It takes all kinds to build a new energy industry in Appalachia.
OUR LEADERSHIP
Dan Conant
A West Virginia native and solar veteran with more than a decade in the industry, Dan previously helped start up the largest solar installer in Vermont and served as a technical advisor to the US Dept of Energy’s SunShot Initiative. He has an MS in Energy Policy and Climate from Johns Hopkins.
Jessica Edgerly Walsh
Jessica Edgerly Walsh entered the solar world in 2012, helping launch a solar company in Vermont. She joined the Solar Holler team in 2020 to support their rebound from the pandemic. Her approach to marketing is customer-centered, offering folks the solutions and information they’re looking for as they explore their energy options.
Heath Lambert
Heath Lambert’s experience in operations management spans over ten years and two continents. As Solar Holler’s Director of Operations, Heath says his role is fundamentally about removing any roadblocks that prevent our team from taking care of our clients.
Laura Nagel
Laura Nagel has been with Solar Holler since the very beginning and has worn many hats over the years. As one of our longest serving employees, Laura has wide-ranging insight into each stage of a project, making her ideally suited to be our Director of Service. She brings with her over twelve years of experience working in the energy field in areas ranging from solar operations to energy efficiency data management. On a daily basis, Laura oversees our solar monitoring platforms to quickly identify any anomalies and proactively respond.
Heather Ransom
Heather is our Director of Marketing and Storytelling based out of Cass, West Virginia. She has more than a decade of Marketing and Communications experience and is charged with bringing the Solar Holler story to life across Central Appalachia. When she’s not busy crafting our latest campaign and spreading the good news about solar, you can find her playing guitar, backpacking with her husband and their dog Albie, or reading the latest fantasy fiction series.
Emily Gaskins
Emily is our Director of People Development, she is essential to our team’s on boarding process as well continued learning programs for all of our employees. She is based in Barboursville, West Virginia and is an alumni of both West Virginia State and Marshall where she graduated with a Master’s in HR Management. As a key asset to the leadership team Emily ensures that Solar Holler has the region’s top talent to fuel our growth throughout Central Appalachia.
Solar Guides
Alissa Sumerano
Alissa Sumerano’s background is as a theater and event technician, but when she moved to West Virginia, she wanted to start on a career path that had a positive impact on the planet and the people that live here. As the Lead Solar Guide she oversees the Solar Guide team and coordinates USDA REAP grants for our customers.
Steve Jones
Steve Jones is a Solar Guide originally from Kansas city and now based out of Charleston, West Virginia. During his day job he is focusing on helping folks to understand the ins and outs of going Solar. When Steve is not helping folks to add solar to their home, you can most likely find him moonlighting as lead guitarist in a folk-rock band or writing original songs to play at his next gig.
Zoë Myers
Bio coming soon
Nick McCoy
Nick is originally from Williamstown, WV and recently joined our team as Solar Guide in 2022 looking to join a company that makes a positive impact on people and world at its core. As a Solar Guide he helps prospective customer to learn about their options to go solar. When he is not helping folks to go Solar you can catch him trading crypto or playing with his dog Toby and his cat Tarot.
Jenny Yagel
Jenny is from Summersville, West Virginia and started off as a Solar Holler customer before joining our Solar Guide team. Jenny helps folks to learn about solar after applying and discussing with them the next steps on their solar journey. As an initial customer her insights and experience are valued by each customer she speaks with. When she’s not at her desk you can find her hiking, camping and being outdoors with her family!
Ciara Reyna
Coming Soon!
MARKETING & COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Dee Alvarado
Based in Martinsburg, West Virginia, Dee brings to the team a passion for digital marketing and is focused on using creative ways to deliver our message across central Appalachia. In his free time you will probably catch him at a local coffee shop increasing his Duolingo streak or reading a new book on his kindle.
Dina Hornbaker
Dina Hornbaker is a Charleston native and WVU Alumni with a background in Agriculture and Natural Resources. She switched gears when she began working for Solar Holler in 2021. She is passionate about maps and the great outdoors as she continues to create positive impacts for central Appalachian communities. Dina enjoys hiking and foraging during her spare time, although she tends to shy away from sharing her GPS coordinates of her favorite morel patch.
