Kathleen “Katie” McGinty is the Senior Vice President for the Oceans program at the Environmental Defense Fund where she leads a global team of scientists, lawyers, and advocates working to create thriving, resilient oceans.
Previously, McGinty was Partner at Militia Hill Ventures, a firm that creates and develops transformative life sciences companies in the Philadelphia region. McGinty’s public sector career includes serving as chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and as Deputy Assistant to President Bill Clinton. In 2003 Katie served as Secretary of Environmental Protection under former Governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell. In 2016 she was the Democratic Nominee for US Senate in Pennsylvania. Al Gore called her a “remarkable blend of passion and pragmatism, idealism and political acumen.” Her motto is “environmental challenges are economic opportunities in disguise,” and she is credited with successfully attracting thousands of renewable energy jobs and a billion in new investment to Pennsylvania while serving as Secretary.
In the private sector, McGinty led a business cleaning up and redeveloping “brownfield properties” and developing renewable energy projects. As an Operating Partner with a private equity fund, she helped build successful growth strategies for mid-stage clean energy, water, and efficiency companies. She also started her own small company and has been a Director on public and private company boards. Specifically, McGinty served as Chair of the Audit Committee of Iberdrola USA, Chair of the Nuclear Subcommittee of the Board of NRG Energy, and as member of the boards of Weston Solutions, ECORE International Inc., Thar Energy, and Proton Energy Systems. McGinty also served on the Advisory Boards of Petra Solar, AE Polysilicon, Plextronics, and GridPoint. Today, McGinty serves on the boards of Energy Futures Initiative, the Committee of Seventy, and the American Sustainable Business Council.
McGinty’s career launched when she was awarded the Congressional Fellowship of the American Chemical Society and went to work for then-Senator Al Gore. McGinty and Gore developed legislation to strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. high tech companies that commercialize basic research. McGinty is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions. She received Honorary Doctorates from Muhlenberg University, Dickinson College, and Clarion State University. She was named a Global Leader for Tomorrow at the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland, awarded the Ansel Adams Award by the Wilderness Society for Exceptional Commitment to Conservation, and she was named Woman of the Year by the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment. McGinty holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Saint Joseph’s University and a degree from Columbia Law School.
