Ernest Belyea - Partner @ Bennett Jones LLP
www.bennettjones.com

Ernie Belyea is recognized as one of the leading Energy-Corporate lawyers in Canada. He practises primarily in the energy/electricity area in the structuring, financing, development, and acquisition of independent power projects and electrical utilities. Ernie acts for developers of power projects powered by conventional and renewable fuels.

Before joining Bennett Jones in May of 2008, Ernie was Senior Corporate Counsel of the Ontario Power Authority (OPA). Prior to joining the OPA in February 2006, he was a partner of another major Canadian law firm with practice specialties in project finance, securitization, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate commercial transactions.

While at the OPA, Ernie was responsible for managing the legal issues arising with most of the OPA's major initiatives including: power procurements (GTA West, CHP I, Portlands, Northern York Region, CHP II, RES II and proposed CHP III), demand response programs (York DR, the DR Programs 1, 2 and 3), Electricity sector development initiatives (including the 2 power auctions in 2006 of, in the aggregate, approximately $1 billion in electricity products), LSE initiatives, recent pilot Heat Rate Contracts and numerous conservation and demand management program delivery contracts including, without limitation, the LDC CDM Master agreement and schedules, BOMA initiatives and independent initiatives with municipalities and local distribution companies.

Ernie was part of the OPA design team and was responsible for the drafting of the Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program (RESOP) Rules and the Standard Offer Contract, the initial proposal for the Clean Energy Standard Offer Program, the Program Rules for the northern hydro initiative, and the draft contract for the renewables from waste program. Having been Senior Corporate Counsel of the OPA from 2006 to 2008, Ernie is intimately familiar with the issues the OPA must deal with in its contracts and has excellent working relationships with OPA personnel.

Ernie is an active member of the OEA, APPrO, OEN, CANWEA, CANSIA and OWA. He was an alternate member of CANWEA's steering committee to analyze and respond to the OPA's Feed-In-Tariff Program and currently is a member of the OEA's Energy Markets Committee and the OEA's Green Energy and Conservation Committee. Ernie has also contributed as a columnist to Canadian Energy Managers Magazine.

David DeYoe, Chair and Director

Dr. David DeYoe is president of Bio-Trend Systems, Inc., which specializes in environmental and energy consulting and assists communities and companies develop and implement strategies to capture the benefits a value-added green/clean economy can provide through the innovative use of renewable resources.  Dr. DeYoe received his PhD in Biochemistry/Stress Physiology at the University of Missouri and served as a professor in Forest Science at Oregon State University for 9 years before entering the private sector as a senior researcher for MacMillan Bloedel in British Columbia.  In 1992 he was asked to serve as General Manager of Ontario Forest Research Institute, recognized internationally for providing information and tools relevant and useful to policy developers and forest practitioners.  Since 2005 Dr. DeYoe has worked with numerous economic development organizations, small to medium sized businesses, non-profit organizations and a well known multi-national to help them develop bio-economic strategies.  He continues to lecture regularly on the use of renewable resources for mitigating environmental impacts while fostering economic opportunities for local business. He has served on non-profit boards involving economic and business development, environmental R&D, community and regional GIS systems and renewable energy. He is committed to helping people, companies and communities adopt systems thinking, embrace change, and take relevant, doable steps toward a more resilient and self-reliant outcome.

Marion Fraser, Director

With 30 years of experience in the Ontario energy sector, Marion has worked for and consulted with a wide range of energy companies, associations and energy consumers.  She understands the Ontario energy sector, its recent evolution and future challenges.  She has earned a reputation as a leader in the sector with a strong record of participation on boards and committees at the national, provincial and municipal level.

Fausto Gaudio, Director

John Kourtoff - CEO of Trillium Power Wind Corporation

With over 20 years' experience in renewable energy, John is a member of several regulatory and energy and sustainable development initiatives.

John was the Canadian delegate for a low-carbon economy at the G8 Environment Conference in Siracusa, Italy, continues to be a keynote and/or invited speaker at numerous international conferences and is a former co-chair of the Ontario Government Finance Advisory Committee and member of the Government Energy Advisory Committee. Formerly, John was the founder, and served as President, of a noted high-tech company, was VP and part owner of a Canadian Mutual Fund Management Company and was an advisor at a large Canadian Investment Company.

Elizabeth McDonald, Director

In August 2012, Elizabeth was named President and CEO of the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance (CEEA). Prior to that, from May 2007 to September 2011 she was President of CanSIA. During that time, she worked with the Board of Directors to help move the Association forward and during her tensure membership levels and revenues grew considerably. She was responsible for the growth of the Association's annual conference which has become a must attend event; she guided CanSIA's government relations activities; she worked very closely with the Ontario government on the development of the solar programs within its Feed in tarrif regime. In 2008, she chaired the Ontario Government's Solar Task Force that focussed on solar thermal development. She served on the Board of the Electricity Sector council from 2009 to 2011.

