ENCORE RENEWABLE ENERGY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Construction & Asset Management
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- Senior Associate, Finance & Investment
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- Member of the Full Team
- Director of Clean Energy Solutions
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- Member of the Leadership Team
- Co - CEO
Blake is co-CEO of Encore Renewable Energy, where he is responsible for the Company's operating and financing activities. Blake also oversees corporate development, M&A, and other general management functions. Prior to joining Encore, Blake co-founded Turning Earth, a leading clean energy company within the organics recycling and waste-to-energy sector. Earlier in his career, Blake worked for 15 years for leading global investment banks as a capital markets and corporate finance banker to high-growth companies in the U.S., Asia and Latin America. Blake began his career at Morgan Stanley where he held a succession of positions, including leadership roles in the firm's Investment Banking Division in New York, Hong Kong and India.
Blake received his MBA from Columbia University's Graduate School of Business, where he graduated as a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society, and earned his BA in Economics from Bucknell University. Blake regularly guest lectures on topics including clean energy, financing green technologies, and corporate development, at academic institutions including Bucknell, Columbia, Yale, UVM and Villanova.
Job Titles:
- Senior Project Manager - Development
Caity Hines joined the Encore development team in 2020. They lead development stage efforts for Encore's distributed generation projects in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast and utility scale portfolio west…
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate, Business Development
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- Geospatial and Market Analysis Associate
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- Member of the Leadership Team
- Founder and Co - CEO
Chad is the Founder and co-CEO of Encore Renewable Energy, a leader in community scale renewable energy project development services. He has over 25 years of professional experience in the fields of brownfields redevelopment and renewable energy project finance, development and construction. At Encore, Chad leads the team's innovative and collaborative efforts to design, permit, finance and construct over 80 different commercial scale solar PV projects throughout the State of Vermont and beyond, representing more than $100M in total investment value. Many of these projects involve reclaiming undervalued real estate for clean energy generation and storage, helping to revitalize communities and create a cleaner, brighter future for all.
He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bucknell University and earned a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Vermont. Chad served on the Board of Directors of the Vermont Natural Resources Council and Renewable Energy Vermont. Following appointment by the Vermont Senate to represent the clean energy sector, he is currently serving on the Vermont Climate Council.
Chris Clement - CFO, Chief Investment Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Chief Investment Officer
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Economist
Chris is the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Investment Officer for Encore Renewable Energy, where he leads the Company's project finance and corporate investment activities. Chris has over a decade of experience as a sustainable finance professional working to catalyze investment and innovation in the transition to a broadly prosperous, low-carbon economy. The common thread in his career has been the pursuit of solutions to critical global challenges - climate change mitigation, energy system decarbonization, urban regeneration, and ecological sustainability.
Chris is a PhD economist by training, and completed his doctoral studies at the University of Vermont as a National Science Foundation Fellow studying the renewable energy transition in Vermont. Prior to joining Encore, Chris worked in investment banking for impact-focused renewable energy and climate technology companies, most recently founding and leading a boutique investment banking firm, Deep Impact Capital. Chris began his career as an Economist with the Sustainable Development Group at AECOM, where he specialized in utility- and community-scale renewable energy projects, low-carbon technologies, and sustainable resource planning.
Prior to obtaining his PhD, Chris earned two degrees from Yale University, an MBA from the School of Management and a Master in Environmental Management from the School of the Environment. Chris also holds a BS in Environmental Science with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in El Salvador, where he specialized in agroforestry systems for coffee farms. He has worked across North America, and around the globe in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.
