Valpo Solar

Meagan Van Vuren
Development Manager

Meagan has worked for Apex Clean Energy for almost four years. Prior to her current role as a development manager, Meagan worked in Apex’s Land department as a property analyst, where she managed land leases. As a development manager, her primary focus is on potential projects across Indiana. Previously, Meagan worked as a paralegal, and she has an extensive background in law, ranging from corporate to estate law.

Growing up in a rural farming community in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia, Meagan developed a passion for the environment. She understands farming and the benefits of land use for a bigger cause. Meagan is a firm believer that renewable energy takes us closer to being able to live off the land, whether through crops or the animals we harvest, without worrying about the possibility of having our resources contaminated.

Having moved with her husband and two sons from Napa, California, Meagan is happy to be closer to her roots in Charlottesville, Virginia. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech and is a certified paralegal. She loves to spend her free time with family and friends, traveling, and being outside in just about any capacity.

Kent Dougherty
Director of Project Development

Kent has worked for Apex Clean Energy for nearly a decade and has been in the renewable energy industry for just over 11 years. He has developed 1,500 megawatts of now-operating wind facilities and has worked on projects in Indiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Michigan, Virginia, and Illinois. As a director of project development, Kent oversees a team that focuses on land leasing and project permitting, and he coordinates with the numerous specialists who contribute to a project’s development, including in wind resource, engineering, public engagement, and grid interconnection.

Kent is a strong believer in the promise of renewable energy, not only for the environmental benefits it brings, but also for the strong economic development opportunities it creates in the form of manufacturing and skilled service jobs and as a powerful source of local community revenue. He also believes in the energy security it delivers for our nation, weaning us from foreign energy sources and helping to build a new and transformative electricity infrastructure that will power our economy into the future.
Kent holds master’s degrees in urban and environmental planning as well as in landscape architecture from the University of Virginia. He and his wife, Sophie, have lived in Charlottesville for over 20 years and spend some of their free time working in the garden, but most of it happily chasing after son James, 8, and daughter Maeve, 6.

Brian O’Shea
Public Engagement Manager

Brian leads Apex's public and community engagement efforts for projects throughout Indiana. Brian began his career organizing in rural communities in North Dakota and throughout Minnesota before moving to the private sector in 2013, where he worked as a consultant to numerous businesses, trade associations, nonprofits, and advocacy groups across the country on issues ranging from education policy to workforce development to clean energy. Brian was excited to join Apex Clean Energy as a public engagement manager in 2019. In this capacity, he works closely with local elected leaders, community leaders, landowners, and residents to gather local feedback, answer common questions, and work with communities to help realize their opportunities for renewable energy development and accelerate America’s shift to clean energy.

Taylor Strayer
Field Organizer

Taylor recently finished her first year as an organizer with Apex, working to bring renewable energy to Vermillion County. Prior to joining Apex, Taylor worked for a local State Farm insurance agency and at IEA in Clinton as a Human Resource Associate.

Taylor graduated from South Vermillion High School and continued her education at Saint Mary of-the-Woods College where she received degrees in Business Administration and Marketing. She was also a part of the SMWC Softball Team.

Taylor and her husband Dru have lived in Vermillion County all their lives. In her free time, she loves to travel, give softball lessons, and spend time with friends, family, and her dog Wrangler.