Ellen Benoit, Secretary, is a research sociologist with National Development and Research Institutes in New York, NY. Her research focuses on social policies related to public health and social control, particularly concerning poverty and substance abuse. Before joining NDRI, she taught sociology for a number of years at Sarah Lawrence College and at New York University. Dr. Benoit is also a former freelance writer and editor who specialized in health, population, and financial issues. Among other things, she covered the pharmaceutical and forest-products industries, as well as reproductive health in developing countries for a variety of clients, including national business magazines and international family planning organizations.

Philip Covell, Treasurer joined the staff of Enersol, Inc. in 1986 to help coordinate the Solar-Based Rural Electrification Program in the Dominican Republic. In 1991, he was elected to the Board of Directors. From 1992 to 1994, he served as International Program Coordinator in Honduras. Upon completing his Masters in Business Administration in 1997, he returned to Enersol as Chief Financial Officer, shortly thereafter he assumed the position of Executive Director, which he held until January 2000. Currently, he works with Global Transition Consultants, Inc (GTC), as an advisor to the Solar Development Group.

Richard D. Hansen, Board President and is President of Soluz, Inc., a business and technology development company commercializing photovoltaics for rural energy delivery that he founded in 1993.  He has over 15 years experience in the application of PV technology for rural electrification in developing countries, and 25 years in the energy sector.  Mr. Hansen began his energy career as an engineer and manager at Westinghouse Electric Corporation.  Following research into renewable energy, Mr. Hansen founded Enersol in 1984, and served as its Executive Director until 1997.  Also in the mid-80’s, he launched a PV sales and service company in the Dominican Republic that served as a model for enterprise development and rural energy supply.  Mr. Hansen is widely recognized for his leadership in the field of solar electrification, including being named as one of two World Economic Forum 2003 Technology Pioneers.

Dr. José G. Martín has over thirty years international experience as an educator – he held the Organization of American States Professorship in Nuclear Engineering at the Instituto Politecnico Nacional in Mexico and the Fulbright Visiting Professorship at the Centro de Ecologia of the Universidade Federale do Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil.  He has served as Visiting Professor in sustainable energy in Brazil, Chile, Austria, Italy, and Mexico.  He served as Chief Evaluator for the International Energy Agency Small Solar Power Systems in Spain, and as consultant in advanced power systems for several national laboratories.  Before joining the University of Texas at Brownsville as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, he served in the faculty of the University of Massachusetts in Lowell.  He now holds the Houston Endowment Chair for Science and Technology at the University of Texas.  He has participated in the writing of more than 100 publications, in fields ranging from engineering physics to advanced power systems and sustainable development.

André Verani was Executive Director of Enersol from January 2000 until May 2002. Prior to his work with Enersol, Mr. Verani was Regional Director for South America, Amigos de las Americas. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan in Political Science, and is currently attending New York University Law School.