CLASP Welcomes Three Extraordinary Women to the Board of Directors
Mirka della Cava, Rose Mutiso, and Hilary McMahon have all recently joined the CLASP board, bringing with them deep and cross-sectoral expertise. Each has an exceptional history of work in energy efficiency and climate change mitigation, and a keen interest in bringing women’s voices to the table of leadership. CLASP is thrilled to welcome them to our Board of Directors.
Mirka della Cava, Rose Mutiso, and Hilary McMahon have all recently joined the CLASP board, bringing with them deep and cross-sectoral expertise. Each has an exceptional history of work in energy efficiency and climate change mitigation, and a keen interest in bringing women’s voices to the table of leadership. CLASP is thrilled to welcome them to our Board of Directors.
Mirka della Cava serves as the Senior Program Manager for the Colorado Energy Office’s Energy Performance Contracting program where she connects energy services companies and public agencies eager to realize savings through energy efficiency. Mirka boasts an impressive career in energy efficiency, climate change, and energy policy, both internationally and domestically, holding senior positions at ClimateWorks Foundation, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the US Environmental Protection Agency. Mirka holds a Master’s of International Affairs in Environmental Policy from Columbia University and a B.A. in Political Science from Duke University.
Ms. della Cava has been closely involved with CLASP since its founding in 1999, holding various supporting roles over the last 20 years and remaining committed to the organization and its mission. When she was invited in 2017 to join the Board of Directors, she knew it was the right time to take on more governance responsibilities. Mirka is delighted to be working closely with the organization and the dedicated people working to achieve CLASP’s important mission once again.
Mirka is committed to empowering agents of change who can drive results. “I think having women in positions of leadership, especially institutional governance, brings an important voice and viewpoint to key decisions. We are all impacted by climate change, and a balanced viewpoint on how and to whom to allocate precious resources is needed in order to achieve maximum impact.” Recognizing women who serve this important role and ensuring women have an opportunity and a forum to accelerate their efforts is a mission she believes in.
Dr. Rose Mutiso is the co-founder and CEO of Mawazo Institute. She is a Senior Fellow of the Energy for Growth Hub, focusing on African energy sector development as well as the current Next Einstein Forum Ambassador representing Kenya. She has previously served as a Senior Fellow in the Office of International Climate and Clean Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy and as an Energy and Innovation Policy Fellow in the office of U.S. Senator Christopher A. Coons. Dr. Mutiso has technical experience in the fields of nanotechnology and polymer physics. She earned her BA and BE in Engineering Sciences with a concentration in Materials Science from Dartmouth College, and her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Mutiso was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, and is passionate about helping elevate women to positions of leadership and influence, particularly in African society. “Something that I truly care about is elevating women to positions of leadership and working toward equality…women face harsher penalties, higher barriers, and more challenges, so this is the space we want to focus on.” [1] The Mawazo Institute supports female thought leaders in Africa by providing research funding, training, and other resources, and produces authoritative and accessible content targeted at policymakers and the general public. Adding female voices to governance bodies like the CLASP Board of Directors brings inimitable perspective and thought leadership to some of the world’s most serious challenges.
Hilary McMahon joined CLASP’s Board of Directors in May 2018. Hilary puts sustainable strategies into action every day through her work. From energy efficient retrofits of cargo ships to “smart island” economies, as the former Director of Sir Richard Branson’s Carbon War Room, she has developed skills that she now provides as a business development professional and senior strategist at Hazel. Her global perspective on environmental affairs runs deep – from growing up in Ireland, Egypt, and Israel to her work at the United Nations, World Resources Institute, and World Business Council, she applies a uniquely international perspective. Hilary is also a member of the Columbia University Sustainable Finance Board, a reviewer for MIT Co-Lab and Bloomberg New Energy FIRE, and a former contributor to the World Energy Outlook.
Ms. McMahon was drawn to CLASP because of the crucial role of non-profits in accelerating the deployment of clean and efficient technologies around the globe. She appreciated that CLASP’s mission includes a focus on developing economies and the potential to vault into a cleaner and more efficient future. As a member of the Board, Hilary is excited to support the excellent and highly driven staff of CLASP in achieving the organization’s mission and to provide her insights to move us further and faster toward a more sustainable world.
Hilary advocates that the most vulnerable should be protected from the catastrophic effects of climate change, while also being engaged in its prevention. She sees women as bringing clear leadership to achieve this. “As a representative for women in energy in many international fora…it is clear that women actors in the energy space can bring creative solutions and talent which will allow us to address the multitude of challenges associated with climate change – war, poverty, resource scarcity, and natural disasters.” Women in leadership and governance roles accelerate progress toward creative problem solving.