Alternative energy group names new board leadership

The Arkansas Advanced Energy Association (AAEA) and Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation (AAEF) announced new officers to its board of directors.

For the AAEA, the following people were elected to lead the board:

• Chair: Alex Ray, Principal & U.S. National Practice Lead – Education, Viridis Initiative
• Vice Chair: Lisa Perry, Senior Manager for Energy Services, Walmart, Inc.
• Secretary: David Stitt, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Stitt Group, Inc., Stitt Solar
• Treasurer: Caleb Gorden, Co-Founder and President, Shine Solar

“Over the past decade, AAEA has enjoyed marked success advocating for our membership, educating the marketplace, and serving our State philanthropically,” said AAEA Chair Alex Ray. “As I look ahead to my responsibility of the next two years, I am humbled to recognize that our continued success will come, in part, from standing on the shoulders of my predecessors. Nonetheless, I am thrilled at the momentum for AAEA to continue advocating for our members and serving all of Arkansas in increasing our quality of life and improving our costs of living by advocating the continued utilization of advanced energy technologies throughout Arkansas’ economy.”

The AAEF board officers include:

• Chair: Elston Blake Forte, Chairman and CEO, DEI Development Group LLC; Business Development Executive, Entegrity Energy Partners; Real Estate Development Manager, Partners for Better Housing
• Vice Chair: Peter Neirengarten, Environmental Director, City of Fayetteville
• Secretary: Adam Fogleman, Civil Attorney, Pulaski County
• Treasurer: Flint Richter, Business Development, Entegrity Partners

“I look forward to fostering innovation and connectivity amongst various industries in Arkansas that leverage the power of energy.” said AAEF Chair Elston Blake Forte. “It is important to increase our investment in educational and community development programs that provide broad access to knowledge and resources related to sustainable development. We should be intentional about empowering all communities, but specifically underserved communities. This is a unique moment for our industry and for Arkansas. AAEF is uniquely positioned to assist with driving forward and facilitating the mobilization of initiatives that emphasize a social, economic, and environmental impact.”

The Arkansas Advanced Energy Association is a business voice for advanced energy in Arkansas. AAEA is dedicated to growing Arkansas’s economy through expanded utilization of advanced energy technologies, including energy efficiency, demand response, natural gas electric generation, solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, electric vehicles, alternative fuels and smart grid.