Native Village of Kluti Kaah, Tribal Infrastructure: DeerStone is working with the Native Village of Kluti-Kahh, a federally recognized tribal government in the Ahtna region near Glennallen, Alaska, on several infrastructure and community development projects. This includes preliminary design and equipment selection, overseeing design engineers, and construction project managing a community biomass and district heating construction project for several buildings in addition to supporting the finalization of construction of a multipurpose building in the community. 

Tanana Chiefs Conference, Energy & Broadband: DeerStone works on infrastructure development with the Tanana Chiefs Conference, a tribal non-profit organization based in Fairbanks serving 37 federally recognized Tribes. Our work has primarily revolved around project development and securing funding for individual infrastructure projects, including biomass district heating systems, solar and battery installations, diesel power plant upgrades, and recently, a $35 Million broadband grant to serve several isolated communities. We have also performed power utility infrastructure assessments, conducted workforce trainings, and supported community and economic development initiatives such as developing their rural utility collaborative and assisted in garnering executive and board approval to become a utility owner/operator of broadband and renewable energy assets (IPP).

EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Planning – DeerStone is working with BBNA, Kawerak and The Kuskokwim Corporation to produce Climate Action Plans for approximately 50 communities across the three regions. The plans will align with priority projects that by being detailed in the planning documents, will become eligible to tap into $4.3 billion of implementation grant funding. 

Dr. Brian Hirsch, PhD

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & CO-OWNER

Dr. Brian Hirsch founded the company in 2015. He has focused on microgrid and renewable energy integration, multi-scalar energy storage, independent power producer formation, utility support, project finance, and community development in remote locations. He has directed and facilitated clean energy development and project management for a wide range of clients, including large Independent Power Producers, multinational engineering firms, Alaska Native corporations, Tribal governments, Indigenous communities, Federal Government agencies and National energy laboratories, municipalities, electric utilities, and non-governmental organizations.  He has also led grid-scale battery energy storage workshops in Alaska and abroad.

In addition to acting as Senior Project Leader for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Dr. Hirsch received an NREL Achievement Award for his efforts in establishing the Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START), an Obama administration priority program under the US Department of Energy. He also served as Chairperson of the Alaska Emerging Energy Technology Fund Advisory Committee from 2010-2015, a position appointed by the Governor of Alaska.

He received a Master’s certification in Energy Analysis and Policy and a Doctorate in Land Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, focusing on energy issues in northern regions of the world. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Government and Political Science, with an additional focus on Electrical Engineering from Cornell University.

Areas of expertise: Project Management • Wind-solar-battery-diesel Hybrid Systems in the Northwest Arctic • Diesels-off Operation • Technical Assistance for Alaska Native Organizations & Communities • Multiple Biomass Thermal District Heating Loops • Village-scale Hydro-diesel Project Support

Tashina (Maasak) Duttle

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER & CO-OWNER

Tashina has a background in project management and has spent the majority of her career developing and managing infrastructure projects for rural, Tribal communities in Alaska. Tashina is Iñupiaq from the North Slope of Alaska, her Iñupiaq name is Maasak. Her maternal family is from Nuiqsut, she was raised in Nikiski and her paternal family is from Arizona.

Tashina worked at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium from 2015-2020 where she managed their Rural Energy Program and the National Tribal Water Center, in that position she managed tens of millions of dollars of infrastructure planning, design and construction funding for energy and sanitation projects in rural Alaska while overseeing a multi-discipline team of project managers, engineers, and administrative staff.

Tashina has a Master’s Degree in Project Management from the University of Alaska Anchorage, and a Bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Resources Management with an occupational endorsement in Sustainable Energy from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Areas of expertise: Project Development • Project Management • Assembling Teams • Team Management & Oversight • Developing Scopes of Work & Competitive Solicitations • Grant & Proposal Writing • Community & Regional Energy Planning

Devany Plentovich

CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER & CO-OWNER

Devany has extensive experience managing projects, fostering collaborative teams, and facilitating results. From 2009 to 2019, Devany was the Program Manager for Biomass and Combined Heat and Power at the Alaska Energy Authority where she was Co-lead of the Alaska Wood Energy Development Task Group, with a focus on energy cost reduction in heating systems, job development, and the management of sustainable fuel sources. Before her work with AEA, Devany worked for Kimberly-Clark Corporation in various roles in Operations Management, Maintenance, Projects, and Environmental Sustainability. She led international teams in Latin America and China to create new consumer products and was awarded 4 patents in process and product design by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

At DeerStone, Devany is focused on the technical side of project development and execution, including economic and technical feasibility analyses, design reviews, system commissioning, operating and maintenance procedures, and troubleshooting. Her passion is to equip communities with well-designed, appropriate technology, proper O&M tools, and superior training to assure that the energy goals are achieved and exceeded.

