Our Team

Carly Rixham is the Executive Director for American Solar Energy Society (ASES). She is the Publisher of Solar Today magazine. She received her Masters in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at University of Colorado at Boulder where she researched microalgae for the production of biofuel. While studying in Boulder, Rixham served as Director of Arts and Sciences at CU Energy. Rixham also was a microbiologist at BioVantage Resources, culturing algae for bio-remediation of nutrients in wastewater. Prior to her renewable energy career, She taught Biology and Ecology at the university and high school levels and worked in software development at Intuit. Rixham captained the University of Denver Pioneers Lacrosse team and coached for the University of Colorado (Go Buffs) Lacrosse Team. She enjoys travel, art, mountain sports, and nature.

Sarah Townes joined the ASES team in 2016 to promote solar energy and sustainability in our beautiful world, and started the Zero Emissions Network Program. Managing the finances for such a positive organization brings great job satisfaction. ASES’s large membership base and non-profit status require full accountability and transparency in all its dealings, financial and social, and it brings her pleasure to work in non-profit accounting in such a high-integrity organization. Outside of ASES, Sarah enjoys singing, teaching singing, and performing, and her latest album is available for sale on iTunes. Favorite recreation includes hiking, relaxing by the fire at the St. Julien, and having fun with her family, both immediate and extended. She finds inspiration daily in her young son and his friends.

Ella Nielsen, Programs Director at the American Solar Energy Society, is committed to assisting with the acceleration of equitable solar adoption and universal sustainable living. She has a bachelor of arts degree in environmental economics with a minor in statistics from St. Lawrence University in Upstate New York. During college, she had the opportunity to intern at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Department under the Weatherization Assistance Program. After college, she worked as a Fiber Engineer at a Telecom Communications company while also serving as the Co-Chair of their Sustainability Employee Resource Group. In her free time, she enjoys climbing, skiing, and hiking around the Rocky Mountains.

Sunshine joined ASES in 2017 and serves as Creative Director and Webmaster, ensuring brand guidelines are consistent across all marketing collateral, including Solar Today magazine and ases.org. With more than 22 years in graphic design communication, she has given a unique voice to numerous businesses through her passionate, creative design services including brand identity, print, web, and interactive.

With over 20 years of experience in business development and marketing, I have honed my skills across diverse industries including healthcare, automotive, broadcast television and also worked at 2 different advertising agencies. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications and Marketing from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.

In my free time, I enjoy music, golf, sports, and quality moments with my family, friends, and my dog, Bear. My passion for connecting people and ideas drives my professional journey, and I look forward to new opportunities to make an impact. I’m happy to be part of the ASES community.

Kathryn White joined ASES as a Sales Representative in 2026. She holds a background in Anthropology, with a focus on human ecology, and brings professional experience in User Experience Research supporting product development. Her interdisciplinary career reflects a strong interest in understanding how people, technology, and environments interact.

Kathryn is deeply passionate about renewable energy and sustainable living. Outside of work, she enjoys beekeeping and gardening, and practices natural dyeing as an artist, creating work using 100% biodegradable materials.

With over 25 years of experience spanning telecommunications and renewable energy, I have dedicated my career to navigating technical evolutions and driving sustainable growth. My professional journey began in the USMC (1989–1995), where I served during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm—an experience that forged my commitment to leadership and mission-driven work. I later earned my Bachelor’s degree in IT Management from the University of Colorado. Since 2009, I have been deeply embedded in the Colorado solar community, transitioning from a lengthy career in telecommunications to roles that prioritize our energy future. My background includes significant tenures at Solar Side Up and my current work with Go Green Electric & Solar. From my early days with Golden Earth Days to my ongoing involvement with New Energy Colorado, I have remained passionate about the intersection of technology and environmental stewardship.

Raised in the Green Mountain area of Lakewood, I am a proud local advocate for clean energy. I am thrilled to bring my background in complex systems and business development to the ASES community to help accelerate the transition to a sustainable world.

Remi Akinwonmi is a PhD Researcher at NREL and the Colorado School of Mines, where he works on long-duration energy storage (LDES) and grid integration. His research combines system level optimization with component level thermal and fluid modeling.

At ASES, Remi serves as Vice Chair of the Resource Applications Division and curates the Solar@Work newsletter, which shares news and insights across the solar community.

Outside of work, he enjoys road cycling, and LoFi music.

For the past 15 years, Jay has been writing renewable energy textbooks, teaching solar, wind and renewable energy at various colleges across the Midwest, and providing consulting and online training to the industry at solarPVtraining.com, he also hosts a number of podcasts including, Solar News Weekly (sponsored by ASES), Solar Noon Tuesdays (a weekly deep dive on solar topics) and When the BioMass hits the Wind Turbine (syndicated through the Pacifica Radio Network and co-hosted by his wife Annie).

Jay and Annie live at Blue Rock Station (www.bluerockstation.com), a sustainable living center that features the first Earthship (a 2,200 sq ft passive solar home constructed out of tires and garbage) built east of the Mississippi, many straw bale buildings, a plastic bottle greenhouse, a solar shower, gardens, milk goats, lots of summer interns, and way too many cats.  In the years since establishing Blue Rock Station, more than 40,000 people have wandered through their living rooms – drawn by the vision of a truly sustainable lifestyle.

Caroline is passionate about advancing an equitable and sustainable
energy transition through research, project development, and community
engagement. She recently earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics with a minor in Applied Sciences and Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This past summer, she worked as a Project Development Summer Associate at Apex Clean Energy, conducting a comprehensive market analysis of Oregon’s energy market and researching the growing power demand from data center development.
She has also served as Marketing Coordinator for Solar Equity, a student-run nonprofit dedicated to solarizing affordable housing.

She is eager to continue expanding her knowledge and skills in renewable energy development, policy, and community engagement.
Outside of work, Caroline enjoys playing and watching sports, going to
concerts, and discovering new restaurants.

Kai is a young professional who is passionate about transforming energy systems to enhance climate resilience and technological advancement. He recently graduated from UC Berkeley, and is now pursuing his Masters degree in Energy Systems Management at the University of San Francisco.

Kai is currently working with ASES on streamlining financial processes and securing grants for Tribal Energy Sovereignty Projects. He is driven by the mission to see energy solutions implemented equitably. Having worked on net-zero microgrid projects in Death Valley National Park, as well as building demand-management automation technologies, Kai aims to bridge the gap between technological innovation and on-the-ground execution. He finds purpose in translating complex energy challenges into tangible, community-level success stories.

Outside of work, Kai enjoys surfing, snowboarding, and hiking. He is also an avid music enjoyer, constantly seeking out concerts in his area. He’s excited to be at the forefront of the energy transition, ready to drive the next wave of sustainable improvements.