 For most non-profit organizations like NEEP, the face of the organization is the staff, which interacts daily with the various constituencies it serves.
But behind the public face of the organization is a Board of Directors that has committed itself to the mission of the organization, to ensuring its viability and to making the decisions that determine its future. And they do all of that in relative anonymity.
At its annual meeting in May, the NEEP Board of Directors went about its usual business, but paused to also say goodbye and thank you to a long-serving member, Chris Joannides of Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G), who is retiring. In doing so, they also brought to mind for me some particular points about the NEEP Board that are worth mentioning to give some perspective on this organization and the people who believe enough in it to serve on its Board.
Chris has been a member of the NEEP Board for nine of the 10 years that the organization has been in existence. At various times, he has served as the organization's Treasurer, Vice President, and, for a year, as its President. (For more, see our "Announcements" section)
Chris joined the NEEP Board in only our second year of existence, and, in doing so, lent not only is talents, but his opinions that working regionally throughout the Northeast would make a huge difference in trying to advance energy efficiency policies and programs. We hope that Chris' faith in the concept of regional partnerships has been rewarded, as the Northeast continues to set the standard for how varied regional partners, with differing approaches and motivations, can nonetheless work together to achieve common goals and objectives to advance energy efficiency.
Chris brought to NEEP not only his capacity for strategic thinking and faith in our mission, but also helped us fulfill a key objective, namely: achieving geographic representation from across the Northeast, and providing us with perspectives from a state with unique characteristics, thinking and approaches. Thanks in no small measure to people like Chris Joannides, New Jersey has provided tremendous leadership to the entire country by emphasizing the important role for energy efficiency in meeting economic, energy and environmental public policy goals.
As NEEP approaches its tenth anniversary in 2006, the leadership and direction of our Board of Directors is as important now as it was when the idea for this set of unique regional partnerships was first hatched a decade ago. As our country does in facing the challenges to creating a sustainable energy future, NEEP's Board of Directors faces the challenges to ensuring the vitality and success of this organization in carrying out its mission. With the legacy of Board members like Chris Joannides, and the profile and commitment of the recently expanded Board - chaired by Ashok Gupta- I'm fully confident that the NEEP Board of Directors will meet the challenges ahead.
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