Clean Transportation Nonprofit Calstart to Open Office in Troy

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Calstart, a national nonprofit organization based in California that focuses on growing the clean transportation technology industry, Thursday announced it is opening an office in Troy.

“The goal of our office in Michigan will be to help Midwest companies create more jobs by being leaders in high-efficiency and low-carbon transportation technologies and vehicles that will dominate the global industry in the decades to come,” says John Boesel, president and CEO of Calstart. “We look forward to rapidly expanding and building upon our already significant base of member companies and programs in the Midwest.”

Calstart secures funding to develop and deploy advanced technology, provides third-party technology evaluation services, manages incentives programs to increase product sales, advances public policies, facilitates strategic partnerships, provides information and analysis, and links members with investors. Calstart has more than 190 member companies, including Ford Motor Co., Eaton, General Motors Co., Parker, Meritor, Cummins Inc., and Caterpillar.

As part of the opening, Maureen Marshall was hired as Midwest regional director. She has worked with Ford, Chrysler, Siemens, Harman International, vehicle OEMs, tier suppliers, and has done consulting work. While working with Booz Allen Hamilton, she led collaboration with the U.S. Army at TARDEC that helped shape ground-vehicle and connected-vehicle strategies.

She also worked with the Department of Transportation on dedicated short-range communications standard development and vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to infrastructure development. Marshall has a MBA from Auburn University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Lawrence Technological University.

“I am very excited to be part of such a forward-looking organization and the opportunity to leverage the significant engineering and manufacturing capability and expertise in the midwest,” says Marshall. “The low-carbon future of the global vehicle market represents an enormous job-creating opportunity for the region. Companies in the region are vital to U.S. leadership in this field.”

With the opening, Calstart has seven offices in four states. Calstart programs include managing Drive Clean Chicago, support of the Army’s high-efficiency and automated truck technology program in Warren, coordination of a multi-state midwest zero-emission transit bus operator group, and development and support of the midwest fuel cell roadmap.

It is also a team member of the Ohio State University low and no emission bus component testing program. Calstart recently led an effort to help rural transit properties in Wisconsin secure federal funding for the purchase of zero-emission buses.