Webinar 60 - Tuesday, November 28, 2023

The Economics of Climate Change: Current Impacts on Maine’s Economy
Part III - Innovating for Maine's Climate Future

Tuesday, November 28, 2023
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

​The Economics of Climate Change
Part III – Innovating for Maine’s Climate Future
From extreme weather to warmer ocean temperatures, climate change is not a future problem - it's already affecting some of Maine's largest industries today. As part of a three-part webinar series, The Maine State Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation and Science is US will explore how the state can turn the current challenges and threats into strengths and opportunities.
In the third and final installment of this series, we will convene a panel of experts to discuss how Maine can attract, nurture and grow the industries and businesses of the future. Most of the green economy jobs that will exist in Maine in the decades to come aren’t even ones we can imagine today. Maine is currently at the forefront of research in alternative energy based on the state’s natural resources. How can Maine capitalize on that research to support the development of new, viable technologies? And how does Maine achieve a shift in its economy without leaving legacy industries and workers behind? Tune in to learn more.


The Economics of Climate Change
Part III – Innovating for Maine’s Climate Future
Speaker Bios
Jobs for the Future – Meena Naik and Sara Vander Zanden

Meena Naik is a director in Lifelong Learning, an incubated practice in JFFLabs. She focuses on skills-first design, working to define the vision and enabling features of a skills-first learn-and-work ecosystem and partnering with key stakeholders to realize this vision. She has led the development of the quality green jobs definition and framework for JFF. Before joining JFF, as the University of North Texas’s Career Connect program director, Naik spearheaded efforts to establish a marketable skills credential program in alignment with accreditation practices and was its comprehensive learner record architect.
Sara Vander Zanden is a senior manager at JFF. In this role, she builds resilient systems and partnerships. She leads the Quality Green Jobs Regional Challenge, an initiative sponsored by the Ares Charitable Foundation through the Climate-Resilient Employees for a Sustainable Tomorrow (CREST) initiative. The Challenge awards $5 million in grant funding and provides ongoing design and implementation support to grantees as they expand quality green jobs strategies in diverse regions across the U.S. Before joining JFF, Sara spent 10+ years leading direct-service organizations and initiatives in the fields of homelessness, affordable house, and sustainable food systems.

University of Maine – Jake Ward

Jake Ward is the Vice President for Innovation and Economic Development. His office supports economic development by acting as a liaison for business and industry, facilitating technology transfer, and handling patenting, licensing and commercialization activities for the University of Maine. The office also supports federal and state government relations for the university’s R&D mission. Vice President Ward has served UMaine in various roles within the Department of Industrial Cooperation and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship since joining the university in 1990.Prior to joining the University of Maine, Vice President Ward worked in private industry in software development and manufacturing. He serves on the boards of state/industry organizations, including the Maine Technology Institute, FOR/Maine and SEA/Maine.

Efficiency Maine Trust – Michael D. Stoddard

Michael Stoddard is an attorney and the Executive Director of the Efficiency Maine Trust, the independent administrator for programs that promote energy efficiency, alternative energy resources, and carbon savings in Maine. The Trust plans and manages programming for all conservation funds from the gas and electric utilities, RGGI revenues, and Forward Capacity Market revenues. The Trust also administers funds from various settlements, which have been allocated to promote EVs, EV charging infrastructure and heat pumps across the state. Michael serves on the Maine Climate Council (MCC) and is the co-chair of the MCC Working Group on Buildings, Infrastructure and Housing.
Before coming to the Trust, Michael was Senior Counsel at the Acadia Center (formerly Environment Northeast) where he was involved in electricity restructuring across New England. He also conducted advocacy for building energy codes, appliance standards, energy efficiency budgets, sustainable transportation systems, climate change action plans, adoption of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and establishment of the Trust. Michael was the co-author of the Acadia Center’s 2006 Climate Change Roadmap for New England and Eastern Canada.

Gulf of Maine Research Institute – Kanae Tokunaga

Kanae Tokunaga is a Senior Research Scientist in Coastal and Marine Economics at Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI). In her research, she uses bioeconomic modeling, econometrics, surveys, and interviews, to approach coastal and marine resource management issues. She is interested in understanding how economic (e.g., incentives and constraints), psychological, and socio-cultural factors influence these decisions to impact the sustainability and equity of coastal and marine social-ecological systems. Her current work investigates climate change impacts on fisheries management, adaptive and transformative capacities of Gulf of Maine fisheries and aquaculture sectors, and the role of diverse knowledge and learning in climate resilience. Prior to joining GMRI, she worked as a researcher at the University of Tokyo’s Ocean Alliance.

Co-hosts Leadership

Maine Chamber of Commerce - Patrick Woodcock

Patrick Woodcock is the new President and CEO of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce after returning to his home state from serving in a number of state energy leadership positions in New England. Most recently, Patrick was the Commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources under Governor Baker in Massachusetts. In that role, Commissioner Woodcock oversaw offshore wind procurements, new building codes, solar policies, and all other state and regional energy policies. He also served on the Board of the National Association of State Energy Officials, and several state and regional energy boards. Prior to working in Massachusetts, Patrick was Director of the Maine Energy Office from 2013 to 2016 in the Governor LePage Administration where he led efforts to expand air source heat pump adoption and other energy efficiency investments. He previously served as an adviser to former U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe in her Washington, D.C. office.

Science is US - Rachel Kerestes

Rachel Kerestes is the Executive Director of Science is US—a foundation supported effort that brings together a diverse group of science, engineering, industry, higher education and labor organizations to galvanize a broad, bipartisan political base of support for science and technology. A trained biologist and public policy analyst, Kerestes’s career spans the worlds of public affairs, advocacy, marketing and communications. She has held senior executive positions in national nonprofit and industry associations and leadership roles in consultancies specializing in public affairs, brand development and state and local government affairs. Her former clients include Fortune 50 companies, national nonprofits, foreign embassies, leading consumer brands, innovative start-ups and some of Washington’s most influential advocacy groups.


When: Tuesday, November 28
Time: 10:00-11:00 AM ET
Where: Virtual event. A Zoom link will be provided to all registrants.
About Science is US
Science is US is a foundation-supported effort that brings together a diverse group of science, engineering, industry, higher education, and labor organizations to galvanize a broad, bipartisan political base of support for science and technology.
About the Maine State Chamber of Commerce
Founded in 1889, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce is Maine’s largest business association, serving as The Voice of Maine Business on behalf of thousands of employers of all sizes and sectors across the state. The Maine State Chamber focuses on three pillars - Advocacy, Access, and Awareness - to advance a positive business climate and secure a strong state economy in which Maine businesses can compete and succeed.

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