Resilient Communities Webinar Series | Ready for the Next Outage? Energy Resiliency in Action

06-23-2026 Severe weather is beyond our control, but how we prepare for it can make all the difference. As climate-driven weather events become more frequent and intense, communities must be ready to respond to the energy disruptions that often follow. What is your community doing to prepare for the next major storm or power outage? Speakers: Todd Rusk | Associate Director, EnergySense Resilience Center Todd has led EnergySense since 2024, directing the staff of 16 to successful completion of $2.5M+ per year in externally funded programs and is responsible for oversight of the staff and the delivery of the unit’s energy, climate, and sustainability programs. Todd has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For the past 25+ years, he has focused his career to provide energy and environmental technical support for communities, institutions, businesses, and government agencies. Current and recent work includes energy audits for buildings and water treatment processes, energy and climate action planning for large government agencies and for communities, solar feasibility assessment and implementation support, and program launch and operational support for statewide clean energy workforce and contractor development programs. Damon Taugher | Vice President, Operations and Partnerships, Collective Energy Damon serves as Vice President of Operations & Partnerships at Collective Energy, working with more than 400 health centers nationwide to develop solar microgrids. Damon has worked with health centers for over 20 years. Damon began his career at nonprofit Direct Relief in 2003 after graduating with honors from the University of California Los Angeles. He went on to found Direct Relief’s U.S.-based work, supporting health centers and other nonprofit medical providers, which became the first nonprofit organization licensed to distribute prescription medicines to all 50 states. That program raised over $100 million in grants and operating funds and distributed over $1 billion in medical aid.