Green Consultant/Building/Renewables/Policy

TOM BENKERT

Austin/Round Rock, Texas ***** • 510-***-**** • ********@*******.***

GREEN CONSULTANT

Green Building • Renewable Energy • Entrepreneurship • Environmental Legislation

Visionary environmental professional with 20+ years of experience in directing cutting-edge green building initiatives, designing net-zero energy construction and solar photovoltaic systems, and managing sustainable projects for a variety of clients. Extensive background in environmental litigation, toxic site clean-up, regulatory compliance, and environmental legislation, with proven skills in research and analysis. Adept at communicating complex technical information to nontechnical audiences. Expertise in renewable resources including wind, solar, water, and land; committed to leveraging environmental background and passion for renewable energy, efficiency, resource conservation, and green building to drive green-sector business growth.

KEY SKILLS

•Sustainable Building

•Energy Efficiency Improvement

•Entrepreneurship

•Stakeholder Buy-In

•Competitive Intelligence

•Research & Analysis

•International Business

•Project Management

•Team-Building

•Relationship Management

•Negotiations

•Risk Management

EXPERIENCE AND ACHIEVEMENTS

SUN’S LANDING BUILDING / SUN’S LANDING SOLAR, Austin and Round Rock, Texas • 2005-2009

A green building firm dedicated to creating attractive properties with net-zero energy consumption. Sun’s Landing Solar provides solar power system design and installation services.

Green Builder / Owner / Project & Risk Manager – Sun’s Landing Building (2005-2009)

Built company from ground up. Planned development of high-end 40-acre subdivision and secured buy-in from community stakeholders, contractors, architects, and suppliers. Designed 2 LEED homes for resort/golf planned community. Liaised with visionary developers to create concept of luxurious, sustainable homes with net-zero energy consumption; idea achieved broad media attention.

•Designed homes to optimize seasonal sunshine, with galvalume metal roof. Planned to leverage cutting-edge building techniques to slash energy consumption, utilizing super-insulated walls and roof, double-pane low U factor windows, and efficient lighting and AC/heating.

•Completed building of Energy Star Five Star Rated speculative home (2.4K+ sq. ft., two stories).

Owner / Principal – Sun’s Landing Solar (2007-2009)

Supported clients in designing and installing solar PV panel arrays; assisted architects, builders, designers, and property owners in creating efficient, economical power solutions. Assessed feasibility; oversaw pre-construction and installation for grid & tied systems. Sold PV thin-film laminate products and traditional crystalline PV systems.

•Established $800K sales pipeline months after launch.

•Selected as design team member for multiple planned projects: a 60K sq. ft. net-zero storage facility, common facilities for golf course, and multiple waterfront condos.

LARSON & KING (Now Barber Law Group), San Francisco, California • 2003-2005

A provider of insurance coverage counsel services relating to environmental claims and technology.

Environmental Litigation Paralegal / Forensic Cost Accountant

Played key role in complex litigation with multiple parties and insurance carriers by conducting forensic costing analysis, creating costing allocation and contribution models, and researching business cases. Cases involved environmental clean-up, breach of contract, patent infringement, and business interruption.

•Contributed to reducing plaintiff’s claim from $7M to $330K and winning $6M credit in environmental clean-up dispute by developing effective strategies and conducting costing analysis.

•Achieved $130K reimbursement in overcharges for client in insurance defense fee billing dispute for remediation of toxic lead site contamination at law enforcement gun range.

•Identified $16.8M in recoverable costs for client in patent infringement case.

RYAN & LIFTER, Oakland, California • 2001-2003

An insurance defense firm specializing in construction defect, architect liability, and personal injury.

Paralegal

Performed research and analysis, cost accounting, and risk mitigation for a variety of clients. Conducted discovery for claims and litigation; contributed to trial preparation.

•Demonstrated that wetlands-designated areas were improperly documented by conducting research and analysis; recaptured land for client’s use.

•Played key role in settling liability case regarding water damage and air quality in UCSF Humanities building by analyzing 500K+ pages of documentation to identify critical information.

WASHBURN BRISCOE & MCCARTHY, San Francisco, California • 1996-2000

A top-tier environmental and natural resources law firm.

Business and Project Consultant / Paralegal Contractor

Played key role in client initiatives in business management and civil litigation in areas including regulatory compliance, wind power, solid waste disposal, and industrial waste. Conducted business analysis and managed projects; rapidly assessed complex information, defined strategies, and developed client recommendations.

•Contributed to developing Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan for 2K-acre facility by auditing regulatory compliance and permitting for Port of Oakland, California maritime, and airport facilities.

•Led cross-functional litigation team in researching wind park operations to defend CA Dept. of Water Resources in breach of contract action regarding 30-year power purchase agreement from Altamont Pass-based wind-energy operations; slashed $54M demand to $0 and eliminated liability.

•Achieved $2M charge reduction and won $300K in fund contributions by analyzing 3rd-party environmental remediation administration fund for industrial waste contamination site clean-up costs.

OTHER: Consultant/Marketing Analyst at King-Esparza Communication; Marketing Manager/Competitive Analyst at Oasys Networks; Senior Experienced Consultant at Arthur Andersen; and U.S. Senate Staff.

EDUCATION / PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

MBA, Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management / BA, Western Washington University

In Progress:

LEED Green Associate Certification

LEED Accredited Professional in New Construction & Major Renovation

N.A. Board of Certified Practitioners (NABCEP) Certificate of Knowledge / PV Installer Certification

Project Management Institute – Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification

International Intellectual Property Seminar • Storm Water Pollution Prevention, Planning, & Compliance

Austin Energy Seminars: Green Building & Solar in Green Building • Texas State Capitol Solar Forum

Member: Builders Industry Association / National Association of Home Builders,

American Solar Energy Society, Environmental Texas, Texas Green Network

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