Ben Downing is a lifelong public servant who has dedicated his career to combatting climate change – in the State Senate, as a clean energy business leader and as a candidate for Governor. He is currently Vice President of Public Affairs at The Engine, a venture fund in Cambridge, MA.
Ben represented the state’s largest Senate district while serving as State Senator for 52 communities in Western Massachusetts including his hometown of Pittsfield. During his decade-long tenure, he was the leading voice in the legislature on clean energy and climate issues, along with being an advocate for tackling poverty, revitalizing Gateway Cities and expanding civil rights.
In 2016, he kept to his self-imposed term limits pledge and left the Senate to join Nexamp, a veteran founded, Boston based clean energy company. For more than 4 years, he lead Nexamp’s strategic development efforts across growing geographies and the firm’s entry into the exciting energy storage market.
Ben graduated in 2003 from Providence College with a B.A. in Political Science. In 2008, he received an M.A. from Tufts University. Ben is married to Micaelah B. Morrill and together they are the proud parents of Malcolm & Eamon (who together will soon eat them out of house & home).