Our Team
Operations and Development
Larry Sherwood
President & Chief Executive OfficerLarry Sherwood
President & Chief Executive OfficerLarry Sherwood is the President and CEO of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), a national nonprofit that has advanced the growth of renewable energy and energy efficiency for more than 45 years. At IREC, Larry works with the Board of Directors and staff to strategically develop programs in areas such as workforce development, grid interconnection, energy codes and standards, and engagement with local governments. Larry previously served in other roles at IREC, including as Vice President/COO. He has also served as Executive Director of the Small Wind Certification Council, the American Solar Energy Society, and the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, and was the Project Administrator for the Solar America Board for Codes and Standards. Larry is a graduate of Dartmouth College and lives with his family in a PV-powered house in Colorado.
Scott Townley
Vice President of Finance and AdministrationScott Townley
Vice President of Finance and AdministrationScott is the Director of Finance and Administration for IREC, overseeing organizational and project-related finances, grant administration and compliance, and the administration of HR and operational policies. Prior to joining IREC Scott fulfilled similar functions for a number of nonprofits, including as Chief of Finance for the Global Center on Cooperative Security, a nonprofit focused on international security issues. He is a certified public accountant and holds a BA in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Originally from California, Scott lives in a solar-powered home in Northern Virginia with his wife Holly, dog Jax, and cat Lua.
Leslie Graham
Vice President of DevelopmentLeslie Graham
Vice President of DevelopmentLeslie is Vice President of Development, where she leads fundraising activities for the organization. She previously managed grants and partnerships for a zero-emission vanpool and carsharing company. In this capacity, she secured contracts with LA Metro, San Diego Association of Governments, and the California Air Resources Board, among others. She previously participated as a reviewer on the Greenlining Institute’s Mobility Equity Framework and was a Fellow with the Southern California Leadership Network. With a keen interest in strategy for community development, Leslie’s work experience has spanned management consulting and fundraising for school-based environmental education, workforce development programs, and the arts. Originally from Oklahoma, she earned an MBA from Boston University and her undergraduate degree is from Washington University (St. Louis). Leslie lives with her partner Vivek and their dog Frida in a solar-powered home in Los Angeles within woeful eyeshot of the still-functioning Inglewood Oil Field.
Mallory Stewart Robison
Director of Research & AnalysisMallory Stewart Robison
Director of Research & AnalysisMallory is Director of Research & Analysis at IREC, where she uses her data background to support projects across IREC’s workforce, regulatory, and local initiatives. Mallory uses both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to tackle climate and economic justice problems. Previously, Mallory was Director of Data & Technology at Civic Nation, a civic advocacy non-profit.
Mallory holds a MSc in Ecological Economics from The University of Edinburgh, where she completed her dissertation on community land ownership in Scotland. She also holds a BS in Political Science from The George Washington University. Mallory lives with her partner Isaac in Brooklyn, New York, and enjoys embroidering, knitting, and baking in her spare time.
Hannah Rome
Operations ManagerHannah Rome
Operations ManagerHannah Rome is an Operations Manager where she focuses on recruitment, human resources, and development functions for IREC. Previously, she was a Senior Program Manager at Mindr—a workforce development organization focused on building belonging, where she managed their mentorship program. Hannah has a passion for creating inclusive spaces and developing and maintaining impactful programs.
Hannah holds a BA from Manhattan College in Urban Studies and minors in Sociology and Spanish. While born and raised in Northampton Massachusetts, Hannah currently resides in Westchester, NY. In her free time she enjoys cooking, taking walks outside, and spending time with her friends and family.
Jai Calloway, JD, MDR
HR/DEIA ConsultantJai Calloway, JD, MDR
HR/DEIA ConsultantJai McBride Calloway has over 15 years of experience as a change maker and people strategist empowering organizations toward culture transformation and equitable workplace environments through conflict resolution. Jai is known for her unique approach to reimagining business models by centering on people-centric strategic frameworks. She blends her experience in alternative dispute resolution methodology, diversity and inclusion, and organizational development to provide equitable solutions to highly complex organizational issues. In addition to founding J. Calloway Consultants, LLC, a boutique firm dedicated to helping organizations create equitable, inclusive, and high-performing workforce cultures, Jai proudly serves on multiple civic boards, and works as a trusted executive advisor.
