John’s extension program focuses on the implementation of best management practices related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and adoption of innovative technologies.  Prior to his current role, John conducted air quality research with UC-Davis and served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Guatemala.  John is a Certified Energy Manager and Distributed Generation Certified Professional by the Association of Energy Engineers, credentialed as a Photovoltaic Associate by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, Certified Forester by the Society of American Foresters, and certified DACUM/SCID (Developing a Curriculum/ Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development) by the International Training Center at The Ohio State University.  He holds an M.S. in forest resource management with a minor in water resource science from the University of Minnesota and B.S. in forestry with a certificate in international studies from The Ohio State University.   

Carrie Hearne is the Solar Program Manager in the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME). In this role, Carrie provides outreach and technical assistance for localities on utility-scale solar siting and local government renewable energy procurement, including serving as SolSmart advisor for regions across Virginia. Carrie is project lead on creating DMME's plan of action in response to Governor Northam's Executive Order 43 ("Expanding Access to Clean Energy and Growing the Clean Energy Jobs of the Future"). She also supports the Clean Energy Advisory Board and the affiliated Low to Moderate Income Solar Loan and Rebate Fund. Carrie originates from rural West Virginia and has recently moved back to this region after living in Portland, Oregon, for nearly 16 years. In Portland, Carrie successfully created and ran the first sustainability program at The Standard, a large insurance company, and then served as Climate Solutions' business partnerships manager for Oregon. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Earlham College and an MBA in sustainable systems from Presidio Graduate School. Carrie lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her two big curly dogs Timber and Odi. 

Dr. Bill Shobe  Bill Shobe, an economist, is a Professor of Public Policy at the University of Virginia and  Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Studies. He is a University Sustainability Fellow. His current research includes emission market and auction design, environmental federalism, carbon removal technologies, electricity demand forecasting and deep decarbonization strategies for Virginia. In 2007, he worked on the team that designed the carbon allowance auctions for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and has worked on design and evaluation of the RGGI program, the EU ETS and the California cap and trade program for greenhouse gases. In 2000, Shobe received a Fulbright Fellowship in environmental economics and policy. Before joining UVA in 2004, Shobe worked at the Virginia Department of Planning & Budget (DPB), where he coordinated state expenditure forecasts and the economic analysis of state regulations. While at the DPB, Shobe managed the design and implementation of the innovative Virginia NOx allowance auction. He also developed the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall website, the first in the nation web site for managing and publicizing state regulatory development. 

Elizabeth Marshall, Senior Project Coordinator, Virginia Solar Initiative, University of Virginia Elizabeth provides solar policy and technical support to local government officials and agencies across the state. 

Elizabeth Marshall is the Senior Project Coordinator for the Virginia Solar Initiative at the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia and a 2020 SolSmart Advisor for Virginia. In these roles she provides solar policy and technical support to local government officials and agencies across the state. Immediately prior to this appointment she managed projects for UVA’s pan-institutional quality and improvement program, and she has served as an urban planner in both the private and public sectors. Elizabeth earned a Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia, a Specialization in Design Thinking and Innovation from the Darden School of Business, and a Certificate in Change Management from Prosci. 

Ron Meyers, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, and a lecturer in the School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech. He has over two decades of academic and professional experience in natural resources and renewable energy development and policy. He was Director of the Center for Natural Resources and the Environment at American University in Kosovo and helped complete the nation’s first wind feasibility study, and lay groundwork for their first wind energy project. He works interdisciplinarily as a social scientist, conducting research and practice on how to develop a more sustainable renewable energy system in the U.S.   

John’s extension program focuses on the implementation of best management practices related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and adoption of innovative technologies.  Prior to his current role, John conducted air quality research with UC-Davis and served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Guatemala.  John is a Certified Energy Manager and Distributed Generation Certified Professional by the Association of Energy Engineers, credentialed as a Photovoltaic Associate by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, Certified Forester by the Society of American Foresters, and certified DACUM/SCID (Developing a Curriculum/ Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development) by the International Training Center at The Ohio State University.  He holds an M.S. in forest resource management with a minor in water resource science from the University of Minnesota and B.S. in forestry with a certificate in international studies from The Ohio State University.   

