About Us | Renewable Northwest

The History of Renewable Northwest

Founded in 1994, Renewable Northwest has grown to become one of the nation’s most impactful renewable energy advocacy organizations. Our strength comes from our members, a unique and powerful coalition of renewable energy professionals, energy buyers and marketers, ratepayer advocates, and environmental NGOs. Together, these groups contribute their respective talents towards the socially and environmentally responsible advancement of clean energy projects across our region.

To date we have supported state and regional policies that have brought the region over 9,400 MWs of new solar, wind and geothermal projects—enough to serve 2,000,000 customers. As renewables replace fossil fuels as the backbone of our nation’s electricity grid, the responsibility for integrating and balancing a much more diverse portfolio of clean energy resources will be ours to shoulder.

Join with Renewable Northwest and help us create the policy, regulatory and market frameworks necessary to ensure our communities benefit from the transition to an electricity sector powered solely by clean energy resources.

Our Mission

Our mission is to decarbonize the region by accelerating the transition to renewable electricity.

Our Vision

Our vision is for every home, business, and vehicle in the Northwest to be powered by renewable, affordable, carbon-free electricity.

Our People

Board

Nora Apter

At Large

Nora Apter is Senior Program Director for Climate at the Oregon Environmental Council (OEC), where she leads policy development and coalition engagement to advance progress for climate and communities in Oregon. Nora joined OEC in March 2020 after eight years working on federal environmental policy in Washington, D.C.. Nora previously served as Deputy Director of Federal Affairs for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and as a legislative aide for U.S. Senator Ron Wyden. Nora holds a B.A....Read more

Nora Apter is Senior Program Director for Climate at the Oregon Environmental Council (OEC), where she leads policy development and coalition engagement to advance progress for climate and communities in Oregon. Nora joined OEC in March 2020 after eight years working on federal environmental policy in Washington, D.C.. Nora previously served as Deputy Director of Federal Affairs for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and as a legislative aide for U.S. Senator Ron Wyden. Nora holds a B.A. International Affairs and Economics from Lewis & Clark College in Portland. She also serves on a number of state and local government advisory committees, including the Oregon Climate Action Commission and Department of Environmental Quality's Equity Advisory Committee.
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Adam Capage

Board Chair

Adam is the Vice President of the Market Intelligence Team at 3Degrees; this role includes oversight of competitive intelligence and regulatory affairs. Adam joined 3Degrees in 2006, leading the company’s Utility Partnership team; in this capacity, he was responsible for all aspects of operating 3Degrees’ existing utility partnerships and launching new partnerships around the United States. Prior to 3Degrees, Adam was a Director of the Renewable Energy Service at ESource, then a subsidiary of Platts....Read more

Adam is the Vice President of the Market Intelligence Team at 3Degrees; this role includes oversight of competitive intelligence and regulatory affairs. Adam joined 3Degrees in 2006, leading the company’s Utility Partnership team; in this capacity, he was responsible for all aspects of operating 3Degrees’ existing utility partnerships and launching new partnerships around the United States. Prior to 3Degrees, Adam was a Director of the Renewable Energy Service at ESource, then a subsidiary of Platts. In this role Adam researched, wrote and consulted about utility strategy for incorporating renewable energy.

Adam’s twenty-year career in the energy industry has included work in both the public and private sectors. Adam has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Colorado at Denver. In addition to serving on the board of Renewable Northwest, Adam is as an Advisory Board member for the Master’s in Climate Science and Solutions Program at Northern Arizona University.
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Jon Chase

At Large

Jon Chase is Vice President of Public Affairs at Vestas.

Mike Goetz

At Large

Mike Goetz is the General Counsel for the Oregon Citizens' Utility Board (CUB). Established in 1984, CUB is the ratepayer advocate for the residential customers of Oregon's electric and natural gas investor-owned utilities. In his practice, Mike focuses on regulatory matters before the Public Utility Commission of Oregon as well as issues before the Oregon legislature....Read more

Mike Goetz is the General Counsel for the Oregon Citizens' Utility Board (CUB). Established in 1984, CUB is the ratepayer advocate for the residential customers of Oregon's electric and natural gas investor-owned utilities. In his practice, Mike focuses on regulatory matters before the Public Utility Commission of Oregon as well as issues before the Oregon legislature. CUB routinely intervenes in a wide variety of utility cases, including general rate cases, annual power cost filings, integrated resource plans, resource procurement dockets, utility mergers and acquisitions, rulemaking proceedings, and various policy investigations. Prior to joining CUB, he completed an Energy Law & Policy Fellowship through the University of Oregon, worked as a law clerk and attorney at several public interest non-profit organizations, as an attorney for a Portland-based environmental attorney, and as an associate attorney at a plaintiff’s side civil litigation firm. Mike holds a BS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a JD from the University of Oregon School of Law with a Statement of Completion in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. He serves on the executive committee of the Oregon State Bar's Energy, Telecom, & Utility section as well as the Portfolio Options Committee, providing oversight to utility voluntary renewable energy programs.
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Anne Hedges

At Large

Anne Hedges is Co-Director and Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs for the Montana Environmental Information Center where she has worked for nearly three decades. MEIC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the land, air, water, and life-sustaining climate of Montana. MEIC advocates, educates, and empowers people in service of a clean and healthful environment for present and future generations....Read more

Anne Hedges is Co-Director and Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs for the Montana Environmental Information Center where she has worked for nearly three decades. MEIC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the land, air, water, and life-sustaining climate of Montana. MEIC advocates, educates, and empowers people in service of a clean and healthful environment for present and future generations. For the past two decades she has focused primarily on the climate crisis and the need for a swift and just transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.

Anne received her B.S. in environmental policy analysis and planning from the University of California at Davis and a Master’s of Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School.

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Nancy Hirsh

At Large

Nancy Hirsh is Executive Director for the NW Energy Coalition. Nancy directs the Coalition’s efforts to enhance investments in energy efficiency, renewable resources, and low-income energy services through work with utilities, commissioners, regulators, and legislators. She serves on the board of Renewable Northwest and the Centralia Coal Transition Board. She is also on the advisory committee for the Institute for Energy Studies at Western Washington University....Read more

Nancy Hirsh is Executive Director for the NW Energy Coalition. Nancy directs the Coalition’s efforts to enhance investments in energy efficiency, renewable resources, and low-income energy services through work with utilities, commissioners, regulators, and legislators. She serves on the board of Renewable Northwest and the Centralia Coal Transition Board. She is also on the advisory committee for the Institute for Energy Studies at Western Washington University. From 1996 through 2014 she served as the Coalition’s policy director. Before joining the Coalition, she spent twelve years in Washington, DC working on national energy policy issues for the Environmental Action Foundation and the National Wildlife Federation. She lives in Seattle with her husband, children and dog. When not advocating clean energy solutions, she is an avid backpacker and hiker.
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Nancy Kelly

At Large

Nancy Kelly is a Senior Policy Advisor in Western Resource Advocates’ Clean Energy Program. WRA is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to protecting the West’s land, air, and water, and the Clean Energy Program seeks to reduce the environmental impact of electricity production in the Interior West....Read more

Nancy Kelly is a Senior Policy Advisor in Western Resource Advocates’ Clean Energy Program. WRA is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to protecting the West’s land, air, and water, and the Clean Energy Program seeks to reduce the environmental impact of electricity production in the Interior West. Nancy represents WRA in regulatory, political, and other policy forums, and works directly with the region’s electric utilities, regulatory staff, consumer advocates, and other conservation advocates. She has more than twenty years of electric industry experience, including fourteen years as a member of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council’s Board of Directors. Prior to joining WRA in 2008, Nancy advocated for Utah’s residential and small commercial customers. She began her professional career as an academic economist at Idaho State University where she served as a faculty member in the Department of Economics and as the economist in the local business bureau. Nancy’s educational background is in economics.
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Kenneth Labeja

Board Treasurer

Labeja is originally from Uganda and uses Labeja as his first name in accordance with family tradition. He is the Chief Financial Officer of Triple Oak Power, a wind developer headquartered in and focused on the Pacific Northwest.
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Labeja is originally from Uganda and uses Labeja as his first name in accordance with family tradition. He is the Chief Financial Officer of Triple Oak Power, a wind developer headquartered in and focused on the Pacific Northwest.

