1. Doug Vilsack – Executive Director Joseph Ziezo lives in Katima Mulilo in the Caprivi Region of Namibia. He works with Elephant Energy to develop surveying methods and conducts research concerning solar light distributions and the effectiveness of other small-scale renewable energy technologies. Joseph was a school teacher in Zambia and now runs his own surveying business. He has also worked with Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation to assess the effectiveness of conservancy benefit distribution efforts. Jen Dill volunteered for Elephant Energy for more than three months in Namibia, helping to establish the initial solar light project. Jen is an attorney licensed in Colorado, and focused on environmental and energy issues, as well as criminal law, during her studies at the University of Colorado Law School. Jen also held an internship with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Thailand during law school. Jen attended Emory University for her undergraduate studies, where she held internships with CARE International and The Carter Center. Jen has worked on environmental issues in Montana, Alaska, Thailand, and Namibia. Jen hopes to pursue a career with a District Attorney Office in Colorado. Julie Nania is currently a law student at the University of Colorado Law School. While pursuing her J.D. she is focusing on Environmental Law and practicing Indian Law through the American Indian Law Clinic. Her involvement with Elephant Energy began after she learned about the organization from the Environmental Law Society. Last summer she travelled South Africa and Namibia as an EE intern, compiling a series of interviews about the current state of renewable energy development in Namibia. Prior to attending CU Law, Julie attended the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies where she studied International Development, Economics, and African Studies. Her past work has included serving as an Amnesty International organizer, interning for the South African Department of Social Services, and mucking out culverts for the Washington Trails Association. Janet Lopez is the Director of P-20 (pre-school through graduate school) Education Initiatives at the University of Colorado Denver. The goal of a P-20 education system is to help create a more integrated and seamless education experience for all students, with the ultimate purpose of increasing student achievement and academic success. Before coming to UC Denver Janet was the Deputy Director of the Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jr.’s P-20 Education Council. She has also worked at the National Conference of State Legislatures and the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO). Janet received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southwestern University, her Master of Arts degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Janet’s policy and research interests include P-20 education policy, access and success in higher education, Latina/o student achievement, and qualitative research methods. James Russell is a volunteer grant researcher and writer for Elephant Energy. Originally from Livingston, MT, James received his BA in History from Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA in 2007. In 2008, he moved to Denver to begin work on a Masters in Global Finance, Trade, and Economic Integration with a concentration in Environmental Economics at the University of Denver. After completing his degree in June of 2010, James intends to pursue a career in environmental policy for the state of Colorado. Matt Mines is an intern for Elephant Energy focusing on fundraising and development conducting grant research and grant writing. He is a Master's candidate in International Development at the University of Denver. His primary focus, within his degree, is on Environmental Sustainability - specifically renewable energy technology applications and policies designed to assist the rural poor. Prior to joining Elephant Energy, Matt has worked as intern at the Sierra Club on renewable energy policy and conservation, at Mines and Associates as an assistant on the Access to Recovery Grant and as a Mountain Ambassador for Telluride Ski Resort. Christina Brown is an employee of the U.S. House of Representatives working in Boulder, Colorado. Her background is in grassroots organizing and campaign politics. She has managed 2 successful State level races, both in Maine and Colorado. She has also worked on a number of federal campaigns, including the 2008 presidential primary, in various positions. She developed a strong interest in energy/environmental issues while working in Iowa. Bennett Cohen is an Analyst at Rocky Mountain Institute, a non-profit research and consulting group focused on private-sector solutions for an efficient and renewable energy system. Before joining Rocky Mountain Institute, Bennett worked for CPower (an energy management firm) and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Bennett attended Columbia University where he received a BA in economics. Anya Cherneff is a volunteer with Elephant Energy. She is currently pursuing a M.A. in International Studies from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver. She is majoring in International Human Rights with concentrations in International Development and Gender Studies. She is the Associate Director of the Human Trafficking Clinic at the University of Denver and had been involved in combating human trafficking prior to moving to Denver. She is interested in the intersection between renewable energy and women's empowerment and in promoting renewable energy technology as a tool for sustainable development. She is originally from New York.
3. Jennifer Dill – Solar Light Project Coordinator
4. Julie Nania – Energy Education Initiative Coordinator
5. Janet Lopez – Solar Schools Project Coordinator
6. Katie Murphy - Namibia Operations Manager (Current Namibia Volunteer)
Katie Murphy is an MA candidate in International Development at the Joseph Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver. She previously worked for the World Wildlife Fund and has worked and volunteered on development projects in education and rural livelihoods improvement in Ecuador and Argentina. Currently, she is the Director of Social Initiatives for the Sustainable International Development Institute at the University of Denver. She is interested in innovative strategies in development and believes appropriate technologies provide a way to address the basic challenges facing the world’s marginalized and poor while conserving natural environments. She is thrilled by the opportunity to contribute to Elephant Energy’s work in Namibia.
7. James Russell – Intern
8. Matt Mines – Intern
9. Christina Brown – Volunteer
10. Bennett Cohen - Volunteer
11. Anya Cherneff - Volunteer
12. Ben Kass - Volunteer
Ben Kass is a recent graduate of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Ben has extensive experience in environmental, renewable, and alternative energy law, as well as non-profit management. Currently, Ben works with the law firm of Davis Graham & Stubbs to help clients develop wind, solar and biomass projects. Before that, Ben interned for the non-profit environmental law firm Earthjustice, as well as the Nature Conservancy. Prior to law school, Ben attended the University of Minnesota where he studied environmental policy and planning, including sustainable forestry and agriculture methods in Costa Rica. Ben has nearly 10 years of experience working for non-profit organizations, and served as the Assistant Director of the Mississippi Corridor Neighborhood Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to addressing the unfairly disproportionate amount of environmental contamination present in the poorest neighborhoods of Minneapolis, Minnesota.