Laura Hastings is the Network’s Workforce Development and HSE director. She joined the Network in 2021 as director of Programs and Events, where she supported the Network’s International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum – the largest offshore wind conference in the Americas—as well as the Network’s full list of Summits and educational webinars. In her current position, she is responsible for monitoring the development of workforce and HSE legal and regulatory requirements at federal, state, and local levels. She also engages with senior stakeholders on workforce and HSE matters while advocating, coordinating, and facilitating progress in the creation of industry best practices.

Laura worked for more than 10 years on environmental policy in Alaska. Eventually, she returned to her New England, settling in Rhode Island, where Laura worked for Real Jobs RI, a workforce development program that matches innovative training programs to employers and industry needs, focused on workforce development. She wanted to remain involved in environmental-focused groups, so focused her career on commercial fishing, agriculture, plant-based industries, and offshore wind. She is known to connect the dots (and the people) to come up with creative solutions to complex problems.

Laura is a 2020 graduate of Leadership RI and completed the Regenerative Practitioner Series with the Regenesis Institute in 2021. Laura currently lives and works in Rhode Island and enjoys hiking and fishing.