The AREI Board of Trustees
Chip Comins
Founder, Chairman & CEO
Chip Comins is a renewable energy and clean technology expert and serves as Founder, Chairman and CEO of the American Renewable Energy Institute (AREI) and is the Founder of AREDAY. He is President and CEO of American Spirit Productions and Managing Director of WEnergy. Comins focuses and connects climate solutions in a Climate Constellation of implementation, acceleration and replication locally, nationally and globally. In 2009 he produced 13 official side events at the UNFCCC COP 15 in Copenhagen, Denmark and presented at COP 16 in Cancun, Mexico in 2011; COP21 in Paris, France in 2015 & COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco in 2016.
Comins has produced and directed both long and short form documentary films for educational and broadcast television markets, including PBS, Link TV, BET and Discovery Network, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and DOE Wind Powering America, A long-time advocate of developing and implementing renewable energy resources to abate green house gases and climate change, Comins encourages a business approach to solving both the economic and environmental crisis. Comins completed the 16th Annual AREDAY 2019 Summit in Aspen/Snowmass CO featuring over 175 globally renowned thought leaders in clean energy and sustainable solutions. In 2020 he hosted the AREDAY “Democracy and the Vote” virtual series and continues to advocate for rapid climate solution within the new Biden/Harris Administration.
Cynthia Garrett
President
Cynthia Garrett is a Real Estate developer passionate about art, health, wellness, regenerative farming, and green building. She first embraced regenerative farming on her sustainable, organic taro farm in Hawai’i, growing the ancient root vegetable Kalo, known for its connection to life and the land. Cynthia now owns an organic macadamia and fruit farm, which she is developing into a retreat focused on art, detox, and organic farming. She also runs a retreat center in Santa Fe, NM, and owns the Ernesto Mayan Art Gallery.
Known as a Real Estate designer, Cynthia advocates for green building, affordable housing, solar energy, and non-toxic materials like adobe bricks. Her vision includes healing the environment from the ground up, restoring soil health to promote sustainable living. Through AREI, her goals are to educate others on organic methods and inspire change through consumer choices.
For Cynthia, “Art inspires life, health, and wellness. It makes life more beautiful.”
Bill Brandt
Vice-Chairman
Bill Brandt is Director of Strategic Integration for ASU LightWorks and is an experienced energy executive. After a 30-year career at SOHIO/BP he retired as Director of Mergers and Acquisitions and joined Arizona State University to work on renewable energy challenges. As Director of Strategic Integration of ASU LightWorks for Arizona State University’s incubator and accelerator for renewable energy technologies, he works across interdisciplinary research programs with national laboratories and major corporations to deliver renewable energy products. Brandt has a B.S. in Chemistry and Environmental Sciences from Principia College and an MBA from Wharton; he is on the board of a social networking communications company (educatedchange.com) and Ensyn Corporation, a producer of renewable liquid fuels from wood biomass and agricultural residues.
Andrew Quiat
Secretary
Andrew Quiat, serves as a Trustee of the 100+ year old Iliff School of Theology (see www.iliff.edu). As a law student some 40+ years ago, he was an environmental intern with the Ford Foundation on a grant program through his law school. In between he has had a full career in both private and public life with experience in executive positions, board governance, for-profit public, private, and non-profit organizations, as well as engaging in the private practice of law. His law practice is substantially limited to realization upon large money judgments and in pursuing people who send spam. He is actively involved through outreach efforts of the Aspen Community United Methodist Church, of which his wife is the Pastor, with the provision of sustainable water to rural Kenyans. In addition he is a co-founder of ProvidIce, LLC, an R&D stage venture dedicated to the commercialization of free floating Antarctic Icebergs for their potable water and thermal content for production of water, energy, and carbon offsets.
Lisa Gerstner
Treasurer
Lisa Gerstner is a visual storyteller whose work spans film production, writing, music composition, and fine arts. She holds a Master of Science in Education Media Design and Technology from Full Sail University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from Kansas State University. Lisa is known for her documentary on the celebrated Crow artist Earl Biss, Art of Native America: Earl Biss, which has won international awards and explores Biss’ profound impact on contemporary Native American art.
Notable projects include co-producing and composing music for Girls on Purpose, co-producing the feature Openings: The Search for Harry and producing/directing a video series on sculptor, Gib Singleton. As an author, she’s best known for Experiences with Earl Biss: The Spirit Who Walks Among His People, an international award-winning biography that delves into Biss’ life, art, and influence.
