David Blittersdorf (UVM ’81), member of the Rubenstein School Board of Advisors since 2005, was appointed Chair of the Board in fall 2015, and took up the position in January 2016. He replaces out-going Chair Mark Biedron (UVM ’74).

David is President and CEO of AllEarth Renewables, a Vermont-based company that designs and manufactures grid-connected solar renewable energy systems, and he is Managing Partner of the 10-megawatt, four-turbine Georgia Mountain Community Wind farm in northwestern Vermont. He is also the founder and past CEO of NRG Systems, a manufacturer of wind measurement equipment and software for the worldwide wind energy industry.

In addition to his work with the Rubenstein School, David is a board member for the Post Carbon Institute, the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas – USA, Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, and the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center, and is a current board member, founding member and past chair of Renewable Energy Vermont. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for the Union of Concerned Scientists.

As a native Vermonter, David chose to locate his businesses in Vermont for the quality of life, the abundance of outdoor activities, and the opportunity to raise a family and run a business in a place with a strong sense of community.

David views his Rubenstein School board involvement as positive and motivated by a desire to “push UVM to support fossil fuel divestment and a carbon pollution tax.” 

He is committed to contributing to renewable energy solutions for the world’s many concerns, including food supplies, population growth, transportation and the global economy — with an emphasis on the need for energy education and a push toward conservation.

“The Rubenstein School and the University of Vermont can help advance the environmental consciousness of this finite world. Students are in a perfect place to question the way things are today and to keep asking what they can do to change things for the better,” David observed.

David hopes Rubenstein School students and alumni care deeply about the world and stay engaged throughout their careers and lives. Through both his business and his advisory roles, he practices the belief that everyone can have an impact on the world and its environmental and economic health.

“David’s leadership in bringing renewable energy solutions to Vermont and the world is an inspiration. I am grateful for both his vision and leadership that he brings to the Rubenstein School and the Board,” shared Dean Nancy Mathews.