Jai earned a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from the University of New Mexico, a Master of Science in Public Affairs from Texas Southern University, a Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law, and a Master of Law in Dispute Resolution with a focus on cross-cultural conflict and advanced mediation from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law.
Darnell Johnson
HR/DEIA ConsultantDarnell Johnson
HR/DEIA ConsultantDarnell Johnson is the CEO and President of Urban Efficiency Group (UEG), Illinois’ first native, minority-owned utility implementation and sustainability design firm. Darnell served in the United States Army for nine years and began his formal education at Central Texas College majoring in Urban Planning, while on active duty. Darnell graduated from Moody Bible Institute with a Bachelor’s in Theology and a minor in counseling. His industry specific credentials include but are not limited to; BPI- Building Analyst, Building Envelope, Infiltration Duct Leakage, Energy Auditor, Quality Control Inspector, Healthy Home Evaluator, RESNET Rater, EcoDistrict Accredited Professional, and DEI Certified Professional (Cornell University).
Darnell is a spirtitual and sustainability architect, with over two decades of entrepreneurial, social science, and sustainability experience. His commitment to engineering solutions that humanizes sustainability for BIPOC communities and advancing energy equity is fundamental to all of his work.
Darnell and Urban Efficiency Group have assisted thousands of underserved residents across Northwest Indiana, the greater Chicagoland and Milwaukee Wisconsin reduce their energy burden by delivering energy efficiency and community sustainability services, while working toward carbon neutrality. He believes that diversity brings strength, inclusion is indicative of an acceptance that is essential to growth, and equity is a human right that should be embraced as the standard and not an exception. By pragmatically implementing these beliefs systemic change would be the resolve and “Stronger Together” would become a reality.
Communications
Gwen Brown
Vice President of CommunicationsGwen Brown
Vice President of CommunicationsAs Vice President of Communications at the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), Gwen oversees communications and outreach to increase awareness of IREC’s work to build the foundation for rapid adoption of clean energy and energy efficiency. This work spans IREC’s regulatory engagement, workforce development, and its local initiatives to support communities in bringing clean energy and energy efficiency to their residents and businesses. Prior to joining IREC, Gwen was one of the first marketing hires at (then-startup) Aurora Solar, a software firm working to reduce the cost of residential and commercial solar through remote site analysis and PV design. In this role, she led the creation of educational content for solar professionals—including blog posts and webinars. Earlier in her career, Gwen was a Senior Research Associate at the Environmental Law Institute and a Fellow with the Clean Energy Leadership Institute. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Gettysburg College and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband.
Avery Palmer
Communications Projects DirectorAvery Palmer
Communications Projects DirectorAvery Palmer is Communications Projects Director at IREC. He is responsible for guiding the strategic direction of several flagship projects to advance the organization’s mission and contribute to the success of its programs. He was previously the Communications Director at The Solar Foundation, where he led outreach campaigns for the National Solar Jobs Census, SolSmart, the Puerto Rico initiative, and other major programs. Avery previously led communications at the Violence Policy Center, a national gun violence prevention organization. He also has many years of experience as a journalist, including as an environment and energy reporter at Congressional Quarterly. Avery grew up in Des Moines, Iowa and has a Bachelor’s Degree from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.
Michelle Barrett
Senior Special Events and Projects ManagerMichelle Barrett
Senior Special Events and Projects ManagerMichelle Barrett is Senior Special Events and Projects Manager for the IREC Workforce, Regulatory, and Communication operations. Prior to joining IREC, Michelle worked at the New York Association on Independent Living, Inc. (NYAIL) as the Membership and Event Coordinator. Michelle’s primary responsibility was management of all association meetings. She was also responsible for the operations and management of the association’s bi-annual conference and exposition, along with overseeing the day-to-day association office operations. She is a life-long resident of New York and resides in Albany with her family.
Nicole Wilson
Communications and Digital Media ManagerNicole Wilson
Communications and Digital Media ManagerAs Communications and Digital Media Manager at IREC, Nicole supports IREC’s communications operations by managing IREC’s social media accounts and campaigns, designing graphics and layouts, helping to maintain and update the IREC website, and writing blog posts and articles.
