Eric Walker is an Advisor for New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Energy and Climate Equity Team. Prior to this, he served as a Climate and Clean Energy Strategist for Open Buffalo focused on developing a community-driven climate resilience and health equity agenda within targeted vulnerable communities at the intersection of the social determinants of health and energy insecurity. Eric’s past roles also include serving as Erie County’s inaugural Director of Energy Development and Management implementing conservation, efficiency and renewable energy projects among county-owned facilities while facilitating an interdepartmental team to develop strategic initiatives to strengthen Erie County’s sustainability leadership. Eric also brings over a decade worth of social justice policy advocacy, program design, implementation, and community engagement experience as the co-founder of People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH) Buffalo, the inaugural racial equity fellow for the Center for Social Inclusion’s Energy Democracy Project, and a founding partner of the NY Energy Democracy Alliance.