Watch This Space! An open letter from INREA President

Welcome back to the beginning!

Many INREA members have been wondering where we went as instability in membership on the board has slowed both progress and communications. But, if you watch this blog and our soon-to-be-new website, you will soon see the results of a new ground swell of activity in INREA. Since the new board was voted in at the end of February, momentum has been building.

We will soon be asking for you, our membership, to become more engaged, and we will provide ample and specific opportunities for that engagement.

First--restating our mission. We are renewing our focus on building public awareness and aiding in the education on issues of renewable energy in all its forms.

How will we do that? This year, we will focus on two very high-profile activities:

1. The Indiana Renewable Energy Conference, July 20-21. Discussion panels are being formed now on topics of geothermal, small wind, solar thermal, and PV thermal. There will be many opportunities to teach, learn, and most of all, HELP!

2. The National Solar Tour, October 1. You can see details from previous solar tours on the indianarenew.org. We will need local organizers throughout the state to help and/or host tours in their own communities, to showcase real people who own real renewable systems and allow-close-up experiences.

Next--mobilizing our membership. This may be the first you have heard of these events. Why might that be? We have not gotten the word out as effectively as we should. Well, we're making some significant mechanical changes to improve communications to our members. Here is what is happening:

*** The new members of the board have gotten acclimated and are starting to gain traction. Those new board members are:

- Chris Rohaly, President

- Chris Maher, Vice President

- Mark Oehler, Treasurer

- Travis Murphy, At Large Member

*** The website, indianarenew.org, is undergoing a refresh, and should be updated in the near future. If you are web-savvy and can volunteer of your time to help with upkeep once the transition is complete, please let us know.

*** The ASES convention in May -- INREA will represent the state of Indiana in the person of Chris Maher, Vice President.

*** Our IRS tax status, which has been a bit of a soap opera, appears close to being resolved after the resubmission of lost paperwork.

*** For those who are following energy legislation, this has been a busy year in the State House. Please see the IDEA blog (indianadg.wordpress.blog) for all the details.

I'm pleased to trusted to serve as your president. We (the Board of Directors) have great plans: more programs, face-to-face meetings with members, membership drives, newsletters: but these plans cannot be executed by a board of directors. We welcome your input, invite your suggestions & expertise, and more than anything, request your involvement. That alone will enable the resurgence of INREA and further renewable energy understanding across the state.

Please feel free to contact any of the board members with questions or input. Information on every member, including contact information, will be included on the updated website, or you can reply to me via this blog post.

Thanks for your past and future support. Let's get the word out!

Best Regards,

Chris Rohaly

Green Alternatives, Inc

2011 President, Indiana Renewable Energy Association