Our Team

The people who work here at the Alliance have some things in common.  We’re a group of humans who don’t think of our jobs as work. We share the values of the tribal communities we come from and those we serve. We believe that clean energy has the literal and figurative power to sustain the vitality and vibrance of our communities while, at the same time, protecting and preserving the earth for the generations that come after us.  And we all believe in the premise of Etuaptamumk – a Mi’kmaw word meaning “two-eyed seeing”.  


Our founder’s ancestors knew that their survival was dependent on developing symbiotic relationships with colonists.  In that same spirit, we believe that a just transition is only possible if we work together as human beings, applying the best of Indigenous knowledge with Western technology to mitigate poverty, diminish climate change, and develop sustainable economies with the regenerative power of clean energy.

Executive
Team

Chéri Smith

Mi'kmaq Descendant President & Chief Executive Officer Founder
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Cynthia "Sofy" Pacheco

Taino Descendant
Chief Financial and Compliance Officer
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Dr. Ramon Sanchez PhD

Mayo, Yaqui
Chief Knowledge & Innovation Officer
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Administration & Organizational Development

Sierra Flanigan

Director of Organizational Development
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Nabeela Jalill

Zulu, Xhosa
Executive Assistant
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Adrianna Vargas

Navajo, Huastec, Chicimecas
Executive Assistant
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Deirdre Milewski

Talent Acquisition Specialist
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Tribal Engagement

Ramon Marquez

Kickapoo, Kumiai/Paipai, Mexican/Xicano
Director of Tribal Engagement
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Celeste Kimimila Terry

Oglala Lakota Preferred Provider Program Coordinator & Tribal Liaison
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Technical Assistance & Project Development

Shaun Tsabetsaye

Zuni Pueblo
Head of Tribal Technical Assistance and Project Development
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David Karabelnikoff

Knik Tribe
Aleut and Athabaskan Alaska Program Manager
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Bill Saporito

Director of Tribal Utility Development
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Policy & Government Relations

Wendolyn Holland

Sr. Advisor, Policy, Tax & Government Relations
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Caleb Seeling

Tribal Grants Program Manager
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Tribal Clean Energy
Finance​

Todd Halvorsen

Sr. Advisor, Energy Finance & Structuring
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Education & Workforce Development

Angela Lucas

Miami Nation Descendant
Program Manager, Tribal Energy Leadership Fellowship
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Events & Information Resources​

Jessica Langlois

Mi'kmaq Descendant
Director of Information Resources
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Mona Thiasz

Cherokee Nation
Coordinator, Events & Programming
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Philantropic Development​

Caliopy Glaros

Indigenous Ikarian Director of Development
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Gwen Torres

Pangasinense, Ilokano, and Tagalog
Development Associate
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Communications & Storytelling​

Kali Auckly

Director of Communications
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Estefania Rivera

Creative Director & Web Designer

Priscilla Acosta

Communications Associate
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Dave Smith

Data Analytics

Paul Lynch

Filmmaker/ Producer

Board of
Directors

David Lent​

Bishop Paiute
Indian Dispute Resolution Services​

Bob Blake

Red Lake Ojibwe​
Executive Director of Native Sun​

Chéri Smith

Mi'kmaq Descendant President & Chief Executive Officer Founder

Advisory
Council

Under Construction

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[email protected]
The Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.
1629 K St. N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006

©ALLIANCE FOR TRIBAL CLEAN ENERGY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2023

Priscilla Acosta

Communications Associate​

Priscilla is a seasoned leader at the intersection of project operations and community advocacy. In her role as the Tribal Liaison and Health Program Specialist at the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, she orchestrated quarterly Tribal Consultations and promoted cultural sensitivity in health policy.

 

As the Director of Strong Start Prenatal-to-Three Initiatives at the Children’s Advocacy Alliance, Priscilla secured a substantial $1.9 million Pritzker Children’s Initiative Grant and led community campaigns focusing on early learning and community health workers’ initiatives.

 

At the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, Priscilla managed a significant $3 million Federal Block Grant, ensuring compliance with tribal health safety standards and enhancing the Tribal Childcare Quality and Improvement Rating System.

 

Elected Chair of the National Indian Child Care Association and recognized as a Global Leader for Young Children, Priscilla brings an international perspective to her community development work. With a B.S. in Community Health Sciences, she champions projects for community welfare and inclusive development.

