Heather Rhoads is an experienced climate, energy, and funding development consultant with creative expertise and successful track record leading and managing dozens of sustainable endeavors providing solid project development, policy and market analysis, management, and stakeholder engagement. She offers strong skills creating climate action plans, community resiliency, GHG accounting, corporate social responsibility, funder relationships, shared renewable and distributed resources. She has served as a Peer Reviewer for the U.S. Department of Energy’s bi-annual wind energy program and annual operating plans and on an independent panel of judges for the CESA State Leadership in Clean Energy Awards. She has also served as a Development Associate for the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), AWEA’s first Small Wind Advocate, founder of NW Sustainable Energy for Economic Development (now Spark Northwest), project manager for Global Energy Concepts (now DNV GL), and staff for the NW Energy Coalition, National Wind Coordinating Committee, and Iowa Citizen’s Action Network. She managed development of the U.S. Commerce NIST-funded Sustainable Manufacturing, Advanced Research & Technology (SMART) Wind Roadmap, the U.S. DOE/PNNL-funded Distributed Wind Policy Comparison Tool, and has led contracts with the Clean Energy States Alliance on behalf of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, California Wind Energy Association, Minnesota Renewable Energy Society, UC Davis, Energy Trust of Oregon, Coastal Community Action Program, Canadian Wind Energy Association, Pembina Institute, WEST, ICF, Navigant, and Primus Wind Power. She has also co-authored numerous reports, including the Renewable Energy Atlas of the West, and designed and managed dozens of projects funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Canada, California Energy Commission, New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Energy Foundation, Bullitt Foundation, Winrock International, and others. Heather has a B.A. in from Wesleyan University in Science in Society, and an M.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Northern Iowa. She was named the 2014 Distributed Wind Energy Association (DWEA) Person of the Year, Windustry’s 2013 Distinguished Service in Community Wind awardee, Women of Wind Energy’s 2012 Mentor of the Year, and the U.S. DOE/NREL 2006 Small Wind Advocate of the Year. She has served as Secretary for DWEA’s Board of Directors, co-chair of DWEA’s State Policy Committee, and on the Board of Solar Washington and I-RENEW.