Judy presenting at the ribbon-cutting of SolarShare’s “Waterview” project, in 2011
Good Bye Judith Lipp!
After 8 years with TREC, our Executive Director Judith (Judy) Lipp is leaving at the end of this month. Judy began her tenure at TREC in April 2008, shortly after completing her PhD with Dalhousie University. Since relocating to Toronto from Nova Scotia, she has been a tireless advocate for the Community Power and Aboriginal Power sectors, touting the many benefits of community participation in renewable energy, at countless conferences, community events and with government officials.
Judy has helped to launch several stand-alone and vibrant initiatives, incubated by TREC, including TREC Education – a charity delivering renewable energy education to students, communities and First Nations participants; SolarShare Co-op – the largest community-owned solar enterprise in North America, and the Federation of Community Power Co-ops (FCPC) – bringing Ontario’s renewable energy co-op sector together to share resources and a unified message to government.
Judy has also spearheaded several Community Power research initiatives, to tout the benefits of the community-ownership model, and identify gaps and areas for growth. Recent research includes The Power of Community, Accelerating Renewable Energy Co-operatives in Canada, the First Nations Electricity Report and the People Power Planet Partnership. Stay tuned for more of TREC’s original research, to be published shortly.
While Judy plans to continue in a part-time advisory and research capacity over the next few months, she is moving back to Nova Scotia, to be closer to family, and give the off-grid lifestyle a shot – in the straw-bale cottage she built just before beginning her tenure at TREC!
Header image from Judy’s going away party, held this week
Welcome David Cork!
As Judy departs, we welcome David Cork as the new Managing Director of TREC and FCPC. David brings a wealth of experience in the solar industry, as founder and President of Aspen Solar Management. He has enjoyed success in the world of high-tech start-ups and acting as a mentor to entrepreneurs. David is also a founding member and director with the Ottawa Renewable Energy Co-op, and is deeply committed to the values and priorities for building the community power sector.
David is looking forward to working with our team to help build momentum and foster new opportunities for our members in this exciting world of Community Power. Around the globe and right here in our backyards, the newest energy technologies and the even-newer business models are emerging that will dramatically reshape our lives in the not-so-distant future.