Her background in art education, graphic design and fine art enhanced by expertise in instructional design and current learning theories, positions her as a storyteller skilled in understanding how people learn and perceive new ideas. This interdisciplinary approach informs her work with clients across business, non-profits, education, and entertainment, where she excels at translating complex messages into impactful visual and auditory experiences that resonate deeply with target audiences.
Dr. Sylvia Earle
Co-Founder
Dr. Sylvia Earle, Explorer-in-Residence, National Geographic Society, is an oceanographer, author, and lecturer with experience as a field research scientist. Dr. Earle serves as executive director for corporate and nonprofit organizations, including the Aspen Institute, the Conservation Fund, American Rivers, Mote Marine Laboratory, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Rutgers Institute for Marine Science, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and Ocean Conservancy. Former chief scientist of NOAA, Dr. Earle founded the Mission Blue Foundation and was chair of theAdvisory Council for the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies. She has authored many books on the ocean, written over 150 publications, lectured in over 60 countries, and appeared in hundreds of television productions. Her research concerns marine ecosystems and exploration and the development of new technologies to access the deep sea.
General Wesley K. Clark
General Wesley K. Clark, Chairman and CEO of Wesley K. Clark & Associates, a strategic consulting firm; Chairman and Founder of Enverra, Inc. a licensed investment bank; Chairman of Energy Security Partners, LLC; as well as numerous corporate boards including BNK Petroleum and Leagold Mining. He is active in energy, including oil and gas, biofuels, electric power and batteries, finance, and security. During his business career he has served as an advisory, consultant or board member of over ninety private and publicly traded companies. In the not-for-profit space, he is a Senior Fellow at UCLA’s Burkle Center for International Relations, Centennial Fellow at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Director of the Atlantic Council; and Founding Chair of City Year Little Rock/North Little Rock. A best-selling author, General Clark has written four books and is a frequent contributor on TV and to newspapers.
Clark retired as a four star general after 38 years in the United States Army, having served in his last assignments as Commander of US Southern Command and then as Commander of US European Command/ Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.
Charles Bayless
Charles Bayless is a retired Utility Executive and University President. Until June 30, 2008, Mr. Bayless was President and Provost of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology, a West Virginia University divisional campus.
Before Dec 27, 1999, Mr. Bayless was Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer at Illinois Power Company. Before joining Illinova Corporation in June 1998, Mr. Bayless was Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Tucson Electric Power Company. From 1981 to 1989, Mr. Bayless was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Public Service Company of New Hampshire, guiding the company through the first bankruptcy of a large utility. Before that, he was employed by Consumers Power Company in Jackson, Michigan, first as an attorney, then as the Director of Nuclear Fuel Supply, and finally as the Director of Special Corporate Projects. In College, Mr. Bayless had summer jobs in line construction and at power plants at Kentucky Power and Pennsylvania Power and Light.
Mr. Bayless received his BSEE from the West Virginia Institute of Technology in 1968. In 1971, he earned his MSEE in power engineering and, in 1972, his Law Degree, both from West Virginia University. He earned his MBA in 1977 from the Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Michigan.
Mr. Bayless is a board member of West Virginia American Water, the Climate Institute, and TS Conductors and the Advisory Boards of E Source, Pi Energy, Energy Impact Partners, and the Angeleno Group. He is currently a judge for Platt’s Global Energy Awards and a frequent speaker on the future of energy.
Henk Rogers
Henk Rogers is Founder and CEO of Blue Planet Energy Systems. He is a Dutch-born entrepreneur and clean energy visionary who has dedicated the past decade of his career to the research, development, advocacy and implementation of renewable energy sources in his adopted home of Hawaii. Rogers studied computer science at the University of Hawaii and spent his early career in Japan as a video game designer, gaining distinction for producing the country’s first major role-playing game, The Black Onyx. Rogers went on to revolutionize the video game industry by securing the rights for the blockbuster Tetris, which 30 years later remains a bestseller and global gaming icon. Most recently, Rogers founded Blue Planet Energy Systems and developed Blue Ion, a pre-packaged energy storage solution combining Sony’s industry-leading battery technology with proprietary system architecture and energy management software.
Andrew Scott
Andrew Scott is the Founder and Executive Director of the Open Mind Project, a non-profit corporation that promotes critical thinking and compassionate dialogue between people of all faiths and perspectives. This spiritual diplomacy includes a reach of over a million followers on social media. OMP examines the personal environmental consequences of religious beliefs and culturally embedded narratives and works with religious leaders and lay-people to promote contextual understanding of faith and religious narratives and encourages peaceful and compassionate engagement. Scott specializes in the psychology and sociology of Religion. He received his Master of Divinity at the Pacific School of Religion at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. His studies include International affairs, Christian Theology, Islamic Philosophy and History, Buddhist meditation, theory and history, anthropology, and the psychology of religion.
