About

Jeffrey Jeb Nadaner

Executive Vice President, Government & Public Affairs

Jeffrey Jeb Nadaner is the Executive Vice President of Government & Public Affairs at SAFE and the Executive Director of SAFE’s Commanding Heights of Global Transportation.

He has served in key positions in Republican and Democratic administrations, including for several Secretaries of Defense and State, and Attorneys General.  As Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy, he played a leading role in Congressional passage of the CHIPS Act.

Earlier in his career, he was the Lockheed Martin Vice President of Corporate Engineering & Technology, JINSA Executive Vice President of Government Affairs, Director of the USMC Krulak Center of Innovation, and founder of the successful start-up, Straight Trading.

He earned his Ph.D. at Yale University, J.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, and B.A. at Duke University.

Jackie Burman

Vice President, Operations and Finance

Jackie Burman is the Vice President of Operations and Finance at Securing America’s Future Energy. In this role, Jackie oversees finances, human resources, and operations for the organization.

Prior to joining SAFE, Ms. Burman spent more than 4 years in Cape Town, South Africa where she assisted a wide range of non-profit organizations in reaching their funding goals. During her time abroad, she also helped create a fundraising academy to provide young adults with the skills necessary to begin careers in development. She worked in both marketing and fundraising in DC before this.

Ms. Burman holds a Bachelor of Art’s Degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and Masters’ degrees in business administration and Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University.

Wayne Jones

Vice President for Mission and ESLC Coordinator

Wayne Jones is the Vice President for Mission and Energy Security Leadership Council Coordinator (ESLC).  In this role Wayne coordinates directly with the ESLC and facilitates their activities into the mission of SAFE.

Wayne joined SAFE after serving as the National Security Advisor for Senator Rob Portman.  In this role he was the senior Legislative Assistant to the Senator for foreign policy, national defense, intelligence, veterans’ issues and military industrial issues.

Prior to joining Senator Portman’s office, he served as a Marine infantry officer, retiring as a Colonel with 30 years of service.  During his Marine Corps service, he commanded multiple units, deployed to Iraq in support of Operations Provide Comfort and Iraqi Freedom II and as Director of the Marine Senate Liaison.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Virginia Military Institute, a Masters Degree in Operational Studies from the Marine Corps University’s School of Advanced Warfighting and a Masters Degree in National Security Studies from the National War College.

Gourang Wakade

Vice President of Development

Gourang Wakade is the Vice President of Development for SAFE and its sister organization, the Electrification Coalition (EC).

He leads a lean development team to develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy that yields sustained multi-year funding results.  Building on the success achieved to date by SAFE EC, Gourang manages a collective fundraising portfolio of $16 Million and is in charge of the overall development systems and strategy while focusing primarily on identifying, cultivating, and soliciting high net worth individuals and foundations, with particular attention on increasing unrestricted funding for both organizations.

He is an experienced fundraiser with a large and varied global network and has proven success in raising and securing multi-year six-figure plus funding commitments for complex and demanding projects across a variety of industries including non-profit, corporate finance, and higher education. Prior to SAFE, Gourang served as the Vice President of Development for the Council on Competitiveness, a non-profit membership association of CEOs, University Presidents, Labor Leaders, and National Lab Directors. In addition to managing membership, and development at the Council on Competitiveness, Gourang was the lead for the organization’s bi-annual fundraiser, the America Competes Award, that honored Business and Civic Leaders for their contributions to ensure American Competitiveness. He also produced and managed sponsorships for the organization’s Annual National Competitiveness Summit. Gourang also served as the Director of Conferences and Engagement, for the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils where he actively recruited leaders from around the world to join and fund the establishment of the organization.

Gourang has a Bachelor’s in Arts degree from the College of Wooster, Oh. He also serves on the Fundraising Committee for the Spring Gala of the Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens in Washington, DC.

