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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Executive Team
Cliona Robb | Thompson McMullan, P.C.
Cliona Mary Robb, LEED® AP, is the Director of Thompson McMullan, P.C. Formerly, she was the chair of Christian & Barton's Sustainability, Energy and Green Development practice group and a member of the Energy and Telecommunications department. She represents municipal, industrial, and commercial customers of electric, natural gas, and water utilities regarding rate, service and transmission line siting. Cliona also works on renewable energy transactions involving solar power and wind power and has been appointed by the Governor to the Solar Energy Development Authority, where she serves as Chair.
Cliona is currently serving as VA-REA's Chair.
Carrie Hearne | Virginia Energy
Carrie Hearne serves as Associate Director in the State Energy Office at the Virginia Department of Energy. In addition to overseeing internal operations, her role includes leading a team to advance equity and access within Virginia’s energy system and provide technical assistance to local governments. Projects include setting up a new Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) Solar Fund; ensuring access to shared solar programs; assessing impacts on the energy transition within historically economically disadvantaged communities; and working to implement key state and federal programs.
Originally from rural West Virginia, Carrie moved to Virginia in 2019 after working for over a decade on clean energy policy and sustainable business operations in Portland, Oregon. Carrie holds an MBA in sustainable systems from Presidio Graduate School and a Bachelor’s degree from Earlham College. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Renewable Energy Alliance and lives in a solar-powered home in Richmond, Virginia, with her two dogs Timber and Odie.
Carrie is currently serving as VA-REA's Vice Chair.
Kevin Comer | Antares Group, Inc.
Kevin Comer is a mechanical engineer specializing in energy and environmental systems. He is experienced in: R&D and market assessments for advanced energy systems; power plant performance testing and analysis; biomass fuel supply studies; biomass repowering and cofiring in fossil fuel-fired boilers; energy use evaluation and energy auditing; performance and economic modeling for energy systems; environmental permitting for power generation projects; feasibility and design studies for solar photovoltaic systems; project management and performance assessment for installation of solar photovoltaic systems; and public outreach for “green” energy.
Kevin is currently serving as VA-REA's Treasurer.
Kirk Johnson | Old Dominion Electric Cooperative
Kirk Johnson is Senior Vice President for Member Engagement at Old Dominion Electric Cooperative. He is responsible for developing and executing strategies to enhance ODEC’s engagement with external stakeholders and ODEC’s members. Prior to joining ODEC, Kirk was Senior Vice President of Government Relations at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. In that role, Kirk directed NRECA’s legislative, regulatory, and political efforts on behalf of the association’s 900 members in 48 states.
Kirk and his wife Janet Woodka live in Richmond, Virginia. He enjoys playing golf, traveling, cooking, and playing with their dogs Gumbo and Roux.
Kirk is currently serving as VA-REA's Secretary.
Get to know the rest of VA-REA's Board of Directors
Preston Bryant | McGuireWoods Consulting
Preston is a senior vice president at McGuireWoods Consulting, where he works in the firm's infrastructure and economic development group. Preston’s practice centers largely on infrastructure and economic development, where he advises clients on State government and its legislative and regulatory processes.
Preston regularly represent clients before the General Assembly, Governor’s Office, and regulatory agencies. Preston served as Virginia secretary of natural resources in the cabinet of Governor Timothy M. Kaine (2006-2010), overseeing the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Department of Historic Resources, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
Rick Thomas | Timmons Group
Rick
Thomas specializes in Environmental Services and Energy projects and
provides environmental consulting services for a wide range of the
Timmons Group’s municipal, State, Federal and private clients.
Guy Chapman | Archaea Energy
Guy is President of Collegiate Clean Energy at Ingenco. CCE & Ingenco provide customers with 100% renewable energy 24x7 from their landfill gas generation portfolio.
Guy brings over 20 years of experience in the energy industry with experience in clean energy research & project development, practical experience in large scale greenhouse gas inventories, carbon trading and clean energy strategy development.
Rob Corradi | Amazon Web Services
Eric Heintz | M&T Bank
Eric Heintz is co-sponsor of M&T’s Solar Tax Equity Initiative and a Relationship Manager with M&T Bank’s Greater Washington commercial lending group. In regards to Solar Tax Equity, Mr. Heintz helps customers identify solutions for structured finance applications and is working to bring M&T to market as an active tax equity investor.
