Board of Advisors
Joe Allbaugh:
Mr. Allbaugh is the President and CEO of The Allbaugh Company, LLC, which develops corporate strategies designed to create new opportunities and expand competitive advantage for private sector clients. Prior to founding the Allbaugh Company, Mr. Allbaugh served as Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), from 2001-20003. At FEMA, Mr. Allbaugh managed 2,500 employees and an annual budget of $3 billion. Mr. Allbaugh coordinated the federal government’s $8.8 billion response and recovery effort following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon. He was also a founding member of the President Bush’s Homeland Security Advisory Council.
Mr. Allbaugh received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Oklahoma State University.
Brigadier General Steve Rhoades (Army, Ret.):
General Rhoades, the Senior Vice President of the Allbaugh Group brings a wealth of management experience having held key positions in the private sector and the military.
Prior to joining the Allbaugh Company, he served as Senior Vice President and Northeast Division President for HNTB Corporation, a national architecture and engineering company. Mr. Rhoades was responsible for overseeing eight offices and a work force of 380 professionals and revenues of $80m.
Previous to HNTB, General Rhoades served as the as the CEO of the Metropolitan District Commission of Hartford, Connecticut, a regional utility with 600 employees and revenues of $90m. His tenure included the planning and funding of $1.2B in infrastructure improvements that will be executed over the next 10 years.
Gen. Rhoades also served a full career on active duty in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Brigadier General after 30 years of service. During that time, he held a variety of command and staff positions at both the tactical/operational level and with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He served as the Commanding General of the North Atlantic Division, US Army Corps of Engineers. General Rhoades responsibilities included water resources and military construction in the US north east, Europe and Israel. He led the Corp’s response at Ground Zero to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon. General Rhoades deployed the Engineer Brigade of the 1st infantry Division into to Bosnia in 1997 and he commanded the 3rd Engineer Battalion (Combat), 24th Infantry Division during the U.S. attack into Iraq in 1991.
From 1980 to 1982, Gen. Rhoades served as the commander of the TUSEG Area Engineer Office at Inclirlik Air Base. In that role he over saw US Army, US Air Force and NATO construction in many locations in Turkey.
Gen. Rhoades received both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Florida and is a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Washington, D.C. He is registered as a professional engineer in the state of Florida.
Brian Keller:
Mr. Keller is a private consultant specializing in Department of Defense (DOD) research, development and acquisition. From 2004 through 2006, Mr. Keller was President and Chairman of GMA Cover Corporation. GMA is an industry leader in the development and manufacturing of camouflage, cover, concealment and deception systems for military use. Prior to GMA, Mr. Keller was the Vice President for Strategic Development for Stewart & Stevenson, Inc. (now part of BAE Systems) where he successfully directed the effort to capture the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicle (FMTV) A1R production program.
Mr. Keller led the Stewart & Stevenson Corporate Team in Kuwait to establish the initial in-country support capabilities for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Mr. Keller retired from the U.S. Army in 2000. Mr. Keller is a 1979 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point; he also has an MS in Industrial Engineering and an MBA. Additionally, Mr. Keller graduated from the Harvard Business School Program for Management Development and completed the Georgetown University Program in Legislative Studies. He is a frequent guest lecturer in the areas of Program Management, Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the University of Alabama, Michigan State University and the University of West Florida.
Jim Fowler:
Jim Fowler is a professional zoologist and was host of the Emmy Award-winning television show Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom.
Fowler first served as the co-host of Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins, and then became the main host in 1986. While Fowler was serving as host of Wild Kingdom, he received four separate Emmy awards and an endorsement by the National PTA for family viewing.
Fowler was the official wildlife correspondent for NBC’s The Today Show since 1988 and also regularly seen on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, making forty appearances in total as he brought various wildlife animals on the show.
In 1997, Fowler joined Discovery Communication’s Animal Planet as a wildlife expert and later launched the television program Jim Fowler’s Life in the Wild in 2000.
Robert Schmidt
Mr. Schmidt is the Chairman & CEO of Great American Broadband, Inc. (GAB), 2008-Present as well as the President & CEO of Integration Communications International, Inc. (ICI), 1987-Present. Previously, Mr. Schmidt was the President & Co-Founder of the Wireless Communications Assoc. Int. (WCAI), 1988-1996; a Partner with Wunder & Diefenderfer, 1987-1988; the Founder, President & CEO of Communications Technology Mgmt. (CTM), 1979-1987; a Partner with the Kirkland & Ellis Law Firm, 1979-1981; the President of the National Cable Telecommunications Association (NCTA), 1975-1979; an Attorney with Chapman and DiSalle, 1974-1975 and the Director of Public Affairs for the International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation (ITT), 1964-1974.
