Board Members

Robert Blake

Robert Blake is the owner of Solar Bear, pronounced Gizis-o-makwa in Ojibwe, a solar installation company located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Also, Robert is the Executive Director of Native Sun Community Power Development, a Non-Profit likewise located in Minneapolis. Robert is a tribal citizen of the Red Lake Nation. His passion is spreading the word about renewable energy through communication, cooperation, and collaboration.

Ralph Jacobson

As the CEO of IPS Solar, Ralph Jacobson has watched as renewable energy has grown from a novelty into a viable business proposition. He started by designing and installing photovoltaic power systems — one of the first companies in Minnesota to have a go at solar power. Now IPS is one of the Twin Cities’ fastest-growing companies and has been named a top solar contractor by Solar Power World for six straight years.

Brian Seki

(Red Lake Ogichidaag) Project Manager, Woodstone, Inc., a native owned company. Prior to his current position, he worked with Donlar as a Project Manager and Union Carpenter. Brian has over 14 years experience in construction trades. He was a union carpenter for 7 years and in the Trades Labor Union for 7 years where his work experience included work on pipelines. Brian has experience as a Job Counselor for Minnesota Family Investment Program and as Case Manager for the State of Minnesota. He has an Associates degree in HVAC and Carpentry from Northwest Technical College in Bemidji and an Associates degree in Business Administration from Alexandria Community and Technical College.

Dr. Christie Manning

Dr. Manning (she/her) has been teaching in the Environmental Studies Department at Macalester College in Minnesota since 2008. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Human Factors Engineering from Tufts University and a Ph.D. in Cognitive and Biological Psychology from the University of Minnesota. Christie's research focuses on how people respond to the climate crisis, and she is particularly interested in the psychological circumstances that motivate community-level action. Recent co-authored publications include a report from the American Psychological Association and ecoAmerica, Mental Health and our Changing Climate, and a 2021 academic textbook, Psychology for Sustainability. Christie is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Society for Environmental, Population, and Conservation Psychology (Division 34 of the APA).

Dr. Julia Nerbonne

Julia brings her skills as an organizer and academic to build a vibrant movement for climate justice in over 400 Minnesota congregations. She has an undergraduate degree in Religion and her Ph.D. in Conservation Biology. She also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Conservation Biology Graduate Program at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on how to create powerful social movements.

LeAnn Littlewolf

(Anishinaabe/Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag Band of Ojibwe) is currently the Economic Development Director at the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO). With over 25 years in the nonprofit and policy advocacy sectors, which includes direct services, development and executive director roles, LeAnn carries a deep commitment to community leadership. She is on a leadership team to develop Indigenous social enterprises, focused on housing, arts & culture, and Indigenous food. She holds a bachelor’s in education, a master’s in advocacy and political leadership, and a master’s in education.