The ‘Wind Guru’ Energy Consultant

I am an energy consultant who divides my time between Santa Monica and my native Toronto. In 1997 I, with help from two of my friends, implemented the first urban turbine (windmill) in North America (erected in downtown Toronto in 2002), the first community-owned power wind project in Ontario, and I have been involved in similar projects worldwide ever since. I have implemented recycling programs globally and lobbied for environmental issues to help frame public policy. Currently I am working with the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) to help install renewable energy projects on their campuses.

My assignments vary on a day-day basis. I have worked in the construction industry collaborating with structural engineers, discussing master planning applications and their field development with architects – confirming the placement of wind turbines and solar arrays – or I could be helping advance and shape international conversations on renewable energy programs, including topics related to energy independence, energy efficiency, energy conversation and green jobs.

With global economies focusing on sustainability, the future will include broad growth in green career opportunities. The successful delivery of these programs rests on leaders who have a genuine passion for the environment. This passion is crucial for individuals who wish to succeed in these jobs.

I am an environmentalist first and foremost. Always follow your passion – don’t just hop onto the ‘green bubble’ to be green. Growing up in Europe and then moving to Toronto provided me with a glimpse of cultural differences that separate Europe from North America concerning the environment. In my late teens, I didn’t understand the lack of education in North America within the environmental field and have since been determined to change it.

Everyone told me that a wind turbine in Los Angeles would never happen. Well, there is one and it only took six months, on a community college campus in LA County. Now, I consider that a pretty good start for the City of Los Angeles.