About: SiP Team

Net works for the City of Fort Collins and the Institute for Market Transformation as an advisor through its City Energy Project grant. As the City Project Energy Advisor, Net helps with energy efficiency in commercial buildings, while tackling multiple projects to help lower energy consumption and increase awareness around the importance of saving energy. Formerly, she worked in energy efficiency for the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Department of Energy Western Area Power Administration as well as in Washington DC within DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. As a Project Officer within the Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant program, Net worked with cities and counties in many of the Rocky Mountain states on their energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Net grew up in Bel Air, Maryland and moved to Fort Collins after college. Net moved back east for awhile and then returned to Fort Collins in 2014. Net holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and a M.S. in Sustainable Development from University of Maryland and a B.A. from University of Michigan in addition to post-bachelor’s coursework from Colorado State University. Net is also a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and Certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

I want to help girls and women feel confident in any field that they pursue, especially those in which they are faced with challenges.

What’s the most difficult challenge you’ve had to overcome as a woman in your career?

During different jobs in my career I’ve been the only woman in the room at meetings and conferences and I’ve had to navigate those situations carefully to advocate for myself.

What are you proudest of in your career? What has been your biggest success?

My adaptability has allowed me to change fields as opportunities presented themselves and to learn new things quickly through these changes.

What do you want your legacy to be, whether in your workplace or in life?

I want to help girls and women feel confident in any field that they pursue, especially those in which they are faced with challenges. Outside of work, I coach girls lacrosse in Northern Colorado.  The girls I coach vary in ages from first to eighth grade and the overall goal is to help them to build confidence while learning to love the sport and adopting good sportsmanship along the way. By learning these skills early on, they grow into their adult lives as team players who can succeed in their careers.

What inspirational experiences do you have that you wish to share for women wanting to pursue clean energy as a career path?

There are so many women that are celebrated each year by national C3E (https://c3eawards.org/winners/) based on their contributions to clean energy and a better world overall.  Reading their stories inspires me.

What new projects are you working on that you wish to share?

Currently, I am working on projects that aim to help business owners better track their energy use, to improve rental living conditions in Fort Collins through energy efficiency upgrades, and to improve public access to energy efficiency information.

What one thing would you change about your workplace in order to make it more equitable?

I would encourage more women engineers to join the team.

Thinking about what you know now, what advice would you give to your younger self?

For my younger self, my advice would be to not let anyone discourage you and to stay true to your original dreams.

How do you think C3E can encourage more women to pursue a career in clean energy?

C3E can encourage more women to pursue a career in clean energy by building networks and exposing women and girls to local employers. C3E also can help by  cataloging and demonstrating the breadth of jobs in clean energy workforce, so that women can find a place that suits them best. Worldwide you can take many things away from women and girls but you can never take away their education once they have it. And once they get a hold of education in the STEM fields, their potential contributions to advancing knowledge and technology are limitless. I am excited to help the C3E Initiative with its efforts to invite and retain K through Gray gals in the clean energy workforce.

Emily is a member of the department of government affairs for Invenergy, a private sustainable energy company dedicated to creating clean energy consumption. Emily has recently graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Politics and Policy, in which during her time as a student worked as the Director of the Student Sustainability Center as well as the Communications Manager and Ambassador for the EcoCAR3 at the Energy Institute at Colorado State University. As an associate for Invenergy, Taylor assists the Government Affairs team from Denver by utilizing different communication strategies, project development and event planning for the Western half of America. Emily grew up in Larkspur, Colorado and was highly involved throughout her college career in Energy policy and production, including assisting with the Colorado State University Eco Leaders, portraying a role for the Student Sustainability Center and the School of Global Environmental Sustainability. 

There are many opportunities out there and there is bound to be something or someone that notices your passion and devotion to your interests, in which they will reward you for the hard work you have done.

What inspirational experiences/successes do you have that you wish to share with women wanting to pursue clean energy as a career path?

When I applied to become the Director of the Student Sustainability Center, I did not believe I would get the position until my doubt was lifted and I got the position. After the interview, I was relieved to have it over but highly believed that others were more qualified than I was to take up a student director position, especially with a school as big as the School of Global Environmental Sustainability. After getting the call that I received the position, I was shocked because of my mindset as soon as the interview was over. When people say expect the unexpected, I really believe that. For women wanting to begin their career path within clean energy consumption, getting involved is the first step. Go for what you don’t know. If something interests you, whether it be a job or even a club at your school, get involved. Involvement will help you grow your passions and interests, and make you want to reach your goals further.

How have your studies contributed to your eligibility to pursue clean energy as a career?

Getting involved was really the step I was trying to take to be apart of the campus community and find myself along the way. When I came to university, I was a Biology major. I changed my major up to four times until I really found the major I was genuinely interested in. My position at the Student Sustainability Center essentially created my passion for environmental affairs and made me think of the opportunities behind sustainable development for a clean growing future, hence why I graduated with a B.A. in Energy Policy. I think it is super important to get involved with what you are interested in, such as an internship or a student director position to really find what you enjoy to do. Practice makes perfect.

How would you like to see clean energy use and consumption evolve?

I grew up near Castle Rock, Colorado. I think this is what ignited a small flame for interest in clean energy, because whenever you drive around Castle Rock, people have their lifted diesel trucks emitting so much carbon dioxide that it’s black when it comes out of the exhaust. I remember seeing some of these trucks with my sister, and we would go on rants about how awful you have to be to do something like that instead of driving a hybrid. After learning more and more about sustainable energy policy and production and even being apart of the EcoCAR3 team during my senior year at CSU, clean energy consumption seems like an achievable goal. It is the way the world is moving as people grow more and more concerned for the future of our planet. People are switching to renewable alternatives, electric vehicles and more to dwindle their carbon footprints, and I want to see clean energy continue to evolve this way. Because I graduated with a B.A. in Political Science, it is incredibly hard to get everyone on the same page as you. However, as more and more people become educated on topics such as sustainability, I think it is an achievable goal to create a cleaner future for the sake of other generations. Evolution of clean energy is right at the start of moving entirely to a cleaner world, which is why it is so important to educate people on the fundamentals of energy consumption, and what it does to our planet overall. It is super important to keep the train going with clean energy, further educating yourself and others around you in order to evolve for the better.

Thinking about what you know now, what advice would you give to your younger self?

After graduating, I was extremely terrified that I would not obtain a job with my degree. I kept second guessing myself and my choice of studies, I even thought about going back to school just so I could get a degree in something that guarantees something like Construction Management. My advice to my younger self would be this: Stop worrying about where you are going, it is all about where you have been to get where you are today. There are many opportunities out there and there is bound to be something or someone that notices your passion and devotion to your interests, in which they will reward you for the hard work you have done. I am happy with what college has taught me and I am happy that I graduated with my degree because it has only made me grow as a woman within the clean energy world.