Noam Bramson to Step Down as Executive Director of Sustainable Westchester

MOUNT KISCO, NY (February 27, 2026) — Noam Bramson will step down as executive director of Sustainable Westchester at the end of March, he announced in a letter expressing gratitude for his tenure and outlining plans for a leadership transition at the nonprofit.

“I am writing to share that I will leave Sustainable Westchester at the end of March,” Bramson wrote. “Before providing more information about our leadership transition, let me express my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity to serve these past two-plus years.”

Bramson said he was “truly thankful for the inspiring teamwork of colleagues, the strong support of our Board, and the dedicated collaboration of public officials and environmental advocates across our region.” He added that “at a time of significant challenges for climate progress, Sustainable Westchester has consistently delivered impactful, efficient solutions that empower individuals and communities to take positive action. What a privilege to contribute to such an important mission!”

The organization’s board selected Tom Watson to serve as interim executive director.

“Our Board has tapped an experienced and dynamic nonprofit leader to serve as Sustainable Westchester’s Interim ED: Tom Watson,” Bramson wrote.

Watson is president of CauseWired, a consulting firm serving nonprofits and the social sector in communications, development and strategic planning. A native of Yonkers and a longtime resident of Mount Vernon, he is an adjunct professor in the Nonprofit Management master’s degree program at Columbia University. He serves on the boards of the Westchester Human Rights Commission and BronxWorks, as well as on the board of Sustainable Westchester.

Watson is a former journalist who has written for The New York Times, the Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes. He is the author of “CauseWired,” which chronicled the rise of online social activism.

“In addition to these highly relevant experiences, Tom is also a wonderful human being — kind, thoughtful, collaborative, funny and deeply committed to building stronger communities,” Bramson wrote. “I have every confidence that our staff, municipal members, and environmental and philanthropic partners will come to share my and the Board’s enthusiasm for Tom’s leadership.”

Bramson said he and Watson will work closely in the coming days “to manage a smooth transition and ensure that Sustainable Westchester has a bright future.” He said he looks forward to the organization’s annual membership meeting on March 27, when he will have “an opportunity to express my thanks to partners and friends in person and — with the greatest enthusiasm — hand the baton to Tom.”

Bramson served as executive director of Sustainable Westchester, the nonprofit that administered Westchester Power, a community choice aggregation energy program serving municipalities across Westchester County.

Westchester Power was launched in 2016 as a bulk electricity purchasing program designed to provide residents and small businesses with competitive rates and renewable energy options. It was operated by Sustainable Westchester in partnership with participating local governments.

In November 2025, Sustainable Westchester publicly announced that Westchester Power would be discontinued when its electricity supply contract expired on Nov. 30, 2025. The nonprofit described the decision as “difficult but necessary,” attributing it to new state regulatory requirements that made continuing the program under the existing framework unfeasible.

After Nov. 30, 2025, customers enrolled in Westchester Power were automatically returned to their default utility service — either Con Edison or NYSEG — beginning with the first billing cycle after the contract ended. Announcements stressed there would be no disruption to electric service, with utilities continuing supply “safely and reliably.” Customers who wanted to continue purchasing electricity from a third-party supplier could independently select an Energy Service Company registered with the utilities.

Sustainable Westchester indicated that enhanced outreach and education requirements adopted by the New York Public Service Commission were part of the reason it could not secure state authorization for a new contract under updated procedures.

Independent reporting noted that the state’s Department of Public Service confirmed that enhanced outreach and education rules adopted in late 2024 were operative requirements and that numerous municipal filings from Westchester Power were rejected for failing to meet those requirements. Reported deficiencies included incorrect pricing information, missing outreach documentation and deviations from required notice templates in the opt-out community choice aggregation model.

Some critics attributed the program’s shutdown not only to regulatory challenges but also to systemic failures in public communication and opt-out notification processes under Sustainable Westchester’s leadership, alleging customers were misinformed and denied full opt-out rights during the most recent renewal cycle.

Several participating municipalities posted official statements in fall 2025 confirming that Westchester Power ended at year-end 2025 and that customers reverted to default utility supply unless they chose an alternative supplier.

Noam Bramson is a Democratic politician who served as mayor of New Rochelle, New York, from 2006 to 2023. He was first elected mayor in 2005 and reelected multiple times. Prior to becoming mayor, Bramson served on the New Rochelle City Council beginning in 1996, representing the city’s Fifth District.

In 2013, Bramson was the Democratic nominee for Westchester County executive but was defeated by incumbent Republican Rob Astorino.

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This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.