A fourth-generation Coloradan, VanGenderen was appointed by President Obama to the DOE post in 2012 to create engagement strategies to advance the policy, technology, deployment and funding of clean-energy resources. Among her accomplishments was serving as DOE lead for the White House Clean Energy Savings for All Americans Initiative that focused on expanding energy-efficiency opportunities for low- and middle-income households.
Prior to the DOE appointment, she served as director of national and regional outreach at the American Council on Renewable Energy and as senior energy advisor for Worldwatch Institute.
But VanGenderen's career ties to her home state also run deep. They include eight years as senior staff for the Wirth Chair in Environmental and Community Development Policy at CU Denver. That role was followed by a stint as senior advisor on climate change and energy for Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, during which VanGenderen oversaw creation of the state’s first Climate Action Plan.
While living in Boulder for most of the 1990s, VanGenderen served on the CU Boulder Environmental Center board and on the city’s Environmental Advisory Board.