Board Executive Committee
John Dadoly (he/him): Board President – John recently retired from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality where he worked as a Hydrogeologist and Water Quality Specialist in the Solid Waste, Cleanup, and Water Quality Programs. After a long career in eastern Oregon, he hopes to help facilitate solar energy development in rural communities and has started with a photovoltaic system on his Pendleton home. John also enjoys hiking, skiing, and fly fishing, as well as teaching outdoor school water quality lessons to middle school children.
Kelly Yearick (she/her): Past President – Kelly is a Clean Fuels Program Manager at Portland General Electric where she leads programs aimed at increasing access to transportation electrification. She moved to Oregon in 2015 to pursue her passion for sustainability by completing her Masters in Environmental Management at Portland State University. Kelly soon realized Oregon’s fantastic solar potential and became increasingly aware of the urgency of moving toward a carbon-free transportation sector. Kelly believes all Oregonians should have access to a clean energy future and works to pursue that goal every day.
Jonah Yearick (he/him): Treasurer – Jonah has been living in the Pacific Northwest since 2015 and is passionate about solar energy and sustainable solutions for all our energy needs. By day, Jonah works as an actuary for The Standard, leading a team focused on Individual Disability Insurance pricing and product development. Jonah is an advocate for solar (and a proud owner of a residential solar system) and looks forward to the great work that Solar Oregon will be doing with the local Oregon community.
Linda Barnes (she/her): Secretary – Linda is a LEED accredited professional and a licensed architect in Oregon and Arizona. She is a principal in the all women-owned architectural firm, Merryman Barnes Architects, where every design decision has energy implications. The firm tackles commercial, multi-family and single-family residential solar projects, and new and remodeled LEED certified building projects, which include energy efficient envelopes, passive design, Trombe walls, solar water heating and photovoltaics. Linda has been involved with Solar Oregon for over 20 years and has supported educational events and tours. Educated in Arizona, Linda is thankful for all the solar advocates in Oregon working diligently to demonstrate how solar works in Oregon.
Doug Rich (he/him): At Large – Doug grew up on an apple orchard in Wilton, CT and graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont with BA degrees in Environmental Studies and Economics. After working on Wall Street for 10 years, he and his wife, Karen, moved from New York City to Portland in early 1994. Together they have two adult sons and reside in Lake Oswego. Doug’s interest in sustainability and renewable energy began with the first Earth Day in 1970, was further developed in college, and continues in his work with Solar Oregon. Doug brings passion and enthusiasm for the mission of proliferating clean energy to the Solar Oregon board along with professional experience in finance, enterprise software, AI, and organic food industries. Doug currently works with the Oregon Clean Power Cooperative (OCPC) to develop commercial and community scale solar projects, to bring low-cost clean energy to underserved communities. Doug also teaches Tai Chi and yoga, and enjoys skiing, SUP-ing, biking and hiking.
Board Members
Bridget Callahan (she/her) – Bridget Callahan is the Clean Energy Director at Sustainable Northwest. Bridget brings over a decade of experience in natural resource conservation, public policy, and clean energy development. At SNW, she oversees a portfolio of programs that advance clean energy solutions for rural communities and Tribal nations across the Pacific Northwest. During her tenure, she has spearheaded groundbreaking projects and policies related to energy resilience, agricultural electrification, and community solar. Bridget is passionate about empowering communities to generate and benefit from locally-owned clean energy resources. She serves on Oregon’s State Energy Advisory Work Group and the Board of Directors for Solar Oregon. Bridget is based in Westfir, OR.
Kundai Chirindo – Kundai is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Media Studies, Director of General Education, and Director of the Ethnic Studies program at Lewis & Clark College in Portland. Oregon. His scholarly work and teaching focus on how we communicate about the environment and climate change. These interests led him to closely examine the work of Wangari Maathai (a 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Winner for her environmental work). In 2019, Kundai was voted Vice-President elect of the Environmental Communication Division of the National Communication Association.
Jason Love – A communications, public relations and marketing professional specializing in high-tech, counting companies such as Microsoft, Verizon, Roku and FIRST Robotics among his clients, Jason has been tinkering with electronics and solar energy since elementary school. With an 8 kW solar system on his roof and an electric car in the driveway of his family’s Portland home, he daydreams about the best ways to instill solar curiosity in his neighbors, kids, and the broader community or make his home smarter.
Margaret Olson – Margaret is an Environmental Engineer with the EPA specializing in hazardous waste management and brownfields redevelopment. As a part of this, she encourages renewable energy project development on formerly contaminated properties rather than developing on green space. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering for Friends of Trees and exploring the natural wonders of the Pacific NW.
Edward Louie (he/him) – Edward Louie works at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as a Building Energy Efficiency Research Engineer. Edward loves long-time solar PV, batteries, heat pumps, energy efficiency, affordable housing, sustainable cities, and building science. Outside of work he has been working on an off-grid, PV-powered, all-electric, heat pump everything, super energy efficient tiny house on wheels which was on the 2021 Go Zero Energy Tour. Edward’s hobbies are cooking, cycling, hiking, photography, and archery. Feel free to reach out to me about all things related to building energy efficiency, safety, and resiliency.
