Advisory Council
Mr. David Cowan
David Cowan is both an academic and expert in electric and power cooperatives. In addition to his academic career as a professor of physics, David served 24 years in the rural electric cooperative business as a director of several cooperative entities. He was a member of the board of directors of Adams Electric Cooperative for 24 years and served as its president for 8 years. He was also the board president of its subsidiary holding company, AUSCO, which owned a one-third partnership in an oil and propane company. He is a past director and chairman of both the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association (PREA) and Continental Cooperative Services and was a director of Allegheny Electric Cooperative, a generation and transmission cooperative providing power to cooperatives in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
He was a professor of physics at Gettysburg College for 36 years, serving 13 years as department chairman. He continues to be a student of energy and environmental issues.
David received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Texas in Austin.
Mr. Thomas A. Hakel
Tom Hakel has been successfully founding, growing, restructuring, advising, merging and selling enterprises in the fields of telecommunications, technology, energy and financial services for more than 12 years.
Since 2003, Tom has been a consultant to PowerLight (acquired by SunPower in 2007) regarding deployments of solar systems in the wine industry. Tom has been involved in large scale solar projects with Rodney Strong, St. Francis Winery, Wine Services Coop, Tower Road and Fetzer.
Prior to his recent business roles, Tom successfully led the financing and sale of several companies, including the sale of Napa Valley Telecom to PacWest Communications (symbol: PACW) in 1999. In 1997, Tom co-founded ICN/CommSource Network Services, LLC, an owner and lessor of undersea fiber optic cable to global carriers, and sold the company in 1999 to RSL Communications (NASDAQ:RSLC).
From 1995-1996 Tom served as EVP at MTC Corporation, a telecom company with annual revenues in excess of $100 million. Prior to MTC, Tom was VP Business Development for U.S. Electricar, now Enova Systems, and President, Electricar International, a manufacturer of zero emission electric vehicles.
Tom is a graduate of Sonoma State University with a degree in Computer Science.
Mr. David Cowan
David Cowan is both an academic and expert in electric and power cooperatives. In addition to his academic career as a professor of physics, David served 24 years in the rural electric cooperative business as a director of several cooperative entities. He was a member of the board of directors of Adams Electric Cooperative for 24 years and served as its president for 8 years. He was also the board president of its subsidiary holding company, AUSCO, which owned a one-third partnership in an oil and propane company. He is a past director and chairman of both the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association (PREA) and Continental Cooperative Services and was a director of Allegheny Electric Cooperative, a generation and transmission cooperative providing power to cooperatives in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
He was a professor of physics at Gettysburg College for 36 years, serving 13 years as department chairman. He continues to be a student of energy and environmental issues.
David received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Texas in Austin.
Mr. Thomas A. Hakel
Tom Hakel has been successfully founding, growing, restructuring, advising, merging and selling enterprises in the fields of telecommunications, technology, energy and financial services for more than 12 years.
Since 2003, Tom has been a consultant to PowerLight (acquired by SunPower in 2007) regarding deployments of solar systems in the wine industry. Tom has been involved in large scale solar projects with Rodney Strong, St. Francis Winery, Wine Services Coop, Tower Road and Fetzer.
Prior to his recent business roles, Tom successfully led the financing and sale of several companies, including the sale of Napa Valley Telecom to PacWest Communications (symbol: PACW) in 1999. In 1997, Tom co-founded ICN/CommSource Network Services, LLC, an owner and lessor of undersea fiber optic cable to global carriers, and sold the company in 1999 to RSL Communications (NASDAQ:RSLC).
From 1995-1996 Tom served as EVP at MTC Corporation, a telecom company with annual revenues in excess of $100 million. Prior to MTC, Tom was VP Business Development for U.S. Electricar, now Enova Systems, and President, Electricar International, a manufacturer of zero emission electric vehicles.
Tom is a graduate of Sonoma State University with a degree in Computer Science.