Kevin is Vice-chair of “A Climate To Thrive,” a nonprofit dedicated to achieving energy independent on Mount Desert Island by 2030.  Kevin has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Maine.  He has an extensive background in the telecommunications industry. Kevin is also Selectman in Tremont, Maine.  He moved to Tremont in 2000, and became Selectman in 2015.  One of his greatest accomplishments is the installation of Tremont’s 153-megawatt solar array on a capped landfill.

Ellen Stern Griswold is the Policy and Research Director at MFT. She oversees municipal, state, and federal-level policy work, as well as research projects that inform that work and support the effectiveness of MFT’s programs. Prior to MFT, Ellen practiced federal energy regulatory law for eight years in Washington, DC, working on the development of energy policy in Congress and advising clients on energy and environmental regulatory requirements. Then her deep personal interest in the structure of our food system – and its implications for agriculture producers, the environment, and public health – led Ellen to pursue a new career in agriculture and food policy. She obtained her LL.M. in Food and Agriculture Law from Vermont Law School, her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, and her BA in Public Policy from Brown University. Ellen loves exploring Maine’s beaches, forests, and farms with her family.

Catherine Lee founded Lee International in 1997, after a 17 year career in law, first as a Sex Crimes prosecutor in the Brooklyn, NY DA’s Office, then as a partner at the Portland law firm of Bernstein Shur Sawyer & Nelson. Lee International provides legal, regulatory and advisory services to around the world to assess, develop and implement climate change projects, programs and policies. She recently attended the COP21 conference in Paris, which brought international stakeholders together to bolster business innovation and cooperation in the global green economy and resulted in a groundbreaking global agreement between 195 countries to work together to address climate change. Climate change, environmental degradation, the impact of poverty on women, and food insecurity are inextricably related issues. 

Steve Ward has been a member of the Maine Climate Table from the outset and chaired the Table’s Energy Efficiency Team for several years.  Previously serving as Maine’s Public Advocate for utility customers,  Ward retired from Maine government in 2007 after holding that position under four successive Governors from 1986 through 2007.  As Public Advocate,  Ward was actively evolved in establishing ratepayer support for energy efficiency and renewable energy as the preferred alternative to monopoly utility power generation.  Ward assisted in the creation of Efficiency Maine and served as the national President of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates in 2000-2002.  In that role he regularly appeared on behalf of NASUCA before Congress, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the FCC.

Andy is Director of the Sustainable Economies Program at Manomet.  Andy works mainly with the business sector to measure and manage for sustainability, including of course, greenhouse gas reductions.  He has recently developed and implemented a sustainable agriculture standard for U.S. and international institutional investors, such as TIAA-CREF, UBS, and others.  His program at Manomet developed the nation’s largest grocery sustainability framework called the Grocery Stewardship Certification, with more than 900 stores across the U.S. certified.  Andy has over two decades of experience working with timberland owners on biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation.