CALSTART Media Contact: Jennifer Smith, jsmith@calstart.org

PASADENA, California — CALSTART, a national clean transportation accelerator with roots in California, is pleased to announce role changes to its Board of Directors, effective as of today. Henrik Holland, current Founder and Principal of Riverfield Global, will replace Cynthia Williams, Global Director at Ford Motor Company, as Board Chair. Williams will continue to support CALSTART’s mission as a trusted board member.

CALSTART’s new Board Chair, Henrik Holland.

“CALSTART is building its strong board foundation at an unprecedented moment for the clean transportation sector,” said Holland. “We are set up to urge industry leadership to seize every opportunity to create a national ecosystem driving technology innovation, job creation, affordability for consumers, and global competitiveness. As the federal policy landscape continues to shift at breakneck speed, CALSTART is here to ensure that improved transportation for all is within reach.”

At the same time, three CALSTART Board of Directors members will step down: former CALSTART President and CEO John Boesel, Deloitte Canada Partner Karen Hamberg, and New Flyer President Chris Stoddart. Boesel led CALSTART for over 24 years before passing the torch to CEO Michael Berube in late 2025 and remained active on CALSTART’s Board of Directors for several months before officially announcing his retirement. Hamberg served on CALSTART’s Board for over 13 years, actively working alongside Stoddart to help advance the clean transportation industry.

Chelle Izzi, SVP and Chief Commercial Officer at Pacific Gas and Electric Company, will remain CALSTART’s Board Vice Chair, and Doran Barnes, Chief Executive Officer at Foothill Transit, remains Board Secretary. Other board members will remain in their current positions.

“We are deeply indebted to all board members for steering our mission-driven work across the U.S. and globally with their unwavering commitment,” said Berube. “I warmly welcome the incoming Board of Directors Chair, Henrik Holland. His leadership will continue to strengthen and support CALSTART in its vital work to enable vehicle electrification at scale. During this period of leadership transition, I want to express immense gratitude to our three outgoing board members for their ample contributions: John Boesel, Karen Hamberg, and Chris Stoddart. I also offer thanks to Cynthia Williams for her transition to board member, where she will continue to have impact. As I mark my ninetieth day as CEO, the state of our board is undeniably strong and well-positioned to lead in 2026 and beyond.”

Explore CALSTART’s website to learn about current programs and initiatives and see the benefits of CALSTART membership to help CALSTART change transportation for good.

About CALSTART

A mission-driven industry organization focused on transportation decarbonization and clean air for all, CALSTART has offices in New York, Michigan, Colorado, California, Florida, and Europe. CALSTART is uniquely positioned to build the national clean transportation industry by working closely with its nearly 200 member companies and building on the lessons learned from the major programs it manages for the State of California. CALSTART manages more than $1 billion in vehicle incentive and technical assistance programs in the United States and is leading a global effort to build the zero-emission commercial vehicle market.