We work everyday toward our mission of stewarding an equitable and accessible transition to clean energy.
Staff
Ben Silesky
Ben Silesky is Olympia Community Solar’s Program Director, leading our Solarize program. He brings more than six years of coalition organizing experience from working with Audubon Washington.
The dog’s name is Eddy.
Zachery Miller
Zachery is a graduate student at Penn State University studying renewable energy and sustainability systems. He previously worked for Puget Sound Energy in their renewable energy division. His passion for solar comes from his love for nature and has dedicated his career to advancing clean energy to preserve our communities and the planet.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mason Rolph
Mason Rolph serves as the President of Olympia Community Solar. Mason is a graduate of The Evergreen State College, has consulted on community solar policy for The Coalition For Community Solar Access and Common Energy; a community solar administrator in New York. He has co-authored publications with both the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Smart Electric Power Association (SEPA).
He received the Sam Garst Climate Champion award by Climate Solutions in 2018, and Emerging Clean Energy Leader award from the Northwest Energy Coalition in 2021. He was elected to the Washington Solar Energy Industry Association Board of Directors for a two year (2022-2023) term.
Katrina Taylor
Katrina Taylor serves as the Board Secretary for Olympia Community Solar. She has a Masters in Environmental Policy and is a tenured professor of political science and sustainability at Tacoma Community College. Katrina has studied, taught and/or published in the fields of renewable energy policy and climate protection advocacy for over 20 years. She has been a long time advocate of solar energy and enthusiastic supporter of community solar.
She was recently named a McKinstry Champion of Sustainability at the 2019 Washington Oregon Higher Education Sustainability Conference.
Connor Tibke
Connor Tibke serves as the treasurer for Olympia Community Solar. A graduate of The Evergreen State College, Connor has a BA in public policy and environmental science. He worked as a Legislative staffer for three consecutive sessions in Washington and as a contractor for the Thurston County Economic Development Council’s business survey for the Department of Commerce.
Connor is passionate about the intersection of economic and environmental justice as expressed in public policy.
Kyle Nicholas
Kyle currently serves as a board member for Olympia Community Solar. As an Undergraduate, Kyle attended the University of California, Berkeley specializing in “Environmental Science, Engineering, and Philosophy.” During his Graduate work at the University of Washington, he focused on the vast potential of Sustainable Development and Green Building practices. Kyle has over a decade of experience working in the Nonprofit sector throughout the greater Puget Sound area.
Adam C. Powers
Adam C. Powers is a multi-talented African American professional who wears many hats: storyteller, green energy expert, teacher, technologist, artist, botanist, AR & VR developer, and proud father of a seven-year-old son.
He co-founded Key Tech Labs, a nonprofit aimed at bringing new technologies to underprivileged areas to create self-sustaining communities. For example, they taught youth how to build and install a Farmbot (an open-source CNC machine for automated gardening) at a local middle school. In 2018, Adam started his solar career at Omnidian, where he served as a Technical Support Specialist and later co-founded the Civic Action Committee to address energy poverty issues in the black community and promote diversity in the solar industry. He is also a member of B.O.S.S and leads the development of a national solar program.
Adam serves on the board of Shark Garden, a 1.9-acre urban farm that produces over 2,000 tons of organic food annually and recently added a Solar Micro Grid, in collaboration with Sphere Solar Energy. He envisions a future where people, technology, and the environment coexist in harmony, and encourages practical steps towards this goal.
Click here to read the Olympia Community Solar Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Statement
Featured in the news:
[South Sound Business ] Olympia Farmers Market, Olympia Community Solar, South Sound Solar Announce Partnership
The Olympia Farmers Market, Olympia Community Solar, and South Sound Solar have announced a partnership to complete the Sunflower Community Solar Project.
[The Olympian] Want to support the latest community solar energy project in Olympia?
An Olympia middle school will get a community solar array on its roof next summer through a new partnership. The solar array will be at Thurgood Marshall Middle School in west Olympia, according to a news release. Olympia Community Solar, a local non-profit, is partnering with the Olympia School District on the project.
[pv magazine USA] Washington renewable energy advocates support community solar incentive bill
Washington Representatives Sharon Shewmake and Liz Berry introduced legislation that aims to amend the state’s existing Production Incentive Program for renewable energy projects and and establish a new Community Solar Expansion Program.
[Works in Progress] Solar energy comes into its own
Frustrated by the lack of local, state, and federal action to address the climate emergency, in 2019 a group of local activists set out to create tangible change.
[The JOLT] Olympia discusses solar-electric system for Quixote Village
To cut energy costs and provide more sustainable electric power for low-income residents, the Olympia City Council is considering installing a solar-electric system at Quixote Village.
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