Our Team

Kevin Schulte	George McConochie	Loren Pruskowski	Ernest  Pritchard
Joseph Swaha	Dave  Strong	Scott  Abbett	Jon Foster
John Trout	Matt Vanderbrook	Derek Sabin	Mikell Herrick
Meaghann Schulte	Bill Court	Kerry O'Connor	Graham Saathoff

  

Kevin Schulte
Kevin Schulte is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a co-founder of SED. In his role as CEO he is tasked with providing leadership, vision and passion that drives growth for the company. Schulte is also responsible for the Business Development group which includes sales, marketing, public relations, policy and technology selection as well as providing technical guidance and project financing expertise to all projects. He has concentrated chiefly on designing economically viable decentralized wind turbine installations through regulatory analyses and advancement, innovative financial modeling, public education and turbine selection. Schulte managed the design and installation of SED's first major on-site project, a 1.5 MW wind turbine at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock, MA. The completion in July 2007 made Jiminy the first ski resort to produce electricity from wind power. He went on to manage the design and installation of a 600kW wind turbine project at Holy Name Junior/Senior Central Catholic High School in Worcester, MA. The project, completed in October 2008, made the high school the first in the state to be 100% powered by the wind. Since the completion of Jiminy Peak's wind project he has signed nearly a contract a month for new projects as he has turned his focus towards sales and policy. Prior to founding SED, Schulte was employed by Renewable Energy Systems (USA), Inc. (RES), a British wind farm developer, owner and operator. At RES, he gained wide-ranging experience designing and permitting large, utility-scale wind farms across the United States. As Development Manager, Schulte worked on development teams for several utility scale wind farms, where he was heavily involved in the design of turbine layout. He was Lead Developer on the successful development of the Nine Canyon Wind Farm in Washington State, where he coordinated civil and turbine layout design and subcontracts for civil and electrical works, and served as liaison between RES’ technical staff and landowners.   Schulte received his BS in Integrated Science and Technology from James Madison University in 2000, where he concentrated in environmental engineering and energy systems design. He currently serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Small Wind Committee for the American Wind Energy Association. In 2009 The United States Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior combined to form the 25x25 America's Energy Future Steering Committee and asked Schulte to sit on that committee.

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George McConochie
George McConochie is the Chief Operations Officer (COO) and a co-founder of SED. In his role as COO he is tasked with the development and operation of a structure that translates the energy, intelligence and passion of SED's people into wind turbine projects. This includes management of traditional human resources functions, recruiting and training.   McConochie’s responsibilities span the life of the company. His experiences have included site analyses, turbine sales, on-site wind power feasibility studies, grant writing and administration as well as business development and marketing amongst others.   His knowledge in managing projects led to a statewide, direct marketing campaign for on-site wind projects aimed at identification of the top 250 locations in the State of New York for on-site wind turbines as well as a wind power market assessment for Sullivan County, NY. The county-wide assessment identified the best utility-scale and distributed generation sites, measured the economic development that these potential projects could provide and developed a plan for the County to integrate the identified wind development potential into their long-term strategic planning process.   Since his first grant application in August 2003 to present day, McConochie has successfully acquired Feasibility and Design & Construction grants totaling over $2 million from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, now the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, for 12 on-site wind power projects as SED’s lead grant writer. McConochie is also a certified wind turbine installer in the state of New York. A 2000 graduate from James Madison University with a B.A. in Social and Political History and a minor in Geography, he is one of seven JMU alums on board at SED.

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Loren Pruskowski

Mr. Loren Pruskowski is the Chief Financial Officer and a co-founder of SED, where he manages company finances and is the Director of Community Wind Operations.   Pruskowski is currently consulting to the development of utility scale-wind projects, developing distributed wind generation projects, and developing a corporate capital structure to realize SED’s vision. A certifid wind installer in the state of New York, some of his project oriented responsibilities include assessing the viability of decentralized wind projects and communicating to project stakeholders the technical, political, environmental, social and economic issues associated with wind energy projects.  Prior to the formation of SED, Loren worked at AWS Scientific, currently known as AWSTruewind, an Albany based meteorological and wind energy-consulting firm.   One of seven employees to graduate from James Madison University, Pruskowski received his Bachelor of Science in Integrated Science and Technology with a concentration in environmental engineering and energy systems design. During his collegiate career he was part of the design team of a 55MW project at Mount Storm, West Virginia.