Before coming to IREC, Nicole worked as a reporter for several newspapers, a marketer and designer for two book publishing groups, and a lead copy editor and designer for a Northern California newspaper design center publishing 12 newspapers a night. In her most recent role before IREC, Nicole worked as a Communications Specialist for the NC Clean Energy Technology Center at NC State University. She holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Florida.
A native Floridian, Nicole currently resides in Raleigh, NC, with her husband and cat. She enjoys reading, yoga, gardening, playing piano, and vegetarian food.
Zack Loehle
Communications ManagerZack Loehle
Communications ManagerAs Communications Manager, Zack supports IREC’s communications efforts across social, digital, and email platforms with a special focus on local initiatives and workforce programs. Before coming to IREC, Zack worked in communications for a variety of nonprofits across the Southeast, focusing on sustainability, conservation, and environmental education. He holds an MA in professional writing from Kennesaw State University and received his BA from Sewanee, where he double-majored in English and ecology. He lives in Atlanta.
Regulatory
Radina Valova
Vice President – Regulatory ProgramRadina Valova
Vice President – Regulatory ProgramAs Vice President of IREC’s Regulatory Program, Radina Valova provides strategic direction and oversight of IREC’s regulatory team. Radina comes to IREC with seven years of experience in energy and climate law and policy, with a focus on the electric and gas utility sectors, utility transformation, and a just transition to a decarbonized economy for underserved and disadvantaged communities. Prior to joining IREC, Radina served as Senior Staff Attorney and Regulatory Affairs Manager for the Pace Energy and Climate Center in White Plains, New York, where she led the Center’s engagement in New York’s Reforming the Energy Vision, developed policy solutions for decarbonizing the buildings sector, and pushed for clean and affordable energy for low- and moderate-income communities. Radina is a graduate of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, with JD Certificates in Environmental and International Law, and an LL.M. in Land Use and Sustainable Development. She teaches Energy Law at Pace and has a strong commitment to training the next generation of energy and climate advocates.
Mari Hernandez
Director – Regulatory ProgramMari Hernandez
Director – Regulatory ProgramAs IREC’s Regulatory Program Director, Mari is responsible for policy tracking, research, and analysis, as well as providing support for IREC’s state and national regulatory efforts. Before joining IREC, Mari was Deputy Director of Policy and Electricity Markets at SolarCity where she managed regulatory and legislative solar policy initiatives that covered the Southeastern U.S., as well as provided research and analytical support to the policy team. Prior to SolarCity, Mari worked on clean energy issues at the Center for American Progress and the Solar Energy Industries Association. A former Austinite, Mari currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Brian Lydic
Chief Regulatory EngineerBrian Lydic
Chief Regulatory EngineerBrian Lydic, Chief Regulatory Engineer for IREC, has been active in renewable energy since 2005. He started out designing and installing residential and small commercial PV, solar thermal, and wind energy systems for a company based in Ann Arbor, MI. In 2007, he joined Fronius as an Applications Engineer for solar electronics, supporting customers with design and field issues as well as leading numerous trainings for installers, designers, and salespeople. In his role as Sr. Standards & Technology Engineer, Brian tracked standards and regulatory, technology, and market issues as they related to product development for Fronius. As Regulatory Engineer for IREC, he continues to work with regulatory stakeholders to further the organization’s mission to increase access to sustainable energy and energy efficiency. He is a member of UL 1741 and IEEE 1547 working groups, helping to improve the grid integration of PV systems. Brian is a founding member and chair of the Forum on Inverter Grid Integration Issues (FIGII), an ad-hoc consortium of PV experts which seeks to address emerging high penetration issues through research and standardization. Working with utilities, manufacturers, and experts, Brian helps to craft and revise technical requirements for grid interconnection in California, Hawaii, and elsewhere. Brian, who holds an electrical engineering degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his wife Willi and enjoys playing music with (and for) friends.
