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STAFF
Carrie Cullen Hitt – President
Ms. Cullen Hitt comes to the Solar Alliance with more than fifteen years of energy industry experience. Prior to joining the Solar Alliance Ms. Cullen Hitt served as Vice President, Renewable Products for Constellation Energy. In this role, she developed programs and capabilities to help customers manage their business’ impact on the environment through greenhouse gas reducing activities, including purchasing renewable power. She also served as Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs. From 1999 - 2001, she worked at Green Mountain Energy Resources as Director of Regional Business Development.
Ms. Cullen Hitt has also held positions among a diverse set of energy-focused organizations, including assistant director of the Harvard Electricity Policy Group. She also served as an analyst to the Joint Committee on Energy of the Massachusetts Legislature and served as consultant during discussions on the 1997 Energy Restructuring Act in that State. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York and the Advisory Council for the Massachusetts Renewable Trust. She has also authored numerous articles and papers focusing on how companies can incorporate green purchasing strategies into their energy portfolios. She is a graduate of Clark University and earned her masters in international affairs from Johns Hopkins University.
Sara Birmingham – Director, Western Policy
Ms. Birmingham is responsible for legislative and regulatory activity primarily in California. She joined the Solar Alliance from Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), where she most recently managed the utility's California Solar Initiative (CSI) program as well as its predecessor, the Self-Generation Incentive Program. While Ms. Birmingham was at PG&E, the utility emerged as the national leader in solar installations. She has been involved in renewable and clean distributed generation and energy efficiency since 1998 when she joined PG&E.
Suzanne Patnaude – Director, Mid-Atlantic Region
OFFICERS
Martha A. Duggan – Chairman
Martha A. Duggan serves as Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs for United Solar Ovonic (a division of Energy Conversion Devices), headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan. United Solar is the leading global manufacturer of thin-film flexible solar laminate products for the building integrated and commercial rooftop markets. Ms. Duggan is responsible for policy development and advocacy before state, federal and international governments and energy regulatory bodies. Prior to joining United Solar, Ms. Duggan served as Vice President, Government Affairs for SunEdison, a leading solar integrator. At SunEdison, Ms. Duggan managed a team of solar policy experts across North America.
Ms. Duggan has over 25 years of experience in the energy industry. She has worked at regulated utilities, deregulated energy companies, and consulting firms. She is experienced in executive management, finance, operations, policy and sales.
From 2003 until 2008 Ms. Duggan worked for Constellation Energy in a variety of positions including Vice President, Mid-Atlantic region, Vice President, Business Development and Director of Regulatory Affairs.
Ms. Duggan has also served at Reliant Energy, Amerada Hess, Statoil Energy and the New Power Company working on policy matters impacting retail and wholesale electricity and natural gas matters. She has testified before state public utility commissions and legislatures and she is a frequently invited presenter at industry seminars.
Ms. Duggan is the 2010 Chair of the Solar Alliance. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Solar Energy Industries Association and she chairs that organization’s Policy Committee. She is active in the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and is participating in the Department of Energy’s Solar Vision study.
Ms. Duggan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Languages and Linguistics from Georgetown University and a Masters in Business Administration from The George Washington University. She lives in Arlington VA with her husband Doug McLennan. They have two sons: Andrew is a freshman at Rochester Institute of Technology and Ian is a high school junior and starting Right Guard on the varsity football team.
Blair Swezey – Vice Chairman
Mr. Swezey is Senior Director, Solar Markets and Public Policy at Applied Materials, Inc., where he directs corporate efforts on solar market characterization and public policy design in support of the company’s PV manufacturing equipment business. Previously he was Principal Policy Advisor at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and an Energy Economist at the Electric Power Research Institute. Throughout his professional career, Mr. Swezey has worked to improve the regulatory and policy environment to accelerate renewable energy technology deployment.
Polly Shaw – Secretary
Ms. Pollly Shaw is the director of External Relations of Suntech America, based in San Francisco, California. Suntech America is a whollly-owned subsidiary of Suntech power Holdings, a global leader in manufacturing solar cells, panel modules, and building-integrated solar solutions. Ms. Shaw leads Suntech America policy and government affairs issues and represents Suntech in key U.S. industry associations, such as the Solar Energy Industries Association and the Solar Alliance. She has worked for 15 years to design policy models and programs that advance clean, efficient energy use and climate protection in the U.S. and energy efficiency and methane capture programs in the U.S. and China. Prior to joining Suntech, Ms. Shaw was a Senior Regulatory Analyst at the California Public Utilities Commission, where she led implementation of a $2.2 billion California Solar Initiative solar incentive and R & D program. Prior to the CPUC, Ms. Shaw served as a Program Officer at the Energy Foundation and supported EPA climate programs while at ICF, Inc. Ms. Shaw received a B.A. from Tufts University and speaks, English, French, and Chinese.
Allison Arnold – Treasurer
Ms. Arnold serves as Market and Policy Analyst at Mitsubishi Electric and Electronics USA's headquarters in Orange Country, California. At Mitsubishi Electric she is responsible for market characterization, and for leading regulatory and legislative efforts for the company's solar photovoltaic panel manufacturing business. Previously whe worked in ocean conservation policy. She was a Marine Program Officer for WWF in Wellington, New Zealand for several years, and has worked as a consultant to government agencies and environmental organizations in New Zealand and the U.S. Ms. Arnold holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Earth Systems from Stanford University and a Master of Environmental Studies degree from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, where she studied as a Fulbright Scholar. During her career Ms. Arnold has sought to advance policies that support environmentally sustainable technologies and practices.
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