Kali Auckly

Director of Communications

Kali is a visionary and highly committed professional with a background in public health and digital optimization. She is a passionate and committed environmental justice advocate with the drive to reduce and prevent established patterns of environmental and global health degradation.Kali brings global experience to the design and implementation of qualitative research and community-centered initiatives. She has been immersed in the world of environmental sustainability for over a decade including over five years working in tribal communities both domestic and abroad.

 

Gwen Torres

Pangasinense, Ilokano, and Tagalog

Development Associate

Gwen Torres, Development Associate, is Filipino descending from three ethnolinguistic groups: Pangasinense (people of the salt), Ilokano (people of the bay), and Tagalog (people of the lowlands). Working with indigenous social entrepreneurs in the Philippines and the United States since 2014, she has been devoted to just transitions in knowledge and innovation (inclusive intellectual property and metrics) for indigenous communities. Gwen holds a Masters in Entrepreneurship (Philippines), an Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters in Economic Policy for Global Transition (an EU UNESCO-supported program between France and Italy), and has 15+ years of experience in communications, sustainable architecture, and business development.  She is currently a PhD Candidate at Politecnico di Milano School of Management, Economics, and Industrial Engineering.

Caliopy Glaros

Indigenous Ikarian

Director of Development

Caliopy Glaros has worked with the Alliance for nearly two years. In her role, she helps connect the Alliance with the partners and resources it needs to achieve impact. She believes in leading with empathy, centering community needs, and creating innovative solutions to the issues inherent in the ever-changing landscape of philanthropy. In addition to her robust experience in fundraising, Caliopy is an Anthropologist by training and certified facilitator in Intercultural Communication.

Mona Thiasz

Cherokee Nation

Coordinator, Events & Programming

Jessica Langlois

Mi'kmaq Descendant

Director of Information Resources

Jessica Langlois is a highly experienced librarian, documentarian, and information resources manager with nearly two decades in the non-profit and education sectors.  Jessica has served as a Library Director, Research Librarian, and Instructional Librarian for colleges and municipal libraries and served as Director of a local chapter of a national adult literacy program. She attended the University of Rhode Island for her Master’s degree, where she was a Spectrum Scholar and a member of the Beta Phi Mu Honor Society, and Roger Williams University, where she was the founder of the school’s chapter of the Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society. She spent a year with Americorps before attending graduate school.

 

Being of both African American and Mi’kmaq descent, Jessica has spent her career dedicated to promoting equity and inclusion for BIPOC and people affected by systemic and cyclical economic poverty. She is an ally of the LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit communities.

Angela Lucas

Miami Nation Descendant

Program Manager, Tribal Energy Leadership Fellowship

Angela Lucas is a dedicated leader and advocate for advancing clean energy initiatives within Tribal communities. As the Program Manager for the Tribal Energy Leadership Fellows (TELF) at the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, Angela is committed to developing innovative workforce education pathways that empower emerging leaders in the clean energy sector. Angela has held senior leadership positions with public, private, and nonprofit organizations, including roles at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), Indiana State Museum, and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), where she engaged directly with Tribal leaders and key stakeholders to advance energy and infrastructure development across Tribal lands.

 

Through the Energy Providers Coalition for Education (EPCE) and The National Alliance for Communications Technology Education and Learning (NACTEL), she facilitated collaboration between energy and telecommunications employers, corporations, associations, contractors, and higher education institutions to design and promote industry-approved education solutions for workforce training, upskilling, and reskilling. Angela’s journey in workforce development began with delivering job training and placement services to individuals with disabilities, a cause close to her heart. Her professional experience also includes meaningful work at the Indiana State Museum, where she interpreted Indiana Territorial education, law, legislation, and Indigenous history from pre-contact up to 1830. With extensive experience in cultivating collaborative relationships, Angela possesses a profound understanding of career pathways and education in the energy industry. Her expertise includes collaboration with Tribal Nations and stakeholder engagement to support education and workforce initiatives benefiting Tribal members.

 

Angela holds a bachelor’s degree in Native American Social History and master’s degrees in Nonprofit Leadership from Saint Mary of the Woods College. She is actively involved in volunteering with organizations such as American Indian Business Leaders (AIBL), American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), Music and Memory and the National Park Service.

