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Tony Frank, CRES Executive Director

Tony Frank,
Executive Director
of CRES
See:  CRES Hires Tony Frank as Executive Director

CRES Officers,
Board & Committees

The Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) is a nonprofit (501-c3) organization that derives most of its funding and direction from its members. CRES was founded in April 1996 by Ronal Larson and Paul Notari, who organized the first board and membership meetings.

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CRES Staff Members

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Executive Committee

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CRES Officers

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Board Members

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Regional Representatives

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History and Accomplishments

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CRES Founders

CRES members elect the board of directors yearly and may attend meetings and give input to the board. The paid staff serves part-time. Key projects of the organization are organized by volunteer committees, including:

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CRES Staff Members 
Operations Director
Sheila Townsend
. . . became Operations Director of CRES in 2010 after 9 years as Executive Director. She works for CRES about 20 hours a week, and has organized our membership database, solicited sponsorships for CREC and the Tour of Solar Buildings, and plays a vital role in keeping our organization moving forward on a daily basis.

Sheila has a Masters of Arts degree in Political Science from Colorado State University. She has a long history as a volunteer organizer, working on numerous local and state political and environmental campaigns. She served for 11 years on Golden's Earth Day and Clear Creek Canyon Cleanup.

Membership Director
Pat GrossmanPat Grossman
You usually see Pat at most registration tables for CRES events. But she has been Membership Chair for CRES since 2002, chair of the Tour of Solar Homes for several years and part of the Conference Committee for the last 5 years. Work with CRES began as a volunteer and progressed after retirement from the industrial water treatment field. As a graduate of Colorado State University in Microbiology, early work was in the laboratory. This lead to an interest in the solar technology in the early 1970's with a Jimmy Carter inspired solar hot water system.

Communications Director
Phil von Hake
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. . has promoted CRES's monthly meetings since 2002, and their average attendance has tripled since he started. As lead promoter for the American Solar Energy Society's SOLAR 2006 Conference in Denver, Phil helped to generate the most thorough and diverse press coverage the conference has ever received.

Phil is a Communications Consultant for Clean-Technology and Green-Future Issues. Through PvH Communications, Phil strives to create "a message to help clear the air," telling the story of those who work for a more sustainable future, and educating others to make more sustainable choices in their behavior and consumption.

CRES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
CRES has Officers and Board Members nominated by and voted for by the society's members. The officers and board members are listed below. The Board chooses candidates for officers; Board members are nominated and voted upon by CRES members. The Vice-President serves as next year's president.
2010 Officers
(Click link for bio and photograph)
President - Thom Johnson
Vice President - Gerry Fitzpatrick
Secretary - Nina Ward
Treasurer - Larry Christensen

CRES Past President - Steve Sargent

Thom Johnson, President
Thom Johnson
Thom is Senior Mechanical Engineer and Project Manager at EMC Engineers, Inc. He is a Professional Engineer (PE) in Colorado, a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) by the Association of Energy Engineers, a LEED APTM by the US Green Building Council, a Certified Geo-Exchange Designer (CGD) by the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA), among other certifications. He is an energy-efficiency and renewable energy expert with over 35 years of construction experience including solar thermal systems, photovoltaic systems, hydronic radiant floor heating systems. He was a past-President of CRES and is a CRES life-member. Thom also served on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association from 2004-2007.

Gerry FitzpatrickGerry Fitzpatrick, Vice President
Gerry Fitzpatrick, has a graduate degree in electrical engineering and a master in business. He has over 25 years of diverse practical experience in multiple technical disciplines (electrical, energy, mechanical, thin-film technology, physics, etc.) and over 10 years of practical business management experience.

Nina WardNina Ward, Secretary
Nina Ward is a corporate attorney with Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons LLP, a regional law firm based in the Rocky Mountain region. Nina's practice focuses on finance, bank, and securities law. She has handled a wide variety of financing transactions, including taxable and tax-exempt bond financings and commercial loans, and regulatory matters for various businesses including green businesses. She is also a member of her firm's renewable energy practice group. In addition to her J.D. from the University of Michigan, Nina has a B.A. in environmental science from Middlebury College and an M.A. in from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and the Environment.
Larry ChristensenLarry Christensen, Treasurer
Larry is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Rocky Mountain Communities, a non-profit organization that provides affordable housing and program services to help low income families succeed in life.

