WASHINGTON, D.C. - Following a vote by its board of directors, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the nation’s leading solar advocacy organization, announced that Tom Starrs, Vice President of Market Strategy and Policy for SunPower Corp., has become Chair of the SEIA Board, effective immediately. Michael Maulick, President and CEO of SunLink Corp., will serve as Vice Chair.

Starrs had been serving since 2014 as the SEIA Board Vice Chair to Nat Kreamer of Spruce Finance, whose term as Board Chair expired earlier this year. Before then, he served as a Director.

“The level of experience and passion these two men bring to their careers and to SEIA’s executive committee is going to help advance our organization and the industry as a whole,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA’s president and CEO. “It’s an exciting chapter for the U.S. solar industry and on behalf of SEIA, we welcome their strong leadership and guidance.”

“Driven by dramatic cost reductions and rapid growth, solar energy is one of the fastest-growing energy sources in the U.S. and around the globe,” said Dr. Starrs.  “It is also a major contributor to economic development in the U.S., and now employs 260,000 people – more than twice the number of workers in the coal industry.  SEIA is leading the way in encouraging policymakers and the public in recognizing the importance of solar energy to the U.S. economy.  I’m delighted to be able serve SEIA as chairman of the board of directors, working with my industry colleagues to deliver the promise of a clean, reliable, and secure energy future.”

“Coming off a year of record-breaking growth, solar is now an integral part of the clean energy mix driving the national economy and job growth,” said Mr. Maulick. “Technology innovations in areas like energy storage and grid security are exciting developments that are making solar the ‘smart’ solution for utilities. I am honored to serve as vice-chairman to collaborate with the industry’s top leaders to help SEIA successfully reach its goals to ensure the continued growth of solar in the U.S. and a technologically-advanced clean energy economy.”

Bio of Tom Starrs:
Tom Starrs is SunPower Corporation’s vice president for market strategy and policy. Tom has been at SunPower since 2009. He has more than 20 years' experience in and around the solar power industry, including senior management positions with Avangrid Renewables, PPM Energy, and Schott Solar.
 
Starrs is widely recognized as a leading strategist on solar energy market assessment, business development and public policy. He has served on the boards of the American Solar Energy Society, the California Foundation on the Economy and the Environment, the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies, the Solar Alliance, the Solar Electric Power Association, the Solar Energy Industries Association, and Vote Solar.

Tom holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley's Energy and Resources Program, and a J.D. from the University of California Berkeley’s School of Law. He is based in Portland, Oregon.
 
Bio of Michael Maulick:
Michael Maulick is the President and CEO of SunLink Corporation, where he is leveraging more than four decades of technology industry expertise to facilitate the convergence of the technology and energy sectors on an international scale.

Michael’s experience includes tenures as CEO of three international technology companies, a 20-plus year career in engineering and sales executive management at IBM, and private and public board service -- most notably as Independent Director for the IPO of Rackable Systems (Nasdaq:RACK).
 

Excluding public companies, Michael has arranged almost $200M of financial backing and completed multiple M&A activities. Prior to joining SunLink, he served as Managing Director of Maulick Capital, an investment and consulting firm that he founded in January of 2009. His initial exposure to solar came as a board member for XE Solar, a concentrator and tracking company.

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About SEIA®:

Celebrating its 43rd anniversary in 2017, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry, which now employs more than 260,000 Americans. Through advocacy and education, SEIA® is building a strong solar industry to power America.  SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to build jobs and diversity, champion the use of cost-competitive solar in America, remove market barriers and educate the public on the benefits of solar energy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org.

Media Contact:

Alex Hobson, SEIA Senior Communications Manager, [email protected] (202) 556-2886