SolarFest - New England energy education and renewable energy festival

OUR TRUSTEES

	Melody Squier, Trustee, President Host of SolarFest at Forget-Me-Not Farm, Melody and her family have been involved with SolarFest since its early beginnings. Mother, equine specialist, animal communicator, farrier, firefighter, organic gardener, flower fanatic, gourmet cook, B&B and premier green wedding site proprietor, and of course wife of the wonderful Tinmouth luminary, Marshall Squier. Melody is involved year round with Festival planning and presentation, and especially enjoys meeting and working with the Volunteers for Peace who come from all over the globe each year to help make SolarFest shine!

	Michael Sorce, Trustee, Vice President Michael Sorce is a founding SolarFest council member and the Technical Director for the SolarFest festival. A graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts, Michael freelanced as a lighting designer in San Francisco and New York City before relocating to Vermont. He is president and founder of Dark Star Lighting & Production here in Vermont, which provides lighting, sound, video, generator, and production services for the entertainment industry throughout New England. Dark Star is proud to provide professional theatrical lighting, sound and production management for SolarFest since its inception.

	Laura Daubenspeck, Trustee, Clerk Laura Daubenspeck has attended and volunteered at SolarFest almost since its inception. As well as serving on the Board of Trustees, she has been the Vendor Coordinator, Co-Head of the VIP Gate and Co-Head of the Sales Tent for the Festival. Laura is currently the Bulk and Grocery Manager at the Rutland Area Food Co-op. She greatly enjoys the sense of community, involvement and sustainability that goes hand in hand with SolarFest.

	Mark McChesney, Trustee, Treasurer Mark grew up in nearby Pawlet, VT, left for fifteen years - college (Cornell University), and then work in the hospitality industry in Chicago and Manhattan. In 1998, Mark and his wife Margaret, whom he met and married in Chicago, moved with children Jack and Olivia back to Pawlet to purchase and operate The Barn Restaurant. Mark and Margaret have been involved with Solarfest since 2001 as food vendors, and have long wanted to become a more integral part of the organization—both in planning, and in promoting its success. Mark is thrilled to be a part of the board, and looks forward to feedback and ideas from the entire Solarfest community. Mark also serves on the board at Live Green, and is a contributing member and amateur actor with the Dorset Players.

	John Blittersdorf, Trustee John Blittersdorf is the owner of Central Vermont Solar & Wind in Rutland, VT. He is responsible for design and installation of Over 300 renewable energy systems throughout Vermont and neighboring states. He has been involved with SolarFest since the early days at Daisy Hollow and has been head of the Power Committee since 2004. John brings to the board a solar industry perspective.

	Josh Brill, Trustee Josh moved to Vermont in 2006 to attend Green Mountain College where he earned a degree in Adventure Recreation. After learning about SolarFest from fellow students he has gone from festival attendee, to volunteer, to presenter and now serves on the Board of Trustees. Now living in Tinmouth, VT on the Squier family homestead, Josh and Meadow Squier have started Breezy Meadows Orchards and Nursery an organic vegetable and fruit farm. Josh is excited to work with the board and our volunteers to help SolarFest continue to provide a great atmosphere of education and entertainment.

	Steve Goldsmith, Trustee A native of New York, Steve escaped to Maine in the late '80s, where he met his wife Michelle. They currently live with their two kids Sarah and Adam in New Hampshire. They all first got hooked on SolarFest in 1998, and have been coming back ever since. For the past several years, the whole family has been volunteering at SolarFest before, during and after the festival. Steve has been coordinating the Solar Generation Youth Track at SolarFest since its inception in 2008 and has also been heading up the Workshop Technology Team and coordinating site communications for several years. At his day job, Steve is a professional geek and has been involved in the telecommunications industry since 1982. He currently serves as Chief Technology Officer for segTEL, Inc. a regional telecommunications provider. He has been a member of his local energy committee for three years, and wishes that he had more solar panels on the roof of his house.

