Katelyn Buttler selected as young leader in sustainable energy; will participate in Focus the Nation’s ReCharge! Retreat

Katelyn Buttler (‘14), an Environmental Studies major at the University of New England, has been selected as one of the nation’s top rising young leaders in the sustainable energy sector by national non-profit organization Focus the Nation.

Buttler is one of twenty students from across the country who have been chosen for their dedication, passion, and unique contribution to advancing sustainable energy in America. The young leaders—five each in the categories of Technician, Innovator, Politico, and Storyteller—will meet for one week on August 11th, 2013, on Oregon’s Mt. Hood at the ReCharge! Retreat to explore an area of the country where energy is accelerating towards renewables.

Participants will hike Elliot Glacier, which has experienced 60 percent snowpack loss since 1982; tour the Boardman Coal Plant, scheduled to close by 2020; experience The Dalles Dam, located on the Columbia River and producing hydropower since 1957; and visit Biglow Canyon Wind Farm, which powers 125,000 homes in rural Oregon. Upon returning home, ReCharge! delegates will put what they learn at the retreat to use on their campus and in their communities by promoting sustainable energy solutions.

Buttler has been selected as a young leader in the Storyteller category. “I am excited to meet other leaders from different quadrants and work with them. I want to know how their communities and colleges respond to clean energy, the challenges they faced, and the successes they had,” says Buttler.

Focus the Nation is the country’s leading youth empowerment organization and supports rising leaders in launching careers that accelerate the transition to sustainable energy in all fifty states. Since 2008, the organization has helped more than 300,000 young people engage in direct dialogue with business and elected leaders concerning energy solutions. The organization  created the  ReCharge! Retreat in collaboration with The Center for Whole Communities to address the need for rising leaders to approach energy challenges with innovative ideas and fortitude throughout their careers. ReCharge! is made possible through sponsorship by Bonneville Power Administration, EDP Renewables, KEEN Footwear, and Portland General Electric. 

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.