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Ernest Pritchard, III
Ernest Pritchard is the Director of Small Wind and a co-founder of SED. As the Director of Small Wind he works to proliferate viable on-site wind turbine installations across the Northeast. He is also currently tasked with the development and implementation of a Comprehensive Wind Turbine Operations and Maintenance Program. Pritchard works with homeowners, farmers, schools and small businesses to develop economically and environmentally beneficial wind projects that fit the specific characteristics of each site.    Pritchard, a certified wind turbine installer in the state of New York, has been involved in or managed over 20 small wind turbine installations with project responsibilities including sales, permitting, public funding, financing, electrical interconnection, construction, installation, and maintenance. In addition to small wind turbine installations, Pritchard made significant contributions to the construction of the 1.5MW wind turbine located at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock, MA.   Prior to the founding of SED, Pritchard worked as an independent contractor designing and installing wind resource assessment systems and meteorological towers across the United States. Pritchard, like seven other SED employees and all five co-founders, attended James Madison University. Pritchard earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science from the University in 2000.   Pritchard and his wife, Amy, reside in Williamson with their dog Sweetums.

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Joseph Swaha
Joseph Swaha is the Director of Construction and a co-founder of SED. A certified wind turbine installer of New York, his main roll has been to manage wind system installations for residential and commercial projects. His focus includes permitting, funding, construction, electrical and maintenance. Swaha started his tenure with the company as a field technician in which he managed crews installing meteorological towers in various parts of the continental United States. He acquired this skill from his time with Echelon Environment Energy, where he started his professional career.   A native of Mouth of Wilson, VA, Swaha has successfully completed three wind system installation workshops to become certified by New York to obtain funding for wind energy projects. He has also completed the installation and interconnection of six 10kW wind energy systems. Swaha is also certified with the internationally recognized Tractel Emergency Descent/Tower Rescue Certification, which focuses on safe climbing and rescue practices.

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David Strong
David Strong is a Senior Project Manager and an owner of SED. A certified installer of wind turbines in New York State, Strong has extensive experience permitting, designing, installing, and maintaining wind turbine systems. His wind resource assessment experience includes system installation, data validation and data analysis. His duties currently include project design and construction oversight, as well as the development of an Operations and Maintenance program for distributed wind power projects in the Northeast. Strong is certified with the internationally recognized Tractel Emergency Descent/Tower Rescue Certification, which focuses on safe wind turbine climbing and rescue practices.   A comprehensive education in the industry, Strong also received a diploma through the Registration Accreditation Board as a Lead Auditor for environmental management systems through the International Organization for Standardization. The certification, called ISO 14001 Lead Auditor Training, involves the ability to audit environmental management systems. His education extends to hazardous waste operation and emergency response training (HAZWOPER), which is focused on safe working practices and emergency response training in the workplace.   Strong administered the State Based Anemometer Loan Program in Virginia. The program, funded by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy and the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, involved the siting, erection, and data analysis of meteorological towers throughout the state of Virginia. In part, the program involved informing the general public about the program, processing numerous applications and selecting viable sites. He worked with local and state officials, various media outlets, and landowners to help spur wind energy development in Virginia.   Strong received his bachelor’s degree from the Integrated Science and Technology department at James Madison University in 2002 where he studied environmental engineering and energy systems.

