Staff
Seattle office, (206) 621-0094
Nancy Hirsh
Executive Director
Phone: (206) 621-0094
Nancy Hirsh is Executive Director for the NW Energy Coalition. Nancy directs the Coalition’s efforts to enhance investments in energy efficiency, renewable resources, and energy services for people of lower-income through work with utilities, commissioners, regulators, and policy-makers. She serves on the board of Renewable Northwest. From 1996 through 2014 she served as the Coalition’s policy director. Before joining the Coalition, she spent twelve years in Washington, DC working on national energy policy issues for the Environmental Action Foundation and the National Wildlife Federation. She lives in Seattle with her husband, children and dog. When not advocating clean energy solutions, she is an avid backpacker and hiker.
Lauren McCloy
Policy Director
Phone: (253) 365-9679
Lauren McCloy joined the NW Energy Coalition as Policy Director in 2021. Previously, Lauren worked as Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Jay Inslee, Washington State, where she led and managed a broad range of issues in support of the Governor’s energy agenda. Prior to serving in that role, Lauren was the Legislative Director for the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC), where she was the commission’s liaison to the state Legislature and the Governor’s office and was responsible for developing and coordinating the UTC’s legislative activities. Lauren was previously a policy advisor at the UTC, where she advised commissioners on energy policy and legislative issues starting in 2014. Before joining the UTC’s policy staff, Lauren worked as a Compliance Investigator in the UTC’s Consumer Protection Division. She has experience working for the Washington state Senate Ways and Means Committee and several non-profit organizations focused on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and consumer advocacy. Lauren has a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.S. in International Development from Tulane University Law School.
Joni Bosh
Senior Policy Associate
Phone: (206) 735-2720
Joni leads the Coalition’s efforts in Washington state. She moved to Washington from Arizona in 2013, where she worked in the solar industry and most recently with Arizona State University’s Global Institute on Sustainability. Besides working as an activist on public lands, energy/efficiency, clean air, water, and wildlife issues, she has worked for local and regional governments, a regional planning agency and several non profits.
Amy Wheeless
Senior Policy Associate
Phone: (206) 621-0094
Amy joined the Coalition in 2017, where she focuses on energy efficiency policies and programs that lower climate emissions from buildings and reduce residents’ energy burden. Prior to joining the Coalition, Amy worked as a consultant on various environmental and energy issues for utilities, governmental agencies, and nonprofits. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Washington and Bachelor’s degrees from North Carolina State University.
Annabel Drayton
Policy Associate
Phone: (206) 621-0094
Annabel joined the Coalition in 2019 to support transportation electrification and carbon policy work. Before moving to Seattle, Annabelworked in California at the Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance and as a Local Government Commissions, CivicSpark Climate Fellow. Her work included developing greenhouse gas inventories for local jurisdictions and local emission reduction measures. Annabel holds a BA in Anthropology and Sustainability Leadership from Penn State and spends her free time practicing yoga, hiking and climbing.
Kat Plimpton
Outreach Manager
Phone: (206) 621-0094
Kat joined the Coalition in 2015 after interning with the Coalition in 2014. Prior to joining the Coalition, she worked with a variety of non-profit organizations including the YMCA, Cancer Research and Biostatistics, and Climate Solutions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Northwestern University, and in 2015 she completed her master’s degree in public administration and her environmental management certificate at the University of Washington.
Elena Door
Finance & HR Manager
Phone: (206) 621-0094
Elena joined the Coalition as Finance & HR Manager in 2018. She brings 14 years of experience in helping non-profit organizations and unions manage their finances. Elena has a degree in engineering and economics from St. Petersburg of Economics. She is a native of Kazakhstan and Russia and brings a great love of the outdoors and the Pacific Northwest to the Coalition.
Portland office
Fred Heutte
Senior Policy Associate
Phone: (503) 757-6222
Fred came on board in February 2011, and is very pleased to be involved with the Coalition again after being a co-founder and board member in the 1980s. He has a background in energy and climate policy and worked at several firms involved with energy efficiency program evaluation in the Northwest and nationally. He later formed a database services business assisting nonprofit groups around the country. He has been active in the Sierra Club’s national energy and climate effort and leads their delegation at the UN climate conferences, and currently serves on the board of the Citizens Utility Board of Oregon.
Patricia Rincon
Communications Manager
Paty joined the Coalition as the Communications Manager in September 2020. Prior to the Coalition, Paty was a Project Manager for a large healthcare organization. She managed communications across agencies, wrote and edited newsletters, and spearheaded social media for her department. Paty has a degree in Communication from the University of Portland, and a Masters in Business Administration. In her free time, she runs her own sustainable travel website called Green Voyage, where she shares tips and action-oriented articles for leading a sustainable life.
Marli Klass
Energy and Environmental Justice Policy Associate
Phone: (206) 621-0094
Marli joined the Coalition as an Energy and Environmental Justice Policy Associate in 2021. Before joining the Coalition, she worked as a law clerk at Bonneville Power Administration. Her work at Bonneville included working on a broad range of legal issues regarding electricity generation and transmission. Marli has also worked for Crag law center, where she gained invaluable experience in environmental litigation. As a Palauan woman, she has also worked extensively within her community doing energy and environmental outreach. Marli holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Pre-Law from the University of Hawaii and a J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School, where she primarily focused on energy, innovation, and sustainability law.
Montana office
Diego Rivas
Senior Policy Associate
Phone: (406) 461-6632
Diego joined the Coalition team in January 2010 after working on climate change issues at the federal level with Montanans for a Healthy Climate. Diego is also the owner of Play On Soccer, a soccer retail store in downtown Helena.
He enjoys spending his free time in Montana’s beautiful backcountry, traveling in Latin America, or playing any sport remotely competitive.