Staff

Luke Tolley - Executive Director

Luke is a nonprofit leader with nearly 20 years of experience in community organizing and program management holding positions of Lead Organizer for SustainableWorks and Director of Community Engaged Programs at The Arc of Spokane.  He brings expertise in strategic planning, policy development, and cross-sector collaboration, with a strong record of leading teams and building impactful partnerships.  Beyond his professional work, Luke is deeply involved in Spokane’s civic life through board service, advisory roles, and leadership in neighborhood and social justice efforts. He has received multiple awards recognizing his commitment to inclusion, service, and community empowerment.

Board of Directors

Solar Washington's Board of Directors is comprised of industry professionals, solar supporters and others who volunteer their time to help the organization with its mission to provide educational resources and opportunities. It is a working board where members provide general oversight but may also engage in the organization's programs and activities. Board members serve two-year terms and are elected by the current Solar Washington members and sponsors. The Executive Director is generally responsible for the execution of Association's business. 

Contact [email protected] for more information. To contact a board member, mentions "to "board member name" in the re: line.  To send a message to the board, mention "To the Board" in the re: line.

Richard Hartung - President

Richard is a consultant, writer, investor and volunteer board member focused on sustainability. He is the co-founder of Asia Sustainability Angels, serves on boards of non-profits including Solar Washington and the Centre for a Responsible Future, and writes about sustainability for Wealth & Society as well as blogs and non-profits. Richard is also a consultant on retail banking with more than 20 years’ experience in financial services and is the author of Changing Lanes, Changing Lives. He has installed solar and organized a neighborhood group to promote solar. Richard has a BA from Pomona College and an MBA from Stanford University.

Rachel Gates - Vice President

Rachel Gates(she/her) leads the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe’s Energy Sovereignty Program. She holds a master’s in Marine Affairs from the University of Washington, where her capstone research focused on community engagement in wave and tidal energy development, and BA in Environmental Science from Barnard College.

Before joining the Tribe, Rachel completed an AmeriCorps fellowship at Acterra, a San Francisco Bay Area environmental nonprofit, where she supported beneficial electrification and youth climate education efforts. She also served as a Development Associate for the Forest Stewardship Council Investments & Partnerships, focusing on grant writing and reporting. Rachel currently serves as a community advocate on the Puget Sound Energy Equity Advisory Group. In her free time she can be found hiking up a mountain or curled up on the couch with a good book and her two toy poodles.

Thomas Honles - Treasurer

As a solar advocate, professional engineer, and solar project manager over many years, including 2 decades with the Los Angeles DWP solar program, Thomas has seen the solar industry develop from kilowatt-scale rooftops to multi-megawatt utility scale solar plants combined with battery energy storage systems. He moved to Washington 5 years ago where he remains committed to advancing the industry and more importantly, to build a sustainable energy future at the local and the national level. He served as Director of Solar Development with a Texas-based engineering services firm, and many developers are seeing opportunities to power energy hungry computing facilities with renewable energy.

Elijah Selman - Secretary

Elijah Selman has worked in the renewable energy industry for five years, gaining experience across solar sales, distribution, and manufacturing. His career began in solar module brokerage before moving into sales management with global distributor Krannich Solar and, more recently, into manufacturing with Sol-Ark. Driven by curiosity and a passion for sustainable technology, Elijah is committed to advancing solar adoption in Washington and supporting the professionals and homeowners who make that possible. His background gives him valuable insight into every step of the solar supply chain—from manufacturing and distribution to installation and customer experience. Elijah joined Solar Washington to contribute his expertise, expand his industry knowledge, and help strengthen the state’s clean energy community. Dedicated to ongoing learning and collaboration, he hopes to inspire others entering the field and ultimately grow Washington’s renewable energy ecosystem.

Shane Frye - Board Member

Shane is the lead for SnoPUD's net metering program and, as such he adds a valuable public utility perspective to the Board. Shane has been with the PUD for 15 years, and in his current position for about a year. In his short time working in solar, he has made significant progress towards streamlining utility processes for the benefit of solar customers and installers. Most recently, he has built on this experience to better define PUD standards and review processes for net metered solar projects that include battery energy storage, and is exploring how the PUD can better utilize solar for the benefit of income-qualified customers.

Dayne Goodheart - Board Member

Dayne is a member of the Nez Perce Tribe from Lapwai, Idaho, and the Tribal Program Construction Manager and Installation Trainer at GRID Alternatives, with more than 9 years specializing in installation of commercial and residential photovoltaic systems. His commitment to energy sovereignty and environmental justice is evident through his hands-on approach to solar installations and his dedication to education, having trained individuals from diverse backgrounds and age groups, empowering them with the skills needed to participate in the renewable energy sector.  In 2024, he was nominated for the national Energy Justice Award by Vote Solar, highlighting his contributions to advancing green energy initiatives within tribal communities.

Dan LeFree - Board Member

Dan serves as the president and CEO of Community 1st Credit Union and ezSolarLoan, an online platform to finance solar and energy storage projects for Washington homeowners. He is also very interested in extending the benefits of solar and reduced energy costs to multifamily housing and to disadvantaged communities.

Chris Muench - Board Member

Chris has been an industrial professional for over 30 years starting his career in Germany as a Software Architect for Siemens. In 1996 he moved to Redmond to manage the relationship between Siemens and Microsoft, then joining Microsoft as a manager for Windows Embedded.  He started his own company focusing on the industrial IoT in 2009. He is very passionate about zero carbon and climate improvement with his goal to have his home carbon neutral by 2025. Last year he installed a large Solar System with battery backup on his home and was stunned by the fact how little these systems are integrated with other energy management systems. His hope is to not only extend the usage of Solar in Washington by working with partners and the legislative but also drive innovation and integration of Solar with other energy production, storage, distribution, and consumption systems.

Aaron Peterson - Board Member

Aaron works for the WA Dept of Commerce Energy Policy Office as a specialist focused on agricultural and rural energy policy. Based in Ellensburg, he has been involved with energy and land-use policy and projects for over 20 years. He is a former wind and solar developer, NGO executive director, salmon recovery manager, and served as a state representative from rural southwestern Minnesota in the 2000s. He holds a B.S. in geology and watershed science from Colorado State University and an MPA in environmental policy from the University of Washington’s Evans School.

Zoilo Sotero - Board Member

Zoilo Sotero is a first-generation immigrant to Seattle and rising clean energy professional dedicated to empowering youth and underrepresented communities. His interest in solar began while studying Environmental Science, where he saw how renewable energy could advance both sustainability and environmental justice. Hands-on experiments in energy efficiency and solar data analysis deepened his commitment to the field. Zoilo now works as a Career Navigator with the YWCA, helping teens and young adults explore careers in clean energy and skilled trades, including solar installation, HVAC, and project management. He has also interned with Sphere Solar Energy and participated actively in environmental education and sustainability events across King County. As a young advocate and community connector, Zoilo brings a strong equity lens and a deep passion for clean energy education. He aims to ensure that the voices of Gen Z and emerging workers are represented in Washington’s solar future.

Dave Warren - Board Member

Bio Coming Soon