Labeja has project finance, M&A and accounting in his tool-kit and has spent the last 15 years “gittin it done” in the power and renewables sector. Labeja graduated with a first class Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting at the University of Lesotho and with an MBA from that University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He also completed the necessary exams and experience and became a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in the UK.

Labeja sees his board membership as an opportunity to add his unique voice and background to what is traditionally a monoculture industry. He is excited to promote diversity which ultimately leads to more robust and inclusive project solutions for stakeholders.

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Kevin Lynch

Board Vice Chair

Kevin manages Avangrid Renewables’ engagement in policy, regulatory and market-structure matters across the US as well as the company’s charitable activities. He has nearly three decades of professional experience in the electric power sector, with a focus on renewable energy since 2006 at Avangrid Renewables and predecessor companies. During his Avangrid Renewables tenure, Kevin has also overseen the company’s external communications, market fundamentals, and federal affairs activities.
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Kevin manages Avangrid Renewables’ engagement in policy, regulatory and market-structure matters across the US as well as the company’s charitable activities. He has nearly three decades of professional experience in the electric power sector, with a focus on renewable energy since 2006 at Avangrid Renewables and predecessor companies. During his Avangrid Renewables tenure, Kevin has also overseen the company’s external communications, market fundamentals, and federal affairs activities.

Kevin spent a decade working for two members of the US House of Representatives, eight of those years as staff to the Committee on Appropriations. He focused on natural resource, public lands, Native American, energy, transportation, and arts and humanities issues.

Kevin is President of the Interwest Energy Alliance Board of Directors, chairs the Board of the Independent Energy Producers Association of California, and serves as Vice Chair of the Renewable Northwest Board. He also is a Board Member of the American Council on Renewable Energy, the Wind Solar Alliance and the Colorado Independent Energy Association. He was appointed one of two original co-chairs of the State Policy Committee of the American Wind Energy Association in 2010, serving in that role for two years to increase the wind industry’s focus on state and regional policy and regulatory matters.
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Eileen V. Quigley

At Large

Eileen V. Quigley is the Founding Executive Director of the Clean Energy Transition Institute, which aims to accelerate an equitable clean energy transition in the Northwest. Eileen led the team that produced the technical analysis for the Washington 2021 State Energy Strategy....Read more

Eileen V. Quigley is the Founding Executive Director of the Clean Energy Transition Institute, which aims to accelerate an equitable clean energy transition in the Northwest. Eileen led the team that produced the technical analysis for the Washington 2021 State Energy Strategy. She is the author of several papers on clean energy solutions, including Meeting the Challenge of Our Time: Pathways to a Clean Energy Future in the Northwest.

Eileen is a seasoned manager of for-profit and nonprofit businesses, and a former magazine and newspaper journalist and editor in Washington, DC and New York, NY. She co-taught a course on the clean energy transition at Western Washington University’s Institute for Energy Studies, where she now serves on the Advisory Board. She also serves on the Board of Stockholm Environment Institute-US as well as the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.

Eileen received her Master of Science in Journalism from Columbia University and her Bachelor of Arts in Literature from Yale University.
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Sarah Qureshi

Board Secretary

Sarah Qureshi is a dedicated clean energy professional. She currently serves as a manager on NextEra Energy Resources Political Affairs team for the West Region. Previously she worked on energy policy at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group in San Jose, California. Sarah began her career as a legislative aide to U.S. Representative Mike McIntyre (NC) in Washington, D.C. and has also worked in U.S. Representative Judy Chu’s office (CA) as a legal fellow.
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Sarah Qureshi is a dedicated clean energy professional. She currently serves as a manager on NextEra Energy Resources Political Affairs team for the West Region. Previously she worked on energy policy at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group in San Jose, California. Sarah began her career as a legislative aide to U.S. Representative Mike McIntyre (NC) in Washington, D.C. and has also worked in U.S. Representative Judy Chu’s office (CA) as a legal fellow.

