OUR ORGANIZATION
Get to know Solar Energy International.
SEI’s Mission
Our mission is to provide industry-leading technical training and expertise in solar energy to empower people, communities, and businesses worldwide.
Board of Directors
Gerald retooled for a career in the clean energy economy by coming to Solar Energy International (SEI). As an alum and AmeriCorps VISTA for SEI’s Solarize program, Gerald became immersed not only in the promise of solar energy technology, but the positive impacts renewable energy can have in forming relationships, improving communities and fostering equity. After gaining installation experience with Namaste Solar’s residential and commercial operations, Gerald transitioned to Commercial & Industrial (C&I) Project Development. Gerald recently joined Pivot Energy, a leading national solar developer, assisting with origination, project analysis, and distributed generation deployment. Gerald lives in Denver and is building a Tiny Home with his partner, an elementary school teacher.
Kristan Kirsh is a global marketing executive with ten years in the cleantech and solar sectors running global communications for Nextracker, a solar tracker and software systems provider for utility-scale solar applications. From start-up to global market leader, Kristan is responsible for building the Nextracker brand and developing its various community programs. Kristan also conceived of the company’s installer training program PowerworX, a renowned academy boasting over 1,000 graduates worldwide. Prior to working in the renewable energy sector, she held numerous marketing leadership roles for EdTech non-profits and IT companies such as Cisco Systems. At home crossing borders, Kristan’s first career was in international development where she worked in community health throughout Latin America and the Caribbean with USAID and the World Bank. Her first experience with photovoltaics was on a training program in the Peace Corps where she installed a 36 watt panel on her corrugated zinc roof tied to a car battery in the Dominican Republic. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Kristan holds a B.A. in Economics from U.C. Santa Barbara and two Master’s in Public Health and International Public Policy from the University of Pittsburgh, PA.
Kevin’s love for solar began unknowingly, as he grew up surrounded by those blazing the trail for the future of the solar industry in the heart of Mendocino County, California. As a young adult, that knowledge piqued a curiosity to explore the industry further, and eventually lead to building one of Idaho’s largest and most successful solar installation companies. Recognizing the importance of proper training and safety, Kevin then began Solar Tools USA, which has provided an avenue for solar professionals to obtain specialized tools to install systems more efficiently and safely. Driven by a passion for education and advocacy, Kevin has made significant contributions in state legislation through his work as President of the nonprofit the Idaho Clean Energy Association. As well as by serving on the NABCEP PVIP JTA Exam and Technical Committee and IREC’s Solar Ready Vets Advisory Board. Kevin’s passion for the solar industry has been known to be contagious, and he looks forward to spreading that with his contributions to SEI through insight, encouragement, and advocacy. Kevin’s proudest achievements outside of solar include: serving his country as a USMC VFW, building his 1971 Ford Bronco, his two boys, and marrying his high school sweetheart.
Josh Rogers is the Senior Director of Safety, Workforce Training, and Operations at ACP. In this role, Josh leads the ACP team and committees focused on worker safety, workforce development, and operational excellence that will support the renewables industry growth. He brings over 15 years or operational industry experience.
Dr. Cynthia Finley is the managing partner for 
In Jul 2010, Shannon attended 3 weeks of classes at SEI after having been mostly unemployed since Aug 2008. Prior to Aug 2008, he had been employed as a project manager and estimator in the commercial general contracting world for 25-ish years on projects as varied as a gravesite upgrade for Howard Hughes to the preparation of Snowbasin Ski Resort for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Those 3 weeks at SEI changed his life and set him on a career trajectory that culminated with him retiring in Feb 2025 as the Program Manager of Onsite Renewable Energy Design and Construction in North America for Amazon. In retirement, he hopes to contribute to the future of SEI any way he can.
Johnny Weiss, SEI’s Co-founder
Johnny Weiss often said he felt lucky in life—and he meant it. Born in 1951 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Johnny’s journey took him across oceans, mountain ranges, rivers, and ideas. He was a free spirit, a truth-teller, and a doer. He believed that solar energy was more than watts and volts—it was a path to self-reliance, community resilience, and climate justice.
After arriving in Colorado by motorcycle in the summer of 1972, he made the mountains his home. In 1991, he co-founded Solar Energy International with a radical vision: give people everywhere the power—literally and figuratively—to change their lives.
Johnny was more than a teacher. He was a solar energy rebel—never afraid to challenge convention, always pushing for more inclusion, more equity, more justice. He lived openly with bipolar II disorder, dyslexia, a lifelong stutter, and a short stature—but what he may have lacked in height or traditional credentials, he made up for in boundless passion, radical honesty, and deep belief in human potential.
He flew high (literally—skydiving and scuba diving), spoke truth (to power and to everyone else), and was known for turning potlucks into strategy sessions and front porches into classrooms. In his final year—after a diagnosis of bone marrow cancer—he spent every moment surrounded by love, music, dogs, stories, and laughter. He passed away peacefully in July 2025, leaving behind not just memories, but a mission. Learn more…
SEI Advisory Board
Jean-Philippe (JP) Denruyter
World Wildlife Federation, Manager, Applied Energy Solutions
Sean Murphy
AES, Sr. Cx Superintendent
Industry Partners
“I have taken virtually all of the PV courses that SEI offers and every time I think there is nothing left to learn, they prove me wrong. They are the best of the best at what they do.”
-SEI Alumnus