to advance their innovation and sustainability goals. She performs on-site industrial energy efficiency and pollution prevention assessments, provides consultation on energy management systems, such as the 50001 Ready Program, and coordinates our E3 Assessments.
Amy Jorden
Technical Advisor
Amy Jorden, C.E.M., is a technical advisor serving South Central Pennsylvania, working from the Penn State University Park and Altoona campuses. Amy is responsible for providing technical assistance related to energy efficiency, pollution prevention, and innovation to small and midsize businesses.
Rich Joyce
Technical Advisor
Rich Joyce, MBA, CSSGB, is a technical advisor working from the Penn State Schuylkill campus. He performs industrial energy efficiency audits and offers manufacturers guidance in reducing energy consumption and pollution prevention. Rich also connects members of the PA business community, large and small, to resources both inside and outside of Penn State to foster economic development, job growth or retention and product development.
Krista Schneider
Technical Advisor
Krista Schneider, LEED Green Associate, is a technical advisor serving Northeast Pennsylvania, working from the Penn State Hazleton campus. She connects small businesses, industries, and organizations in the region with the resources of the University in order to advance their innovation and sustainability goals. She also provides direct assistance in the form of energy and operational assessments, grant application support, and special project consulting.
Heidi Shadeck
Technical Advisor
Heidi Shadeck, P.G., is a technical advisor serving Northwest Pennsylvania, working from the Penn State Behrend campus. She is responsible for providing technical assistance related to energy efficiency and pollution prevention to small and midsize businesses. She also connects businesses and organizations with the resources of the University in order to support their goals related to innovation, job growth, sustainability, and student engagement.
Jahson Gonzalez-Allie
Student Intern
Jahson Gonzalez-Allie is an undergraduate student at Penn State pursuing a bachelor’s in computer science focusing on software development, systems architecture, and video game development.
Tharun Jayabal
Graduate Assistant
Tharun Jayabal is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research with a focus on Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing at Penn State.
Lakshya Thinakaran
Graduate Assistant
Lakshya Thinakaran is a graduate student at Penn State pursuing her Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering. Her areas of interest include operations research, data analysis, project management and scheduling.
Pratyush Mallick
Graduate Assistant
Pratyush Mallick is a graduate student at Penn State pursuing a Master’s in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, focusing on machine learning and supply chain optimization.
Get the latest PennTAP events, webinars, and news delivered to your inbox.