Staff
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Stephen Cowell
PresidentDedicated to achieving a strong and prosperous U.S. clean energy economy, Steve Cowell is a rare entrepreneur whose service ethic is woven into a core focus on the public good.
MoreHe founded and has directed numerous energy efficiency and renewable energy organizations, including Conservation Services Group (CSG) in 1984. He was the organization’s chairman and CEO until the 2015 sale of its assets. Under Cowell’s leadership, CSG designed and implemented conservation and renewable energy programs for utilities, state agencies, and other entities nationwide ultimately providing services to more than 3.2 million businesses and households. Cowell successfully advocated for energy efficiency as a least-cost power supply option. He helped to create and build the residential energy efficiency industry through sound public policy, legislation, and establishment of trade ally networks as well as delivery of cost-effective programs. Cowell is a graduate of Brown University and has been honored with major industry awards. -
Pat Stanton
Director of PolicyA nationally recognized, award-winning expert in regulatory policy analysis and advocacy, Pat Stanton works tirelessly to improve public policies related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and the full range of demand resources.
MoreAmong other initiatives she is leading the Faces of EE campaign. Prior to E4TheFuture she served as policy advocacy lead at CSG (2003-2015) and led a consulting service for Clean Energy Markets participants. Before CSG, she was Deputy Commissioner at Massachusetts Dept. of Energy Resources (DOER). She was Assistant Commissioner of Waste Prevention at Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) where she contributed award-winning program design, and was a director of DEP’s Division of Water Supply. Stanton earned master’s degrees from Harvard University’s JFK School of Government (Public Administration) and MIT (Civil Engineering). She is also a power knitter and a cyclist in the American Lung Association’s Trek Across Maine the past few years. Email: pstanton@e4thefuture.org. -
Susan Buchan
Director of Energy ProjectsAspiring to bring energy/building paradigms into the clean energy future, Susan Buchan is a sought-after leader whose range of expertise comprises large scale project and team direction, academic, and field experience. She joined E4TheFuture in 2016.
MoreBuchan served as executive director of the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance 2014-16. Earlier, she was senior program manager at Conservation Services Group, where she provided policy research and public advocacy and managed a multi-million-dollar project budget for CSG’s Western U.S. region. Buchan oversaw multiple electric and gas utilities and municipal programs focusing on residential energy efficiency retrofits, new construction and HVAC. She also taught Zero Net Energy Homes classes, among others. She has served as program manager and planning director for several organizations, and owned and operated an architectural design firm specializing in environmentally responsible design. She worked in architecture firms in Washington DC, where she managed projects for the National Park Service and Smithsonian Institution. Buchan earned a master’s in architecture from Virginia Tech and a Sustainable Design Certificate from Boston Architectural Center, and numerous building science certifications. She loves growing vegetables, transforming old houses, and hanging out with her family. Email: sbuchan@e4thefuture.org. -
Julie Michals
Director of Clean Energy ValuationKnown for her long-haul tenacity and vigor in addressing complex challenges, Julie Michals joined E4TheFuture in 2016 after 14 years with Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc. Her reputation for skillful analysis and collaboration extends throughout the U.S.
MoreAt NEEP, she served as director of the Regional Evaluation, Measurement and Verification (EM&V) Forum, and earlier as public policy outreach manager. Michals convened energy commissioners, air regulators, utilities, evaluators and system planners to develop cost-effectiveness screening guidelines, EM&V protocols and standardized reporting for EM&V and efficiency impacts, and informed national protocol and guidance efforts. She collaborated with regulators, private sector firms, national labs and utilities to identify opportunities for advanced data analytics and SaaS automated M&V platforms. She has served on numerous national steering committees and advisory groups, including US DOE Uniform Methods Project, American National Standards Institute's Energy Efficiency Standardization Coordination Collaborative, and US DOE/EPA SEE Action EM&V Work Group. Before joining NEEP, she worked as a senior policy analyst for the Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources. She earned a master’s in energy and environmental analysis from Boston University and a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She enjoys riding her bike, digging in her garden, and hiking with her husband and three daughters. Email: jmichals@e4thefuture.org. -
Jack Sheehan
Chief Financial OfficerJack Sheehan is E4TheFuture’s Chief Financial Officer after having served as CFO at Conservation Services Group prior to the sale of its operating assets to CLEAResult in 2015.
MoreSheehan serves as E4TheFuture board clerk. Before CSG, he held senior financial management positions in a variety of industries including healthcare services and manufacturing. Sheehan is a CPA with an MBA from Columbia University. He loves to hike during his time outside the office. -
Paula McNulty
Director of OperationsPaula McNulty is responsible for Human Resources and Finance Management. She is known for her ability to keep a cool and focused approach while paradoxically showing warm-heartedness.
