Director, Policy & Business Development - Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)

Alyssa Bradley is a dedicated reentry, workforce, and policy and advocacy professional who is committed to making a positive impact on the individuals and communities she serves. She has been with the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) since 2018. Through strategic policy development and advocacy efforts, Alyssa works to create more inclusive and equitable systems that support the successful re-entry and long-term success of those who have been impacted by the justice system.

Owner – Energy Catalyst Technologies

Matthew Desmarais graduated from Clarkson University in 2013 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He worked in New York’s HVAC industry before joining EcoGreen Energy in Europe as an industrial energy recovery engineer and project developer. In 2019, he founded Energy Catalyst, which has since grown tenfold to become the Northeast’s only geothermal heat pump manufacturer. He has presented at NY GEO and ASHRAE on geothermal and high-efficiency technologies, and holds five utility patents in the field.

Northeast Community Relations Manager – EDF Renewables

As EDF Renewables’  Northeast Community Relations Manager, Haylee Ferington brings passion to her work with communities and stakeholders across the state. As a rural Western New York native, Haylee understands the significant benefits that renewable energy projects can bring to the communities in which they are sited and works to integrate these benefits in meaningful ways, including workforce development.

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.

Senior Vice President – New York Power Authority (NYPA)

Chris Hutson leads Project and Business Development, Renewable Project Development, and Asset Strategy at the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the nation’s largest state public power organization. NYPA operates 17 generating facilities and over 1,550 miles of transmission, supplying 25% of New York’s electricity, with more than 80% from clean hydropower. Previously, Chris held leadership roles at Patrick Engineering and AuroraGen, where he expanded renewable portfolios, advanced M&A strategy, and drove major cost savings. His career also includes project leadership at GE and distinguished service as a U.S. Navy nuclear quality assurance officer, earning multiple commendations.

Chief Development Officer - Eden Renewables

Giovanni Maruca has nearly 15 years of experience in the renewable energy industry. He co-founded and led the project development team at Solstice Renewables after gaining several years of renewable development experience at Low Carbon Solar and British Solar Renewables. Before entering the solar industry, he worked in film, managing digital media distribution for Sony Pictures and Paramount Pictures, and later led European business development for a NASDAQ-listed software engineering services company. Giovanni holds a B.S. in Biology from Allegheny College and a joint MBA/Master of Health Administration Policy degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Vice President of Project Development – CS Energy

Mitch Quine is the VP of Project Development for CS Energy and oversees CS’s New York State development efforts, including small- and large-scale solar and battery energy storage projects. Mitch has a background in construction management and has worked with CS for more than 9 years. Mitch’s focus for the past 7 years has been New York State utility-scale projects, and his team has developed nearly 200 MW of large-scale projects in New York, which have already reached commercial operation.

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), where he has served since 2006. As an advocate for construction laborers, he specializes in public policy issues related to construction procurement, the Davis-Bacon Act and prevailing wages, apprenticeship programs, and energy regulation. He represents LIUNA and its more than half a million members on various boards, committees, and working groups, collaborating with building trades unions, construction employers, nonprofits, and state and federal government officials. In 2020, he served on the Infrastructure Policy Committee for the Biden-Harris campaign. Reilly holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Vice President of Business Development – Terra-Gen, LLC

Kevin Sheen has over 20 years of experience in renewable energy development. As a co-founder of EverPower, he held various leadership roles and was the lead developer on the Cassadaga and Howard Wind Projects, now operational in New York State. After the sale of EverPower, Mr. Sheen joined Terra-Gen, LLC, and is working on three wind farms in New York State, including the Prattsburgh Wind Farm, which is on track to be operational by mid-2027. Kevin served for six years as the Chairman of the Board of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACENY) and represented EverPower with MAREC and ACORE. He holds a BA in English and Economics from Indiana University and a Master’s Degree from Ohio State University.

Assistant Director of Labor Outreach and Workforce Equity - Climate Jobs Institute, Cornell ILR

At Cornell’s Climate Jobs Institute, Melissa Shetler develops policies and convenings that link climate solutions with economic and labor equity, ensuring the clean energy transition creates union careers and lifts frontline communities. She previously was an organizer with the Laborers’ Eastern Region, co‑founded and directed Pathways to Apprenticeship for individuals impacted by the justice system, and served as Organizing and Political Director of the Metallic Lathers and Reinforcing Ironworkers Local 46, leading campaigns like Count Me In. Melissa also teaches with NABTU’s Building Trades Academy and holds an M.A. in Adult Learning and Leadership from Columbia University.

President – New York League of Conservation Voters

Julie Tighe has led NYLCV and NYLCVEF as President since 2018, driving major climate and environmental wins including the CLCPA, congestion pricing, the All-Electric Buildings Act, increased funding for water infrastructure and NYC parks, and the $4.2B Environmental Bond Act. Previously, she spent over a decade at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, where she rose to Chief of Staff and helped advance Brownfield Cleanup reform, a $1B Superfund authorization, the $2.5B Clean Water Infrastructure Act, expansion of the Environmental Protection Fund, and the nation’s most comprehensive electronics recycling law.