June 5, 2014
Boulder, Colo., June 2, 2014 — The American Solar Energy Society is pleased to announce the appointment of its new executive director, Carly Rixham. Rixham is a renewable energy professional with a diverse background in solar, biofuels, education and wastewater management.
Most recently of BioVantage Resources, she was a microbiologist cultivating algae for bio-remediation of nutrients in wastewater. She received her master of science degree in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder where she researched microalgae for the production of bio-diesel and bio-ethanol.
While studying in Boulder, Rixham served as director of arts and sciences at CU Energy, where she was instrumental in recruiting student involvement for events such as the Energy Frontiers conference. She has also taught biology and ecology at the university and high school levels. Prior to her renewable energy career, she worked in software development and customer support at Intuit.
Rixham served as a volunteer on several ASES membership and fundraising projects, establishing a close relationship with the staff and executive committee. She is passionate about nonprofit organizational development, and plans to take ASES into the next generation, reaffirming the organizations role as a leader in the renewable energy community.
As solar energy gains success in the market place, Rixham is interested in pushing the solar agenda on a grassroots level. Dedicated to connecting science with the greater community of solar advocates, she is eager to support local chapters to help get real people involved in solar. She envisions a stronger connection with universities, as a way to recruit a new generation of professionals in renewable energy.
“I am very excited to lead ASES to the next level,” Rixham said. “We are living in a crucial time where we have real opportunities to unite our efforts in making this world a better place. It’s all about the people; it starts at the local level by listening to the needs of our members and chapters.
“If the problem is carbon pollution and rising energy costs, then the solution comes up every morning. I am extremely dedicated to ASES’s mission in speeding the transition to a sustainable energy economy.”
Seth Masia steps down as executive director and will return to supervising the ASES publications: SOLAR TODAY magazine, its website solartoday.org, and the email newsletters Solar Citizen and Solar@Work.