Katherine Hamilton didn’t set out to become one of the most influential voices in clean energy. In fact, her journey began with dreams of writing and illustrating children’s books. But along the way, one crucial decision, enrolling in engineering courses at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), set her on a path that would lead to global impact.

After graduating from Cornell University in 1983 with a degree in Arts and Sciences, Katherine jumped at the opportunity to work in Paris. While there, she babysat for a family and pursued an advanced degree in French culture and civilization at the Sorbonne. Though creatively fulfilling, she returned to the U.S. unsure how to make a sustainable living as a writer. A few career starts and stops later, Katherine accepted a position at Virginia Power, the electric utility where she had once interned, and where her grandfather had spent his career.

There was one condition to the new job: She had to take engineering classes.

“I enrolled in engineering courses to learn about electricity, and I discovered that I absolutely loved it,” Katherine said. “Even though I didn’t end up getting an engineering degree, the hands-on training I received at NOVA gave me real, usable skills that directly supported my work at the utility.”

That unexpected turn launched a career that would span decades and influence energy policy on a national and international scale. Katherine spent ten years at Virginia Power designing distribution systems and managing commercial projects before moving into a technical role at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). From there, she took on senior leadership and advisory roles that helped shape the future of clean energy.

Today, Katherine is Chair of 38 North and has been named three times to Washingtonian magazine’s list of the 500 most influential people in Washington, DC. She was a founding host of The Energy Gang podcast and is currently a co-host of Open Circuit, continuing to bring energy issues to a broad audience.

Her resume is as impressive as it is wide-ranging: Senior Executive in Clean Power and Electrification, Non-Executive Director at Smarter Grid Solutions, Independent Director at Peak Power, and Advisor to the growth equity fund MKB. She has also served as Vice Chair of the board at Greentown Labs, co-directed the American Bioenergy Association, and advocated for smart grid funding in the Obama administration’s Recovery Act as President of the GridWise Alliance.

Throughout her career, Katherine has helped shape international energy policy through leadership at the World Economic Forum and has been recognized with awards and honors, including the Cleanie Award for Entrepreneur of the Year and a #Solar100 board profile from kWh Analytics.

But amid all the accolades, Katherine still credits NOVA as a foundational part of her story.

“NOVA gave me the confidence and skills to succeed in a field I never thought I’d be part of,” she said. “It was the turning point that set everything else in motion.”

As NOVA continues to inspire the next generation of problem-solvers, innovators, and leaders, Katherine Hamilton’s story is a powerful reminder that the path to global impact often begins in unexpected places, and that community college can be the start of something extraordinary.

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