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When the Georgia BRIGHT Communities Coalition came together to apply for a Solar for All grant in the fall of 2023, it did so with the explicit intention to develop and operate a community-centered program. The vision was to offer flexible and inclusive solar programs that were customized to the needs and desires of the community, as informed by a participatory governance model.
In August, Capital Good Fund took an important step toward realizing this vision when it convened the Solar for All Community Advisory Board, a forty-member body of community members, nonprofit leaders, solar installers, and other stakeholders across Georgia. These individuals are charged with supporting program design, resource allocation, and strategy development for the Solar for All Program, as well as serving as ambassadors for the program to the community. After just seven weeks of meetings, the Advisory Board has already made substantial progress in shaping key offerings like the enabling upgrades program, which will help families access critical pre-solar repairs like roof replacements.
“The Solar for All program has the potential to be transformative in terms of reducing energy burdens, democratizing clean energy, and creating economic opportunities,” said Alicia Brown, Director of Georgia BRIGHT. “However, it will only realize this potential if the program is designed in a way that is responsive to community needs and desires and workable for the many different stakeholders involved.”
When recruiting Advisory Board Members, Good Fund was very intentional about capturing the full geography of the state and a variety of lived and professional experiences. The resulting board brings together a wide variety of perspectives that inform our discussions about strategy and community engagement. Below, we have highlighted just a few of our Advisory Board members and the experiences that they bring to the program.
Helen Ladson, Founder and Executive Director of Heritage Works, Inc. calls herself a credible messenger for her community of Brunswick, Georgia where she has lived for 34 years. She has created and developed community empowerment initiatives for the youth and adults in her community to encourage engagement and ecological stewardship and has written and secured grants for nonprofit organizations in Glynn County that focus on economic development and ecological stewardship in the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor. “What excites me about serving on the board is the chance to be a liaison and representative for my community as a means to assist in building relationships and bring opportunities to underrepresented areas,” she says. Ladson is also a member of the Brunswick Lions Club and the Brunswick African American Cultural Center’s Board of Directors, a cultural preservationist, artist, tour guide, and mother.
Olivia Amyette brings to the board her vast experience in solar workforce development. She is the Founder and CEO of Infinite Energy Advisors y el Solar Knowledge Institute, Georgia’s first-of-its-kind solar training school. “I’m excited to collaborate with the board, sharing my expertise to reduce energy burdens for underserved communities while advancing the workforce that will power the future of solar in Georgia,” she noted. Amyette is the winner of the 2023 Georgia Solar Energy Association’s Rising Star award, was initiated into the Women Presidents’ Organization, and earned the “Best of Gwinnett, 2023” award. Her company was one of the few chosen to partner with Capital Good Fund’s premier Georgia BRIGHT program to make solar accessible for low-to-moderate-income families.
George Buchanan has a multifaceted perspective on environmental challenges from his work as Founder and CEO of 2KB Energy Services, a minority-owned energy efficiency and sustainability consulting firm that has managed over $325M in energy efficiency projects. “What thrills me most about Solar for All is its potential to democratize access to clean energy, particularly for underserved communities, while simultaneously driving economic development and environmental progress across Georgia,” he said. Buchanan also chairs the Inclusion, Diversity, Education, Access, and Learning (IDEAL) committee of the board of Southface, a nonprofit promoting sustainable homes, workplaces, and communities.
Jared Wells is the Regional Manager of the Savannah office of Solar Energy Partners, one of five offices serving Georgia and South Carolina. “The Georgia Bright program gives our company the ability to help those in need who could not qualify for traditional financing, as I encounter large numbers of people who are heavily burdened by their utility cost,” he noted. Wells brings his experience and his integrity as a beacon of truth and honesty in the solar industry to his work on the Solar for All Community Advisory Board.
Denise Webb may be the youngest member of the board, but she has been a strong advocate for environmental policy since she was 14 years old. Webb is a Senior Youth Staff member at the Partnership for Southern Equity, a Bonner Scholar, and a Youth Ambassador for the Mayor of Atlanta while continuing her education at Berry College. “I joined the Solar for All Community Advisory Board because it is imperative to have youth in spaces where important decisions are being made,” she says. Webb is committed to collaborating with board members to find solutions that create change. She is one of the co-authors of a book called “Why Aren’t We Doing This? – Collaborating With Minors in Major Ways.”
We will continue to keep you updated on the work these remarkable people and the rest of the board are doing to help Solar for All advance our mission.