Alyssa Siddiqui

Managing Director of Corporate Engagements

Alyssa Siddiqui is Managing Director of Corporate Relations at SAFE and the Electrification Coalition (EC). She is responsible for identifying and implementing innovative strategies to enhance the organizations’ profiles, expand industry partnerships, and develop new opportunities for engagement and growth. Alyssa leads corporate partnerships for the EC’s medium and heavy-duty fleet electrification work and for SAFE’s autonomous vehicle initiative. In 2021 she launched the Electrification Coalition Business Council.

Alyssa joined SAFE and the EC after over a decade at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, most recently as the Senior Director of Corporate Relations, where she led the strategy and execution of an integrated fundraising plan to achieve an annual revenue goal of over $9 million. She managed high-level corporate recruitment of new members, expanded relationships with existing clients and key stakeholders and launched the Let’s Rebuild America infrastructure initiative. Alyssa also oversaw the U.S. Chamber’s largest signature event, The Aviation Summit, held annually in Washington, DC which attracted over 900 attendees and participants, including top CEOs and industry leaders.

Alyssa began her career at the National Park Foundation working on the capital campaign for the Flight 93 National Memorial Fund. She graduated from Colby College with a Bachelors of Science in Government. She is a member of the Washington, DC chapter of Women of EVs and was named one of the Top Women in EV 2022 by The EV Summit.

Ben Prochazka

Executive Director, Electrification Coalition 

Ben joined the SAFE in October 2012 as the Director of Strategic Initiatives to help lead the Outside the Beltway Initiatives.

Ben has spent more than a decade working on environmental, human rights, and voter engagements efforts. His experience includes leadership roles as the Campaign Director for the Save Darfur Coalition, the Legislative Director for the Colorado Environmental Coalition, the Colorado State Director for the New Voters Project, and numerous public interest campaign efforts as the Western States Field Organizer for U.S.PIRG.

Prior to his experience at SAFE and the Electrification Coalition, Ben served in the role of Vice President at FieldWorks, a national political consulting firm. While at FieldWorks he led projects for a diverse group of corporate, non-profit, academic, and political clients. This included programs with SolarCity, the Environmental Defense Action Fund, and a recent joint pilot with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of California at Berkeley – Hass School of Business – to test encouragement models for federally funded low income weatherization.

Before joining FieldWorks, Ben served as the lobbyist for the Colorado Environmental Coalition (CEC) a statewide group representing more than 100 environmental, public health, and religious organizations. As lobbyist Ben was responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of the conservation community agenda at the legislature. During Ben’s two years with CEC, the conservation community passed over 100 “pro-conservation” bills including several first-in-the-nation efforts.

Ben also directed successful field and fundraising programs for national campaigns on behalf of The Save Darfur Coalition, The Genocide Prevention Project, the Human Rights Campaign, Dream for D

Allanté Whitmore

Director, Autonomous Vehicle Initiative

Allanté Whitmore completed a Joint Ph.D. in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. She brings autonomous vehicle technology and policy expertise from researching the environmental, equity, economic, and ethical impacts of autonomous vehicles. During her tenure at CMU, Allanté was awarded multiple fellowships including the K&L Gates Presidential Fellow and Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship in addition to interning at Argonne National Laboratory.  Whitmore also was a member of the Pittsburgh Micromobility Collective and AV Policy Advisory Group.

Jeffrey Gerlach

Vice President, Energy & Transportation Policy

Jeff Gerlach is a Senior Policy Analyst at Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE), where he supports the research, writing, and content development of SAFE’s policy team. Prior to joining SAFE, Jeff worked at a management consulting firm, where he supported the Department of Energy’s Office of Petroleum Reserves and Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. He previously interned and consulted for SAFE in 2013, contributing to the Oil Security Index and the Commission on Energy and Geopolitics’ Oil Security 2025. Additionally, he worked on multiple political campaigns in Minnesota and completed a year of service in AmeriCorps.

Mr. Gerlach received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Anthropology from the University of St. Thomas in 2011 and his Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago in 2014.

