Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: Dana Rebeiro hired as community liaison by Vineyard Wind

October 14, 2020 — Vineyard Wind announced the hiring of former New Bedford City Councilor Dana Rebeiro as Community Liaison with a particular focus on New Bedford, the South Coast and Cape, according to a news release from Vineyard Wind.

Her hiring comes at a time when the company is gearing up to bring both clean, renewable energy and job opportunities to the area, the release said.

“We’re pleased to bring Dana on board at this critical juncture for our first project,” said Chief Development Officer Rachel Pachter in the news release. “Vineyard Wind 1 is going to need a well-trained and diverse workforce to meet the needs of this growing industry as well as frequent opportunities to engage with the company. Dana’s experience will be a tremendous asset as we work to ensure that local communities receive the greatest possible benefit when it comes to jobs and other opportunities and are well informed as the project moves forward.”

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

ROSA Announces Hiring of First Executive Director

February 27, 2020 — The following was released by the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance:

Dr. Lyndie Hice-Dunton has been selected to lead the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA) by ROSA’s board of directors.  Dr. Hice-Dunton officially assumed the role of Executive Director on February 10, 2020.

ROSA is an unprecedented partnership formed by fishermen and offshore wind leaders, in collaboration with federal and state management experts to enhance scientific understanding necessary to support the coexistence of wind energy development and sustainable fisheries. Formed in early 2019, ROSA will provide for and advance regional research and monitoring of fisheries and offshore wind interactions in US state and federal waters through coordination and cooperation.

“We are so enthusiastic for Lyndie’s leadership of ROSA and look forward to working collaboratively with the Fishing Industry, Offshore Wind Developers, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as we continue to build this exciting organization,” said Peter Hughes, Co-Chair of ROSA’s Board of Directors.  

“Dr. Hice-Dunton brings valuable organizing experience to her new role that will help ROSA bring together important stakeholders in a sustainable future for the ocean,” said Rachel Pachter, Co-Chair of ROSA’s Board of Directors. “We are thrilled to be moving forward and rolling up our sleeves on ROSA’s important mission of science, collaboration, and communication.”

Read the full release here

Erich Stephens leaving Vineyard Wind

December 20, 2019 — Erich Stephens, the public face of Vineyard Wind before it won an offshore wind contract in 2018, is leaving the company.

Vineyard Wind announced Thursday that Stephens, chief development officer and a founding principal of the company, would be departing.

Stephens told The Standard-Times it seemed like the right time to make a transition while the company waits for federal permitting of Vineyard Wind 1, to be located off Martha’s Vineyard, and before things ramp up for its second project in Connecticut.

“It’s really just a personal decision about the positions I want to have in my career,” he said.

Vineyard Wind has grown out of the entrepreneurial phase of its history and become a more mature development company, he said. Stephens said it’s not uncommon for the success of a young company to mean that, “exactly because of its success, it turns into something different in terms of your day-to-day work and responsibility.”

The company has tapped Rachel Pachter, vice president of permitting affairs, to replace him as chief development officer.

Stephens said he is excited about Pachter’s promotion because it allows her to advance her career and maintains continuity for Vineyard Wind.

Stephens has held senior leadership positions in the company, formerly called OffshoreMW, since 2009. Following last year’s selection of Vineyard Wind to build Massachusetts’ first offshore wind farm, he was responsible for pre-construction development.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times