Mr. Schmidt has also held the following senior leadership positions: Founder & President of the American Teleport Association (ATA); Charter Board Member of the World Teleport Association; Co-Founder & Board Member of the Cable Satellite Public Affairs Networks (C-SPAN); Co-Founder of NABU Network, Inc., and Member of the U.S. Delegation to the World Satellite Conference (ITU). He has also been a multi year recipient of the President’s Award from the NCTA.
Beginning as a Boy Scout in Bakersfield, CA, Bob was indoctrinated in the concept of “Service for Others.” In 1969, Father Horace McKenna, SJ, Founder of So Others Might Eat, (SOME) recruited him to be the first Chairman. As a member of the National Advisory Board of the Lombardi Center for Cancer Research, Georgetown University awarded Mr. Schmidt the 1981 John Carroll Medal of Merit for his dedication and service to the community. Mr. Schmidt is a former member of the Board of Regents of Georgetown University. He has also served on the following boards of directors: the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL), Chairman of the Kenner-Hoffmann Boys and Girls Club Foundation and the Chernobyl Children’s Foundation.
Mr. Schmidt is also the Founder and Chairman of the Vincent T. Lombardi Foundation, the past President of the Washington, DC Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame and the Former Head Football Coach at Georgetown University. Mr. Schmidt served as a Lieutenant in the US Naval Reserve as well as an advanceman for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.
Mr. Schmidt is a Knight of Malta and St. Jerome and attending the following: University of Notre Dame; University of Southern California, BS in Business Administration; American University, MS in International Business and the Georgetown University School of Law, Juris Doctorate.
Peter J. Sprague:
Mr. Sprague is the Chairman of WaveXpress Corporation, the Chairman and CEO of the UltranGroup, Inc., a Director of Adamind, Ltd. and a Director of IC Spectrum.
Previously, Mr. Sprague was the Chairman and Founder of Wave Systems Corp. (1988-2003), the Chairman of National Semiconductor Corporation (1965-1995), the Chairman of Aston Martin Ltd.(1975-1980), the Chairman of Design Research (1967-1979) and the Chairman of Advent Corporation (1975-79). He was also the Executive Producer of ¡®Steppenwolf’ (1974), a Director of SemiEquip, Inc. (2000-2004) and a Director of uWink, Inc. (1999-2004).
Mr. Sprague holds numerous patents including: #4177400 September 16, 1980 Hergenrother/Sprague “Projection Cathode Ray Tube Having Target Angularly & Longitudinally Adjustable to Tube Axis” US Patent Application Serial #07/366,150 (Applied For) “Information Distribution System.”
Mr. Sprague was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs at Babson College in 1985 and was given an Honorary Doctor of Laws by Babson College in 1988. He is also the Honorary President of the Leonardo Society in Paris and a Trustee of the Strang Clinic.
Mr. Sprague holds a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University, 1961 and also attended MIT from 1961-62 Political Science and Columbia University (1962-64) Doctoral Program in Economics.
Rafael Gutierrez
Mr. Gutierrez is currently a Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Ampt, LLC. Ampt is a leader in distributed power conversion for the solar industry. Prior to this position, Mr. Gutierrez was a SVP at Ascent Solar Technologies, a leader in flexible CIGS PV modules. Before entering the renewable market, Mr. Gutierrez was General Manager of Consumer Electronics in Seagate Technology’s Consumer Solutions Division. Prior to that role, he was responsible for Seagate’s Business Development and Strategy for Consumer Electronics and Storage Services. Mr. Gutierrez worked at Seagate Technology for over 18 years, where he held executive positions in Corporate Strategy, Strategic Marketing, Advanced Concepts, and Product Development. Before joining Seagate, Mr. Gutierrez held several engineering development positions with Digital Equipment Corp. Mr. Gutierrez holds a M.S. in Operations Research and Applied Statistics from the University of Northern Colorado, and a B.A. in Mathematics from Bellevue University.
Pike Powers:
Pike Powers is a nationally recognized authority on high technology economic development.
As a co-founder of the Texas Technology Initiative, Mr. Powers championed a collaborative approach between business, academia and government, which transformed the city of Austin and Central Texas into a global center for venture capital and technological innovation. His advocacy was critical to Austin becoming home to technology stalwarts such as AMD, Sematech, Samsung and Applied Materials.
Currently, Mr. Powers is Vice Chair of the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, a $200 million dollar fund used to commercialize promising early stage technologies and develop exemplary research personnel. Mr. Powers was a founding member of the Governors’ High Technology Council (1983-1986) and the Science and Technology Council (2002-2003).