	Matt Kenyon, Trustee Matt Kenyon grew up in southern Rhode Island’s Great Swamp Wildlife Management Area which helped to foster his deep appreciation for nature and early American history. Matt grew up fixing things, from washing machines to motorcycles, if it was broken Matt would try to fix it, and more times than not he succeeded. Matt has been a carpenter for more than 30 years, specializing in renovations and repairs. Matt and his wife Patty moved to Middletown Springs in 1990, purchasing a 1790’s colonial farmhouse fixer upper, which now hosts 4200 watts of solar electric panels on its roof. Matt has been a SolarFest volunteer since 2002 and the site coordinator since 2005. Each year Matt relies on his Yankee ingenuity, his propensity to fix things and his experience in the trades to help SolarFest transform Forget-Me-Not Farm from horse farm to festival site and back again.

	Taylor (Chip) Mauck, Trustee After receiving an education in Natural Resource Management and Forestry from Duke University and the University of New Hampshire, Mr. Mauck has worked in the renewable energy field for the past 25 years. He is the owner of SunWeaver, a company specializing in the installation of renewable energy systems. He also co-owns the Solar Uprising Soundsystem, a solar electric powered sound system featuring politically charged music. It is committed to using music as an instrument for change, and a healer of spirits. He is co-director of the Traveling Solar Show, a festival based energy education center funded through it's solar powered kitchen. For the last 15 years, he has been actively involved with SolarFest, and the New England Renewable Energy Fair. His other interests include writing, homesteading and leading workshops on resource-responsible, solar living.

	Jeff Skelskie, Trustee Since the 90’s Jeff has been involved with SolarFest, Clearwater, Tour de Sol and in 2009 received the Distinguished Service Award from NESEA (Northeast Sustainable Energy Association) . As the owner of Special Services, a warehouse distributor for QuickCable, PulseTech Products and test equipment, Jeff has been an ASE master mechanic for over 30 years. He works as a technician, advisor, educator and distributor in the energy and transportation fields, both electric and alternative fuel. Starting with Engineering and ending in the Arts Jeff also holds degrees in Business and Power engineering. Jeff greatest reward comes from sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm.

	Wheaton Squier, Trustee Wheaton Squier is a Tinmouth native who has been involved with Solarfest since he can remember. As a performer, volunteer, Theater In The Woods director and now a Trustee he will continue to help with all aspects of the festival. Wheaton lives in Tinmouth where he works as a Home Care Provider, farmer, and singer.

	Todd Tyson, Trustee

	Chris Wetherby, Trustee A Vermont native, Chris moved to Maine in the late 60’s with his family, where he received a BS in Forestry from the University of Maine at Orono. Wood related manufacturing and engineering jobs connected the dots on his journey from Maine, through New Hampshire and back to Vermont in 1984. After almost 20 years of work in a high tech wood manufacturing plant, corporate downsizing eliminated his job. This life change opened up a world of new possibilities through barn restorations, set building for local theater groups and a chance meeting with John Blittersdorf, owner of CV Solar and Wind, at a local summer camp. Within a year of their meeting and early in SolarFest’s transition to Forget-Me-Not Farm, Chris was working fulltime with John, learning about solar and wind energy, while adding solar hot water to the product mix at CV Solar. Now Chris operates his own solar hot water/ radiant heat business. After two seasons in pre-festival infrastructure, ensuring that the solar panels were in place, Workshops called for more staff and this has been his primary SolarFest responsibility for the past few years (and other jobs as required!) Chris has forged wonderful friendships through his work with the SolarFest family since 2006 and is very gratified that his three children Jeff, Jessie and Jenna, have also chosen to be a part of the SolarFest experience, by attending the festival or by volunteering!!

	Patty Kenyon, Managing Director Patty has been involved with SolarFest in one capacity or another since 2000, starting off in the volunteer ranks, becoming the bookkeeper and finally settling into her current role in late 2005. Patty's experience includes many years as a bookkeeper and office manager, a short time owning and operating her own craft business, seven years as a homeschooling parent as well as a Town School Director, and is currently an auditor in the Town of Middletown Springs. Patty brings her attention to detail, work-ethic and sense of humor to everything she does.