2025 Fall Member Meeting: Highlights from Waterville Valley

Community Power leaders from across New Hampshire gathered for a full day of updates, strategy, and shared momentum.

On October 24, 2025, representatives from 33 CPCNH member communities gathered at the Waterville Valley Resort Conference Center—with additional seven represented virtually—for CPCNH’s Fall Membership Meeting. More than 60 people attended in person for a day of updates, learning, and collaboration.

The meeting opened with welcoming remarks from Bobbi-Jo Michael, Director of Administration; Kim Quirk, Board Chair; and Jackson Kaspari, Director of Member Services, who also served as emcee for the day.

That was followed by a lively trivia session led by Jo-Ellen Courtney, Chair of the Member Outreach and Engagement Committee. Attendees tackled fun facts about New Hampshire communities, like Hanover being the first interstate school district, Durham nearly hosting a massive oil refinery in 1974, and Canterbury and Enfield both housing Shaker museums. The mix of quirky facts and local history brought out some friendly competition, and plenty of good-natured debate over the answers.

Board Chair Kim Quirk spoke next, outlining the roles and responsibilities of member representatives and board directors. Communications Manager Nick Gosling followed with a presentation on recent improvements to CPCNH’s website and outreach tools.

Treasurer Kathleen Kelley and AGM Henry Herndon presented a financial outlook, highlighting the organization’s strong performance and future priorities. Herndon then provided a broader strategic update, while Member Services Director Jackson Kaspari walked attendees through the Cost Allocation & Benefits (CAB) report, and highlighted the improvements to the transparency of financial information available to the membership.

Board director and Peterborough representative Bruce Tucker shared how his community is putting Discretionary Reserve Funds to work—supporting solar development, EV infrastructure, and municipal energy efficiency upgrades. Doria Brown, Board Vice Chair and Nashua’s representative, introduced the city’s new Residential Energy Coaching Program to help residents make meaningful energy efficiency upgrades that reduce costs, improve comfort and support citywide sustainability goals.

Director of Projects and Programs Mark Bolinger presented the ASPIRE initiative (Annual Solicitation Program to Increase Renewable Energy) and provided updates on the upcoming Poverty Plains Solar Project, expected to go live in 2026.

Chase Pennoyer, President of Resilient Buildings Group (RGB), was the honored guest speaker He reflected on his journey in the energy efficiency field—starting with an internship at RGB in 2015—and discussed the organization’s work supporting municipal energy projects across New Hampshire.

Later, committee leaders gave brief “elevator pitches” on their current efforts:

• Beth Fenstermacher – Member Outreach & Engagement

• Clifton Below – Regulatory & Legislative Affairs

• Peter Kulbacki – Risk Management

• Also recognized were Mark Bolinger (Projects & Programs), Joe LaMattina (Governance), Clyde Carson (Finance), Kim Quirk (Executive), and Kathleen Kelley (Audit).

Director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs Deanna Dennis closed out the presentations with an overview of CPCNH’s 2026 legislative priorities and regulatory engagement. She was joined by New Hampshire Representative Michael Vose, CPCNH’s representative from Epping, who discussed upcoming legislation and his work as Chair of the House Science, Technology and Energy Committee.

The meeting concluded with closing reflections from Chair Kim Quirk and AGM Henry Herndon, who thanked attendees and reaffirmed CPCNH’s mission to empower communities through local energy innovation.