The new members (in alphabetical order) are Eric Blatz, Kristy Royce and Gavin Tenold.
Eric is general manager and director of operations of Western Solar in Bellingham. He is a 13-year solar veteran and was both a union electrician and a union carpenter before joining the solar industry. He was recently named to the Electrical Advisory Committee at Bellingham Technical College.
Kristy is president and co-founder of SunPath Electric in West Seattle in 2018. She formed the nonprofit CoolMom organization in 2007 to help fight climate change that grew to 10 chapters around the state. The group became Washington Women for Climate Action now and later was incorporated into Climate Solutions. Earlier in her career, she was involved in ecotourism and worked as a naturalist guide/expedition leader in the Arctic, Antarctica, the South Pacific and Amazon.
While technically a newcomer, Gavin is actually returning to the Board. He declined to seek another term in 2020 to concentrate on serving as WASEIA’s representative on the Energy Code Technical Advisory Group (TAG) during the 2021 code cycle. Working with the TAG, he helped secure the solar mandate for new commercial buildings larger than 10,000 sf. Gavin founded Northwest Renewables in Spokane after working as a builder, carpenter and is a recognized expert in net zero and passive home construction.
Returning to the Board for new two-year terms are Dave Kozin, Markus Virta and Troy Woody.
Dave is CFO and co-owner of A&R Solar in Seattle. He was a founder director of WASEIA’s precursor, Solar Installers of Washington, in 2013 and has also served four years on the Board of Solar Washington. Dave holds an MBA in Sustainable Business and is a NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional.
Markus, who currently serves as president of WASEIA, has been involved in the solar industry since 2010 and worked at Western Solar in Bellingham for 12 years, rising to the post of director of sales and business development. He is officially launching his own business, Cascadia Renewables, a solar development/consulting business, on Jan. 1. Markus has been involved in WASEIA’s policy work since 2014 and after being elected president in 2020, helped lead the organization’s transition from Solar Installers of Washington to WASEIA.
Also returning to the Board is Troy Woody, owner and founder of Hot Solar Solutions in Kennewick. A former hotel industry veteran, Troy has served the Tri-Cities community through membership on many boards including the Pasco Chamber of Commerce, Tri-City Visitor and Convention Bureau, Columbia School District board, and the Sunrise Rotary Board.
