Linda McGinnis is an economist and policy analyst with over 30 years of experience in developing and investing in concrete solutions to sustainable development challenges, both globally and locally. As a Lead Economist and Senior Manager at the World Bank for 20 years, she led research, policy negotiations and investments in environment, energy, education, agriculture, and health in countries across Africa, Latin America and South Asia.
Since moving to Vermont in 2010 from India (to be closer to aging parents), Linda’s focus has been on state-level climate change strategies, renewable energy and energy efficiency policies and programs. She has provided her expertise across two administrations, serving as Director of Governor Shumlin’s Energy Generation Siting Policy Commission, as advisor to the leadership team at the VT Agency for Natural Resources on climate change strategy, as analyst for President Obama’s Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, and more recently as Commissioner for Governor Scott’s Climate Commission. In 2015, she joined EAN as Program Director, while also serving as co-chair of the Clean Energy Development Fund Board. These roles provided backbone support to help further Vermont’s strategic vision, investment and collective action towards its total energy and climate goals. Upon retirement from EAN in 2018, she became EAN’s first Senior Fellow, and looks forward to supporting EAN in any way she can to further Vermont’s actions to meet its 90% by 2050 goals across all energy sectors.
Linda is also a Trustee and past Board Chair of the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, and a founding member of the VCRD Climate Economy Council. Locally, she is an active member of the South Burlington Energy Committee and a women’s theater production company (GNOP). She and her husband Sam have invested in several small solar farms across Vermont, and are the proud parents of three. She holds degrees from Stanford (BA – International Relations), Princeton (Master in Public Affairs – Development Economics), l’Institut des Etudes Politiques in Paris (Master in Economic Policy) and Harvard Business School (Exec Ed). She is passionate about the future of the planet, of our beautiful state, and the role that each of us plays in ensuring that we do everything in our power to continue to enjoy its beauty.
