Women of Native Renewables
Wahleah Johns (Diné)
Suzanne Singer (Diné)
Wahleah Johns photo from Native Renewables
Suzanne Singer photo from Native Renewables
Our #matriarchmonday spotlight is on two intelligent women from the Diné Nation, Wahleah and Suzanne. They are the co-founders of Native Renewables who are on a mission to empower Native American families to achieve energy independence by growing renewable energy capacity and affordable access to off-grid power.
Wahleah serves as the Executive Director of Native Renewables and is from the community of Forest Lake, Arizona atop Black Mesa. She has a history of work for environmental justice through other organizations such as the Black Mesa Water Coalition and the Navajo Green Economy Coalition.
Suzanne is the Chief Engineer and Program Manager at Native Renewables and grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona. She has a background in mechanical engineering and energy analysis. Her work is also rooted in the promotion of tribal energy and she has won awards for her work in clean energy.
Their vision is to provide power to 15,000 homes on the Navajo reservation and Hopi reservation without access to grid-tied electricity using off-grid solar PV, and to create sustainable knowledge within all age groups around solar and renewable energy.