By Lucia Maffei
After a national search that lasted months, Somerville-based Greentown Labs has found its new leader.
The largest climatetech incubator in North America said Thursday it appointed Kevin Knobloch as its next CEO. He plans to start on Sept. 5.
Knobloch, 66, served as chief of staff of the U.S. Department of Energy during President Obama’s second term. He worked with Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz from June 2013 through January 2017.
Most recently, Knobloch was president of Knobloch Energy, an independent advisory and consulting firm. Earlier in his career, he was a research fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He also served as president of the Union of Concerned Scientists for ten years.
A spokesperson for Greentown Labs confirmed that Knobloch will be based in Somerville but plans to travel often to Greentown’s Houston location.
Knobloch will work closely with Jason Hanna, co-founder and interim CEO of Greentown, throughout the transition process. Hanna plans to retain his seat on the board.
The appointment comes approximately eight months after Emily Reichert stepped down last December, after about a decade in the CEO role.
“The climate crisis demands that we accelerate our collective pace of deployment and I look forward to collaborating with our startups, staff, and partners to support that acceleration,” Knobloch said in a statement.