N.C. Commerce Secretary J. Keith Crisco today announced Jennifer L. Bumgarner as the department’s new assistant secretary for energy. Bumgarner comes to Commerce from Gov. Perdue’s policy staff, where she has served as deputy policy director with a special focus on energy and environmental issues. Bumgarner will oversee the N.C. Energy Office, the state’s weatherization program and the state’s Energy Policy Council, with a goal of creating green jobs and expanding the state’s energy economy.
“Jennifer Bumgarner brings significant policy experience and expertise to this position,” said Keith Crisco. “We are pleased she is joining the Commerce team and know that she will continue to focus on moving forward our state’s energy efforts and programs, especially as we work to get recovery dollars and jobs out into communities and to support energy- and green-related businesses.” Bumgarner starts her new position July 1.
On Gov. Perdue’s recommendation, the N.C. Legislature in August 2009 moved the N.C. Energy Office and weatherization programs to Commerce to link more closely their activities with job creation and overall economic development. Since then, Commerce’s Energy Division has distributed more than $18.9 million in Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grants to 300 communities across the state; completed two successful rounds of Energy Star rebates through $8.3 million available in rebates, resulting in 62,400 energy-efficient appliances being purchased; and weatherized more than 3,200 homes.
“I am very excited about this opportunity to work with the state’s energy programs and to help grow North Carolina’s green economy,” said Bumgarner. “We are making a real difference in the lives of people across the state, from creating green jobs and supporting energy-related businesses to helping people make their homes more energy efficient. I look forward to working with Secretary Crisco, Deputy Secretary Dale Carroll and the Energy team.”
Bumgarner, who lives in Clayton, has served as a policy adviser in the Governor’s Policy Office since May 2005. In October 2009, she was named deputy policy director. Bumgarner holds an M.Sc. in Social Policy from the University of Oxford, Oxford, England, where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar. She also holds a B.A. in Politics with Honors from Wake Forest University.