Sarah is a member of the Maryland State Bar and received her J.D. from the Catholic University of America. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Government.

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Virinder Singh

At Large

Virinder Singh is Vice President of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs at EDF Renewables (EDFR), a leading North American renewable energy development company and O&M provider in solar, wind and energy storage. As head of EDFR’s U.S. government affairs, Virinder’s work has covered a wide range of technologies including wind, solar, biogas, and energy storage, and with his able team is responsible for federal affairs and state-level policy....Read more

Virinder Singh is Vice President of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs at EDF Renewables (EDFR), a leading North American renewable energy development company and O&M provider in solar, wind and energy storage. As head of EDFR’s U.S. government affairs, Virinder’s work has covered a wide range of technologies including wind, solar, biogas, and energy storage, and with his able team is responsible for federal affairs and state-level policy. His work includes broad market policies, critical path issues for projects in development, and issues affecting the performance of EDFR’s existing assets. His work covers demand-driving policies, procurement rules, trade policy, tax issues, transmission and distribution grid policy, and siting policy.

Virinder serves on the Boards of Renewable Northwest, California’s Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT), the Independent Energy Producers Association of California, the national Energy Storage Association’s Leadership Circle, and others. He is aide and alternate to EDFR’s Board members at both the American Wind Energy Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association.

He holds a B.A. in Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of International Affairs (environmental policy focus) from Columbia University, and an MBA from Portland State University. He has lived in Portland, Oregon since 2002 and lives with his wife and son.

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Priya Sreedharan

At Large

Priya has been a program director with GridLab since May 2020 working to scale up GridLab’s efforts on electricity sector transformation. Drawing from a research and analysis foundation, she has held multiple technical leadership roles, and was most recently at the U.S....Read more

Priya has been a program director with GridLab since May 2020 working to scale up GridLab’s efforts on electricity sector transformation. Drawing from a research and analysis foundation, she has held multiple technical leadership roles, and was most recently at the U.S. Agency for International Development–India for 5 years where she helped launch clean energy and air quality efforts, including India’s seminal Greening the Grid renewables integration study.

Earlier, she was at Energy and Environmental Economics (E3) for 5 years, where she led some of the sector’s early studies on distributed energy resources, deep decarbonization, and air quality impacts; and initiated E3’s India efforts. Prior affiliations include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Integral Group.

Priya has a PhD and MS in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, where she developed “data science” (Bayesian statistics and optimization) techniques for environmental sensing and energy efficiency diagnostics applications.

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Staff

Nicole Hughes

Executive Director

Nicole Hughes, Executive Director, joined the organization in 2018. She has over 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry; including work in project development, construction, finance, permitting and policy for utility-scale wind and solar. Previously, she worked at AWS Truepower, HDR, Element Power, RES Americas, Tetra Tech, and The Bonneville Power Administration....Read more

Nicole Hughes, Executive Director, joined the organization in 2018. She has over 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry; including work in project development, construction, finance, permitting and policy for utility-scale wind and solar. Previously, she worked at AWS Truepower, HDR, Element Power, RES Americas, Tetra Tech, and The Bonneville Power Administration. Through her diverse background in the industry, Nicole has learned the importance of relationship and coalition building among diverse stakeholders to move the region towards a clean energy future. Nicole has served in a variety of board and volunteer positions working on issues related to support for individuals with disabilities, environmental conservation and energy issues. She currently serves on the board of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies. Nicole lives in Portland, OR with her husband and two kids and spends most of her free time recreating in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.
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Max Greene

Deputy Director

Max Greene joined Renewable Northwest in 2018 and currently serves as the organization's Deputy Director. He supervises work on regulatory matters such as utility resource planning and procurement and on policy matters including clean energy legislation and renewable energy siting. He is a member of various boards and committees including the Green-E Governance Board at the Center for Resource Solutions and the Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar’s Energy, Telecom & Utility Law Section....Read more

Max Greene joined Renewable Northwest in 2018 and currently serves as the organization's Deputy Director. He supervises work on regulatory matters such as utility resource planning and procurement and on policy matters including clean energy legislation and renewable energy siting. He is a member of various boards and committees including the Green-E Governance Board at the Center for Resource Solutions and the Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar’s Energy, Telecom & Utility Law Section. Prior to his work at Renewable Northwest, Max worked as a staff attorney in the Providence, Rhode Island office of the Conservation Law Foundation. Max earned a B.A. from Carleton College and a J.D. from Roger Williams University. He clerked for the Honorable O. Rogeriee Thompson on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. You can find him running Portland-area trails or dragging his family on trips around the beautiful western U.S.
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Diane Brandt

Markets & Transmission Director

As the Markets & Transmission Director, Diane Brandt works on and follows regional conversations, planning bodies, and other regulatory spaces around the evolving regional electricity markets and efforts to modernize the region’s electricity grid. Diane started with Renewable NW in 2021 working on Oregon policy and was most recently the Oregon State Director. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Diane moved back to Oregon in 2018 after working internationally for nearly two decades where she worked in foreign policy for 13 years in the U.S....Read more

As the Markets & Transmission Director, Diane Brandt works on and follows regional conversations, planning bodies, and other regulatory spaces around the evolving regional electricity markets and efforts to modernize the region’s electricity grid. Diane started with Renewable NW in 2021 working on Oregon policy and was most recently the Oregon State Director. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Diane moved back to Oregon in 2018 after working internationally for nearly two decades where she worked in foreign policy for 13 years in the U.S. State Department as a Career Foreign Service Officer. Her postings included stints in the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, India, and Saudi Arabia where her portfolios included everything from political and public affairs to travel visas and American citizen services. Prior to joining the State Department, Diane taught sciences in the United States and internationally. Her undergraduate studies were at the University of Washington in Zoology, Spanish Language and Literature, and a minor in Chemistry. She currently lives in Corvallis with her family and completed her Master’s in Public Policy, with a focus on environment and energy, at Oregon State University. Outside the office, Diane can be found enjoying the many trails of Corvallis with her family or practicing her amateur gardening skills in the backyard. Read less

Emily Griffith

Oregon Policy Manager

Renewable Northwest's Oregon Policy Manager, Emily, joined the organization in April 2022. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Washington State University, she completed a Master of Public Policy at Oregon State University. Her thesis focused on adaptation of regulating institutions to environmental change. Emily’s graduate and undergraduate work also consisted of assessing community input in the environmental decision-making and regulating processes for West Coast resiliency efforts....Read more

Renewable Northwest's Oregon Policy Manager, Emily, joined the organization in April 2022. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Washington State University, she completed a Master of Public Policy at Oregon State University. Her thesis focused on adaptation of regulating institutions to environmental change. Emily’s graduate and undergraduate work also consisted of assessing community input in the environmental decision-making and regulating processes for West Coast resiliency efforts. Emily is passionate about the value of partnerships in working towards solving environmental conflicts. She enjoys applying her collaborative thinking and science background in her everyday work. She currently lives outside of Portland, enjoys hiking the Columbia River Gorge, taking her dog to the beach, and indulging her early-onset interest in bird-watching.
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Kate Brouns

Washington Policy Manager

Kate Brouns, our Washington Policy Manager, joined Renewable Northwest in 2022. She represents Renewable Northwest in the Washington legislative session, advocates for clean energy bills, and supports regulatory processes and market development across the state. She holds a Master of Public Administration with a focus in energy policy from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance and a Bachelor of Mathematics from Hamilton College. Prior to receiving her M.P.A., Kate worked with King County government on physical environment budgeting....Read more