Job Titles:
- Director of Project Estimation and Procurement
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- Project Manager - Construction
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- Member of the Leadership Team
- VP of Engineering
Doug is the VP of Engineering for Encore Renewable Energy. He has worked in the renewable energy industry for over 20 years and provides in-house engineering expertise to further refine the commercial designs that define Encore's success to date. Prior to joining Encore, Doug worked for SolarEdge Technologies as a Senior Application Engineer, managing design reviews for commercial PV projects. Before SolarEdge, he worked as a PV and Wind System Project Engineer at AllEarth Renewables, designing some of the earliest net-metered and Standard Offer projects in Vermont. Doug began his renewable energy career 10 years earlier at Northern Power System, a company that manufactured harsh climate wind, solar, hybrid and cogeneration power systems for remote and commercial applications. When Doug is not working, he loves to spend time skiing, hiking, sailing, or jumping in the many VT swimming holes.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- VP of People and Talent
Emilie Grenier brings a wealth of experience and a passion for building exceptional teams to her role as Vice President of People and Talent at Encore Renewable Energy. With a diverse background that spans the tech world and the nonprofit sector, Emilie is dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation, inclusivity, and growth within the organization.
Prior to joining Encore, Emilie made an impact in both the clean energy and tech sectors, including tenure at Calendly and the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC). At Encore she'll guide the company's growing workforce, leading with a balanced approach of human centered and pragmatic, bottom line solutions.
Emilie has a Master's degree from the University of Vermont and an undergraduate degree from Dickinson College.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Vice President of Project Development
Jake is Vice President of Project Development for Encore Renewable Energy. He joined Encore in 2019 as a Project Developer, in a role in which he leveraged his multi-disciplinary background in project management, engineering, and energy law to advance Encore's clean energy projects from inception through development, to the EPC phase. In this capacity, Jake has developed more than 35MW of solar and storage projects in Vermont alone, and he is excited to now be collaborating with Encore's rapidly growing development team on projects throughout New England, the Central East Coast, and Western Markets. Jake started his career in project management working for the Turner Construction Company on large scale construction projects in New Jersey ($100MM - $250MM), with a focus on LEED building projects. Jake also worked in energy regulatory law in Washington DC, and as a Staff Attorney for the Vermont Department of Public Service representing the interests of the state in a variety of cases before the Public Utility Commission. Jake has a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bucknell University, and he earned his J.D. at the George Washington University Law School. While he lived in DC, Jake also became a Fellow with the Clean Energy Leadership Institute, an organization which is dedicated to creating a diverse community of change-makers across sectors and disciplines who will drive the transition to an equitable, decarbonized, and resilient energy ecosystem.
Jake is passionate about clean energy, and he is excited to be exercising his skillset to advance the transition to a clean energy economy. Jake feels that it is a privilege to be working with a close-knit group of dedicated Encore colleagues who are passionate about their work, who believe in Encore's shared mission, and who are hopeful and ambitious about creating the clean energy future which is needed to combat the climate change crisis. When not working, Jake can be found skiing, sailing, kayaking, gardening, or hiking with his family somewhere in Vermont.
Job Titles:
- Senior Project Manager, Construction
Jesse Stowell - Chief Commercial Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief Commercial Officer
- Member of the Leadership Team
Jesse is the Chief Commercial Officer for Encore Renewable Energy where he leads the origination of new solar and energy storage projects. He brings over two decades of experience to support the expansion of Encore's growing project development pipeline. Prior to joining the team in 2016, Jesse was a Regional Sales Manager at SunEdison where he focused on project acquisitions and early development of solar projects throughout the Northeast. His previous experience includes growing the consulting services business at AWS Truepower (now UL), working closely with wind and solar developers to support financing transactions. He also was previously responsible for the development of on-site wind energy projects at Johnson Controls, where he developed projects at federal sites financed by energy savings performance contracts. Jesse began his career at Northern Power Systems as a mechanical engineer and product manager, where he ultimately led the commercialization of a medium-scale wind turbine for distributed applications.
Jesse has a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from Duke University and (years ago now) was a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Vermont. Jesse lives with his family in Warren, VT where he skis in the winter, mountain bikes in the summer, and "gets creative" in the spring and fall.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Full Team
- Engineering Operations Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the Full Team
- Senior Project Manager - Development
Job Titles:
- Senior Director Strategy and Systems
Job Titles:
- Member of the Full Team
- Senior Project Manager, Development
Job Titles:
- Member of the Full Team
- Senior Business Development Manager
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- Member of the Leadership Team
- Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University School of Media
- VP of Policy and Communications
Lauren is the VP of Policy and Communications for Encore Renewable Energy. She has two decades of experience in clean energy and climate change advocacy, and a successful track record for implementing winning social media and online strategies. She was awarded a Platinum Cleanie Award in 2019 as a Rising Star for the clean energy industry, as well as a spot on the #Solar100, a ranking of the most influential leaders in the solar industry. She has spearheaded the strategic marketing and communications efforts for numerous companies and organizations across the renewable energy sector.
