EAN Senior Fellows

Energy Action Network (EAN) is dedicated to producing the highest quality research and analysis on a wide range of issues related to meeting Vermont’s energy and climate commitments.

EAN Senior Fellows are leading experts, not currently employed by a Network member, who are invited by EAN to regularly contribute research and analysis that is relevant to the Network’s mission: to achieve Vermont’s climate and energy commitments in ways that create a more just, thriving, and sustainable future.

Leigh Seddon

Leigh Seddon is the founder of Solar Works, Inc., which became Alteris Renewables in 2008 and merged with Real Goods Solar in 2011. Over the 30 years since the founding of Solar Works, he has overseen the design and installation of thousands of photovoltaic and solar thermal projects in the U.S. and in developing countries. Leigh currently works as a renewable energy consultant located in Montpelier, Vermont. Over his career, he has served as an energy consultant to electric utilities, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the World Bank. Leigh has also served as a trustee of Renewable Energy Vermont, the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG), the Vermont Natural Resources Council, and other Vermont non-governmental organizations. He was the EAN Board Chair for 10 years and is now a Senior Advisory Fellow.

Linda McGinnis

Linda McGinnis is an economist and policy analyst with over 30 years of developing concrete solutions to sustainable development challenges, both globally and locally. As a Lead Economist and Senior Manager at the World Bank for 20 years, she led research, policy negotiations and investments in environment, energy, education, agriculture, and health in countries across Africa, Latin America and South Asia. She is currently a Senior Fellow and Board Member with EAN.

Since moving to Vermont in 2010, Linda’s focus has been on state-level climate change strategies, renewable energy and energy efficiency policies and programs. She has provided her expertise across two administrations, serving as Director of Governor Shumlin’s Energy Generation Siting Policy Commission, as co-chair of the Clean Energy Development Fund, and as Commissioner for Governor Scott’s Climate Commission. In 2015, she joined EAN as Program Director and initiated the annual Energy and Climate Progress Report as part of EAN’s goal of providing backbone support to help further Vermont’s strategic vision, investment and collective action towards its total energy and climate goals.

Linda is also a Trustee and past Board Chair of the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, and a founding member of the VCRD Climate Economy Council. She holds degrees from Stanford (BA International Relations), Princeton (MPA Development Economics), l’Institut des Etudes Politiques in Paris (MA Economic Policy) and Harvard Business School (Exec Ed). She is passionate about the future of the planet, of our beautiful state, and the role that each of us plays in ensuring that we do everything in our power to continue to enjoy its beauty.

Christine Donovan

Christine Donovan joined EAN’s Board of Directors in 2015 and now serves as a Senior Fellow. Christine is President of C.T. Donovan Associates, Inc., a renewable energy consulting firm founded in 1985 with a diverse portfolio of public- and private-sectors clients nationwide. In addition, Christine completed 10 years of consulting team and business development leadership at VEIC in Burlington, Vermont in 2019. Christine served on the first national climate work group formed by President Clinton in 1993, and has Chaired or served on the Board of Directors of the American Solar Energy Society, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, Maine Solar Energy Association, Renewable Energy Policy Project, National Biofuels Roundtable, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, Vermont’s Flexible Capital Fund, as well as numerous cultural and civic organizations in Vermont.

Christine currently provides climate action and clean energy strategic advice and consulting services from her 19-foot van during camping season and her energy-efficient, sun-tempered home in Vermont when not camping. Since March 2021, she has served on the Subcommittee of the Vermont Climate Council charged with developing “cross-sector mitigation” strategies for achieving the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act. During development of the 2021 Vermont Climate Action Plan, Christine served as Buildings/Thermal Sector Co-Lead on the Subcommittee, responsible for developing and recommending top priority strategies for meeting greenhouse gas reduction requirements for thermal energy use in buildings in Vermont.

Christine leads EAN’s Summer Internship Program, which will be in its fifth consecutive year in the summer of 2024.

Karen Glitman

Karen Glitman recently retired from being the Senior Director, Transportation and DER Markets at the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE). Before that she held several positions at the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC). With more than 20 years of policy advocacy and public service experience, Karen came to VEIC in 2011 as its first Director of Transportation Efficiency, and then served as Director of Strategy, Policy, and Public Affairs before serving as the Director of Efficiency Vermont. Prior to joining VEIC, Karen was the Director of the University of Vermont’s National University Transportation Center and interim co-Director of its Transportation Research Center. She served as the Vermont Clean Cities Coalition Coordinator; held the positions of Director of Policy and Planning, Deputy Secretary, and Acting Secretary at the Vermont Agency of Transportation; and served as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Vermont and is a member of the Vermont Bar.

Ken Jones

Ken Jones has provided analysis to government agencies for more than 35 years. Ken recently retired from the State of Vermont as Economic Research Analyst and prior to that ran a non-profit organization funded by the United States EPA to provide environmental and policy analysis to state environmental agencies. Ken’s work on energy and climate is a merging of economic and environmental analyses. In addition to his work with the Energy Action Network, he provides support to Vermont’s Climate Action Council, Montpelier’s Energy Advisory Committee, the Vermont Low Income Trust for Electricity (VLITE), and the Clean Energy Development Fund. Ken is a Montpelier resident with his wife, Janel Johnson, having raised three, now adult children in the Montpelier school system.

Beth Sachs

Beth Sachs has been in the field of sustainable energy — energy efficiency and renewable energy — for 50 years. In 1986, she co-founded the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that provides energy policy, design, management, and implementation services to clients around the world. VEIC’s largest initiative is delivering the services of Efficiency Vermont, which it has been doing since 2000. From VEIC’s creation in 1986 until 2008, she served as its executive director. Since retiring from VEIC in 2017, she continues to work on energy justice issues, through her work with the Vermont Energy Education Program, Third Act Vermont, Flip the Vote, Energy Action Network, and HANDS.