Kate Brouns, our Washington Policy Manager, joined Renewable Northwest in 2022. She represents Renewable Northwest in the Washington legislative session, advocates for clean energy bills, and supports regulatory processes and market development across the state. She holds a Master of Public Administration with a focus in energy policy from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance and a Bachelor of Mathematics from Hamilton College. Prior to receiving her M.P.A., Kate worked with King County government on physical environment budgeting. She also spent three years managing author events at Harvard Book Store. Kate’s passion lies at the cross-section of science, persuasive communication, and the Great Outdoors; her role bridges these interests, using data-driven arguments to advocate for a cleaner Washington. She lives in Seattle and enjoys long-distance backpacking, singing with her cappella group, and baking gluten free food that’s actually good.
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Kyle Unruh

Montana & Idaho Policy Manager

Kyle joined Renewable Northwest as Montana & Idaho Policy Manager in December 2023. After completing his Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance at Central Washington University, Kyle moved to Colorado where he helped generate and advance research projects at CU Boulder through proposal development, project management, and industry relations with major partners such as Lockheed Martin and Ball Aerospace....Read more

Kyle joined Renewable Northwest as Montana & Idaho Policy Manager in December 2023. After completing his Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance at Central Washington University, Kyle moved to Colorado where he helped generate and advance research projects at CU Boulder through proposal development, project management, and industry relations with major partners such as Lockheed Martin and Ball Aerospace. Having a keen interest in clean energy and finance, Kyle earned his MBA working with the University, Boulder City, and Boulder County to help meet their targets through deployment of renewable resources and energy efficiency. He then took an opportunity to help grow the research enterprise and propel the University of Montana to R-1 classification as Director of Sponsored Programs and Research Development. After several years, Kyle pivoted to the energy transition, analyzing markets and transmission for NorthWestern Energy. Kyle resides in Missoula, his hometown, with his wife and two daughters. He uses every chance to explore trails and perform with symphonies around Montana. Read less

Katie Chamberlain

Renewable Energy Technical & Policy Analyst

Katie joined Renewable Northwest in August of 2023 after completing her Master's of Public Administration at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance. During graduate school, she worked in transit planning at the Seattle Department of Transportation and consulted for the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. Prior to going back to school, Katie worked as an organizer on political and issue campaigns. She lives in Portland and enjoys exploring the PNW's nature and searching for the best bagel in the city.

Pam Mahon

Operations Director

Pam was born and raised in New England and made her way out to the Pacific NW via Boulder, Colorado, and a Master’s degree in Voice Performance. No stranger to the renewable energy world, she has worked as an administrative specialist and development coordinator for RES America Developments and Element Power, US. Pam performs with the Oregon Symphony as a teaching artist in local schools and as a narrator for their Kids’ Concert Series. When not performing or hiking Mt. Tabor with her dog, Zeke, she works as a bid assistant raising funds for incredible nonprofit organizations.

Megan Milligan

Office Manager

Megan Milligan started her journey with Renewable Northwest as Office Manager in April 2023. She brings years of experience as a Human Resources and Office Manager in both the private and non-profit sectors. With a degree in psychology and a past career in education, Megan believes in the power of information to change the world for the better - and enjoys every opportunity to holistically support the team at Renewable NW....Read more

Megan Milligan started her journey with Renewable Northwest as Office Manager in April 2023. She brings years of experience as a Human Resources and Office Manager in both the private and non-profit sectors. With a degree in psychology and a past career in education, Megan believes in the power of information to change the world for the better - and enjoys every opportunity to holistically support the team at Renewable NW. Her passion for renewable energy and a green lifestyle run deep as she invested in retrofitting her family home to net zero energy status. Outside of work you can find her in the garden smelling flowers, on a leisurely stroll with her dog, or satisfying her wanderlust!
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