staff

**timothy denherder-thomas: General manager**

Timothy is the co-founder and General Manager of Cooperative Energy Futures CEF), an energy efficiency and community-owned clean energy cooperative serving members across Minnesota since 2009. Timothy has also helped build local control over energy decision-making in Minneapolis through the Minneapolis Clean Energy Partnership as a member of the partnership’s Energy Vision Advisory Committee and supports energy democracy nationally through the People’s Solar Energy Fund and the PowerShift Network.

Charlie Rybak: Chief Operating Officer

Charlie Rybak has spent more than a decade working in growth & digital strategy for startups, clean energy companies, political organizations, and media companies. Prior to CEF, he was running a solo consulting firm and co-founded Southwest Voices, a local news publication in Minneapolis.
While he is originally from (and in love with) Minneapolis, his work experience includes stints in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. When he's not working, you can find him cooking, gardening, getting his heart broken by a myriad of Minnesota sports teams, or going on hikes with his wife, Ashley, and their dog, Larry.

Bruce konewko:
business/Marketing
director

Bruce works with our businesses and residents to help show them the financial, environmental, and long-term investment opportunities that community-owned solar projects bring them. His primary focus includes our business development & marketing of CEF’s Community Solar Garden program. This includes; project management of our solar portfolio, including; site assessment, site acquisition, 3rd party lease negotiations, permitting & zoning, and community outreach and engagement. He helps manage our cooperative partnerships with solar contractors, system designers, as well as local utility and government agencies.

Mary kay Olson:
operations/subscriptions
director

Mary Kay brings outreach and operational administration skills to her role at CEF, where she manages the overall subscription process including working with our collaborating organizations such as Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light who are assisting in securing subscribers. Mary Kay has worked in a variety of organizations, starting in affordable housing, then following the emerging green building industry into construction. She balances her CEF work currently with her work at a progressive church supporting the overall operations and facilities oversight of an historical St. Paul church campus.

**Kyle Samejima:**
Community Outreach and Engagement Team Manager

Kyle Samejima graduated from the University of MN in 2017 (on Mother’s Day with her daughter) with a degree in sustainability and communication. Since then, Kyle has worked in the renewable energy field, developing deep collaborative relationships with Twin Cities groups and organizations to address our climate crisis. She focuses on community solar as a tool for environmental justice and energy democracy. CEF gives her the opportunity to bring deeper change and build community wealth of all kinds.Kyle is originally from Philadelphia and misses the East Coast and her family. She lived in Arizona and Japan before settling in Minneapolis, where she raised her three amazing daughters. She now lives in the Northrop neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Kyle loves spending time with her granddaughter and family, gardening, reusing and repurposing everything imaginable, and being grateful for the incredible planet we live on.

pouya najmaie:
pOLICY/Regulatory
Director

Pouya studied Environmental Science (with a concentration on policy and law) at the University of Minnesota and then went on to the U of M’s Hubert H. Humphrey Institute for Public Policy where he studied Science, Technology and Environmental Policy. He leads CEF’s policy and regulatory initiatives. In this capacity Pouya deals with legislators, non-profits, regulatory bodies (like the Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Commerce), and utilities, as well as activating members and subscribers to take political/regulatory actions. Pouya is also taking the lead on development of our new website. He is also consultant regarding developing/monitoring CEF’s current and long-term financial investment opportunities.

Dan Grantier:
project develpoment Manager

Dan studied Environmental Design at the Huxley College of Western Washington University with the intention of working in sustainable building and community design. Then, through an exciting path over a couple of years, started a career in the Fire Service in Lynnwood, Washington. Anticipating an early retirement to move out to MN to be with family, Dan started studying solar PV for his second career. Once in MN, Dan started working with a local residential installer in operations and then was excited to join the CEF team in Development. In this role, Dan takes projects through interconnection, permitting, construction, energization, and ongoing operations and maintenance working with a variety of industry partners.