Midhat Mafazy
Regulatory Program EngineerMidhat Mafazy
Regulatory Program EngineerMidhat Mafazy, Regulatory Program Engineer for IREC, holds a BS in Physics from Illinois State University (Normal, IL) and a Master of Engineering from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI). Midhat joins IREC with six years of experience in the utility industry. He began as an Intern for a Fortune 500 utility in 2014. There he performed cost-benefit analysis of energy storage systems used as investment deferrals at utility substations (NWA solutions). Midhat joined the utility full-time in 2015 and transitioned to primarily Distributed Energy Resources (DER) roles. For two years, he worked at the utility microgrid facility (Champaign, IL) where he was involved in numerous tests, facility upkeep, as well as providing public tours of the world-renowned utility-scale microgrid. Midhat continued to expand his portfolio and began to oversee DER Integration, Standards, Policies & Strategies, DER pilots, and the grid of the future projects. In his role as a DER Integration Engineer, Midhat was instrumental in specifying the Illinois Smart Inverter rebate, offering incentives to non-residential customers with Smart Inverters in the state. He maintained and updated the company’s DER policies and standards, and quite often, served as a link between DER-related research and the company’s DER pilot engagements. Midhat has partnered with peer utilities around the country and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) on projects related to DER interconnection best practices and smart inverter field deployment. Before joining IREC, Midhat served as a technical lead in Illinois grid interconnection proceedings, responding to comments and data requests. Midhat lives in Normal, Illinois with his wife, Nazma, and daughter, Shani, and enjoys playing soccer with friends.
Shay Banton
Regulatory Program Engineer and Energy Justice Policy AdvocateShay Banton
Regulatory Program Engineer and Energy Justice Policy AdvocateShay Banton (they/them), Regulatory Program Engineer and Energy Justice Policy Advocate for IREC, has been working in the grid integration technology and policy space since 2017. Over the course of their career, Shay has been lucky to have worked in multiple sectors across the power industry from utility, to developer, to the federal government. Most recently, they worked for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office where they managed over a dozen projects across the solar integration technology landscape. They also had a unique opportunity to co-found one of the DOE’s most ambitious efforts, the Interconnection Innovation eXchange, which had a goal of making the DOE a national resource for determining interconnection best practices. Prior to this, they worked for Borrego as a Utility Electrical Engineer where they became a nationally recognized interconnection policy advocate leading multiple state-wide efforts to expand market viability.
Shay holds a B.S. in Systems Science and Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Energy Policy and Climate from Johns Hopkins University. They one day hope to work in international energy policy by supporting the equitable energy transitions of developing nations. Shay lives in Washington D.C. with their partner (and free roaming bunny, Luna) where they enjoy dancing like nobody’s watching any chance they get.
David Golembeski
Senior Program ManagerDavid Golembeski
Senior Program ManagerAs a Senior Program Manager for IREC’s Regulatory program, David focuses on improving rules, regulatory policies, and technical standards to make clean energy widely accessible and develop a state-of-the-art electric grid. He previously worked on the IREC-led SolSmart program, which provides local governments nationwide with no-cost technical assistance to help streamline their solar permitting, inspection, and zoning policies. Prior to joining IREC, David held the same role working on SolSmart at The Solar Foundation, which merged with IREC in 2020. Earlier in his career, he worked as a research contractor for Smart Electric Power Alliance and Wind Energy Foundation, and was a fellow with the Clean Energy Leadership Institute. David holds a B.S. in Political Science and Communication Studies from Towson University and a M.S. in Energy Policy and Climate from Johns Hopkins University.
Sky Stanfield
Partner at Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, LLPSky Stanfield
Partner at Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, LLPSky is a Partner at Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, LLP, where she represents IREC in grid modernization, interconnection, and energy storage proceedings across the U.S. Her practice focuses on renewable energy regulation, with a particular emphasis on the numerous legal and technical policy questions that need to be addressed to advance the integration of distributed energy resources. She was the lead author of IREC’s 2017 Optimizing the Grid: A Regulator’s Guide to Hosting Capacity Analyses for Distributed Energy Resources and has been an active participant in most of the country’s regulatory proceedings related to Hosting Capacity Analyses. Sky also regularly works on the development and refinement of state and federally regulated interconnection standards. She participates in rulemakings before state public utility commissions and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission surrounding the creation of foundational policies for energy storage, distributed solar, community solar, and related topics. Sky earned a BA with High Honors from Hobart & William Smith Colleges, a JD from UC Berkeley. In 2010, she was awarded the California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) award.