 

Todd Halvorsen

Sr. Advisor, Energy Finance & Structuring

Todd Halvorsen leads the project finance and deal structuring efforts at the Alliance. After teaching science in public schools for seven years, Todd jumped into a start-up solar developer, owner, operator company just as the climate-tec industry began to flourish in 2007. Leading the analytics team in support of development and finance functions, he helped grow the business to an industry leader which was acquired by NRG Energy. While at NRG, he was promoted to the head of Risk and Structuring for all renewable energy transactions which led to the successful construction of hundreds of projects from coast to coast and well over $1B in total investment. 

While attending Indiana University, Todd earned B.S. and M.S. degrees, concentrating in environmental
science and education for sustainability. Todd applies those learnings to his work in Finance to help demystify the complexity of project finance and advocate for the best comprehensive energy solutions for communities, businesses, and institutions. Todd is as passionate about delivering clean energy solutions to those in need as he is fishing, gardening, cooking and sharing good times with friends and family.

Caleb Seeling

Tribal Grants Program Manager

Caleb is an accomplished leader offering over twenty years of experience in community building and collaboration, is adept at developing solid partnerships, cementing public support, and building strong teams. His personal mission is to co-create a world of peace and healing through communication and creativity.

 

After receiving his Masters degrees in Social Work and Public Health, most of Caleb’s work has been in the non-profit sector: managing permanent housing programs for chronically unhoused people, marshaling community resources to keep people with serious and chronic mental illness stabilized in their homes and out of the hospital by designing and conducting community and professional health education programs, particularly focused on the underserved, urban populations. Caleb has also served as a professor, teaching sociology at Front Range Community College and directing a masters level certificate program at Western State Colorado University, built a book publishing company, and served on various boards of non-profit professional organizations.

 

Caleb joined the Economic Development Administration during the pandemic years, where he managed federal grants for the Denver Region. During this time, he reinvigorated EDA’s work with the Tribal nations in the region, for which he received an individual leadership award and a silver leadership award from the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Commerce. He moved back into the nonprofit sector from here and is delighted to serve the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy. He has three college-age children, a high schooler who wishes she was in college, and a talented wife. He loves mountain biking, long road trips, long movies, books, and good coffee.

Wendolyn Holland

Sr. Advisor, Policy, Tax & Government Relations

Wendolyn Holland serves as Senior Advisor for Policy, Tax & Government Relations at the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy. In this role, Wendolyn supports tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Americans in their quest for renewable energy deployment as a means to improve sovereignty and enhance sustainable economic development.

Wendolyn served as Senior Advisor for Commercialization in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, a role that supported the movement of national laboratory technologies into the market. She then served as a member of the senior leadership team at Savannah River National Laboratory.

Wendolyn advises at the nexus of finance, technology, and policy, focusing on clean energy technologies. With a particular expertise in tax strategy and policy, her projects focus on the very essence of our social and environmental problems. With the background of a historian, she models her projects for the long-range view to bend the arc of history. She also leads the teams for federal grant application submissions. She is among the nation’s experts on Section 48C, the Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit. Beyond 48C, Wendolyn has supported dozens of successful submissions for competitive federal funding opportunities, focused mostly but not exclusively on DOE solicitations.

Wendolyn received her JD and LLM in Taxation from Georgetown Law in 2017, her MBA in Finance and Strategy from Kellogg School of Management in 2001, and her BA in History and Studies in the Environment from Yale in 1991. She is a frequent lecturer on U.S. renewable energy policy and Western Americana.

Bill Saporito

Director of Tribal Utility Development

Bill has over 25 years in the renewable energy industry ranging from the business development of utility scale wind energy projects, hydroelectric, and large-scale solar facilities.  He has directly participated in projects with both large and small utilities from the Midwest states to the Pacific coast, including multiple years working for a public utility that includes direct experience with tribal renewable energy project development.  He has a BS in Natural Resources Management from the University of Florida and a JD from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College.  Bill spends his down time volunteering as a snowboard coach for his son’s team and on various other high school and community functions.

David Karabelnikoff

Knik Tribe, Aleut and Athabaskan

Alaska Program Manager

David Karabelnikoff an associate member of the Knik Tribe of Alaska. David is a descendant of the Unangan and Dena’ina people, and his commitment to environmental sustainability is deeply rooted in indigenous perspectives. David is a dedicated advocate for sustainable energy solutions and environmental stewardship. He actively integrates these perspectives into discussions about renewable energy, aiming to bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and modern technologies. David is passionate about empowering Native communities to lead the transition to clean energy. David’s commitment extends beyond his professional endeavors; it reflects a profound belief in the interconnectedness of all life and a dedication to shaping a more sustainable and regenerative world.