MoreMcNulty joined the company in 2015 bringing an extensive background and varied professional experience. With E4TheFuture as her first position in the field of energy efficiency, she enjoys learning about this fascinating industry. -
Carol Harley
Communications DirectorCarol Harley oversees E4TheFuture’s brand, manages digital activities, and promotes and markets E4 initiatives and events.
MoreWith years of experience as a content wrangler, she advances clean energy policy by strengthening the energy literacy of stakeholders. A devotee of untamed forests, avid gardener, and lifelong “energy nerd,” Harley enjoys drinking from the fire hose of energy news, ferreting out key opportunities, challenges and emerging issues. She holds a B.A. from Hood College. Email: charley@e4thefuture.org -
Audrey Starkebaum Bragg
Senior Manager, State and Federal PolicyGrowing up on a farm in northeast Colorado, Audrey Starkebaum Bragg carries her passion for sustainability into the policy team. She works on clean energy equity and solutions, conducting analysis of policies and proposed regulations while also bringing awareness of the energy efficiency workforce to the forefront of policy discussions.
MoreBragg manages policy projects focused on education, emerging regulation, and opportunities for common-sense solutions. She also oversees the efforts of E4TheFuture policy associates. Prior to E4TheFuture, she gained valuable insight into the clean energy world briefly working for CSG in 2013. Additionally, she worked at the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources where she focused on construction of wind turbines on farm land within the Commonwealth, as well as nationally. She earned her J.D., with an Energy and Environmental law focus, from New England Law in Boston. Email: abragg@e4thefuture.org -
Rachel Ehrman
Assistant Project ManagerRachel Ehrman brings together strategic partners and develops, implements, and scales equity-focused clean energy pilot projects — including an electric vehicle sharing program in Worcester, MA.
MoreEhrman first joined CSG as an intern in 2012, continuing as an Associate Program Coordinator and Policy Fellow while studying at Northeastern University where she earned degrees in Environmental Studies, Sustainable Business and International Affairs. Prior to her current position, she worked with industry allies to achieve smart state-level energy policies through her position as an E4TheFuture Policy Associate and as a Project Coordinator for E4’s clean energy initiatives. When she’s not designing projects or building budgets, you’ll likely find her skiing, swimming along South Boston’s beaches, lifting heavy things at the neighborhood gym, and painting until her two cats, Harvey and Luna, pounce on the palette. Email: rehrman@e4thefuture.org -
Andrew Chase
Policy AssociateAndrew Chase joins E4TheFuture after working as a Market Analyst Fellow at Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC, also located in Framingham, MA. During college, Chase became involved with work in energy efficiency on campus, sparking his interest in energy policy and advocacy. He pursued this interest in graduate school studying Environmental Policy at Vermont Law School. At E4TheFuture, he supports state and federal policy initiatives.
MoreChase joined the policy team with some experience in the energy field and is excited to now be an advocate for efficiency. He enjoys spending his spare time in the mountains biking, hiking, and skiing. Email: achase@e4thefuture.org -
Carina Wallack
Policy AssociateAs a Policy Associate, Carina Wallack’s work at E4TheFuture focuses on state and federal energy efficiency initiatives. Prior to joining E4TheFuture, she worked on a Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration grant.
MoreWallack graduated from Colby College where she completed an interdisciplinary major in Science, Technology, and Society with a focus on Environmental Studies, Anthropology, and Public Health. She enjoys cross-country skiing and hiking throughout New England. -
Alex Marquez
Energy Projects AssociateAlex Marquez is working to deploy more renewable energy technologies in Massachusetts by collaborating with businesses, local community leaders, and activists. His interest in renewable energy technology stems from working with Tesla, where his exposure to the energy industry drew him to explore the community solar field. Marquez is passionate about energy justice and aspires to help bridge access to the various benefits of renewables for the low-to-moderate income population. Prior to joining the team at E4TheFuture, he worked in Business Development at a community solar startup working to bring clean energy and its benefits to low-to-moderate income communities across the U.S.
MoreMarquez graduated from Connecticut College with a Government major as a Chicago Posse Scholar. Soon after, he fell in love with the East Coast by traveling and exploring the outdoors. In his spare time he enjoys hiking, fixing things like computers or cars, reading, dancing, cooking, and meeting new people by becoming active in his community. -
Alaina Boyle
Research Associate, Clean Energy Valuation
With a background in energy and policy research, Alaina Boyle works to support improved energy efficiency evaluation on the valuation team at E4TheFuture. She previously worked at the Grantham Research Institute researching social aspects of solar PV energy and Climate Change Laws of the World, and at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
MoreBoyle earned her MSc in Environmental Policy and Regulation from the London School of Economics, where her thesis work on state environmental policy collaboration and diffusion was recognized with a best dissertation award. She also holds a BA in environmental and agricultural International Development from McGill University. When not at work, she runs long distances, volunteers in women’s health and crisis centers, reads about beekeeping, and tries to coax her plants to stay alive.