Maximilian Trommsdorff, Head of Team Agrophotovoltaics, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.  Max oversees project management and acquisition and international industry projects. Prior to this role he worked as a research associate in agrophotovoltaics at the University Freiburg.  Max holds an MSc in Economics and Politics, University Freiburg where his master thesis focused on  “Agrophotovoltaic: Opportunities, Risks and Strategies Towards a More Efficient Land Use“ 

Riley Murray

Riley joined Secure Futures in November 2017 as the Project Manager before his recent retirement. His primary focus was overseeing the various components of all the projects at Secure Futures from start to finish. One of Riley’s major accomplishments while at Secure Futures was the successful implementation of solar sheep at the Carilion New River Valley Medical Center, where he worked with local shepherds, hospital staff, land developers, installers to provide a safe environment for the solar sheep.  His background includes extensive experience in industrial engineering, technical project management, facilities maintenance, and asset reliability as well as agriculture from his own family farm. He is a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional. He holds BSIE and MSIE degrees in Industrial and Management Systems Engineering, and a Graduate Program Certificate in Applied Statistics, from Penn State University

Secure Futures is a B-Corp solar developer for schools, hospitals, and businesses. While most Secure Futures’ projects are rooftop solar arrays, the Carilion New River Valley Medical Center site developed undesirable land to install Virginia’s largest solar project at a hospital. This site is maintained by solar sheep from local farmers to maintain the site’s vegetation in order to save money, reduce the project’s environmental impact, and strengthen community partnerships

John’s extension program focuses on the implementation of best management practices related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and adoption of innovative technologies.  Prior to his current role, John conducted air quality research with UC-Davis and served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Guatemala.  John is a Certified Energy Manager and Distributed Generation Certified Professional by the Association of Energy Engineers, credentialed as a Photovoltaic Associate by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, Certified Forester by the Society of American Foresters, and certified DACUM/SCID (Developing a Curriculum/ Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development) by the International Training Center at The Ohio State University.  He holds an M.S. in forest resource management with a minor in water resource science from the University of Minnesota and B.S. in forestry with a certificate in international studies from The Ohio State University.   

Mrs. Heather McAlister has worked for DEQ in the Office of Stormwater Management reviewing Stormwater and Erosion & Sediment Control Plans for the past 5 years.  She has been DEQ's main point of contact in the Office of Stormwater Management for solar projects for the past 4 years.  Before coming to DEQ she worked as a project manager for a few private civil engineering firms focusing on site development for over 10 years and then for a locality's Stormwater and Erosion & Sediment Control program for a little over a year.  

Mr. Seldon joined Geosyntec’s Richmond, Virginia office in November 2018, in the role of Senior Engineer. He has over 15 years of experience as a recognized expert in civil and environmental engineering, providing technical review, client development, and project management for the Power, Solid Waste, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Commercial/Retail, Residential, and Industrial sectors. Mr. Seldon is a strategic manager for key clients and has successfully managed myriad high-profile, fast-paced projects for several national and international corporations.

Since joining Geosyntec, Mr. Seldon has led efforts at several solar facilities, everything from design and permitting and corrective action plans to third party review and Owner’s Engineer services.

Mr. Seldon is a licensed Professional Engineer in Virginia and North Carolina, as well as a VA-DEQ Certified Program Administrator for ESC and SWM.

W. Lee Daniels is the Thomas B. Hutcheson Professor of Environmental Soil Science at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.  He received his Ph.D. in Soil Science from VPI & SU in 1985.  Dr. Daniels areas of specialization include stabilization and restoration of disturbed lands including areas disturbed by mining, road building, waste disposal, urbanization and erosion.  In particular, he has focused his research and consulting experience in mine reclamation, wetland impact mitigation and soil-waste management systems.  His teaching programs at Virginia Tech focus on soil geomorphology and landscape analysis with particular emphasis on the relationships among surficial geology, hydrology, soil patterns and long‑term landscape evolution processes. Major awards include the Reclamation Researcher of the Year by the American Society for Surface Mining and Reclamation (ASMR) in 1993, USEPA’s National Biosolids Utilization Research Award  in 2000, the Lifetime Achievement in Research Award by ASMR in 2012, and Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America in 2016. Details on his research and outreach programs and publications are available at https://landrehab.org/.