Shaun Tsabetsaye

Zuni Pueblo

Head of Tribal Technical Assistance and Project Development

Shaun is an enrolled tribal member of Zuni Pueblo and was born and raised in Zuni. Shaun has 20 years of engineering, analytics, and project management experience, including roles at Intel Corporation and developing utility-scale renewable energy projects on tribal lands for NextEra Energy Resources. He is an AISES Sequoyah Fellow and a member of the Corporate Advisory Council. He holds an Executive MBA degree, a BS in electrical engineering, and an MSE in semiconductors and electronics manufacturing. Shaun spends his nights and weekends with his children and supporting his family’s business in all things technology, marketing, and management.

Celeste Kimimila Terry

Oglala Lakota

Preferred Provider Program Coordinator & Tribal Liaison

Celeste Kimimila Terry is an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Nation and resides in Denver, Colorado.  She proudly works at the intersection of Indigenous advocacy, technology, and sustainable development. Celeste’s career journey began with a childhood passion for coding, leading to her pivotal role as a champion for Indigenous communities in the digital age. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Indigenous Law and Science from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2023, Celeste’s academic journey epitomizes her commitment to blending traditional knowledge with modern methodologies. Her innovative approach to Indigenous design thinking, coupled with proficiency in web development and data analysis, positions her as a trailblazer in the field of Indigenous technology and environmental stewardship. 

 
Celeste is dedicating her career to leveraging her expertise to drive positive change and empower Indigenous voices. As a former ICWA Research Assistant at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, she spearheaded initiatives to improve State and Tribal partnerships regarding American Indian Families and the Indian Child Welfare Act through community dialogue. Additionally, her tenure as Multimedia Director and Content Writer at Native Max Magazine showcased her ability to blend creativity with technical acumen, resulting in impactful multimedia platforms that celebrate Indigenous culture and fashion while amplifying Indigenous perspectives. 
 
Celeste is active in many advocacy organizations, including the UN Major Group for Children and Youth, Earth Data Science Corps, Defend Our Future, and part of the first cohort of Generation Indigenous Youth Ambassadors. She is committed to environmental sustainability and cultural revitalization.
 

Ramon Marquez

Kickapoo, Kumiai/Paipai, Mexican/Xicano

Director of Tribal Engagement

Ramon Marquez, Kickapoo, Kumiai/Paipai Tribal Nations and Mexican/Xicano, was born and raised in San Diego, CA, and resides in McLoud, OK on the Kickapoo Reservation. An established Community Advocate with a diverse background in Community and Political organizing, Ramon has dedicated his career to bringing change in the urban setting and hopes to bring his experiences in working in the educational, nonprofit, and criminal justice system to tribal communities and hopes to use his expertise in community organizing, policy, and advocacy to assist tribes in entering the clean and renewable energy sector.

 

Before joining the Alliance, he was and continues to be a strong advocate for implementing Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices in the Educational and Juvenile/Criminal Justice Systems. Ramon also has a strong background in government accountability, specifically around police practices and community oversight. Ramon has been honored to serve many boards, commissions, committees, and task forces and looks forward to serving tribal communities nationwide.

Deirdre Milewski

Talent Acquisition Specialist

Deirdre Milewski is the Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist for the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy. With a robust background in human resources and clean energy recruitment with leading companies such as SolarCity and Tesla, Deirdre brings extensive experience and expertise to her role. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a keen ability to identify top talent and cultivate strategic partnerships to support organizational growth and success. Passionate about fostering inclusive workplaces and supporting diversity initiatives, Deirdre is dedicated to building strong teams that drive positive change in the clean energy sector. With her dynamic leadership skills and commitment to supporting Native people in their clean energy careers, she plays a pivotal role in advancing the Alliance’s mission of promoting sustainable energy solutions within tribal communities.

Adrianna Vargas

Navajo, Huastec, Chicimecas

Executive Assistant

Adrianna is a highly experienced administrative professional with over twelve years of expertise in providing efficient and effective support with a background in project management, budget planning, data analysis, and communication.  She possesses the skills necessary to streamline processes and enhance productivity. In addition to her administrative prowess, Adrianna is currently pursuing a major in law, public policy, and society. This combination of practical experience and academic pursuits equips Adrianna with a well-rounded perspective and a deep understanding of various aspects of business and society. 

