Phillip is the General Counsel and Chief Development Officer for Encore Renewable Energy. He joined the Company in 2014 and was named General Counsel in January of 2016, and CDO in January of 2022. Outside of Encore, he’s on the Board of Directors for Mentor Vermont and he previously taught energy courses as an adjunct professor at the University of Vermont. In 2023, Vermont Business Magazine recognized him as one of 40 rising stars in the state.
At Encore, Phillip brings his expertise in legal analysis, environmental law and policy, along with an understanding of how the public and private sectors interact in regards to project development and implementation. He holds a J.D and Master of Environmental Law and Policy degree from Vermont Law School, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from North Carolina State University. As any Vermonter, Phillip enjoys the outdoors, hiking with his dogs, mountain biking, and tinkering.
3 Questions to get to know Phillip
What does a sustainable future mean to you?
A sustainable future is one where we build for the sake of others and learn to limit our own wants. I struggle with this in my own life, given the privileges and opportunities I have been afforded and continue to benefit from, but I have hope that I can learn and grow to do better. I think that younger generations have a better grasp of what is important and that is definitely evident in the values my colleagues bring to work (and not just keep in their personal lives).
What’s your favorite way to spend time outside?
My 3 favorite ways to spend time outside are backcountry snowboarding with the dogs, sitting in a backyard, and tinkering/building on things. Kids are best when you can give them back to someone; I prefer the 4 legged companions and a backyard tussle with my two is a nice end to the day. Since my work doesn’t afford me opportunities to do physical labor, I enjoy the hands-on aspects of construction, woodworking and tinkering.
What’s a great book or podcast you’ve engaged with recently?
My old reliable for podcasts is Radiolab – great content itself but also plenty of spinoffs and suggestions for other podcasts for deeper dives on fascinating issues. For books, I try to keep it less cerebral so my latest foray was into the Slough House series, which is based around a group of misfit spies in the UK. Double win they made a TV series that’s fairly good as well.
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