PowerOptions Expands Board with New MembersBringing Deep Expertise in Sustainability, Policy, and Innovation
July 30, Boston and New England—PowerOptions is pleased to announce the election of three new members to its Board of Directors: Maggie McCarey, Vice President of Policy and Strategy at Dandelion Energy; April Salas, Chief Operating Officer at the EFI Foundation; and Dano Weisbord, Chief Sustainability Officer and Associate Vice President of Campus Planning at Tufts University. Together, they bring decades of leadership in clean energy, climate strategy, and public-sector innovation—adding valuable perspective and expertise that will help PowerOptions better support its members’ cost and carbon reduction goals.
Maggie McCarey is Vice President of Policy and Strategy at Dandelion Energy, a company bringing affordable, all-electric heating and cooling to residential markets. She brings deep policy experience from her previous role as Director of Energy Efficiency at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and industry market development expertise from her roles at Aeroseal and Opower. McCarey’s insight into local and state policy, as well as decarbonization strategies for buildings, will help guide PowerOptions as it continues to support members with compliance, funding, and implementation strategies.
“The path to decarbonization is complex, especially for mission-driven organizations,” McCarey said. “I look forward to helping PowerOptions expand its impact and support members with practical, equitable, and scalable solutions.”
April Salas is Principal and Chief Operating Officer at the EFI Foundation, a Washington, D.C. based nonprofit that advances issues relating to harnessing the power of technology and policy innovation to accelerate the clean energy transition. Salas brings deep energy, policy, and finance expertise to the board from her previous roles at Microsoft where she served as Global Director for Public Policy across Microsoft’s globally ambitious energy, carbon, waste and water commitments. Her wealth of international, federal, and local government experience includes co-founding Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH), a joint-powers authority that serves over 50 towns and cities across the state of NH, as inaugural Chief Sustainability Officer for the town of Hanover, NH, developing some of the state’s earliest municipal and community solar projects, and in senior roles at the U.S. Department of Energy in both Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability and leading the White House – US DOE secretariat to develop the first comprehensive federal energy policy, the US Quadrennial Energy Review (QER). To cap off her public and private sector experience, Salas served as Executive Director of Dartmouth College’s Irving Institute for Energy and Society and as founding executive director of the Tuck School of Business’ Revers Center for Energy, Sustainability and Innovation. Salas’s deep experience working both within and outside of communities, developing and deploying equitable energy solutions aligns closely with PowerOptions’ mission to serve public and nonprofit institutions.
“PowerOptions plays a critical role in supporting organizations that serve everyday communities,” said Salas. “I’m honored to contribute to a board that’s advancing equitable access to clean energy across New England.”
Dano Weisbord is Chief Sustainability Officer and Associate Vice President of Campus Planning at Tufts University, where he leads integrated planning for sustainability, climate resilience, and energy infrastructure. With past leadership at Smith College and extensive experience in higher education, Weisbord understands the operational challenges institutions face in achieving net zero goals. His firsthand knowledge of long-term energy planning and campus transformation will be a strong asset to PowerOptions and its members.
“I’ve seen firsthand how PowerOptions helps institutions take strategic action on climate and energy,” said Weisbord. “I’m excited to support that mission as a board member.”
Janet Gail Besser, Chair of the PowerOptions Board of Directors, welcomed the new members with enthusiasm. “Maggie, April, and Dano bring exceptional insight and experience across the full spectrum of energy transformation—from innovation and equity to policy and implementation,” said Besser. “Their perspectives will help us continue to evolve our programs and provide real value to our members, especially as they navigate increasingly complex energy affordability and sustainability challenges.”
PowerOptions Media Contact:
Liam Sullivan
lsullivan@poweroptions.org
617-755-1322