Abigail Wulf

Vice President and Director, Center for Critical Minerals Strategy

Abigail Wulf is the Director of the Ambassador Alfred Hoffman, Jr. Center for Critical Minerals Strategy at SAFE. Abigail brings broad Earth science expertise to the Center, from researching rare earth- and lithium-rich pegmatites to working with NASA researchers to convey the connections between Earth’s component systems. She previously served as Senior Science Communicator for Research within NASA’s Earth Science Division. She also served as Policy Manager for the American Geosciences Institute, a nonpartisan federation of more than 50 professional scientific societies. While at AGI, Abigail co-led the Minerals Science and Information Coalition, a broad-based alliance of organizations representing all stages of the critical minerals supply chain.

Joe Quinn

Vice President of Strategic Industrial Materials

Joe Quinn leads the Center for Strategic Industrial Materials, a new policy initiative dedicated to advancing more secure and sustainable supply chains for aluminum and other industrial materials critical to America’s national and economic security.  Quinn is developing a framework designed to ensure resilient and domestic aluminum production. 

Prior to joining SAFE, Quinn served as the Vice President of External Affairs & Industry Relations at the Aluminum Association. He raised the industry’s profile, created the Congressional Aluminum Caucus, set new membership records, and served as a strategic advisor to the industry on trade and energy issues.  

Previously, Quinn worked at public relations firms positioning organizations favorably with key opinion leaders to advance policy initiatives. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Public Affairs Council. A Cincinnati native, he received his B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina.  

Peter Flory

Senior Fellow

A former senior Pentagon official, Peter has advised the Defense Department, U.S. Navy, and private industry on topics ranging from semiconductors — including development of the 2020 CHIPS Act — to management and organization, and strategy toward China.  He previously served as an Assistant Secretary of Defense, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment, and Special Counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and worked in industry as Vice President, International for QinetiQ North America.  Peter holds a J.D. from Georgetown and an Honors B.A. from McGill University.

Thayer Scott

Vice President, Public Affairs

Thayer Scott is a writer and consultant focusing on national security-related policy, technology, and energy issues.  Previously he worked in communications and government affairs positions for The Boeing Company and Lockheed Martin. From 2004 to 2011 he served in the U.S. Department of Defense, the last four years as Chief Speechwriter for Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Earlier he was communications director for the International Republican Institute, an independent organization promoting democratic governance overseas. Mr. Scott has a B.A. from Princeton University and a M.S. from University of California-Berkeley. After college he served on active duty in the U.S. Army as a Field Artillery officer.

Marla Westervelt

Vice President, Policy, Coalition for Reimagined Mobility

Marla Westervelt joined the Coalition for Reimagined Mobility as the Director of Policy in February 2021. Marla has spent her career contemplating the intersection of the public and private sectors in driving towards mobility outcomes that are in the public interest. With nearly a decade worth of experience in the transportation sector, Marla spent her early career working at the Eno Center for Transportation, where she led research efforts from reforming air traffic control governance to rethinking the way we pay for infrastructure in the U.S. From there she headed to LA Metro, where she was a founding member of the Office of Extraordinary Innovation, leading research efforts. She then left to be an early member of Bird Rides, leading global data sharing policy and government facing business development efforts. Most recently, Marla helped in the initial business development of MobilityData.This broad wealth of experiences uniquely positions Marla to drive a thoughtful and rigorous research agenda, exploring and seeking to define the future of mobility.

Ron Minsk

Senior Advisor

Bridget Dunn

Director of Communications

Martez Taylor

Executive Assistant

Ladeene Freimuth

Senior Advisor, Grid Security Project

Danielle Woodring

Manager, Ambassador Alfred Hoffman, Jr. Center for Critical Minerals Strategy

Danielle Woodring is the Manager of the Ambassador Alfred Hoffman, Jr. Center for Critical Minerals Strategy at SAFE. Danielle brings real-world geological and science policy expertise to the Center. After obtaining her Master of Science in structural geology and geological mapping, Danielle worked as a geologist for the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Geological Survey, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Prior to her master’s research, she served as a Policy Associate for the American Geosciences Institute and worked for the American Geophysical Union. Her multi-faceted career provides her with insights into the science and policies informing all aspects of the critical minerals supply chain, from discovery and extraction to development and manufacturing.

