A new alliance dedicated to helping the Mid-Columbia region transition to a “reliable and resilient clean energy future” has tapped its first executive director. Sean V. O’Brien will lead the Energy Forward Alliance, which is part of the Tri-City Development Council, or TRIDEC.

O’Brien most recently worked as Eastern Washington director for the Washington Policy Center. Before that, he was executive director of the Congressional Western Caucus and served as deputy chief of staff and legislative director for U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington.

Sean O'Brien

“The expertise and leadership that Sean will bring to this new role will continue the Tri-Cities’ legacy of helping solve the nation’s most important and impactful challenges,” said Karl Dye, TRIDEC chief executive officer, in a statement. “The need now is for a sustainable future — to not only leave our children and grandchildren with a safe place to raise their own families, but to capture the jobs and economic benefits that embracing a clean energy future will bring to the region. We are excited for Sean to join our TRIDEC team and look forward to him building upon EFA’s mission.”

Paula Linnen, a member of the alliance’s executive committee, added that, “Sean’s long-standing relationships with regional community leaders and officials make him a natural choice for this influential role to help the Tri-Cities be recognized as an energy leader.”

Bob Schuetz, CEO of Energy Northwest, called O’Brien an “engaging and innovative leader with a deep understanding of the energy arena and our challenges moving ahead with the clean energy transformation.”

The advertised salary range for the position was $100,000 to $125,000.

O’Brien, a Visiting Fellow with the Mountain States Policy Center, studied political science at Gonzaga University and is a graduate of AgForestry Leadership Class 43 and the Global Leaders Program at the Slade Gorton International Policy Center.