Prior to joining CanSIA, Ms. McDonald worked with three trade Associations in various senior positions. During her time as President of the Canadian Film and Television Production Association, she was instrumental in establishing an extensive mentorship program through a number of both private and public sector partnerships. Ms. McDonald has also worked as an independent consultant and has extensive project management experience.

Joe Mulhall, Director

Joe brings over 40 years experience in the energy sector.  With a Masters Degree in Labour Studies from McMaster University, he is an electrician by trade. As President and the only full-time representative of Canadian Union of Skilled Workers, Joe has been successful in seeing CUSW celebrate its 10th year of being a strong and truly democratic union in 2009.

The ongoing restructuring of the Canadian economy with its emerging industries and technology propelled, constantly changing work environment simultaneously creates many new career opportunities, and changes the scope of skills necessary for workers to participate in the workplace. In response to the changing environment around us, members of CUSW have kept pace through involvement, training and education.  

CUSW members are educating themselves to be and are committed to working towards a safe and sustainable future.

Derek Satnik - Managing Director @ Mindscape Innovations
www.mi-group.ca

Derek Satnik is a former two-time Vice-Chair of OSEA, who recently completed a sabbatical to participate in his local municipal elections. Derek was nominated to OSEA’s board by Community Renewable Energy Waterloo, and he hopes to bring his perspectives from the building sector, his experience creating policy and programs, his experience in the non-profit sector on
many boards and committees, and his expertise as an Electrical Engineer.

Derek is a respected business leader, a key contributor to national and provincial green building and green energy policy, and a long-time supporter of OSEA: he’s a strong advocate and enabler of Community Power.

Derek is an Electrical Engineer by trade, and has worked in the consulting industry in various roles since 1999, most notably with Stantec Consulting Ltd., Enermodal Engineering Ltd, and now Mindscape Innovations Group Inc.

Derek's personal experience includes power/lighting/controls designs for buildings, automation for industry, and power/controls designs for wind and solar energy projects, mostly for community groups or farmers. Derek presently manages Mindscape’s activities in the renewable energy and green buildings industries.

Derek holds 11 noteworthy awards from municipal to international, including the Canadian Net-Zero Energy Home Coalition (NZEHC)'s "2009 Net-Zero Energy Home Champion of the Year", and the Canada Green Building Council's Toronto
Chapter (CaGBC-GTC)’s inaugural green building industry leader of the year in 2010, and was recognized as a finalist for Earth Day Canada’s Hometown Hero competition in 2010. Derek is versed in green building and renewable energy policy from his many board and committee seats at the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA), Green Energy Act Alliance (GEAA),
Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), US Green Building Council (USGBC), Canadian Residential Energy Services Network (CRESNET), Net-Zero Energy Home Coalition (NZEHC), Built Green Canada (BGC), or the more local Community Renewable Energy Waterloo (CREW), Local Initiative for Future Energy Co-op (LIFE), Sustainable Waterloo Region (SWR), and more, several of which he helped to found. Derek continues to play a key role in defining green housing programs such as ENERGY STAR, LEED, Built Green, Solar Ready, and Net-Zero, and is a recognized expert in green buildings (residential, commercial, and industrial) and renewable energy policy such as Ontario's
Green Energy and Green Economy Act.

If elected, Derek will be a strong voice in support of community power, with expert competence as an Electrical Engineer, and unique policy experience having helped create many green building programs and having played a key role in the Green Energy Act Alliance’s Management Committee during the
campaigns for a Green Energy Act in 2008. Derek has the skill and experience to contribute strongly to the next step in OSEA’s journey, and is looking forward to working with OSEA again.

Jutta Splettstoesser - Splettstoesser Farms Inc.
Jutta Splettstoesser is a full-time farmer in Canda since 1993, a practical person raising her four children (8-15) as well as crops in Kincardine Township.

She trained as an agriculture engineer and worked on organic farms as an apprentice in Germany. Now located in the heart of Ontario wind country and near one of Ontario's largest nuclear power plants, Jutta has first hand experience at presenting the other side of the story about renewable energy to municipal councils and the public.

As the co-founder of Friends of Wind Ontario she is giving the silent majority a voice for wind energy development, and has taken on the challenge of getting local people in Ontario's wind belt to work together for a renewable and sustainable energy future.

Jutta knows the challenges of "Citizen Power" as the proud owner of a micro-fit and fit
solar roof installation and loves to share her experience with never ending passion.

Chris Young, Director

Chris Young is the Manager of the Canadian operations of Enfinity, one of the world’s largest and most experienced solar photovoltaic (PV) development companies with operations in 21 countries and a portfolio of over $3 billion in projects.

Chris has been active in the field of solar energy since 2006 and a member of the Enfinity executive management team since 2008 where he played a pivotal role in launching the North American operations of Enfinity and establishing Enfinity Canada Ltd.  In this time, he has  grown the Canadian operation from one person in 2008, to a team of over 25 FTE’s today, with over 30 MW of permitted projects and more than 200 MW of rooftop and ground mount projects in development.

On a corporate level, his duties span several capacities including solar project valuation, capital expansion, project development and business operations management. As well as serving on the Board of the Enfinity Americas group.