Rhea Jezer founded the Symposium on Energy in the 21st Century in 2005 and has been the director and chair the past fifteen years. The Symposium is in its 15th year and is noted as the most important renewable energy conference in the Northeast. Held in Syracuse, the Symposium consistently draws up to 400 people from all of New York State as well as from several other states. Speakers are national and international. She is President of Energy21 LTD. Dr. Jezer is an Associate Professor (adjunct) at SUNY School of Environment and Forestry, and was previously Senior Lecturer at Cazenovia College.

Rhea has been an environmental educator and policy advisor in New York State and nationally for decades. She is a consultant to eco-businesses, candidates, environmental groups, as well as an advisor to elected officials for both major parties. She was an environmental advisor for Senator Hillary Clinton for nine years and was part of the New York Leadership Team for her presidential campaign. Rhea worked closely with Governor George Pataki, headed the CNY campaign for the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act in 1996, and was part of the Governor’s Superfund Reauthorization working group. She served on the environmental transition teams for President Bill Clinton, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, Governor Andrew Cuomo, and was a co-chair of the transition team for Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

Rhea Jezer is a board member of the New York League of Conservation Voters serving on the policy and endorsements committees. She is the Political Chair of the Iroquois Group of Sierra Club, and served as statewide chair of the Atlantic Chapter (New York State) Sierra Club for several years. Rhea served as Chair of the Dewitt Democratic Party and was a congressional candidate for Congress twice. She is a presenter for the Al Gore’s Climate Project on Global Warming and has lectured extensively. Among her many recognitions, Rhea was awarded the Post Standard Achievement Award “for her contributions to making Central New York a better place”, the Greening USA “Greening our Community Advocacy Award”, NAACP Humanitarian Award, National Organization of Women “Woman of Power” Award, and Congressional Fellowship in Women & Public Policy (WREI), was the recipient of the 2016 InterFaith Leadership Award from InterFaith Works, “for her work bringing environmental education to Central New York”, in 2017 ” Most Accomplished Alumna in Science and Technology award” from Midwood H.S. at its Jubilee Celebration, the Rhea Eckel Clark Award from the Central New York Regional Planning Board, and most recently the NYS Comptroller Award for “Outstanding Insight and Leadership Effort to Create a Green Future.”

Dr. Jezer holds a Ph.D from Syracuse University, MA from Columbia University Graduate Studies, and a BA from Brooklyn College. As a Congressional Fellow, she penned major legislation for the encouragement of women and under-represented minorities to enter the fields of science and math. Rhea Jezer is as well a noted musician, founded the Syracuse Camerata Orchestra, and performed extensively as a harpsichord soloist and choir director.