Deborah Stirling
Deborah Stirling is with the Burroughs and Chapin Center for Marine and Wetland Studies at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina. Among her activities, she helps coordinate the Southeast Atlantic Econet program (SEA Econet), which is the National Weather Service’s presence in the Southeast for the National Mesonet Program.
Ms. Stirling was a founder and CFO of Infinite Habitat @ Innovista, an engineering design and sustainability company that offered consulting, particularly in renewable energy and other aspects of the built environment. Ms. Stirling is a retired SC attorney specializing in science, engineering, technology, environment, and climate research. In addition, she was a legislative advisor to the National Academy of Sciences.
Ms. Stirling spent ten years as Subcommittee Counsel for Oceans and Atmosphere for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and then was Legal Counsel for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), which manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO. Ms. Stirling is past chair and serves on the National Sea Grant Advisory Board (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce), works with various scientific groups around the country on climate-related projects and serves as a Commissioner on the South Carolina Floodwater Commission. Ms. Stirling has a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Trammell S. Crow
Trammell S. Crow is the President of the Crow Family Foundation, which operates and manages The Trammell and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art. He is the father of Nathan, Margaret, Daniel and Isabella. Prior to assuming his present responsibilities, Mr. Crow had various other positions within the Crow family businesses. Mr. Crow began his career as a warehouse leasing agent in Denver and then transferred to Houston to develop residential subdivisions and, subsequently, to lease retail space. Returning to Dallas to join the development team of the Anatole Hotel, he then worked at the Dallas Market Center when it expanded by over 2 million square feet. By 1985, he had developed the Dallas Communications Complex, the Studios at Las Colinas, INFOMART and the Dallas/Fort Worth Teleport. From 1986 to 1993, Mr. Crow was the Chief Executive Officer of Trammell Crow International, overseeing the Brussels International Trade Mart (largest in Europe) and developing additional trade marts in Asia. Mr. Crow is a long-term supporter of the Texas Conservation Alliance, the Nature Conservancy of Texas, Texans for Lawsuit Reform, and the League of Conservation Voters. He supports various non-profit organizations that are active in family planning, education, the environment, community initiatives and political causes.
In Memoriam: Robert Corell (1934-2025)
AREI honors the late Bob Corell (Robert W. Corell), former board of trustees member.
Bob was a renowned American climate scientist and policy expert, recognized for his significant contributions to understanding global climate change and its impacts, particularly in the Arctic. He worked extensively on issues related to the environment, climate science, and the intersection of science and policy.
Here are some highlights of his career:
Leadership in Climate Research: Corell served as the chair of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), a groundbreaking report that highlighted the effects of climate change in the Arctic and its implications for the rest of the world. The ACIA was one of the first comprehensive studies to document the rapid warming of the Arctic region.
Academic and Policy Roles: He has held positions at various academic and policy institutions, including the Harvard Kennedy School, the University of Miami and UiT The Arctic University of Norway. His work often bridged the gap between scientific research and policymaking.
Affiliation with International Organizations: Corell has been involved with the United Nations and other international organizations, focusing on climate-related issues, sustainability, and the role of science in addressing global challenges.
As a Director and Principal at the Global Environment & Technology Foundation, he is focused on programs and activities that explicitly addressed those human-induced changes that are disruptive, and which are leading to transformations across both public and private spheres of societies. Dr. Corell is dedicated to frame these programs in ways that are increasingly formulated to accelerate positive social outcomes, to expand knowledge for all, facilitate technological innovation and foster institutional cultures that are dedicated to the benefit of society.
Advocacy and Communication: A prominent advocate for addressing climate change, Corell has worked to raise awareness of its risks and promote global action. He has been a sought-after speaker at conferences and in the media.
Bob Corell’s contributions have been critical in shaping how scientists, policymakers, and the public understand and respond to climate change, particularly the pressing issues facing the Arctic region.
He influenced and touched many people over the years and the world has lost a great man. His energy and ideas where infectious and those of us who were lucky enough to know him know we have a responsibility to carry on his work.
Bob held Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. degrees from Case Western Reserve University and MIT. He was the Assistant Director of the National Science Foundation for Geosciences, responsible for the Atmospheric, Earth and Ocean Sciences and Polar Programs. He led the U.S. climate and global change research program and international programs for the UN, global and regional research science and related public policy assessments. He has been and continues to be recognized with international awards, Honorary Doctor Degrees, and other recognitions.