Our Team

Steve Raeder is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Summit Ridge Energy, the nation’s leading commercial solar company. As head of Summit Ridge’s Executive Committee and Chairman of the Board, Steve sets the vision for the organization, directing strategic operations as well as driving the development and execution of the company’s revenue generation strategies. Prior to launching Summit Ridge in 2017, Steve served in multiple roles at SunEdison including Managing Director of Sales and General Manager of its East Coast C&I business unit where his teams developed hundreds of MWs across multiple solar markets, including pioneering work with off-site “virtual” systems that transformed the company’s business model. Steve holds a B.A. in History and Business Administration from Gettysburg College.

Mark Raeder was a visionary leader and Co-founder (1979-2025) of Summit Ridge Energy, known for his profound influence on the solar industry and his steadfast commitment to expanding energy access. Mark passed away on March 25, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of leadership, kindness, and innovation that continues to guide the Summit Ridge team. 

 After starting his career as a financial advisor, Mark followed his passion for energy and co-founded his first company with his brother, Steve Raeder, in 2008. That venture laid the foundation for Summit Ridge Energy, where Mark helped shape the Illinois solar market and played a leading role in advancing key legislation like the 2016 Future Energy Jobs Act, which established the landmark Illinois Shines program. 

 Mark’s impact extended far beyond policy and project development. He was a thoughtful mentor who championed access and opportunity, including helping launch Summit Ridge’s partnership with the 548 Foundation’s Clean Energy Training Program—creating new pathways for aspiring solar professionals from underserved communities. 

 Mark will be remembered not only for his contributions to the industry, but also for his character—humble, quick-witted, generous, and deeply committed to fairness and community. His legacy lives on through the work of Summit Ridge Energy, the many lives he influenced, and the charitable foundation established in his name. 

Read more about Mark: 

• Solar Powers Illinois: Faces of Solar – Mark Raeder, Founding Principal, Summit Ridge Energy 

• Chicago Tribune: Mark Raeder, Obituary 

 

Brian Dunn is a co-founder of Summit Ridge Energy and serves as the company’s President and Chief Operating Officer. A member of the company’s Board and Executive Committee, Brian is responsible for all of Summit Ridge’s financial and operational execution, including accounting, corporate finance, project finance, project construction and asset management. Prior to Summit Ridge, he served as Vice President at Hunt Alternative Energy Investments, the energy investment subsidiary of Texas-based Hunt Companies. Previously, he developed and financed clean energy projects for a private equity manager and held senior associate and analyst positions at JPMorgan and American Express. Brian received his B.A. from Bowdoin College in Economics and Government & Legal Studies.

Adam Kuehne is the Chief Investment Officer for Summit Ridge Energy. A member of the company’s Executive Committee, Adam leads origination, negotiation and execution of Summit Ridge’s capital formation efforts and oversees asset management. He previously led capital markets for TerraForm Power and TerraForm Global, where he raised over $14 billion of capital, and oversaw financing, M&A and operational activities of the companies’ 4 GW solar and wind portfolio. Previously, Adam was an investment banker in the Leveraged Finance group of Barclays Capital. He began his career as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving as a submarine nuclear engineer, intelligence analyst and electronic warfare officer in Iraq. Adam holds a B.S. in Systems Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, an M.S. in Engineering from The Catholic University of America and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.

Mike Dillon serves as Executive Vice President of Operations for Summit Ridge Energy. A member of the company’s Executive Committee, Mike oversees all project operations ensuring the high-quality execution of our systems from early-stage engineering through final completion. With more than a dozen years of experience in energy, he has successfully managed and delivered many large-scale and complex projects across the country. Prior to joining Summit Ridge, he served as Director of Operations for CS Energy and led the Aftermarket Division for the Hamon Group. Mike graduated Summa Cum Laude from New England College with a bachelor’s degree in business and computer information systems. He also earned a master certificate in organizational leadership from Villanova University and is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Jarryd Commerford is a co-founder of Summit Ridge Energy and serves as Principal focusing on project acquisitions. Prior to Summit Ridge, Jarryd held various business development positions at SunEdison, where he executed over 100MW of Power Purchase Agreements in Massachusetts and acquired multiple large project portfolios. Previously, Jarryd worked in the electric vehicle industry in Europe and North America. Jarryd holds an MSc in Sustainable Energy & Entrepreneurship from the University of Nottingham in the UK and a B.A. in International Affairs and Geography from The George Washington University.

Tyler Holden is a co-founder of Summit Ridge Energy and serves as Principal and Chief Data Officer. Tyler directs Summit Ridge’s achievement of a sustainable growth strategy by focusing on cross-functional alignment of teams across project financial closings, risk management, and tools and processes. Prior to Summit Ridge, he worked at SunEdison where he supported the company’s East Coast commercial business unit as Chief of Staff to its General Manager. Tyler earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Morehead-Cain Scholar and minored in Chinese Languages.

Matthew Dickey serves as Senior Vice President of Corporate Administration for Summit Ridge Energy. A member of the company’s Executive Committee, Matthew executes all back-office support including Human Resources, Marketing, Information Technology and other administrative functions. Prior to joining Summit Ridge, Matthew created and led Business Development teams at SunEdison and Johnson Controls, where he led the Asia Pacific sales organization and other business leadership roles. Matthew holds a B.S. in Business Administration, with a focus on Industrial Distribution Management from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Barrett LaChance serves as Senior Vice President of Development at Summit Ridge Energy. A member of the company’s Executive Committee, Barrett is primarily responsible for overseeing all project development efforts, including new project origination and all project analysis. Prior to Summit Ridge, Barrett worked at Enfinity Global in Tokyo where he originated and structured over $1.5b in debt and equity financings for utility scale solar projects in Japan. Previously, he served in roles with renewable energy leaders such as EverStream Capital Management, NextEra and SunEdison. Barrett holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in chemistry from Princeton University. 

Brian Taylor serves as Senior Vice President of Business Development at Summit Ridge Energy. A member of the company’s Executive Committee, he leads Summit Ridge’s business development efforts and drives its strategy for unlocking new markets. Prior to joining Summit Ridge, Brian spent nearly a decade at ForeFront Power, where he built and led the company’s national commercial solar and storage sales practice, overseeing more than $1 billion in projects sold. He later established and led the company’s fleet electrification business, expanding its offerings to new customer segments. Brian began his career on Wall Street, building a decade of experience in infrastructure finance and credit. He holds a B.A. in Economics and Environmental Studies from the College of the Holy Cross and has passed all three levels of the CFA Program.

Brian Zalewski serves as Chief Accounting Officer for Summit Ridge Energy. He is responsible for accounting, tax and financial reporting operations across Summit Ridge and our affiliated joint venture funds. He also led the implementation of a new ERP general ledger system at Summit Ridge, consolidating all of its accounting, budgeting and reporting processes under a uniform system for the company and managed joint venture funds. Prior to joining Summit Ridge, Brian was a Senior Accounting Manager at TerraForm Power, overseeing acquisitions and technical accounting where he also led the implementations for the new revenue recognition and lease accounting standards. Previously, Brian spent seven years working at KPMG LLP where he focused on mergers & acquisition advisory and audit. Brian graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration from James Madison University with degrees in Accounting and Finance.

Matt Vitorla serves as General Counsel for Summit Ridge Energy. He advises all business units on a variety of corporate transactions, focusing on debt and tax equity financing, as well as various project development, regulatory and other legal matters. Matt started his legal career as an associate in Skadden’s global energy and infrastructure projects group in Washington, DC, where he represented major renewables developers and sponsors on a range of complex M&A, finance and corporate transactions. Prior to joining Summit Ridge, he was a senior associate in Willkie’s energy, finance and Latin America practices. Matt graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in economics and linguistics and earned his law degree from The University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Tim Barry serves as Senior Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis for Summit Ridge Energy. In this role, Tim oversees the planning, budgeting and forecasting for the organization including all projects under construction and development. Additionally, he serves as a consultant to the CFO/COO in making long-term financial decisions for the organization and helps manage investor and board communications. Tim has been in the energy sector for more than ten years. Previously, he held positions in the finance departments at MN8 Energy (previously Goldman Sachs Renewable Power) and Sol Systems. Tim holds an MBA from the University of Maryland and a B.S. in Finance from Providence College.

Garren Bisschoff serves as Senior Vice President of Business Development at Summit Ridge Energy, responsible for generating new business. Hailing from South Africa, he is now a proud American Citizen. Previously, he worked in various roles across the solar industry, including SunEdison, IGS Solar, PV Pros and Mgwezi Consultants. Garren has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Johannesburg to complement his 15 years of experience in the solar industry.

Nate Greenberg serves as Vice President of Business Development for Summit Ridge Energy, where he oversees the company’s rooftop solar leasing program. After spending 12 years in solar business development and 8 years prior in a variety of commercial real estate roles, Nate combined his two careers to lease and develop commercial-scale solar projects on industrial and shopping center roofs nationwide. Prior to joining Summit Ridge, he worked at Washington Gas Energy Systems, Jones Lang LaSalle and Akridge, among other firms. Nate holds an MBA from George Washington University and a B.S. in Statistics from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor.

