Our Team

Andreas Karelas
Executive Director

Andreas is a dedicated renewable energy advocate with over nine years of environmental and renewable energy non-profit experience. Andreas incorporated RE-volv as a non-profit organization in February 2011. Prior to founding RE-volv Andreas worked with a number of leading organizations including the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), the National Audubon Society, blueEnergy, and the Center for Resource Solutions. Andreas holds Master’s degrees in International Affairs and in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics. Andreas has a bold vision of communities around the nation powering their lives with renewable energy. He also serves on the Steering Committee of the Local Clean Energy Alliance.

Polly Baranco
Solar Finance Director

Polly has over ten years experience in high tech, with four of those years being in the cleantech industry, and she is currently a Senior Analyst at Silverado Power. With experience at Southern California Edison and both solar integrators and solar manufacturers, Polly now leads RE-volv’s financial arm helping communities realize their renewable energy goals. Polly has created financial models that look at European and multiple US state markets, and is utilizing that experience to help RE-volv provide services to underserved communities while also being sustainable. Polly holds an MBA with a concentration on Finance and Strategy, and a Master’s in Arts Management.

Samy Jana
Communications Director

Samy is a skilled marketing and advertising professional with over six years of experience, currently working at Yahoo. She possesses a deep understanding of digital media, off line media, organic and paid search, mobile, and social media marketing. She is passionate about the renewable energy field and excited to be working with RE-volv. Samy is leading RE-volv's communications efforts with a focus on social media, online communications, and fundraising. Samy holds a degree in Biology and Biomedical Engineering.

Zak Landrum
Development Director

Zak is a graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Administration program at the University of San Francisco, and has several years of experience in nonprofit development.  He has led successful fundraising campaigns for schools, social service organizations, and churches, using his deep knowledge of online giving, peer-to-peer campaigns, and gala events. He is passionate about creating a sustainable future, and is excited to promote community investment through RE-volv.

Troy Arnold
Director of Development, Justice & Diversity Center

Troy is a long standing professional in the field of development. He has raised over $15 million dollars for a variety of nonprofits and has over a decade of fundraising experience. He has managed annual fund campaigns, major gifts, events, foundation and government grants, and board development. His development work has included many environmental and renewable energy focused organizations.

Jennifer Martin
Executive Director, Center for Resource Solutions

Jennifer has over twenty years of experience in renewable energy, energy efficiency and distributed generation policy, markets and technology development, as well as electricity sector and climate change policy and regulation. Jennifer is responsible for the overall management of the Green-e Energy and Green-e Climate certification programs, and provides strategic program guidance to all CRS programs and new initiatives. Jennifer is a long-standing leader in the renewable energy community.

Sean Miller
Doctoral Candidate, Georgetown University

Sean has worked to bring the issues of environmental education and green schools to a national level of importance and implementation. For instance, he has played a key role in organizing the successful creation of the D.C. Healthy Schools Act – one of the most transformative pieces of healthy schools legislation ever enacted by a municipality – and also the U.S. Department of Education’s new Green Ribbon Schools program. He has written a plentitude of environmental curriculum with such entities as PBS and the U.S. Department of Energy to further bring the many benefits of sustainability education to schools and communities nationwide. Sean has also pioneered a program at Earth Day Network that fostered solar installations on schools and incorporated renewable energy education into the classroom. Currently, he is pursuing his doctorate in sustainability education at Georgetown University and teaching about such subjects at American University as well.

Dr. Paul Wapner
Director of Global Environmental Politics Program, American University

Paul is a thought leader on the environmental issues of today. He is a prolific writer having written such books as Living Through the End of Nature: The Future of American Environmentalism, and, Environmental Activism and World Civic Politics. Through his years of teaching he has developed a deep understanding of human behavior in relation to environmentalism, climate change, and civic engagement.

Geoffrey Willard
Manager of Public Programming, California Academy of Sciences

Geoff has been an informal science educator for more than 8 years. For several years he led school groups in creek restoration projects, helping students cultivate a connection to their watersheds and the ecology of their backyards. At the CA Academy of Sciences, Geoff crafts engaging and educational programs that reach more than a million people per year. He finds inspiration in the amazing story of evolution and is passionate about developing social and environmental resiliency in his neighborhood and community.

Note: Andreas Karelas, Executive Director; Polly Baranco, Solar Finance Director; and Samy Jana, Communications Director also serve on the Board of Directors.

Galen Lemei
Advisor to the Commissioner, California Energy Commission

Galen has a long history of applying his legal expertise to issues of renewable energy. He has served as Advisor to California Energy Commissioner Douglas since August 2009, after a year of service as Energy Commission staff counsel. Prior to joining the Energy Commission, Galen was a legal consultant for the Center for Resource Solutions, an environmental nonprofit advocating for renewable energy, and practiced commercial litigation with the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP.