Maryland Clean Energy Center director to be recognized at National Press Club

Gaithersburg, Maryland, November 15.--The Maryland-Asia Environmental Partnership (MD-AEP) nominated Kathy Magruder, Executive Director of the Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC) with the organization’s 2010 “Partner of the Year Award” to be presented at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. on December 2 at MD-AEP’s annual banquet.

Magruder was tapped to head MCEC just over a year ago after having been involved with sustainable economic development in the state of Maryland for over twenty years. As Executive Director of MCEC

she has worked with the MCEC Board of Directors and the MCEC Advisory Board, comprised of over 52 companies, to lead an effort to service the needs of Maryland’s energy stakeholders in the “new energy” economy.

“When I first envisioned the idea of creating a clean energy economy in Maryland, I knew we needed a strong dynamic leader to make that vision come true against all odds,” said John Spears, President of Sustainable Design Group and Founder of the Maryland Clean Energy Center. “I knew Kathy was theright person for the job and she has proven to be all I could have hoped for,” he said. During her first year, Magruder has established a network of over 400 energy companies and provided renewable energy advocacy in Annapolis, educational workshops around the state, a consumer energy audit program and business development opportunities for companies.

“I saw Kathy’s great potential when she was the economic development director in Queen Anne’s County and brought her to work with me at Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED),” said Aris Melissaratos, former Secretary of DBED. “She did phenomenal job at DBED,” he said. Magruder chaired a multi-agency task force to develop an action agenda to position Maryland to take advantage of new energy production and generation technologies as a job creation and sustainability strategy. “Kathy was always prepared. She did her research and never gave up on the task. She’s a force,” said Melissaratos.

Magruder is being recognized by the MD-AEP for her leadership in mobilizing energy stakeholders through the MD-AEP Energy & Environmental Leadership Series. MCEC joined the MD-AEP and launched a three-part outreach series this past year. The forums on smart grid, energy efficiency and renewable energy provided a platform for Maryland’s leading energy companies to engage energy stakeholders about energy policies and technologies here in the region and export and investment opportunities in Asia. “Kathy sees the whole field and openly engages all stakeholders to make a difference,” said Peter Gourlay, President of MD-AEP. “She has demonstrated the willingness to engage others without thinking about turf issues, she just cares about helping companies succeed. She is the epitome of a true leader and why we are recognizing her with this award.”

“Kathy has really been a driving force, a champion and leader for renewable energy companies in the State,” said Connie Lausten, Vice President of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs, New Generation Biofuels and MCEC Advisory Board member. “Her efforts have really helped this industry to grow throughout Maryland,” she said.

“Kathy is a great visionary with the unique ability to also get the job done,” said John Congedo, President of AC- Wind and a member of the MCEC Advisory Board. “There are plenty of people with great vision, but Kathy has shown that unique ability to act on it,” he said.

Magruder will be honored on December 2 in front of over 150 public-private leaders from business, government, academia and the Asian Embassy community for MD-AEP’s 2nd Annual Energy and Environmental Leadership Series Banquet on Thursday December 2 from 6-9p.m. at the National Press Club in Washington. The evening gala will celebrate the richness of energy and environmental resources and talent assembled by MD-AEP this past year including companies with expertise in the energy, water and food network like Constellation Energy, I.M. Systems Group, AREVA, Sun Edison, FilterSure, Bluewing Environmental Solutions, Spiralcat, Skanska USA Building, and JIFSAN.

U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski has been invited to open the evening gala and Malaysia's Ambassador Dato' Sri Jamaludin Jarjis to keynote the event. Other awardees include Dr. Rita Colwell, Distinguished University Professor both at the University of Maryland at College Park and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and Winner of the 2010 Stockholm Water Prize and Paige Bethke, Director of Talbot County Economic Development.

For information call George Lopez @ 410-439-1577 or George@thesolarandwindexpo.com
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