Sponsor Energy Announces Inaugural Board of Directors

Feb. 12, 2013 - PRLog -- Calgary, Alberta – Sponsor Energy, a new retail power company that donates half its profits on each customer’s energy usage to local charities, today named three industry and community leaders to its board of directors - Tim Richter, Gena Rotstein and Michael Ede.

Tim Richter is the President & CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) – whose mission is to prevent and end homelessness in Canada. Prior to joining the CAEH, Tim was President & CEO of the Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF), charged with leading the implementation of Calgary’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness – the first plan of its kind in Canada. Under Mr. Richter’s leadership, more than 4,000 homeless men, women and children were housed and homelessness in Calgary went down for the first time in 20 years of counting. Prior to joining the CHF, Mr. Richter was Director of Government Relations at TransAlta Corporation.

Gena Rotstein is President & CEO of Dexterity Consulting, and founder of Place2Give. A graduate of Brandeis University in Boston with an MA in Non-Profit Management and Jewish Communal Service, Gena has been interviewed by, and written for, a number of leading newspapers and web columns on fundraising and philanthropy including BNN, Canadian Compensation & Benefits, Money Sense Magazine, Alberta Venture Magazine, the Financial Post, the Calgary Herald and Canadian Fundraiser eNews. An expert in her field, Gena takes a new approach to an old sector – Philanthropy 3.0, and has spoken at various events to both targeted audiences and in front of large crowds. Some of her recent engagements include presenting at TEDxCalgary, the Canadian Women’s Foundation Calgary Insight Lecture Series, International Association of Advisors in Philanthropy and the Estate Planners Council. She was also named Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue Magazine in 2009 and received a TechRev Innovation Award for Place2Give in 2012.

Michael Ede is a specialist in international business development and technology commercialization.  In addition to advising early-stage technology companies on growth and market-entry strategies, he serves as Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the Canadian Advanced Technology Association.  Michael returned to Calgary in 2011 after residing in California for 14 years, where he worked with a number of companies and government agencies that sought to build a presence in Silicon Valley.  Prior to launching his own business, he worked in product marketing with the network infrastructure innovator, Packeteer, and served in Washington DC as the Manager of Technology Policy for Apple Computer.

The new Board will seek to fulfill Sponsor Energy’s commitment to social innovation and making a difference in Alberta, and will endeavor towards these ends in the best interest of its energy customers, the environment, and Alberta communities.

"We are excited to take the energy industry in Alberta in an entirely new direction," said Carolyn Martin, President of Sponsor Energy. "This Board represents a high level of corporate experience, community involvement and true passion for changing the world."

About Sponsor Energy

Sponsor Energy is an energy company that allows customers to “use their power for good” by turning their power bills into dollars for local charities. For every kilowatt of power used by any residential or business customer, Sponsor Energy donates 50% of its profits to the charity partner chosen by that customer.

Sponsor has partnered with 50 charities across Alberta ranging from food banks to homeless shelters (Calgary’s Drop-in Centre, Inn from the Cold, Edmonton’s Hope Mission) – to health organizations (Alberta Cancer Foundation, MS Society), animal welfare organizations (MEOW Foundation, AARCS, humane societies) and various other charities (http://www.sponsorenergy.com/community-partners) making a difference in Alberta.

For more information, please visit www.sponsorenergy.com