Beyond the Boardroom Dawn Weisz, CEO of MCE
How does MCE promote inclusion? At MCE, equity is really at the center of everything we do. Although there has been progress in the clean energy field that’s brought women into decision making roles, there are still many that are not at the table. At MCE, 60% of our workforce is female and nearly 45% are people of color. Why do you think this is so important to the company? We believe that when organizations are reflective of the people they serve—they perform better. And Weisz has taken that experience and applied it to her work at MCE, a community choice aggregation program offering renewable energy and community programs to residents of Marin, Contra Costa, Solano and Napa counties at stable rates. Low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by the polluting side of the energy industry, and MCE is attempting to shift the region away from that model. “We are trying to tip the scales in the opposite direction from where they have been over the last 50 years,” says Weisz. To read more about how MCE has set the standard for clean energy in California since 2010 head to mcecleanenergy.org . D awn Weisz describes attending the Equal Rights Amendment March in 1978 as one of her favorite childhood memories. At only 8 years old, she was inspired by how such a large group—estimated at more than 100,000—gathered to collectively address such an important issue as women’s rights. This passion for advocacy only grew over time and led Weisz to help launch MCE in 2010. Currently serving as CEO, Weisz got her start in the early 1990s working with environmental justice groups in Southern California—including Mothers of East Los Angeles (MELA) and Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles (CCSCLA). She fought to protect low-income communities as well as communities of color. By Rosie Padilla
we have seen that success here at MCE. How does MCE advocate for minorities?
Creating programs that prioritize the needs of folks that are most impacted by our changing climate. That is really central to MCE’s focus. Since we launched back in 2010, we have grown to serve 1.5 million residents and businesses across Contra Costa, Marin, Napa and Solano counties. And we have reinvested $335 million into our communities. What has been a highlight in your career thus far? The biggest highlight in my career has been building on an idea from a small group of folks to form MCE and turn it into a reality that’s having measurable impacts. It has not only had big impacts within the Bay Area where we are serving customers, but the idea has spread across the state, and there are now more than 23 community choice programs like MCE statewide. Together, we are serving a quarter of all the energy customers in the state. How do you manage the daily stress of running the agency? I balance work hours with time outside in nature. I love hiking or working with my hands in the garden. That is a great way to balance out stress, so I make that a big part of my week. If you had a time machine, which historical event would you want to see and why? I would like to experience the beginning stages of the civil rights movement. Particularly the early planning that happened in the hills of North Carolina. I’m inspired not just by what was accomplished during the movement but how it was accomplished—the messaging, the connection and the careful planning. I think that so many things were done well in that movement, and I think I could learn a lot from being able to watch it unfold. Imagine you’re a new addition to the crayon box—what color would you be and why? Well, I have to pick green obviously because it symbolizes new growth, green energy and nature. Many of the solutions to today’s challenges can be found in nature so that color really resonates with me.
Dawn Weisz with a solar-operated lantern. [Photography by Duncan Garrett Photography]
58 NorthBaybiz
June 2025
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