Yochi Zakai
Attorney at Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger, LLPYochi Zakai
Attorney at Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger, LLPYochi represents IREC as an Attorney at Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, LLP, where he practices administrative and energy law. He represents public agencies and nonprofits in cost allocation, grid modernization, and interconnection proceedings before utility commissions across North America. Yochi authors legal memos, technical reports, and media articles regarding energy storage systems, hosting capacity analyses, and interconnection policies for IREC. Prior to joining the firm, Yochi was a Senior Power Analyst at Seattle City Light. There, he represented the utility in rate and tariff proceedings before the California Independent System Operator, leading the development of policies regarding market power mitigation, resource adequacy, day-ahead market design, and interjurisdictional allocation methodologies. Earlier, Yochi was a Policy Advisor to the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission where he authored regulatory orders and policy statements. In that role, he advised the Commissioners on energy policy issues including rate cases, electric vehicle incentives, integrated resource plans, cybersecurity, and decoupling. Yochi led the Commission’s investigation into distributed generation cost shifts and rate design, revision of rules regarding RPS and energy efficiency resource standards, and the interconnection of distributed generation facilities. Yochi earned a BS from the University of Michigan and a JD from the University of Oregon; he is a member of the Oregon State Bar.
Laura Beaton
Partner at Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger, LLPLaura Beaton
Partner at Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger, LLPAs a Partner at Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger, LLP, Laura represents IREC before utilities commissions nationwide regarding development of distributed energy resources (DERs). She has represented IREC in both contested cases and rulemaking proceedings to shape regulatory policy for interconnection of DERs. She was a major contributor to the latest version of IREC’s Model Interconnection Procedures (2019). She has taught workshops to solar developers and utilities commissioners on developing effective interconnection procedures.
Workforce
Cynthia Finley
Vice President – Workforce Strategy and InnovationCynthia Finley
Vice President – Workforce Strategy and InnovationCynthia serves as Vice President of IREC’s Workforce program, creating strategic initiatives helping to expand workforce development in clean energy. Cynthia comes to IREC from the Virginia Community College System as the Director of Workforce Development Programs and Partnerships. Her background includes experience in higher education, workforce development, adult education, fiscal management, programs for justice-impacted individuals, and research in building social capital for underserved communities. Cynthia is passionate about developing sustainable and equitable career opportunities and pathways for underrepresented populations in the clean energy workforce.
Cynthia holds a PhD in Higher Education Leadership from Old Dominion University, a Master’s Degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Virginia Tech. She lives near Richmond, Virginia with her husband, two children, and two dogs.
Dr. Janell Hills-Thomas
Director, Equitable Workforce StrategiesDr. Janell Hills-Thomas
Director, Equitable Workforce StrategiesDr. Janell Hills-Thomas is IREC’s Director of Equitable Workforce Strategies. She has 15 years of experience in higher education, 12 years of experience in grant administration including development, implementation, and management. Dr. Hills has developed work-based learning and apprenticeship programs for innovative occupations such as pharmacy technician, information technology, and also had the opportunity to enhance the plumber’s apprenticeship program by adding digital plumbing layout design equipment for course implementation.
Dr. Hills-Thomas is an enthusiastic leader who is passionate about education and workforce equity. She thoroughly enjoys working to develop programs for underrepresented populations.
Richard Lawrence
Sr. Director, Workforce & Industry EngagementRichard Lawrence
Sr. Director, Workforce & Industry EngagementRichard Lawrence is Sr. Director, Workforce & Industry Engagement at IREC. Mr. Lawrence leads the Solar Ready Vets Network, a U.S. Department of Energy sponsored initiative that connects veterans and transitioning service members to training, certifications, apprenticeships, and careers in the solar industry; and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeships in Clean Energy (ACE) Network that is expanding Registered Apprenticeship opportunities in the clean energy industry. Mr. Lawrence earned a B.S. degree in Science Education from Florida State University, and a M.S. degree in Environmental Education from Lesley University through the Audubon Expedition Institute. Since 2002, he has focused his career on renewable energy education, training, workforce development, credentialing, and quality assurance. He has worked for several non-profit and academic institutions including Self-Reliance, Hudson Valley Community College, the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), and the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS) in positions ranging from Adjunct Instructor to Executive Director.
