BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Interested in stepping up your game by stepping into leadership? Check out these open Board of Director positions on the Volunteer page and submit your application.
Anita Gavini – Finance Committee
Anita is currently a Business Development Manager for a local environmental services firm. Her prior experience spans over 10 years in various supply chain operations and strategy positions at Ford Motor Company and Target Corporation, as well as management consulting. Passionate about sustainability from both a social and environmental perspective, Anita volunteers actively with the GRID Alternatives International Program (energy access/sustainable development) as well as the North South Foundation (educational programming). She holds a Masters in Sustainability from Harvard University Extension School, a MBA from Duke University, and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Distribution Management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In her free time she loves to hike, travel, and compete on a local dragon boat team.
Robin Milshtein – Membership Committee, Business Development
Robin is an engineer turned investment and business development leader in climate tech, and is an avid proponent of engaging women in STEM careers and tough tech companies. As Director of Business Development at New Sun Road, Robin leads commercial activities related to microgrid control, monitoring and optimization. Over her career spanning multiple companies, Robin has served in a variety of functions including R&D, business development, sales, strategic marketing, and corporate venture capital. At the corporate venture arm of Saint-Gobain she led investments in early stage startups related to the industrial energy transition. She holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Union College and an MS in Materials Science & Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Sapna Dixit – Marketing Committee Co-Chair
Sapna Dixit currently works at Peninsula Clean Energy as Strategic Accounts Manager, where she develops partnerships with major Commercial and Industrial customers in order to support their clean energy and sustainability goals. She previously worked for Pacific Gas & Electric Company, where she was part of the Sustainable Communities program, supporting local governments in climate action planning efforts. She was also instrumental in the development of the utility’s Economic Development program, which was focused on creating jobs in California in multiple industries including renewable energy and sustainable technologies. Sapna holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from U.C.L.A. and her interest in clean energy inspired her to pursue her M.B.A from San Francisco State University, where she did an emphasis in Sustainable Business. She has a passion for innovative technology-based solutions for climate change. In addition to WCS, Sapna has volunteered for multiple education and women’s rights organizations.
Vasudha Lathey – Career Development Committee Co-Chair
Vasudha brings over 20 years of clean energy and sustainability domain expertise and consulting experience to the WCS board. Vasudha’s career has been driven by a passion and commitment to develop solutions that create a sustainable future for our planet. She has spearheaded clean energy and sustainability solutions for high-profile clients including Fortune 500 companies, major utilities, federal, state, and local governments, international funding agencies, and clean energy startups. Vasudha currently works as a Director at Olivine and is responsible for Olivine’s Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Community programs- designed to create grid resilience, GHG emission reductions and financial value for customers. She holds a Ph.D. in Urban-Environmental Planning, M.S. Building Design and a Bachelors in Environmentally Conscious Architecture.
Kathleen O’Melinn – Board Member
Kathleen leads corporate environmental initiatives for a public sector organization of 5,000 employees based in British Columbia, Canada. She manages sustainability reporting, ESG strategy and supports the social impact strategy. Kathleen is part of a nimble team that act as intrapreneurs within a well-established organization, collaborating with cross-functional teams, the government and stewardship organizations to set targets and build strategies. She is well versed in developing and growing tailored environmental programs and graduated with her MBA in Sustainable Business Practices from the University of Oregon in 2018.
Tracy Huynh – Marketing Committee Co-Chair
Tracy is a licensed Professional Engineer and currently a Senior Associate at RMI’s Carbon-Free Building Program where she leverages her expertise in structural engineering, mass timber construction and Life Cycle Assessment analyses to focus on reducing carbon embodied in building materials. Before that, she worked in New York City as a structural engineer and project manager specializing in complex, freeform structures, mass timber buildings and sustainable designs that were structurally efficient and optimized material use. She later moved to Vancouver, BC and led the research, development, and prototyping of prefabricated mass timber building components to support the advancement of industrialized construction. She earned her B.Sc. Degree in Civil Engineering at Rice University and her M.Sc. Degree in Civil Engineering at Princeton University. She’s an avid defender for social and environmental justice and leverages her leadership to advocate for positive change.
Lael Giebel – Events Committee Co-Chair
Lael has 13 years of sustainability experience, and is currently the Director of Global Sustainability at KnowBe4, where she manages the organization’s global sustainability program across 12 countries. Inspired by her lifelong passion for environmental conservation, she became a LEED AP in 2009, and received her MBA in Sustainability in 2011. As a certified TRUE Advisor, Lael is trained in zero waste management to help organizations meet waste goals and cut their carbon footprint. She is also an Envision Sustainability Professional, Green Globes Professional, and Certified Climate Change Ambassador. She is interested in holistic approaches to sustainability that integrate environmentally friendly practices into all facets of life and livelihoods.
Caroline Trowbridge – Events Committee Co-Chair
Caroline has five years of experience in renewable energy finance, having worked on a wide range of infrastructure assets including C&I energy efficiency retrofits at an early-stage start-up, Metrus Energy, and utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage at an established developer, Leeward Renewable Energy. Caroline is now focused on offshore wind at Ørsted as a Senior Financial Analyst.
Alongside her day job, Caroline is passionate about helping women advance their cleantech careers. She has sat on the board of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability for three years as the Co-Chair of the Events Committee, introducing virtual programming during the pandemic, hosting industry experts, and moderating panels in San Francisco. Caroline moved to Copenhagen in 2022 and is now leading the launch of WCS in Europe.
She holds a BA in Mathematics from Middlebury College.