FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2021
Contact:
Josh Valentine, Communications Director, SWEEP
jvalentine@swenergy.org |
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[BOULDER, CO] – The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) is pleased to announce that Elise Jones will become the organization’s next Executive Director, starting on January 25, 2021. For the past eight years, Elise has served as a Boulder County Commissioner. Prior to serving as an elected official, Elise was for 13 years the Executive Director of the Colorado Environmental Coalition, the predecessor to Conservation Colorado.
“SWEEP’s Board of Directors is thrilled that Elise Jones will serve as our next Executive Director,” said Bruce Ray, SWEEP’s Board Chair. “Elise is a highly regarded and passionate clean energy and sustainability advocate, as well as an accomplished nonprofit leader. The Board is confident that with Elise at the helm, SWEEP will continue its tradition of highly impactful work.”
In addition to serving as Boulder County Commissioner, Elise is a member of Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission, Board Chair of the Western Leaders Network, Board Member of Denver Regional Council of Governments, member of the Colorado Statewide Transportation Advisory Committee and Reimagine RTD (Regional Transportation District) Advisory Committee, and Co-chair of the RTD Accountability Committee.
Elise will succeed Howard Geller, SWEEP’s founder and Executive Director since 2001. “While Howard’s will be big shoes to fill, I’m very excited to be joining the SWEEP team and carrying on the organization’s successful track record of policy advocacy to cut energy waste, reduce emissions, and promote clean transportation,” Elise commented.
Under Howard’s leadership, SWEEP helped Southwestern states pass over 130 laws that are increasing energy efficiency and advancing clean transportation, thereby saving consumers and businesses billions of dollars and cutting harmful pollutant emissions by hundreds of millions of tons. “Thanks to Howard’s vision and direction, SWEEP has made many valuable contributions to energy efficiency policy and programs in the region. The SWEEP Board greatly appreciates his 20 years of dedicated service,” Ray noted.
Howard will remain at SWEEP until the end of February to assist with the Executive Director transition. After that he will partially retire, but continue working part-time as a consultant.
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The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) is a public interest organization promoting greater energy efficiency in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. For more information, visit swenergy.org.
