Becky Campbell, Board President 

Becky Campbell leads External Affairs at Leeward Renewables. She was previously the Manager, Government Affairs at First Solar, a leading global solar manufacturer and developer. Becky Campbell joined First Solar in 2015 and leads the company’s U.S. state government affairs efforts. In this role she frequently crafts, advocates and testifies in support of market enabling renewable energy policies before state legislatures and local governments. She held prior roles in the company’s business development and market development teams where she advanced community solar opportunities and originated business opportunities with electric utilities. Becky also currently serves on the board of directors for the Chesapeake Solar and Storage Association and the Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association. Becky’s previous roles include positions at the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), where she was the association’s Senior Manager of Research & Advisory Services, and the Pennsylvania State Energy Office, where she designed and managed the $100 million PA Sunshine solar rebate program and supported the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority grant program. Becky has a B.S. in Environmental Systems Engineering from Penn State University and an M.S.in Environmental Engineering from Michigan Technological University. She is a licensed Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Becky resides in Pittsburgh, PA.

Andrew Baram, Board Treasurer

Andrew is the Director of Finance and Administration at South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM) where he manages the development and execution of all projects related to finance, business planning and budgeting, human resources, IT, administration, and facilities. Andrew worked for PNC Financial Servies for almost 20 years, where he held multiple positions. Andrew received his Masters in Business Administration and Bachelor of Science degrees from Penn State, and he served in the PeaceCorps in Uzbekistan. Andrew currently lives in Mt. Lebanon.

Sel Edor, Board Secretary

Sel Edor is the Market Director (Renewables) for the BAI Group, LLC. He also serves as an associate pastor and board member at his local church in State College, Pennsylvania. At BAI, Sel leads the development of renewable energy projects for local governments, non-profits, and Commercial and Industrial (C&I) clients. He also plays a critical role in the company’s utility scale solar development efforts. To date, BAI Group, LLC has originated or developed over 275 megawatts (MW) of solar. Previously, Sel led sales and marketing at Sun Directed, a residential solar design and install firm that serves Pennsylvania. Sel graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Information Science and Technology

Camila Rivera-Tinsley, Board Director

Camila is the CEO of the Women and Girls Foundation. Prior to this position, she was the Director of Education for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, and helmed the Frick Environmental Center, the first publicly owned Living Building in the United States. Before that, she worked for 14 years stewarding programming and mentoring hundreds of students and early career professionals at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education. She also helped to start a small environmental non-profit focused on people of color and used her voice to highlight the concerns of underserved populations. With an extensive background in advocacy, environmental education, horticulture, permaculture, and urban agriculture, Rivera-Tinsley serves on numerous boards and coalitions. Camila’s 20-year history of serving her community through her profession, volunteer work, and as an adviser to environmental organizations of color have formed and cemented her passion for providing opportunities to connect all people to their personal power to change the world around them for the better. Her true motivation lies in creating a more verdant and inclusive future for her 18 year-old daughter.

Lucille Olszewski, Board Director

Lucille Olszewski is the Business Development Manager for UL Solutions Renewables division where she is responsible for relationships with key accounts while identifying new opportunities and potential clients. Lucille is a renewable energy professional with over three decades of experience in the solar, storage and wind industries. Prior to joining UL Solutions, Lucille started two consulting firms in addition to being the Director of Meteorology at Edison Mission Energy, Principal Technologist at CH2M Hill and Sr. Meteorologist at Kenetech/US Windpower. Ms. Olszewski was the WoWE (predecessor to WRISE) Woman of the Year in 2013. Lucille earned her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Meteorology at The Penn State University. Lucille resides in Pittsburgh.

Gordon Manker, Board Director

Gordon Manker is the Director of Business Development at the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation (WCDC), where he leads efforts to coordinate and facilitate small business programs that support local entrepreneurs and economic growth. A dedicated advocate for community revitalization, Gordon brings a wealth of experience in both public service and business development. With nearly 30 years of honorable service in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and the U.S. Air Force Reserves, Gordon contributes valuable veterans affairs expertise to his work at WCDC. He is also a former Wilkinsburg business owner, offering a unique perspective on the needs and challenges of small business operators.Prior to his current role, Gordon worked with the Micro-Business Institute and the Environment & Energy Community Outreach Center (EECO), two impactful programs of Pittsburgh Community Services Inc., where he supported microenterprise development and sustainable community initiatives.Gordon serves on the Board of Directors of the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group (PCRG), continuing his commitment to inclusive economic development across the region. He holds the designation of Certified Economic Development Finance Professional and is also certified to teach the CORE FOUR business planning curriculum. To date, he has trained over 200 aspiring entrepreneurs in the fundamentals of small business ownership and planning.Through his leadership, training, and advocacy, Gordon remains deeply invested in building stronger, more resilient communities.