Larry’s 25 years of financial management experience has covered all aspects of accounting, finance, information technology, human resources and risk management. His professional experience has involved both public and private companies, as well as non-profit organizations and an international CPA firm.

His interest in renewable energy and energy efficiency began many years ago when he built super-insulated houses. His current super-insulated home was his business prototype that has new solar electric panels.

Larry currently serves on the board of a national reciprocal insurance captive. He also has served as the President of a local non-profit involved in environmental education for teenagers and as Treasurer for a land trust dedicated to preserving Colorado open spaces.

He is a CPA, received an MBA degree from Arizona State University and a BS degree in accounting from Brigham Young University.

Steve Sargent, 2009 President

Dr. Sargent has worked in the solar energy field since 1963, when he became interested in it while a mechanical engineering student at Arizona State University. After graduation from ASU, he received a Fulbright fellowship to study solar energy in Israel, after which he received his master’s and PhD degrees from the University of Wisconsin, where he was affiliated with the UW Solar Energy Laboratory. He was assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland, where he initiated a course on solar energy building applications for engineering and architecture students.

He joined the solar energy program of the Energy Research and Development Administration (now the Department of Energy) when it was established in 1975, and has been with DOE since then, working primarily as a renewable energy program and project manager. He retired from DOE in 2004.

He has been an ASES/ISES member since 1963 and has served on numerous divisions and committees, as well as the ASES board. He was the first recipient of the ASES Special Recognition Award (now the Vories Award) in 1993, and was named a charter Society Fellow at the 2000 annual conference in Madison. He was a member of the International Organizing Committee for the 1991 ISES Congress in Denver, and the 2005 ISES Solar World Congress in Orlando, for which he served as Water Program chair. He was a founding member of CRES and was elected to the Board in December of 2006.

2010 Board Members at Large
(Click link for bio and photograph)
Barbara Farhar
Becky English

Chris Fullerton
Matt Futch
Rich Garb
Michael D. Haughey
John Hambright
Wendy Larsen-Bowen
Jeff Scott
Carol Tombari

Bolko Von Roedern
Liz Wester
 

CRES 2010 Board Retreat

Becky EnglishBecky English
Becky English's lifelong interest in environment and sustainability morphed into a concentration on energy issues several years ago when her concern about climate change caused her to seek ways to help meet the great challenge of our time. A former university instructor, IT & telecommunications sales & marketing professional, and educational foundation president, Becky now works with businesses to achieve triple bottom line results emphasizing sustainability in governance and operations. One tool in her operations toolkit is to reduce business travel by providing state-of-the-art teleconferencing and webinar services. Some of Becky's clients are engaged in emissions reduction as a core business enterprise. She also works with government agencies, developers and others on documentation for NEPA environmental compliance. Currently she serves on the Windsource Advisory Board, Sierra Club's Rocky Mountain Chapter executive and legislative committees, and the Sustainable Business Group's executive committee. She chairs Sierra Club's energy committee for Colorado, and actively engages in various campaigns to reduce carbon emissions and pollution at the municipal, state and national levels.
Barbara FarharBarbara Farhar
Dr. Farhar is adjunct professor at the University of Colorado, and was a senior analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado. She has been directing research on technology/society interactions and diffusion of innovations for more than 25 years. A Senior Policy Analyst, she gained national recognition for her work on the human dimensions of energy efficiency and renewable energy. Dr. Farhar has worked in energy since 1977 when she initially joined the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), now the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). She is an expert on public perceptions and preferences on energy and environmental policy. She has published on geothermal facility siting issues at federal lands, including geothermal resource assessment and policy analysis, and on Native American interest in geothermal energy. She has recently completed a comparative market assessment and utility analysis of the first production builder development of high-performance homes in the United States. Dr. Farhar has produced more than 240 publications and papers on the relevance of behavioral analysis to energy policy, strategic planning for federal research, public opinion about energy and environmental policy, societal response to weather modification technologies, energy efficiency R&D planning, and technology transfer. She also publishes on the relationship between gender and energy. She has been published in Annual Review of Energy and the Environment, Public Opinion Quarterly, and Science.
Chris FullertonChris Fullerton
Chris started out his professional career as an engineer working in highway construction in Arizona. Deciding to shift his focus during the energy crisis of 2008, he resigned and moved to Denver with the goal of entering a field that would help the nation become more energy responsible. Upon arriving in Denver, he became actively involved in CRES and ASES. He has enjoyed his experience thus far and is thrilled to have a more active role as a board member. Chris now works for EMC Engineers as a Mechanical Engineer with a focus on energy-efficiency. In 2009 he achieved LEED AP by the U.S. Green Building Council and has served as a commission agent on numerous LEED projects, in addition to performing re-commissioning services and energy audits on existing buildings.
Matt Futch

