FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 17, 2025

Somerville, MA — The Alliance for Climate Transition (ACT), the leading voice for clean energy innovation and policy in the Northeast, today announced that Joe Curtatone will step down as President at the end of October. The ACT Board of Directors has appointed Trish Fields as Interim Executive Director to guide the organization through this next phase of growth and strategic development.

Under Curtatone’s leadership, ACT has expanded its regional and national influence, deepened its partnerships with government and industry, and advanced key initiatives supporting clean energy innovation and climate leadership across the Northeast.

“Serving as President of ACT has been one of the great honors of my career,” said Joe Curtatone. “I’m proud of how far we’ve come in strengthening the region’s clean energy economy and helping innovators succeed. ACT is well-positioned for the future, and I know Trish’s leadership will build on that foundation.”

The Board’s decision to appoint an interim leader reflects a thoughtful, strategic approach to ensure continuity and stability during this transition period. The Board will conduct a comprehensive search for ACT’s next long-term executive in 2026.

“ACT is entering its next chapter at a critical moment for the clean energy sector,” said Tina Bennet, Chair of ACT’s Board of Directors. “Trish is the right leader for this moment—she brings deep sector experience, operational strength, and a history of leadership within ACT. We’re grateful for Joe’s extraordinary contributions and are confident in the organization’s continued success under Trish’s guidance.”

Trish Fields is an accomplished nonprofit and association executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience advancing growth, innovation, and impact across the clean energy sector. She specializes in launching and transforming mission-driven organizations, turning strategic vision into measurable results in operations, finance, membership, sponsorship, fundraising, events, and policy advocacy. In her most recent role as Executive Director of the Solar Energy Business Association of New England (SEBANE), Trish led a successful organizational turnaround, achieving record membership growth and financial performance.

Previously, she founded and led Fields Associates, an association and nonprofit management company providing executive leadership and strategic advisory services to associations, nonprofits, consortia, and foundations. Earlier in her career, Trish was a co-founding team member of the New England Clean Energy Council (NECEC)—now the Alliance for Climate Transition (ACT)—where she served as Vice President of Operations and Membership, and a co-founding team member of Advanced Energy Economy (AEE)—now Advanced Energy United—where she held multiple senior leadership roles including Vice President of Partnerships and Strategic Engagement. Across these roles, she helped secure more than $50 million in initial funding, scale organizations nationally, and build enduring coalitions that advanced clean energy policy and market growth. She is widely recognized for her collaborative leadership, strategic insight, and ability to build organizations that deliver lasting impact.

“I’m honored to return to ACT at such an important time for our region,” said Trish Fields. “Having helped start what was then the New England Clean Energy Council as a volunteer in 2006 and later becoming its second staff member in 2008, this organization has always held a special place for me. I’ve seen firsthand how far ACT—and the broader clean energy community—has come. My focus now is on strengthening ACT’s platform, supporting our exceptional team and members, and ensuring we continue to advance an affordable, resilient, and equitable clean energy future for the Northeast.”

The leadership transition will be highlighted at the 2025 Green Future Gala, hosted by ACT on October 16. The event will celebrate the organization’s achievements and spotlight the ongoing work to accelerate the clean energy transition across the Northeast.

###

About the Alliance for Climate Transition (ACT)

The Alliance for Climate Transition (ACT) is the premier voice of businesses building a world-class clean energy hub in the Northeast. ACT helps clean energy companies start, scale, and succeed through policy leadership, innovation programs, and strategic partnerships. ACT, formerly Northeast Clean Energy Council (NECEC), is a nonprofit business member organization and ACT Institute, focused on research, innovation, and strategic communications.

ACT’s innovation programming includes Cleantech Open Northeast, the regional affiliate of the national cleantech accelerator Cleantech Open, connecting startups with mentors, investors, and corporate partners. Through collaboration and advocacy, ACT drives progress toward a clean, inclusive, and competitive energy economy.