The American Solar Energy Society is pleased to announce that Shaun McGrath will take over as the organization¹s executive director on April 1.
McGrath comes to ASES with more than 25 years of public policy experience at the local, state and federal levels of government. Most recently, McGrath was deputy director of intergovernmental affairs in the Obama White House, where he served as the principal liaison and point of contact to the
nation's governors. In this role, he coordinated with the states on everything from the proposed energy bill, development and implementation of the Recovery Act and health care reform law, to working with states on disaster assistance, including coordinating with the Gulf Coast states on the BP oil spill.
Before joining the Obama Administration, McGrath was the
mayor of Boulder, Colo., and was elected twice to the Boulder City Council. McGrath helped to pass the city's Climate Action Plan, including a carbon tax on energy; partnered with Xcel Energy to make Boulder the first Smart Grid City in the world; and advocated multi-modal transportation projects, including bicycle policies and programs that led to the American League of Cyclists awarding Boulder the Platinum Medal in 2008 -- only the third city to receive the award.
McGrath also served as program director for the Western Governors' association, where he lobbied Congress and the Administration on behalf of the 19 bi-partisan western governors and managed a variety of initiatives, including the WGA Water and Drought Program, WGA Wildlife Program, Western Renewable Energy Zone Project and the WGA Climate Adaptation Program.
McGrath is married to Rebecca Heaton, former editor of Rocky Mountain Sports/Competitor magazine from 2000 to 2011.
"Shaun McGrath brings to ASES a strong track record in bipartisan policy development at the national, state and local levels," said ASES Board Chair Jeff Lyng. "He has been a powerful advocate of renewable energy in two branches of government and in the City of Boulder, which has been a national leader in sustainable development. We are delighted that Shaun will lead ASES into a new era and look forward to introducing him to the ASES community at SOLAR 2011 in Raleigh."
"I am thrilled to be able to work with such an esteemed organization," McGrath said. "ASES has been advocating for renewable resources for nearly 60 years. The reasons for investing in solar and other renewable energies are greater now than ever, and I look forward to working with the strong and
active ASES membership to aggressively promote policies and programs that move consumers, local governments, states and this nation into the new energy economy."