NEWIEE Announces 2026 Leadership Slate
Sarah Adams elected President; Kelly Smith elected Vice President
BOSTON, MA (September 22, 2026) – New England Women in Energy and the Environment (NEWIEE), a regional professional development network focused on advancing women+ in energy and environment, is proud to announce its 2026 slate of Board of Directors officers:
- Sarah Adams as President
- Kelly Smith as Vice President
- Kristin Dupre as Treasurer
- Vivian Kimball as Assistant Treasurer
- Deanna Sassorossi as Clerk
- Tamika Jacques as Assistant Clerk
Adams, Senior State Policy Advisor for the region’s grid operator, ISO New England, is responsible for performing outreach to government officials and other power system stakeholders. She previously served as NEWIEE’s Vice President. Smith, who serves as Head of Development for GreenVolt Power, leads the company’s project development strategy, focusing on renewables and battery energy storage systems (BESS). Dupre is Vice President of Strategy and Development for Adobe Energy Management, where she has led the development and growth of electrification and decarbonization programs. Kimball, Director of Natural Sciences at VHB, serves as a NEWIEE Director and co-chairs the organization’s programming and gala committees. Sassorossi, Sustainability Technical Leader at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), previously served as NEWIEE’s Assistant Clerk. Jacques, who is Manager of Workforce Development at Avangrid, brings more than 20 years in workforce development and serves as a co-chair of NEWIEE’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee.
“NEWIEE’s strength has always been its members, the nearly 2,000 women+ and allies building the energy and environmental workforce this region needs,” said Adams. “My focus this year is on turning that momentum into measurable results: strengthening our chapters, expanding mentorship, and helping our industry better quantify and communicate the value women+ bring through leadership, innovation, and technical expertise. By making that impact more visible, we can create clearer pathways for the next generation of leaders. I’m grateful to Catherine Finneran for her leadership, and I look forward to working alongside this officer team to build on that foundation.”
“NEWIEE has grown significantly over the past two years and is now the go-to community for women+ in New England’s energy and environment industry — a place to build careers, learn, and find inspiration,” said Catherine Finneran of Eversource Energy, NEWIEE’s outgoing President. “Finalizing our 2025-2029 Strategic Plan, hiring our first Executive Director and staff, and positioning NEWIEE for the next decade of impact have been a source of pride for me in my time as President. There’s no better leader than Sarah to take the next steps to build on this foundation, and I look forward to supporting her in this new role.”
NEWIEE’s full Board of Directors below and learn more about the organization and its programs and events at newiee.org.
- Sarah Adams, ISO New England
- Dr. Jacqueline Ashmore, New Leaf Energy
- Shauna Beland, Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources
- Laurel Boivin, Flux + Flow Professional Coaching
- Kristin Dupre, Abode Energy Management
- Catherine Finneran, Eversource Energy
- Cindy Gage, C+C
- Jen Gorke, TSK Associates
- Janel Granum, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
- Tamika Jacques, Avangrid
- Vivian Kimball, VHB
- Joey Lee Miranda, Robinson + Cole LLP
- Shalaya Morissette, DNV
- Weezie Nuara, MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
- Deanna “Dee” Sassorossi, EPRI
- Kelly Smith, Greenvolt Power
- Nicole Verdi, BlueWave Energy
- Katy Ward, Travel Honey
About NEWIEE
NEWIEE is a membership organization that expands access, opportunity, and growth in the energy and environmental fields. Through inclusive programming, professional development, and community building, we empower members throughout their careers. We celebrate the successes of those whose voices and contributions have been historically overlooked in our industry.
Founded in 2008, we are a historically women’s organization that welcomes everyone committed to a stronger, more representative energy and environmental workforce. Our vision is a future where women+ in the energy and environmental sectors lead and contribute at all levels of the industry, bringing more diverse perspectives to inform decision-making and generating broadly beneficial outcomes.
CONTACT:
NEWIEE Executive Director Kate Johnson | 617-765-6462 | kate@newiee.org
© 2026 New England Women in Energy and the Environment (NEWIEE). NEWIEE is a non-profit, tax exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
