Valessa Souter-Kline is SEIA's Northeast Regional Director, working on regulatory and legislative matters, principally in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. 

Before joining SEIA, Valessa spent a decade facilitating communication between regulators and industry representatives on both energy and environmental issues. Starting in 2015, Valessa ran solarize campaigns across New York’s Southern Tier followed by two years spent working on solar policy at the New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA) prior to shifting into development. Valessa spent three years as a utility-scale wind, solar and battery energy storage developer working primarily in New York, with projects in Virginia and Pennsylvania as well. 

Valessa holds a master’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's in Psychology from Guilford College. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, young son, and opinionated rescue hound.