Careers in Clean Energy, a special program by REAL Houston designed for interns, students, and early-career professionals interested in exploring opportunities in the clean energy industry is back! Join us on Tuesday, July 28 at 5:00 PM at The Ion for this popular event.
Hear from a panel of those already on their journey as they share career insights, lessons learned, and advice for navigating a rapidly evolving sector. The panel will be moderated by industry leader Tom Weirich, Director of External Affairs, Communications, and Marketing at Signal Energy, who literally wrote the book about careers in clean energy in We Took the Risk.
Panelists include Michael Mann, Senior Development Associate, Leeward Renewable Energy; Emily McConnell, Development Strategy and Operations Associate, Repsol Renewables North America; and Christina Tamayo, Senior Manager, Development, GridUnited.
Following the panel discussion, attendees can connect with others during informal networking conversations at designated tables hosted by industry professionals. Learn about what people do in their roles in project development, finance, government affairs, regulatory compliance, human resources, title, project management, operations, and more. Bring questions if you have any!
Guests will also have access to complimentary professional headshots, with photos provided after the event.
Light bites and beverages will be served.
Thanks to the support of our sponsors, this event is free to attend but registration is required.
Register soon – space is limited!
Speaker Bios:
Tom Weirich is Director of External Affairs, Communications & Marketing at Signal Energy, a leading EPC in the power infrastructure sector. He works at the intersection of growth strategy, go-to-market execution, and revenue generation in the global renewable energy industry. With more than 22 years of experience, he has helped firms translate market insight, positioning, and relationships into customer acquisition, deal flow, and closed transactions, supporting teams behind 243+ renewable energy deals totaling $66 billion in enterprise value. He has led marketing and business development functions at clean energy investment banking advisory firms including Rubicon Capital Advisors and CohnReznick Capital, where he focused on market entry strategy, client development, and demand generation for capital markets and advisory services.
Previously, Tom served as SVP of Corporate Relations and interim COO at the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), where he spent 12 years building go-to-market platforms that connected developers, financiers, and power generators at scale. Most recently, he served as Head of Marketing and Stakeholder Relations at EDP Renewables.
An award-winning author of We Took the Risk (2022), Tom has also served in advisory roles under the Obama Administration to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative, shaping renewable energy trade and manufacturing policy. He has been recognized as a Renewable Energy World Top 40 Under 40 honoree and named five consecutive times to kWh Analytics “Top 100” Solar Influencer List.
Tom graduated with a B.S. with Honors in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and received his A.M. in International Development from the University of Chicago.
Michael Mann is a Senior Development Associate with Leeward Renewable Energy, an independent power producer who develops, owns, and operates 30+ wind, solar, and energy storage projects totaling over 4 GW. He sits on the West Development team and focuses primarily on the repowering of existing wind assets.
Prior to Leeward, Michael served as an Origination Analyst with EDP Renewables North America, where he worked with utility-scale customers in the eastern U.S. on offtake opportunities for EDP’s 12+ GW portfolio.
Michael’s previous experience includes Enterprise Rent-A-Car as part of their management program, REAL Houston as their first intern, and VC Fuel, a Houston-based venture capital firm focused on energy transition technology.
Michael holds a M.S. in Energy from Texas A&M and a B.A. in Business Management from Washington College.
Emily McConnell is a Development Strategy & Operations Associate at Repsol Renewables North America. Working alongside RRNA Chief Development Officer, Derek Rieman, she supports strategic growth initiatives and operational efficiency across a utility-scale wind, solar, and battery project development pipeline. Based in Houston, Texas, Emily has been with Repsol since the acquisition of ConnectGEN LLC in March 2024, where she began her career in utility-scale renewable project development in 2023. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Pittsburgh.
Christina Tamayo is a Senior Manager of Development at Grid United, where she leads the development and execution of large-scale electric transmission projects, including the Southline Transmission Project. Her work focuses on stakeholder engagement, land acquisition, field safety, and permitting and regulatory strategy for multi-state transmission projects.
Prior to her current role, Christina supported Grid United’s Three Corners Connector project (HVDC transmission), where she helped acquire rights-of-way and develop a community investment program that contributed to successful U.S. Department of Energy grant awards totaling $60 million for local communities.
Christina is a U.S. Army veteran who served nine years as a Military Police Officer specializing in emergency and crisis management. She holds an MBA from Rice University and a bachelor’s degree in engineering psychology from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Christina’s a native Houstonian, proud mom to two young children and a cat. She’s a proud wife to her husband, Alex, who works in the healthcare field at MD Anderson.
Registration opens at 5:00 p.m., the program begins at 5:30 p.m., and networking continues until 7:30 p.m.
