The team at Leyline has been there, and done that – both as investors and as renewable energy developers ourselves. With decades of combined industry experience, and close to 200 projects under our belt, we’re uniquely positioned to help hard-working renewable energy developers take advantage of today’s opportunities.
In 2020, the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association named Leyline as the Clean Energy Innovator of the Year for “exemplifying true leadership that has already impacted North Carolina’s clean energy market in a significant way” and “demonstrating exemplary vision to create a new path forward in the clean energy industry.”
Executive Leadership
Erik Lensch
CEO
About Erik Lensch
- CEO, Entropy Solar, 2014-2016
- Founder & CEO, Argand Energy Solutions (solar development, finance & installation company), 2006-2014; sold to Entropy Investment Management/York Capital, 2014
- Renewable Energy Diploma Series at North Carolina State University, Solar Energy International (SEI) training
- BBA, Marketing, Radford University, 1992; Certified Investment Management (CIMA), Wharton Executive Education Program, University of Pennsylvania, 2005
- Vice President at Bank of America; Vice President in Private Client Group at CS First Boston
- Member, Board of Visitors of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Member, Vistage International
Eric Rubinstein
EVP & Chief Investment Officer
About Eric Rubinstein
- VP Finance & Strategy, Silicon Ranch Corporation, a solar power developer, owner and operator from 2014 to 2018.
- C Level financial executive responsible for building assets in excess of $1 Billion in assets under management.
- Led closings of over $700 Million in complex and varied renewable energy financing structures.
- BA, Classics and Archaeology, Haverford College, 2004
Leadership
Daniel Copple
Director of Technical Services
About Daniel Copple
- Technical Services Manager, Development Analyst, Clean Line Energy Partners, 2010-2017
- Managed transmission line engineering for 700-mile project connecting Oklahoma wind to eastern markets; oversaw technical inputs for $1 billion engineering, procurement and construction contract
- Responsible for interconnection, t-line engineering & construction planning
- BA, Political Science and Energy Policy, Rice University; post-bachelor’s course of study in Electrical and Power Systems Engineering, University of Idaho; MS, Engineering and Environmental Management, Duke University
Mackenzie Barrett
Director of Strategic Initiatives & Asset Management
About Mackenzie Barrett
- Cypress Creek Renewables (solar developer, EPC, owner & operator), 2015-2019
- Director of Strategic Initiatives responsible for data management & cross-functional process improvements to support 7 GW pipeline
- Technical deal lead on 550 MW+ of project sales and 110 MW of project acquisitions
- Civil engineer, 2011 to 2015; focused on stormwater, erosion control, land development & stream restoration
- BS, Civil Engineering, North Carolina State University, 2011
Sherry Attaway
Corporate Controller
About Sherry Attaway
- Wide array of asset management, construction & fund accounting experience
- Experienced at producing & analyzing reports and business correspondence for C-level leadership & investors
- Mentor and leader with expertise in streamlining workflow to optimize personnel strengths and boost morale
- 20 years of accounting experience in asset management and project-based organizations
- MS, Accounting, University of Connecticut
Clay Hartman
Director of Development & Construction Services
About Clay Hartman
- Founder & CEO, Mabon Energy (renewable energy services company), 2017-Present
- COO, Entropy Solar Integrators, 2014-2017
- COO, Argand Energy Solutions, 2010-2014
- US Naval Officer, 1981-2005, 25+ years managing multimillion-dollar operations & projects in a variety of national security areas
- NC/SC General Contractor involved in $700 MM+ of renewable energy projects
- BS, Civil Engineering, Cornell University, 1987; Construction Management Certification, Southern Polytechnic University, 2002; Master’s Certification in Applied Project Management, Villanova University, 2004
Rebecca Chilton
Director of Project Finance
About Rebecca Chilton
- 20+ years of legal practice in structured finance, including 9 years financing more than a GW+ in renewable energy projects
- Founding Team Lead, renewable energy lending programs, Self-Help Credit Union & Live Oak Bank; built each in turn into the largest USDA-secured energy lender in the country
- Izuba Consulting (renewables consulting firm); supported projects in solar & RNG across wide range of geographies & deal sizes, including an innovative energy resiliency nonprofit in Puerto Rico
- BA, History (French minor), magna cum laude, Wellesley College; JD with Honors, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law
Managing Directors / Origination
Lester Krone
Managing Director (Anaerobic Digestion, Landfill Gas, RNG)
About Lester Krone
- Accomplished project financier & advisor to developers of low-carbon projects since 2009
- Successfully raised over $300 million of non-recourse financing for biofuels production, biochemicals production, small hydro/electricity generation & wood pellet manufacturing
