NECEC’s Employer of the Year award is given to an organization that has grown its workforce by a substantial margin, developed a strong entrepreneurial and impact culture, provides great, high-paying jobs to its community and provides employees with a high quality work environment. 

 

“From workforce development and growth, to leaving a lasting positive impact in the communities where it develops renewable energy projects, First Wind has proven that it is committed to fostering quality work and living environments,” said Peter Rothstein, NECEC president. “We are thrilled to provide them this award and congratulate all of [the award] winners¹ which exemplify innovative companies leading research, development, adoption and deployment of clean energy technologies in our region.”

Since early 2008, First Wind has more than doubled its head count in New England.  In addition to its headquarters in Boston, First Wind has a large regional office in Portland, Maine and operates five wind projects in the state with construction under way on its sixth. First Wind also built and operates a wind project in Vermont and two solar projects in Massachusetts. 

 

First Wind enjoys a high level of employee satisfaction across its New England footprint. In an employee survey conducted in late 2013 — in which 98 per cent of the company employees responded — First Wind’s employee satisfaction was rated nearly “best in class,” according to Avatar Solutions. 

“We are honored to be recognized with the 2014 Green Tie Gala Award for Employer of the Year by NECEC, which has been such an excellent voice for the clean energy industry here in New England,” said Paul Gaynor, CEO of First Wind. “We started and have grown our business here in New England, in large part due to the amazing talent that exists throughout the region.  First Wind is a great place to work because of the excellent people we’ve been able to attract to our team. We are pleased to accept this award on behalf of our 200 people across the country and our employees here in New England.”

 

NECEC’s 7th Annual Green Tie Gala was held at the Fairmont Copley Hotel in Boston and attracted more than 400 leaders and stakeholders in the clean energy industry, including company CEOs, government officials, service providers, academics, venture investment firms, labor and large commercial end-users and area utilities. 

 

Sponsors of NECEC’s 7th Annual Green Tie Gala include Deloitte, Energizing Co., General Electric, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, National Grid, Northeast Utilities, Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications, Schneider Electric, Shell and William Gallagher Associates.

 

 

Other 2014 Green Tie Gala award recipients included: Next Step Living, GreenerU, Ambri and Greentown Labs. In addition, NECEC honored Rob Day, partner at Black Coral Capital and Andrew Friendly, director of government policy and strategy at Autodesk, for their leadership in helping grow NECEC’s regional innovation network. Past winners of the Green Tie Gala awards include: Saint-Gobain (2013), EnerNOC (2012), Next Step Living (2011) and Ameresco, Inc. (2010).