About

Team

Eileen V. Quigley

Founder & Executive Director

Eileen V. Quigley is Founder and Executive Director of the Clean Energy Transition Institute. Eileen spent seven years at Climate Solutions identifying the transition pathways off fossil fuel to a low-carbon future in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. She built and led the New Energy Cities program, which partnered with 22 Northwest cities and counties to reduce carbon emissions.

As Director of Strategic Innovation, she oversaw New Energy Cities, as well as Sustainable Advanced Fuels, which worked to accelerate the development of advanced low-carbon fuels for aviation, marine, and fleets and the Northwest Biocarbon Initiative, which aimed to demonstrate the role that natural systems play in reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide. She is the author of numerous reports and publications on decarbonization strategies.

Eileen served as Executive Director of three nonprofit organizations for 12 years and ran RealNetworks’ Nonprofit Affairs Division for seven years, helping nonprofit organizations use the Internet for social change. She spent six years as a magazine and newspaper journalist in Washington, DC, and New York, NY, covering business and national politics, and three years editing a quarterly journal of public policy, economics, and culture for the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada.

She currently serves on the board of Stockholm Environment Institute-US, as well as the advisory board of the Western Washington University Institute for Energy Studies. Eileen received her Master of Science in Journalism from Columbia University in 1983 and her Bachelor of Arts in Literature from Yale University in 1980.

Ruby Moore-Bloom

Research Analyst

Ruby Moore-Bloom joined the Clean Energy Transition Institute in January 2022 and is committed to working toward a clean energy future in the Northwest.

Ruby oversees CETI’s Northwest Clean Energy Atlas, which explores energy data relevant to deep decarbonization in the Northwest in interactive data visualizations. She also led CETI’s Clean Materials Manufacturing project, which helps industrial stakeholders and policymakers understand different methods for decarbonizing six of Washington state’s manufacturing sectors.

Ruby provided research for CETI’s Operation 2030 project, which offers a blueprint for how Washington can get on the path to decarbonizing its building sector at the speed and scale that the state’s decarbonization targets require. She also provides research and analytical support for CETI’s Net-Zero Northwest project, both its energy pathways project, as well as its workforce and employment analysis, and she regularly blogs on a wide range of topics relating to deep decarbonization strategies for the Northwest.

Prior to joining the CETI team, Ruby lived in Jordan as a faculty member of King’s Academy. She taught classes on the history of ancient, classical, and modern worlds and served as curriculum lead for the ninth and tenth grade history courses. She also supported students as a dorm parent and advisor. Before teaching high school, she worked with adult English language learners at Literacy Source in Seattle, WA as a program assistant and AmeriCorps volunteer, where she developed and taught classes incorporating ESL, U.S. citizenship skills, and digital literacy for low-income adult learners.

Ruby speaks Spanish and Arabic and received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Middle East Studies from Brown University in 2017.

Jamie Ptacek

Communications Manager

Jamie Ptacek joined CETI in November 2023 as Communications Manager. Jamie graduated from Bowdoin College in 2017, where she studied Climate Science and received departmental honors for her thesis exploring deep-sea bamboo corals as climate, ocean chemistry, and ocean geometry archives. She published this study, in collaboration with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute’s Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, in Earth and Planetary Sciences Letters.

After publishing her paper, Jamie decided that she did not belong in the lab so she began working to bridge the gap between scientific evidence for climate change, its impacts on social and racial justice, and the societal and policy changes needed to address the urgency of these crises.

To this end, Jamie has spent the past decade working for several nonprofit organizations on campaigns to address issues at the intersection of climate change and social justice on the local, state, and national levels. She has worked as a campaign manager, organizer, and communications specialist with the Sunrise Movement, Citizen’s Climate Lobby, Futurewise, and Disability Rights Washington.

Jamie’s most recent organizing work led to the passage of 10 bills in the Washington state legislature that will address Washington’s response to climate change, housing affordability, environmental protection, transportation access, and racial equity.

Katie McNabb

Program and Development Assistant

Katie McNabb started as the Program and Development Assistant for the Clean Energy Transition Institute in November 2023. Katie graduated from Western Washington University in May 2023 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Journalism and English. While studying journalism, Katie worked as a reporter for two separate publications, Klipsun Magazine and The Front, and as an editor for The Front and The Planet Magazine.

As a reporter, Katie primarily covered stories relating to conservation and environmental issues on campus and in the Bellingham community. Katie joined the Northwest Straits Foundation as a Communications Intern and later Communications Assistant. 

