Efficiency Forward Appoints Two New Board Members 

Meg Lusardi and Karen Zelmar bring decades of energy and utility experience to the Efficiency Forward Board of Directors

MEDFORD, MA – September 8, 2025–Efficiency Forward, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of two experienced energy executives – Meg Lusardi and Karen Zelmar – to the Board of Directors. Efficiency Forward is the nonprofit organization that administers the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) and EVCAN (Electric Vehicle Charging Accessibility Network).  

“Both Karen and Meg come to Efficiency Forward with years of experience leading high impact energy initiatives that have been well aligned with our organization’s mission,” DLC and EVCAN Executive Director and Efficiency Forward CEO Tina Halfpenny said. “Both also bring solid track records of working across various areas of the energy industry, building partnerships that have catalyzed success. I could not be more pleased to welcome Karen and Meg to the Efficiency Forward Board and look forward to collaborating with them in the next phases of our work.” 

Former Acting Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and Director of DOER’s Green Communities Division, Lusardi served most recently as Executive Vice President of PowerOptions where she oversaw operations of a nonprofit buying consortium dedicated to reducing the cost, carbon emissions and complexity of energy for some 500 nonprofit and public entities in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Earlier in her career, she was a US Nuclear Regulatory Commission project manager, an engineering consultant at Booz-Allen and Hamilton and CEO of Project Hope in Boston.  

Lusardi is a member of the Massachusetts Energy Advisory Council, a statutory body that guides the development of energy efficiency plans by the Commonwealth’s investor-owned gas and electric utilities and energy providers. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame. 

Zelmar is the former program manager of the US Department of Energy’s $8.8 billion Home Energy Rebate Programs authorized by the federal Inflation Reduction Act. Previously, she was Director of Clean Energy Programs at Pacific Gas and Electric, where she led customer incentive programs to deploy thousands of EV charging sites across northern California and managed one of the nation’s largest energy efficiency portfolios. Zelmar also has extensive experience advancing emerging technologies, including leading initiatives at Volta Charging to launch the company’s first DC fast charging product and expand EV infrastructure through utility partnerships and data-driven planning tools. 

Before entering the energy industry, Zelmar held leadership positions with several technology providers, including AOL and Navteq. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. 

“I’m honored to join the Efficiency Forward Board and work alongside such a dedicated team,” Zelmar said. “Efficiency Forward’s trusted resources and work to foster collaboration across the industry are critical to the clean energy transition, and I look forward to helping build on their momentum.” 

“I’m excited to join the Board of Efficiency Forward and support the impactful work of the DesignLights Consortium and EVCAN,” said Lusardi. “Energy efficiency and EVs are central to a decarbonized future. I look forward to working with this dedicated team to help drive innovation.” 

More about Lusardi, Zelmar and other board members is available on the Efficiency Forward website.    

About Efficiency Forward: As an independent nonprofit, Efficiency Forward’s mission is to empower decisionmakers with reliable information and tools to reduce their energy consumption, and to support policies that decarbonize our economy, allow communities to thrive, support the environment, and facilitate economic success. 

Through innovative initiatives such as the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) and the Electric Vehicle Charging Accessibility Network (EVCAN), Efficiency Forward works to achieve a sustainable and equitable future. The DLC envisions a net-zero world by enabling energy savings, decarbonization, and sustainability through quality lighting, controls, and integrated building systems, providing decision-makers with impartial data and resources to reduce energy use, carbon emissions, and light pollution. EVCAN complements this mission by accelerating the deployment of reliable and connected EV charging infrastructure across North America, engaging stakeholders and offering unbiased tools to promote widespread adoption. Through collaboration and a commitment to diversity, integrity and impact, Efficiency Forward strives to create a cleaner, more sustainable future for all.