Thank you so much for joining us in honoring Doreen Harris at our Celebrate the Tri-State benefit, Abby Hopper!
Last night, I had the honor of introducing a visionary, a woman who is a model for us all as a leader, colleague, and friend. Here’s what I said: Thank you to the Regional Plan Association for inviting me to introduce my friend, a fierce leader, and tonight’s Making it Happen award recipient, NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen Harris. Doreen and I met about a decade ago, when I too was working in state government, trying to make big things happen. I knew the first time I met Doreen that she was the real deal. First, Doreen is brilliant. As an engineer and business professional, she understands the technological challenges and the requisite market conditions necessary to make this transformation in how we fuel our world. She is a visionary. It was apparent in my first engagement that she understood the enormity of the task ahead. She was committed to “making it happen.” See what I did. She is wise. Which is different than brilliant. Yet she's both. She was wise, early on in this work, to recognize that we can not leave any community behind in this transition. And she centered equity in her work, long before many in our industry talked about it. Let’s talk about what Doreen has done. 1st, she was in New Scotland just this morning, celebrating New York State’s achievement of its 6 GW of distributed solar ONE YEAR EARLY. Today, renewables make up 53% of New York’s operating portfolio. This doesn’t just have implications for the thousands of New Yorkers who benefit from that growth, it also continues the state’s position as a leader in the clean energy transition. As New York goes, so goes the country. Similarly, with regard to offshore wind, she and NYSERDA have led the way to ensuring that New York state takes big bold action and “makes things happen.” They’re targeting 9 GW of offshore wind installed by 2035. 2nd, during her tenure, Doreen has overseen incredible growth of Team NYSERDA. The organization has been around for almost 50 years, it’s at the forefront of climate and energy policy in the world. Over the past 10 years, NYSERDA has increased its staff by 70%, including hiring 80+ new colleagues this year alone. This woman is running a huge and wildly successful enterprise. Don’t forget that amid the policy accomplishments. 3rd, Doreen plays a pivotal role in building the next generation of leaders. She has served as a mentor and role model to so many people at NYSERDA, in the clean energy industry, and around the country. Her impact is evident far beyond the policy wins. Lastly, there honestly aren’t many women, let alone women also parenting children, in roles as impactful as Doreen’s. As a fellow mom and leader, I personally want to thank Doreen for being a shining example of what a committed professional, servant leader, fierce business leader, and mom of many, looks like. Thank you for showing up in all the ways that you do. Each of us appreciates your work, and every New Yorker is better for the work you have done.