Katie has long been committed to working on solutions to address the climate crisis, and she is excited to support CETI’s mission to accelerate an equitable clean energy transition in the Northwest. Katie also coaches a volleyball team for Northwest Juniors Elite Volleyball Club.

Jessica Adair

Accounting Consultant

Jessica Adair is a licensed CPA and owner of Adair Business Consulting. She has 20 years of experience in the accounting profession. As a former auditor, she is able to apply her knowledge to help small businesses with budgets ranging from $250,000 to $10 million.

Jessica works mainly with nonprofits to produce quality financial information and procedures to ensure that they are able to focus their time to further their mission.

Jessica has been a CPA since 2005 and received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara and her Master of Business Administration in Executive Accounting from City University of Seattle.  

“I love accounting so you don’t have to.” – Jessica Adair

Jeremy Hargreaves

Technical Modeling Consultant

Jeremy Hargreaves is a Principal at Evolved Energy Research and an expert in energy systems analysis, focusing on least-cost electricity system planning and distributed energy resource evaluation. Jeremy’s consulting insights into long-term grid-scale and distributed resource planning challenges have helped utilities and investors navigate the prospect of a high renewable future while minimizing impacts to customers.

His portfolio of domestic and international work contains many examples where he has leveraged impactful analysis to inform energy policy development. His education includes a doctor of philosophy degree, focused on energy systems optimization, and a master’s degree in environmental management and economics, both from the Johns Hopkins University. He also holds a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Imperial College, London.

Poppy Storm

Building Sector Consultant

Poppy Storm is consulting with the Clean Energy Transition Institute on strategies to decarbonize the built environment. She is also a member of the Clean Energy Transition Institute's Advisory Council. Poppy is Founder & Director of Innovation at 2050 Institute.

Poppy has over 15 years of experience in the energy efficiency and decarbonization field, with a focus on market transformation in the building sector. Prior to founding 2050 Institute, she led the Policy and Planning team at Ecotope, Inc., in Seattle for 10 years. Poppy founded 2050 Institute to use a strategic “2050” lens to design frameworks, policies, codes, and programs that interlock across regional, state, local, community, and utility programs and policies. She uses a whole system approach and design thinking to identify the strategies and analysis necessary to align policy mechanisms with actual energy and GHG reductions.

Poppy has an interdisciplinary background in commercial and residential building stock studies, heat pump technologies, energy use intensity (EUI) target setting, decarbonization potential assessments, energy code development and evaluation, targeted tools for policy and program planning, impact and process evaluations, market research studies, and strategic planning. Many of her projects have included extensive stakeholder facilitation and coordination with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, the Regional Technical Forum, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, Bonneville Power Administration, manufacturers, distributors, designers, and large, small, and rural utilities. Poppy has a master’s degree in Whole Systems Design and Change Management from Antioch University, and a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the University of Washington.

Caleb Smith

Digital Communications Consultant

Caleb Smith is the founder and director of Modern Trailhead, a digital media consulting agency that specializes in video production and website design. Caleb also serves on the Board of the nonprofit New Dawn Guatemala, an organization that works to foster ecological sustainability, economic vitality, and educational advancement in rural Guatemalan communities.

As the former Washington Policy Associate for the Seattle-based clean energy economy nonprofit, Climate Solutions, he analyzed legislative and regulatory policy development covering state and federal climate policy, clean energy, carbon markets,utility regulation, and transportation fuels.

As an undergraduate at the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies, Caleb spent a semester abroad in Geneva, Switzerland,where he studied multilateral diplomacy and worked with the Global Institute for Water, Environment, and Health. While there, he researched Swiss renewable energy systems and Social Entrepreneurship. Caleb then spent a semester abroad in Cadiz, Spain, where he studied the Spanish language and tutored the mentally handicapped in English.

Caleb received his Bachelor of Arts in International Development from the University of Washington with a Minor in Spanish in 2014.

Carol Maglitta

Designer, One Visual Mind

Carol Maglitta has been working as a graphic designer for 25 years. Her work experience includes freelance, small studios, educational publishing and advertising agencies and is One Visual Mind’s lead on most of its print work. Carol studied graphic design at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

Jessica Plumb

Video Communications Consultant

Jessica Plumb is working with the Clean Energy Transition Institute to identify and share compelling stories about Washington’s transition to renewable energy, with a focus on rural communities.

Jessica Plumb is an award-winning filmmaker and writer, and the creative director of Plumb Productions, a multi-media storytelling company specializing in short films focused on the environment, people, and place. She is the Producer and Co-Director of Return of the River, a feature documentary about the largest dam removal in history, recognized with over a dozen festival awards, including “Best Storytelling” by the International Wildlife Film Festival.