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Scott Abbett
Scott Abbett has been a part of Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc. since August of 2005. A Senior Project Manager since June, 2006, Abbett, manages site assessment, feasibility studies and wind resource modeling for decentralized wind power projects throughout New England. A certified user of the Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program (WAsP) Abbett’s specific expertise ranges from permitting, examining geographical information systems, wind resources modeling to shadow-flicker assessment, financial analysis and photo-simulations.   Abbett started his tenure with SED as a Wind Farm Development Consultant. His specific responsibilities included site prospecting, wind resource assessment, fatal flaw analyses, land lease negotiations, local permitting and public educations, skills he has carried with him to his present position.   Before joining the SED team Scott served on the board of directors for Clean Power Now, a non-profit organization to promote renewable energy initiatives in the Cape and Islands region of Massachusetts. During this time Scott helped to determine the focus and scope of the organization and helped to lift its membership over the 1000 mark.   The information technology guru of the company, Abbett’s computer knowledge comes from a position in Information Systems Research and Development at Physicians Homecare (USA), Inc., a position he held throughout the year building up to his move to SED.   Abbett is a 2000 graduate of James Madison University’s School of Integrated Science and Technology with a focus on Energy. He is one of seven JMU alums on the SED staff. While attending James Madison he also minored in small business and entrepreneurship.

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Jon Foster
Jonathan Foster is a Program Facilitator and Wind Resource Technician for SED. His management of wind resource services includes mapping, surveying and identifying sting tower locations. Foster has also been involved in the erection, instrumentation and placement of meteorological systems.   His experience and tenure with SED has led to site location management where he oversees the management and safety of his crews, upholds landowner relationships and purchases equipment and tools in order for project completion.   Prior to joining the SED team in April of 2005, Foster substitute taught at Guilderland Central School for one year while also serving as an Elk Hunting Guide in Carlo, Montana at Cheff Guest Ranch, a position he held since the Fall of 2002. Foster spent the summer before his teaching stint as a professional fisherman for Chatham Fisheries.   Foster and Kerry O’Connor welcomed their daughter, Iris, in July of 2007 and reside in Sodus.

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John Trout
John Trout joined the SED family as an intern in the Summer of 2005. He is one of the three interns who became a full time employee with the company as he was hired one year later as a Field Technician. Trout's communication skills and organizational expertise soon led him from the field where he learned the nuts and bolts of project operations, contractor oversite, scheduling and logistics into the office.  Based on his broad understanding of field operations in combination with his natural leadership qualities, Trout was appointed the Director of Met Tower Operations. In this new position, Trout worked to reorganize the company's met tower work and achieved tremendous results, increasing the division's income by nearly 20% in his first two years on the job.  Beyond his duties to the Met Tower Operations, Trout has worked to develop a training program for met tower installations and bidding tools for the company's other operational activities. Trout is one of the seven SED employees to hold a degree from James Madison University, graduating with a B.S. from the University's School of Integrated Science and Technology.

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Matt Vanderbrook
Matthew Vanderbrook joined Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc. in October of 2006. Since joining the company Vanderbrook has focused mainly on the management of wind resource assessment activities for utility-scale wind energy applications. His involvement has included system siting, instrumentation, commissioning, construction scheduling and logistics as well as personnel management.   His leadership in conducting feasibility studies and site analysis has been instrumental in the growth of SED. Working on projects ranging from 100kW to several megawatts Vanderbrook has become an expert in state-level renewable energy policy analysis and market development.   A 2006 graduate of the University of Vermont, Vanderbrook minored in Environmental Studies while earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Prior to joining the SED team he interned in the Office of Senator Charles E. Schumer (NY) where he gained experience working in state, local and municipal government policy.

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Derek Sabin
Derek Sabin has been with Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc. (SED) since April of 2006. Sabin started his career with SED as a crew leader for the installation of wind measurement systems. In this position, Sabin used his extensive mechanical and organizational skills to help utility-scale wind developers measure the wind resources of potential wind farms throughout the eastern US. Sabin quickly mastered the skills necessary to efficiently install meteorological towers, interact with landowners and to satisfy the exacting demands of wind farm developers.  Based on his success in the wind resource field, Sabin’s role in the company shifted to working on the installation of wind turbines. This shift allowed SED to put his extensive talents and experience to work fulfilling SED’s main goal of installing wind turbines. By March of 2008 his proven leadership, communication and problem solving skills earned Sabin a promotion to the job of Construction Foreman. In his current role as a Construction Foreman, Sabin is responsible for all aspects of small/residential wind turbine construction including siting, civil, electrical and structural work. His experience with heavy machinery and transportation logistics has also been utilized to aid in the transportation of large wind turbines from ports to project sites throughout the Northeastern US. Sabin has also been tasked with the management of SED’s vehicle fleet. In this capacity he is responsible for vehicle maintenance, repair and tracking usage to determine the purchase and/or sale of SED’s fleet. Sabin began his quest to learn about renewable energy in 2001 while attending Finger Lakes Community College. He earned an Associates Degree in Applied Science with a concentration in Natural Resources COnservation. During his two years at Finger Lakes he attended a travel course to a unique eceological community in Costa Rica and also traveled to the Everglades for a Travel Ecology course on his way to earning his degree in 2003.

