Friends new and old support the Coalition at Founding the Future Gala

The NW Energy Coalition’s Founding the Future Gala looked back on the Coalition’s 33-year history through the eyes of several founding members and forward through the eyes of more recent clean energy leaders. It was also the occasion for honoring Patton’s 20-year legacy as executive director and celebrating longtime policy director Hirsh, who will move up to executive director when Patton moves on in January.

Coalition stalwart Ralph Cavanagh of the Natural Resources Defense Council served as event emcee, interviewing fellow founders Jim Morton and Margie Gardner and relative newcomer Shanna Brownstein. Morton, of Montana’s Human Resources Council District XI, and Gardner, the lead co-author of the Coalition’s first Model Plan who now directs the California Energy Efficiency Industry Council, shed entertaining light on the organizations first 33 years.

Brownstein, NW Natural’s government and community affairs manager and current Oregon caucus chair, talked about what drew her to the Coalition and the opportunities and challenges ahead.

All joined with the 175 attendees in paying tribute to the accomplishments and mentoring of Patton, attending her final conference as executive director. Then all joined to enthusiastically endorse Hirsh as her successor.

A slide show of photos from the event is below.

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