Rhea Jezer, PhD.

Rhea Jezer, PhD.

Board Member

 

Rhea Jezer is President of Energy21 and Director of the award winning Annual Symposium on Energy in the 21st Century which is noted as one of the most important renewable energy conferences in the Northeast. She served on the faculties of SUNY ESF and Cazenovia College.

Dr. Jezer is a noted environmental consultant and policy advisor to eco-businesses, candidates, environmental groups and elected officials for both major parties. She was an environmental advisor for Sen. Hillary Clinton for nine years, worked closely with Gov. George Pataki, heading the CNY campaign for the 1996 Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act, and on Pataki’s Superfund Reauthorization working group. She served on the environmental transition teams for Pres. Bill Clinton, AG Eliot Spitzer, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and was a co-chair of the transition team for AG Eric Schneiderman. Rhea was an active member of the New York Leadership Council for the 2016 Hillary Clinton for President Campaign and was an elected Biden delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

Rhea is chair of the CNNY Sierra Club and also served as chair of the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter for several years, as Chair of the Dewitt Democratic Party, and was a Congressional Candidate twice. As a Congressional Fellow, she penned major legislation for the encouragement of women and under-represented minorities to enter the fields of science and math, which was included in the Federal Higher Education Act.

Rhea Jezer is an active member of the New York League of Conservation Voters Board, was a founding member of New York Interfaith Power & Light, serves or served on many boards including CNY American Red Cross, Onondaga County District Attorney Advisory Council, CNY Friends of Chamber Music, and Syracuse Interreligious Council.

Rhea is also a noted musician and choral conductor and for years performed as a harpsichord soloist, including at the Skaneateles Music Festival. She founded and was soloist for the Syracuse Camerata, a CNY Baroque Orchestra.

Among the her many awards are the Post Standard Achievement Award “for her contributions making Central New York a better place”, Greening USA “Greening our Community Advocacy Award”, NAACP Humanitarian Award, National Organization of Women “Woman of Power” Award, Congressional Fellowship in Women & Public Policy, InterFaith Works Leadership Award “for her work bringing environmental education to Central New York”, Midwood H.S “Most accomplished Alumna in Science and Technology award” Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s “Outstanding Service to New York State Award”, Brooklyn College Lifetime Achievement Award, Arise “Community Service Award”, and most recently the National Sierra Club Alliance Award.

Dr. Jezer holds a Ph.D from Syracuse University, MA from Columbia University Graduate Studies, and a BA from Brooklyn College, as well as a certificate in Gender Studies from Syracuse University.