Calstart Chief Executive John Boesel announced late last week that he is retiring at the end of the year after 24 years at the helm of the Pasadena-based nonprofit zero-emission transportation industry consortium.
Calstart was founded in 1992 by a group of some 40 member companies and organizations, with a mission is to serve as a catalyst for the clean transportation industry.
Boesel, 66, joined the fledgling consortium in 1993 as vice president of technology programs. He took over as chief executive in 2001.
Today, Calstart has become a nationwide organization with regional offices in Brooklyn, New York and Troy, Michigan. It has about 213 members.
Under Boesel’s tenure, Calstart has advocated for clean transportation-industry-building measures, both nationally and at the state level. These include helping to implement vehicle emissions standards and a wide array of incentive programs for zero-emission vehicles.
‘Honor to serve’
Calstart has also built up a significant business managing zero-emission vehicle incentive programs, mostly for commercial and fleet vehicles. By the middle of next year, the organization expects to manage more than 10 of these programs in multiple states. This includes in California, where over the past 15 years, Calstart has partnered with the California Air Resources Board to manage more than $1 billion in zero-emission commercial vehicle incentives.
“It has been an honor to serve Calstart for more than three decades and lead the team that has played a key role in growing the United States’ clean transportation industry,” Boesel said in the announcement. “I am very excited about the future of Calstart and – particularly with current dynamics – its opportunity to take on an even more impactful role in accelerating the growth of the North American clean transportation industry.”
Calstart’s board is now actively searching for a new chief executive, with an announcement to be made “soon,” according to the announcement.
As for Boesel, he said in an email response that after he steps down at the end of the year, he intends to continue advocating for the clean transportation industry.
