The NEWIEE Awards

Posted May 26, 2023

The NEWIEE Awards honor and celebrate the achievements of women leaders in the energy and environmental fields, as well as those uplifting underrepresented voices. Pictured above are the 2024 awardees at the NEWIEE Gala, from left to right: Sonali Anderson, Rebecca Foster, Joanna Troy, Lissette Andino.

The Leadership Award

The Leadership Award honors women who have promoted opportunities for women in the energy and environmental fields, and have continued to nurture and encourage women in these areas throughout their careers.

Previous Leadership Awardees

Professional titles correspond to the time the award was given.

2024 – Rebecca Foster, CEO, VEIC
2023 – Tracy Babbidge, Acting Deputy Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
2022 – Rachel Kyte, Dean of The Fletcher School at Tufts University
2021 – Mindy S. Lubber, Chief Executive Officer and President, Ceres
2019 – Lisa Frantzis, Senior Managing Director, Advanced Energy Economy; Managing Director, Navigant Consulting
2019 – June E. Tierney, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Public Service
2019 – Karen Coyne, Former Vice President and Global Head of Environment, Novartis
2018 – Lisa Szewczul, Vice President, Environment, Health and Safety, Pratt and Whitney
2017 – Marcy Reed, President, National Grid Massachusetts
2015 – Judith Nitsch, PE, LEED AP BD+C, Founding Principal and Chairman, Nitsch Engineering
2014 – Patricia Stanton, Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, Conservation Services Group
2013 – Sue Tierney, Ph.D., Senior Advisor, The Analysis Group
2012 – Joan Bok, Former Chairman of the New England Electric System
2011 – Mildred Dresselhaus, MIT

The Achievement Award

The Achievement Award honors women who have achieved professional excellence within their area of specialty and have actively paved the way to success for other women in similar or related professional areas. These women demonstrate excellence in a variety of professional settings, including leadership on the national, regional, or local level.

Previous Achievement Awardees

Professional titles correspond to the time the award was given.

2024 – Lissette Andino, Director, Equity and Environmental Justice, Eversource
2024 – Joanna Troy, Deputy Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER)
2023 – Shalaya Morissette, Chief, Minority Business and Workforce Division, Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, U.S. Department of Energy
2023 – Jennifer Cullen, Director of Labor Relations & Workforce Development, Vineyard Wind
2022 – Marissa Paslick Gillett, Chairman, CT Public Utilities Regulatory Authority
2022 – Meg Lusardi, Executive Vice-President, PowerOptions Inc.
2021 – Jean Ann Ramey, Founder and Executive Director, Climable.org; Co-Founder and SVP, Synapse Energy Economics
2021 – Sheila Dormody, Rhode Island Director of Climate and Cities Programs, The Nature Conservancy
2018 – Janet Coit, Director, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
2018 – Emily Reichert, CEO, Greentown Labs
2017 – Anne George, Vice President, External Affairs and Corporate Communications, ISO New England
2017 – Meredith Hatfield, Program Officer, Clean Energy, Barr Foundation
2016 – Cynthia A. Arcate, CEO and President, PowerOptions, Inc.
2016 – Marion S. Gold, Ph.D., Commissioner, Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources
2016 – Penni McLean-Conner, Chief Customer Officer and Senior VP, Customer Group, Eversource Energy
2015 – Sara J. Burns, President and CEO, Central Maine Power
2015 – Heather Hunt, in honor of Allison Smith, Executive Director, New England States Committee on Electricity
2015 – Nancy L. Seidman, Assistant Commissioner, Bureau of Air and Waste, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
2014 – Alicia Barton, CEO, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
2014 – Janet Gail Besser, Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs, New England Clean Energy Council
2014 – Elin Swanson Katz, Consumer Counsel, State of Connecticut
2013 – Susan Coakley, Executive Director, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships
2013 – Mary Beth Gentleman, Partner, Foley Hoag
2013 – Rebecca Tepper, General Counsel, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
2012 – Sonia Hamel, Consultant to foundations, non-profits, and governments
2012 – Edna Karanian, Director, Yankee Gas System Operations
2012 – Barbara Kates-Garnick, Former Undersecretary for Energy in the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
2011 – Nancy Hazard, Former Director of NESEA, Greening Greenfield Campaign
2011 – Denise Nappier, Connecticut State Treasurer
2011 – Karen Weber, Executive Director of Foundation for a Green Future, Coordinator of Boston Greenfest

The Rising Star Award

The Rising Star Award was created in 2016 in honor of Allison Smith, to honor a woman with less than ten years of industry experience who has demonstrated a commitment to, and positive impact on, her field; both professionally and in her personal endeavors.

Previous Rising Star Awardees

Professional titles correspond to the time the award was given.

2024 – Sonali Anderson, ACCEL Program Manager, Greentown Labs
2023 – Cristina Mendoza, Senior ESG Consultant, Sustainserv
2022 – Keirstan Field, Project Manager, Petersen Engineering
2021 – Eugenia T. Gibbons, Massachusetts Director of Climate Policy, Health Care Without Harm
2019 – Emily Luksha, Director, Rates and Revenue Requirements Division, Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
2018 – Kate Bashford Epsen, Executive Director, New Hampshire Sustainable Energy Association
2017 – Tamika Jacques, Ed.D., Director of Workforce Development, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
2016 – Abigail Krich, President, Boreas Renewables, LLC

DEI Founders’ Award

The NEWIEE DEI Founders’ Award honors the founders of our organization, a group of women who came together in 2008 to exchange ideas and experiences with others in energy and environmental professions. The DEI Founders’ Award recognizes the spirit of the NEWIEE founders — uplifting underrepresented voices and creating a space for like-minded individuals to come together. NEWIEE will continue to challenge the industry to evolve, facilitate a richly diverse and representative workforce, and promote environmental and climate justice.

2023

The award for individual achievement was presented to Donna Daniels Chief People & Diversity Officer at Ceres as of 2023. In addition to her long history of mentorship and volunteerism, Donna has paved the way for DEI in energy & environment by centering people and integrating equitable measures and accountability structures into already existing HR systems or crafting entirely new systems from the ground up as needed.

The award for organizational achievement was presented to All In Energy, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to accelerate an inclusive clean energy economy by bringing energy efficiency and renewable energy to underserved communities while increasing job opportunities for diverse talent in the clean energy industry. All In Energy serves communities that are diverse and have large environmental justice populations.

Special NEWIEE Board Recognition Award

The Board Recognition Award is given only on special occasions to a true trailblazer and leader in the energy and environmental fields who has made a lasting impact on the industry and is someone the NEWIEE Board takes great pride in recognizing.

2022

At the 2022 NEWIEE Gala, NEWIEE Board Member, Shalaya Morissette, presented Shalanda Baker with a Special NEWIEE Board Recognition Award. As of 2022, Shalanda H. Baker serves as the Secretarial Advisor on Equity and as Deputy Director for Energy Justice in the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the U.S. Department of Energy. Prior to her appointment, she was a Professor of Law, Public Policy and Urban Affairs, at Northeastern University.

2021

At the 2021 NEWIEE Virtual Gala, NEWIEE Board Member, Mary Usovicz, presented Marcy Reed with a Special NEWIEE Board Recognition Award. Marcy Reed is the former President of National Grid’s Massachusetts business and Executive Vice President of US Energy Policy & Social Impact. Marcy was joined by her daughter, Hailey Reed, who reinforced her mother’s message to do what you love professionally.

2019

At the 2019 NEWIEE Gala, NEWIEE Board Member, Mary Usovicz, presented Commissioner Cheryl A. LaFleur with a Special NEWIEE Board Recognition Award. Commissioner LaFleur was first nominated by President Barack Obama to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2010 and was confirmed for a second term by the Senate in 2014. She served as Acting Chairman of the Commission from November 2013 to July 2014 and January to August 2017 and as Chairman from July 2014 until April 2015.

2017

At the 2017 NEWIEE Gala, NEWIEE Board President, Beth Barton, presented The Honorable Gina McCarthy with a Special NEWIEE Board Recognition Award. Gina McCarthy, Former Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, and Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, stirred Gala attendees with an inspiring message about the importance of our continued work in the energy and environment fields.

Gala Keynote Speakers

Previous NEWIEE Gala Keynote speakers

Professional titles correspond to the time the speech was given.

2024 – Maura Healey, Governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
2023 – Maria Robinson, Director, Grid Deployment Office, U.S. Department of Energy
2022 – Elin Swanson Katz, Director, Office of Public Participation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
2021 – Gina M. Raimondo, United States Secretary of Commerce
2019 – Maria Tikoff Vargas, Senior Program Adviser and Director, Better Buildings Initiative, U.S. Department of Energy
2018 – Stephanie Pollack, Secretary and CEO, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Board Member, Massachusetts Port Authority
2017 – Maryrose Sylvester, President and CEO, Current Powered by GE
2016 – Mary Powell, President and CEO Green Mountain Power
2015 – Cheryl Martin, Ph.D., Former Acting Director Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy
2014 – Karen Gordon Mills, Former Administrator, Small Business Administration
2013 – Cheryl A. LaFleur, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
2012 – Janet Gail Besser, Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs, New England Clean Energy Council
2011 – Marcy L. Reed, President, National Grid of Massachusetts

Also of Interest

DONATE