Pagan Poggione
Director, Strategic Workforce EngagementPagan Poggione
Director, Strategic Workforce EngagementPagan Poggione joins IREC with 25 years of experience in clean energy technology, spanning education and workforce development, marketing communications, and project and program management. She has been an IREC contractor since 2005, first as an assessor for IREC’s credentialing program and more recently as a project coordinator and subject matter expert.
Pagan is also an educator and works to develop projects, programs, and courses that meet the needs of diverse audiences. In addition to this work, she has also taught workshops and courses focusing on online collaboration tools and methods, project development, and design thinking. She has a MA in Educational Technology from the University of Michigan and a BA in Philosophy from the University of Victoria.
Born in New Zealand and raised in Canada, she currently resides in Michigan with her husband and children.
Mary Lawrence
Assistant Director of Workforce DevelopmentMary Lawrence
Assistant Director of Workforce DevelopmentMary is Assistant Director of Workforce Development for IREC and in the last six years has supported numerous workforce development grants including three through the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative and one for NYSERDA’s Workforce Development Program. Mary has supported IREC as national administrator of the GEARED (Grid Engineering for Accelerated Renewable Energy Deployment) Network, an initiative to build a skilled power generation workforce for the 21st century electric grid. She also supported the Solar Training and Education for Professionals (STEP) Project which is focused on deploying high-quality solar training, both online and in-person, to code officials and firefighters across the country. Mary came to IREC from AmeriCorps Cape Cod, a full-time, residential, service program that focuses its efforts on the natural resource management and disaster preparedness needs of the Cape Cod Community. Mary lives in upstate New York with her husband and two children.
Matthew Harris
Assistant Director, Workforce Training & Community EngagementMatthew Harris
Assistant Director, Workforce Training & Community EngagementMatthew Harris joins IREC with 18 years of experience working in clean energy education creating content, delivering trainings, managing programs, and developing training centers.
Matthew brings his strategic thinking and broad skill set in collaborative engagement and program management to the position of Assistant Director, Workforce Training & Community Engagement. Joining the IREC workforce team, Matthew will focus on national and regional efforts to improve clean energy workforce recruitment and job placement outcomes as well as widely promoting educational solutions for safety officials on solar, energy storage systems (ESS), electric/alternative vehicles (EV/AFV), and grid-interactive efficient building (GEB) technologies.
Matthew lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife Alexis and two cats Percy and Magic. When he is not working towards a clean energy future, Matthew’s passions include growing food, cooking with the sun, playing in pickleball tournaments, being in the mountains, music, art, travel, performing improv comedy, and tropical fruit.
Pilar Heflin
Senior Workforce Program ManagerPilar Heflin
Senior Workforce Program ManagerAt IREC, Pilar supports the operations of national and regional projects that improve clean energy workforce recruitment, training and education, and job placement for diverse groups and communities. Prior to joining the IREC team, Pilar managed a variety of federal grants from the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor with the purpose of developing and implementing work-based learning models such as pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships in innovative occupations. She is passionate about connecting underserved and underrepresented populations with learning resources and workforce opportunities that ultimately lead to career paths. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management from the University of Houston-Downtown, and resides on the outskirts of Houston, TX, with her husband and rescue cats. She is also actively involved in her community with animal rescue and volunteering.
Megan Howes
Assistant Director, Workforce DevelopmentMegan Howes
Assistant Director, Workforce DevelopmentMegan Howes is Assistant Director of Workforce Development, focused on reducing solar industry soft costs, particularly related to workforce development. She previously coordinated The Solar Foundation’s Solar Training Network initiative, which produced original industry resources and leveraged cross-functional partnerships for stronger solar career pathways. Since the merger between The Solar Foundation and IREC, she continues to manage IREC’s growing portfolio of workforce development programming, and supports efforts to build industry capacity as solar emerges as a mainstream part of the American energy sector. Megan comes to IREC with a background in environmental science and public affairs. She previously served as the constituent and legislative affairs intern at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Environment from McGill University.
Claire Laurentine
Program ManagerClaire Laurentine
Program ManagerClaire Laurentine is a Program Manager within the Workforce Development team at IREC. She previously held the position of Workforce Program Manager at GRID Alternatives North Valley, where her main focus was managing a solar installation training program, teaching career readiness skills, helping place folks in jobs within the renewable energy sector, and building community partnerships. Claire is passionate about environmental justice, renewable energy, and making the clean energy space more equitable, diverse, and accessible. She graduated from Mills College in Oakland with a degree in Environmental Studies, focusing on environmental policy. Claire loves the outdoors and lives in Sacramento, California.
