Board of Directors

Heather Nelson

Seal Solar | Evolve Auto

Chair

Heather Nelson is co-founder and president of Seal Solar and a former corporate lender for some of the nation’s largest banks. Under her leadership, the local solar design and installation firm has completed more than 450, or approximately one in five, renewable energy projects in the state. Thanks to an innovative partnership with Evolve Auto, it is now one of the only businesses in the U.S. that is able to provide fully solar-powered ecosystems, including panels, batteries, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and EVs, in one transaction.

Heather is the incoming board chair for the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association (AAEA) and currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. She is on the AAEA Distributed Generation Task Force, Arkansas History Commission, Junior Achievement of Arkansas Board of Directors, and UA Little Rock Foundation Fund Board. She regularly travels to Haiti with the Global Orphan Project of Kansas City, Missouri. She previously served two terms on the National Board of Directors for the Arkansas Alumni Association and as president of the Sam M. Walton College of Business Alumni Society.

In 2021, she received the Business Executive of the Year Award at the Arkansas Business of the Year Awards sponsored by Arkansas Business. In 2019, she received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from her alma mater, the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business. An Arkansas native, she also holds an MBA from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Alex Ray

Vice-Chair

Chair – Membership Committee

David Stitt

The Stitt Group, Inc.

Secretary

David Stitt is President and Chief Executive Officer for The Stitt Group, Inc., in Rogers, Arkansas. The Stitt Group was founded in 1978 is a collaborative design / build firm specializing in the development of solar energy systems and high performance buildings. 

David has worked in the energy and construction industry for over 30 years and has a BA in Economics from Iowa State University.  David is married and has 2 daughters.

Lisa V. Perry

Walmart, Inc.

Treasurer

Chair – Events Committee

Lisa V. Perry is a Senior Manager, Energy Services for Walmart, Inc. As part of the utilities team, Lisa participates in regulatory utility proceedings across the United States. These proceedings include general rate cases, renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, vehicle electrification plans, and increasing customer access to competitive generation supply and wholesale electricity markets. Lisa also communicates with utility companies during and after major weather events that impact Walmart facilities.

Prior to joining Walmart, Lisa represented Walmart as outside counsel in general rate cases and renewable energy dockets before utility Commissions in Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

Lisa received from the University of Florida her law degree in 1999 and a L.L.M. in Taxation in 2000. She also completed a B.A. in Criminology and a B.A. in Psychology at the University of South Florida.

Will Black

Performance Services

Will Black, a native of Central Arkansas, is a business development manager for Performance Services, a NAESCO accredited and Arkansas qualified energy services company. Will has 20 years of experience in the design and construction industry focused on estimating, project management, and business development. Will’s industry experience includes education, industrial, healthcare, and commercial markets. Prior to joining PSI in 2019, Will was employed by CDI Contractors in Little Rock as a business development manager and was a key part of growing the company from $100 million in annual revenue in his first year to almost $300 million. He has a passion for solving problems and finding the best construction and renovation solutions for customers.
Will and his wife of 18 years have five children. He grew up raising beef cows with his parents and brother. He is a lifelong Arkansas Razorbacks fan and enjoys cheering for his kids in everything that they do. He and his family spend any free time they have outdoors hunting, fishing or floating/kayaking rivers in Arkansas.

Caleb Gorden

Shine Solar

Michael L. Hester, Ed.D.

Batesville School District

Dr. Hester was born in Morrilton, AR and graduated from Perryville High School. He earned his
bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication & Education from Mid-America Nazarene
University. He obtained a master’s degree in School Administration from the University of
Central Oklahoma and completed his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Wichita State
University. He began his educational career in Oklahoma, teaching English and speech while
coaching and owning a construction company. He returned to Kansas in 1990, where he spent
23 years as high school principal. In 2013, he became the Assistant Superintendent of
Secondary Schools with Topeka Public Schools, serving 15,000 students. In 2017, he returned
home to Arkansas as the Batesville School District Superintendent.

Dr. Hester has an innovative and visionary leader reputation. He has pioneered three 1:1 district
technology initiatives that resulted in significant student achievement. In 2014, he helped
establish the Topeka Center for Advanced Learning and Careers (TCALC), a business
partnership for high school students to enter into a career from high school. In 2018, he initiated
Arkansas’ largest energy efficiency initiative and the state’s first school district solar panel
project for Batesville School District.

Dr. Hester has published articles in the International Journal of Educational Management and
the Journal of Urban Education. He has presented to educational groups on a local, state,
national and international level. He serves as an advocate for high achievement for ALL
students. He is known as an excellent communicator. The last two decades of successful
administrative experience has allowed him to scrimmage with a wide range of legal and financial
issues that benefit Batesville School District in policy and procedural issues.

Dr. Hester has improved student progress and closed achievement gaps in rural, urban and
suburban public schools. With a variety of educational leadership, he brings innovation and
creativity to problem solving opportunities to the Batesville School District that has a rich state
history. He strives to be supportive, visible, transparent, and use common sense in the
confusing and fast-paced issues that districts face today.

He has been actively involved with his church and is involved in several community
organizations. He is the past president of Rotary, Lions Club and serves on the Chamber of
Commerce. He is visible in the community, collaborative in his work, and is highly respected by
his staff as an innovative and positive leader.

Paul Osborn, CPA, CVA

HCJ CPAs & Advisors, PLLC

Paul is diligent and proficient; his teammates appreciate him for his technical skill. He was inspired to pursue a career in accounting by his grandfather. A professional in the field since 2006, he credits his career success to a combination of a good work ethic and steady diligence.

Born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, Paul continues to reside there to this day. He loves the area for its size – small, but not too small – and its people and the southern culture. Paul and his wife, Alicia, have been married for more than a decade and have five children. In his free time, Paul can often be found exercising – he likes running and swimming best.

Amy Morris

Entergy

Amy serves as the Manager of Regulatory Affairs for Entergy Arkasnas. She has nearly a decade of experience in the natural gas industry.

Collin Riggin

EVolve Auto

Bio coming soon!

Ethan Branscum

AgHeritage

Bio coming soon!

Kyle Lockhause

Pedal Steel Solar

Bio coming soon!