 

Mikell Herrick
Mikell Herrick joined the SED family in August of 2006 as the Office Administrator. A key aspect in making the office run and keeping the masses organized, Herrick is responsible for reception, correspondence, accounting and purchasing. In addition to her office admin duties she handles inquiries from potential small wind clients, providing initial site-specific feasibility studies. A native of Canada, Herrick worked as a reporter and freelance writer and editor during her Canadian professional career. Before moving to the US in 2000 she worked as the Communications Director for the United Chiefs and Councils of Manitoulin (UCCM) on Manitoulin Island in Northern Ontario. During her tenure with the UCCM her public relations and communications responsibilities included, but were not limited to producing press releases and a monthly newsletter for the members of the tribal council in six First Nations.   After meeting her husband Alan, a Rochester native, she moved from Northern Ontario to the United States in 2000. The six years prior to coming to SED, Herrick managed the office of a small publishing company in Rochester. The mother of four sons, Herrick is an avid fisher who along with her husband spends the summer weekends trolling Lake Ontario for King Salmon and Brown Trout.

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Bill Court
Bill Court began his journey with Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc. (SED) installing meteorological towers in Maine and Maryland in August of 2007. His field technician work proved to be an asset to the company and he quickly started working on small wind installations throughout New York State. When grant applications to the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) were due in August of that same year Court was placed on the grant administration team. He aided the lead grant writers in gathering information and compiling data for applications for feasibility and design and construction grants for larger scale on-site wind projects. Court’s contributions in the MTC grant applications process combined with his work in the small wind sector of SED led to his current position in grant administration and small wind sales. Currently, Court is installing small wind systems and has been tasked with potential client intakes and site assessments for 10kW wind systems. He walks clients through the entire process of having a wind turbine installed, from managing the grant application and obtaining local permits to the installation, operation and maintenance of the system. Recently, Court has begun training to learn the operations and maintenance of larger wind systems, specifically on the two 600kW Vestas RRB wind turbines that the company has recently installed at Holy Name Junior/Senior Central Catholic High School in Worcester, MA and at Williams Stone Company in Otis, MA. A native of Seneca Falls, NY, Court is a graduate of Mynderse Academy and has served as a volunteer firefighter in the Red Jacket Fire Department in his hometown for seven years.

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Kerry O'Connor
Kerry O’Connor joined the Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc. (SED) staff in February of 2008 as the Business Development Assistant. O’Connor’s primary role at SED is to organize the day to day agenda of the business development team. O’Connor manages correspondence, prepares research and controls all communication to the Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Schulte. During her time with the company she has worked on grant and contract administration as well as project management. Around the same time that she began working at SED, O’Connor started up Kestrel Farm in Sodus, NY: A 20-acre farm with a 4.5 kW wind turbine where she grows organic and sustainable produce. A strong believer in organic farming, O’Connor came to SED all the way from Montana where she worked with the Good Food Store in Missoula. Before her tenure with the Good Food Store, O’Connor dedicated her time to the children of Montana as both the Director of Counseling for the Montana National Guard Youth Challenge Program in Beaverhead County and a Wilderness Instructor and Aftercare Coordinator with the Aspen Youth Alternatives in Boulder, MT. During her time with the Aspen Youth Alternatives she worked with adjudicated youth in a back country survival program for the state. A 1995 graduate of Boston College, O’Connor spent her college summers working in and around Yellowstone National Park, where her love of the west was born. Despite her current positions as both the Business Development Assistant at SED and Director of Kestrel Farm, her full time position is Mother to Iris Calliope Foster. She and Jon Foster, a Program Facilitator and Wind Resource Technician at SED, welcomed their daughter Iris in July of 2007.

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