4-Part Webinar Series
“A Clean Energy Workforce that Represents Everyone”
Co-hosts of webinar series:
- Colorado Energy Research Collaboratory
- Colorado Solar & Storage Association (COSSA)
- Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES)
- Holy Cross Energy
- American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABA)
Webinar logistical host and contact: Maury Dobbie, Executive Director, Colorado Energy Research Collaboratory [email protected] 970-682-5707 (cell/text)
Webinar series description: This four-part webinar series will focus on diversity, equity and inclusion to help employers retain and hire the future generation of clean energy employees. The four webinars are free for live viewing or watching re-posted videos. You will hear from experts working on how to create the pipeline of workers for the future, why a diverse workforce will increase your bottom line, how to give others an opportunity to succeed, and opportunities to engage with organizations both non-profit and for-profit who are sharing best practices.
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Workforce Part 4: “Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Industry case studies in the clean energy field”
This 60-minute webinar featured successful inclusion and diversity programs inside companies, why they work, and how it helps their bottom line. Experts in specific companies in multiple fields talked about their hands-on experience. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the oil and gas extraction industry is 90 percent white, while the utility industry is 85 percent white. White men currently dominate the solar and wind industry. Adopting equitable hiring practices is the start, but ensuring all employees are included in decision making is fundamental to retaining those talented individuals. The conversation between the webinar speakers was inspirational and an excellent example of respectful and inclusive dialog.
Original webinar date: Tuesday Dec 1, 2020
If you haven’t registered, please do so by clicking here
Click here to watch free re-posted video
Moderator: Bill Kindred, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL)
Click here for NREL Research Tech Program flier
Speakers:
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- (recruiting into the trades) Justin Peterson, McCarthy Construction
- (how to measure inclusion in utilities) Baird McKevitt, Director—Inclusion and Diversity, Xcel Energy
- (solar workforce) Taz Romine-Mann, Co-Owner, Fleet & Facilities Supervisor, Namasté speaker
**********************************************Speaker Bios**********************************************************
Bill Kindred
Diversity & Inclusion Officer
National Renewable Energy Lab
Bill Kindred is the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) inaugural Director of diversity and inclusion. Prior to working at NREL, Bill was also the inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Officer at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, a Department of Defense federally funded research and development center with approximately 4000 employees. He also worked for Lockheed Martin in all aspects of Human Resources, including Diversity and Inclusion. Bill is a retired military veteran and a Colorado native. He has an MBA from MIT, MS in Human Resources Development from Villanova and a BS in Journalism from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Baird McKevitt
Director of Inclusion
Diversity at Xcel Energy
Baird started at Xcel Energy in 2006 as an intern in Distribution Engineering. Baird has spent time in Distribution Engineering, Distribution Design, on Productivity through Technology in a Change Management role & working on Change Management strategies for other strategic initiatives. Baird graduated from the University of Colorado – Boulder with a degree in Electrical Engineering & University of Colorado – Denver with an MBA & a Masters in Finance. Baird is married, with 4 kids & enjoys golfing, the outdoors & volunteering. Baird is on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement Rocky Mountain, spent 6 years on the Board of Directors of Attention Homes & is a youth coach for Broomfield Soccer & Thunder Baseball.
Justin Peterson
VP Operations
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
With more than 24 years of experience in the construction industry, Justin is responsible for the safety, quality and staffing of all McCarthy projects in Colorado including the now-underway Bighorn Solar 1 project in Pueblo. With experience managing 20 projects totaling over 400MW in Colorado, he also is in charge of identifying and managing new business prospects as McCarthy continues to grow the Colorado office. He is highly focused on engaging with the construction market as a whole to develop and maintain strategic partnerships throughout the industry locally, regionally and nationally.
Taz Romine-Mann
Co-Owner and Fleet & Facilities Supervisor
Namasté Solar
Taz Romine-Mann is a Co-Owner and the Fleet and Facilities Supervisor at Namasté Solar. With a background in engineering and 8+ years of experience in transportation, logistics, and asset management, he brings a process and value-driven approach to problem solving. His major projects include simultaneously locating, acquiring, designing, and managing the buildout of two new office/warehouses; re-imagining Namasté Solar’s fleet of install vehicles; envisioning, driving, and planning Art + Sol, a community cultural celebration of the Sun Valley neighborhood in Denver, CO. As a leader in the organization, he is committed to the idea that the “how” is as important as the “what” and drives community-centered processes that create high levels of engagement, empower diverse perspectives, and deliver effective results.