Gabe’s interest in renewable energy stems from his beliefs in the importance of community resilience, self-sufficiency, and environmental sustainability. He has spent much of the last several years operating as a contractor specializing in micro-hydroelectric and other renewable energy and natural resource-related applications. His career began in the late-90’s in heavy construction, where he spent several years working throughout the western US remediating environmentally contaminated sites, and on other civil construction projects including roads, bridges, and large structures. He has since worked in numerous construction and industrial related occupations, including several years as a welding business owner, and as a prototype/commercialization fabricator. Gabe attended his first SEI course at the Carbondale campus in 2005, and came to SEI as a work-trader in the Summer of 2014, later completing training certificates in RE Applications, Developing World Applications, and Battery-based PV Systems.
Aside from his interest in the ‘hands-on’ aspects of RE, Gabe has a strong interest in the analytical and developmental aspects of RE, cleantech, and resource conservation policy and deployment. He holds a BA in Economics and Environmental Studies from Western Colorado University, a Graduate Certificate in Renewable Energy Applications from CU, and an MSc in Natural Resources and Energy Policy from Colorado School of Mines. In the last few years, he has interned as a natural resource and energy researcher at the Payne Institute for Public Policy, and has been active within numerous initiatives and organizations including the Colorado Hydrogen Network, Colorado Just Transition Initiative, Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership, and others.
In Gabe’s free time, he can be found camping, exploring, mountain biking, fishing, skiing, or snowboarding.