New Board of Directors members represent the breadth of the offshore wind industry supply chain
For Immediate Release: September 29, 2021
Media Contact: Melinda Skea
Baltimore – Oceantic Network today announced the addition of six new members to its Board of Directors. New Board members from Burns and McDonnell, Mainstream Renewable Power, Nexans, Strum Contracting, Subsea7, and Womble Bond Dickinson join current members from Siemens, Wood Thilsted, and others. The Network’s Board Members offer experience in a multitude of areas essential to offshore wind including the regulatory, utility, transmission, and logistical spheres and provide the Network with valuable insight in the offshore wind energy industry – one of the fastest growing renewable energies in the U.S.
In addition, the Network added a new Advisory Member, Aaron Smith, from Principle Power. He joins current Advisory Members from BOEM, NJEDA, and Xodus. Together, Oceantic Network’s Board of Directors and Advisory Members possess a breadth of global market offshore wind knowledge and experience that support the organization’s mission to develop a robust U.S. offshore wind supply chain.
“Each board member expands and deepens the Network’s expertise in all facets of offshore wind and the supply chain,” said Liz Burdock, president & CEO of Oceantic Network. “The Board brings together developers, local suppliers, and utility and federal regulators, which gives our organization a unique and necessary mixture of experiences so that we can fulfill our mission to develop the U.S. supply chain and support industry growth.”
New Oceantic Network Board Members:
- Belton Zeigler, partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
- Emmanuel Martin-Lauzer, business development director, Nexans High Voltage USA Inc.
- Paula Major, vice president US Offshore Wind, US Mainstream Renewable Power
- Teaera Strum, president & CEO, Strum Contracting Co., Inc.
- Tony Appleton, director of Offshore Wind, Burns and McDonnell
- Zachary Skelton, business development manager – Renewables, US, Seaway 7
They join the existing members of the Network Board (full list here).
- Cindy Truitt, chief executive officer, Humanim
- Clarke Bruno, chief executive officer, Anbaric
- Don Hairston, general manager, L3 Technologies
- Jan Klaassen, business unit manager – Offshore Renewables, DEME Offshore USA
- Jay Borkland, senior engineering manager of Renewables, Lloyd’s Register, and visiting professor at Tufts University
- Joel Whitman, executive vice president, Global Marine Group
- Joseph Tirone, shareholder, Baker Donelson
- Katarina Ennerfelt, president, ARCON Welding Equipment
- Kevin Pearce, U.S. grid access business development manager, Siemens
- Lorry Wagner, USA Director, Ventolines
- Mark Mitchell, senior vice president of Project Construction, Dominion Energy
- Matthew Palmer, vice president, Wood Thilsted
- Nat Spencer, vice president of the Americas, PanGEO Subsea
- Tim Fischer, vice director – Wind Energy, Ramboll
New Oceantic Network Advisory Members:
- Aaron Smith, chief commercial officer, Principle Power
He joins the existing members of the Network Advisory:
- Alexander Thillerup, director of Project Management, Xodus Group
- Brian Sabina, chief economic growth officer, NJEDA
- Jim Bennett, chief of the Office of Renewable Energy Programs, BOEM
Oceantic Network has established a results-driven team that continues to advocate for the growth of the offshore wind industry and its supply chain in the U.S. and globally. In August, Oceantic Network added Turner Widgen as the organization’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) to support rapid industry growth in the U.S. and globally. She joined Oceantic Network from Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s office.
“The expansion of the Board of Directors and the Network team demonstrates the growing importance of offshore wind as an important source or renewable energy, job creation, and emerging technology,” added Burdock. “Our focus at the Network is to enable and support the growth of offshore wind, answering the demand by federal and state governments and populations for more clean energy by 2030 and beyond.”
Additional Information:
- Oceantic Network staff webpage
- Oceantic Network Board of Directors webpage
Oceantic Network is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a robust offshore wind supply chain in the U.S. It advances the industry forward through education, facilitating partnerships, and events, including the International Partnership Forum, the largest offshore wind conference in America. Learn more at Oceantic.org.
