We are facilitators, policy experts, and advocates for a just future.
Our Team
We are inspired by the challenge of addressing climate change for just outcomes, and are undaunted by energy policy, utility regulation, and working to find commonality among diverse interests. We are committed to building a more equitable world through our work, and we know that begins with us personally. We are unabashed about grounding our work in our values, and we are proud of the standards we hold ourselves to as individuals and as an organization.
We work by the principles of autonomy and flexibility, balance as a process, and mutual support.
We are a collaborative of independent advocates that choose to work together. We each own our own schedule and we each take care of one another and the work. We believe that we can grow as practitioners without sacrificing our personal passions, and that we come to our work best when we are whole and rested. We admit freely that our work is head-and-heart led, and we hope the experience working with us is characterized by love, empathy, humility, and trust. We abide by our commitments, hold our boundaries, and keep one another accountable to the larger picture of ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities.
Our Advisors
Maria Stamas is an Advisor with Common Spark Consulting. With over a decade of experience in energy law and policy, Maria’s work is dedicated to personal and systemic transformation in service of just, regenerative economies. Maria brings a depth of expertise in strategic planning, facilitative leadership, and systems thinking as well as energy equity and regulatory work.
In addition to Common Spark, Maria also serves as an interim Program Director with the Initiative for Energy Justice. Prior to that role, Maria served as Climate Equity Co-Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council where she fostered strategic partnerships to support the integration of racial and social equity into local government climate work as well as developed equitable building decarbonization frameworks. Maria has co-led coalition-based advocacy campaigns before the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission, and the California State Legislature, which collectively resulted in $200 million invested in affordable housing upgrade programs.
Maria holds a B.A. from Oberlin College and received her J.D. and M.A. in Energy & Resources from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law & the College of Natural Resources. She currently serves as vice-chair of the California Utility Low-Income Oversight Board.
Learn more about Maria on LinkedIn.
Careers
We’re hiring! See our Careers page for more information. Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn for any opportunities!