New Leadership at the Center for Sustainable Energy
The CSE Board of Directors has announced the permanent appointment of Lawrence (Larry) E. Goldenhersh as the organization’s president. CSE also announced that Mary McGroarty, a partner at the accounting firm Lindsay & Brownell and current vice-chair of the CSE board of directors, will assume the role of board chair.
Goldenhersh, a San Diego software entrepreneur, environmental advocate and former CSE board member, has served for nearly a year as CSE’s interim president. He brings to the center more than 35 years of experience in the sustainability and environmental sectors in both profit and nonprofit industries.
Goldenhersh’s appointment was completed after an extensive nationwide search, according to McGroarty.
“We initiated the presidential search nearly a year ago, looking internally and externally to find the best leader for our employees, customers, partners and stakeholders,” McGroarty said. “The board is confident Larry brings the experience, vision and passion to lead the center to an even greater role in transitioning to a clean energy future.”
During the past year, Goldenhersh has significantly grown CSE, increasing total employee headcount by over 20% (currently 167), opening two new offices (Brooklyn, New York, and Sacramento, Calif.) and expanding business in new states. CSE’s 2018 annual revenues are expected to grow more than 10%, while almost doubling surplus contributions from operations. Growth has come with important new contracts, including a contract for administration of the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing program, a 10-year, $1 billion solar initiative in California that the center won in partnership with a team of nonprofits.
“CSE brings the entrepreneurial spirit, passion and smarts necessary to tackle the tough energy problems we face, and I am delighted to serve as its leader,” said Goldenhersh. “CSE has earned a spot at the forefront of the clean energy revolution and the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by delivering creative, cost-effective, equitable market-transformation programs that accelerate the adoption of renewable energy solutions. It is an honor to lead this important organization in the effort to drive the clean energy transformation critical to all of us.”
The current chair of the CSE board of directors, Nick Leibham, in making these leadership announcements further commented, “As my tenure as a director on the CSE board comes to a close, it is with deep satisfaction and absolute delight that I am able to say that CSE is positioned to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable world, now more so than ever.” Leibham’s tenure as chair caps off nearly a decade of service on the CSE board of directors.
In 1999, Goldenhersh founded Enviance, Inc., an environmental technology company and served as its president and CEO until the company’s sale in 2015. Under his leadership, Enviance pioneered the use of the internet to provide environmental management software to industry and government. Prior to founding Enviance, Goldenhersh was a partner at Irell & Manella, a Los Angeles law firm, where he specialized in commercial litigation, including environmental resource disputes.
