The Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. (LEEDCo), a regional nonprofit corporation leading efforts to deploy offshore wind energy projects in Ohio, has hired Dave Karpinski as vice president of operations.
Last year, LEEDCo received a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and a $1 million award from its private partners in order to build five to nine wind turbines seven miles off the coast of Cleveland in Lake Erie. As a result of the funding, LEEDCo is expanding its management team to facilitate the project's execution.
As vice president of operations, Karpinski will implement policies, procedures and systems that maximize LEEDCo's position for future funding, the company explains. In addition, he will be responsible for budget and financial performance management for LEEDCo and the project.
Karpinski has served as chairman of LEEDCo's board of directors for the past two years. He will be replaced in that position by Ronald B. Richard, who has served on LEEDCo's board since its formation three years ago and is also president and CEO of the Cleveland Foundation.
As a NorTech vice president and director of its Energy Enterprise initiative, Karpinski has worked closely with LEEDCo since its inception in August 2009. He is transitioning to LEEDCo after more than five years as a key member of NorTech's executive management team.
Karpinski also led the development of a series of road maps that identified Northeast Ohio's advanced energy strengths and opportunities to determine the region's distinct advantages in this industry. He has over 25 years of experience in the manufacturing industry and currently serves on the board of directors of the Tech Belt Innovation Center and the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition.
