Steering Committee
The Chapter Steering Committee consists of a Director, Secretary, Membership Co-Chairs, and Programs Co-Chairs. These elected officers serve a one-year term commencing August 1 and can serve two consecutive terms in a single position. The Communications Chair and Scholarship Chair are non-elected positions and are not subject to term limits. Steering committee chair positions may be shared.
Director-at-Large | Marianne San Millan
Marianne San Millan has over 25 years of experience in the legal services industry ranging from complex litigation, to corporate and transactional law, all the way to her work in the energy development sector emphasizing renewable and sustainable energy. Marianne herself is an energetic and innovative force, historically landing in positions that encompass project management and business development strategies. Currently, she is channeling her energy and talents into her new role as Supervisor of Office Operations for Foley & Lardner, San Diego. Her strong belief in shining the brightest light on the brand she is associated with, coupled with her natural ability to extract from the human element their very best, merge together for remarkable team dynamics and results. Marianne has a passion for growth, challenge and empowerment. She believes that these three elements are critical for success. As a mother to three daughters, now a grandmother to a next generation of women, she hopes to partner with the dynamic women of this remarkable industry to learn from them, share their successes and make this platform available, shining a light and paving the way to the future.
Director-at-Large | Kimberlee Centera
Kimberlee Centera is a trailblazer in the renewable energy industry and the only female CEO of a privately held utility scale renewable energy consulting practice. An enthusiastic champion of women, she believes that diversity is essential in meeting the demands of the rapidly growing renewable sector. She encourages and mentors’ women from around the world, by offering them actionable skills that help them to achieve their goals. Kimberlee is a risk management expert for the development and financing of large-scale generator energy projects for public utilities and community development. She has the expertise to identify, manage and mitigate risk. Kimberlee works on complex high-value projects. A leading renewable energy expert, she has been a guest on numerous radio programs and podcasts including National Public Radio’s Marketplace and Norton Rose Fulbright Currents Podcast. She is also a contributor to North American Clean Energy and POWER Magazine, and often serves as a speaker at wind and solar conferences.
Director | Rose Bowlus
Rose is Founder and Attorney at Rose Bowlus Law, APC specializing in securities, commodities and financial services. She provides strategic legal guidance to businesses of all sizes and sophistications ranging from early-stage startups to Fortune 500s. Rose also serves as outside general counsel for ArcTrade, an emerging energy-tech company. Previous to establishing her law firm, Rose was in-house counsel for several of the nation’s largest financial institutions and energy companies, including Wells Fargo, PNC and Sempra Energy. For the past 20 years, Rose has advised C-suite clients on legal strategy, and managed matters ranging from federal and state rule and regulation compliance and multi-party commercial transaction negotiations to new venture formations, and capital raising through debt and equity offerings. Rose frequently speaks at industry and professional development events covering cutting-edge corporate, legal and ethics issues. She also serves in multiple leadership roles with organizations that promote diversity and gender equality, such as WRISE SD. She enjoys dedicating her free time to volunteering at leadership and confidence building events for women, judging mock trials and pitch competitions showcasing underestimated students and founders, respectively, and mentoring young entrepreneurs within university incubators and accelerators, such as Techstars. Rose is an angel investor and founder of Angels in the Law, and an advisory board member for Advocat AI, a venture backed legal tech company.Scholarships Chair | Vanessa Faucher
Vanessa Faucher is a seasoned Senior Marketing and Communications Manager with a wealth of experience in the renewable energy industry. She is a dedicated, motivated and talented member of the TerraPro team. She is highly collaborative, responsive and exceptionally creative. A quick study, she easily adapts to new situations. Skilled in Adobe PS | AI | PR, Customer Service, Sales, Strategic Planning, and Marketing Strategy. Strong media and communication professional with a Bachelor of Science – BS focused in Graphic Design from The Art Institute of California-San Diego. Her friendly yet professional manner is an asset to the team and the organization.Sponsorships Chair | Michaela Egan
Michaela brings a wealth of knowledge and experience about title insurance to the renewable energy sector. With a keen understanding of the complexities of real estate transactions, she is dedicated to providing her clients with guidance and support throughout the process. Michaela has a proven track record of building strong relationships with clients and is committed to providing exceptional customer service. In addition to her work in the title insurance industry, Michaela is an active member of WRISE and is passionate about promoting diversity and inclusion in the energy sector.