Medina O’Rourke

Manager of Grants and Development Research

Zoe Oysul

Policy Analyst, SAFE

Ashley Simmons

Vice President, Communications, Coalition for Reimagined Mobility

Ashley Simmons joined the Coalition for Reimagined Mobility as its Director of Strategic Communications in March 2021. Representing a cross-section of industry, public sector and academic leaders, the Commission is shaping a comprehensive new vision of transportation policy that enables technology to foster more inclusive and accessible communities, and the safe, secure and clean movement of people and goods.

With more than a decade of experience specializing in public relations and public affairs, she’s developed winning communications strategies that elevate reputations, shape advocacy efforts and expand global influence. An expert in strategic communications, Ashley is also the Founder and CEO of REVVIT Public Relations – a consultancy that provides counsel on media strategies and integrated communications campaigns to educate the public and policymakers on technology centric legislative and regulatory policy issues.

Before joining Reimagined Mobility, Simmons led communications teams at advocacy organizations representing the technology, telecommunications and transportation industries. As vice president for External Communications at the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), Simmons transformed and modernized TIA’s communications function to develop integrated strategies and data-driven campaigns that framed key policy debates on supply chain security, spectrum allocation, net neutrality and broadband deployment, and elevated issues important to the telecom standards and technology community. Under her leadership, TIA grew it’s reach and the impact of its work to deliver exceptional member value.

Earlier in her career, Simmons spent three years as director of communications for the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), where she oversaw cross-functional marketing, events and communications and led a successful campaign for the ITS World Congress in Detroit, Michigan. Prior, she was an account director and digital media consultant for the David All Group and cultivated her PR and media relations skills as communications manager for the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) and with the Motion Picture Association. Before coming to the nation’s capital, Simmons held communications advisory roles for mayoral and county political campaigns in her hometown of Buffalo, New York.

Simmons earned a Master of Arts in Media and Public Affairs from the School of Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington University, and Bachelor of Arts in Public Communication with a minor in Political Science from SUNY Buffalo State College.

Rachel Aland

Program Manager, Freight, Coalition for Reimagined Mobility

Rachel is Transportation Policy and Strategy Manager with the Coalition for Reimagined Mobility. Throughout her 10+ years of experience as a transportation planner/economist, she has advised governments, private investors, and international institutions on solutions to transportation issues in both the US and Asia. Rachel brings to Reimagined Mobility expertise in freight, aviation, cross-border infrastructure investment, and public-private partnerships.

Prior to joining Reimagined Mobility, Rachel was a Principal Consultant with CPCS, a freight-focused, Canadian-headquartered transportation strategy consulting firm. There she led C/AV and EV business development efforts and managed freight-related analyses throughout the US including the Southern California Freight Strategy, Texas-Mexico Border Transportation Master Plan, Ohio State Freight Plan, and North/West Passage Freight Task Force, among others. Before CPCS, Rachel spent four years in Singapore working for the World Bank’s Infrastructure, PPP, and Guarantees team as well as AECOM. During her time in Asia she advised governments on regulatory and institutional changes to mobilize private sector resources, helped launch a pipeline of infrastructure projects for the ASEAN Secretariat, and led an autonomous vehicle system planning and implementation study for a densely population innovation district in Singapore, among other projects. She also has prior US-based experience producing research and analysis on a broad range of transportation policy and strategic initiatives in aviation, transit, and transportation safety.

In previous roles in transportation consulting and working for international organizations, Rachel has collaborated with diverse partners and clients on complex transportation strategy projects and believes in the power of clear, concise, and visually interesting communication of recommendations through reports, presentations, and community meetings.

