2021 SPEAKER SERIES

Climate-Centric Solutions, Strategies & Policies

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

MCEC-1231-Energy Economy-LOGO

This session offers insights from scientists, academicians, policymakers, and economists examining potential pathways and possible impacts associated with climate-centric policies. Strategically targeted investments needed to maximize desirable outcomes, and achieve impactful results faster, will also be discussed.

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MODERATOR

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Katherine Magruder

Executive Director
Maryland Clean Energy Center

Katherine Magruder

Executive Director
Maryland Clean Energy Center

Ms. Magruder is the Executive Director of the Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC), a corporate instrumentality of the state created to advance the adoption of clean energy products, services, and technologies. In addition to administrative and budget management for MCEC she in engaged in government and industry stakeholder relations, event production and innovation advancement.

Magruder led efforts to launch programs designed to provide access to capital for energy projects including the Maryland Home Energy Loan Program, Maryland Clean Energy Capital Program and MD-PACE; a statewide initiative enabling commercial property assessed clean energy lending to occur in Maryland.

In her prior position Ms. Magruder served as Chief of Staff at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute; known for performing cutting edge research and transfer of newly discovered technologies to commercial applications; when it existed as part of the University System of Maryland.

As Director of Resource Based Industries, for the Maryland Department of Commerce, she initiated and managed a program focused on sustaining agriculture, forestry, mining, fisheries and maritime industry sectors. Working in collaboration with multiple agencies and in partnership with the Maryland Energy Administration, she helped develop a statewide approach to implement evolving energy policies and technologies.

Ms. Magruder previously served at the regional and county level in tourism, community and economic development as Director of the Department of Economic Development & Tourism for Queen Anne’s County, Maryland. Emphasizing sustainability In that capacity, she led numerous agribusiness and ecotourism initiatives focused on environment, economy, and cultural character. Related efforts include creation of an interactive exhibit for visitors at the Chesapeake Heritage Center, state designation of the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area, and national designation for the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway.

Kathy holds a professional Certificate in Destination Marketing & Management from George Washington University School of Business & Public Management, and is recognized as a Certified Economic Developer by the International Economic Development Council. She earned her BFA in Fine Art from Maryland Institute College of Art in 1982, and looks forward to every opportunity to use her creative skills.

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PANELISTS

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Sen. Paul Pinsky

Chair, Senate Education, Health, & Environmental Affairs Committee
District 22 - MGA

Sen. Paul Pinsky

Chair, Senate Education, Health, & Environmental Affairs Committee
District 22 - MGA

Senator Paul G. Pinsky, elected to the Maryland Senate in 1994 after two terms in the House, serves as the Chairman of the Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee. He has helped shape most major state education and environmental policies in Maryland over the last decade.

For twenty years, Senator Pinsky has been sponsoring legislation to implement health care for all, achieve public campaign financing and protect our environment. Senator Pinsky has been an advocate for progressive taxation and staunchly supports closing corporate loopholes to make large companies pay their fair share of taxes. The Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee which he chairs handles election law for the state of Maryland.

Senator Pinsky has worked in the field of education for over 40 years, as a high school history teacher, teacher advocate, and policy consultant on educator effectiveness. He also is a member of the Kirwan Commission -which is responsible for restructuring state school funding. He lives in University Park, Maryland.

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Christine Csizmadia

Director, State Governmental Affairs & Advocacy
Nuclear Energy Institute

Christine Csizmadia

Acting State Forester Director, State Governmental Affairs & Advocacy, 
Nuclear Energy Institute

Christine is the Director for State Governmental Affairs & Advocacy at the Nuclear Energy Institute and has been with NEI for 15 years developing, launching and managing state, local and grassroots programs. As the director of the state and local government affairs team at NEI, Christine manages coalition building, grassroots mobilization and state and local elected official outreach and education. Christine also runs integrated advocacy campaigns related to nuclear issues such as state efforts to preserve nuclear assets, federal regulatory oversight, advanced technology and used nuclear fuel. Christine also manages NEI’s advocacy arm, Nuclear Matters, a coalition that seeks to inform and educate policymakers and the public on the value of nuclear energy.

Christine received her undergraduate degree from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA in Communication and Persuasive Discourse and completed graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University in Political Communication.

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Anne Hairston-Strang

Dr. Anne Hairston-Strang

Acting State Forester
MD DNR Forest Service

Dr. Anne Hairston-Strang

Acting State Forester
MD DNR Forest Service

Anne Hairston-Strang is the Acting State Forester with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service. Anne has a B.S. in forest management from Virginia Tech; an M.S. in forest soils from the University of Minnesota, and a Ph.D. from Oregon State University in forest hydrology. Over her 25-year career with Maryland Forest Service, she has led climate adaptation issues and pursued a wide variety of partnerships for watershed restoration through forestry and forest management.

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Hernick_Charles

Charles Hernick

Vice President of Policy and Advocacy
Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Forum

Charles Hernick

Vice President of Policy and Advocacy
Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Forum

Charles Hernick is the Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Forum in Washington, DC.

Charles leads CRES Forum’s policy work and executes strategies to advance clean energy solutions and innovative approaches to reducing carbon emissions.

Charles is an energy expert who understands emerging clean technologies, market barriers, and policies and regulations. For over a decade he has worked at the crossroads of economic development, energy, and natural resource management across the U.S. and on the ground in over a dozen countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Before joining CRES, he advised executive-level decision-makers at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Agency for International Development on energy and environmental issues, and identified project-level opportunities for clean energy expansion.

He is also a climate change expert who has integrated climate change considerations into U.S. government programs and policies and has authored climate mitigation and adaptation best practice guidelines for over a dozen development sectors.

Charles was the Republican candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia’s 8th Congressional District in the November 2016 election. He routinely advises candidates seeking public office on energy and economic growth.

In 2019, Charles was appointed to the Maryland Clean Energy Council’s 2019 Advisory Council. He is a frequent guest on radio shows and webcasts, in university classrooms, and at international workshops to discuss clean energy and associated economic, national security, and environmental issues. He conducts interviews in English or Spanish. Charles is a proud appointed member of the Maryland Clean Energy Center Advisory Council.

Charles as an M.A. in International Relations and Environmental Policy from Boston University and a B.S. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota.

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James Riley

James Riley

Head of R&D, Clean Air Solutions
Siemens

James Riley

Head of R&D, Clean Air Solutions
Siemens

James is the Head of R&D for Siemens and has been involved since the beginning of the UK Clean Air Zone solutions delivering solutions across the UK.

He has been working in the technology industry for over 25yrs finding innovative ways to solve problems - for the last 6yrs specifically in the area of road safety and air quality. The solutions he is responsible for have directly improved road safety and air quality in a measurable way across many UK cities, especially including London. Accelerating behavioural changes that can lead to sustainable improvements for society.

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