- 20+ years of diverse corporate finance & financial advisory experience in the energy industry, for national investment banking firm
- 6 years of experience in design & construction of commercial & institutional real estate
- BS, Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado; MS, Civil Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis; MBA, Harvard Business School
- Registered professional engineer, Missouri (inactive)
Scott Starr
Managing Director (Solar, Wind, Battery Storage)
About Scott Starr
- 20+ years of experience in high-tech, entrepreneurial environments, including implantable medical devices, renewable energy & circular economy
- Extensive renewable energy experience as both developer and manufacturer, including leadership roles at GE Renewables (Corporate Strategy, Wind & Solar), Fusion BioFuels, First Solar, Solyndra, SolarBuyer & Dynamic Energy
- BS, Mechanical Engineering/Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1999; MBA, Fuqua School of Business, 2005; GE Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification
Team
Dylan Angelini
Office Manager
About Dylan Angelini
- BSBA, William Peace University
Nathan Becker
Associate
About Nathan Becker
- Member, Wholesale Origination Group, Clearway Energy; supported origination, negotiation & execution of wholesale PPAs for utility-scale wind & solar assets across all major ISO/RTOs
- Leveraged Finance Analyst, Wells Fargo & US Bank; supported origination & execution of $25 billon+ in syndicated bank loan facilities, Term Loan B & bond financings for companies across multiple industry
- BA, Economics & Political Science, Davidson College
Eoin Cahill
Developer Relationship Manager
About Eoin Cahill
- Senior Solar Maintenance Specialist, Ecoplexus Inc., 2018-2020; managed preventative & corrective maintenance operations on 100 MW+ of utility-scale solar
- BS, Sustainable Materials & Technology, NC State University
Megan Colonel
Technical Services Manager
About Megan Colonel
- Senior Sales Engineer, FTC Solar; provided technical support and worked on strategic initiatives
- Senior Engineering Manager, Cypress Creek Renewables; managed engineering team; oversaw early-stage technical development of 2GW+ pipeline of projects
- BS, Biological & Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University, 2015
Tiffany Elliott
Leyline Advisor
About Tiffany Elliott
- Founder and CEO, Clean Capital Partners, a renewable financial advisory firm
- 20+ of industry experience leading capital markets and business development functions across the conventional generation and renewable space with a focus on utility-scale solar and energy storage
- Head of US Project Sales for Cypress Creek Renewables, from 2016 – 2018
- Senior Vice President of Market Strategy and Business Development for Recurrent Energy, from 2010 – 2015
- Originated and led structured commodity transactions at Citigroup Energy and Calpine Energy Services, from 2000 – 2009
Vivica Moore
REEAL Intern
About Vivica Moore
- BS, Management Information Systems, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, 2023
Allan Oduor
Development Analyst
About Allan Oduor
- Undergraduate Researcher at FREEDM Systems Center; contributed to projects involving small-scale solar + storage, direct current microgrids, energy efficiency for lighting fixtures & transactive energy
- Research assistant at Wake Forest University; worked on investigation into the efficacy & value of sustainable cotton initiatives
- BS, Physics, North Carolina A&T State University; MA, Sustainability, Wake Forest University
Paulette Oxner
Closing Manager – Loan Servicer
About Paulette Oxner
- Director of Shared Services, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company & Assistant Director of Timberland Finance Group
- 25+ years of experience closing large commercial loans across the United States, Canada & Brazil
- BA, Paralegal Studies, Eastern Kentucky University
Erica Reidy
Associate Director of Project Finance
About Erica Reidy
- Business development and renewable project acquisition experience
- Worked at Nautilus Solar Energy, a solar developer, acquirer, and asset manager; led project acquisitions of over 34 MW of solar C&I projects totaling $80M in investment and drove company entry into new MN and MA community solar markets
- Spent time on the renewable energy teams at NYC-based Silverpeak Partners, Sol Systems, and Enel Green Power North America
- BA, Biology and Environmental Studies, Bowdoin College, 2014; MBA, MIT Sloan, 2020
Andrew Slaughter
Financial Analyst
About Andrew Slaughter
- Organizational development and data management experience
- Grant-funded researcher in U.S. energy markets and policy; Worked on developing novel approaches to community solar financing and promoting consumer adoption of sustainable practices
- BA, Environmental Studies, University of Pittsburgh, 2013; MEM, Energy, Duke University, 2020; MBA, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, 2020
ley-line
noun
Apparent alignments of human-made sites and natural land forms, these ancient straight paths were believed to have spiritual significance and were sometimes associated with sources of energy. We’ve adopted the term as a symbol of our commitment to finding and supporting more modern efforts to generate renewable energy.
