Clean Energy and Finance

Like many others, I have had more than one career. My first was in finance, where I started with a brokerage firm in Seattle, followed by ten years overseas working for the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), the financial market regulator for the Hong Kong Government.

My work at the SFC involved protecting small investors. My experience living in Hong Kong broadened my view of the world and gave me a greater appreciation for democracy. My work at the SFC taught me how important the role of government is in protecting people who otherwise would be subject to the whims of those more powerful.

Returning to the United States and settling on Bainbridge Island, I decided to take a new direction, one that spoke to me after living in a region of China harmed by significant air and water pollution. Wishing to take direct action on the environment and the impact of climate change, I co-founded the non-profit organization Community Energy Solutions.

I worked with then–WA State Senator Phil Rockefeller to craft legislation (Senate Bill 6658), which under his leadership led to passage in 2010 of an innovative community solar law. This law allowed thousands of Washingtonians to go solar, providing clean energy, avoiding tons of carbon emissions, and creating local green jobs.

One of the projects created by the law is the 72-kilowatt photovoltaic system on the Bainbridge Island City Hall building roof, a project that I personally led from start to finish. The system was funded by 24 Island families. The City acquired the system in 2020 at a fair price, and it continues to produce clean energy every day.