 

When Adrianna is not spending her time working and focusing on school, she enjoys spending her time with her daughter, taking film photos at different museums and art galleries. She is a descendant of the Navajo Nation, Chichimeca and Huastec tribes.

Nabeela Jalill

Zulu, Xhosa

Executive Assistant

Nabeela Jalill brings to the Alliance more than a decade of experience as a Team Administrator and a demonstrated commitment to respecting different communities’ unique needs and values. She served as the Administrative Assistant for the South Carolina Department of Social Services Statewide Rating and Improvement System for child care and early education centers before, during, and after the COVID crisis. Her responsibilities included tracking provider enrollment and performance, orienting new providers, facilitating grant application and allocation processes, collecting data, supporting staff management, and managing inventory, schedules, and travel arrangements.

 

Previously, Nabeela worked as a caseworker and caregiver, and her extensive resume of volunteer work includes years of fundraising. Nabeela has a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. She is a mother to two young boys and enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.

Sierra Flanigan

Director of Organizational Development

Sierra Flanigan is a systems thinker, strategist, and lifelong entrepreneur passionate about the collective work of navigating the energy transition in a just and equitable way. She has spent her career helping nonprofits and businesses to advance environmental stewardship by integrating climate, energy, water, biodiversity, resilience, and justice as organizational priorities, and through fostering field-wide collaboration. Sierra brings her experience working as an executive coach, consultant, and facilitator to advance the Alliance’s mission of energy sovereignty for Native American Tribes. 

 

Sierra earned her bachelor’s from Wheaton College (MA) and her master’s in Strategic Leadership toward Sustainability from the Blekinge Institute of Technology (Sweden) in 2019. She co-hosts the Energy Crash Course edition of Flanigan’s Eco-Logic podcast with her father, Co-Chairs the Living Planet Working Group, and serves on the boards of Social Venture Circle and the Snowmass Capitol Creek Caucus in Colorado.

Dr Ramon Sanchez PhD

Mayo, Yaqui​

Chief Knowledge & Innovation Officer

Dr. Ramon Sanchez, PhD, is Indigenous to the Mayo and Yaqui people of the coastal regions of Sonora and Sinaloa.  Dr. Sanchez provides strategic leadership planning for the organization and the tribes it serves, supporting integral sustainable development, innovation, and field knowledge management alongside initiatives for organizational continuous improvement. He also fosters community partnership development, driving change through innovation, education, and workforce training using the best available technological and didactic tools. Previously, Dr. Sanchez held positions as the Director of the Sustainable Technologies and Health Program and Director of Corporate Outreach and Strategy at the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

 

With expertise as a Forward Products Engineer specializing in testing new technologies for automotive designs and managing intellectual property and manufacturing systems, Dr. Sanchez brings a wealth of technical experience. Additionally, he shares his knowledge by teaching courses on renewable energy, sustainable business, product design, manufacturing, and supply chain management at the Harvard Division for Continuing Education. His specialties include Energy and Infrastructure Policies, Environmental Management, Biofuels Production, Public Health, and the health effects of automotive technologies.  He has led renewable energy projects for many years in Native villages in his homeland, electrifying homes previously without electricity.

Cynthia "Sofy" Pacheco

Taino Descendant

Chief Financial and Compliance Officer

Cynthia Pacheco is an accomplished Chief Financial and Operating Officer with an unwavering passion for driving financial excellence and operational efficiency. With over a decade in executive roles, including Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Cynthia is respected for her demonstrated ability to support organizational growth and financial stability. While embracing her Native Puerto Rican and Taino Indian heritage, Cynthia has consistently risen to the challenge of propelling growth for nonprofit and for-profit enterprises across North America. Prior to joining the Alliance, Cynthia was Chief Financial and Operations Officer for Native Conservancy, focused on Indigenous Food Sovereignty, Cultural Revitalization, and Habitat Restoration in Alaska.

 

Cynthia’s outstanding track record in supporting the growth of nonprofits has been defined by her ability to adapt to diverse organizational cultures and, leading by example, encourage respect and positivity in the workplace. Sofy’s heart beats for effecting meaningful change in Indigenous communities, and she tirelessly supports organizations that uplift and empower Native people. Her altruistic spirit extends to her voluntary work in Mexico’s most impoverished areas, underscoring her genuine compassion and dedication to making a positive impact.

 

Cynthia has a Master’s of Business Administration with a concentration in accounting and finance from the University of West Georgia, with academic honors. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, with a double major in Accounting and Finance and a minor in Business Administration. When she’s not charting new paths in the world of finance and operations, Cynthia relishes cherished family moments with her husband and young son, embarking on global adventures and giving back to those in need.