Kathryn Alexander serves as Vice President of Human Resources for Summit Ridge Energy. Kathryn is responsible for partnering with the executive leadership to develop and execute human resource practices that align with the strategic business needs of the organization. She leads all aspects of human resources including workforce planning, talent management, employee relations, benefits management, compensation planning and compliance. Prior to joining Summit Ridge, she worked for CBG Building Company, where she managed the HR function in support of a U.S. top ten multi-family builder. Kathryn has a B.A. in English from The George Washington University and is a SHRM-certified professional. 

Steve Bilheimer serves as Vice President of Pre-Construction for Summit Ridge Energy. Steve oversees the EPC selection and negotiation process and coordinates closely with the Summit Ridge development, engineering and procurement teams to ensure projects are ready to start construction. Steve has prior experience at First Solar, PSEG and Goldman Sachs/MN8, serving as their first hire for solar development. Steve graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and holds an MBA from Fordham University.

Christian Brown serves as Vice President of Marketing and Federal Services at Summit Ridge Energy. With over 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, and federal contracting, Christian leads the company's Federal Services organization, focusing on providing secure clean energy solutions for the Department of Defense and civilian agencies. His extensive background includes key roles in the MCI/Verizon Federal Services organization and leadership positions delivering secure, compliant solutions across highly regulated markets. Christian's expertise in strategic planning and implementing complex solutions is instrumental to Summit Ridge Energy expanding its presence in the government sector. In addition to his federal market focus, he oversees corporate marketing, communications, and public relations efforts, playing a crucial role in driving new business revenue and enhancing its visibility in the renewable energy industry.

As Vice President of Project Development at Summit Ridge Energy, Brent leads a team focused on solar and battery storage projects and manages due diligence on solar portfolio acquisitions. Since starting in the commercial power industry in 2007, he has dedicated more than ten years to the design, development and construction of utility and distribution level solar power plants across the United States. Prior to Summit Ridge, Brent was a Project Development Manager with ENGIE Distributed Renewables and a Project Engineer with First Solar. Brent holds a P.S.M. in Solar Energy Engineering and Commercialization from Arizona State University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Bridget serves as Vice President of Project Development at Summit Ridge Energy, where she leads early-stage greenfield development efforts in the Midwest with a focus on community solar projects. She joined the solar industry in 2013 and has held a range of roles, beginning with solar renewable energy credit (SREC) operations and later transitioning into commercial and industrial development. Bridget holds a B.A. from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. She is an alumna of the Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) Fellowship and the Financing and Deploying Clean Energy program with the Yale Center for Business and the Environment. She also holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification with the Project Management Institute. 

Jake Compton serves as Vice President of Project Finance for Summit Ridge Energy. Since joining the company in 2022, Jake has led efforts in structuring, negotiating, and closing over $1.5B in project capital. Jake manages fundraising efforts across the capital stack, including sponsor equity, tax equity, construction debt, and term debt. Prior to Summit Ridge, Jake served as the sales and strategy leader for Marsh’s US Power & Renewables practice. Jake has more than 10 years of experience in energy and power, starting as a nuclear submarine officer on the USS Alexandria (SSN-757). He holds a B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.

Alec Droussiotis serves as Vice President of Project Management. With a keen focus on efficiency and quality, Alec ensures that projects are constructed within specification, budget and schedule, while prioritizing safety in every step of the process. He has managed the construction of commercial and utility scale projects across the U.S. totaling more than 2 GW of solar and 1 GW-hr of energy storage. Prior to Summit Ridge, he held key positions at Goldman Sachs and CS Energy, executing projects as a contractor and owner-operator. Alec graduated valedictorian with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from The Catholic University of America and is a NABCEP PV Installation Professional.

Leslie Elder serves as Vice President of Policy and Regulatory Affairs for Summit Ridge Energy. In this role, Leslie drives the company’s strategic efforts to engage federal and state governments. With more than fifteen years of regulatory and campaign work, most recently as Director of the MidAtlantic Region for CCSA (Coalition for Community Solar Access), she educates leaders on the economic and social benefits of community solar energy and energy storage. She held prior leadership roles as Executive Director at the Pennsylvania Solar PAC and as Director at the Energy Foundation. Leslie holds an M.C. in Women in Leadership from Cornell University and an M.S. in Community Nutrition from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She has a B.S. from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Amy Fox serves as Vice President of Real Estate Services at Summit Ridge Energy. With over 35 years of experience in the real estate industry, Amy leads all aspects of real estate strategy across the project lifecycle, including site analysis, risk assessment, and issue resolution. Prior to joining Summit Ridge, Amy conducted commercial real estate due diligence at Dickinson Wright PLLC and managed escrow operations and a construction department at First American Title Insurance Company. Amy attended Michigan State University.

