Board of Directors
John Kinch directs the strategic and daily operations of Michigan Energy Options (MEO), a clean enegy nonprofit emphasizing innovative and collaborative projects between the public and private sectors. Under Kinch, MEO's community-based work has expanded across the state and its revenue stream has diversified. MEO built a community solar park on a capped landfill—one of a few owned and operated by a nonprofit in the country. Kinch is a U.S. Department of Energy SunShot advisor and a National Community Solar Partner, a municipal- certified solar expert by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, local clean energy consultant for the Council of Michigan Foundations, and has been a renewable energy consultant for The Nature Conservancy. He presents often to professional, academic and general audiences.
John Kinch - President
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Diane Van Buren is a renewable energy and economic development consultant and advocate. She works to educate and build coalitions to develop green initiatives and urban redevelopment in Detroit. She is a ‘Green Jobs Program Consultant’ at Henry Ford Community College where she leads efforts to provide weatherization, deconstruction and alternative energy training. She also has a consulting firm Zachary and Associates that specializes in all phases of economic development with specific expertise in historic preservation, commercial revitalization and community planning.
Recently Diane started D2 Solar, a firm that informs the public about the benefits of solar and works with commercial business to utilize solar to save money, reduce their carbon footprint and secure predictable energy rates.
Diane has a Masters of Historic Preservation from Eastern Michigan University and her Bachelors of Arts and Teaching Certificate from Michigan State University College of Education.
Diane Van Buren - Vice President
Kendal Kuneman - Secretary
Kendal is the Program Manager of the Detroit 2030 District, which supports Detroit's building owners and managers in reducing carbon emissions from their buildings and transportation. Additionally, Kendal does independent consulting work to support the Detroit Public Schools Community District's energy and sustainability efforts. She is committed to focusing her work to addressing the severity of the climate crisis we face.
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Kendal has a B.S. in Architecture from the University of Michigan and a M.S. in Design Build from Auburn University. She is passionate about rethinking how we transition and rebuild our homes, buildings and communities to be resilient and prepared for increased extreme weather due to climate change.
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Kendal has been honored to serve on the GLREA board since 2019. Additionally, Kendal chairs the Energy Waste Reduction Committee of the Detroit City Council Green Task Force, and is actively leading efforts to pass an energy and water benchmarking and transparency ordinance in Detroit.
Phil Reid - Treasurer
A long time Oakland County Resident, Phil Reid has been employed at Chrysler, of which he has been a retiree since 2009, and has contributed to the Democratic Party by being a long-term supporter of many political leaders in Lansing, Oakland County, and Washington DC. His responsibilities at Chrysler required close coordination with Engineering, Accounting, Finance, as well as Procurement. He currently serves as the Treasurer of the Oakland County Democratic Party,
Since 2019, he has been an owner of a 3 kWp solar panel system which has generated over 15 MWh of renewable energy. He received his Masters of Business Administration in Finance and his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Marketing from Wayne State University.
Cary Church
Cary Church has 20 years automotive engineering experience in Powertrain and emissions. He has ten years experience in renewable energy technologies from installing renewable energy systems, attending conferences and participating on workshops with GLREA, Midwest Renewable Energy Association and Solar Energy International. He completed the GLREA Solar Integrator course in 2004, and helped install the Solar Hot air system on the GLREA office building in Dimondale, MI.
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Mr. Church has been a renewable energy enthusiast for many years. Mr. Church graduated from Lawrence Technological University with a Masters in Energy Engineering. He organized the first Solar Tour for Chelsea, MI in 2012 and again in 2013. Mr. Church is an active volunteer and has served as Treasurer for the Chelsea Area Historical Society and has served on the Board of Creative Education Solutions.
Ken Zebarah, Jr
Ken Zebarah has been in the solar energy industry since 2012 and has a strong and valuable perspective of different aspects of solar projects. From minor engineering details to extensive financial analyses and bigger picture political implications, Ken has been successful in implementing hundreds of solar energy projects in Michigan.
Ken is a manager and minority owner with Harvest Energy Solutions of Jackson MI. He has a strong work ethic and is well-connected in the renewable energy industry. Ken’s goal is to help grow the solar industry throughout the Midwest – particularly customer-owned distributed generation.
John Sarver
John Sarver was elected to the Board of Directors in 2014 and was President in 2015. John worked for the Michigan Energy Office for 35 years where he was responsible for public institution grants, utility demand-side management, industrial, commercial, and residential efficiency programs, and efforts to promote solar and wind energy.
John has served as a Board Director for a number of organizations including the National Association of State Energy Officials, National Council on Electricity Policy, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, and Michigan Interfaith Power & Light.
John Richter
John Richter is a co-founder of the Institute for Sustainable Energy Education (ISEE). He’s an expert witness in Michigan Public Service Commission cases and he has presented to the U.S. Congressional Staff on wind energy policy impacts. He has also presented renewable energy policy recommendations to Michigan Legislators and staff. He has a Master’s degree in Renewable Energy, and taught solar energy at Macomb Community college. He has been a regular speaker at renewable energy conferences for more than two decades.