Shannon Lee (she/they) – Shannon supports corporate and Tribal partners with energy programs and is experienced in strategy, stakeholder engagement, and cross-functional execution. She thrives on the rigor of managing data systems, aligning impact reporting with evolving local, regional, and global regulatory standards. Shannon has supported ESG reporting across both voluntary and compliance frameworks and led environmental initiatives in partnership with global NGOs. She holds a BA in Environmental Science and an MBA with a focus on sustainable business from Willamette University. Passionate about equitable, data-driven solutions, Shannon brings a systems-thinking mindset and a love of learning to complex sustainability challenges. Refer to LinkedIn for further details about Shannon’s background and experience.
Avery McClure (he/him) – Born and raised in Oregon, Avery developed a deep love for the natural world that led him to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Portland State University. Avery currently works as a Utility Inspector, bringing hands-on field experience and a practical understanding of infrastructure to his environmental pursuits. Avery has a strong interest in solar installation and is passionate about building the future of renewable energy in Oregon. Avery believes renewable energy is a promise to future generations that the beauty of our world is worth protecting. Avery is excited to join Solar Oregon’s board with fresh energy and an unwavering commitment to ensuring that Oregon’s communities and landscapes can thrive for years to come.
Mia Deonate (she/her/ella) – Mia is a bilingual community engagement specialist passionate about advancing equity, sustainability, and community resilience. Based in Portland, she works at Energy Trust of Oregon to help build partnerships with communities, manage high-impact grants, and lead inclusive outreach efforts. A graduate of Smith College with a B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy and a certificate in Native American and Indigenous Studies, Mia brings a strong background in environmental justice and culturally responsive engagement, and looks forward to supporting Solar Oregon’s mission.
Kristi DeGroat (she/her) – Kristi DeGroat was born and raised in West Linn, Oregon. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon in 2008. Throughout her career, she has worked with mainly non-profits focusing on community building, fundraising, and events. She loves meeting new people and building lasting relationships. She lives with her family in Tualatin, OR. Her hobbies are hiking, climbing, snowboarding, and playing all sorts of sports.
Dedicated Volunteers
Corey Omey (he/him) – Corey is an avid solar supporter, with solar on his own remodeled home. His home is often shown on green home tours and is a model of how to incorporate energy efficiency, modern aesthetics, durability, art, light, renewable energy, and recycled, reclaimed, and re-used materials into a remodel project. Corey also volunteers with the Northwest Earth Institute, is an active member and volunteer with GRiT, the Green Roof information Thinktank. Corey began his professional career in 1998 as an intern with Ernest Munch Architect LLC, working as part of the team on retail, winery, and housing projects. As his skills developed, he became project manager, then an architect in 2007, and partner in 2012, and is now Owner of EMA, LLC. The firm specializes in owner occupied buildings, and many projects include solar in their scope. Corey is a LEED AP, and registered architect in Oregon, Michigan, and California.
Carey Booth (she/her) – Carrie is an experienced teacher and a green energy enthusiast. She first learned of Solar Oregon in 2008 when she got her first photovoltaic (PV) panels. She had been wanting solar panels since the 1970s, and she continued to add more environmental features to her home. Due to the solar projects, Carrie’s house was on a Build It Green Tour with the city in 2011, and she thoroughly enjoyed sharing these additions to her home and solar knowledge with the community. In 2019, she joined the Solar Oregon Go Zero Tour as a site host. She was inspired by the other homes on the tour and looked into getting more PV panels on her east roof slope. She added 7.3 kW as well as optimizers on the old panels and a new inverter to handle the new panels. Carrie is currently on the committee for the Go Zero Tour and also for the Green Energy Series webinars.
These are just a few of our wonderful volunteers. Without the engagement and assistance of volunteers, Solar Oregon would not be able to achieve our mission. Thank you to all past and present Solar Oregon volunteers!
Staff
Aby Jaeger: Program Manager (she/her) – Aby Jaeger is originally from Southern California. She moved to Oregon over six years ago originally moving to Salem in order to attend Willamette University. She moved to Portland after graduating with a BA in math and a minor in politics. She previously worked as an environmental planner at WSP USA where she worked on large scale infrastructure projects in the Portland Metro Area. She is passionate about the work being done at Solar Oregon and has enjoyed jumping in with both feet to help teach others about the intricacies of going solar.
Nicole Maticic: Program Manager (she/her) – Nicole Maticic has a background in nonprofits, education, operations, and data analytics. Her teaching experience encompasses a range of topics from STEAM, urban agriculture, and fermentation to art and cooking. Optimizing processes, creating educational content and events, and strategic planning are some of her favorite aspects of program management, and she is excited to bring these skills to the Solar Oregon Team.