SOLAR TODAY - January/February 2010

ases testimonials
Edited By CORE Y DAHL
Randy GEE

SKYFUEL INC.

I’m proud to be an American Solar Energy Society busi- ness/professional member. ASES is the only national solar organization with a 50-plus year history of advancing solar energy. ASES is unique — it connects scientific and technical professionals with: a) Each other, through the annual ASES National Solar Conference and proceedings; b) The public and solar consumers, through SOLAR TODAY, FindSolar.com and the ASES National Solar Tour;

c) Solar advocates and policy makers, through ASES

Joseph MCCABE

ERICKSON EqUINE IMAGES

Returning from China in 2006, I was visited by my doc- tor at my home — an actual house call — because I couldn’t breathe. The airborne coal emissions in Beijing and Shanghai had helped give me walking pneumonia. When you are gasping for air, your priorities change. Feeling like any breath could be my last, it was impera- tive that I commit to my solar society by becoming a life member. There was an easy payment plan (and, luckily, I got better).

So now, still alive, I’m proud to be a life member of the

Renate BÖER

During my tenure serving on the board of directors and as treasurer of the American Solar Energy Society, and previously, as a member of a number of boards of directors and trustees in local organizations, I felt that a board of trustees could also be extremely beneficial to ASES. Specifically, there are two reasons why I felt that I should suggest the creation of such a board of trustees.

First, the trustees of a society are selected from experienced business leaders who, with their practical knowledge, are valuable resources to render suggestions and advice to the directors of a society. They represent a senior counterpart to the dynamic leaders of the society, i.e., the members of the board of directors.

Nate MITTEN

Why am I an active American Solar Energy Society mem- ber? Three primary reasons come to mind.

I believe in the mission of ASES: “To inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy.” This mission is core to who I am and what I want to work toward in my life. And that’s not because I am an engineer, although that is a natural outflow, but because I am immensely thankful for this beautiful Earth and hope to one day pass it on to my daughter knowing that I did my best to preserve it.

ASES pursues its mission with programs that “move the needle.” With its award-winning magazine, SOLAR TODAY; the ASES National Solar Tour, the largest grass-roots solar event; its insightful policy papers; and its one-

policy statements, ASES outreach, and local chapter activities;

d) And the international solar community through ISES, the International Solar Energy Society.

I’m a big fan of keeping science and technology as the foundation that ASES builds upon. The engineers, solar installers, business professionals and scientists that ASES brings together are at the heart of what ASES does, and this enables our organization to effectively advance solar energy in a large number of ways.

— RAND Y GEE, ASES Business/Professional Member

American Solar Energy Society since 2006. I’m also a life member of my local ASES chapter.

You don’t have to be on your death bed to become a life member. Join today and enjoy the supportive feeling.

— JOSEPH MCCABE, ASES Life Member

Joseph McCabe is also SOLAR TODAY’s Solar Prose columnist. Read more of his original poetry at solartoday.org/blog.

It is who you are

The Solar Clan beacon shines

Life Members are proud

Second, the trustees also have the means to donate to a trust fund that provides the basis for augmenting, in perpetuity, the financial resources of the society and, through its annual interest, funds the salary of one or more members of the society’s staff.

As a consequence [of the ASES Trust Fund], new ASES programs are planned to extend the society’s operations in the field of renewable energy, and I am looking forward to working together with the other trustees and the board of directors to create even more focused future efforts in solar energy.

— RENA TE BÖER, ASES Board of Trustees

stop-shop solar conference for advocates, educators and solar professionals — ASES carefully stewards its limited resources to make the biggest impact possible.

I love ASES people. Passionate, committed, genuine, and knowledgeable — ASES has been built on the shoulders of true pioneers since 1954 and continues to be led by hard-working visionaries. ASES was proclaiming the promise of renewable energy a long, long time before “green” was mainstream. This provides an authority and trustworthiness that is hard to find these days when we need it most.