Building a Clean Energy Economy

Prior to joining the Office of Energy Jobs, Betony Jones was a Senior Advisor on Workforce for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Ms. Jones began her career working on climate science in the White House Office of Science and Technology policy during the Clinton administration, where she viewed the complex, economy-wide nature of climate change as both a challenge and an opportunity.

From there, Ms. Jones spent 20 years directing implementation and conducting policy research to demonstrate the employment and economic impacts and opportunities associated with climate action, including as Associate Director of the Green Economy Program at the University of California, Berkeley, Labor Center and as founder and CEO of Inclusive Economics, a national strategy firm working at the intersection of labor, workforce, and clean energy. She has published dozens of papers and reports on these topics and is a nationally recognized expert in labor-climate issues. Ms. Jones earned her Master’s degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and her B.S. degree from the University of Michigan.

Dawn Euer was elected in 2017 to serve Rhode Island’s Senate District 13, which encompasses Jamestown and most of Newport. She was appointed Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture in January 2021.

Senator Euer is dedicated to promoting equity in health, education, and environmental justice, and to creating a sustainable climate-conscious economy. As the representative of a district on the front lines of climate change, she is an outspoken advocate for substantial investments in renewable energy and resiliency. Senator Euer was the lead sponsor of 2021’s historic Act on Climate, the most comprehensive climate legislation in Rhode Island history. She was also lead sponsor of the 2022 Affordable Clean Energy Security Act.

Senator Euer graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007 and earned her J.D. from Roger Williams University of Law in 2010. She graduated from the University of Idaho Legislative Energy Horizon Institute Energy Policy Planning Program in 2022.

Kathleen Culhane was appointed President of Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) in November 2014 and has been with NEW since 2007. Ms. Culhane has been instrumental in the creation of many innovative programs, securing NEW as a national model for advancing women in the building and construction trades. Most recently, under Ms. Culhane’s direction, NEW worked with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York to increase the reserved slots in apprentice classes for NEW graduates by 50 percent.

Prior to joining NEW, Ms. Culhane spent 10 years immersed in housing and homelessness issues with community-based organizations in New York City. She is the Board Chair of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition, co-founder of the Green Economy Network, and board member for the Consortium of Worker Education. Ms. Culhane was a WorldTeach volunteer in Namibia, and she holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University as well as a Bachelor of Arts from The College of Wooster.

Secretary-Treasurer Leonard Aguilar is the first Latino to hold a top office in the Texas AFL-CIO. He began his career in labor as a pre-apprentice with the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 142 in San Antonio, Texas.

As Executive Director of the Texas State Building and Construction Trades Council and as Political Director of the Southwest Pipe Trades Association — representing plumbers, pipefitters, welders, and HVAC technicians in three states — Mr. Aguilar advocated for programs that steer working people into union apprenticeships and for equal opportunity on the job.

Recently, Mr. Aguilar was a key figure in establishing the Texas Climate Jobs Project. In the aftermath of the recent winter storms, he helped connect families who needed repairs to reputable union plumbers.

Teresa Acuña is Deputy Director of the Good Jobs Initiative and senior policy advisor with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor.

For over ten years, Ms. Acuña held various political, legislative, and programmatic leadership roles at the state and national levels. She leads teams in addressing economic inequality, exploring the future of work, and creating good jobs in the green economy. Ms. Acuña formerly served as Legislative Director in the U.S. House of Representatives and California State Legislature.

Ms. Acuña holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, where she was the Roy and Lila Ash Fellow and Sheila C. Johnson Leadership Fellow.

Zach Cunningham is a Training and Education Associate at the Cornell ILR Climate Jobs Institute. In this role, Mr. Cunningham works with labor partners and state-based climate jobs coalitions to develop educational programs and resources that engage union members and leaders in the fight to address climate change through the creation of high-quality union jobs. He is currently studying the role that pre-apprenticeship programs play in creating a diverse and equitable clean energy economy.

Prior to joining the Climate Jobs Institute, Mr. Cunningham was a high school teacher in Arkansas; he also worked as a labor educator with the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), Local 1000 AFSCME. Mr. Cunningham holds a Master’s of Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell’s ILR School, and he currently sits on the board of the United Association for Labor Education.