CERTs 2009 | Financing & Investment
Session Audio
Moderator
Bob McLean, Chief Operating Officer, Hunt Utilities Group: Bob is COO/GM of Hunt Utilities Group LLC a research company focused on developing systems for renewable energy and high-performance sustainable living buildings. The research campus is self-funded in its development and business incubation. The campus hosts two complimentary non-profits providing education and/or renewable energy services; RREAL and Happy Dancing Turtle. A healthy vibrant community, region, and state is important to Bob. He is actively involved in numerous committees and boards including the Initiative Foundation Loan Committee, the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Advisory Board, Essentia Community Hospitals and Clinics. Bob serves as trustee, advisor, and/or board officer with trust, endowment, and private equity funds. An advocate of life long learning, he has organized and/or participated in numerous forums on Business and Finance. Academically, his undergraduate degree is in Business from St. John’s University and his MBA is from The University of St. Thomas. Bob, his wife, and four boys enjoy the lake region of Minnesota and its wonderful quality of life.
Winning with Community Wind
Jeff Wright, Vice President, Midwest Wind Finance, LLC: Jeff Wright is Vice President of Midwest Wind Finance (MWF), a national leader in the financing of community-scale wind projects throughout North America. He joined MWF in 2006 after a successful career in marketing and advertising and a long time interest in renewable energy. He works closely with project developers, investors, turbine manufactures and construction companies, and helps manage MWF’s growth. Jeff has worked with dozens of community wind developers at early, mid and late stages of project development helping to arrange both development capital and long-term permanent financing. Jeff spoke at the 2008 AWEA national conference on techniques for overcoming community-wind project development challenges, receiving very favorable evaluations.
Green Home Mortgage
Scott Havlik, Branch Manager, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage: I have been in the mortgage industry since 1983 after graduating from St. Cloud State University. I have held a number of positions throughout my mortgage career. The past 12.5 years I have been associated with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. During my career I have facilitated training classes for Wells Fargo, builders, real estate professionals and conducted community education courses for First Time Homebuyers through the Minnetonka school district. My qualifications include sessions on Training the Trainers during on boarding classes of new Sales professionals at Wells Fargo. I have been approved for Continuing Education credits for the Builders association statewide and have conducted 14 different classes to over 1,100 licensed contractors.
Granite Equity Partners
Pat Edeburn, Managing Partner, Granite Equity Partners: Pat co-founded Granite Equity Partners in May of 2002, joining Rick’s effort to form the first private equity firm in Central Minnesota. Pat has since led the firm’s investment in Vinylite Windows, and he enjoys his focus on strategy and marketing, and works with Granite’s portfolio companies on these areas. Before Granite Equity, Pat worked in various marketing, venture and consulting roles. Out of college, Pat was a consultant with Deloitte & Touche, providing general management consulting services to clients. His projects included financial planning, Medicare reimbursement analysis, strategic planning, hospital staffing and planning, and marketing services. He later joined Medtronic as a Venture Manager in the Neurological Division. A key duty included making a strategic investment that realized an approximate 10-fold return on investment. He then transferred to the US Cardiovascular group, where he launched a product that reached about $135 million in total annual revenues. Ultimately, in the role of Director of Corporate Accounts, he managed Medtronic’s pricing and contracting strategy for its largest and most profitable division, earning recognition as a firm-wide expert in strategic pricing. Pat serves on the Board of Vinylite Windows, Heartland Communications and the Anderson Entrepreneurial Center. He is a former President of the Harvard Business School Club of Minnesota. A magna cum laude graduate of Carleton College, Pat received his Masters in Business Administration at the Harvard Business School where he focused on general management and earned first year honors.
Clean Energy Resource Teams