Devany is a member of the United States Forest Service’s Woody Biomass Technical Support Team where she works with public and private sector facility owners to evaluate and develop community scale projects that use woody biomass for heat and power. She has received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Christian Brothers University and a M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay.

Areas of expertise: Community Education & Outreach • Grant Writing & Project Finance • Project Management • Energy Planning & Resource Assessment • Renewable Energy Technical Screening • Feasibility Assessment • Engineering Design Review • Development of Operations and Maintenance Procedures • Operator Training Systems • System Commissioning • Technical Troubleshooting • Economic Analysis, including Power Cost Equalization

Kristina Andrew

SENIOR TRIBAL ENGAGEMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Kristina D. Andrew or Alqayaagaq is of Yupik, British, and Norwegian descent and belongs to the Curyung Tribal Nation. She was born in Dillingham, Alaska to parents Lee Ann Andrew from Wyoming via Britain and Norway and Peter Andrew Jr of the New Stuyahok tribal community. She spent a few years in New Stuyahok as a young child, before returning to Dillingham where she has spent most of her life. Kristina lived in California for 7 years where she graduated high school in 2005, completed some college, and returned home in 2011. She lived in Naknek for a year (2015-2016).

Kristina has a Bachelor of Arts in Rural Development from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Bristol Bay Campus. She has experience in community outreach, Tribal engagement, and Tribal project planning, development and implementation. She worked for the Bristol Bay Native Association as the Economic Development Program Manager where she assisted Tribal communities in their project planning efforts. Additionally, she worked as a State Legislative Aide during the 2015 & 2016 sessions.

Kristina believes in putting people first and in working together as a team for the betterment of Indigenous people. She has a commitment to public service that benefits Tribal communities, encourages partnerships, promotes Tribal sovereignty, cherishes cultural values and land, developing tribal opportunities, and promotes young people’s engagement in the public processes.  Kristina is a third-generation Bristol Bay fisher and has her own permit, and currently lives in Dillingham with her two children, Kevin and Cody Ann.

Areas of expertise: Community Education & Outreach • Grant Writing & Project Development • Project Planning & Management • Community Planning & Resource Assessment • Developing Scopes of Work • Workforce Development

Gavin Dixon

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

Gavin has been developing infrastructure projects in rural Alaska for over ten years. Before working with DeerStone, Gavin worked at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium managing planning, design, and construction of infrastructure projects to include energy, water, sewer, and climate change mitigation projects. Gavin spent four years overseeing the ANTHC’s role in the relocation of the Newtok Village to Mertarvik.

At DeerStone, Gavin works with a variety of clients to develop rural and Tribal community energy and infrastructure projects ranging from high-penetration solar-battery projects to multi-purpose community buildings, and transportation projects. He has extensive experience and success in securing grant funding for capital projects throughout rural Alaska. Gavin grew up in Anchorage, where he and his family currently live on the traditional lands of the Dena’ina people in East Anchorage. Gavin’s hobbies and interests include mountain biking, downhill skiing, and trying to keep up with their dog Cholla. When he isn’t working, Gavin can be found with his wife Trina and their twin children, Brynn and Holden.

Areas of expertise: Project Management • Project Planning & Development • Grant Writing • Energy Efficiency • Local and Tribal Government Capital Projects Development • Tribal Health System Capital Projects • Arctic Water & Sanitation Project Management • Contracting & Contracts Management • Legislation Evaluation

Kyle Bolger

RENEWABLE ENERGY OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

Kyle has been working in the solar industry for over twenty years. Having installed hundreds of solar energy systems across the U.S, as well as in Central America, Europe and Africa, he brings a diverse background of technical and industry experience to our team. Prior to DeerStone, Kyle worked as an instructor with SEI, and as an employee and/or consultant for hundreds of jurisdictions--each with unique requirements.

With a background in government regulatory consulting, quality control inspections, mobile solar systems, remote industrial applications, grid tie solar applications, and small to medium scale micro-grids, Kyle is well-versed across the solar industry. He credits growing up in Alaska to his love and appreciation for the sun and maintains an open mind for developments and technologies to come.

Areas of Expertise: Solar Electric Design • Installation • Inspection & Training • Energy Storage System Design • Resilient Power Systems Consulting • Customer Service & Support

Michelle Collingridge

GRANT WRITER

Michelle has a strong background in academic research, journalism, content strategy and development, and technical and proposal writing. She studied philosophy, art and literature at Columbia University and Brigham Young University, before moving to Alaska to pursue a more mindful lifestyle.

Prior to joining DeerStone, Michelle assisted in writing proposals for GIS IT-related projects, in addition to marketing and strategy for a successful tech-start up. She also developed extensive written content for Alaska’s travel industry that included features on Alaska Native communities, highlighting the diverse and exceptional cultural heritage of Alaska’s first People. She has produced journalistic articles with a focus on healthcare and the impacts of climate change to Indigenous communities, worldwide. She also has experience teaching literature and humanities courses at a university level and has a passion for championing progress.