Matt Futch
Matt Futch is the Utilities Program Senior Associate at Colorado Governor Bill Ritter’s Energy Office. From 2006 to 2007, he was a project manager for the Alternative Transportation Fuels Initiative at the bi-partisan Western Governors’ Association. The report can be found here: http://www.westgov.org/wga/publicat/TransFuels08.pdf  This initiative resulted in a living policy document which continues to serve as a comprehensive analysis of technology and policy options available to the Western Region. The policy recommendations made in the electric transportation section of this report became a guiding document for several energy titles in the 110th Congressional session. Prior to his position at the WGA, he completed an M.A. in Global Finance and Energy at the University of Denver with an emphasis on national energy policies and financial analysis of joint venture energy projects.

Matt’s responsibilities at the Governor’s Energy Office include managing the non-investor owned portion of the Utilities Program, which is focused on advocating for the New Energy Economy the Governor’s Climate Action Plan. He helps to lead the implementation of a variety of state renewable energy and energy efficiency laws. He is currently leading the development of the Climate Action Plan report for the Governor, which will detail how the state’s public utilities are addressing the emissions goals set in the Climate Action Plan. The report will be submitted to the Governor and released for public consumption in the summer of 2009. In addition to this report, he is working on several public utility initiatives, program development, and procuring additional Federal funding to stimulate the development of energy efficiency and renewable energy in Colorado.

Matt engages many external industry associations including the Western Interstate Energy Board, the Western Governors’ Association, the American Wind Energy Association, the Colorado Renewable Energy Society and the American Public Power Association. Matt lives in Denver, and is married to Cynthia Futch, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Rich GarbRich Garb
Richard has worked in the Energy Efficiency/Sustainability field since 1989. While at the University of Arizona during the 1990's he began research on a new product from waste glass that was patented in 2002. He has been in charge of a variety of public and private sector programs directed at pollution prevention and waste minimization. Technology transfer has been a large interest as he worked to set up new programs with the schools of Architecture, Agriculture and Engineering at the University of Arizona. He is and has been on the boards of many environmental and service organizations in both Colorado and Arizona. In addition to his environmental work he has been with the Broomfield Economic Development Corporation and a few start up ventures. He is with B&H Solar Industries as a Senior Project Director.

Richard has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science from Colorado State University and an MBA in Services Marketing from the University of Denver.
Michael HaugheyMichael D. Haughey
Michael started Silvertip Integrated Engineering Consultants in 2003. His experience includes 35 years in Mechanical consulting, facilities engineering, energy analysis, systems commissioning, and sustainability consulting. His professional involvement has included: President Rocky Mountain ASHRAE; USGBC Colorado Board, Education Director, Programs Coordinator, Greenbuild 2006 Host Committee Chair.; AIA COTE, ASES, CRES, AEE, RMAEE, and the Colorado Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Council. He has given over 50 seminars and meeting presentations on various topics including Low Energy Mechanical Systems, USGBC-LEED Overview, Ground Source Heat Pumps, LEED EB, High Altitude Design, Ice Thermal Storage, Economizers, Living Buildings, Seismic Risk in Colorado, Living Buildings, and Sustainable Design. Michael has been a Guest Lecturer in HVAC Design at CU Boulder and CSU, and an instructor of HVAC Design at CU Denver and CU Boulder.