Memberships Co-Chair | Lisa DeMarco
Lisa DeMarco has a decade of industry experience & is the Founder & Principal Consultant of Climate Tech Marketing, LLC, a data-oriented marketing agency that enables climate tech companies from Nigeria to New Jersey to amplify their messages, reach & engagement to efficiently achieve their business goals. Lisa’s clients range from utility-scale EPCs, developers & IPPs to residential & C&I energy storage & power electronics manufacturers. Lisa specializes in content creation, including case studies, technical articles, video scripts & podcasts, as well as PR (e.g., news releases, awards), social media, search engine optimization (SEO), digital advertising, account management & project management. Prior to founding Climate Tech Marketing, LLC, she served as Marketing Manager for an energy storage company with installations in 40+ countries. Prior to this, Lisa led marketing & business development initiatives for ZOLA (fka Off Grid Electric), a Tesla-backed solar+storage product & service company with operations in California & Africa. Lisa also enabled Kiva.org, a global microlending non-profit based in Silicon Valley, to scale up its marketing programs & operations in the U.S. & Asia to increase funding & borrower repayment rates for renewable energy loan products. Lisa graduated from UCLA, where she helped found & lead a sustainability program that improved laboratory recycling & waste streams, which is still active today. A lifelong learner, Lisa received her NABCEP Solar PV Associate certification in 2019.Memberships Co-Chair | Tori Baird
Tori is a passionate and dedicated professional at EDF Renewables where she is responsible for managing client relationships for owners of Wind and Solar sites across the US. Tori is a day-to-day partner to the site managers and an advocate for her clients to ensure high quality contract execution, issue resolution, and P&L management. She also has a concentrated focus on business development in expanding Operations & Maintenance services amongst her client portfolio. The most memorable part of her career thus far has been climbing a wind turbine for the first time in Lakefield, MN. Tori holds a B.S. in Finance from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT as well as an MBA with a concentration in Business Economics from the University of Arizona Global Campus. Prior to working in the renewables space, Tori worked in New York, NY for UBS Financial Services. In her free time, you can find Tori cheering on her twin boys at the ice hockey rink, spending time outdoors, and caring for her senior rescue dogs. She is proud to partner with the strong and inspiring women of WRISE.Programs Co-Chair |Akhila Krishnan
Akhila is a renewable energy professional currently working at EDF and is responsible for managing engineering work for renewables projects, ranging from early-stage development to construction projects. She has worked with a developer, residential solar company and California commission (PUC) prior to this. Her academic background is in electrical engineering and she has completed her Master’s at USC with a focus on power systems. She also is a certified Professional Engineer (PE) and likes to consistently learn about electrical engineering through her day-to-day role. Her non-engineering, soft skills also make her a pleasure to work with and she is known for her keen sense of perception and insightfulness. She advocates for women, especially in renewable industry, through WRISE, and loves to give back to the community to create opportunities for others. Outside of her profession, Akhila loves to train for Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam, hikes, runs, and plays tennis. She owns a motorbike and unusually likes to be challenged at chess, which she’s not good at.Programs Co-Chair | Peggy Hock
Secretary | Emily Corrow
Emily is a passionate young professional in the clean energy space and a dedicated advocate for environmental justice. She is thrilled to be starting her career in sustainability and social justice work at GRID Alternatives, the country’s largest non-profit solar installer. As a Multifamily & Commercial Project Coordinator, she helps develop solar PV projects for affordable housing providers and fellow non-profits. Emily graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in engineering and environmental science, and hopes to use her education to fight for equitable access to clean and reliable energy in her home state of California.Onboarding Chair | Bailie Lohman
A young professional in the field of renewables, Bailie Lohman assists with Business Development and Marketing at TerraPro Solutions. She is a motivated and proactive individual, who excels at networking with others. Bailie is excited to be on the WRISE SD Steering Committee as she desires to promote the advancement of women in renewable energy and simply be a friend to those members of WRISE. Bailie has a passion for innovation and cooperation in encouraging the team dynamic in all professional groups and organizations, emphasizing the concepts of shared success. In her personal life, Bailie’s passion lies in increasing her knowledge of the stock market and global economies.Communications Co-Chair | Natalie Toon
Natalie is a young professional energizing her career in the clean energy space who is passionate about innovative technologies that address climate change. Natalie currently works as a Development Engineer for EV charging infrastructure at Powerflex. Previously, was a managed the Southern California Energy Innovation Network at Cleantech San Diego, and also worked as a technical ESG consultant at Verdani Partners. Natalie holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UC San Diego. On the weekends, you can find her teaching yoga classes and enjoying the great outdoors.
Communications Co-Chair | Alba Forns
Young environmental professional & game changer in the clean energy space. Alba is the Co-Founder of Climatize, a climate fintech mobile app that enables you to invest in climate projects starting from $5. Forns has previous experience in the sustainability field as an Energy Consultant, implementing renewable energy projects, e-mobility initiatives & in sustainable & circular packaging for consumer goods. Her background is in Engineering & holds two Master’s Degrees, one in Energy Engineering & a MSc in Sustainable Energy Technologies at two leading technical universities in Europe, as well as a Business & Management course at ESADE, Business & Law School. Alba is an advocate of climate justice, financial inclusion & gender equality. She speaks 6 languages, loves nature, long distance running & organizes & participates in Volunteering events such as beach/bay clean ups.