Southern Solar Summit Savannah - Panelists
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Training/Green Jobs 
Lester Wiggins, Department Head, Electrical Construction, Savannah Technical College
Lester Wiggins graduated from the Independent Electrical Contractors Apprentice program in 1980 and never looked back. He took the Georgia Electrical Contractors unrestricted examine in that same year and received his Georgia State license.

Since then Lester has obtained licenses in 7 other states. He began teaching apprentice program courses with Savannah Technical College while running his own business during the day. In 1986, he became an inspector for the City of Savannah and was promoted to senior electrical inspector in less than 2 years.

Lester is a member of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI), was elected Georgia Chapter Chairman where he served 2 consecutive terms (1992) and was elected to Sothern Section President in 2000, carrying 11 states.

In 1994, Lester accepted the full-time position as Department Head of Electrical Construction and Maintenance Technology program for Savannah Technical College. He implemented the Installation and Repair of Photovoltaic System courses in 2006, receiving The Creative Coast Alliance’s coveted Innovation Award in Education in 2008.

He and his wife, Barbie, have 4 children and 9 grandchildren. He is the pastor at Southland Baptist Church in Pembroke, GA and still finds time for his favorite past-time, golf!

Architecture, Built-Environment

Patrick Shay, President, Gunn Meyerhoff Shay Architects, LEED AP, AIA
As principal-in-charge, and owner of Gunn Meyerhoff Shay Architects, Patrick Shay is the design team leader on numerous commercial, institutional, governmental and recreational projects.
 
Located in the heart of Savannah’s historic district, Gunn Meyerhoff Shay does most of their work within Savannah and Chatham County.  They also work in sensitive coastal environments and historically significant places throughout Georgia. Pat’s firm recently received an award from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation for Excellence in Rehabilitation for their work on Hill Hall, the centerpiece of Savannah State University.  Above all, Gunn Meyerhoff Shay is committed to the creation of well built, meaningful buildings that people enjoy using.
 
Receiving his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania in 1976, Patrick Shay went on to study in Genoa, Italy at the Charles E. Daniel Center for Urban Design. From there, he graduated from Clemson University in 1982 with a Master of Architecture.
 
As an Associate Professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Mr. Shay taught urban design and professional office practice from 1997 to 2003. In addition to being the principal-in-charge of Gunn Meyerhoff Shay since 1995, Mr. Shay is a former member of the Historic District Board of Review, and a Chatham County Commissioner serving since 1992. As a recognized leader in Savannah’s urban future, Mr. Shay received the 1994 Citation of Excellence from the Georgia AIA for community leadership and service, and he became a LEED certified professional in 2003.
 
Mr. Shay is the upcoming Chairman of the Chatham Environmental Forum, a voting member of the Coastal Regional Metropolitan Planning Organization, and a board member of the Chatham Area Transit Authority.  Proposing to make Chatham County the “greenest county” in Georgia in 2007, Mr. Shay has been a leading force behind the Chatham County’s green movement and the development of a County-wide plan for achieving the goal. 
 
Solar PV  

Keith Freeman, Vice President/CTO, OneWorld Sustainable, NABCEP Certified PV Practitioner
As a co-founder of OneWorld Sustainable, Keith Freeman leads the organization in its advancement, adoption and installation of renewable energy technologies.  Specifically, as the organization’s North America Board of Certified Energy Practitioner (NABCEP) in Photovoltaics (PV), Keith is the liaison between the client and the installed technology. Keith has 22 years experience installing all types of Solar PV systems from residential to commercial to off-grid to utility grid-tied systems. A native of NE Alabama, Keith has a degree in Solar Technology from Red Rocks, Denver and holds a Florida Solar Contractors License.

Solar Thermal Hot Water
Tom Lane, CEO, ECS Solar Energy Systems
Tom Lane has been in solar contracting since 1977 as documented by the U.S. Department of Energy, and was inducted into the International Solar Hall of Fame in 2006.  In October 2008, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) awarded the ISPQ Independent Master Training Certification to Tom.  This was the first ISPQ Independent Master Trainer issued and directed specifically to solar thermal design, installation, solar hot water and pool heating systems.  The ECS Solar Academy offers Advanced Solar Contractor Training and is located in Gainesville, Florida.  Mr. Lane’s book, Solar Hot Water Lessons Learned 1977 to Today, is considered the bible of the solar thermal industry.  This book has been adopted by the Florida Energy Center and many Community Colleges throughout the United States.  Mr.Lane wrote the Solar Thermal Study Guide for the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners,www.nabcep.org.  He also works closely with IREC on their thermal certification programs.

Panel II Moderator

Paul Wolff, City Council Member, Tybee Island
Paul is a retired farmer and investor. His public service includes: Tybee Island city council member since 2004; Friends of Oatland Board of Directors; Groundwater Guardians; GMA Environment and Natural Resources Committee; DNR Coastal Advisory Council; Coastal E & S Oversight Committee; MPC Resource Protection Committee; Tybee Island Beach Task Force; Georgia Recycling Coalition; Tybee Arts Association; Tybee Beautification Association; Tybee Island Marine Science Center; Tybee Tourism Council. Paul earned a Bachelor's degree at Vanderbilt University.