At DeerStone, Michelle brings her research and strategic writing skills to her grant writing, focusing on storytelling and illuminating the unique needs and goals of each community she researches. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, gardening and spending time with her family.

Areas of expertise: Grant & Proposal Writing • Research • Content Strategy & Development •Technical Writing • Marketing • Communications • SEO • Travel Writing

Tana Smith

MECHANICAL ENGINEER (EIT) & PROJECT MANAGER

Tana Smith is a Mechanical Engineer and Project Manager at DeerStone, bringing over nine years of experience in data analysis, project management, regulatory compliance and agency reporting. With a background rooted in oil and gas integrity management, she has transitioned her expertise to drive the development of energy systems in rural communities across Alaska. Tana’s provides technical assistance for grant applications and owner’s representation for projects.

At DeerStone, she fosters collaboration amongst clients, contractors, and subcontractors, and ensures project goals align with client expectations. With meticulous attention to detail, Tana is able to craft comprehensive scopes of work, manage logistics, and implement remote energy and infrastructure projects effectively. As a strong communicator and dedicated team player, she grows and cultivates relationships with industry vendors, agency staff and regional entities, facilitating successful project outcomes. Tana holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from University of Alaska-Fairbanks and is a certified Mechanical Engineer-in-Training.

Areas of expertise: Project Management • Planning, Integration & Commissioning • Design & Technical Analysis • Material Selection • Mechanics, Operations & Maintenance • PCE reporting

Maxwell Goggin-Kehm

CIVIL ENGINEER, P.E.

Max has extensive design, construction, and troubleshooting experience on a wide variety of projects including Arctic water and sanitation systems, recovered heat systems, solar installations, and a variety of renewable energy technologies. He is focused on supporting sustainability through grassroots capacity building and maximizing efficacy of local, regional, and national resources.

Max worked at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) in design and operations departments.  While in the design department, he gained valuable many aspects of water and sanitation design including water treatment systems, raw water intakes, distribution piping, and lagoons. Max also led the operations department for the Alaska Rural Utility Collaborative (ARUC), focusing on building local capacity through on-site and regional training, operator technical support, and growing an ARUC operations staff to support water and sewer infrastructure.

Max started working with DeerStone in 2020 and is focusing on technical aspects of renewable energy integration, energy efficiency optimization through operations and infrastructure improvements, grassroots capacity building, and operations and maintenance. Max moved to Alaska from the Midwest in 2009 and has called Alaska home ever since.  He received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 2005 and a Professional Engineering license in Alaska. 

Areas of expertise: Technical Troubleshooting • Instrumentation & Controls • Routine Operations & Maintenance • Preventative Maintenance & Planning • Renewable Energy Integration • System Commissioning • Community Education & Outreach • Operator Training

Leah Olsen

MECHANICAL ENGINEER, EIT

Leah Olsen is a licensed Mechanical EIT, with a passion for harnessing technology to make a real impact on people’s lives. She has experience in reliability engineering, working with asset management systems to develop and maintain maintenance records for the manufacturing facility of a multinational pharmaceutical company in Bend, Oregon. She has also worked at municipal utilities, including the City of Bend Water Department, where she worked with water plant operators to develop operational guides for the city water system.

Her project management experience includes leading a team of peers to design an air-filtration system for use in NASA spaceships. She is proficient in Blue Mountain Regulatory Asset Manager (CMMS), Solidworks, and Hach WIMS. At DeerStone, she has experience with community outreach and the development of community energy action plans. Her passion is in translating technical details into easily operable systems that allow rural Alaskan communities to achieve energy independence.

She completed her bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on renewable energy at the University of New Haven in Connecticut and holds a prior Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from Williams College. Her previous professional endeavors include commercial fishing and natural building construction. She lives in an octagonal house in Homer with her partner and their dog, Syd.

Areas of expertise: Grant Writing• Regional Energy Planning • Developing Tribal IPPs• Regional Energy Planning • Direct Community Outreach • Technical Advising • Grant Management • Power System Inspection • Training Staff on Operation & Maintenance of Renewables • Troubleshooting Renewables Systems • Owner’s Rep Services

Chris Cronick

CIVIL ENGINEER, P.E.

Chris Cronick earned his B.S. in Energy Systems Engineering from the University of Wyoming and is currently a registered Civil Engineer in the State of Alaska and a Certified Energy Manager. Prior to joining DeerStone Chris worked at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) for six years as a Tribal Utility Support Engineer, where he provided engineering and technical support and operator training for water/wastewater utilities and energy systems throughout Alaska. In addition to training operators on water/wastewater treatment systems, he conducted energy assessments and completed energy upgrades on water/wastewater utilities. The upgrades included installing solar PV on buildings, installing VFD/controls on pumps, energy management training and conducting boiler control upgrades, cleaning and tuning. He has continually advocated for and supported local operators through training and workforce development.

