EESI Welcomes New Policy Leaders to Its Board

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is welcoming two new board members: Raya Salter, a New York-based energy and climate justice law and policy expert, and Lieutenant General (Ret.) Jeffrey W. Talley, a businessman, scholar, and retired Army officer.

“EESI is a leader in driving impactful energy and environmental policy solutions. I'm thrilled to be joining the EESI Board of Directors.”

Raya Salter is the Policy Director for NY Renews, a coalition of more than 200 climate justice organizations. She is also an adjunct Professor at Fordham University's School of Law, and an appointed member of the New York State Climate Action Council, which is tasked with planning the state's just transition to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Salter, who received a Climate Hero Award in April 2020 from the Human Impacts Institute, is the author of Energy Justice, a pioneering analysis of energy law and policy through the framework of energy justice. She earned a law degree at the Fordham University School of Law.

“Today’s environmental and energy challenges are big data problems that require public private partnership solutions. I am pleased to join EESI's board and leverage my experience and expertise to meet those challenges in new ways.”

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Jeffrey W. Talley is President & CEO of The P3i Group LLC, a management consulting firm that brings together people, technology, and solutions from across government, business, not-for-profit, and academia. Prior to joining The P3i Group, he was a Vice President & Global Fellow at IBM. His military service culminated in 2012 when he was appointed by the President to a four-year term as the 32nd Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Reserve Command. He has held academic appointments at the University of Southern California, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, SMU, and Notre Dame. He holds a PhD in Engineering from Carnegie Mellon and an Executive MBA from Oxford. He is a registered Professional Engineer (PE), a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) in Sustainability, and a Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer (DWRE).

"We are delighted to have Raya and Jeff join our board," said Board Chair Jared Blum. "They will bring valuable environmental justice and national security insights to the mix, and strengthen our oversight, and provide guidance and fresh perspectives as we help inform policymakers about sustainable solutions to address the urgent climate crisis."

"EESI's board has made diversity, equity, and inclusion a core value, and as the chair of the board recruitment committee, I did not lose sight of that," said Monty Cooper. "But rather than restricting our search, this focus on DEI threw it wide open. I look forward to working with Raya and Jeff to ensure EESI plays its key role on Capitol Hill and in U.S. climate policy."

"EESI is growing to meet the seriousness and urgency of climate change," said EESI Executive Director Daniel Bresette. "Raya and Jeffrey bring new expertise, experiences, insights, and perspectives to our board, and that is just what we need to thrive and succeed. They will play a critical role in our ability to expand and deepen EESI’s impact."

See a full list of EESI's board members here.