Board of Directors
Our Executive Director and Board of Directors come from a wide range of professional backgrounds. We all share a common vision of communities around the world using energy wisely, and ensuring for themselves a healthier economy, cleaner environment, and improved energy security.
Executive Director
Joe Deets has over twenty five years of finance and investment experience from private industry and government in the Pacific Northwest region as well as in Asia. Concerned about climate change and its effect on ecosystems and communities, he is using his experience to create practical solutions to encourage changes in behavior. He is a co-founder of Community Energy Solutions and has been active in community outreach on renewable energy and energy efficiency. He holds a B.S. degree in Finance from the University of Montana, and an M.B.A. from Seattle University. He also holds an M.A. in Environment & Community from Antioch University Seattle, where his studies focused on how to increase renewable energy utilization at the community level.
President
Tammy Deets ran an international marketing business in Hong Kong for many years. She helped Fortune 500 companies and small businesses to open new markets and expand their market share in China. Inspired after observing Tibetan nomads utilize solar panels to generate electricity and yak dung (biomass) for heating and cooking, she came to realize that the solutions to the new century’s energy dilemma lie within every community. She has since been an active advocate in sustainable energy practices, as well as a co-founder of Community Energy Solutions. Tammy holds a B.A. in Accounting and an M.B.A., both from Seattle University and two Graduate Certificates from Antioch University Seattle; Ecological Planning & Design and Integrated Skills for Sustainable Change. She is also a Certified Sustainable Building Advisor.
Vice-President
Todd Erler is a 5th grade teacher at Sakai Intermediate School on Bainbridge Island. He has been a teacher for 10 years. Previous to working in the classroom, Todd was an environmental educator and wilderness trip leader. He has been concerned with global warming, and negative human impacts on the environment since being introduced to the concept by his 6th grade teacher when he was 11 years old. Todd believes that the power to change the world comes from education.
Michael Lichtenberger is a Renewable Energy Consultant and marketing associate for SunWind Concepts, a Washington state renewable energy sales and installation company. He holds an MBA in Sustainable Business from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, and a BA in Television and Film production from Point Park University. His previous board experience was an elected position at Pittsburg Filmmakers, a multi-million dollar media arts center.
Kol Medina is the Executive Director of the West Sound Wildlife Shelter, an attorney, and a life-long environmental enthusiast. During his four years as Executive Director of West Sound Wildlife Shelter he has overseen the substantial expansion of the Shelter’s wildlife hospital, staff, and education services. During this time he has also continued his law practice and has 
served on numerous boards including the Association of Bainbridge Communities, the West Sound Wildlife Shelter, One Call for All, and the National Association of Environmental Law Societies. From 1996-1998, Kol and his wife, Elsa, served as Peace Corps Volunteers in West Africa, managing a forest valuation project, a livestock valuation project and designing an educational children’s bird book. Kol obtained his BA in Environmental Studies at Carleton College and his law degree at Stanford Law School.
Ryan Vancil is the owner of Vancil Law Offices PLLC. He is dedicated to the development of sustainable communities and to the conservation of the natural 
environment. His professional experience emphasizes land use and environmental litigation on behalf of citizen groups, individuals, and environmental organizations. He has represented clients in cases involving a variety of courts and hearing boards in many county and local municipal jurisdictions across Washington State. In addition to Community Energy Solutions, Ryan is a strong advocate for local agriculture.
Debbi Lester is publisher and Editor in Chief of Arts Access, which presents original art, poetry, reviews and literature. By presenting a timely, inclusive and comprehensive guide to local arts events, reproducing artworks by regional and national artists, and highlighting local business through their advertisements, Debbi’s work promotes both the arts and the community.
Advisory Committee Members
Stephen Douglas, PhD, is a retired physics and chemistry teacher, with many years of consulting and independent scientific research. In 2007 he designed and installed a 1 kilowatt photovoltaic system with battery back-up for use at his home. Stephen received his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of California at Davis, and his BA in Life Sciences from Cal State University.
Hilary Franz is a Bainbridge Island City Council member and an environmental land use attorney. She represents local governments, non-profit organizations, and citizens on a broad range of real estate, land use and environmental law issues, including the Growth Management, Shoreline Management, Endangered Species, and State Environmental Policy Acts. She has also worked with local jurisdictions and the state, developing legislation and policies involving climate change, growth management, shoreline management, natural resource lands, transportation and affordable housing. She currently sits on the Washington State Climate Action Team SEPA, IWG and on the board for the Washington Environmental Councils. She lives with her husband and three boys in an old historical farm on Bainbridge Island.
Gary Nystedt has been Resource Manager since 1990 for the City of Ellensburg, Washington. Gary is responsible for managing the municipal utility’s Conservation & Renewable Programs. To date, he has completed over $16 million in conservation projects. In November 2006, he led the completion of Phase I of the nation’s first community solar project, a 36 kilowatt photovoltaic system visible along Interstate 90. Efforts to complete Phase II of the project are currently underway, with the goal to double its size.
Kathleen O'Brien is founder and president of O'Brien & Company, a nationally recognized leader in sustainable design-build consulting, education, and research. She organized the first regional conference in the Northwest for the green building industry and has worked with local chapters of the National Association of Home Builders to develop award-winning green building programs. Her own green home has achieved the highest rating in Built Green, won the Parade of Homes Environmental Achievement Award, and has been featured on Home and Garden TV. She has published more than 100 articles including features in the Journal of Light Construction, Environmental Building News, Construction Data, and Building with Nature. Her first book, The Northwest Green Home Primer, was released this year.
Alice Ostdiek is a partner with the law firm of Foster Pepper PLLC in Seattle. In her municipal and public finance practice, she serves as bond counsel and special counsel to municipalities and other government agencies throughout the State of Washington. Her practice particularly focuses on advice regarding revenue sources and structuring public-private partnerships. She works with municipal clients to address climate change issues and has advised on green building, wind power and other renewable energy projects. She is active on Foster Pepper's Green Committee and its Pro Bono Committee, and regularly provides pro bono legal services to organizations such as the Northwest Women's Law Center and Washington Appleseed. Alice holds a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law, an M.P.A. from the UW's Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs and a B.A. from Grinnell College.
Jonathan Scherch, PhD has served as Core Faculty within the Center for Creative Change (C3) at Antioch University Seattle. His teaching, research and consulting includes themes of social work and sustainable living innovations, environmental education and leadership, organizational development and community readiness for climate change and peak/post-petroleum futures, international bamboo cultures and integrated resource "guild" cooperatives. In 2006/07, he completed a sabbatical as Visiting Foreign Faculty at Zheijiang Forestry University in Linan County, China. He taught graduate courses on themes of sustainable community development, ecological design and pursuing collaborative, funded research on social, economic and environmental contexts of sustainable bamboo resource systems.
