Let’s talk

Parker Adams is an Interconnection Associate for Heelstone Renewable Energy, and his responsibilities include aiding in the interconnection process with all partner utilities, in addition to working with the development team in evaluating site viability. Before joining Heelstone, Mr. Adams worked as an intern with the maintenance strategy team at Oncor Electric Delivery in Fort Worth, TX, where he aided in creating models to predict multiple distribution devices’ lifespans. Mr. Adams completed his B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Cecilia de la Guardia is a Development Associate at Heelstone Renewable Energy. Her primary responsibilities include offering project support in land acquisition, due diligence, and permitting for project development. Prior to joining Heelstone, Ms. de la Guardia worked on student consulting projects with clean tech startups and conducted research on hydroelectricity and development in Paraguay. Ms. de la Guardia earned her B.S. in Economics, B.A. in Public Policy, and Certificate in Energy and the Environment from Duke University.

Rachael Hardin is the Senior Counsel for EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) for Heelstone. Her current responsibilities include providing support and legal guidance to the construction and O&M teams throughout the pre-construction, construction, and operations phases of a solar project. Prior to joining Heelstone, Rachael was in-house at a utility-scale solar EPC contractor where she managed risk and provided guidance to the execution, engineering, and environmental teams. She received her B.S. from Clemson University, cum laude, in Political Science and her J.D. from Charleston School of Law.

Nicole Nazzaro is a Development and Construction Manager for Heelstone. Her responsibilities include land acquisition, permitting, and due diligence for project development and facilitation of the build process for project construction. Prior to joining Heelstone, Ms. Nazzaro was a Project Manager for a stormwater management firm where she focused on emergency response repairs and completed project delivery. Prior to this, Ms. Nazzaro did site design as an Airport and Transportation Engineer for firms in New Hampshire and North Carolina. Ms. Nazzaro received her BS in Civil Engineering from The University of New Hampshire.

Nate T. Crowl is the Procurement Manager for Heelstone Renewable Energy. Mr. Crowl’s responsibilities include developing and maintaining supplier relationships and managing the procurement function of construction and operations. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Crowl spent 16 years in the Commercial Building Automation Industry working for a wholesale distribution firm. Over that course of time, he managed a wide variety of responsibilities which included manufacturer relationships, forecasting, and negotiations. 

Rob Aldina is the Financial Planning and Analysis Manager for Heelstone Renewable Energy, and his responsibilities include budgeting, forecasting, and review of the financial performance of the company. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Aldina worked in FP&A for Bandwidth, Inc. a technology and communications provider, as well as Carpenter Development Group, a commercial real estate developer based in Raleigh, NC and focused on the food and beverage industry. Mr. Aldina also served as the Manager of Energy Research for the NC Sustainable Energy Association, where he quantified the impact of clean energy regulations on the North Carolina’s economy. Mr. Aldina holds a Master of Accounting from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, as well as a Master of Environmental Management, with a concentration in Energy and the Environment, from the Duke University Nicolas School for the Environment.

Chance Venable is a Site Design Associate at Heelstone Renewable Energy. His responsibilities include identifying suitable locations for solar and storage projects, drafting site designs, and analyzing project feasibility throughout the development timeline. Prior to joining Heelstone, he created solar designs in the residential industry and managed a client support team for a solar design software. Chance attended North Carolina State University where he earned a B.S. in Environmental Technology & Management.

Alex Ballard is a Junior Paralegal at Heelstone. His current responsibilities include assisting the legal team with various legal matters including aspects of property financing, acquisitions, title review, and closings. Mr. Ballard has litigation experience in both family and worker’s compensation law. Mr. Ballard was a Scholar All-American swimmer who received his B.A. in Politics & Law from Lenoir-Rhyne University.

Denise Allen is the HR Admin and Office Manager at Heelstone. Her current responsibilities include assisting the Sr. VP of Human Resources with daily HR functions such as recruiting, onboarding, benefits administration, and employee relations. She also assists the Heelstone team with administrative needs. Prior to joining Heelstone, Denise was an Operations Support Supervisor with a hiring firm. She also has 10 years of experience as an Administrative Assistant.

Holly Frater is the Accounting Manager for Heelstone. Her responsibilities include the day to day accounting operations. Prior to joining Heelstone, Ms. Frater spent the last 5 years working as a contractor in various industries and filling roles such as interim Controller or Accounting Manager. Prior to her consulting roles, Ms. Frater was an Accounting Manager at Epic Games. Ms. Frater earned her B.A. in Finance from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Matt Hantzmon is Vice President of Project Finance for Heelstone Renewable Energy. His primary responsibilities include origination and execution of project financing transactions, including project debt and tax equity. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Hantzmon was an Assistant Vice President in the Infrastructure Private Equity group at GIC, where he structured and executed a variety of transactions in the infrastructure space, including within renewable energy. Prior to GIC, he was an Investment Banking Associate at Marathon Capital. Mr. Hantzmon received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University.

Kate Goodwin is a Development Associate for Heelstone Renewable Energy. Her primary responsibilities include offering project support in land acquisition, due diligence, and permitting for project development. Prior to joining Heelstone, Ms. Goodwin earned her B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in Public Policy and Renewable Energy Assessment from North Carolina State University.

Laura Haywood is a Development Associate for Heelstone. Her primary responsibilities include offering project support in land acquisition, due diligence, and entitlements for project development seeing through to construction. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mrs. Haywood held a position as a Commercial Senior Project Coordinator for a national civil engineering design firm. Later, offered project management consulting for AEC firms nationwide. More recently, Mrs. Haywood held a position as a Land Development Coordinator for a national residential lot developer, assisting in land acquisition, entitlements, legal, and construction. Mrs. Haywood earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies with a specialization in International Environment and Development from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Lisa Wharton-Ellison is a Paralegal for Heelstone. Her responsibilities include assisting in-house counsel with a variety of legal matters, including corporate matters, title review, and assisting with closings. Prior to joining Heelstone, Ms. Wharton-Ellison worked at a law firm specializing in Commercial Real Estate and Landlord/Tenant matters. She obtained her B.S. in Criminal Justice from North Carolina Central University and her A.A.S. in Paralegal Studies from Durham Technical Community College.

Kelley Traver is a Human Resource and Office Administrator with Heelstone Renewable Energy.  Ms. Traver is in charge of assisting the Sr. VP of Human Resources with daily HR functions, as well as the Heelstone team with administrative needs.  Prior to joining Heelstone, Ms. Traver was a small business owner of 6 years.  Her previous background also includes Human Resources roles at o2 Fitness and Fidelity Investments. Ms. Traver has a BA of arts in Psychology from Keene State College in New Hampshire.

Justin E. Stanton is the Asset Manager for Heelstone Renewable Energy. His primary responsibility is managing our current portfolio of operating assets.  Prior to joining Heelstone, Justin held similar roles in the renewable energy industry with Apex Clean Energy, Scout Clean Energy, and Suntribe Solar. Justin holds a B.S. from North Carolina State University and a Master of Accountancy from the University of Richmond.

Whitney St Charles is a development manager for Heelstone Renewable Energy. Prior to joining Heelstone, Ms. St Charles worked in commercial development at Grubb Properties, where she managed master planned development, placemaking and asset strategy for the company’s nationwide portfolio. Ms. St Charles has also worked in multifamily capital markets and asset management. Ms. St Charles attended the Baker Program in Real Estate at Cornell University, as well as Cornell’s Department of City and Regional Planning, from where she earned dual masters’ degrees (MSRE, MRP). Preceding her career in real estate, Ms. St Charles served as an environmental resource manager with the Peace Corps and completed two tours of AmeriCorps working with FEMA and the US Forest Service. Ms. St Charles hails from Michigan originally, where she attended undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan.

William Austin Scheffy is the Chief Investment Officer of Heelstone Renewable Energy, and his responsibilities include leading both the M&A and project finance teams. He previously served as the CFO where his responsibilities also included managing the financial, accounting, and asset management teams within the company. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Scheffy was a Vice President at Stonehenge Capital where he underwrote investments into various renewable energy technologies with a focus in solar PV. Prior to Stonehenge Capital, he was a Commercial lending Analyst with Hancock Bank. Mr. Scheffy earned his M.B.A. with a concentration in finance from the Freeman School of Business at Tulane University, and he received his B.S in Economics with Financial Applications from Southern Methodist University. Mr. Scheffy serves on the Advisory Board for the Tulane Energy Institute.

Gail Bisesi is a Paralegal for Heelstone. She assists the team with all aspects of property financings and acquisitions. Ms. Bisesi is responsible for assisting the legal team with project financing, closing management, and real estate due diligence review. Prior to joining Heelstone, Ms. Bisesi was a Paralegal at a law firm in Cleveland, Ohio which specialized in transactional commercial real estate. Ms. Bisesi received her B.S. in Business Administration from Franklin University.

Trevor Sprague is the Chief Development Officer for Heelstone Renewable Energy. Mr. Sprague’s responsibilities include all pre-construction development activities, including site control, interconnection, zoning, and power origination strategy. Mr. Sprague joined Heelstone as a Finance Manager upon graduation of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s M.B.A program, where he concentrated in both Energy and Entrepreneurship/Venture Capital. Prior to attending UNC Kenan Flagler, Mr. Sprague taught high school science in Cleveland, Ohio as a Teach for America corps member. In addition to his M.B.A, Mr. Sprague holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Georgia.

Beau Sanchez is a Technical Asset Manager for Heelstone Energy. He is responsible for reporting requirements and sourcing and managing 3rd party O&M relationships for utility-scale solar projects in the construction and operations phase nationwide. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Sanchez was a Maintenance Manager East for EcoPlexus, Inc. and was responsible for managing all field work, maintenance activities, and availability across 29 projects east of the Rocky Mtns. Prior to EcoPlexus, Mr. Sanchez was a Service Manager for Radio Communications Company.  Mr. Sanchez is a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving two deployments oversees to the Middle East, one in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and one in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Justin S. Gravatt is CEO of Heelstone Renewable Energy and he is responsible for executing the strategic objectives of the company. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Gravatt was Managing Director at Entropy Investment Management, a renewable energy development firm that sold projects upon achieving commercial operations. Prior to Entropy, Mr. Gravatt was Project Development Manager at Gemma Power Systems, an EPC firm where he was responsible for managing investments in development opportunities in order to secure construction backlog. Mr. Gravatt has also served in financial roles at the technology startup, MegaWatt Solar, as well as the venture capital firm, SJF Ventures. Mr. Gravatt received a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, from Virginia Tech and an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Tim Hayes is Vice President of Construction Management for Heelstone. He leads the Construction of utility-scale solar photovoltaic power plants that profitably generate affordable, reliable, renewable electricity from sunlight. Mr. Hayes plans and executes the build process to accomplish large, complex solar projects and their utility interconnection facilities on time and on budget while meeting the highest standards of safety, quality, and customer satisfaction. Mr. Hayes has built solar projects across North America for more than ten years. Prior to joining Heelstone he led EPC for solar and energy storage projects for Cypress Creek Renewables, Southern Current, and Powerhouse, LLC.

Shelby Lusk is a Development Manager for Heelstone Renewable Energy. Mr. Lusk’s primary responsibilities include land acquisition and entitlement for development projects. Prior to joining Heelstone, Shelby worked extensively in the Wireless Telecommunication industry for over 20 years. He was responsible for the acquisition, leasing, and zoning/permitting for telecommunication facilities and technology upgrade projects. Shelby’s past project management experience in telecommunications will help ensure the success of renewable energy projects at Heelstone Energy. Mr. Lusk earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning from East Carolina University.

Ryan P. Fish is the Finance Manager for Heelstone. Before holding this position, he was a Financial Analyst for Heelstone for two and a half years. His current responsibilities include project finance transaction execution, as well as supporting project acquisition valuation and financial modeling. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Fish worked as an intern with the development and project finance teams at PowerFlex in New York, NY where he supported distributive C&I solar origination and financial modeling. Mr. Fish completed his B.A. in Economics, magna cum laude, from Connecticut College.

Nathan Becker is Vice President of Acquisitions for Heelstone. His primary responsibilities include origination and execution of acquisition opportunities. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Becker was an Associate Director at Leyline Renewable Capital where he helped lead the structuring, underwriting and execution of development stage capital investments across solar, wind, RNG, and energy storage. Prior to Leyline, he was a member of Clearway Energy Group’s wholesale origination team and also held roles in leveraged finance at Wells Fargo and US Bank. Nathan received a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Davidson College.

Melanie Pfeifer is Corporate Counsel for Heelstone. Her responsibilities include drafting, negotiating, managing, and overseeing corporate contracts, organizational formation documents, and providing general legal support to the Heelstone team. Prior to joining Heelstone, Ms. Pfeifer also had and eleven-year career in healthcare administration prior to attending law school. Ms. Pfeifer received her B.A. in International Studies and German Studies, with honors, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her Master of International Studies from North Carolina State University, and her J.D., with honors, from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Kendall Coffman is a Development and Construction Manager for Heelstone. Her responsibilities include land acquisition, permitting, and due diligence for project development and facilitation of the build process for project construction. Prior to joining Heelstone, Ms. Coffman was a Project Manager at Clark Construction Group in San Francisco, CA where she focused on project delivery and financial management of commercial construction projects. Prior to Clark Construction, Ms. Coffman was a Civil Engineering intern for Apex Clean Energy in Charlotteville, VA. Ms. Coffman received her B.Eng. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Vanderbilt University.

Josh B. Marshall is the Vice President of Project Development for Heelstone Renewable Energy. Mr. Marshall’s primary responsibilities include land acquisition and zoning for development projects along with managing transaction diligence for project development, acquisition and financing. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Marshall worked as a commercial real estate associate for B2R Finance, a Blackstone portfolio company. Mr. Marshall earned his B.A. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Joseph “J.P.” Hackney is Senior Counsel for Development for Heelstone. Before holding this position, he served as Heelstone’s Corporate Counsel for over three years. His current responsibilities focus on providing legal guidance and leadership across the project development life cycle from market identification, to preparing and negotiating real estate documents, zoning and permitting, and other project due diligence. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Hackney was an associate at The Conner Law Group, P.C. in Savannah, Georgia where his practice focused on business litigation, Trusts & Estates planning and litigation, and municipal work. Mr. Hackney also served for six years in the Georgia Army National Guard, obtaining the rank of Captain. Mr. Hackney completed his B.A. in History, magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia and earned his J.D., from the University of Georgia School of Law where he was the recipient of the State Bar of Georgia’s Environmental Law Award.

Douglas Taylor is a Development Manager for Heelstone Renewable Energy, he joins us with a varied and seasoned background in renewables portfolio management. As a Development Manager at Heelstone, Douglas brings his expertise in the management of land acquisition, zoning and permitting for development projects, and extensive in-field knowledge of environmental regulations and sustainability to ensure success for Heelstone and its future projects. Mr. Taylor’s experience is rooted in servicing the energy and renewables sector and working closely with state and local legislators across the country. Mr. Taylor earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Catawba College.

Daniel Forndal is a Financial Analyst for Heelstone Renewable Energy, and his responsibilities include project acquisition valuation and financial modeling. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Forndal was an Associate at Santander Consumer USA where he helped manage Credit Risk across the Auto portfolio. He also led the company’s efforts in creating emissions reporting of financed assets. Daniel received his B.A in Finance from Southern Methodist University.

J. David Henderson is Sr. Vice President of Operations for Heelstone Renewable Energy. Mr. Henderson’s responsibilities include operations and technical asset management for Heelstone’s portfolio. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Henderson was an Electrical Technician for the SAS Institute and was responsible for the daily operation of company owned ground mount and rooftop solar assets. Prior to SAS Institute, Mr. Henderson was a Project Manager for Baker Renewable Energy. As Project Manager, Mr. Henderson was responsible for managing the construction process on residential, commercial, and utility scale solar arrays. Mr. Henderson received a B.S. in Business Administration from Old Dominion University.

Chris Smith is a Land Specialist for Heelstone. His primary responsibilities include land acquisition and gaining site control. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Smith worked as a Land Acquisition Specialist with another solar company for six and a half years. He was responsible for qualifying, researching, and establishing relationships with large landowners primarily in the PJM and MISO markets. Chris earned his B.S. with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NC State University.

Chris Furey is Senior Counsel, Finance for Heelstone. His responsibilities include handling legal issues and document drafting for Heelstone project financings. Prior to joining Heelstone, Chris was a Senior Associate at the law firm of Bricker & Eckler, LLP in Cleveland, OH. His practice area primarily involved energy related transactions, with a focus on solar and wind projects. Chris received his B.A. from Notre Dame College and J.D. from Capital University, where he graduated summa cum laude.

Chelsea S. Crim is the Controller for Heelstone. Her responsibilities include managing Heelstone’s accounting and financial reporting. Prior to joining Heelstone, Ms. Crim was a Controller at XPO Logistics – Supply Chain where she managed the financial reporting, internal controls, and special projects for the Accounting Department. Prior to XPO Logistics, she was a senior accountant for VP Corporation. Ms. Crim earned her Master of Accounting from the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, and she received her B.A. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Caleb R. Adcock is the Senior Development Engineer for Heelstone. His responsibilities include working with the asset management team on project performance reporting and working with the development team onsite planning and modeling potential projects. Prior to joining Heelstone Renewable Energy, Mr. Adcock worked as an engineering intern at Duke Energy’s Renewable Energy control center where he offered daily analytical support to operators, technicians, compliance managers, and performance engineers for solar and wind assets. Mr. Adcock attended the University North Carolina at Charlotte where he earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

Caleb M. Gemperlein is an Interconnection Associate for Heelstone Renewable Energy, and his responsibilities include aiding in the interconnection process with all partner utilities, in addition to working with the development team in evaluating site viability. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Gemperlein worked as an intern at NC Department of Environmental Quality where he aided in the creation of an energy toolkit for the distribution to partners of the Environmental Stewardship Initiative, automating the entire process and creating various means for a seamless distribution process. Mr. Gemperlein attended North Carolina State University where he earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering.

Andrew D. Redding, P.E. is the Vice President of Interconnection and Transmission for Heelstone Renewable Energy, and his responsibilities include managing the interconnection process with all partner utilities as well as supporting the development team in evaluating site viability. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Redding was the Renewable Program Manager and Power Quality Engineer at Nashville Electric Service, an electric utility in Nashville, TN. Before moving south, Mr. Redding was an engineer at PPL Electric Utilities in Allentown, PA where he worked on distribution planning, power quality, and reliability. Mr. Redding received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University.

Ann Tyer, SHRM-SCP is the Sr. Vice President of Human Resources for Heelstone. She is responsible for all aspects of the human resources function which include fostering culture, leadership development, talent acquisition, training and development, legal compliance, and compensation and benefits. Prior to joining Heelstone, Ms. Tyer was an HR Manager for Buehler Motor, Inc. and was responsible for everything under the human resources umbrella for the US offices. She began her HR career at Vicious Cycle Software, a startup video game development studio. Ms. Tyer received her B.S. in Business Administration from Appalachian State University.

Jennifer L. Kerrigan is General Counsel for Heelstone Renewable Energy. Ms. Kerrigan oversees and manages the legal matters of Heelstone Renewable Energy, including development, contract negotiations, M&A transactions, project finance and other corporate legal matters. Prior to joining Heelstone Renewable Energy, Ms. Kerrigan was a partner at the law firm of Blanco Tackabery & Matamoros, P.A., where she led the firm’s renewable energy practice group, which in 2015 alone, represented over 7% of the US solar market share. During her time in private practice, Ms. Kerrigan represented developers in site development and project acquisition for the majority of utility scale solar in North Carolina, where she became recognized as one of the leading site control attorneys for renewable energy projects in North Carolina. Ms. Kerrigan led the firm in renewable energy debt finance and represented developers nationwide on structured finance including state and federal tax incentives and loan programs. Ms. Kerrigan received a B.S. in Business Management from Cornell University and her J.D. from Campbell University where she graduated summa cum laude.

Benjamin Gaffney is a Financial Analyst for Heelstone. His responsibilities include project acquisition valuation and financial modeling. Prior to joining Heelstone, Mr. Gaffney was an Associate at KVLR Capital where he sourced and managed private equity deals in the healthcare industry. Mr. Gaffney earned his M.B.A. from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, and he received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University.