Karina Centeno
Karina is our Public Relations Specialist based out of Lexington, KY. In her role at Solar Holler, her mission is to connect with community leaders and is in charge of our relations with the media nationwide. When she’s not out working with community members you can find her playing at the park with her dog Valentino.
Robyn Schneiderman
After spending a decade in college admissions, Robyn was eager to apply her skills in a mission oriented role. She made the jump into the clean energy industry when she joined our team in 2018. She currently manages content creation through our communication channels. Robyn lives in Shepherdstown where she excels at baking and gardening.
Solar Home Evaluators
Elizabeth Opyoke
As the daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter of West Virginia coal miners, Elizabeth Opyoke holds a deep appreciation for the energy-producing roots of her home state. She joined Solar Holler in 2018 because she wants the best for Appalachia and she works every day to make it better.
Brad Hash
Originally from West Virginia, Brad Hash was looking to return to his home state when he started as our commercial solar evaluator. He came to us with six years of experience working in commercial solar in other parts of the country and seamlessly transitioned into his new role with Solar Holler. Prior to his work in solar, he once held a job teaching primitive wilderness survival skills in the Northern Rocky Mountains and has a passion for protecting the wild spaces he loves. He shares his home with his wife and son who enjoy the outdoors as much as he does.
Brian Stephens
A Huntington native, Brian Stephens came to Solar Holler with a background in higher education but he’s quickly made the transition into renewable energy. He loves meeting with the wonderful people of Appalachia to help them bring their costs down with solar, he just wishes there were more opportunities to connect in person with one another. He has three children and spends his free time playing and coaching sports.
Leah Cunningham
A native of Monongalia County, WV, Leah’s a Mountaineer through and through. She has her Masters of Public Administration from WVU, with a focus on sustainable community development. Her mission at Solar Holler is to connect with as many folks as possible and leverage solar as a vehicle to improve outcomes in Appalachia. In her spare time, you’ll find her lighting up the stage with her band Funkifly or soaking in the sunshine.
Solar Designers
Justin Kline
With dual degrees in both accounting and environmental science, Justin Kline’s education and skill set make him uniquely suited for the position of Lead Residential Solar Designer. Justin finds the perfect balance between meeting your energy needs while also saving you the most money. He is a resident of the Eastern Panhandle and on the weekends you can find him playing music with various projects around the area.
Brandon Nicolosi
Brandon Nicolosi is the lead designer on all of our commercial and nonprofit installations. He loves to see a project evolve from a pixelated satellite image into a real-world solar array that’s producing clean, renewable energy for a client.
Abby Foster
After attending WVU for a degree in Environmental and Energy Resource Management, Abby Foster initially took a job in the natural gas industry, but was laid off. She made the jump to renewables because she wanted something with more long-term stability. Abby started out as a solar guide in 2019 and has since moved over to our design team.
Project Managers
Brendan Fish
Brendan Fish decided to make West Virginia his home after he graduated from Marshall University. He originally joined our project management team and knows the ins and outs of each project. Now as a member of the Innovation team he is in charge of launching our new products and services throughout our service area.
Tracie Hatfield
Coming soon!
Christian Long
Originally from Kenova, West Virginia, Christian is not new to working with complicated electrical systems. Having spent the earlier part of his career in Florida, Christian served as the superintendent for one of the largest electrical contractors in the state and was an essential part of the team that built the Universal Studios Cabana Bay resort in Orlando. As a Master Electrician, Christian brings with him over 20 years of experience working in the commercial electric sector.
Alison Dempsey
After completing her electrical coursework through the West Virginia Women Work program, Alison Dempsey was ready to put her skills to use. Alison works closely with our field crews and spends a lot of time on the phone with utility companies and permitting offices to ensure everything is ready for your installation day.
Site Technicians
Installation
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- Apprentice
- Leadership
- Masters & Journeyworkers
- Warehouse
Shay Taylor
Originally from Hesperia, California, Shay Taylor got his start in solar working with a company out there. It was around that time that he fell in love with and married a West Virginia woman who missed her home state and they soon relocated to the Huntington area. Shay was thrilled to find Solar Holler and we were thrilled to have an experienced installer to help lead our crews.
