Jim Pierbon, 2017

Jim Pierbon would go on to co-found and serve as principal reporter at Southeast Energy News, a platform he used to educate policymakers, fellow industry experts, and the public about the challenges and opportunities of creating a clean energy system. He also maintained his personal blog Energy Fix, and published work for national outlets like The New York Times and The Huffington Post.

George Hagerman, 2018

George has been a driving force within Virginia who has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the responsible development of ocean based renewable energy within the Commonwealth. Though there are many people who have participated in the development of Dominion's proposed 12 MW two turbine offshore wind demonstration project (CVOW), George Hagerman is one of the few who have been involved with this project all the way from the idea stage to its current stage of implementation. George was instrumental in leading the process for establishment of the current Virginia Wind Energy Area (offshore wind lease area currently held by Dominion), the formation and successful awards of the current CVOW Project, the establishment of the Section 238 Virginia Department of Mines Minerals and Energy Research Lease Blocks adjacent to the Virginia Wind Energy Area, and the general prominence of Virginia in development of offshore wind. All of these accomplishments are largely attributable to George Hagerman’s vision, passion and loyalty to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. George has been and continues to be a common thread in all of the stitching that has led to the establishment of the milestones listed above. Key members of the Ocean Energy Task Force, Federal Agencies including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Navy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state agencies including the Virginia Department of Mines Minerals and Energy and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality will all attest to George’s commitment and dedication to offshore wind development, stewardship ethic, and collaborative approach toward attempts to responsibly move Virginia forward as we face energy production and environmental challenges in the future.

Ivy Main, 2019

Ivy Main is a lawyer and a longtime volunteer with the Sierra Club's Virginia chapter as the Renewable Energy Chairperson. She is a former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency employee and is also the mastermind behind the Power for the People blog.

Ken Jurman, 2020

Ken Jurman is the Renewable Energy Program Manager for the Virginia Department of Energy.

Remarks from VA-REA Chair, Cliona Robb:I’ve worked with Ken for several years as Chair of the Virginia Solar Energy Development and Energy Storage Authority and I’ve never observed a harder working, more knowledgeable, or more humble advocate of renewable energy than Ken. He truly is an unsung hero among renewable energy advocates in Virginia and more than deserving of this recognition.

Debra Jacobson, 2021

Remarks from Jon Miles, VA-REA Board Member: Debra began her career on Capitol Hill as an intern to Rep. Bob Eckhardt, later advanced to become his legislative assistant, and ultimately served as one of his investigative counsels on the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Debra continued in this role after Rep. John Dingell assumed the Chairmanship of the Subcommittee in 1981, and in 1991 the U.S. News and World Report ran an article on Rep. Dingell that detailed the skills of his investigative team, citing Debra personally as "a lawyer who knows more about the EPA than most of its bosses." She was by then a force to be reckoned with. By the time that Debra and I met in the late 1990s, when I was just a young pup seeking to define an academic career in the energy space, she was already retiring from public service and embarking on her second act, one that would involve working with the U.S. Department of Energy on clean energy and other issues, driving local advocacy for clean air standards on behalf of her Northern Virginia community, and teaching energy law courses at George Washington University, among other activities. At around this time, Debra and I were introduced and formed a partnership with Alden Hathaway, Mitch King, and George Hagerman, and with assistance from Ken Jurman and DMME (now Virginia Energy), and support from DOE’s brand new Wind Powering America program, we initiated Virginia’s first formal wind deployment effort. Now, it did take more than a few years for wind power to launch in Virginia, but nonetheless Debra was very pleased and gratified in recent years to see progress made by Dominion, Apex, and others. If I may invoke a football analogy, like Tom Brady, Debra was always on top of her game, and one of the select few individuals who could squeeze two hall-of-fame careers into a single lifetime. Debra fought her illness in exactly the same manner that she fought for the Earth and the communities that she loved, with passion and vigor, with optimism, and with her irrepressible insistence on openness, advocacy, clarity, and dialogue. While her most important and valued roles were as wife, mother, sister, and grandmother, thankfully her reach extended far beyond her own family, to the many of us who admired and learned from her, and who were infected by her passion. Debra’s legal prowess was demonstrated even as far back as 1970, when she lobbied her principal successfully for her high school to recognize the very first Earth Day. Her path was defined then and there, and it never wavered. As her sister Sheri shared with me a few days ago, Debra was always one step ahead, and was steadfastly committed to the Earth that she loved. She understood the legal, political, and technical complexities of the Energy Transition as well as anyone, long before the term “Energy Transition” became part of our vernacular, and she applied her enormous talents and skills to help steer Virginia and our nation toward a cleaner energy future.

Richard Walker, 2022

Richard Walker is a mental health professional and Founder and CEO of Bridging the Gap in Virginia, a 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to empower ex-offenders, veterans, persons in substance abuse recovery, and those experiencing chronic homelessness. A strong advocate for environmental justice and renewable energy, Richard developed a green workforce development program that has already facilitated free clean energy career trainings to 52 vulnerable individuals and returning citizens, providing them a crucial path to overcoming barriers to change; as well as a Virginia Energy Workforce Consortium committee member for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Richard’s work across Virginia as an advocate for rights restoration and “Ban the Box” (Fair Chance hiring) ordinances has assisted over 10,000 individuals in getting their civil rights restored. Richard has served on the Stakeholders Group for Restoration of Rights for three governors and is a Federal Bureau of Prisons Certified Offender Workforce Development Specialist. He also serves as a Committee Member for multiple Regional Reentry Councils, facilitated “Overcoming Barriers” employment workshops for the City of Richmond’s Office of Community Wealth Building, and is a certified VADOC Statewide Volunteer for Cognitive and Reentry Community Units. He has advocated for Expungement, ending Solitary Confinement, fair access for public housing, and other legislation that has adversely affected all Virginians. For many years, Richard has been a strong community advocate and through his work, Richard continues to uplift vulnerable individuals and advance justice.