Mr. Heintz is responsible for 1) the development and deployment of the tax partnership as a new product at M&T Bank (product still in development), 2) building relationships with developers and other centers of influence in the renewable energy space, and 3) structuring, diligence, and underwriting of renewable energy transactions.
Francis Hodsoll | SolUnesco
Francis Hodsoll is the co-founder and CEO of SolUnesco, where he leads strategy, business development, policy, performance management, and community engagement. He uses his expertise in energy wholesale markets, policy, land use, and finance to develop utility-scale solar projects that connect society’s needs to sustainable, cost-competitive energy. SolUnesco has more than 1 GW of projects under development. Francis holds a BA in economics from Colby College and an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management.
He has served as Board Member of the MD-DC- VA Solar Energy Industry Association, Chair of the Energy Workgroup for Governor McAuliffe’s Climate Change and Resiliency Update Commission, Committee Member of Governor McAuliffe’s Energy Committee, and Founder of the Virginia Advanced Energy Industries Association. Francis also founded and serves as President of E&E Frontiers, an energy management consulting company whose clients include the U.S Military, US AID, Nextera, Advanced Energy Economy, ICF, LMI, Sun Edison, Sol Systems and Standard Solar.
Emily Hughes | EDP Renewables
Emily Hughes is a Project Manager at EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA), specializing in greenfield development and acquisition of utility-scale solar and wind projects in the eastern United States & Canada. Emily is based at EDPR NA’s corporate headquarters in Houston, TX. EDPR NA develops, constructs, owns, and operates wind farms and solar parks across North America.
The company has developed more than 6,900 megawatts (MW) and operates more than 6,300 MW of renewable energy projects, with many more projects—including offshore wind—currently under construction and in the development pipeline. Emily graduated from Rice University in 2013 and has 7 years of experience in the energy industry, including energy business software consulting, renewable energy development and project management.
Jon Amores | Appalachian Power Company
Jonathan Miles | James Madison University
Dr. Jonathan Miles serves a professor in the Department of Integrated Science and Technology at James Madison University and director of the Center for Wind Energy at JMU.
Dr. Jonathan Miles serves a professor in the Department of Integrated Science and Technology at James Madison University and director of the Center for Wind Energy at JMU.
He previously served as Program Director of the international Master’s program in Sustainable Environmental Resources Management at JMU and on an IPA assignment with the wind program at the U.S. Department of Energy. Dr. Miles holds a B.A. in physics from Clark University and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Deborah Reyes | 174 Power Global
Deborah Reyes brings 25+ years of experience in the global energy sector shaped by a broad spectrum of commercial and leadership positions in the U.S. & overseas markets leading power project development in renewables and conventional power. Ms. Reyes' expertise includes originating and advancing projects to construction through her intimate knowledge of: site selection, land acquisition, interconnection/ transmission issues, permitting/ entitlement processes, origination, financing, project marketing, strategic market entry analysis, contract negotiations and deal structuring in several languages and multiple countries.
Currently, Ms. Reyes is Vice President, Development, Eastern U.S. Region & County Manager for Mexico for 174 Power Global USA, an affiliate of the global solar module manufacturer Hanwha Q Cells, USA.
Anthony Smith | Secure Futures
Tony serves as President and CEO of Secure Futures LLC, bringing over 30 years of experience in energy efficiency, solar energy, and community development in Vermont, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
In 2016, Tony led Secure Futures in the development of over 1.7 MW of distributed solar power in Virginia, including the first PPA in the Dominion PPA Pilot Program, a 205kW system at the University of Richmond.
He serves as a board member of the Virginia Renewable Energy Alliance. Tony earned a Masters in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, and a PhD from the Wharton School of Management, University of Pennsylvania.
Lisa Oliver, PE | Fisher Associates
Lisa joined Fisher Associates in 2018 and is the Renewables Group Manager for the Energy Sector. She is responsible for leading a team of professionals working on wind, solar and energy storage projects across the United States. Lisa leverages her design experience and knowledge to work with different project teams to identify solutions to project specific challenges while monitoring expectations for design schedules, quality control, and content for design document delivery by integrating with the design team to ensure schedules are met, identified project risks are mitigated, and opportunities are embraced throughout the design phase.
Prior to working at Fisher, Lisa worked at EDP Renewables for nearly a decade as a Civil Engineering Manager working on the development, design, construction and operations of wind projects.
Peter Muhoro | Rappahannock Electric Cooperative