Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Jonathan Schrag, Executive Director

Jonathan Schrag is the Executive Director of RGGI, Inc. Before RGGI, Jonathan was a partner of Hudson Strategic Energy Advisors LLC, where he worked with the state governments of Wyoming, West Virginia, and Montana and the Western Governors Association on energy, climate and the environment.

From 2005 to 2007, Jonathan was an Assistant Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the Executive Director of the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy, where he ran policy research programs on carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear energy, carbon policy, and renewable energy technologies. Jonathan also served as Research Staff with the Global Roundtable on Climate Change and as a Research Associate for Columbia University’s Center for Carbon Management.

Jonathan currently serves as a member of the Energy and Environmental markets Committee of the U.S Commodity Futures Trading Commission and as a member of the Advisory Board of the New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable Economy.

Jonathan graduated from Harvard University and received a Fulbright scholarship for research in the history of electrification. He lives in New York City.

Laura Thomas, Business Manager

Laura joined RGGI, Inc. as Business Manager in December 2008. Before joining RGGI, Laura was a Vice President and Business Manager in Merrill Lynch's Global Markets and Investment Banking Division.

From 2000 to 2006, Laura was an Assistant Vice President in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Credit Suisse where she served as the group's financial operating officer.  From 1995 through 2000, Laura was a Junior Analyst and then a Research Associate at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.

Laura graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A in Sociology. She has recently completed her Masters Certificate in Finance at Baruch CAPS.

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Nicole joined RGGI, Inc. as Auction Program Manager in January 2009. Prior to her current position, Nicole was the Associate Director for the Environmental Bankers Association (EBA) and a Senior Associate for Risk Management Technologies, Inc (RTMI).

For over five years, Nicole helped manage all aspects of the EBA, a non-profit trade association that represents the financial services industry and those who provide services to them. Nicole worked to promote environmentally sound lending and fiduciary activities and new concepts of social responsibility for the financial services sector. She served as the in house expert on environmental, social, governance (ESG) issues. For RTMI, Nicole performed environmental consulting for private sector and government clients.

Nicole has also worked for and performed research for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, World Wildlife Fund-Tanzania Program Office and Defenders of Wildlife.

Nicole received her M.P.A. from Princeton University and her B.A. from Franklin & Marshall College. 

Paul joined RGGI, Inc. as Offsets Program Manager in September 2009.  Prior to his current position, Paul was an associate in the project finance group at the law firm of Latham & Watkins.  At Latham, Paul's practice focused on transactions in the energy industry for clients ranging from renewable energy project developers to financial lending institutions.  Paul was also a member of the firm's climate change practice group.

Before joining Latham & Watkins, Paul was a law clerk to two federal administrative law judges at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in Washington, D.C. At FERC, Paul researched and drafted decisions, orders and settlement certifications in connection with various energy regulatory issues.

Paul's experience also includes an internship with the United States Department of Justice, Environmental Enforcement Section.  He received his J.D., cum laude, from American University's Washington College of Law and his B.A. from Georgetown University.

Emilee is Communications Manager at RGGI, Inc. Prior to RGGI, she was Account Manager at Futerra Sustainability Communications, where she created and executed strategic environmental communications campaigns for government, non-profit and corporate clients, including RGGI, Inc., Time Warner and JP Morgan Climate Care.

From 2006 - 2008 Emilee worked as Associate at Morrissey & Company Public Relations and Reputation Management. At Morrissey & Company, she provided media and analyst relations, internal communications and crisis communications services to clients in health care, technology, insurance and non-profit industries. In 2005, she was Assistant to the Communications Director of Joseph P. Kennedy II's Citizens Energy Corporation.

Emilee holds a B.S. in Communications magna cum laude from Boston University. She joined RGGI, Inc. as Communications Manager in February 2009.

Lisa DeVito, Program Coordinator

Lisa is Program Coordinator at RGGI, Inc. Prior to RGGI, Lisa was Press Aide and Special Assistant to the President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU). At BPU Lisa implemented digital marketing strategies for New Jersey's Clean Energy Program and provided research, operations and communications support to the President. Lisa's experience also includes positions at U.S. Senator Bob Menendez's DC Office, the Communications Office of New Jersey's BPU, and the New Jersey Department of Personnel.

Lisa received her B.A. in Political Science and Anthropology from the University of Michigan.