Katie Watson
Katie is a clean energy advocate currently studying chemical engineering and Spanish at the University of Michigan in the class of 2025. She has experience in project leadership, process optimization, and research. As President of Students for Clean Energy on campus, she has worked on campus projects promoting clean energy and sustainability including purchasing and installing an EV and solar array for the Campus Farm, hosting a Green Career Panel, connecting Michigan and Ann Arbor's sustainability work and policy with UM students, and helping promote UM students to be more involved in the clean energy industry.
Katie has worked in a research lab for 2 years working on thermophotovoltaics and prototype concentrated solar thermal technology. This has put her in touch with the people, challenges, and achievements that will define the solar industry in the near future. As a member of the board, Katie is focusing on extending the work of GLREA to other college and university students in Michigan through outreach programs, promoting equitable clean energy policy, and increasing diversity of participation in the field.
David Konkle
David Konkle has been actively serving on the GLREA board since December 2010. Dave served for 20 years as the Ann Arbor Energy Coordinator - the first city energy manager in Michigan and one of the first in the Nation. Dave has organized coalitions of partners to leverage millions of dollars at the federal and local level for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects for the city of Ann Arbor and led the effort for Ann Arbor to become Michigan's only Solar America City.
Dave spent his first ten years after college as a solar installer for Sunstructures and has served as an elected member of the Educational Division of the board of the American Solar Energy Society – of which GLREA is the Michigan Chapter representative. Since retirement Dave has served as Director of Energy Programs for the Ann Arbor DDA where he directed a $700,000 Downtown Energy Efficiency program and was Project Director for the installation of 19 public electric car chargers in downtown Ann Arbor.
Dennis Marvin
Dennis Marvin retired from Consumers Energy after a 34 year career in community engagement including Regional Economic Development Director for the company’s Australian, Asian, and African markets, and for the last ten years of his career, community engagement manager for its wind energy and power plant development group. Marvin led the community engagement process for the siting, permitting, development and construction of multiple utility scale power generation projects including four 100 MW+ wind farms, two major solar projects, as well as, development of plans for locating industrial parks in Morocco and Australia.
Marvin also led the community transition process for the closure and decommissioning of three coal fired power plants including facilitation of potential redevelopment strategies. Marvin’s community engagement experience also includes serving as Executive Director of the Consumers Energy Foundation, as well as, significant experience in media relations and organization of corporate community events and FDI attraction seminars.
Patrick O'Boyle
Patrick always wants to meet new people with similar values, which brought him back to Michigan and to his current work at PSC. Patrick handles recruitment and training of skilled contractors for Michigan Saves, a PSC-managed nonprofit that finances energy-efficiency and renewable energy work.
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Prior to joining PSC, Patrick thrived for over 15 years in the movie theater industry as marketing director for a mid-sized chain of theaters and as consulting support for a company specializing in theater software. Patrick is a MSU graduate and in his spare time an avid fisher, bowhunter and dog Dad.
Alan Waller
Alan Waller is currently employed as a Territory Manager in Michigan with a company called, WaterFurnace International, a Geothermal Heat Pump Manufacture.
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He is a 1985 graduate of Macomb Community College with an Associate’s Degree in General Studies, Climate Control Technology, and Energy Management. Alan has many years’ experience working in the HVAC industry, along with having an Michigan State Mechanical Contractor and Residential Building license. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Geothermal Energy Association.
Alan likes to stay active in the HVAC and renewable energy industry, he continues to work with our local State legislatures to help guide energy policies to benefit the residential and commercial energy markets.
Janice K. Means, PE, LEED AP
Janice is an engineer with diverse experience in consulting, industry and education. She has served on the Boards of the Michigan Solar Energy Association (predecessor to GLREA), Michigan Interfaith Power & Light and the Detroit ASHRAE Chapter. From 1986 to 1994, Janice taught solar courses at Lawrence Technological University part time while consulting. For one class, her students designed a solar feature for a Detroit Habitat for Humanity home. In 2003, she left industry to teach full-time at LTU where she coordinated/taught architecture and architectural engineering courses (HVAC, Electricity, Acoustics, Illumination, High Performance Buildings, Active and Passive Solar Design). She has organized several sustainability conferences and seminars, and chaired the international ASHRAE technical committee, “Solar & Other Renewables”.
Janice was awarded the title of Professor Emerita in retirement from LTU and is a Fellow in ASHRAE and the Engineering Society of Detroit. She was GLREA’s 2021 Melanie McCoy Awardee and a recipient of ESD’s prestigious Gold Award, as well as awards at the local to international levels from ASHRAE. She has contributed to significant ASHRAE publications which extend and promote industry knowledge related to sustainability.
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