Travis Harrison
When Travis Harrison joined the Solar Holler team he brought with him a decade of experience in the electrical trade, including four years in solar. As a Journeyman Electrician and one of our crew leaders, Travis likes to make sure his team is enjoying the workday. With some climbing experience in his past, Travis wasn’t intimidated about working on a rooftop, but he’s trained plenty of new installers that are. His advice? “Don’t give up if you’re scared of heights! You just gotta keep pushing yourself.”
Ty Eller
Ty Eller was motivated to work in renewables because he believes central Appalachians have sacrificed more of their people and their land for the extraction industry, so they deserve to be the first to benefit from new, cleaner forms of energy. Originally from Oak Hill, Oh, Ty now lives in Huntington, WV where he’s an active volunteer with the homeless community. Ty holds a Bachelors degree in Biology and a West Virginia Apprentice Electricians License.
Jacob Dyer
Jacob “Jimbo” Dyer came to Solar Holler more than two years ago after completing his solar installer coursework through Coalfield Development. Originally from Lincoln County, Jacob loves that he’s a part of a team that’s making clean energy in his home state and helping to protect his community from utility rate increases.
Jeremy Donald
When Jeremy Donald read over Solar Holler’s goals and mission, he knew he wanted to join our team. Originally from Kenova, West Virginia, it was important to Jeremy to be a part of a company that’s doing something good in his home state. He loves to help folks become energy independent.
CJ Smith
Originally from Scottown, Ohio, CJ Smith served in the US Army during the Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom campaigns. He had always wanted to work in the solar industry, but he didn’t see many opportunities where he lived. When Solar Holler crossed his path, it offered him the change he’d been looking for. CJ is now one of Solar Holler’s Master Electricians and brings with him over 15 years of electrical know-how spanning the military and private sector.
Brandon Barney
At the suggestion of a friend, Brandon Barney decided to apply for a position with Solar Holler and officially joined the team in April of 2021. With more than 15 years of experience in the electrical trade, we were eager to bring Brandon on before our busy season kicked into high gear. As the father of five, it’s no surprise that Brandon follows a “safety first” motto, “Treat all electric as if it’s live.”
Chris Dailey
Coming soon!
Chris Tyree
Originally from Akron, Ohio, Chris Tyree previously worked in the automotive and petroleum industries. He made the shift over to renewables because he wanted to help create a brighter future for his children and generations yet to come. With more than ten years of experience working as an industrial electrician, Chris was an obvious fit for our crew.
Braden Ferguson
Braden Ferguson found Solar Holler when he was in school to become an electrician. When asked why he wanted to work in the solar industry, Braden tied it directly to his family roots, “My grandad was a coal miner and I really liked the idea of following in his footsteps– but in the newer version of the energy industry. Of course, West Virginia is known for our coal, but that’s not the only type of energy we can produce!”
Jess Napier
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky Jess Napier is grateful to work for a company that represents the same values he has for solar. As a crew leader, he starts each day before 7am and loves the awesome team he works with. He enjoys playing video games in his free time and also has a passion for cars.
Haley Stephens
Originally from Lost Creek, Kentucky, Haley Stephens started on our installation crew in early 2021 after she completed her solar coursework through the Ashland Community and Technical College. She loves that she gets to spend her workday in the sunshine helping people go solar.
Jamison Maynard
Coming soon!
JT Patterson
JT Patterson applied for a position with Solar Holler at the suggestion of a friend. As a member of our installation team, JT assists with getting our crews loaded up and helps keep our warehouse clean and organized. A West Virginia native, you may spot him on his day off along one of our waterways casting out his fishing line.
Tyler Haney
Tyler Haney had been interested in solar since his earliest courses in the electrical trade. When a position on our crew became available, he quickly jumped at the opportunity to join the team. Tyler loves to help folks understand how their solar works and enjoys walking clients through the process and answering their questions.
Luther Carico
As our warehouse inventory coordinator, Luther Carico’s job involves everything from loading the equipment for our installations, scheduling deliveries, working with suppliers and managing our inventory. Having always worked in production and warehouse jobs, Luther brings a great deal of experience to his position. Originally from Wayne, West Virginia, Luther enjoys camping and sports of all kinds – a pastime that his two children have also adopted.
