BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Oregon BEST's leadership includes executives from some of Oregon's most respected cleantech companies: SolarWorld, PGE, Gerding Edlen Development, Collins Companies, CH2M HILL, PNNL, and Perkins Coie. These individuals join leading university researchers and a member of the Oregon Legislature to form a visionary team that's directing Oregon BEST's impact on our state's cleantech economy.

• Allan Abravanel – Partner, Perkins Coie
• Gordon Brinser – President, SolarWorld Industries America
• Sen. Richard Devlin – Oregon State Senate, Ex Officio
• Kimberly Andrews Espy – Vice President for Research & Innovation, University of Oregon
• Jonathan Fink – Vice President for Research & Strategic Partnerships, Portland State University
• Charlie Jones – Dean, School of Engineering, Technology, & Management, Oregon Institute of Technology
• Wade Mosby – Senior Vice President, Collins Companies
• Bill Nicholson – Vice President, Distribution, Portland General Electric
• Rod Quinn – Chief Technical Officer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• Kirsten Sommer – Design Manager, Electronics & Advanced Technology, CH2M HILL
• Richard Spinrad – Vice President for Research, Oregon State University
• Dennis Wilde – Principal, Gerding Edlen Development

Conflict of Interest Policy
Oregon BEST Board members have completed copies of the Conflict of Interest Form.

Board Member Information

---

COMMERCIALIZATION ADVISORY BOARD

• John Chen, Phoenix Venture Partners
• Steve Eichenlaub, Intel Capital
• Sen. Richard Devlin – Oregon State Senate, Ex Officio
• Michael Mahoney, Saint-Gobain
• Byron McCann, Northwest Energy Angels
• Doug Moore, McKinstry
• Adrian Roberts, Battelle
• Gregg Semler, Pivotal Investments
• Dennis Wilde, Gerding Edlen Development

 

---

STAFF

	David Kenney, President & Executive Director, Oregon BEST Prior to joining Oregon BEST, David Kenney held a wide range of roles during a 12-year tenure at Intel Corporation, including finance, project management, and business/organizational operations. He helped build Intel Solution Services, a technical consulting organization, to an organization operating in more than ten countries worldwide. He also co-founded and led the Intel Employee Sustainability Network. Before joining Intel, he was a Senior Consultant with Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group in Portland, working with federal and local government clients. He holds an MBA and Certificate of Public Management from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. david.kenney (at) oregonbest.org
	Susan Safford, Renewable Energy Program Manager As the manager of Oregon BEST's Renewable Energy Program, Susan Safford leads Oregon BEST’s work to accelerate the commercialization of a wide range of renewable energy technologies. She facilitates collaboration opportunities between renewable energy companies and Oregon BEST researchers and helps companies take advantage of Oregon BEST's network of Shared-User Research Facilities. susan.safford (at) oregonbest.org
	Johanna Brickman, Sustainable Built Environment Program Manager Johanna Brickman leads the Oregon BEST Sustainable Built Environment Program, including prioritization of research and investment agendas to achieve economic strength in Oregon. She leads the Oregon BEST Sustainable Built Environment Research Consortium, assembles applied research teams, acts as a liaison to complementary regional and national organizations, and serves as an advocate to policy makers, industry and university partners, nonprofits, and the media. Prior to joining Oregon BEST, Johanna served for nine years as Associate Partner and Director of Sustainability at ZGF Architects. jo.brickman (at) oregonbest.org
	Ken Vaughn, Commercialization Program Manager Leading the Oregon BEST Commercialization Program, which includes entrepreneurial support and grant funding for cleantech innovators in Oregon, Ken Vaughn works with university researchers and private entrepreneurs who have new cleantech products transitioning from the development phase to the commercial phase. He collaborates with innovators, investors, mentors, support organizations, and senior management to help assemble the elements necessary for launching a successful business in the cleantech sector. Before joining Oregon BEST, he held senior management positions in engineering, product management, and marketing, and has experience starting companies, advising early-stage companies, and investing in early-stage ventures. ken.vaughn (at) oregonbest.org
	Cat Schultheis, Operations Specialist cat.schultheis (at) oregonbest.org
	Gregg Kleiner | Cloudburst Creative (contractor), Marketing, Communications, & Media Relations kleinerg (at) comcast.net