Plumb’s clients include HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, Olympic National Park, Passion Pictures, Goddard College, the Marine Resources Council, Jefferson Land Trust, Friends of the San Juans and numerous non-profit institutions. Her creative work has appeared in theaters and galleries throughout the United States and internationally; forthcoming projects include a video installation on climate change at the Seoul Museum of Art in South Korea.

Raised on the coast of Maine, Jessica has made her home on the Olympic Peninsula for almost two decades, close to wilderness and waters she loves. Prior to moving to the Pacific Northwest, she worked in Boston and Beijing, and served as interim editor of the Yale China Review. Plumb holds a B.A. from Yale University and an interdisciplinary MFA from Goddard College. She is currently a guest lecturer at the Seattle Film Institute on media and the environment. For more, visit www.plumbproductions.com.

Research Fellows

Cassia Cai

Research Fellow, NW Clean Energy Atlas

Cassia Cai is pursuing her doctoral in Oceanography at the University of Washington where she studies sea surface temperature variability in climate model ensembles. Previously, she received her MS in Applied Mathematics from the University of Washington in 2023 and her BA in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Northwestern University in 2021, where she first developed an interest in research, studying atmospheric tracer transport of shipping emissions. As an undergraduate student, Cassia had the opportunity to work with high schoolers in Evanston, IL to prepare to compete in the Regional Science Bowl, which she found rewarding. In addition to her interests in climate science, education, and open source science, she has an interest in energy systems. She is excited to support CETI's mission. 

In her free time, Cassia enjoys exploring Seattle by taking long walks, painting, and reading self-help books. 

Will Kammin

Research Fellow, NW Clean Energy Atlas

Will Kammin is a master’s student in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington. He is also a research fellow with the Ocean Nexus Center. His research focuses on community benefits of offshore wind energy development in the United States along the Pacific Coast. Will has an undergraduate degree in Oceanography and a Minor in Aquatic and Fisheries Science that he put to work in the NOAA Fisheries Observer Program, monitoring the health of our national fisheries stocks in Alaska. He then went on to become a manager at The North Face, where he enjoyed building teams, creating community centered programs, and promoting outdoor exploration. In his prior role, before returning to university, he managed environmental compliance, permitting, and the quality control teams at 3 factories in Bristol Bay and Ketchikan, Alaska. He hopes to help accelerate the development of clean energy in the Pacific Northwest and create policies that provide family wage jobs and reduce carbon footprints. 

In his free time, Will enjoys skiing, sailing, and bike riding to coffee shops.

Claire Buysse

Research Fellow, Clean Economy Industrial Summit

Claire Buysse is a research consultant with the Clean Energy Transition Institute, focusing on the equitable development of a clean energy workforce in the Pacific Northwest. She has a master's degree in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Washington, where she studied urban air quality and climate change and a bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the College of Saint Benedict.

Claire is currently a researcher at the International Council on Clean Transportation, where she works to inform vehicle emission standards and electrification policy in North America. Most recently, she assessed the feasibility of zero-emission trucking at the ports of Seattle and Tacoma. When she’s not working, you can find her in the dance studio, on the bus, or chasing some alpine air.

Mariah Caballero

Research Fellow, Community-Defined Decarbonization

Mariah Caballero is a Graduate Research Fellow at the Clean Energy Transition Institute and Doctoral Student in Vanderbilt University’s Community Research and Action (CRA) program. In addition to her work with CETI, Mariah contributes research to the Drinking Water Justice Lab and serves a Research and Development Intern for Sandia National Laboratories.

Previous to her time at Vanderbilt, Mariah received bachelor’s degrees in biology and geography from Vassar College. After working at the Centers for Disease Control, Mariah was employed as a data analyst for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)’s Office of Research and Development (ORD), in the Drinking Water Management Branch (DWMB).

Today, Mariah provides research and analyses to CETI’s  Community-Defined Decarbonization project (formerly Equitable Rural Building Decarbonization). Having grown up in rural Eastern Washington, Mariah’s research interests include rural and Latinx community development, equitable water and energy systems, and environmental justice.

Jade Sauvé

Research Fellow, NW Clean Energy Atlas

Jade Sauve is pursuing her doctoral in Oceanography at the University of Washington, having obtained her Master of Oceanography in December 2021. Her research investigates carbon and oxygen fluxes in the near-surface Southern Ocean using data obtained from autonomous instruments.

Before her graduate studies, she completed an undergraduate degree in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at McGill University in 2018.

In her free time, Jade enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest’s amazing outdoor opportunities, different from her native Québec, as well as baking and practicing Tai Chi.