Local Initiatives
Toyah Callahan
Vice President – Local InitiativesToyah Callahan
Vice President – Local InitiativesToyah oversees the Sustainable Energy Action Committee, a DOE-funded program. She provides support to 11 working groups that are collaboratively working codes and standards. These groups are tasked to identify and find solutions to issues that affect the installation and use of solar photovoltaics, energy storage, and EV charging infrastructure. Toyah also works on the EV Smart program to support local governments meet their EV readiness goals.
Toyah previously worked on SolSmart, a designation program that helps local governments become “open for solar business,” for five years. During this time her responsibilities included the supervision of technical assistance (TA) providers, operations planning, evaluation, and reporting. She led the SolSmart Advisors program which trained nonprofit and regional staff to provide TA to select communities including underserved communities. She developed a pathway for municipalities in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to pursue SolSmart designation and is the only IREC TA provider who engaged a tribal nation on SolSmart. She has a strong knowledge of local government structures and processes.
Toyah was one of the 2020 recipients of the 40 Under 40 Energy Award. She was selected out of 175 professionals nationwide and recognized as a leader for work in America’s transition to a clean energy. She serves on the board of the Great Plains Institute. Toyah holds a Master of Science in Sustainability Management from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Connecticut.
Ed Gilliland
Senior Director, Strategic InitiativesEd Gilliland
Senior Director, Strategic InitiativesEd is Senior Director at IREC, focusing on strategic initiatives. He also oversees the Puerto Rican Solar Business Accelerator. His past leadership roles include SolSmart, American Cities Climate Challenge, Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE), Solar Ready Vets, and the National Solar Jobs Census. He was principal author for the 2015 – 2019 National Solar Jobs Census reports and the 2017 Solar Schools report. Prior to joining IREC, Ed was Senior Director at The Solar Foundation, which merged with IREC in 2021. Prior to that, he was Vice President at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) where he managed their Advisory Services and Research Department. In that role, Ed directed all local, state, federal, and international consulting work, completing over 80 projects in 65 cities and regions. He is a certified planner (AICP), economic development professional (CEcD), and project management professional (PMP). He holds two master’s degrees from the University of Virginia, including an MBA from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.
Theresa Perry
Program DirectorTheresa Perry
Program DirectorTheresa Perry is Program Director at IREC. Theresa was previously Program Director of the SolSmart program, a position she also held at The Solar Foundation prior to the merger of the two organizations in 2021. Prior to her work at The Solar Foundation, she focused on corporate energy management and sustainability programming for companies including Cisco and Advance Auto Parts. Her energy supply side management experience includes purchasing renewable energy around the globe and developing solar projects as large as 20 MW. Theresa held a management consulting role at ScottMadden with projects that helped utility clients adapt to the increasing penetration of distributed energy resources. She holds an MBA from James Madison University and an MS and BS from Virginia Polytechnic and State University.
Carlos Alberto Velázquez López
Program Director, Puerto RicoCarlos Alberto Velázquez López
Program Director, Puerto RicoCarlos Alberto Velázquez López is Program Director, Puerto Rico at IREC, where he oversees Puerto Rico programs including the Puerto Rican Solar Business Accelerator, a position he also held at The Solar Foundation prior to the merger of the two organizations in 2021. An environmental manager by education, Carlos Alberto has been able to bring an interdisciplinary perspective to problem analysis and solutions. After completing two tours in the United States Marine Corps, he was honorably discharged in 2006 and quickly transitioned to serving Puerto Rico by advising environmental and political organizations on federal, environmental, and energy matters. Instrumental in the early coalitions that advocated for net metering and interconnection of distributed generation in Puerto Rico, he eventually became the managing partner for a local energy and photovoltaic design and installation company. After Hurricanes Irma and Maria, he led an exemplary team of engineers, financial experts, and community economic development professionals to put together a conceptual design for a community-based renewable energy microgrid. That initiative became the basis for an ongoing energy cooperative model that is in development in rural areas of Puerto Rico.
Brandy O’Quinn
Program Director – SolSmartBrandy O’Quinn
Program Director – SolSmartBrandy O’Quinn is Program Director of SolSmart at IREC.
Before joining IREC, Brandy has collaborated and worked closely with city council members and all levels of city staff and stakeholders to advance over 25 different policies to remove barriers and improve the health of her community. She has spearheaded the grass roots effort to launch a new electric circulator bus connecting two highly populated entertainment districts. Having strong working relationships with high profile business leaders, elected officials at the federal, state, and local levels, she has a proven track record in securing collaboration among groups with diverse interests.
Brandy holds a M.S.R.E – Masters in Real Estate and Sustainability from the University of Texas at Arlington, and B.S. in Political Science from the University of Texas at Austin.
Brandy is a Certified Economic Developer from International Economic Development Council (IEDC), holds an ESG Certificate from Berkeley School of Law, and was a Zoning Commissioner for four years. She has been recognized as Top Influencer in Fort Worth, Inc Magazine, two years in a row.
Brandy currently resides in Fort Worth, TX, and is married with a 21-year-old daughter.
Mariana García Benítez
Program Manager – Puerto Rico Energy ResilienceMariana García Benítez
Program Manager – Puerto Rico Energy ResilienceMariana García Benítez is Program Manager – Puerto Rico Energy Resilience at IREC. She was born and raised in Guayama, Puerto Rico. She has a Master’s Degree in Latin American Literature from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and is finishing a Master’s Degree in Government and Public Policy from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. She has distinguished herself professionally as a developer and manager of cultural projects. She served as director of six editions of La Campechada—the annual pinnacle cultural project of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture. Leveraging her organizational skills, she has transitioned to the energy sector serving as the project manager for Energy Justice for Puerto Rico, a non-profit focused on addressing Puerto Rico’s need for resilient and reliable electricity, where she helped creating educational forums for the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB). Mariana also served as the director and manager of the Energy Justice Alliance—a multisector group composed of a dozen entities and associations that wish to accelerate the objectives of Puerto Rico’s Law 17 of 2019 which established that Puerto Rico’s energy needs will be generated 100% from renewable sources by 2050.
Melanie Quiñones
Program Manager – Puerto Rico Energy ResilienceMelanie Quiñones
Program Manager – Puerto Rico Energy ResilienceMelanie Quiñones is an Environmental Scientist and Program Manager for the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Programs at IREC. She has a strong background in community engagement, strategic planning, and system thinking to advance sustainability and land conservation. She has conducted research projects across Hawaii, Belize, and Puerto Rico, and her professional appointments include multiple sectors like the academia, federal government, state government, and non-profit organizations. In 2020, Melanie received the 30 under 30 Environmental Educator award by the U.S. National Association for Environmental Education for her work in leading the Citizen Science Program and Community Engagement efforts at El Yunque National Forest Region. She earned a B.S. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Natural Resources Management from Cornell University. Melanie loves dancing, hiking, street photography, and learning new languages (currently learning French and Portuguese).
Scott Hancock
Senior Program ManagerScott Hancock
Senior Program ManagerScott Hancock is a Senior Program Manager within the Local Initiatives team at IREC, supporting the SolSmart and EV Smart programs. He is a dedicated energy resiliency professional passionate about advancing clean energy access and environmental justice.
Scott has lived in Arizona his whole life and is the middle child of six other siblings in a very modern, transcontinental family. He’s brought to this work to build a brighter future for his adorable and resilient nieces.
Professionally, Scott has served as project manager for Arizonans for Community Choice, building coalition to advance community choice energy policy in Arizona. He has also worked as an environmental policy consultant for the City of Tucson, furthering heat equity and community resilience capacity. Additionally, he spent three years as a lead water educator for Arizona Project WET, presenting to thousands in the Southwest U.S. on the importance of water conservation and stewardship.
Scott is skilled in project coordination and communication, stakeholder engagement, synthesis of deep research, and ensuring equitable outcomes are part of the solution. He holds dual Master’s degrees in Public Administration and Business Administration from Presidio Graduate School with a focus on sustainable solutions, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Geography with a minor in Sustainable Built Environments from the University of Arizona. He is dedicated to driving equitable and sustainable solutions forward.