Rachel holds a Master of City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Brown University.

Dominic Mathew

Manager, Shared Mobility Policy, Coalition for Reimagined Mobility

Ellery Saluck

Chief of Staff

Allison Shane

Critical Minerals Research Fellow

David Schneider

Programming and Policy Associate

Will Drier

Policy Manager

Will is a policy manager for the EC Policy Program. His work is focused on conducting research and analysis to help leaders and decision makers create ambitious policy opportunities to advance the EV market.

Before joining the Electrification Coalition, Will worked as an EV Research Analyst with Navigant Research, a market research and consulting firm. While there, he led the Commercial Transportation Electrification research suite, providing qualitative and quantitative market analysis and technical insights. Prior to his work at Navigant, Will served as a Program Manager for Smart Commute Metro North, working with local stakeholders to drive behavior changes and reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips.

Will holds a Master of Public Administration from the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from the University of Idaho.

Jared Walker

Technical Lead, Fleet Electrification

Jared Walker is the Technical Lead of Fleet Electrification at the EC where he is responsible for providing technical fleet management and operational support to the team. With 10+ years in fleet management at LeasePlan, a global leader in mobility, he is well equipped to support the effort to electrify private and public fleets. Having held multiple positions at LeasePlan, Jared’s experience is varied and diverse. From providing lease services to large industrial corporations to single-vehicle leases for small businesses, he provides creative solutions that fit the needs of the customer. Jared is based in Atlanta, GA and has a BA in Corporate Communications from Duquesne University.

Isabelle Dupraz

Policy Associate

Isabelle Dupraz joined the Coalition for Reimagined Mobility as a Policy Associate in September 2021. Prior to joining Reimagined Mobility, Isabelle trained and practiced as an urban planning consultant, both in Great Britain and the United States. Following her undergraduate studies, she joined Turnberry Planning as an Assistant Planner, where she supported the development of University redevelopment projects and masterplanned New Towns in Scotland. During her graduate studies, Isabelle worked on the launch of a major initiative to reimagine obsolete transportation infrastructure in New York State with Buro Happold and advised Rhode Island Department of Transportation on micromobility policy. Most recently, as a freelance consultant, she advised Manna Drone Delivery on physical and regulatory go-to-market strategy and worked with DUCKT on communications and government relations strategy. Isabelle serves as Deputy Director of Programs for the Young Professionals in Transportation Network in Western Europe. She is excited to continue her work on transportation policy, a field that she sees as foundational in facilitating and scaling socio-economic and environmental impact globally.

Kaitlyn Meuser

Communications and Content Manager

Kaitlyn Meuser joined the Coalition for Reimagined Mobility as Communications and Content Manager in January 2022. She brings years of experience in communications, marketing, digital strategy, social media management, and content creation. She has a passion for telling the stories of how transportation affects our lives – and the need to make the system more equitable, sustainable, and accessible for everyone.

Before joining Reimagined Mobility, Kaitlyn spent nearly four years as the Digital Marketing Specialist at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) where she created and implemented the association’s digital strategy and supported the marketing initiatives for 17 unique programs as well as two federally funded centers providing resources in everything from the environment, operations, workforce development, and finance to the 52 state departments of transportation across the United States, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. She has also worked for United Cerebral Palsy, one of the oldest disability rights organizations in the U.S., where she supported a variety of communications and marketing efforts, which included raising awareness around the need for more equitable and accessible transportation for people with disabilities.

Kaitlyn holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. A native of North Carolina, she calls Washington, D.C. home. When she’s not working, you can often find her in the kitchen trying out new recipes, exploring the outdoors, or flipping through vinyl at her local record store.

Kim Watts

Program Manager, Passenger Transportation

Kim is Passenger Transportation Program Manager at the Coalition for Reimagined Mobility. She brings many years of varied international experience in legal practice, academic research, the non-profit sector, regulatory projects and consulting.

Prior to joining Reimagined Mobility, Kim was a Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Antwerp’s Faculty of Law, and the recipient of a foreign researcher scholarship from Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). Her doctoral research was an international study of alternative liability systems and their application to mobility developments, including automated vehicles and micromobility. Before this, she worked in Ireland for the Public Interest Law Alliance, a special multi-stakeholder project of FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centres).  There, she managed specialist legal and digital projects, coordinated communications strategy and helped develop funding and development strategy. She also spent time working on a project for Ireland’s competition law regulator, adapting European Union regulations into domestic law. She also has extensive experience as an independent legal, communications and strategy consultant for clients in Europe, Asia and the Pacific.  As a New Zealand-qualified barrister and solicitor, Kim began her career as a lawyer at the firms Simpson Grierson and Russell McVeagh. There she worked on complex litigation, competition (antitrust) and regulatory matters.

Kim holds a PhD in Law from the University of Antwerp, Belgium. She also holds a Master of Laws in Commercial Law (First Class Honours) and a Bachelor of Law/Bachelor of Arts from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Her diverse career and life spent in Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania is what drives her interest in finding solutions to humanity’s biggest challenges in transport.

Chris Blast

Director, EV Infrastructure Investments

Chris Bast is the Director of EV Infrastructure Investments for the Electrification Coalition. He leads the organization’s work to manage and support federally funded charging infrastructure and EV deployment projects at the state and local levels.

Prior to joining the EC, Chris served as chief deputy director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. He provided strategic communications and policy support for the agency and worked across the Northam Administration to advance a comprehensive climate agenda. His work included transportation decarbonization, environmental justice, climate policy, and carbon markets.

Chris received his undergraduate degree from James Madison University, where he currently serves on the Political Science Alumni Board. He received his MPA from Seattle University.

Marie McConnell

Campaigns Organizer 

Marie is a Campaigns Organizer for the Electrification Coalition. She mobilizes EV stakeholders and advocates in the EC’s accelerator states around various electrification campaigns and policy opportunities.

Prior to joining the EC Marie was the Organizing Manager for Drive Electric Ohio. There she oversaw 6 community-based EV advocacy groups and worked with them to conduct consumer education, encourage development of EV charging, and address local and state policy. Beyond advancing EV adoption in Ohio, Marie supported Drive Electric USA, a DOE Clean Cities Coalition partnership that established similar ‘Drive Electric’ programs in 14 states.

Steve King

Sr. Manager, Freight Electrification

Steve King is Senior Manager of Freight Electrification for the Electrification Coalition. He works with industry leaders like Nestlé, FedEx, Meijer and Volvo to reduce the sector’s reliance on petroleum fuels.

Prior to joining the EC Steve’s previous work centered on workforce development, sustainability, entrepreneurship and equity. He is the founder and former CEO of the Barack Obama Green Charter High School, New Jersey’s first charter high school focused on sustainability. He also developed and managed a Union County, N.J., workforce development program focused on conservation, climate change and clean energy skills. As a community organizer, King worked on environmental justice issues in New York City, focusing on health impacts of diesel emissions from bus and truck depots in Black and Brown communities. He interned at the Hong Kong Transport Department’s sustainability unit, where he worked to reduce petroleum use in passenger buses.

Andrea McCarthy

Program Manager

Andrea McCarthy is a Program Manager for the Electrification Coalition (EC). She supports programs that assist municipalities’ and communities’ efforts to expand adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and related infrastructure. Prior to joining the EC, Andrea spent a little over eight years working to implement alternative fuels, advanced vehicles, and fuel-saving strategies with stakeholders at a local level through the U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities Coalitions in Connecticut.

Before her time working in transportation and alternative fuels, Andrea completed an AmeriCorps term addressing hunger relief efforts in Washington, D.C. and served In AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps in the Pacific Region accomplishing wildfire fuels reduction strategies. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Purdue University.

