GRID Alternatives - Central Coast
2900 El Camino Real
Atascadero, CA 93422
Phone: (805) 351-3344
Fax: (805) 980-5129
Email: infocc@gridalternatives.org
Click here for a map and directions to our offices.
Staff Bios
Donovan Anderson, Construction Assitant
Donovan was born in Glendale California. He grew up along the coast from L.A. to San Fran before moving from Oakland to Las Vegas. He worked for Pepsi Cola for 14 years in the service department repairing and installing equipment in the casinos. He also spent some time doing installations and repairs for Ecolab. Then the economy took a fall. While visiting the Central Coast he ran into a friend who told him about a Green tech program at Cuesta Collage. He enrolled in the class and then found employment with Grid Alternatives. Solar has been a passion of Donovan’s for a long time and he is so excited to have the opportunity to get into the solar field. Now he can help people and the environment at the same time. Donovan is also in a 4 wheel club helping to maintain the fire roads in the area. There is a lot of beautiful country out there; his club works hard to keep it that way.
Steve Bethlenfalvay, Solar Installation Supervisor
Steve was born in Frankfurt Germany but has lived most of his life in California. He grew up in the Bay Area and is embued with its ethos. Steve graduated from UC Berkely with a degree in Geography before somehow ending up in Las Vegas working in the casino systems field as a drafter and project coordinator. Weary of working in an industry which prays on society, several years ago Steve set his sites on contributing to the greater good through work in solar photovoltaics. He now lives in San Luis Obispo and is excited to be a part of GRID Alternatives mission.
Katrina Clouser, Volunteer and Outreach Associate
Katrina grew up in Ohio and attended Ohio University graduating with a Bachelor's in Communications. While in school she interned with the American Heart Association and at an independent radio station in Columbus called CD101. She relocated west to Portland, OR a year ago. She worked at a bike rental shop there and was inspired by the bike commuters to live green and bike or take public transportation as much as possible. In her free time Katrina loves to do anything outdoors, go to live shows, and travel.
Steven Fernandez, Regional Director
Steven went to Florida International University, in Miami, where he graduated with a degree in International Relations and Geography. His work experience includes organizing job training workshops, working as a foreclosure resolution specialist, and working hands-on in general and solar contracting. Steven began his tenure with our organization at the GRID Alternatives San Diego office as an Americorps VISTA and later served as Outreach Coordinator then Project Manager. Steven later moved to San Luis Obispo to establish a new GRID Alternatives office in the Central Coast.
Eric Finlayson, Construction Manager
Before boarding Grid Alternatives Eric used his skills as a general building contractor to “bring home the bacon” in San Luis Obispo (SLO) county where he has resided since 1991. He received a BA in philosophy with a focus in engineering at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Eric started his career in the energy production field splitting atoms for the U.S. Navy as a nuclear power operator on a fast attack submarine. Hearing “stop engines”, then “all ahead GREEN” he delved into the business world partnering up to own and manage aspects of three “green” businesses. He lives with his wife and two children listening to and observing the ‘aliens’ in his backyard…native animals and plants. In between hawk sitings and measuring mountain lion tracks they work in their garden-gym building their image for the future.
Dave Garti, Outreach Coordinator
Dave was raised in Los Angeles and studied Politics at UC Santa Cruz as well as the University of Cádiz, Spain. Before working for GRID Alternatives, he was a transportation planner for Santa Cruz County and a professional political organizer during the 2008 campaign in Tucson, Arizona. When he's not working you'll find him surfing, rock climbing and snowboarding.
Sandra Knapp, Development Officer
Sandra has a Master's in City and Regional Planning from California Polytechnic State University. She also holds a B.A. in History and Political Science and minors in Environmental Issues and Spanish from Colorado College in Colorado Springs. In addition to her grassroots outreach capability, Sandra brings strong management, writing skills and attention to detail to project management. Her previous outreach experience includes managing the San Luis Obispo County Stategic Growth Vision project and co-managing a portion of King City Historic Corridor Revitalization project funded by a Caltrans Environmental Justice Grant. She also has experience as a legal secretary for corporate real-estate and land law offices. Her passion empowering communities grew and developed with her philanthropic efforts at the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation. She is bilingual 2008-2009 American Planning Association Fellow and a Scholar of the 2009 California Land Use and Planning Law Conference in Avila Beach, CA.
Rob Taylor, Solar Installation Supervisor
Rob hails from Boone, NC, a friendly little town nestled high in the clouds of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina. He graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Appropriate Technology and Sustainable Development. Before joining GRID, Rob worked as a Solar Installer with Southern Energy Management in Raleigh, NC. In his free time he enjoys adventuring with his wife, Melissa and their dog, Penelope, taking full advantage of the opportunity to explore a whole new beautiful slice of the country from their home base on the central coast.