Chris has been steadfast in his dedication to renewable energy, energy conservation and sustainable development, which is evident in his entrepreneurial venture, Frontier Energy Advising, where he conducted energy modeling and advised on HVAC design. Additionally, while working at Sustainably Built LLC as a Building Energy Analyst/Lead HVAC Designer in Colorado, he consulted on holistic energy conservation and efficiency design for custom single and multi-family buildings.

He was born and raised in Anchorage where he now has a family with his wife and two young boys who love to hear Chris talk about the solar PV system he recently installed in their home. If not geeking out on energy, Chris can be found in the mountains enjoying everything this beautiful state has to offer.

Areas of expertise: Energy modeling & consulting • Energy Management • Project Development & Management • Operator Training & Support • Technical troubleshooting • Preventative Maintenance & best Practices

Karen Benning

(CONTRACTOR) GRANT WRITER

Working with the nonprofit, government, and tribal sectors for more than 20 years, Karen provides extensive grant writing in a wide array of subject areas, including health and human services, housing, community infrastructure, arts and culture, and others. Her grant writing efforts have raised more than $100 million towards crucial projects and programs throughout Alaska. She has worked with a variety of organizations in the areas of capacity building, strategic planning, and communications.

Her degree in Business Administration, combined with her early career as a CPA and a later Master’s Degree in Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing, give her a combination of skills that well serves communities and organizations looking to build capacity and expand programs and services. After more than two decades in Alaska, Karen now lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, where they enjoy camping, mountain biking, road cycling and hiking.

Areas of expertise: Grant Writing • Project & Program Planning • Team Management & Coordination • Capacity Building • Strategic Planning • Communications

Brian Kirchner

PROJECT COORDINATOR

Brian's journey to working with rural Alaskan communities began as a program manager for the Skiku outdoor education and skiing outreach initiative. After joining DeerStone Consulting as an Office Manager, Brian transitioned to a Project Coordinator role. In this capacity, he has enjoyed supporting rural Alaskans by engaging in energy and infrastructure funding and project development work. Currently, Brian leads a multi-year statewide effort helping Tribal and Alaska Native Corporation applicants secure their DOE grid resilience grant allocations and navigate program rules. He also develops targeted communications about relevant funding opportunities to help connect clients with meaningful avenues to achieve their energy and infrastructure goals.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Brian finds joy in outdoor adventures, participating in races, working in the garden, and playing the piano.

Areas of expertise: Federal Funding Navigation • Funding Evaluation • Grant Application Support • Project Coordination • Community Outreach & Technical Assistance

Janessa Joseph

ENGINEER I, EIT

Janessa is a graduate student at the University of Alaska Anchorage where she received her B.S in Civil Engineering in 2022. During her undergraduate career, she has gained professional experience by completing internships at the BP Explorations Alaska, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Yulista Tactical Services, and Boeing. As a student in the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program, Janessa has developed a passion to use her education to make positive changes in communities throughout Alaska.

Areas of expertise: Data Analysis • Data Collection  

Kelsey Seybert

BUSINESS SUPPORT MANAGER

Kelsey has a robust background in aviation technology, business administration, and the Spanish language. She studied at the University of Anchorage Alaska, where she honed her diverse skill set before joining DeerStone. Prior to her current role at DeerStone, Kelsey created processes and policies for employees, integrated multiple software programs, and managed benefits and payroll for a group of 150 employees. She also produced new company policies to streamline processes for continuous improvement and taught complex contract agreements to new hires.

At DeerStone, Kelsey manages daily accounting tasks, contracts, and invoicing, assists with administrative duties, and drives continuous improvement. Kelsey has demonstrated her commitment to excellence by regularly reviewing and updating processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.  

She lives and works on Dena'ina Land, and is Aleut from Port Heiden. Her parents are Martha Christensen and Danny Seybert, and her grandparents are Nick and Matluna Christensen and Orin and Jennie Seybert. She is mother to Matthew and Coraline Hannaman, and in her free time, she is actively involved in her community and serves as an Executive Board Member and as Chair of the Development Committee for Victims for Justice. She enjoys cooking, reading, sightseeing, and spending time with her family.

Areas of expertise: Technical Writing • Proficiency in Various Software Platforms • Management • Organizational Change and Development • Employee Recruitment • Regulatory Compliance • Communication Skills • Complex Contracts 

GABBI DUTTLE

TEAM MASCOT

Dedicated to keeping office morale high, Gabbi persistently reminds coworkers to take spontaneous walks outside and play fetch between meetings. Gabbi holds a Master’s Degree in sleeping.