The Energy Addition Changemaker

Tershara’s initial interest to become a medical doctor quickly changed after her first rotation program in the E.R. She leveraged her learnings around DNA analysis in humans with invertebrates to better understand how diseases in shrimps and crabs affect the natural environment.

Today, as national offshore wind policy lead at WSP, Tershara's unique background and skills allow her to see the bigger picture. She translates scientific data into actionable policy change, ensuring that offshore wind development not only meets regional needs but also fosters a sustainable future.

Watch her full interview below.

I used my biology degree in a different way and ended up working at a Gulf Coast Research lab with the University of Southern Mississippi for 13 years…I led the first marine spatial program for offshore wind in the Gulf of Mexico region. WSP noticed the work I was doing; now I look at offshore wind from a policy perspective.

Being able to relate to people and actually being able to hear them, that matters to me, that’s my superpower. Before you go into a community you have to know the baseline information, what is the culture, how can I understand that and get that over to the developers, making sure they are making the best impact in those communities. I felt like coming over to WSP I could provide that to the developers and to WSP as well.

What obstacles have you encountered within your industry?

I have found that I have been the only African American woman, still, in some of the boardrooms. Offshore wind is an emerging program. So, that may be some of the reason, but I will say coming from an oil and gas background, there are more women in the offshore wind space or renewable space than there are in traditional oil and gas fields.

How would you define Energy transition?

I define Energy Transition, as “Energy Addition” because we’re adding renewables to the portfolio, to help us get there faster and make the environment cleaner and greener. WSP is so important because we have people in these areas that are helping with this transition, to be the boots on the ground for these bigger companies, so they understand the culture and communities and the impacts these changes will have.