Dylan Coulter, Student Board Director

Dylan is a student at Penn State University pursuing a B.S. in Agricultural and Biorenewable Systems Management with a minor in Business and the Liberal Arts. He is actively involved in sustainability and student leadership, currently serving as a THON Donor and Alumni Engagement Captain and a Committee Director for Lion Ambassadors, Penn State’s Student Alumni Corps. For the past three years, Dylan worked with the Penn State EcoReps, where he promoted zero-waste initiatives, mentored new members, and led sustainability education efforts across campus. He has also organized high-impact fundraising events and conducted marine conservation research in Panama with The School for Field Studies. He is passionate about clean energy, environmental advocacy, and community engagement.

Alumni Board Directors

• Joy Bergey, Founding Board Director and Secretary – 2019-2021
  
• James M. (Jamie) Van Nostrand, Founding Board Director – 2019-2022
  
• Andrew Chabot, Founding Board Director and Treasurer – 2019-2023
• Anjali Ankula, Founding Student Board Director – 2020-2023
• Gina Johnson, Founding Board Director – 2019-2024
• Jeaneen Zappa, Founding Board Director – 2019-2024

Sharon Pillar
Founder and Executive Director

Sharon Pillar is the founder and executive director of the Pennsylvania Solar Center, which she started in 2018 because the state was not realizing its full potential for clean energy and there was a noticeable gap of information and organizing activity to move solar energy forward. Sharon believes that solar energy will be a major contributor to the new energy economy by creating tens of thousands of jobs in our state, and will bring billions of dollars of investment to our communities and play an important role in decreasing carbon and air pollution. Sharon also owns the Hot Earth Collaborative LLC, a consultancy she started in 2013 to advance clean energy markets that transform our communities, economy and environment. Since 2016 she has also consulted for Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) as their Pennsylvania Advocate working with businesses across the state to advocate for clean energy. During her seven years at PennFuture, Sharon served as the Project Manager for solar programs and worked as a climate change advocate. Prior to her work in clean energy, Sharon worked in the pharmaceutical research field for 15 years. Sharon holds an M.A. in Earth Literacy from St. Mary’s-of-the-Woods College in Terre Haute, IN, and a B.A. in Psychology from Mansfield State University in Mansfield, PA.

Currently lives:  Coraopolis, a walkable, main street community in western PA along the Ohio River.

Grew up:  Wellsboro, PA, in the beautiful mountains of Tioga County, PA, which instilled a love of the outdoors and community in me.

Passions in life:  Camping, hiking, kayaking, exploring Main Street towns, baking pies and poetry writing.

Favorite solar installation:  Global Links, because it was the first project we helped to go solar in 2020, and they are such an amazing organization.

Leo Kowalski
Director of Transformation

Leo Kowalski is the Director of Transformation for the Pennsylvania Solar Center, administering a variety of programs including coordinating educational outreach and leading the Galvanizing our Energy Transition (G.E.T.) Solar program. Leo spent nearly a decade working his way up through the renewable energy industry, from the quite literal dirty work of processing used vegetable oil into usable automotive fuel at the Braddock-based Fossil Free Fuels, to operating as the National Business Development Manager for national renewable energy retailer, Green Mountain Energy. He realized his passion to return to working in his community when he joined the Solar Center in 2019. Leo has a bachelor’s degree in history from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Currently lives:  Millvale, a riverfront community with a storied energy history and a vision for a sustainable future.

Grew up:  Bakerton, a tiny, rural community with no stoplights and a low three-figure population north of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Passion in life:  Homesteading on my ½ acre of sloping hilltop, mushroom-hunting, volleyball, biking, and designing board games as part of the upstart Pittsburgh design company, Tunnel Monster Collective.

