Currently, as with many non-profit start-ups, the board and staff of the SolTrekker organization are serving on a purely volunteer basis. We all have other full-time jobs to support us financially, but envision a day when the organization can include a paid staff to improve the quality of our educational material and amplify the volume of our message. Your support will help us realize that, whether it's material, service and monetary donations, website links, or just good old-fashioned positive vibes.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ty Adams: Founder, Board President
Although he didn't know it at the time, Ty began working toward the creation of SolTrekker in 2006 when he sold his house, left his desk job, bought a motorhome and started a biodiesel advocacy project called bioTrekker. The project evolved, began taking up more and more time, and branched into the non-profit organization that is now called SolTrekker.

Since creating bioTrekker and helping to start SolTrekker, Ty has been a public speaker on the topics of renewable energy and sustainability, making presentations at elementary schools, universities, music festivals, RV shows and home expos. He coordinates the organization finances, the building projects, the media and public relations efforts and carries out the events. He also helps guide the organization’s long-term vision and goals. His professional background includes 11 years of journalism experience as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor and non-fiction author. Ty pays his bills by doing what he loves, which includes writing and editing, advocating sustainability and creating anything fun or uplifting.

Secretary, Education Coordinator: Allison Hintzmann
Allison has a 10-year background in education and gift for connecting with others and motivating the unmotivated, which comes in handy as she serves as the SolTrekker liaison to educational institutions. She sets up school tours and special events for the organization. Allison was raised near Madison, Wisconsin and earned a degree in special education at the University of Wisconsin before traveling the U.S. and living in places like Alaska and Hawaii. She landed in Portland, Oregon, seduced by the beauty of the nearby coast and mountains, the thriving local music and art scene and the vibe of Portland’s lively neighborhoods.

Treasurer: Dave Bailey
Dave is an avid biker and computer genius who runs his own IT consulting business in Portland. When he's not volunteering for organizations like ours or FreeGeek, Dave can be found doing some serious cooking, tinkering with a fleet of bikes, or exploring the Pacific Northwest. He lives in Northeast Portland with his wife Amanda and their communicative dogs Steve "the chupacabra" and Zack.

Director: Adam Stadtlander
Adam's main professional focus in life is helping people restore strength and balance to their bodies as a physical therapist, but he is also a great advocate of restoring strength and balance to natural ecosystems as well as to every human community. He is the all-rounder on the team and assists with any project as needed. Adam and his wife Mindy live in Portland, where they are avid outdoor enthusiasts and can often be found hiking, running, learning to rock climb and enjoying the waterfront.

Director: SaraHope Smith
SaraHope has been a fixture in the West Coast renewable energy scene for many years and brings creativity, technical expertise and enthusiasm to SolTrekker. She is currently an Energy Analyst and Resource Conservation Manager for the Oregon Department of Energy and has been involved in making biodiesel more accessible to the public since 2000. She began with the Berkeley Biodiesel Collective; co-founded the BioFuel Oasis, one of the first B100 dedicated biodiesel stations in the country, and was a founding member of the Biodiesel Council of California. She has been a priniciple organizer for the Sustainable Biodiesel Summit for the past 4 years. She has also taught a number of biodiesel workshops and has been the subject of numerous articles, as well as a feature in the 2007 Northern California Women of Biodiesel calendar.

HIGHLIGHTED VOLUNTEERS

Renewable Technology Consultant: Joe Treiber of Think Free E, LLC
Joe is an extremely passionate and knowledgeable renewable energy advocate and is a walking renewable energy encyclopedia. We like to joke that he could walk into a conversation on any subject, from Chinese fingercuffs to sea monkeys, and find a way to integrate renewable energy.

Through his start-up company, Think Free E, Joe has donated his time and expertise to build the SolTrekker prototype. He is a big idea man, and in addition to inspiring the solar-power aspects of the organization, Joe was integral to the entire build. He continues to serve as a prodigious source for research and technical information.

In his fifties, after a life as a dairy farmer in Germany and Canada, Joe took a look at the state of the world and decided to throw the weight of his life and his career behind alternative energy. So in the last decade he has pursued an education in renewable energy. He created and organized Germany's first Ethanol Power Days Festival, converted a VW Rabbit to run on pure ethanol and has also trained as a solar water heating installer. His current business endeavor involves starting up a solar water heating company and we're hoping to convince him to become a build manager for a company that builds many more eco-RVs like the SolTrekker.

Celeste Flick
Celeste has loved RVs and motorhomes from the time she was a little girl and is so excited to be a part of the SolTrekker organization! Trained as an architect she was drawn to Portland by an interest in ecological design and spent two years working at a firm focusing on green building practices. She recently worked as an intern at a local vineyard and winery where she reconnected with a long-time love for agriculture. She is now pursuing green consulting and urban farming feeling that these are important ways we can move toward a sustainable future. Celeste loves being outside with her puppy and husband, spending time at their farm in upstate New York, and foraging for edible foods.