FERC Commissioner Suedeen Kelly Named Champion Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment Awards Top Honors

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE) today honored Maggie L. Fox, CEO and President of The Alliance for Climate Protection, as Woman of the Year. Ms. Fox, an environmental attorney, is recognized for her many years of advocacy at the Sierra Club and other organizations.

WCEE singled out Ms. Fox’s 30 years of leadership, building national grassroots movements around climate change, energy policy, public lands and water, Native American natural resource issues and agricultural reform.
Her contributions stand out among a small number of women who have raised awareness on these issues.

“I am honored to be recognized by the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment, and during the same week as International Women’s Day,” said Ms. Fox. “At a time when the issues of climate change and the environment have never been more important for our economy and our nation, we need organizations like WCEE to help more brilliant women build their careers in the clean energy field.”

“Ms. Fox’s tireless efforts at the forefront of the country’s most challenging environmental issues are unprecedented,” said Sharla Artz, WCEE President. “Her commitment and dedication are an inspiration for women in the both the energy and environmental professions.”

Each year WCEE honors a woman who has made a particular contribution to the advancement of women in the fields of energy and the environment. Past honorees include: Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, Eileen Claussen, President of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Kathleen McGinty, DEP Secretary for the State of Pennsylvania, Shelia Slocum Hollis, Managing Partner, Duane Morris LLP; The Honorable Nora Mead Brownell, FERC Commissioner; Kathryn S. Fuller, World Wildlife Fund President and Chief Executive Officer.

WCEE will also present a Champion Award to New Mexico Democrat Suedeen Kelly, who served two terms as a Commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Champion Award recognizes the importance of mentors for women professionals; it is intended to honor those individuals who have championed the advancement of women in the fields of energy and the environment. Commissioner Kelly is noted for her commitment to encouraging commercial scale renewable energy; helping to create a more reliable and secure transmission grid, and jump-starting the transition to an interactive smart grid.

“During my career at FERC, I was fortunate to work with all of the issues facing the electric industry and the natural gas industry,” she said. “I was also happy to work with extremely dedicated, well informed people – many of them women,” said Commissioner Kelly.

“WCEE members are very grateful to Ms. Kelly for her support, her guidance and her leadership over the years.
This honor recognizes her ongoing efforts to help women advance in both the energy and environmental fields,” said Ronke Luke, WCEE Vice-President. “The award is an expression of thanks from WCEE for supporting women in these growing sectors.”

WCEE will present the award to Ms. Fox and Ms. Kelly at a dinner this evening, at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C.

2010 Angel Sponsors

Robert W. Baird & Company
Exelon
Southern Company

2010 Sustaining Sponsors

AES
American Wind Energy Association
Blank and Rome LLP
Booz Allen Hamilton
Bracewell & Giuliani
Constellation Energy
Duane Morris
Energetics
Deloitte
Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition
DuPont
Exponent
FPL
Gridwise Alliance
Hogan & Hartson
Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP
ICE Energy
NCR
NEI
Pepco Holdings Inc.
PG&E Corporation
PSEG
PJM
Project Performance Corporation
Schiff Hardin
SEL
Shell
Solar Energy Industries Association
Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal LLP
United Nations Foundation
US Green Building Council
Van Ness Feldman
Washington Gas
Winston & Strawn LLP

WCEE is a non-profit, nonpartisan, policy neutral organization whose mission is to provide educational and networking opportunities for professionals in the environmental and energy fields. Members include lawyers, economists, engineers, lobbyists, scientists and other professionals from the private, public and nonprofit sectors. WCEE was founded in 1980.