Allye doyle:
communications director

Allye brings her passion for communications and community engagement to her role as Communications Director at Cooperative Energy Futures. With a Journalism degree from NDSU and experience as a radio news anchor, digital producer at KARE 11, and social media and marketing in real estate, Allye leverages her expertise to expand CEF's reach and strengthen its brand. She is dedicated to connecting with more subscribers, host sites, and landowners while enhancing CEF's social media presence. Allye's eye for detail and enthusiasm for building community make her a valued member of the team.

Audrey pallmeyer:
Program developer

Audrey studied Environment and Sustainability as well as Social Work at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. She has worked in various direct service, project management, and program development roles within the nonprofit sector. Audrey joined CEF in 2024 as a Program Developer, and is excited to apply her experience and passion to the clean energy sector.
Originally from Minneapolis, Audrey has lived and worked in New York, DC, Florida, and Michigan. She currently resides in South Minneapolis, and can often be found at one of the many dog parks in Minneapolis with her dog, Noodle.

Rukia Abdi:
Outreach & Engagement Representative

Rukia Abdi serves as our Lead Outreach & Engagement Representative, bringing with her over a decade of experience in community outreach and organizing. Her journey began as a lead Community Organizer at Crossing Barriers, where she worked closely with Somali, Latino, Hmong, and Oromo communities affected by educational challenges. At Crossing Barriers, Rukia organized and led groups of students and parents, teaching them how to advocate for themselves. Later, as a Community Engagement Specialist at Grassroots Solutions, she led a statewide project supported by Minnesota Philanthropy Partners, engaging communities of various backgrounds and faiths to develop solutions for a better Minnesota. In her recent role as Employment and Engagement Coordinator at Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County, Rukia designed and facilitated community-based employment readiness workshops, empowering individuals to achieve economic growth and escape poverty through skill-building and job readiness training. Rukia's passion lies in inspiring and empowering underrepresented communities in Minnesota. She is thrilled about the opportunity to contribute to Cooperative Energy Future's (CEF) mission and make a meaningful impact on the journey towards clean, local, and community-owned energy solutions.

Bryn Shank:
outreach & engagement representative

Bryn has been a longtime member and admirer of Cooperative Energy Futures (CEF). He first heard of CEF when he was a part of Youth Environmental Activists of Minnesota (YEA!MN) in High School. YEA!MN is where he gained a passion for social justice and addressing the climate crisis. Bryn came to work at CEF after a stint at the Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) where he spent close to four years doing residential energy audits as part of the Home Energy Squad (HES). While at CEE he also gained his NABCEP PV Associate certification as a way to increase his knowledge of solar energy. Bryn is excited to bring his skills and experience to the Outreach and Engagement Representative! In this role he helps walk potential community solar subscribers through the subscription process, coordinates outreach and engagement efforts and acts as a liaison between co-op members and the rest of the staff/board. Bryn is looking forward to meeting more members and advancing CEF’s mission of energy democracy.

Sebastian Rivera:
outreach & engagement representative

Sebastian Rivera, a dynamic force of Puerto Rican and Italian heritage, is a visionary multimedia artist and dedicated community leader. With a rich background spanning eight years of local and national activism, he has championed various causes, serving as a grassroots organizer, national trainer, and legislative lobbyist.
He has worked in the energy field in diverse ways. He has participated in legislative work targeting PUC legislative impact, and has created a digital comic book informing community members about our energy systems, among other community impactful work.
Rivera's artistic journey is marked by a profound commitment to collaboration with marginalized communities, using public art as a vehicle to amplify their voices and aspirations. Through his work, he seeks to ignite critical introspection and empower individuals to harness their own potential.
Now, as the freshly appointed Outreach and Engagement Representative for CEF, Rivera is poised to leverage his expertise and passion to foster meaningful connections and drive positive change within the community.

board of directors

lisa callahan

**“Passion for Clean Energy**: As someone deeply committed to sustainable practices, I am passionate about clean energy and its potential to transform our communities. Clean energy not only mitigates environmental impact but also fosters economic growth and social equity. I am dedicated to solving climate change through hard work and innovative environmental strategies. I embrace every opportunity to shape a future that fosters beneficial relationships for all stakeholders involved. My interest in clean energy issues stems from a desire to actively contribute to this transition and advocate for policies that promote renewable energy adoption.”