Favorite solar installation:  Millvale Community Library was the first installation on which I worked in my capacity at Green Mountain Energy. Through this project, and the genuine passion of Millvale’s community leaders, I fell in love with—and moved to—the neighborhood soon thereafter.

Amelia Eggan
Assistant Director, Outreach & Strategy

Amelia is a Sr. Program Manager for the Pennsylvania Solar Center, working primarily in the G.E.T. Solar Program assisting organizations and communities with solar feasibility analyses and the PASC team with program organization and development. Amelia also leads the volunteer PA SolarCorps program that maps the solar potential of communities. Amelia has years of experience working in the sustainability community in Pittsburgh, most recently with ZeroFossil focusing on small business development and sustainable events, and an early career focus on community engagement and education development. Amelia received a BA in Applied Anthropology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and more recently a Masters of Sustainability from Chatham’s Falk School of Sustainability, focusing on sustainable community development and project management.

Certification(s): NABCEP PV Associate

 Currently lives:  Plum Borough, near Boyce Park, on the outskirts of Allegheny County

Grew up:  in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. Early childhood Penn Hills, then later Murrysville where I graduated high school.

 Passion in life: Hiking and running with my dog, kayaking, enjoying concerts and music with friends, cooking & cookouts with my family, learning about awesome sustainability projects, and making new connections!

 Favorite solar installation:  Solar powered safety lighting along a portion of the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail in Homestead, just outside of Pittsburgh. This was my first time on a large installation, and I got to spend weeks learning more about solar and battery backup systems along the river!

Alexis Takoushian
Program Manager

Certification(s): NABCEP PV Associate

Currently lives:  Lawrenceville

Grew up: West Chester, PA (Philly suburbs)

 Passion in life: Travelling, Language learning, Reading, Live Music

Catherine (Cat) Pantelas
Senior Program Manager

Catherine (Cat) is excited to be joining our team as a program manager for PA Solar Center. Cat has held a lifelong passion for nonprofit work immediately joining the Education Partnership after college where she became an integral member helping to provide school supplies and STEM learning to families and teachers in lower-income school districts.

More recently, Cat worked in corporate banking as a product owner expanding her skills in project management and technical analysis. Ultimately, Cat wanted to return this know-how to the non-profit arena where she wants to help make a difference in our community and how we think about energy. Cat strongly believes in the power of renewable energies and its impact on the betterment of everyone through climate justice in diverse communities.

Certification(s): NABCEP PV Associate

Currently Lives: Hampton, minutes away from Hartwood Acres.

 Grew Up: in the suburbs of Pittsburgh

Passions in life: Hiking with my dog, enjoying concerts, traveling with family and trying new restaurants around the city

Minette A. Beabes
Program Manager

Nick Rosen
Senior Program Coordinator

Nick joins the PA Solar Center as a program coordinator working mainly with the G.E.T. Solar program where he is excited to contribute to enabling widespread solar adoption in Pennsylvania. Most recently, Nick worked for a large technology company where he developed skills in project coordination and development in an engineering environment. Nick holds a master’s degree in natural resource management and comes from an academic background in restoration ecology and habitat management.

Currently lives: Edgewood Borough

Grew up: Outside of Boston, MA

Passion in life: Playing outside, building community, and working towards a more sustainable future

Antonetta Avila
Operations Manager

Antonetta is the Operations Manager at the Pennsylvania Solar Center. She brings experience from both the nonprofit and private sectors to support the organizational needs of PASC. With a humanistic approach, she focuses on developing processes that empower individuals and their employers.

Before joining the team, Antonetta wore many hats—both literally and figuratively. Her past roles have included operations and bookkeeping for a local enterprise managing seven businesses, building and managing AdWords campaigns for Google’s upper mass market clients, as well as leading community outreach and project management initiatives.

Antonetta holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) with a concentration in Community Organizing and Social Administration, along with a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Pittsburgh.

Communications Support:

A certified Women’s Business Enterprise, Rapport Communications specializes in helping clients find their voices and then in making them stand out above all the rest.

Since Rapport opened its doors, it has developed and directed winning public awareness campaigns for nonprofits, corporations, and political candidates across the state. Rapport’s work has helped clients win hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate contracts and government grants, as well as successfully sway public opinion, earning clients countless media placements in more than 100 different publications on the East Coast and beyond.