Lauren has spent the last decade as a communications consultant for nonprofits and renewable energy businesses as a Managing Partner for RenewComm and independently as WindyGlick Communications. She's worked with leaders across the wind, solar, energy storage and clean energy finance sectors including Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy, CleanCapital, Hannon Armstrong, Rope Partner, Solar Energy Trade Shows (now RE+), Grid Alternatives and Edison Energy.
Previously, she was at the American Wind Energy Association (now the American Clean Power Association), where she was responsible for the re-design, relaunch and management of their social media program and the Power of Wind online advocacy portal. Her work was recognized among the top 10 social-media-savvy trade associations. She has also successfully organized marketing and advocacy campaigns for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Environmental Working Group, and the Fund for Public Interest Research.
Since 2013 Lauren has been an adjunct professor at The George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs, teaching undergraduate, graduate and executive education courses and seminars on social media theory and practice. She holds a Bachelor's in Environmental Policy and English from Tulane University. Outside of her work to accelerate the clean energy transition, Lauren enjoys cooking, bluegrass, horseback riding and hikes with her dog Basil. She is a competitive amateur equestrian and competes with her horse George in the adult jumpers in the Vermont.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Full Team
- Geospatial and Market Analysis Associate
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant to Co - CEOs
Job Titles:
- Chief Development Officer
- General Counsel
- Member of the Leadership Team
Phillip is the General Counsel and Chief Development Officer for Encore Renewable Energy. He joined the Company in 2014 and was named General Counsel in January of 2016,…
Read more » Team member highlight: Phillip Foy
Phillip is the General Counsel and Chief Development Officer for Encore Renewable Energy. He joined the Company in 2014 and was named General Counsel in January of 2016, and CDO in January of 2022. Outside of Encore, he's on the Board of Directors for Mentor Vermont and he previously taught energy courses as an adjunct professor at the University of Vermont. At Encore, Phillip brings his expertise in legal analysis, environmental law and policy, along with an understanding of how the public and private sectors interact in regards to project development and implementation. He holds a J.D and Master of Environmental Law and Policy degree from Vermont Law School, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from North Carolina State University. As any Vermonter, Phillip enjoys the outdoors, hiking with his dogs, mountain biking, and tinkering.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- VP of Project Development
Ralph is VP of Project Development at Encore Renewable Energy. His career spans 8 years in solar energy development plus earlier work in international IT marketing, systems consulting, and software development. He also devoted part of his career to research and teaching in management education with a sustainability focus, including serving as founding director of the Marlboro MBA in Managing for Sustainability (2006 to 2012). Ralph has been a local citizen renewable energy advocate via the Brattleboro, Vermont Energy Committee (2012-2021) and the Vermont Energy Action Network. He has an engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Arts from Johns Hopkins SAIS, and a PhD in management from Lund University, Sweden. He speaks Swedish, French, and German in addition to his native English, and is engaged in international regional economic development initiatives through Windham Global Partners, which he founded. Ralph lives in Brattleboro, Vermont with his wife and four children. He gets outdoors as much as possible in all seasons, and has published a number of works of speculative fiction set in the near future.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Clean Energy Solutions
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- VP of Construction
Sonia Johnson is the VP of Construction for Encore Renewable Energy. Sonia started her career in the R&D division of a large multinational gas turbine manufacturer in Montreal. Upon relocating to Vermont Sonia entered the state's rapidly growing clean energy sector, working initially for a locally based solar data monitoring provider before joining Encore. As Vice President of Construction, she utilizes her strong organizational skills and prior work experience with process implementation/improvement to help Encore gain efficiencies. Sonia holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal and a Certificate in Management from Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales. She is a member of Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE).
Job Titles:
- Project Manager, Development
Job Titles:
- Member of the Full Team
- Project Engineer