The Special Initiative on Offshore Wind, which promotes the development of the sector in the US, has recruited Nancy Sopko as co-director.
Sopko, who is stepping down from her post as offshore wind policy director at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), will start her new role at SIOW on 1 March.
Sopko will work to expand the organisation’s outreach with key stakeholders and constituencies in the US offshore wind industry, which is committed to developing more than 15GW of capacity in six states on the Atlantic Seaboard.
She will also strengthen ties between AWEA and SIOW.
SIOW director Stephanie McClellan said: “These are exciting times for US offshore wind and a great addition to our team.”
SIOW is affiliated with the University of Delaware’s College of Earth, Ocean and Environment.
Sopko said: “I am thrilled to be joining SIOW as interest in US offshore wind reaches a fever pitch.”
Sopko has worked at AWEA since April 2015 and led the association’s federal and state policy and outreach efforts for US offshore wind development.
Prior to that she served as policy advocate at Oceana and legislative counsel for US Representative John Adler.