In addition to traditional mechanical design experience, Michael has specialized in alternative and energy-conserving systems such as indirect-direct evaporative cooling, mass thermal storage, ice thermal storage, ground-source heat pumps, solar heating, energy audits, energy retrofit design, daylighting and natural ventilation integration with mechanical systems, commissioning peer review, troubleshooting, sustainability & LEED consultation, net-zero energy systems, with a career specialization in energy efficient design. His interest in RE began in college in the early ‘70’s and he has been advocating, designing, and encouraging RE and energy efficiency in a reluctant market ever since.

John HambrightJohn Hambright 
(bio to come)

Wendy LarsenWendy Larsen
Wendy is a long-time member of the staff at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory where she has organized and participated in outreach and education projects ranging from PV Applications Workshops and Educational booths at the National Western Stock Show, Solar Independence Exhibit at the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago, IL, and team member for three successive Solar Decathlon events in Washington DC. She has supported technical meetings such as the World Renewable Energy Conference in Denver and has managed registration and logistics for RE Conferences & Workshops in Cairo and in Alexandria, Egypt and in Sharjah, UAE. She has served as Registration Chairperson and Member of the Organizing Committee for the IEEE, Photovoltaic Specialists Conference since 1987. Member of WISE – Women in Sustainable Energy.

Jeff Scott
Jeff Scott is the founder of SolSource. He traces his commitment to high-performance buildings back to his seven years living in Japan during the 1990s. While there, Jeff began his research into green building practices and was impressed by the country's 'whole systems' construction methods. Upon returning to the U.S., Jeff began linking his belief in sustainable design to strong environmental values and business skills and founded SolSource in 2003. Jeff holds two BAs (Business and Computer Science) from Miami University of Ohio.

Carol TombariCarol Tombari
Carol Tombari
is the Manager of Stakeholder Relations at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where she works on electric utility and economic development issues.  Prior to joining NREL’s Public Relations office, she directed the laboratory’s State and Local Initiatives office.

Ms. Tombari previously was self-employed as president of Mountain Energy Consultation, specializing in public policy and programs related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and the environmental impacts of energy use.  In this capacity, Ms. Tombari led three delegations of State Energy Officials to the People’s Republic of China, to discuss public policies to facilitate the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency. 

Ms. Tombari has specialized in energy and environmental policy and programs for more than twenty-five years. She directed the State of Texas’ energy efficiency and renewable energy programs for a decade.  She worked for two Texas governors, served as an electric utility regulator, and was natural resources advisor to the lieutenant governor. She was a founder of the National Association of State Energy Officials; chaired an advisory committee to Congress on renewable energy joint ventures; and was appointed to by the Secretary of Energy to DOE’s State Energy Advisory Board. 

Ms. Tombari’s educational credentials include a master’s degree in public affairs and an undergraduate degree in geography.  She is the author of Power of the People: America’s New Electricity Choices (Fulcrum Publishing).

Bolko Von RoedernBolko Von Roedern
Bolko moved to Colorado in 1983 when he was hired by NREL (then SERI), after working on a SERI subcontract as a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University. He developed amorphous-silicon-based (a-Si) solar cells within SERI's in-house amorphous silicon group as a senior scientist. In 1985, he joined a start-up company, Glasstech Solar, Inc. (GSI) in Wheat Ridge, CO, managing all aspects of the technology developments as well as day-to-day operation. GSI developed turnkey a-Si photovoltaic module manufacturing lines. In 1990, he returned to SERI as a Project Manager in the Amorphous Silicon Research Project. This project was merged into the Thin Film Partnership Project, and since 1992, he was part of a three-person team responsible supporting amorphous and crystalline Si, cadmium telluride, and copper indium diselenide thin-film photovoltaic R&D and technology through subcontracts. Together with his colleagues, he was among the finalists of the 1999 World Technology Award for Energy; the Thin Film Partnership, and in collaboration with subcontractors has also won several awards and recognitions (RD100 etc.). Since 2007, he has become involved managing projects for the Solar America Initiative, and he continues an evaluation of how material quality parameters will affect solar cell performance. Dr. Von Roedern received his Ph.D. in physics at Stuttgart University in 1979.

Liz WesterLiz Wester
Since launching her consulting business more than 17 years ago, Elizabeth has teamed with corporate management in a variety of industries as a business consultant, marketing strategist and project manager. She uses her extensive experience and leadership abilities to bring team building and communications skills to field, regional and corporate level initiatives. She specializes in new product development and product revitalization and has worked with both private and non-profit organizations.

Prior to launching her consulting business Elizabeth was National Director of Marketing for United Artists Cable Television. She was solely responsible for relations between the executive management, the corporate marketing department and five company divisions totaling 86 cable systems and 2.6 million customers. Prior to United Artists she served similarly for 11 years in all levels of marketing management for Jones Intercable. She is a certified focus group moderator and is a charter fellow of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute, Women in Cable Television, and the Women’sVision Foundation.

Most recently Elizabeth has become passionate about matters concerning conservation, sustainability and renewable energy as necessary initiatives to renew balance between the needs of humanity and those of our planet. She recognizes the need for responsible stewardship of our world and strategic planning regarding environmental policies in government, corporate and public arenas. She is currently dedicated to the encouragement of sweeping transformations in the way we live and work to create a sustainable future for ourselves and as a gift of love for generations to come.

Elizabeth relishes living in the splendor of the Rocky Mountain Region with her husband, two young sons and an adult daughter in Ft Collins.

Regional Representatives
Roger Alexander, North CRESRoger Alexander, North - CRES
Roger preaches the energy gospel in Northern Colorado. REDUCE > PRODUCE. He founded Sirius Energy Solutions to help people understand the need to, the how to and the benefits of reducing energy consumption in their homes and small businesses. Sirius will work on implementing the recommendations and test out to assure the quality of the work and the effectiveness of the recommended measures. Roger works with SolSource on the PRODUCE side of the equation when solar electric and/or solar thermal systems may be the logical next step for a consumer.

Roger is in his third year on the NCRES Board and happy to serve as the liaison to the CRES Board this year. He also serves on the Board of his local electric co-op, Poudre Valley REA.

Terry Meikle, Southeast CRESTerry Meikle, Southeast - CRES
Terry is Energy Supply Manager at Colorado Springs Utilities. He has a master’s degree in business administration, mechanical engineering degree and is a Licensed Professional Engineer. He is a renewable energy production expert with over 38 years of power generation experience including woody biomass co-firing and co-combustion operations and maintenance experience with stoker, cyclone, pulverize and fluidized-bed technology utility size boilers. He has extensive experience in, processing; blending and co-firing various alternative and renewable fuels within coal fired power plants. Mr. Meikle has been a plant manager, has been published in Power Magazine and has been a speaker at a Biomass Finance Symposium in Washington DC. He is a proponent for the utilization of renewable and waste or recycled landfill re-direct fuels. He has conducted testing and engineered modifications in coal combustion systems to allow for efficient and successful utilization of waste urban renewable fuels. He has been instrumental in co-firing paper pellets, rubber tire chips, plastic chips and high carbon recycled waste boiler ash. He is a successful grant writer. He is a founding member of the Woodland Park, Colorado, Healthy Forest Initiative and has developed a positive relationship with personnel of the Governor’s Energy Office. Mr. Meikle is a great statesman promotes activities conducive of healthy environments for our great Country as well as the World. Mr. Meikle is a professional, an activator, a past president of a local Rotary club, an elected school board member and a great resource for the development of alternative energy utilization.

Terry and his wife feel intrinsically blessed to have the privilege of living in the splendor of Colorado Springs and the Rocky Mountain Front Range.

2010 CRES Board Retreat
CRES 2010 Board Retreat

New 2010 Board Photos by Bob Reed

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