Celia Kosinski

Policy Analyst

Celia Kosinski is an EV policy analyst for the Electrification Coalition policy program. Her focus is on policy research and analysis to support ongoing work in the EC’s accelerator states, in addition to contributing to the development of EC policy recommendations to strengthen the case for transportation electrification. As a Connecticut native, Celia has previously worked in the energy sector through local advocacy measures at the city and town level, along with leading educational environmental programs. Celia holds a Master’s in Energy and Environmental Management and Geographic Information Systems from the University of Connecticut, and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont.

Sarah Fischer

Electric Vehicle Specialist

Sarah Fischer is an Electric Vehicle Specialist for the Electrification Coalition. Her work is focused on supporting the Climate Mayor’s EV Purchasing Collaborative in facilitating fleet electrification across the country.

She has worked in energy and alternative fuels since 2015, most recently completing an AmeriCorps term serving at the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability.  At OES, she helped implement an energy management system for 400+ municipal utility accounts and assisted in the creation of an electric vehicle educational program called EV Cincy. Prior to that, Sarah also worked in LEED for Homes consulting, nonprofit communications and event planning, and energy efficiency program management. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Science in Sustainability Economics & Business and a minor in Nonprofit Management from the Ohio State University.

Sincerrai Gentry

RAY Fellow

Sincerrai joins the EC as one of our two Roger Arliner Young (RAY) Clean Energy Fellows. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2020 with a degree in environmental engineering. She interned with the Ohio Kentucky Indiana (OKI) Regional Council of Governments, where she contributed to its 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan. She comes to the EC Programs team with technical skills in GIS and data analysis and a personal passion for increased transportation access.

Torin Spencer

Electric Vehicle Specialist

Torin Spencer is an Electric Vehicle Specialist for the Electrification Coalition. His work is focused on supporting the American Cities Climate Challenge in Orlando as well as working directly with Orlando Utilities Commission on customer electric vehicle adoption.

Torin has been in the automotive sector for the last few years. He has been a sales representative at two Orlando area auto dealerships and worked directly with the public. In years prior, he assisted with conservation projects as a zoologist with the Walt Disney Company. Torin is a native Floridian originally from Tampa. He graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science.

Cher Griffith Taylor

Outreach and Engagement Organizer

Cher Griffith Taylor joins the EC with over 7 years of experience in the energy sector, particularly on enhancing access, affordability, and the transition to a sustainable energy economy. She previously led grid modernization advocacy in Maryland for a national nonprofit, leveraging the collective power of the state’s public-interest, community-based, and environmental action organizations to influence regulators on grid investments that support distributed energy solutions — including transportation electrification. Her advocacy has increasingly focused on ensuring equitable access to the benefits of investments in emissions-free transportation.

Prior to that, Cher spent several years living in Jamaica, where she co-founded a consulting firm to support international development projects in the island’s energy sector. Her work in the Caribbean similarly focused on the transition to clean energy, reducing illegal resource abstraction, and enhancing energy access and affordability. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Middlebury College in Vermont.

Anne Blair

Policy Director

Anne serves as the EC’s policy director, with a focus on promoting policies and programs that will transform the transportation sector. Prior to joining EC, Anne was the Director of Energy Efficient Transportation at the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, overseeing strategy, programming and outreach for all of SEEA’s transportation initiatives. Before SEEA, Anne worked at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) as its clean fuels director, working on transportation and clean energy policy for fifteen years. She has also previously worked at The Coca-Cola Company, The Fund for Public Interest Research, Americorps and the River Network. She serves on multiple boards including the EV Club of the South, Mothers and Others for Clean Air and EarthShare of Georgia. Anne holds a bachelor’s degree from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, and a Master’s degree in environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School. When not working on environmental and energy issues, she enjoys hiking, cycling, traveling, reading, drinking IPAs and spending time with her son, husband, Australian Shepherd and friends.

