Consumer Engagement & Transportation Electrification: Addressing the Challenges of a Global Pandemic

COVID-19 has introduced unprecedented challenges for organizations, including those working to advance smart transportation by engaging with drivers. How do we educate and raise awareness for electric vehicles without ride and drives or community events? How do we make sure all communities can access clean transportation information?

Join panelist Steven Alaman, program manager at Forth, Dav Cvitkovic, Chief Operating Officer at Plug’n Drive, Joel Levin, Executive Director, Plug In America and Neil Baunsgard, electric vehicle program manager at The Environmental Center for a discussion on strategies to engage consumers and increase awareness of clean transportation options. 

In this webinar, we’ll discuss consumer engagement programs to increase awareness of electric vehicles during these unprecedented times and outline customer engagement strategies for National Drive Electric Week and beyond. National Drive Electric Week will take place September 26 - October 4, 2020, with events occurring across the US and internationally.

Speakers

Steven Alaman, Program Manager, Forth 

Steven manages the EV Ambassadors program and organizes Ride and Drive events in Oregon, Washington, and California. Prior to Forth, Steven worked for Multnomah County on Urban Forest Management and Community Outreach. Steven holds a B.S. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Oregon.

Dav Cvitkovic, Chief Operating Officer at Plug’n Drive

Dav Cvitkovic is Chief Operating Officer at Plug’n Drive, a non-profit organization committed to accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) based in Toronto, Canada. As project leader, Dav spearheaded the launch the EV Discovery Centre in 2017 with the firm belief that EVs are for Everyone!  This one-stop consumer education and experiential learning was awarded the Clean 50 Award for Canada’s best project.    Dav has gained pan-Canadian and US-based marketing and partnership development experience as a former resident of the San Francisco Bay Area for several years. Dav’s entrée into fundraising was preceded by corporate banking with Lloyds Bank and Barclay’s’ Financial Services in the UK. Dav holds an MBA (marketing) and BBA (finance) from Simon Fraser University-based in her home town of Vancouver, British Columbia.  She serves as a Board Director for the Foundation for Environmental Stewardship.

Neil Baunsgard, Electric Vehicle Program Manager, The Environmental Center 

Neil Baunsgard is a self-described energy and transportation geek. Working through The Environmental Center he has spent the last 4 years working to accelerate the adoption of new, clean technology in Central Oregon such as LED lighting, hybrid water heaters, and of course electric vehicles of all shapes and sizes. He has a degree in environmental economics and energy policy from Western Washington University and has worked in transportation electrification, corporate sustainability, and energy efficiency for the past 7 years.

Joel Levin, Executive Director, Plug In America

Joel Levin is an advocate for low-carbon technologies and a frequent speaker and writer on topics relating to electric vehicles, clean energy, water policy and climate policy. He is focused on continuing to build Plug In America as the leading independent voice for electric vehicles in the United States. He is also a member of the L.A. Metro Sustainability Council. Prior to joining Plug In America, he served as vice president for business development at the Climate Action Reserve, the state-chartered nonprofit that runs North America’s largest carbon offset registry. He has an MBA from UC Berkeley and an MA in international economics from the Johns Hopkins University. He drives a Nissan LEAF and mostly charges at home on a Clipper Creek HCS-50 Level 2 charging station.