Matt Gabor serves as Vice President of Engineering for Summit Ridge Energy. In this role, he oversees all Engineering activities from early-stage design to commercial operation, ensuring quality and best practices within Summit Ridge’s solar and storage portfolio. His team evaluates new equipment and methodologies to remain on the cutting edge and keep up with industry trends. Prior to joining Summit Ridge, Matt served as a Vice President at BlackRock-owned DSD Renewables, where he built engineering teams that executed nearly 100 C&I and Community Solar projects. Matt earned his Professional Engineer license in 2019 and holds a B.S. in Applied Sciences in Engineering from Rutgers University. 

Wes Homeyer serves as Vice President of Land Services at Summit Ridge Energy, where he oversees all aspects of land acquisition, due diligence, strategy and internal process implementation with respect to the company’s self-development strategy. Wes has been in the energy industry with a focus on land for more than 13 years, successfully building numerous portfolios. Prior to Summit Ridge, he was the Manager of Land Services at Grasshopper Energy and was the head of land acquisition in the ERCOT and MISO territories at Broad Reach Power. Wes holds a BBA in Finance and Real Estate from Texas Christian University and an M.S. in Energy Management from Oklahoma City University.

Will serves as Vice President of Asset Management for Summit Ridge Energy. In this role, he oversees the financial and operational performance of assets across Summit Ridge and our affiliated joint venture funds, maximizing returns for investors. Prior to joining Summit Ridge, Will was Director of Asset Management at Standard Solar, responsible for managing a portfolio of 200MW+ of operating assets across 13 states. Will holds an MBA from American University and a B.S. in Business Management from Babson College. 

Phil Schapiro serves as Vice President of Project Finance for Summit Ridge Energy. In this capacity, he is the lead financial resource for sponsor equity, tax equity, construction debt, and term debt on all projects in the nationwide portfolio. Phil manages fundraising efforts across the capital stack, including initial investor outreach, Q&A response, risk mitigation, financial modeling, stress testing, and sensitivity analysis. Prior to joining Summit Ridge, Phil was Senior Investment Associate at Cambridge Associates. He holds a B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from Vanderbilt University.

Brandon Stephens serves as Vice President of Project Management at Summit Ridge Energy. With more than 15 years in the solar industry, Brandon leverages his experience in installation, design, and management to ensure his team’s success in executing project life cycles from notice to proceed through final completion and successful handoff to asset management. He has managed development and construction efforts of more than 1 GW of solar throughout his career. Brandon’s prior experience includes roles as Project Manager at Standard Solar, Construction Manager at SolarWorld, and Director of Operations at Sunlight Solar. Brandon graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in Technical Operations Management. He holds both NABCEP PV Installation Professional and NABCEP PV Site Inspector certifications. 

Wesley Hodges serves as Associate General Counsel at Summit Ridge Energy, where he focuses on legal matters related to real estate, project development, corporate compliance and construction, after years of working in land acquisition and project development. Previously, he worked in business development and project management for Doyle Land Services out of New Orleans for clients across the globe, serving various sectors of the energy industry. Prior to working in renewables, he worked in the music industry in Nashville, Los Angeles and New Orleans, in talent booking, concert promotion, music publishing and licensing songs for television and film. Wesley holds an J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and a B.A. in English and History from Vanderbilt University.

Eliana Wilk serves as Associate General Counsel for Summit Ridge Energy. Eliana focuses on project acquisitions, structured and project financing and other corporate matters. Prior to joining Summit Ridge, she worked in the project finance group of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, where she represented sponsors, developers, lenders and investors in M&A transactions, complex structured and project financings and joint venture transactions. Eliana has a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies from Washington University in St. Louis and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.

Wendy Beach serves as Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at Summit Ridge Energy. In this role, she leads the organization’s corporate messaging and positioning, brand management, marketing strategy and media relations. Previously, Wendy directed all facets of marketing, branding and communications across a range of organizations and industries, from start-ups and nonprofits to global companies, including Choice Hotels, Global Impact and Fannie Mae. Wendy has a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire.

Dennis Brown serves as Senior Director of Interconnection at Summit Ridge Energy. In this role, he provides strategic and technical input to the Development, Finance and Operations teams as projects are evaluated and executed. Previously, Dennis was the Manager of DER Interconnection at Pepco holdings, an Exelon company, leading a team of engineers, designers and project managers that played a key role in the interconnection and integration of DER in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Dennis holds an M.S. and B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Morgan State University.