Alliance to Save Energy Announces Outstanding Roster of New Board Members | Alliance to Save Energy

Alliance to Save Energy Announces Outstanding Roster of New Board Members

The Alliance to Save Energy News

Alliance to Save Energy Announces Outstanding Roster of New Board Members

Release Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Washington, D.C., February 2008 – The Alliance to Save Energy has announced that four new members joined its Board of Directors in 2008 to oversee and guide the Alliance’s mission of creating a more energy-efficient world.

The newly elected Board members are Francis Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC); Thomas P. Grumbly, vice president of energy and security services for Lockheed Martin; Tom King, president and CEO of National Grid; and Paul Tonko, president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

“Each new Board member brings fresh perspectives and creative ideas from a distinct corner of the energy industry,” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan. She added, “The Alliance is fortunate to add these notable members to our stellar Board leadership, which includes the business, NGO, and government principals who are driving innovative energy-efficiency policies, initiatives, and programs across the world.” (A complete roster of the Alliance’s Board and officers for 2008 is attached.)

Beinecke brings 30 years of NRDC experience to the Alliance Board. Under her leadership, NRDC has launched a new strategic campaign sharply focusing its efforts on curbing global warming, moving America beyond oil, reviving the world’s oceans, saving endangered wild places, stemming the tide of toxic chemicals, and accelerating the greening of China.

“I am honored to follow in the footsteps of my predecessor, John Adams, as NRDC’s representative on the Alliance Board,” Beinecke said. “This is especially exciting as NRDC pursues its new campaign whose goals include furthering the use of energy efficiency to curb global warming and lessen U.S. dependence on oil.”

Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Grumbly was president and chief executive officer of The Keystone Center, a nonprofit public policy and educational organization headquartered in Colorado. In the late 1990’s, he served as undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, following a myriad of other jobs in the energy industry.

Grumbly noted, “I am proud to bring to my new position as an Alliance director Lockheed Martin’s historic support of energy efficiency, not only as an Alliance Associate but also in its day-to-day work on advanced technology systems, products, and services. The company has honed its energy efficiency and facility engineering expertise such that our nationally-recognized staff possess the technical credentials and experience to help our customers reduce costs, increase efficiencies, and save energy.”

King joined National Grid – one of the nation’s largest electricity and distribution companies – in July 2007 as president of National Grid in the U.S. Prior to that, he was president of PG&E Corporation and chairman and CEO of Pacific Gas and Electric Company from 2003-07; senior vice president of PG&E Corporation, and president of PG&E National Energy Group, having joined PG&E Gas Transmission as president in 1998.

“I welcome this opportunity to broaden National Grid’s contribution to the Alliance by assuming my role as a Board member,” King said. “This position aligns well with my personal commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability, and it builds upon National Grid’s 20 years of experience and leadership in offering innovative, effective energy efficiency solutions.”

A nationally-recognized expert on energy and utility issues, Tonko was appointed president and CEO of NYSERDA, another long-time Alliance Associate and Board representative, on July 1, 2007. Prior to that, he served in the New York State Assembly, where he represented the 105th Assembly District – including all of Montgomery and part of Schenectady Counties – from April 1983 to June 2007. He also chaired the Standing Committee on Energy from 1992 to June 2007. At age 26, he was the youngest person in the history of Montgomery County to be elected to its Board of Supervisors.

“NYSERDA has a long and active history of promoting energy efficiency and supporting the Alliance’s advocacy and consumer work, while also devoting substantial resources to its own energy-efficiency programs to benefit New York state consumers and businesses,” Tonko said. “As I take my seat on the Alliance Board, I look forward to continuing to share NYSERDA’s innovative ideas, gleaned from many years of developing and implementing more than 125 energy-efficient and environmentally-beneficial products, processes, and services for the state’s businesses and municipalities.”

The Alliance also announced the re-election of its Board officers:

  • Honorary Chair Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.);
  • Co-Chair Jim Rogers, CEO of Duke Energy;
  • First Vice Chair Michael Thieneman, executive vice president and CTO of Whirpool Corporation;
  • Secretary Jeff Rea;
  • Treasurer Rob Pratt, senior vice president of the Henry P. Kendall Foundation.

Alliance Co-Chairs Pryor and Rogers expressed their enthusiastic welcome to the new Alliance Board members.

“I congratulate and welcome the Alliance’s four new Board members, who represent diverse sectors of the energy world,” Pryor said. “I am confident that both individually and collectively they will make valuable contributions to the Alliance mission of promoting energy efficiency worldwide to benefit the economy, environment, and national security,” Pryor said.

“These new Board members will bring significant leadership, commitment, and creativity in the year ahead as the Alliance continues to educate and advocate for maximum deployment of energy efficiency as the first solution to our nation’s energy challenges – and indeed to the worldwide challenge of climate change,” Rogers said.

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