Over the past few months, Advanced Energy United and Advanced Energy Institute welcomed four industry leaders to its Board of Directors: Yousef AbuGharbieh of Modern Energy, Liesl Eichler Clark of University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, Neal Kemkar of Galvanize Climate Solutions, and Amith Kota of Landis+Gyr.

“Our new board members bring a diverse set of valuable business leadership expertise, and a passion for our missions, and we are fortunate to have them helping to lead our organizations,” said Advanced Energy United President and CEO Heather O’Neill. “Their insights and support will guide us as we educate decision-makers about the benefits of advanced energy solutions, and drive transformative policy change. I look forward to working alongside them as we build an American economy powered by 100% clean energy.” 

In Memoriam  

With heavy hearts, we mourn the loss of Advanced Energy United Board Member Mark Laabs, Modern Energy’s Chairman and Managing Partner, who passed away last month. A clean energy entrepreneur and a tireless champion for our industry, Mark was an inspiring leader who led a purpose-driven life dedicated to partnerships, positivity, and accelerating the clean energy transition. Mark leaves behind a remarkable legacy which includes the founding of The Rare Cancer Research Foundation.  

More About Our New Board Members: 

Yousef AbuGharbieh, Chief Operating Officer, Modern Energy (Advanced Energy United Board) 

Yousef brings over a decade of experience in early-stage clean energy company strategy, operations, and business development. A fluent innovator and project manager, he is passionate about how to maximize the potential of teams toward a common goal. Spanning his tenure with Modern Energy and at McKinsey & Company, Yousef excels at partnering with leaders to disrupt an industry and launch and build companies across the energy, software, and tech industries. In addition to Advanced Energy United’s board, Yousef serves on the boards of Modern portfolio companies Faro Energy, Pave Power, and NovoHydrogen. Yousef graduated as a Robertson Scholar jointly from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University, and he also holds a JD/MBA from Yale University. You can find him hanging out with his two children in his spare time.  

Liesl Eichler Clark, Director of Climate Action Engagement, University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability (Advanced Energy Institute Board) 

Liesl leads a new initiative aimed at linking the university’s expanding sustainability research, collaborations, and engagement with external partners to accelerate climate action across the state of Michigan and beyond. Previously, Clark served as director of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) in Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s cabinet, chaired the Council on Climate Solutions, and led development of the MI Healthy Climate Plan. In addition to her role as prior director of EGLE, Clark is a successful entrepreneur in the clean energy and sustainability space having co-founded the clean energy consulting firm 5 Lakes Energy. She also was instrumental in the creation of the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council and served as the president for three years as well as serving on a variety of business and nonprofit boards. Her professional career combines the public and private sectors to inform her passion for leadership, communication, and the beautiful state of Michigan. 

Neal Kemkar, Senior Vice President of Policy, Galvanize Climate Solutions (Advanced Energy Institute Board) 

Neal has spent his career as a lawyer and policy advisor focused on climate action. Before joining Galvanize, Neal was at General Electric, advising the full portfolio of GE business units on climate policy risks and opportunities. Prior to joining GE, Neal held climate and energy policy roles in the Obama Administration, with the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Secretary of the Interior, and in the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office. Previously, he was in private law practice, served as an adjunct professor, and as a law clerk on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He began his career as a grassroots organizer, leading advocacy campaigns for several environmental nonprofits. He currently sits on the board of trustees of the National Park Trust and is a fellow of the Aspen Institute and the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. He is a graduate of Brown University, Georgetown University Law Center, and the Senior Managers in Government Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He lives with his wife and daughter in Washington, D.C. 

Amith Kota, Group Chief Technology Officer, Landis+Gyr (Advanced Energy United Board) 

Amith has more than 20 years of experience delivering digital change with leading-edge products and services to help customers achieve business value faster and work more effectively in the future. Prior to his current role, Amith Kota was Landis+Gyr’s Vice President of Software & Services and CIO, where he was responsible for the strategic growth and management of software, cloud, and services businesses that support the company’s long-term vision to be a trusted utilities digital and technology partner. Before joining Landis+Gyr, he served as the Chief Enterprise Architect/CTO and Global Head of Emerging Technologies at Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, where he was accountable for global enterprise strategy, architecture, and innovation to create new revenue channels and optimize business profitability through technology innovations. Earlier in his career, Amith held various leadership positions at Progressive Insurance and startups across sales, delivery, and business IT organizations responsible for digital customer experience, omnichannel engagement, and business systems.  Amith is a member of various industry and CIO boards, a selective group of digital leaders from the most forward-looking companies. He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, and an Executive Certificate in Innovation and Strategy from the Case Western Reserve University.