VA SUN is a project of the and enjoys the full support of CPN’s talented and experienced staff. Click to learn more about CPN’s team.
Aaron serves as the VA SUN program director. He develops and manages all the Virginia co-ops, provides technical support for residents and organizations wishing to go solar, and supports policy advocacy for solar in Virginia. His experience includes project development, municipal sustainability leadership, and policy advocacy focusing on renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Aaron received a dual M.A in International Affairs and Natural Resources; specializing in International Energy Policy from American University School of International Service and United Nations University for Peace. He has published numerous articles and speaks fluent Spanish. A native of San Diego California, Aaron enjoys being on the water, playing guitar and spending time with his son Gabriel.
Anya is the Executive Director of Community Power Network, a national nonprofit that helps communities build and promote local renewable energy projects and policies. Ms. Schoolman founded the Mt Pleasant Solar Coop in 2007 with her son Walter. As President of the she led a city-wide effort in Washington, DC to make solar accessible and affordable to all residents. She has assisted more than 300 homeowners in Washington DC to go solar and has helped foster the creation of 11 sister coops that joined together to form a city-wide organization called DC Solar United Neighborhoods (DC SUN). Ms. Schoolman is also the founder of the Community Power Network, where she manages programs to promote solar and local economic development. Community Power Network is currently supporting state projects called Maryland Sun (MD-SUN), West Virginia Sun (WV-SUN) and Virginia Sun (VA-SUN), as well as policies and project models for bringing solar to low-income households. In 2009 Ms. Schoolman was honoredas the MD, DC, and VA Solar Energy Industries Association Solar Champion, as well as one of CALFinder’s . In April 2014, Ms. Schoolman was selected as one of 10 for her groundbreaking work to deploy solar in the National Capital region.
Emily Stiever, CPN’s Chief of Staff, oversees CPN’s administrative, financial, and operational activities and provides technical assistance to CPN member organizations. In her role she assists communities in developing and implementing community-based renewable energy projects and programs. She also oversees and provides cross-cutting guidance to CPN’s state programs, helping state directors streamline and scale up their impact via solar co-ops and policy advocacy. Before joining CPN, Emily worked as a renewable energy consultant specializing in solar electric and solar water heating initiatives and incentive programs. She holds a B.A. in Political Ecology from Grinnell College.
Grant Klein serves as the Program Manager for Solar Co-ops, overseeing implementation of CPN’s cross-cutting solar co-op work in DC, MD, VA, and WV. Grant works with state program directors to launch and grown new bulk purchase groups, engage installers, and track progress for each group. He has also developed and manages CPN’s Salesforce CRM platform to manage co-op participant data and communications, and is continually improving the process and design of CPN’s solar co-ops. Before joining CPN in March 2014, Grant previously interned with the organization and developed resources for CPN members on successful member organizations and policy initiatives. Grant graduated from the University of Maryland in 2013 with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy and a minor in Sustainability.
Corey focuses on building successful solar co-ops and helping as many Maryland residents as possible go solar. He has 15 years of experience in the IT industry, is a NABCEP certified NABCEP PV Installation Professional and owns his own solar PV system. Corey regularly volunteers his time toward the advancement of renewable energy adoption throughout the region. Corey is a long-time resident of the Baltimore/Washington area and graduated from Loyola University Maryland.
Karan is WV SUN’s Program Director. She works with West Virginia residents to develop solar co-ops across the state. Ireland comes to WV SUN from the West Virginia Citizen Action Group where she was Development Director. In that role, she worked to ensure all West Virginians had access to safe drinking water and took the lead in response to the 2014 Elk River Chemical Leak.
Luke Sulfridge serves as the OH SUN Program Director. Luke is a lifelong resident of the Mid-Ohio Valley and resides in Washington County. He provides support for the expansion of solar in Ohio through co-ops and policy advocacy. His prior work includes health policy, emergency management, grassroots organizing, and advocacy. Luke holds a B.A. from Berea College in Political Science, a M.S. from Eastern Kentucky University in Safety, Security and Emergency Management, and a M.A. from Appalachian State University in Political Science with a concentration in Environmental Politics and Policy Analysis.
Ben manages internal and external communications for more than a dozen active solar co-ops and for CPN’s solar advocacy work. He is an experienced solar communications professional. Ben has worked with companies throughout the solar value chain to generate attention to their product and project announcements. He has also worked with solar advocates across the county to help them educate the public about policies that allow solar energy to compete on a level playing field with other energy sources. Ben holds a B.A. degree from the George Washington University in Political Science.
Jennifer serves as the Director of Development for Community Power Network. She has more than 15 years in the Development field, having worked at both national and local nonprofits in the Washington, D.C. region. Jennifer builds relationships with CPN’s supporters and raises money to support CPN’s mission. CPN relies on the generosity of foundations, corporations and individuals to continue and build its work. Jennifer is a graduate of Lake Forest College with a degree in International Relations and has a Masters in Public Administration from American University.
Sam serves as the Program Coordinator for Solar Co-ops, aiding in Community Power Network’s implementation of solar co-ops. Sam helps state directors develop and grow existing co-ops, manage existing group members, and successfully utilize the organization’s CRM platforms and tools. Sam graduated from Boston University in 2015 with a B.A. in Environmental Science and a minor in Sustainable Energy.