Mr. Powers is also Of Counsel to Fulbright and Jaworski, the international law firm, where from 1978-2004, he served as Managing Partner of Fulbright’s Austin office.
Hailed by the National Law Journal as one of ‘The Best Lawyers in America,’ Mr. Powers has received numerous awards and commendations in recognition of his thirty years of service to the people of Texas as an exemplary businessman, attorney and public official.
Mr. Powers is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award (Austin Business Journal), the Commendation of Excellence (Real Estate Council of Austin), the 2008 Texas Legend Award (American Electronics Association), and the Austinite of the Year Award (Austin Chamber of Commerce).
Mr. Powers is a graduate of Lamar University and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas.
Scott Sklar:
Mr. Sklar is the founder and President of The Stella Group, Ltd., a clean distributed energy generation strategic marketing and policy firm. Prior to founding The Stella Group, Mr. Sklar concurrently served as Executive Director of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the national trade organization of the solar industry, and Executive Director of the National BioEnergy Industries Association (NBIA), the trade association of the biomass-to-electric industry (1986-1995).
Mr. Sklar is the former Political Director of the Solar Lobby, the non-profit renewable energy advocacy group founded by the nine major national environmental organizations, and two years as Washington Director of the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), the renewable energy and energy efficiency research organization founded by Congress.
Mr. Sklar began his career as an aide to Senator Jacob Javits, where he served on both personal and committee staffs for nine years, and was Assistant Director of the Senator’s successful 1974 re-election campaign. During his tenure on the Senate staff, he co-founded The Congressional Solar Coalition, which helped to drive much of the founding legislation promoting clean energy technologies.
Mr. Sklar presently serves on the board of directors of several not-for-profit organizations concerned with renewable energy, including the Sustainable Building Industry Council, the Renewable Energy Policy Project and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy. He has co-authored two books: The Forbidden Fuel, published in 1985, and the Consumers Guide to Solar Energy, published in 1996, republished in 1998, and again in 2003.
Lt. Col. Bill Holmberg (USMC, Ret.):
Lt. Col. Holmberg began his career by enlisting in the US Marine Corps during WW II. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and has served as Commander of Marine facilities and units, including a Battalion Landing Team. Lt. Col. Holmberg served as an Aide to two Chiefs of Naval Operations, served on the Joint Chief of Staff and was a Russian linguist/Soviet specialist with service behind the Iron Curtin.
After his retirement from the Marine Corps, Lt. Col. Holmberg served in senior positions with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Energy Administration and the Department of Energy. There he helped develop programs in organic farming, integrated pest management, ethanol and biodiesel applications. He retired from these appointments as member of Senior Executive Service.
Lt. Col. Holmberg holds advanced degrees in Personnel Administration, Russian Language, Soviet Affairs and Advanced Integrated Combat Operations. He is a noted specialist on the development of alternative energy sources utilizing biomass which help reduce carbon emissions and stimulate economic development. Currently, his expertise is being utilized by the Dominican Republic, where he is leading efforts to manufacture biofuels using that nation’s plentiful supplies of molasses, sugar cane, sweet sorghum and jatropha.
Mike Callahan – Chief Executive Officer, NBFog:
An avid outdoorsman, Mike has spent the last 35 years in the sporting goods business. He retired from Cabela’s in May, 2008, after an 18 year career where he served in a number of senior executive capacities. His most recent position was as Executive Officer and Sr. Vice President of Business Development and International Operations. This position also included responsibility for Mergers and Acquisitions along with Industry and Government Relations.
Mike was a key member of Cabela’s 3 man road show team that led to one of the most successful IPO’s in the Outdoor Lifestyle industry, raising over $180 million in capital initially and $270 million in a secondary offering.
Mike also served as Sr. Vice President of Retail Operations, Brand Marketing and the Outdoor Adventures hunting/fishing booking and travel service. During his time as the executive leader of Cabela’s Retail, he oversaw the expansion of the chain from 10 stores to 26 and 1.5 million square feet to 4 million square feet of retail space and 8500 employees in 4 years. Retail sales volume increased from $385 million to $1.2 billion during his tenure.
Mike currently serves on the Board of Directors of Bushnell Outdoor Products, is a former Board Member and Chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and Vice Chairman of the Outdoor Business Council of the US Sportsmen’s Alliance.
He is a Life Member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Mule Deer Foundation, Trout Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, the National Wild Turkey Federation, Safari Club International, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife and the National Rifle Association.
