Advisory Board

The American River Ventures investment team can call upon an experienced and prestigious network of advisors to assist them deal sourcing, evaluating new deals and accelerating the growth of portfolio companies. Our advisory board comes from our solid network of domain experts in water, information and manufacturing efficiency, utility experts, government policy experts. We intend to continue to expand the advisory board with additional utility and research expertise from both inside and outside of California.

Energy Policy Advisors

Jane Garvey is the Executive Vice President and Chairman of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) transportation practice. APCO provides strategic counsel to global clients, covering topics such as government relations, transportation policy, and communications advice. Ms. Garvey was Head of the Federal Aviation Administration from 1997 to 2002. Besides her role as an Executive Vice President of APCO and a well known public speaker, she holds positions on the Board of Directors for several companies including MITRE Corporation, Flight Safety Foundation, and Advanced Navigation & Positioning Corporation (ANPC). Ms. Garvey earned her B.A. from Mount Saint Mary's College and her M.A. from Mount Holyoke College and has been awarded several honorary degrees.

Julia Levin is an attorney who has worked on energy and environmental issues for more than twenty years. Most recently, Julia served as a Commissioner on the California Energy Commission (CEC), where she was the presiding Commissioner on Renewable Energy and the associate Commissioner on Energy Efficiency. As Commissioner, Julia presided over California’s adoption of the country’s first energy efficiency standards for televisions, helped to enact and launch a comprehensive building retrofit program (AB 758), helped to allocate California’s energy-related stimulus funding, and presided over renewable and natural gas power plant siting cases. Previously, Julia was the global warming director for the National Audubon Society, where she coordinated Audubon’s policy advocacy and public education on global warming and energy issues. Ms. Levin received her B.A. in International Relations from Brown University in 1985 and her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1991.

Gene Varanini is an Attorney-at-Law specializing in energy markets and regulation, strategic planning, and energy policy. He is a national leader in the development and implementation of innovative energy and environmental policies at the state and federal levels. Mr. Varanini served as chief consultant to the California Assembly Committee on Natural Resources during the energy crises of the early 1970s, and spent eight years as a Commissioner on the California Energy Commission. He currently is in Sacramento, California where he has an unsurpassed record of success in regulatory negotiations, project development, and project financing on behalf of clients such as Texaco, Mission Energy, Kerr McGee, California Energy Company, AES Corp., Energy National Inc., and others. Mr. Varanini earned his B.S.E. from the United States Naval Academy and his J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

John White is the Executive Director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT), which he co-founded in 1990. CEERT is a nonprofit, environmental/public interest organization that advocates investments in sustainable energy at the state and regional levels. Among CEERT's affiliates are the nation's leading energy efficiency and renewable technology firms, green marketers and environmental organizations. Over the course of his twenty-year career, John has become known as the leading legislative expert on California air quality law and regulation. Since 1985, John has been the Sierra Club's Special Representative on air quality, energy, and growth management issues before the California State Legislature. He was central in the drafting, negotiation and ultimate passage of several of California's key air quality statutes including, the California Clean Air Act; and legislation and policy to accelerate the development and introduction of alternative fuels and electric vehicles. John is a member of the Board of Governors of the California Independent System Operator (ISO) and the California League of Conservation Voters. Mr. White earned his B.A. from the University of California at Riverside.

Utility Advisors

Bill Slaton is a member of the Board of Directors for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), since 2002. SMUD is the nation’s sixth-largest community-owned electric system in terms of customers served. SMUD provides services to more than 550,000 customers (more than 1.3 million residents) over a 900-square-mile area of Sacramento County. He is an active and strong voice for energy related matters in the region and has over two decades of experience in arranging financing for public agency projects. In 2005 Bill was appointed to the Policy Makers Council of the American Public Power Association. The council members are elected officials from across the country and lobby in Washington D.C. on the issues important to community-owned electric systems. Mr. Slaton earned his B.A. degree from the University of Texas.

Domain Expert Advisors

Andrew Hargadon is an Associate Professor of Technology Management, as well as the Director of Technology Management programs and Director of the UC Davis Center for Entrepreneurship at the Graduate School of Management at University of California, Davis. Prior to his academic appointment, he worked as a product designer at IDEO and Apple Computer and taught in the Product Design program at Stanford University. He is an expert in technology management, management of innovation, entrepreneurship and new product development. Professor Hargadon earned his earned his B.S. and M.S. from Stanford University. He earned his Ph.D. from the Management Science and Engineering Department in Stanford University's School of Engineering, where he was named Boeing Fellow and Sloan Foundation Future Professor of Manufacturing.

Mary Kay James is a Managing Director with Dupont Ventures. She is responsible for all aspects of sourcing, analyzing and executing strategic equity investments for DuPont Ventures’ Solar and Energy Storage investing initiatives. In addition she is the Venture liaison for DuPont’s $10B Electronics & Communications and Performance Materials businesses where she provides open innovation technology options to generate new opportunities for the company. Her recent areas of investment are Cleantech and advanced materials for electronics, authentication and packaging applications. Mary Kay has over 20 years of business management and development experience and during that time has led multiple global initiatives. She holds a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio State University with emphasis in biofuel combustion. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio State.

Ben Williams is the former CIO for the California Department of Water Resources. Prior to holding that position for six years, he was Executive Director of the Commission for Local Governance for the 21st Century, a Governor appointment. For eighteen years he was Deputy Director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. He chaired the State IT Strategic Plan Committee. Ben has a thorough understanding of California State and local government business practices, policies, and procedures. He has also developed relationships throughout state government. He currently is working as an independent consultant providing guidance to companies on the strategies for accessing government markets. Mr. Williams earned his B.A. from San Diego State University and M.A. from California State University Hayward.