Johnny Weiss

Johnny Weiss is Cofounder and Executive Director of Solar Energy International. Johnny is a solar educator, consultant, certified Industrial Trainer and solar building professional. He has over twenty years experience teaching the practical applications of the renewable energy (RE) technologies of solar, wind and water power. As an Associate Professor for ten years at the Colorado Mountain College, he helped develop and teach a hands-on vocational training program in solar thermal, photovoltaics, energy efficiency and construction skills. Johnny has extensive practical experience as a natural house builder and licensed general contractor. He is knowledgeable in the environmental building technologies of earth and straw bale construction. Johnny regularly works with Native Americans RE training programs. Johnny works in international sustainable development programs and projects helping transfer renewable energy technologies to the developing world.

Laurie Stone

Laurie Stone is an instructor, writer and international program manager at SEI. She has a Master's Degree in Energy Engineering from the University of Colorado. She has done extensive work in Latin America with numerous development organizations. Laurie is fluent in Spanish and over the past ten years has conducted projects in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Mexico and Ecuador implementing photovoltaics, solar cooking and water distillation. She began SEI's Women's Photovoltaics program, and organizes and instructs the Renewable Energy for Developing World workshops. Laurie has authored numerous technical articles for publications including Home Power Magazine, Solar Today Magazine and Mother Earth News. She lives in a passive solar straw bale home in Carbondale, Colorado.

Justine Sanchez

Justine has been with Solar Energy International since May 1998. Before coming to SEI Justine obtained her Bachelors degree in Physics from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She worked with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for 2 years in the Solar Radiation Resource Assessment Division. After leaving NREL, Justine worked with EV Solar Products in Chino Valley performing photovoltaic system installations. Justine came to SEI as an intern to further her knowledge of renewable energies. Since her arrival, she has established a new division of SEI that offers PV design, sales and installation services. This division enables SEI to provide students and interns with on the job training projects while offering solar electric services to local residents. Justine is also a course instructor for SEI's coed PV Design and Installation workshop, the Women's Photovoltaics course, and the Online PV Design course. Justine currently works out of SEI's Paonia office.

Jeff Tobe

Jeff is the PV project coordinator and an instructor at SEI. He came to SEI in the summer of 2002 as intern participating in the Renewable Energy Education Program (REEP) and installed his first grid-tie system as a student in the PV Design & Installation workshop. He returned to SEI in the spring of 2003 to assist with hands-on project coordination for PV workshops. Since his arrival, he has designed and led system installations in a variety of renewable energy technologies including grid-tie, grid-tie with battery backup, stand-alone, water pumping and micro-hydro. Jeff has also participated in projects bringing renewable energy to Native American communities. In addition to his PV project and instructor responsibilities, Jeff refurbishes abandoned and used bikes to make available for students and community members as alternative transportation around town in both Carbondale and Paonia. Jeff currently works in the Paonia office.

Carol Weis

Carol Weis is the REEP Program Coordinator at SEI. She writes and updates SEI's PV and Advanced PV curriculum and instructs in both the hands-on and online workshops. Carol also organizes SEI renewable energy trainings for other institutions and organizations. She is a licensed electrician in the state of Colorado, and before coming to SEI, she worked as a solar electrician installing a multitude of systems. Carol works from the Paonia office.

Rachel Connor

Rachel has been with Solar Energy International since January 2002. Before coming to SEI Rachel earned a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies at Utah State University.  In the summer of 2001 she became an SEI intern and participated in the Renewable Energy Education Program (REEP). She returned in the winter of 2002 to help develop & teach SEI's online education program, specifically the Solar Home Design Online course.  Since her arrival, she has strengthened & developed the SEI Sustainable Building Education Program.  Rachel is the course instructor for SEI's Solar Home Principles workshops and the Solar Home Design Online courses.  She facilitates the Introduction to Straw Bale workshops, the Natural House Building workshops, as well as the Sustainable Building for the Developing World workshops. She is currently pursuing future online courses and multi-media opportunities for SEI,  as well as acting as one of the Green Building Editors for Home Power magazine and Regional Correspondents for The Last Straw publication. 

