Offshore Wind Energy Amber Hewett
Senior Director, Offshore Wind Energy
Amber joined NWF in 2013 and has spent the past decade working to advance state and federal policies that will both help launch a robust U.S. offshore wind industry on all coasts, and ensure wildlife, habitat, and communities are protected throughout every stage of development. After building and leading state offshore wind campaigns, she became Senior Director of offshore wind in 2023. Amber’s role on the team includes policy and campaign strategy and execution, building relationships with stakeholders, representing the program in public forums from conferences to community groups, delivering policy recommendations to decision-makers, and identifying new growth opportunities. She lives on the north shore of Massachusetts and graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Shayna Steingard
Senior Policy Specialist, Offshore Wind Energy
Shayna Steingard has worked at National Wildlife Federation since 2022 as the Senior Policy Specialist for Offshore Wind Energy to ensure that the deployment of offshore wind advances in a wildlife-responsible manner. Through the coordination and drafting of collaborative and constructive comments during the federal public comment opportunities, Shayna promotes science-based decision making to both protect wildlife and habitats and fight climate change through the renewable energy transition. Before joining the Federation, Shayna did similar work on land-based solar and wind energy and wildlife issues, primarily in the desert Southwest, and also worked for a conservation land trust in Southern Indiana. Shayna attended Indiana University-Bloomington, where she received a Master of Science in Environmental Science and a Master of Public Affairs. She also holds a Master of Elementary Education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis as well as a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Arizona State University.
Helen Rose Patterson
Senior Campaign Manager, Offshore Wind Energy
As the Senior Campaign Manager with National Wildlife Federation’s Offshore Wind Energy program, Helen Rose Patterson recruits and mobilizes stakeholders, educates the public, and manages coalition efforts to advance the responsible development of offshore wind energy. Helen Rose has worked at National Wildlife Federation since 2015, and prior to joining the Offshore Wind Energy team, she supported efforts to advance large-scale coastal restoration in Louisiana.
Helen Rose grew up in Mississippi and studied cultural ecology at Bennington College in Vermont. She was an environmental education volunteer in Peace Corps Morocco, and now makes her home in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is especially excited to see offshore wind energy come to fruition in the Gulf of Mexico.
Andrew Ahern
Northeast Campaign Coordinator, Offshore Wind Energy
Andrew joins NWF as the Northeast Campaign Coordinator with the Offshore Wind team after several years working and volunteering his time in the youth climate movement and environmental organizing on local, state, and national levels. He is particularly excited about being able to work with a diverse coalition of people and organizations to ensure offshore wind is built responsibly and justly for wildlife, workers, local communities, and everyone else who has a stake in clean energy.
When he’s not campaigning for wildlife and offshore wind, you can find him riding his bike around Boston, hiking New England’s most beautiful trails, or reading on Transcendentalism, ecological economics, and environmental philosophy.
Thomas Zhu
Climate and Energy Policy Fellow, Offshore Wind Energy
Thomas Zhu joined NWF as the Climate and Energy Policy Fellow in June 2023. As part of the Offshore Wind Energy team, Thomas conducts research and creates content regarding key policy topics, including offshore wind energy and clean energy transmission. Before joining NWF, he worked on environmental policy issues focused in the Midwest, such as initiatives to promote electric vehicles and sustainable land management.
Thomas attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he graduated with a B.A. in Economics.