NECNP Trustee Biographies
Lorie A. Cartwright, Brattleboro, VT, was elected to the board at its 2013 annual meeting, received her law degree from Vermont Law School, where her developing concern about nuclear pollution grew and helped shaped her activism around this issue. Lorie recently retired from Fitts, Olson & Giddings, a Brattleboro general practice law firm, where she was an Associate beginning in 2005 and then a Mediator until 2014. She is admitted to practice law in Vermont and in the United States District Court, District of Vermont. Lorie is an elected member of the Brattleboro Union High School Board and the Brattleboro Senior Meals Board. She lives in Brattleboro with her family and looks forward to the day we do not have to fight to reduce the dangers of nuclear pollution and to move our communities toward safe, sustainable energy solutions!
Edward “Ned” Childs, Dummerston, VT, Ned has been actively involved with the campaign to shutter Vermont Yankee since 1999. He grew up in Connecticut and graduated from Harvard College and Yale’s Graduate Schools of Forestry and Business Management. He started a land investment and management company in the 1980s and now manages a large landholding in Rockingham, VT, as a demonstration forestry and sustainable development project. He and his wife Anita have raised three children. Ned is currently the President of the Board of Trustees of the New England Coalition.
James Kirby, Brattleboro, VT, has been anti-nuclear since 1963, shortly after his brother was taken to the brig for demonstrating in front of the AEC in uniform. He was an a-bomb assembler. Jim saw that the peaceful nuclear program was just full of problems and it was not needed. He has worked to develop and apply renewable energy since 1975. He founded and was president of Solar Alternative, Inc. in Brattleboro (1978-91) which designed, manufactured and sold solar water heating systems and developed installer training programs. Through the 1990’s Jim served as a technical consultant for for Central Vermont Public Service where he implemented a demand side management research and demonstration program using Heat Pump Water Heating, Ground Source Heat Pump, Solar Domestic Water Heating and Commercial Lighting Technologies. He continues to be active in the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
Carol Levin, Guilford, VT, in 1974 founded the Chelsea House Folklore Center in West Brattleboro. She operated Rosy’s Herb Garden and served on the board of the Brattleboro Farmer’s Market. Along with her husband, the late Richard Gottlieb, they established Sunnyside Solar, Inc. designing, installing and teaching photovoltaic (solar electric) systems for over 30 years. Carol has been on the Guilford Central School Board, a trustee of the Guilford Fair, Inc. and coordinator for Friends of Fulflex Field. She continues working as a physical therapist for a local home care agency. She is newly elected to the NEC Board of Directors and is serving as recording secretary and clerk.
Raymond Shadis, Edgecomb, Maine, is an Artist and Educator. He led the nation’s first initiative referendum to close an operating nuclear power station, 1979-1980. Founded the Maine Nuclear referendum Committee in 1980. Founded Friends of the Coast/Earth Day Commitment -1995. Credited in Maine as the individual who contributed most to the decision to close Maine Yankee and exact a strict decommissioning standard. US NRC tapped Ray to serve on an Initial Implementation Evaluation Panel for its Reactor Oversight Process in 1999-2000. Ray joined the NEC Board of Trustees in 1982. He was Staff Technical Advisor 1998-2006. Since 2006 he is the NEC Technical Consultant and has done extensive work with NEC’s mission to close Vermont Yankee.
Robert Stewart, Brookfield, VT, has been a member and trustee of the New England Coalition for 40 plus years and is a former president. Jake is a Professional Engineer and serves as a Consultant in solar energy applications to buildings, energy saving principles and equipment and building design and layout. He is also a Designer of HVAC plumbing and waste water systems and has a background in research and development at M.I.T. and IBM. He founded the Solar Association of Vermont. Jake was an engineering professor at Vermont Technical College and was ski coach at UVM. Jake currently serves on NEC board as Vice President.
Trustee and Staff
Clay Turnbull, Townshend, VT, first joined the NEC staff in 2005. Duties on behalf of the NEC Board of Trustees include monitoring and assisting NEC’s legal, regulatory, legislative, and education initiatives; managing payroll and accounts payable disbursements, outreach to other advocacy organizations, and speaking for the Coalition in various fora – including interviews with news-media. Clay’s 20-year background in small scale renewable energy includes Project Manager – “Solar on Schools Program” – New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and installation and diagnostics technician for solar electric and hot water systems throughout NY and New England. He has lived in an off-grid solar electric and passive solar heated home over 2 decades.
Lorie A. Cartwright, Brattleboro, VT, first joined the NEC staff in 2015. Duties on behalf of the Board include managing donations, monitoring and assisting NEC’s legal and regulatory initiatives, assisting with payroll and accounts payroll disbursements and outreach to other advocacy organizations.