John’s extension program focuses on the implementation of best management practices related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and adoption of innovative technologies.  Prior to his current role, John conducted air quality research with UC-Davis and served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Guatemala.  John is a Certified Energy Manager and Distributed Generation Certified Professional by the Association of Energy Engineers, credentialed as a Photovoltaic Associate by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, Certified Forester by the Society of American Foresters, and certified DACUM/SCID (Developing a Curriculum/ Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development) by the International Training Center at The Ohio State University.  He holds an M.S. in forest resource management with a minor in water resource science from the University of Minnesota and B.S. in forestry with a certificate in international studies from The Ohio State University.   

Mr. Richard Street, of Street Development Solutions, assists local governments with ordinance and code revisions to stay up with the changing codes. He has over 40 years of experience in the civil engineering field, specializing in drainage, stormwater management, erosion & sediment control, and shoreline restoration. He has worked for various localities and private sector engineers, including:  as VDOT District Drainage engineer, and Spotsylvania County Deputy Director of Environmental Code and Environmental Engineer.  He performs workshops about low impact development (LID) for various state and federal agencies, to assist developers and designers with better LID designs, including internationally in Guatemala and South Korea. He served as former member and Chairman of the VA Soil and Water Conservation Board, and former citizen appointed member, of the State Water Commission

Ms. Denise Nelson:  Denise Nelson is an environmental engineer at The Berkley Group. She has global experience in water, wastewater, and stormwater systems and sustainable infrastructure development. She has a civil engineering degree from Virginia Tech and an environmental engineering Master of Science degree from the University of Cincinnati.

Mr. Darren Coffey:  Darren Coffey is a co-founder and principal at The Berkley Group, a planning consulting firm based in Virginia and serving local governments around the country. Darren's experience provides comprehensive knowledge and skills in local government from administration, planning and budgeting, to economic development, transportation, parks & recreation, among others. He earned a Masters degree in geography from Rutgers University and geography and economics degrees from James Madison University. He received his AICP in 2000.

Mr. Joe Lerch serves as Director of Local Government Policy for VACo. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in geology from William and Mary and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Virginia Tech.  Mr. Lerch has worked as a planner for the Cities of Fairfax and Richmond, and Spotsylvania County. He also served as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Fredericksburg. His various professional memberships include the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association, The Virginia Rural Planning Caucus and National Association of Counties.  Previously, he served as the director of environmental policy for the Virginia Municipal League and was the Secretary/Treasurer for the Virginia Energy Purchasing Governmental Association (VEPGA).

Mr. Tom Swartzwelder has served 13 years as King and Queen County Administrator and Attorney, and also serves as: Chair Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission, Chair Middle Peninsula Regional Jail, and Chair Middle Peninsula Regional Airport.  Mr. Swartzwelder has participated on various DEQ workgroups, participated in drafting and lobbying for Stormwater Legislation for Rural Coastal Virginia, and drafted the original and co-wrote the final version of HB 1675 (Solar Siting Agreement).  His undergraduate is from Hampden Sydney College, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. He practiced law in Georgia and Virginia with a focus on land use and civil litigation.

Please note: this presentation was audio only, and is available in the above session recording link

Ms. Elizabeth Marshall serves as Senior Project Coordinator for the Virginia Solar Initiative, Energy Transition Initiative, at the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia and a 2020 SolSmart Advisor for Virginia. In these roles she provides solar policy and technical support to local government officials and agencies across the state. Immediately prior to this appointment she managed projects for UVA’s pan-institutional quality and improvement program, and she has served as an urban planner in both the private and public sectors. Elizabeth earned a Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia, a Specialization in Design Thinking and Innovation from the Darden School of Business, and a Certificate in Change Management from Prosci.

