Buffalo Site Director – Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)

Cerise Sutton is the Buffalo Site Director at Center for Employment Opportunities, where she oversees re-entry workforce development, vocational training, and temporary work crew programs across Niagara, Erie, and Chautauqua counties. In addition, she also leads strategic labor relations initiatives for CEO's Upstate Region, which includes Albany, Rochester, and Buffalo.

Founder & CEO – Active Solar Development

Frank McCleneghen is the Founder and CEO of Active Solar Development.  Frank started in the Solar Industry in 2010 before forming Active Solar in 2012. He developed over 100+ MW of solar in NY.   Active Solar currently has 100+ employees who perform development and construction services, asset management, and O&M services .  Active Solar has performed work for the NYS DOT, Thruway Authority, and Bridge Authority and currently owns projects in NY, NJ, and FL. 

Northeast Community Relations Manager – EDF Renewables

As EDF Renewables’  NE Community Relations Manager, Haylee Ferington brings passion to her work with communities and stakeholders across the state. As a rural WNY native, Haylee understands how much benefits of renewable energy projects could benefit the communities they are sited in and works to integrate these benefits in meaningful ways, including workforce development.

Geothermal Project Developer – Energy Catalyst Technologies

Jordan Weeden is a dedicated geothermal project developer for Energy Catalyst Technologies, a leading company in the renewable energy sector. Jordan possesses valuable experience in nearly every aspect of the geothermal process, ranging from the initial sale of systems to the final installation and implementation at various sites. Energy Catalyst specializes in manufacturing high-quality geothermal heat pumps and efficient ground loops from their state-of-the-art factory located in Troy, NY, contributing significantly to sustainable energy solutions in the region.

Director of Policy – Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA)

Kevin Reilly is the Director of Policy at the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) since 2006. He advocates for construction laborers, focusing on procurement, the Davis-Bacon Act, prevailing wages, apprenticeship, and energy regulation. Reilly represents LIUNA and its over half a million members on various boards and committees with building trades unions, employers, non-profits, and government officials. In 2020, he served on the Infrastructure Policy Committee for the Biden-Harris Campaign. He holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Vice President of Business Development – Terra-Gen

Kevin Sheen has been active in New York Development since the early 2000’s and he currently serves as the Vice President of Business Development for Terra-Gen.  Prior to joining Terra-Gen in 2018, Mr. Sheen was a co-founder of EverPower and held development and government relations roles within the company’s leadership.  He is a former Chairman of the Board of Directors of ACENY and has a BA from Indiana University and a master's degree from The Ohio State University.

Founder & CEO – Solitude Solar, LLC d.b.a. U.S. Light Energy (USLE)

Mark Richardson is the Founder and CEO of Solitude Solar, LLC, d.b.a. U.S. Light Energy (USLE). He has developed over 200MW of Community Distributed Generation (CDG) Solar projects in New York with partners like Standard Solar, Aspen Power Partners, and Catalyze. USLE has over 500MW of CDG in near-term development. Mr. Richardson holds a BA in Speech Communications from the University of Georgia and is certified as a NABCEP PV Installer, NABCEP PV Technical Sales Professional, BPI Building Analyst, NYSDHCR Multi-Family Building Analyst, and has a master’s Certificate in Six Sigma from Villanova University.

Founding Executive Director – Green Workers Alliance

Matthew Mayers is the Founding Executive Director of the Green Workers Alliance, an organization dedicated to uniting and mobilizing utility-scale renewable energy workers in pursuit of more sustainable employment opportunities and better green jobs. With an impressive background that spans over 25 years, he has established himself as a passionate organizer, skilled researcher, and effective campaigner within the labor movement. He resides in Washington, DC, alongside his wife and daughters, where he continues to advocate for accessible and equitable job opportunities in the renewable energy sector.

Executive Director – New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA)

Noah Ginsburg currently serves as the Executive Director at the New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA), which is recognized as New York's leading trade association dedicated to the growth of distributed solar and energy storage solutions. The overarching mission of NYSEIA is to significantly accelerate the deployment of solar and storage technologies throughout New York State. Additionally, the organization is committed to advancing the solar industry through a comprehensive approach that includes policy and advocacy efforts, public education initiatives, capacity-building programs for its members, and the development of strategic initiatives aimed at fostering a sustainable energy future.

Vice President, State Government Affairs – Avangrid

Rebecca Marino serves as the Vice President of State Government Affairs at Avangrid, where she is responsible for developing and leading the comprehensive state government affairs strategy across an impressive 24 states. Rebecca started her career in the dynamic field of New York State government and has since accumulated over 25 years of extensive experience in state government affairs, demonstrating her deep understanding and expertise in this critical area.

Vice President, Renewable Project Development – New York Power Authority (NYPA)

Vennela Yadhati is a clean energy professional with over 14 years of experience in commercial strategy and clean energy project execution, including renewable power and power-to-x technologies like green hydrogen and e-fuels. She has developed approximately 2,000 MW of renewable projects, including solar PV, wind, and battery storage. As Vice President of Renewable Project Development at NYPA, Vennela leads initiatives and strategies for renewable energy projects. She serves on the Board of Sustainable Westchester and the Planning Board for White Plains, NY. Vennela holds a Master's in Electrical Engineering from Missouri University of Science & Technology and is a registered P.E. in Florida, Missouri, and New York.

Vice President of Business Development – CS Energy

Lance Dunning is the Vice President of Business Development at CS Energy, a leading EPC service provider in the U.S. He holds an MBA from the University at Albany, a JD from Albany Law School, and a BA in Multinational Business from Florida State University. With over 12 years in renewable energy, he focuses on client relations and contract development in the solar and energy storage sectors, successfully contracting over a Gigawatt of projects. His approach emphasizes early strategic planning, proactive labor engagement, and transparent client communication as key to project success.

Executive Director – ACE NY

ACE NY's Executive Director Marguerite Wells is a prominent leader in the renewable energy sector. She previously led Invenergy’s New York development office, where her team managed 2,000 MW of wind, solar, and battery storage projects, and also developed a 16 MW wind project funded by $3 million in community investment. Marguerite has a diverse background – in 2005, she built and eventually sold a green roof plant nursery business that has supplied many of the green roofs built in NYS.

Northeast Regional Director – Solar Energy Industries Association

Valessa Souter-Kline is SEIA's Northeast Regional Director, working on regulatory and legislative matters, principally in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Prior to SEIA, Valessa spent three years developing utility-scale wind, solar and battery energy storage projects, preceded by her role as Policy Director at NYSEIA. Valessa holds a master’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's in Psychology from Guilford College.