The nonprofit clean technology trade organization and advocate CleanTech San Diego has named Holly Smithson, the organization’s former executive vice president, its president and chief operating officer.
CleanTech San Diego announced the appointment Tuesday, adding that interim president and chief executive officer Jim Waring will resume his previous role as executive chairman of the CleanTech San Diego Board of Directors. Smithson’s appointment was approved by a unanimous Board vote, a news release from the organization said.
As president and COO, Smithson will oversee the organization’s strategic, financial and operational policies aimed at stimulating innovation and advancing the adoption of clean technology, the release added.
“CleanTech San Diego serves as the single voice for the region’s clean technology industry as it continues to expand and generate significant regional economic development,” Waring said. “We’re fortunate to leverage Holly’s industry experience and diligence in the organization along with her deep reach inside this community.”
According to the release, Smithson was among the initial group that established and cultivated a CleanTech San Diego membership base of more than 100 corporations and stakeholders. The organization is focused on advancing the regional deployment of clean technology and local investment in clean technology companies.
Before joining CleanTech San Diego in 2007, Smithson worked in public policy for 10 years in Washington, D.C., serving in the administration of President George W. Bush. A graduate of the Harvard Business School Executive Leadership Program and with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications from East Carolina University, Smithson has also been a registered lobbyist for the Solid Waste Association of North America and worked on the professional staff of presidential, senatorial and gubernatorial campaigns in Florida and North Carolina.
She began her career in broadcast journalism in North Carolina as a news director and anchor for several television and all-talk radio stations, the release said.
