NYSERDA's Offshore Wind Program

Georges Sassine – Vice President for Large-Scale Renewables

As the Vice President for Large-Scale Renewables, Georges leads NYSERDA’s work in advancing both land-based renewable energy and offshore wind resources. Prior to joining NYSERDA in September 2021, he spent nearly ten years at General Electric (GE) where he took on a wide scope of responsibilities including strategy, scenario planning, product management, innovation, marketing and business development. He started his career in engineering and policy analysis roles with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in the Middle East and think tanks in Washington, DC. Georges has also worked with several multinational corporations driving policy analysis, investment and business strategy including Deutsche Bank’s Energy & Climate Change Advisors team in New York and Man Group’s energy private equity fund in London. He is also the founder of a non-profit that advocates for transparency and good governance in the energy industry. Georges sits on the board of the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA), a non-profit platform for states and public agencies to collaborate to advance clean energy in the United States. He holds a Bachelor in Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from the American University of Beirut, and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University.

Gregory Lampman – Director, Offshore Wind

As Director of Offshore Wind, Greg leads NYSERDA’s Offshore Wind program, supporting a talented team of topical experts engaged in advancing competitive procurement of new strategic projects, rigorous contract management of the growing portfolio of contracted projects totaling more than 4,200MW. The Team is also advancing grid integration solutions and driving workforce development and economic development including manufacturing and port infrastructure investments to ensure New York maintains its position as the nation’s hub for offshore wind. Greg is responsible for supporting the regulatory and diverse inter-governmental engagements required to support New York’s offshore wind industry’s responsible and cost-effective growth including support of New York’s four offshore wind Technical Working Groups (TWGs), leading relevant research projects to support program innovation, and extensive proactive stakeholder engagement, media engagement and public speaking. Greg previously led NYSERDA’s Environmental Research Program which supported the New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan and continues to play a critical role in the responsible development of offshore wind.

Tess Arzu – Special Projects Manager, Offshore Wind

As Special Projects Manager for Offshore Wind, Tess leads the strategic planning for Master Plan 2.0: Deep Water which aims to better position New York State to meet its climate goals through informed research and analysis, as well as to align federal, regional, and state engagement with ongoing studies and investment opportunities. Tess also represents NYSERDA in the Maritime Technical Working Group (M-TWG) which identifies concerns and potential solutions related to shipping and navigation at all stages of Offshore Wind development. Prior to joining NYSERDA, Tess was selected as a DOE Scholar to work at the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. and went on to become the Environmental Initiatives Specialist at The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. She led the implementation efforts of the Clean Vessel Incentive Program. Tess holds a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Morgan Brunbauer – Marine Fisheries Manager, Offshore Wind

As Marine Fisheries Manager for Offshore Wind, Morgan has almost 10 years of experience working with many different interest groups including industry professionals, federal and state governmental agencies, and the public, especially those in the commercial fishing industry. For one of his Master’s degrees, he worked aboard deep-sea red crab boats analyzing catch data. While working for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Morgan supported the State’s offshore wind energy development efforts by collaborating on the offshore wind Fisheries and Environmental Technical Working Groups and interacting with the fishing industry to ensure their views are heard and considered throughout the development process. As NYSERDA’s new Offshore Wind Marine Fisheries Manager, he will use this experience to continue to serve as the liaison to the commercial fishing industry.

Jessica Dealy – Senior Policy Advisor, Offshore Wind

As a Senior Policy Advisor for Offshore Wind, Jessica leads Stakeholder Outreach as well as Workforce Development liaison efforts for New York State’s Offshore Wind Program. Jessica’s career in wind energy began in 2013 as a project manager for wind resource with the development start-up, OwnEnergy. She joined the larger Resource Assessment Group at EDF Renewables in 2015, where she developed pre-construction energy estimates, designed layouts, and managed meteorological datasets. Jessica entered the offshore wind space in 2018 when she joined Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind as their External Affairs Lead. She took on a range of responsibilities for the Shell/EDF-R Joint Venture including managing Stakeholder Engagement, Public Relations, and Government Relations. Prior to her career in renewable energy, Ms. Dealy worked as an award-winning on-air meteorologist and news reporter. Jessica holds a Bachelor’s in Meteorology/Climatology and a Master’s in Environmental Geoscience from Mississippi State University.

Laila El-Ashmawy – Project Manager, Offshore Wind

As a Project Manager with NYSERDA, Laila is working on offshore wind procurements and is enthusiastic about reaching New York State's renewable energy goals. Laila has a diverse background across engineering, economics and energy. Her experience ranges from managing 24/7 hazardous offshore oil rig operations to policy work at the international diplomatic level to market analysis at a geospatial asset monitoring start up. Laila has earned three diplomas in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mineral and Energy Economics, and Petroleum Economics and Management from Arizona State University (USA), Colorado School of Mines (USA), and IFP-School (France), respectively.

Janna Herndon – Project Manager, Offshore Wind

As a Project Manager for Offshore Wind, Janna is involved in many aspects of NYSERDA’s program, including stakeholder engagement, supply chain development, and contract management. Janna has several years of experience working to advance policies to address the impacts of climate change in the marine environment. She has a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Sherryll Huber – Senior Project Manager, Offshore Wind

As Senior Project Manager for Offshore Wind, Sherryll manages the New York State portfolio of offshore wind projects including port and supply chain investments in support of the State’s offshore wind OREC solicitations. Sherryll oversees programmatic, contractual, and regulatory coordination in conjunction with existing projects and regional planning activities to inform policy and execute The Climate Act's target of nine gigawatts by 2035. Previously, she led the implementation of the New York State Ocean Action Plan under the State's Ocean and Great Lakes Program with the Department of Environmental Conservation. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Management with a focus in Marine Science.

Peter Lion – Senior Advisor, Offshore Wind

As a Senior Advisor for Offshore Wind, Peter will help lead the team’s strategy, planning, and execution of economic development associated initiatives to develop and expand the offshore wind industry. Working collaboratively with public and private stakeholders, his primary focus will be on supply chain, infrastructure and workforce development. Peter has extensive experience in regional economic development and driving localization and growth through education, research and development and the establishment of innovative programs. For the last several years he has worked with small to medium sized enterprises to enable their participation in the offshore wind industry.

Kate McClellan-Press – Senior Project Manager, Environmental Research

As a Project Manager with the Environmental Research team at NYSERDA, Kate is working to advance responsible development of offshore wind. As co-chair of the Environmental Technical Working Group, she brings together stakeholders and develops strategies to address the environmental challenges of offshore wind energy development. Kate has 15 years of experience working on marine science and conservation and, as a National Science Foundation IGERT fellow, conducted research on the potential impacts of offshore wind development on marine life.

Benjamin Wang – Project Manager, Offshore Wind

As a Project Manager with NYSERDA, Benjamin works with the team to track and analyze project milestones associated with offshore wind projects, port assets, supply chain investment programs, and engagement activities. Benjamin has a diverse background in renewable energy, business development, project management, and strategic planning. Prior to joining NYSERDA, Benjamin worked on process management and process improvement for the Article 10 Electric Generation Siting review process at the New York State Department of Public Service. His experience led him to become an inaugural staff member of New York State’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting which consolidated the review and permitting of major renewable energy facilities into a single forum. He holds a Master of Public Administration in Urban Development and Sustainability from the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs.