Solar College Initiative

Management Team Bios

JACOB TRAVIS, Founder, President (Cleveland, OH)   Jacob is the Managing Partner of SolarPro Search, a recruiting firm specializing in solar professionals.  Before turning to executive recruiting and solar energy entrepreneurship, Jacob enjoyed many years in academic research, writing, teaching and educational programming; he holds a Ph.D. from Brandeis University.  A creative visionary, natural networker and focused team-builder, Jacob seeks to contribute to the solar revolution by building the leading recruiting firm for solar professionals and by developing SolarCollege into a high-impact non-profit organization.

CHERI FASO OLF, Executive Director (Providence,  RI)   Chéri  has over 20 years of management experience in the Higher Education, Electric Power, and Technology sectors. Most recently, she served as Director of Education & International Workforce Development for the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE), where she developed and managed ACORE’s educational outreach programs, including the Higher Education Committee on Renewable Energy.     

Several years of immersion in the subjects of energy education, policy, markets, and finance has enabled Chéri to intuitively understand the challenges – and opportunities – that an organization faces when transitioning to a sustainable model.  She has been a thought-leader in the promotion of clean energy, energy efficiency, and recycling, motivated by her personal goals of empowering businesses and citizens to thrive by implementing sustainable practices.    A skilled communicator and educator, she has been recognized for her ability to cultivate strong business relationships and revenue, as much as for her convivial way of motivating and mobilizing professionals and organizations, in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors,  to achieve their fiscal goals, sustainably.   

She is an adept and engaging public speaker, lecturing frequently at colleges, universities, conferences and events.   Prior to joining ACORE, Chéri spent six years in senior management positions at Boston University, Corporate Education Center – the largest provider of corporate Technical and Project Management training in the Northeast.   As Director of Information Technology Programs, she was responsible for managing sales, marketing, technical curriculum development and deployment of more than 100 instructor-led and E-learning programs.

Ms. Olf has served on the Solar College Initiative Advisory Board since the beginning of 2009.  She is a North American Board member for 2Degrees, a U.K.-based organization guiding private and public organizations to reduce their carbon footprints and implement sustainable practices rapidly.  She is also an Advisory Board member for Volt Energy, LLC - a full-service renewable energy developer in the Southeast. 

Chéri is an active environmental and civic volunteer, serving as a committee member for her home town Recycling Commission; a volunteer for Save the Bay, a senior volunteer counselor for Sidelines.org, and Vice President of her district Little League.  She lives on the shore of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, with her husband and three children.

ERIK HAUGEN, Director of Campus Solutions (Santa Clara, CA)   Erik was a Senior Business Development Specialist at JA Solar, a China-based solar cell manufacturer before joining SolarCollege. His prior experience includes three years at PricewaterhouseCoopers in San Jose, CA, providing economic and regulatory consulting services to technology companies and two years teaching English and studying Chinese in China where, experiencing firsthand China's environmental challenges, he developed a passion for renewable energy. Erik earned a B.A. in International Economics and German Language from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX.

STEPHEN SMITH, Technical Director (Berkeley, CA)  Stephen is a seasoned Photovoltaic (PV) project developer with an uncommon blend of practical experience and knowledge that enables him to maximize value in solar energy ventures. He has installed more than 40 large scale solar PV systems, totaling more than 20MW, for a wide range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, retail chains, utilities, government entities and schools.  His project portfolio includes ground mounted 1 and 2 axis tracking systems as well as rooftop and parking area/carport applications. Stephen's core skills were honed during 6 years of developing turnkey solar electric solutions for the largest U.S. system integrator, PowerLight, now SunPower Corp., a 600% growth period for the company.  His specialties include turnkey PV/CPV system due diligence, siting, large scale PV/CPV plant development, product optimization, system level value engineering, EPC organization planning and LCOE strategies. Stephen's expertise includes emergent High Concentration Photovoltaics (HCPV) technology developed while working with SolFocus, and until recently, as Director of Project Operations for GreenVolts. He is the founder and principal consultant of Solvida Energy Consulting, serving PV industry startups, project financiers, developers, land owners and utilities. Stephen is a graduate of CSU-Humboldt where he specialized in renewable energy.
JERRY DAHLKE, Advancement Officer (San Jose, CA) Jerry has thirty years of experience in capital campaigns and major gifts.  He has conducted successful regional campaigns in Wisconsin, Portland, Oregon, and Tacoma, Washington.  Jerry's advancement work spans arts organizations, schools, religious groups, and a community development projects.  He was instrumental in the redevelopment of downtown Tacoma with such projects as the Wisconsin State History Museum, the International Glass Museum, World Trade Center-Tacoma, the Madison Art Museum and the University of Wisconsin-Tacoma. Since 2003, Jerry's work has focused on environmental organizations. he recently ran national campaigns for both the Alaska Conservation Foundation and Ocean Champions. Jerry was educated at the University of Chicago.