As the Vice President of Community Operations at Columbia Association, Jeremy Scharfenberg leads the Open Space, Capital Improvements, Facilities Services and Sustainability divisions. Jeremy strives to continuously improve the quality of Columbia’s natural environment and the sustainability and value of CA’s numerous amenities for the community — from our fitness facilities to neighborhood play spaces. He also seeks to empower his team to embody the mission of serving the community and apply best practices in all aspects of their role.
Jeremy has over 20 years of experience encompassing institutional sustainability, energy management, construction and facilities management, energy efficiency program implementation, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventory and mitigation, and water resource engineering.
Jeremy joined CA as its Energy Manager in 2012 and actively worked to advance the energy efficiency and sustainability of CA’s operations resulting in multiple awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy and a reduction in energy use of 30 percent. Key accomplishments include the installation of the first combined heat and power (CHP) system of its kind in Howard County and a two-megawatt solar farm which now provides 25 percent of CA’s electricity consumption. In recent years, he has expanded his role to include oversight of broader sustainability programming and facilities management and construction. Jeremy was named Vice President of Community Operations in February 2024.
Prior to joining CA, Jeremy managed projects supporting climate change, energy, and facilities management programs for the National Park Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Capitol, and the Department of Homeland Security. He has deep experience in GHG emission inventory, climate action planning and climate change adaptation of water resource systems through a decade of support to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Jeremy’s experience also includes municipal wastewater management, solid waste management and stormwater pollution mitigation.
He has a bachelor’s degree in biology from SUNY Brockport, a master’s degree in water resources and environmental engineering from Villanova University, and a master’s degree in environmental policy from University of Southern California. He is also a Certified Energy Manager (CEM), Project Management Professional (PMP), and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED-AP).
Jeremy has lived in Columbia for 15 years and enjoys spending time with his family in nature and embracing the many amenities that CA has to offer, from our fitness facilities to our pathways.