John’s extension program focuses on the implementation of best management practices related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and adoption of innovative technologies.  Prior to his current role, John conducted air quality research with UC-Davis and served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Guatemala.  John is a Certified Energy Manager and Distributed Generation Certified Professional by the Association of Energy Engineers, credentialed as a Photovoltaic Associate by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, Certified Forester by the Society of American Foresters, and certified DACUM/SCID (Developing a Curriculum/ Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development) by the International Training Center at The Ohio State University.  He holds an M.S. in forest resource management with a minor in water resource science from the University of Minnesota and B.S. in forestry with a certificate in international studies from The Ohio State University.   

Mr. Burnsed leads Distributed Solutions market strategy and new market development efforts for EDF Renewables.  During this presentation he will share interconnect considerations from the project developer’s perspective

Mr. Pezalla is the Director of Transmission Services and oversees the planning, construction and operations of ODEC’s transmission system, the 250+ transmission delivery points to 11-member owner Cooperatives and provides technical guidance on new generator interconnections and processes.

John’s extension program focuses on the implementation of best management practices related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and adoption of innovative technologies.  Prior to his current role, John conducted air quality research with UC-Davis and served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Guatemala.  John is a Certified Energy Manager and Distributed Generation Certified Professional by the Association of Energy Engineers, credentialed as a Photovoltaic Associate by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, Certified Forester by the Society of American Foresters, and certified DACUM/SCID (Developing a Curriculum/ Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development) by the International Training Center at The Ohio State University.  He holds an M.S. in forest resource management with a minor in water resource science from the University of Minnesota and B.S. in forestry with a certificate in international studies from The Ohio State University.   

Johnny R. Rogers, Owner Rogers Cattle Company LLC; Coordinator, North Carolina State University Amazing Grazing Program. Johnny and his wife Sharon own Rogers Cattle Company LLC (RCC) in Roxboro, NC.  Currently, RCC raises Red Angus cattle, Katahdin Hair Sheep and forest finished pork.  RCC markets cattle and hair sheep as well as pasture raised beef, pork and lamb from the farm and at farmer’s markets.   Adaptive grazing techniques are used to optimize livestock performance and forage utilization while improving soil health. In March 2015, Johnny accepted the opportunity to work with the NCSU Amazing Grazing Program.  This has allowed Johnny to combine his passion for pasture based livestock systems and for education.  He spends time working with other farmers as they improve their farm resources.  Johnny holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Animal Science from the University of Tennessee and a Master’s Degree in Nutrition from North Carolina State University.  He serves on the board of directors of the NC Forage and Grasslands Council, NC Cattleman’s Association and the Red Angus Association of America.  He has been recognized as the 2010 North Carolina Environmental Stewardship Award recipient, 2009 Roxboro Jaycees Outstanding Young Farmer, 2011 Soil and Water Conservation Society Conversation Steward and the 2013 NC Choices Farmer of the Year

River Strong, Associate Director, University of Massachusetts Clean Energy Extension – River brings more than 20 years of experience in the renewable energy, energy efficiency, climate change, and sustainability consulting fields to the UMass Clean Energy Extension. He coordinates CEE’s research and outreach activities, and engages with commercial and industrial clean energy users, technology providers, state agencies, NGOs, and UMass staff, faculty, and students to help advance the market for renewable energy and energy efficiency across the Commonwealth. Before coming to UMass, he served as founder and president of Spring Hill Solutions, LLC, a clean energy and carbon management consulting firm based in Burlington, Vermont. River holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University and an MFA in creative writing from University of Arizona.

Dr. Dwayne Breger, Director. Dwayne was hired as the Director of the UMass Clean Energy Extension in 2015.  Dwayne comes to UMass after 13 years as the Director of the Renewable Energy Division at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER). At DOER, he was responsible for the state Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), the development of the RPS solar carve-out and solar loan program, the advance of biomass energy policy, and served on the staff working group that designed the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.  Prior to DOER, he was an Assistant Professor in engineering at Lafayette College.  Dwayne returns to the UMass campus where he received his Ph.D. in Resource Economics and served as a Senior Research Associate in Mechanical Engineering between 1988 and 1994.  Dwayne received his B.S. degree in engineering from Swarthmore College, and an M.S. in technology and policy from MIT.  At UMass, Dwayne also holds an Extension Professor position in the Department of Environmental Conservation.