Board of directors
Board of directors
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Nathan Lewis
President
sharethelightsolar@gmail.com
Nathan Lewis has been involved with Citizens' Climate Lobby since 2018 and helped host a Solar Expo in 2019 which included five local solar installers (pretty much every Lubbock installer at the time) including Janie McNutt's SolarTech Energy Solutions. He is passionate about reducing emissions to combat climate change and particulate matter and has made it a big part of his life the last 20 years. He started helping SolarTech in earnest in May of 2023 and has focused on understanding the new opportunities available in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). He submitted a proposal for the Community Power Accelerator Grant in the fall of 2023, but was not selected. He has a 640W off-grid installation that he designed and built with the help of his brother.
Janie McNutt
Secretary
soljni@solartechtx.com
Janie McNutt grew up 35 miles from Lubbock. After completing a master’s degree and 60+ hours toward a doctorate in Spanish and French and teaching these languages many years, Janie caught the solar bug in 1997 and started a company named Wind and Sun Inc. A prototype of a vertical axis wind turbine was built with partners, but technical and other problems caused dissolution. In 1999, Janie learned of parabolic solar cooking and set up a small manufacturing facility near Lubbock. They had 204 deliveries pre-Y2K, but after, the orders dried up. She even traveled to Nigeria to help bring solar cooking to low-income people still using firewood. Solar Chef International, LLC still exists, and she hopes someday to bring a restaurant to Lubbock that incorporates both solar thermal cooking and solar electric.Attempts at selling solar panels at the turn of the century were difficult because of cost and space considerations, but in 2017 when Janie retired from teaching, prices had come down and density up and solar was growing exponentially. SolarTech was born. She received two certificates from Solar Energy International the same year. SolarTech’s Thacker Jewelry installation in 2022 is quite likely the largest solar installation of any kind in Lubbock at just over 50KW.
Jimmy Taylor
Treasurer
jimmy.taylor@yardi.com
Jimmy Taylor was born in Sweetwater, TX and raised around Lubbock. Graduating from Lubbock High, he studied economics with a focus on energy and environmental economics and mathematical sciences at the Colorado School of Mines. He’s been an Energy Benchmarking Analyst for Yardi Systems for two years managing clients' benchmarking in Energy Star Portfolio Manager, assisting in data cleaning and verification for GRESB submissions, and reporting to Energy Benchmarking compliance ordinances across the US and Canada. He’s a first-generation college graduate who was driven to learn about the world but hasn't forgotten his home. He’s very aware of Lubbock’s history of redlining and discriminatory development, and wants to use his expertise to help make change.
Jonathan Blackwell
Board Member
jonathan.blackwell@vexusfiber.com
Jonathan Blackwell met Janie McNutt at a Citizens' Climate Lobby (CCL) meeting in 2019. Blackwell owns and helps operate Nashwell Cafe with his wife, Angela Nash Blackwell, and a small staff. He also is the owner of NashwellCo.work with two co-work locations in Lubbock. He has a Major in Art and Minor in Anthropology from Duke and an Australian Graduate School of Management MBA. He's in the process of installing solar on Nashwell Cafe utilizing SolarTech and has rooftop solar at home. Jonathan was part of a winning team for an American Made Challenge involving solar desalination.
Leon Williams
Board Member
jleon69@yahoo.com
(James) Leon Williams is a part-time retired school counselor for the Lubbock Independent School District. Born and raised in Washington D.C., he came to Lubbock in 1980 for graduate school. His parents grew up in east Texas and were part of the Great Migration. 43 years in Lubbock has allowed extensive involvement in the community. Currently, he’s Chairman of the Lubbock ROOTS Historical Society, active with Lubbock Habitat for Humanity, East Lubbock Community Alliance, 100 Black Men of West Texas, and One Lubbock (a Lubbock Habitat spinoff) among others. He also owns rooftop solar.
Osagie Okoruwa
Board Member
nations2010@gmail.com
Osagie Okoruwa is the founder and CEO of the The Innocent Convicts Project, a nonprofit committed to overturning wrongful conviction cases, exonerating innocent convicts and promoting criminal legal reforms. Over the past eight years, Osagie has meticulously documented numerous cases of wrongful convictions. Through the lens of victims and their families, he has crafted a compelling documentary film series titled "The Innocent Convicts." He also was part of Browning the Green Space's ACCESS Program (Accelerating Contractors of Color in Energy for Sustainable Success) which is 'a 10-week program for aspiring clean energy (energy efficiency & renewable energy) business owners that provides business coaching, connections, mentorship, and access to capital.'
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