Rizwan bankwala

Rizwan's professional background is in finance. His work spans a variety of industries, including project finance, commercial real estate, and valuation. He is an avid canoeist, skiier & rower. Rizwan graduated from the University of St Thomas.

mitchell rogalsky

“I first became hooked on solar in college, helping build a full sized, solar-powered electric car to race across the Australian Outback on nothing but the sun. I figured that if we could travel 2000 miles on nothing but a tiny battery and 20 feet of solar cells then I could do better with my own energy consumption. I've now fully electrified my home life, from solar on the roof to geothermal beneath our feet and electric cars in between. We've even fully converted our yard into a bee lawn, much to our neighbors' curiosity! Professionally, as an Electrical Engineer, I cut my teeth on utility-scale solar with CEF back in 2018, helping build the Faribault, Clarks Grove, and Ramp A gardens. Since then I've worked on many more solar projects across the country as well as wind farms. Today, I've refocused my efforts towards the grid, working as a Transmission Project Manager with Great River Energy. I see transmission and utility interconnections as the number one challenge to renewables over the next decade. I hope to lend my extensive design, construction and project management experience in the solar industry to CEF as we navigate the ever changing landscape of permitting, supply chain, and interconnections.”

Mary jo wiatrak

“I have been a member of CEF since 2013 and I am ready to take a more active role in the organization. CEF is a strong organization and I believe I would be a good addition to the Board in several ways. I am a longtime advocate for renewable energy and sustainability- both in my community and at the legislature. My philosophy about energy involves a framework of justice… this is important as this way of seeing allows us to go beyond the technological challenges and consider the political opportunities as well. In this way I believe it is crucial that we increase public participation in all issues of energy production and policy. This year I have been able to spend time with CEF staff from several divisions. I met with our Policy and Finance Director Pouya to shadow him at the State Capitol as he attended subcommittee hearings and discussed bills. I met with Dana to discuss the CEF Affordable Solar Program. And I met with the Outreach and Engagement Team, Kyle, Allye, Bryn, and Sebastian to discuss membership and the annual meeting. What a great group of people. Additionally, I am an attorney. My legal background and communication skills would benefit the board, especially when reviewing legal documents and statutes. I am also an advocate for democratic organizations. Cooperatives are in principle more community-centered and more economically just. Our Cooperative Energy Futures community of nearly 2,000 members is a great example of the power of cooperative principles to reshape how we think about our shared energy future.”

Holly Buchanan photo.jpg — Holly Buchanan

Holly Buchanan earned her graduate degree in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota and applied those skills to help slow and reverse the loss of biodiversity in Minnesota through land acquisition and habitat restoration. Now more than ever she intends to contribute to work that is advancing the transition to 100% renewable energy in Minnesota.
She became a member of Cooperative Energy Futures in 2014 as a participant in the Gopher Solar rooftop leasing program and joined the CEF Board in 2021. She is be proud to be part of the movement to build an inclusive, decentralized and climate-resilient renewable energy system in Minnesota.

20190808_170214~2.jpg — keith Dent

Keith works as a Solar Project Manager and has been very active in the solar industry for the past 7 years. Keith has led numerous solar PV installations, including work on several of CEF’s first rooftop community solar gardens. The gardens he’s helped bring online include; Shiloh Temple, City of Edina Public Works Building and Pax Christi Church.
Keith is also the founder of Just B Solar, a youth solar outreach and community engagement program that uses creative and interactive hands-ons sessions and field trips to help proactively teach our kids the vital importance of renewable energy in their lives. He’s dedicated to giving our children a healthier environment in which they can thrive.