Inland Empire Board of Directors

George Puddephatt is a highly skilled nonprofit and government-sector manager with over 25 years experience. He was pivotal in developing solar workforce training programs with Riverside County Workforce Development Center as well as securing grant and investment funding for the development of special needs housing projects.

George graduated with a “Student of Distinction” award from Arkansas State University where he received a BS in Psychology with a Minor in Social Work. He completed his post-graduate studies in Education from California State University, San Bernardino.

Blaine Boyer has an extensive career in education. For the past 20 years he has been a teacher at Rancho Vista Continuation High School in Temecula where some of his accomplishments include receiving 'Teacher of the Year' awards and receiving $10,000 in grants to create a Solar/Green energy program.

Blaine is a licensed real estate broker in California and received a BS in Business Administration and MBA from the University of Southern California. He also obtained his Single Subject Teaching credential in Business with supplementals in Math and Economics. He is a proud father of two daughters and four grandchildren and currently lives on and operates an 18-acre organic farm with his wife.

Michelle Pierce is an Electric Vehicle Consultant who formed her company, EV Nirvana, LLC, in 2016 to encourage the use of plug-in electric vehicles. EV Nirvana offers consulting and outreach services with plans to establish a retail sales location that sells battery-only plug-in electric vehicles exclusively with a focus on teaching customers about electric cars.

She has over 20 years of experience in the municipal electric utility industry.  She received her BS in Electrical Engineering from California State University, Long Beach.  Her experience includes project management, energy efficiency and renewable energy program management, and electric vehicle strategic planning. Her passion for electric vehicles dates back to the General Motors EV1.  She leased a Nissan Leaf in 2012 and joined the ranks of the early adopters of Electric Vehicle technology.

Alex Saucedo has been a financial services leader for the past 10 years with a strong passion to making positive impacts on team members, customers and the communities he serves. He is currently a Community Banking Manager at U.S. Bank in Rancho Cucamonga where he leads and coaches the banking employees to create, build and deepen the relationship to provide a world class client experience. His focus and specialties are in Consumer Lending, Wealth Management, Leadership and Operations.

Kari H’Orvath is a real estate broker licensed since 2004 by the California Department of Real Estate. She received her B.A. degree in Business Administration and a certificate in Leadership Studies from California Baptist University. Kari is the director of homeownership and education programs at Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley. In addition, she is the broker/owner of H’Orvath Real Estate and leads a team (HRE Group) at EGA Homes, a Veteran-owned and operated real estate agency.

Kari and her husband Roland are GRID homeowners and live in Riverside, CA, with their four children. A couple of years after receiving a Sunrun solar system through GRID Alternatives IE, Kari joined GRID IE as the Outreach Manager. She is grateful to be back at GRID IE serving as a board member.

Vikita Poindexter, SPHR-CA, SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, CEO, Poindexter Consulting Group, LLC: Known throughout her 35-plus years’ career as the consummate professional and go-to person for Human Resources. Vikita is acknowledged as an expert in her field. Her extensive knowledge of HR includes but is not limited to budget preparation, cost analysis, EEOC compliance, recruiting, Department of Labor and Standards, Department of Fair Housing, benefits administration, litigation prevention, personnel management, arbitration, and contract negotiations for multi-million-dollar operations, and much more. Her poise, polish and comprehensive knowledge of HR have led several law firms to hire her as an expert witness. In addition, she is a much sought-after public speaker.

Tracy Woodburn is a skilled and passionate solar professional. He got his start in the industry as a volunteer for Grid Alternatives, where he completed two internships and honed his skills. With 7 years of experience, Tracy holds several NABCEP certifications, which recognize his expertise in the field of solar energy. He specializes in providing sustainable energy solutions for off-grid living, including homes and RVs, and offers a wide range of services, including design, installation, sales, repairs, and maintenance. An avid adventurer and outdoorsman, Tracy lives an off-grid lifestyle and embraces the vagabond spirit. He is dedicated to promoting sustainable energy and making clean energy accessible to all.