Fresh Energy is speeding Minnesota’s transition to a clean energy economy, which will ensure that our region enjoys good health, a vibrant economy, and thriving communities today and for generations to come.
As our deep bench of staff members drives progress at the State Capitol, the regulatory arena, and other venues, our Board of Directors plays a crucial governance role, ensuring the organization is strong and true to its mission, as well as Vision 2030: Fresh Energy’s Strategic Framework. This winter, we are thrilled to welcome three new members to the Board.
Laura Bishop is a corporate board director, c-suite advisor, former Fortune 50 Chief Sustainability Officer and state environmental regulator with firsthand experience leading growth and turnaround strategies with sustainability as a key driver. Laura has extensive governance, board, and fundraising skills and executive experience.
Laura served as Chief Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Officer of Best Buy, where she led sustainability, environmental compliance, supply chain sustainability, social impact, philanthropy, and government relations. More recently, Laura served as the chief environmental regulator and member of Governor Tim Walz’s Cabinet for the State of Minnesota. The Governor also appointed her as Chair of the Climate Change Subcabinet and Advisory Council where she designed that state’s Climate Action Framework and accelerated access to electric vehicles and infrastructure. Read more about Laura.
Robert Blake is the owner of Solar Bear, pronounced Gizis-o-makwa in Ojibwe, a solar development company located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Robert also serves as Executive Director of the non-profit Native Sun Community Power Development in Minneapolis. Robert is a tribal citizen of the Red Lake Nation. His passion is spreading the word about renewable energy through communication, cooperation, and collaboration. Robert recently led a successful effort to secure federal funding to purchase electric school buses for the Red Lake Nation school system and launched the Solar Cub program to educate and train students on solar energy planning and development. He also helped secure a SMART grant award to fund e-bikes, charging stations, and glow in the dark bike pathways for the Red Lake Nation, an idea he got from reading an article about a similar effort in Poland. Read more about Robert.
Matt Schuerger is the President of Boreal Energy Strategies LLC and is a Senior Fellow at the Energy Systems Integration Group, a nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to chart the future of grid transformation and support progress that is economic, reliable, sustainable, thoughtful, and collaborative.
He has forty years of experience in the energy industry as a senior manager, professional engineer, and regulator. Matt has provided key state, regional, and national leadership on electric reliability, grid planning, and distributed energy resources. From 2016 through 2023, he was a Commissioner of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, where he focused on affordable, reliable, resilient utility service that is increasingly clean and sustainable. Read more about Matt.
This board brings an exciting mix of fresh energy — pun intended! — and intersectional experience to Fresh Energy, and we’re looking forward working toward Minnesota’s clean energy future together in the coming years.