Sarah Reed

Sr. Program Manager

Sarah Reed is a senior program manager at the Electrification Coalition. She is responsible for guiding public and private fleets through the transition to electric vehicles and specifically supports the EC’s Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative. Sarah was previously a program coordinator for the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), where she managed NARC’s largest federal grant, Fleets for the Future. Sarah coordinated the project which made alternative fuel vehicle procurement more affordable and streamlined for public fleets. She also tracked legislative issues that matter to NARC’s members, including transportation and economic development.

Prior to NARC, Sarah completed an environmental planning internship with a consulting firm working on large public infrastructure projects. Ms. Reed also worked at the National Center for Sustainable Transportation organizing research releases and information sharing between researchers and policy makers. She has a B.S. in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning from the University of California, Davis.

Logan Rains

Campaigns Organizer

Logan Rains is a campaigns organizer for the Electrification Coalition (EC), working in the EC’s accelerator states, helping increase community support for accelerated adoption of EVs. He is a native of Eastern North Carolina and is based in Raleigh. Logan has nearly a decade of experience working in advocacy, state government, and electoral politics. Before working at the EC, Logan worked on the state and local levels to increase voter’s access to the ballot box. Logan believes in the power of storytelling and its role in building stronger communities, changing political opinions, and impacting public policy. He is a graduate of Elon University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

Brianna Baker

Communications Associate

Brianna is a Communications Associate at the Electrification Coalition. She has written for local and national publications about solutions to environmental problems, with an emphasis on the human stories behind them. Most recently, she spent a year as a reporting fellow at digital magazine Grist. In that role, she helped to shape its new Fix program, which combines storytelling, networks, and events to inspire climate action.

Dakoury Good-Solo

RAY Fellow

Dakoury Godo-Solo (he/him) is a Roger Arliner Young (RAY) Clean Energy Fellow joining the EC’s policy team. He will be supporting the EC’s policy and advocacy work at the federal and state levels. Prior to working at the Electrification Coalition, Dakoury was an intern at the US Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office. Since then, Dakoury has wholeheartedly pursued his passion for energy and energy efficiency. As part of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s (ACEEE) Summer Study Proceedings, he co-authored a report examining the nexus of energy efficiency and resilience in buildings.

Dakoury graduated from American University with a BS in Environmental Science. In addition to energy, he has an interest in global food systems. In his free time, Dakoury can be found biking around DC, cooking, or listening to audiobooks.

Matt Stephens-Rich

Sr. Program Manager

Matt has worked in transportation, energy, and alternative fuels since 2012 at the local, state, and federal levels and serves the EC as a senior program manager. Matt worked as Electric Vehicle Specialist for the Smart Columbus program, and coordinates various electric vehicle fleet deployments and charging initiatives, while also providing insight to consumer adoption. Collectively, these efforts help Columbus achieve a Smart City status that has reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector through electrification and decarbonization.

Prior to joining the Electrification Coalition, Matt served as Project Manager at Clean Fuels Ohio, the nation’s largest U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Clean Cities Coalition.  In this role, Matt helped hundreds of fleets across Ohio cut their dependency on petroleum through deployment of alternative fuel and fuel efficient technologies, helping secure over $25 million in state and federal grant funding through the process. Matt was also a lead grant writer for the City of Columbus’ Smart City Challenge Grant Application. Matt holds a Masters in Public Administration from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University with a focus in Energy Policy, and a B.A. in Communication with Public Relations Certification from the University of Cincinnati.

Aaron Viles

Campaigns Director

Aaron Viles is the campaigns director for the Electrification Coalition, focused on helping accelerate community efforts to increase adoption of EVs. He is based in Lexington, KY.  With over 20 years of experience in advocacy, Aaron comes to the EC from a stint in electoral politics, recently working with the Kentucky Democratic Party. Aaron brings experience with environmental, energy, and online advocacy to the EC team. He is currently the volunteer chair of the board of directors of Healthy Gulf, a New Orleans-based regional environmental group.