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New leadership and trustees bring experience in organizational growth, finance, construction, law and philanthropy as nonprofits and public entities navigate uncertain times
BOSTON, November 11, 2026 - PowerOptions and its sister organization, PowerOptions Connect, today announced leadership and membership changes to their respective boards of trustees. Laura Bartsch, founder of Charette Strategies, has been named chair of both boards succeeding Janet Gail Besser, who will continue to serve as a trustee. Jed Nosal of Womble Bond Dickinson will serve as clerk of both boards, succeeding longtime clerk Bob Ruddock, who has retired. At PowerOptions, Maggie McCarry succeeds Bartsch as vice chair. Cordelia Pitman and Kenneth Stafford, both representatives from Maine, have joined the PowerOptions board, and longtime trustees Bobbie Kates-Garnick and Pat Bergrowicz have retired. PowerOptions Connect has also welcomed Janetta Stringfellow to its board.
These changes come at a pivotal time for nonprofits and public entities across New England. Energy demand is rising. Much of the region's infrastructure is aging, requiring expensive upgrades. Market volatility, changing incentives, and reduced federal funding are making budgets and capital plans harder to manage. On top of all of this, many have carbon reduction and resiliency goals they are working towards. Through all this, municipalities and nonprofits still need to operate buildings, meet regulatory requirements, and deliver services every day.
"Many of our Members are making hard choices about their budgets," said Tina M. Bennett, CEO of PowerOptions and PowerOptions Connect. "An unexpected rise in energy costs can take money away from staffing or direct services. PowerOptions helps our 800+ Members manage energy market volatility and provides programming that helps them save money and meet their carbon reduction and resiliency goals."
PowerOptions was founded in 1998 as part of the Massachusetts Health and Education Facilities Authority to use collective purchasing power on behalf of nonprofits and public entities. It has since expanded its programming to Rhode Island, Connecticut, and most recently Maine. Energy procurement remains central to its work. As Member needs have changed, the organization has added market intelligence, solar and battery programs, EV charging and fleet planning, building decarbonization and resiliency planning and improvements, energy data management, regulatory compliance and project support – all additions that have been mindful and deliberate says Bennett.
PowerOptions Connect, a Massachusetts 501(c)(3), was created to help ensure that under-resourced and vulnerable communities are not left behind in the clean energy transition. PowerOptions Connect can pursue grants and philanthropic funding and combine those dollars with PowerOptions’ energy expertise, technical support and project assistance.
“The affordability crisis is hitting organizations and communities with the fewest resources the hardest,” Bartsch said. “As energy costs rise, families may have to choose between heat and food, while nonprofits may have to choose between paying utility bills and sustaining programs. PowerOptions Connect gives nonprofits and public entities access to the expertise and funding they need so they too can benefit from clean energy solutions and bring those benefits to the communities they serve.”
Board experience tied to Member needs
As Member needs evolve, PowerOptions is transitioning its leadership and trustees to those with the knowledge and backgrounds to support them. Bartsch, for example, brings experience in organizational leadership and growth, including 14 years at Advanced Energy United where she helped build the organization into a national voice for clean energy. Jed Nosal brings extensive energy, regulatory and public-sector legal experience to the clerk role, along with a deep understanding of the complex issues facing PowerOptions and its members. Cordelia Pitman, Vice President of Preconstruction Services at Wright-Ryan Construction, Inc, brings construction experience that provides a practical view of building projects, capital planning, schedules and operating needs. And Kenneth Stafford, CPA at Stafford Advisors brings financial experience that supports the Board's work on affordability, as well as cost and risk management.
For PowerOptions Connect, Jannetta Stringfellow, Vice President, Campaign & Principal Gifts at PRX, brings fundraising experience with mission-driven organizations and gives the Board firsthand understanding of the financial pressures nonprofits face and the importance of preserving resources for their work.
PowerOptions owes a debt of gratitude to its long-time outgoing board members Barbara (Bobbie) Kates-Garnick and Pat Begrowicz, and clerk Robert (Bob) Ruddock. “Their leadership and deep knowledge helped make PowerOptions the dynamic and vital resource that it is today. We extend our deepest thanks to them for their inspiration and guidance over the past 20+ years, and also appreciate former chair, Janet Besser’s, past leadership and ongoing participation on the Board.” Bartsch said.
Bennett added, "Our Members provide critical services to our communities, and that keeps us grounded. We measure our work by whether an organization is better able to manage its energy costs, care for its buildings and continue its mission. These Board changes give us the experience to keep doing that work as energy costs, policies and funding continue to change."
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About PowerOptions
PowerOptions is a nonprofit energy consortium that has been helping public entities and nonprofits navigate energy markets since 1998. The organization provides energy procurement services, demand response programs, and clean energy solutions to more than 800 Members across New England. PowerOptions is committed to supporting Member goals for affordability, resiliency, and decarbonization. For more information, visit www.poweroptions.org.
PowerOptions Connect
PowerOptions Connect is a 501(c)(3) philanthropic organization created by PowerOptions to expand access to clean energy and resilience solutions for nonprofits and public entities throughout New England. It pursues grants and philanthropic funding and combines those resources with PowerOptions’ energy expertise, technical support and project assistance. PowerOptions Connect, alongside Mass General Brigham (MGB), the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and Vineyard Power, received a 2026 Clean Energy Partnership of the Year award from the Alliance for Climate Transition (ACT) for its MGB Workforce Housing SolarShare project. By sharing resources and personnel across the PowerOptions family, PowerOptions Connect can operate efficiently, address affordability and access barriers, and increase the impact of projects in the communities its partners serve. For more information visit www.poconnect.org.