WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) announced today that Michael R. Brower has been appointed the new President and CEO of the organization. Brower served as the Interim President and CEO since July 29th, 2013.
ACORE Board Co-chair, Dan Reicher said, "Michael Brower brings both a deep understanding of the issues facing renewable energy and first-hand knowledge of ACORE itself. During his recent tenure, he has lead a thorough review of the organization and in-depth goal-setting process for staff. He is the right person to lead ACORE's successful programs and build strong collaborations with other key players, at a moment of great opportunity--and challenge--for the renewable energy industry."
"The ACORE Board would like to thank the industry leaders who participated in the search for our next CEO," said Dan Adler, ACORE Board Co-chair. "The candidates were extremely impressive and we were honored by their interest. Ultimately it was Michael Brower's demonstrated expertise across the range of renewable energy technologies and markets, his deep knowledge of the policy landscape affecting our industry, and his strengths in leading towards consensus across diverse interests that gave the Board confidence in the selection. And during this interim period he has already lead ACORE forward toward new goals and successes."
Brower has been an ACORE member since 2002, a member of the Board of Directors, and is a long time Leadership Council member. Until last week, he served as Senior Federal Policy Director at Mosaic Federal Affairs, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hiscock and Barclay LLP, a New York law firm. Brower is a retired career Naval Officer and Aviator who commanded Sea Strike Squadron Twenty-Two in the first Iraqi War and personally flew 43 aircraft carrier-based combat sorties. He also served in the Secretary of the Navy's personal office as Special Assistant for Air Warfare communicating United States Navy legislative policy to the Congress for Secretaries of the Navy Lehman, Webb and Ball.
"Michael Brower brings a marked strategic vision to ACORE, something I witnessed first-hand as a member of the Board of Directors," said Cathy Snyder, of Lockheed Martin Corporation. "He combines his strategic intellect with acute listening skills and turns strategy into action; a quality the entire Board of Directors values in a leader. During his tenure as interim CEO and President, Michael has made a discernible difference in carrying out the mission of ACORE. This coupled with his work developing the Board of Directors' strategic plan has made Michael into not just the right choice, but the best choice as ACORE's executive leader."
ACORE's past President and CEO, Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn (USN-RET) added, "Michael Brower is a visionary leader with extensive understanding of the entire energy space and the compelling value proposition of renewable energy. He will impressively serve all members and partners as a truly outstanding President and CEO of ACORE."
Throughout his renewable energy legislative and project advocacy career, Brower has been directly engaged in a wide-variety of biomass, geothermal, solar, wind, hydropower, liquid transportation fuels and anaerobic bio-digestion and biogas projects in the defense, power generation and transportation sectors, including work in development, funding and finance and operational deployments. He has a deep knowledge of renewable energy tax matters, and helped draft the first ever Farm Bill Energy Title and many of the renewable energy components of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and the Energy Infrastructure and Security Act of 2007.
"The trust and confidence that the ACORE Board of Directors unanimously vested in me as President and CEO of ACORE is a singular and distinct honor," said Brower. "To the Board, and to the membership that brands ACORE, I will work hard every day to carry out the organization's mission to provide a common educational platform for a wide range of interests in the renewable energy community focusing on technology, finance, policy, and market development. I look forward to helping drive strong partnerships to communicate the economic, security and environmental benefits of renewable energy. It will be a privilege to work with the ACORE membership, Board, staff, and key thought leaders across the industry.
About ACORE:
ACORE, a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization, is dedicated to building a secure and prosperous America with clean, renewable energy. ACORE seeks to advance renewable energy through finance, policy, technology, and market development and is concentrating its member focus in 2014 on National Defense & Security, Power Generation & Infrastructure, and Transportation. Additional information is available at www.acore.org .
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