Board

John McGarry

President

John moved to Seattle several years ago after a 25-year career as an investment banker in New York, Hong Kong, and Chicago. His most recent role was as a senior banker raising capital for US companies in the Healthcare, Consumer Products, and Retail industries. John was a Fellow in the Northwest Conservation Philanthropy Fellowship program in 2015 and serves on the board of Sightline Institute.  He is an active investor in early stage clean tech and sustainability companies and is a member of E8, an angel investing group focused on clean tech.

Outside of his environmental pursuits, John has a keen interest in music and the arts. He is a former chair of the board and Life Trustee of Interlochen Center for the Arts, an arts educational and cultural institution located in Michigan. John holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BA in Economics from Northwestern University.

Liz Thomas

Vice President & Treasurer

Liz is a partner in the K&L Gates Seattle office and a member of K&L Gates' Energy, Infrastructure, and Resources practice. Her national legal practice concentrates on a range of matters related to energy and water regulation, transactions, and project development.

She focuses on regulatory matters in mergers, asset acquisitions, and other transactions; licensing, re-licensing, and compliance for hydropower facilities; siting, permitting, and development of renewable and traditional energy facilities; conducting litigation involving energy facilities, water rights and rates, and advising clients on public policy issues.

Liz received her Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College, Phi Beta Kappa, and her law degree from Harvard Law School cum laude. She received the Best Lawyers' 2012 Seattle Energy Law Lawyer of the Year award and is the author of numerous presentations and articles on a wide range of energy issues related to her law practice.

Ross Macfarlane

Secretary

Ross is a climate and clean energy advocate who is a Director for the Sierra Club (National Board) and Climate Solutions, as well as the Clean Energy Transition Institute.  He is an Instructor at Western Washington University’s Institute for Energy Studies, where he is a founding member of the Advisory Board.  Ross was a Senior Advisor at Climate Solutions, where he managed the Business Partnership Program, advocated for strong climate and energy policy, and helped lead the successful campaign to stop coal export facilities on the West Coast. Ross also led Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest, the first stakeholder roadmap for cleaner fuels to power the next generation of flight, and has worked with aviation stakeholders on cleaner solutions in Brazil, Singapore, and around the world.

Ross brings more than 35 years of experience working on public policy and environmental issues. He was a partner at Preston Gates & Ellis (now K&L Gates) where he managed the environmental law practice and represented a wide range of public and private clients. Ross also has extensive public agency experience at the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Seattle Monorail Project, where he directed legal and environmental activities. A Northwest native, Ross is a graduate of Pomona College and the University of Washington School of Law.

Kathleen Hebert

Director

Kathleen left her position as Vice President at Microsoft in 2003 to devote her efforts to environmental issues.  She has been an active partner in Social Venture Partners, serving on grant committees, the Advocacy and Policy Committee, and as a Lead Partner.  She is on the Board of Trustees of The Nature Conservancy of Washington and was a 2015 Northwest Conservation Philanthropy Fellow with a focus on Water Sustainability. Kathleen is a member of E8, an organization of early stage investors who share a mission to accelerate the transition to a clean economy through supporting new innovation, where she has served on the Screening Committee since 2017.  

Kathleen was with Microsoft from 1988 to 2003, where she progressed through various roles from marketing and strategic planning to Vice President of software divisions. During her tenure in Microsoft Office, she was part of the leadership team that grew the Office product line from $100M to a business of over $5B in revenues. Prior to Microsoft, Kathleen was a strategy consultant with The Boston Consulting Group, working with a number of Fortune 500 businesses including machine tool robotics and construction materials.  Born in a Midwest farming family, Kathleen received a B.A. in Mathematics from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.

Bonnie Frye Hemphill

Director

Bonnie provides public affairs and clean-economy expertise forUMC, a Northwest mechanical contractor. Previously, she opened new markets for solar in the Northwest through policy, thought leadership, and business development.

Bonnie’s career started at the Northwest nonprofit Climate Solutions and includes stints working for the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Environmental & Energy Technology Council of Maine.

When Bonnie isn’t accelerating the business of commercial energy efficiency, she’s outside pursuing trails with friends, dogs, and her two young children.

Bonnie holds a BA from Middlebury College and a masters from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. At Yale, she worked for the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and helped teach a masters-level course on grassroots campaigning.

Advisory Council

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The Clean Energy Transition Institute is a Seattle, WA-based, registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 83-0644369).

You can support our work by making a tax-deductible contribution of any amount online or by mailing checks to:

1326 5th Ave, Suite 640, Seattle, WA 98101

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at info@cleantransition.org.