Gary Fearon – 2023 Award for Contributions by an External Partner
I am truly grateful to be selected for this award, but none of the work I do would not be possible without the many other great folks I work with on a regular basis. I have only been in my current role for a little over a year now, but have a strong passion to make the Penobscot Nation and other communities a greater place to live. Finding energy solutions is just one way to improve the community, while also ensuring we are protecting the environment. Energy efficiency and resilience is just a part of the puzzle for communities, but I think the biggest reward is getting people in the community a big part of the process and making them have stronger connections with others.
I have seen my viewpoints shift overtime and one of those key components is teamwork and building strong relationships. I don’t consider myself an expert in the energy world, but I feel I have the ability to make good connections and find resources that I can bring together at the table to find creative solutions. Some keys area’s that I have focused on is funding for projects, bringing in community partners and stakeholders, workforce development programs and always thinking outside the box for creative solutions.
I would love to have as many people as possible involved and just be able to share our knowledge. Everyone has their own unique talents and skillset and working together makes things so much easier. It’s also critical that people who are working “boots on the ground” to share the pros/cons of the work they are doing with folks higher up in government who have the ability to make policy changes that can hopefully resolve and streamline processes.