Two weeks ago, GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic welcomed four new GRID employees to the team! The new hires are part of GRID’s SolarCorps program, the result of GRID’s partnership with AmeriCorps. Three new SolarCorps Construction Fellows and one new SolarCorps Volunteer Fellow are now part of our Mid-Atlantic family!
Two of our SolarCorps Construction Fellows, Dominic and Keon, are very familiar with GRID’s office. Over the summer, they trained with GRID through the Green Zone Environmental Program. Working alongside GRID employees for six weeks, they participated in every aspect of GRID’s work, from canvassing and client outreach to solar installation and construction. After the summer, GRID offered these two talented trainees full-time SolarCorps Construction jobs! Keon, whose dream is to open up his own restaurant, says, “My mission is always to help someone in need, and I feel I get to do that here, especially with installing solar panels. This job is helping me further down the line for what I really want to do, which is to open up my own restaurant (solar-powered, of course) and teach people about organic foods.”
Our other new SolarCorps Fellow, Dominic, likes to watch racing, football, and scary movies while eating donuts. “I’m really excited to get to work for underserved communities, and I’m looking forward to the homeowner smiles,” says Dominic, “This year, I’m planning to learn a lot about solar - how the industry works and everything about it! Ultimately, my goal is to become a Solar Installation Supervisor, and to pass the PV 101 class and to always have a good time!”
Our other SolarCorps Construction Fellow, Nadine, was a GRID volunteer before she became a GRID employee! She volunteered with GRID on 10 installations, working both on the roof and on the ground-crew. Nadine is an excellent addition to the GRID family; an Austrian-native, she is fluent in three languages and has worked for a renewable energy nonprofit before. For six months in Guatemala, she worked on maintaining solar systems and building bicycle-powered machines while living in an off-grid tree house. On her employment with GRID, Nadine says, “I’m excited about being part of the solution and not the problem!”
Our SolarCorps Volunteer Fellow is Alexis, who participated in the GZEP program over the summer as a Team Leader for the District’s Department of Energy and the Environment. Through her job with the DOEE, she organized and led the GZEP participants throughout the summer. Her job as a Volunteer Fellow will be to recruit and manage volunteers in our Mid-Atlantic office. “I am extremely excited to join GRID Alternatives, being a part of this team is both a challenge and an honor, because the mission this organization supports is new ground that will soon be covered,” says Alexis. “Go GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic, pave the way for change!”
Each of these individuals is talented and driven and will contribute to GRID’s mission. We look forward to seeing what they will accomplish this year! “As our team continues to grow, so does our impact on families in the Mid-Atlantic,” says Nicole Steele, Executive Director of GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic, “We cannot wait to see what next year will bring!”