Kathy Fontaine

Kathy Fontaine grew up in Texas before moving to California and Washington with her husband and two sons. After her sons were grown, she and her husband lived aboard a sailboat on Lake Union, Seattle, for a year before sailing down the West Coast, through the Panama Canal, and back up through the Caribbean to Texas Her sailboat was equipped with solar panels to recharge the batteries on board. She spent many blissful hours looking at the sun, then the solar panels, scratching her head and uttering AHA! It didn't take long before she was transformed into an avid renewable energy advocate. In 2001, Kathy participated in SEI's work/trade program, took five renewable energy workshops, and was hired as SEI's Education Coordinator and Office Manager.

Soozie Freidmar

Soozie believes that you should smash your tv and get outside more. When she's not outside teaching people how to sea kayak or mountaineer, she is skiing or biking or trying to live simply. When she's not doing that, she works hard teaching K-12 Students about Renewable Energy, Energy Conservation, and Energy Efficiency. She is also our biodiesel "grease queen". Soozie has been an environmental educator for over 8 years, most predominantly with the Outward Bound West School. She believes that Renewable Energy education is paramount to ensuring that the youth of today is equipped with the knowledge to make appropriate, sustainable decisions about their future. Right now, energy development seems to be the biggest barrier in ensuring the protection of our wild areas and natural habitat, not to mention the geopolitical, health, and socio-economic issues all tied to energy use as well. She is hoping that one of her students will be the next Albert(a) Einstien -

"Our task must be to free ourselves from this (narcissism) by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely but striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security."

Peace and Grease.

Sandy Pickard

Sandy graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from Oklahoma State University. She came to Colorado in 1974 to ski and hike the Rockies. Sandy started working with non-profit organizations in 1985. She now manages the SEI office overseeing financial status of student accounts, special projects and day-to-day operations.

Khanti Munro

Khanti Munro, an SEI alum and prior work-trader, joined SEI as full-time staff in February of 2005. Hailing from the Northeast, Khanti earned his self-designed degree in Renewable Energy Applications from Green Mountain College in Vermont. Personal travels to S.E. Asia, India, Central America, and the South Pacific inspired him to pursue a career in clean, renewable energy. Khanti?s experience began with the installation of a few off-grid solar photovoltaic and wind hybrid systems for a couple of his college professors. Currently working out of SEI?s Paonia, CO office, Khanti, like most SEI staff, wears many hats including: system design and installation, PV and wind instruction, curriculum development, work-trade (intern) coordination, graphic support, and more.

Matthew Harris

Matthew Harris, an SEI alum, is a designer and educator of ecological systems. Educated in Architectural Design with a focus on sustainable natural building, Matthew has shared techniques such as cob, straw bale and adobe with many people throughout the world. His experiences have also traversed the applications of renewable energy design and installation including photovoltaics, wind energy and vegetable oil fuels. Matthew's return to SEI has inspired him to continue his passion of teaching and sharing ecologically effective ways to live in kindness with the earth. He has brought with him to Colorado his latest project the Earthwise Traveler. A traveling educational vehicle equipped with many eco-effective technologies from vegetable oil fuels, photovoltaic electricity and natural building materials. Like SEI's mission Matthew shares in the passion to enlighten peoples awareness about living a balanced effective lifestyle harmonious with the earth and all species.

Laura Walters, an SEI alum, got into renewables early-on when she helped get a PV system donated to her school though Solar Now, Inc. Since then she has been active in advocating for renewable energy locally, nationally, and internationally. Laura graduated from Dickinson College with a degree in Environmental Science and a focus on renewable energy and climate change. After graduation, she was hired as Dickinson's first Environmental Specialist, where she helped the College adopt "Sustainability" as one of their "Defining Characteristics" and worked on environmental education initiatives. At SEI, she helps with PV curriculum development, graphic support, membership coordination with Kim, and is coordinating SEI?s growing number of workshops in Paonia! Laura works out of the Paonia office.

Kevin is our all-around project assistant and King of the Attic. He is a great advocate of bicycle transportation. Sadly, his bicycle spends a lot of time in the shop.

Oscar

The SEI mascot