Nationally recognized leaders bring policy, community and corporate expertise
SAN DIEGO (Aug. 19, 2025) — The national nonprofit Center for Sustainable Energy® (CSE) today announced the appointment of three accomplished clean energy leaders with extensive government, community and corporate experience to its board of directors.
- Dr. Rachael Nealer led the U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, pioneering a first-of-its-kind federal office that bridged two federal departments to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) charging, delivering groundbreaking national EV charging guidance and standards. She previously worked at the White House Council of Environmental Quality, U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Nealer is an environmental researcher with a joint Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering and engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University. Her unique expertise in translating scientific research into actionable policy solutions at the intersection of energy and transportation will help CSE effectively operationalize its mission.
- Dr. Nikitha Radhakrishnan leads sustainability strategy at Siemens Financial Services Americas, the B2B financing arm of the global technology firm that is a leader in smart infrastructure and decarbonization. Her career spans key roles including technical advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Radhakrishan has a Ph.D. in electrical and electronics engineering from Nanyang Technological University Singapore and specialized in building energy optimization systems prior to moving into finance. Her ability to apply scientific rigor to financial innovation will help CSE add financial solutions to its program administration portfolio.
- Jamez Staples is the CEO and founder of Renewable Energy Partners, a solar development firm that expands access to clean energy and green careers in historically underserved communities. As leader of Northgate Development, a real estate firm, he focuses on community-centered investment in Minnesota, including a training center for renewable energy careers. His on-the-ground understanding of successful workforce development will help CSE include the capacity building required to service the clean tech market demand created by the programs it manages.
“This impressive group brings deep policy, finance and entrepreneurial expertise to the center — exactly what we need to accelerate the adoption of clean technologies,” said CSE President Lawrence Goldenhersh. “Adding their perspectives and insights to those of the exceptional climate leaders currently on our board will help CSE stay ahead of the curve and leverage market forces to drive a clean energy and transportation future.”
CSE specializes in the data-driven design and administration of large-scale market transformation incentive programs for solar, storage, energy efficiency, electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging. States, utilities, businesses and tribal nations across nearly a dozen states rely on CSE to design and administer over $4 billion in programs that accelerate the adoption of sustainable energy and transportation technologies.