Chéri Smith

Mi'kmaq Descendant

President & CEO, Founder

Chéri Smith is the founder, president, and chief executive officer of the Alliance for Trial Clean Energy. Chéri is a woman of Indigenous and European descent whose experience addressing climate change and struggling economies with renewables spans over two decades. To her role, she brings the wisdom garnered through her many senior leadership positions in the clean energy sector with public, private, and nonprofit organizations – including the American Council on Renewable Energy, Tesla, and SolarCity, as well as senior advisory roles for the U.S. Department of Energy, Interstate Renewable Energy Council, and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. A descendant of the Mi’kmaq Nation of northern Maine and the Canadian Maritimes, she has made it her life’s work to apply this expertise to support Native communities.

At SolarCity / Tesla, Chéri was head of workforce strategy and training and led the coordination of community, academic, and government stakeholders in the massive effort to identify and train the 1,400 employees of the 1 GW solar manufacturing plant in Buffalo, NY, and Tesla’s Battery Gigafactory in NV. From 2009-2015, Chéri was in private practice, providing renewable energy and energy efficiency project and program consulting services to colleges, universities, and governments, including the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA), and US Department of Energy SunShot initiatives: Solar Ready Vets, Solar Instructor Training Network, and Solar Career Map. From 2005 – 2009, Chéri served as Director of Education & Outreach for the American Council on Renewable Energy, where she developed and managed ACORE’s corporate, educational, and citizen-outreach programs on an international level.

Chéri is an MIT Indigenous Communities Fellow and MIT Solver, a Cordes Fellow, and a Climate Leader trained by former Vice President Al Gore. She serves as an Advisor to the Yale School of Business and the Environment and previously served as an Advisory Board member for the Masters in Renewable Energy degree program at Penn State and as a Buffalo & Erie County Workforce Investment Board Director. For 12 years, Chéri served on the education advisory committee for SEIA’s Solar Power International (now RE+). Chéri is the mother of three amazing children, including an Army wounded warrior. She resides with her fisherman husband on beautiful Narragansett homelands in present-day Rhode Island.

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Education & Workforce Development

In partnership with Tribal Colleges, major universities, and federal agencies, the Alliance develops and supports a variety of Native-led clean energy education, training, and degree programs for tribal leaders and tribal members to ensure new infrastructure is conceived, built, and managed by Native people, for Native people.

 

For more information, please email [email protected]

Resources & Events

In our commitment to supporting tribes in their self-determined pursuit of clean energy, the Alliance is creating an online hub brimming with timely and relevant tools and information. This includes the development of crucial resources like a comprehensive federal and state funding database, and a tribal energy project capital stack planning tool.

 

The Alliance hosts a series of events throughout the year, each meticulously crafted to transcend the conventional notion of gatherings. These events serve as purposeful forums, uniting tribes with subject matter experts and reliable resource providers. Our aim is not merely to convene, but to actively address challenges and leverage opportunities for tribal clean energy development. Rooted in Indigenous cultural values, these gatherings cultivate connections that extend beyond business — they foster connections that are not only useful but deeply meaningful.

 

For more information about our resources, please email  [email protected]

For more information about our events, please email [email protected]

Energy Policy & Government Relations

Leveraging our robust connections in Washington, the Alliance Policy team champions fair energy policies and equitable utility practices. Acting as a crucial conduit, we facilitate the exchange of energy-related information between federal and tribal governments. In collaboration with our technical team, the Alliance Policy team provides invaluable support to tribes through expert project planning and grant writing services, delivered at no cost. Our goal is to enhance the success rate of tribal applications for federal funding, ensuring that valuable resources are directed toward tribal initiatives with the greatest impact.

 

For more information, please email

[email protected]

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE & PROJECT FINANCE

The Alliance team offers guidance and support for energy planning, grant writing, project development, financing, legal and tax matters. Through our Preferred Provider program, we evaluate and connect tribes with highly qualified, ethical clean energy developers and service providers to ensure tribes’ best interests are protected through all phases of infrastructure development.

 

For More Information

For tribes seeking technical assistance, please email our Tribal Liason, Monica Paradise at

[email protected]

 

For clean energy developers and service providers seeking information about our Preferred Provider Program, please email our Preferred Provider Program Coordinator, Angelina Papakee at 

[email protected]