Team Spotlight: Emily Stiever, Fractional COO
Please join us in welcoming our newest team member, Emily Stiever!
Emily is a DC-based solar professional who has spent nearly 20 years scaling equitable, distributed solar across the country. Prior to joining Footprint, Emily served as Senior Special Advisors for the EPA’s Solar for All program and the Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technology Office. Before the Federal government she spent 13 years scaling Solar United Neighbors (SUN).
“I started at SUN as a volunteer, helping organize neighborhood bulk purchase groups. It was an incredible experience bringing neighbors together to go solar and advocate for better policies. As SUN grew, I took on more responsibility and eventually became COO. That meant I did a lot of everything - from figuring out business processes, to supporting fundraising, to serving as on-the-ground program staff when we needed additional capacity. That experience taught me what goes into scaling an organization, and I’m excited to bring some of those (sometimes hard-won) lessons to Footprint.”
Before joining Solar United Neighbors, Emily worked as a renewable energy consultant specializing in solar electric and solar water heating initiatives and incentive programs. She graduated from Grinnell College with a Bachelor’s in Political Ecology and was a member of the 2016 Neighborworks Achieving Excellence program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
What brought you to this organization?
I’ve always admired Footprint Project’s theory of change and pragmatic approach. As a fellow Minnesotan, I heard about Footprint in the early days and had been following along on social media for years. After the Solar for All program was cancelled this summer, a friend asked me what my dream job would be. I immediately thought of Footprint, and as luck would have it, there was a posting on the website.
Can you explain your role at Footprint Project?
As the Fractional COO, I’m responsible for making sure our day-to-day operations are running smoothly. That means overseeing finances, ensuring staff have the right kind of organizational support to do their jobs, and ensuring we’re all communicating effectively across departments. I also get the exciting job of helping us think through and operationalize growth.
What’s something you’re learning right now?
I’m learning how to be present in the moment. I’m a parent to two small kids, and the amazing thing about little kids is how they’re totally focused on the present moment. They’re not worrying about what to make for dinner or how we’re going to get all of our errands in. I’ve found so much joy in being present with them, in a way that I never anticipated.
