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 Board of Directors

Frank R. Alix, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, co-founded Powerspan in 1994. Frank has over 25 years of experience in energy related fields. Prior to assuming his present role at Powerspan, Frank worked as a venture capital investor where he directed investments in early-stage technology ventures. Frank has over 15 years’ experience in the construction, maintenance, and repair of nuclear power plants on submarines. He began his career at General Dynamics and later worked as a senior nuclear engineering manager for over nine years at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. There Frank headed the Nuclear Test Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Divisions where he was responsible for more than 200 engineers and technicians. As the head of the NR-1 Engineering Group, Frank was responsible for all electrical and mechanical propulsion plant systems during the first Submarine NR-1 Refueling overhaul. Frank has a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and an M.B.A. from the University of New Hampshire. Frank is co-inventor on several of Powerspan's patents.

Morton E. Goulder joined the Board of Directors in 1995. Upon graduation from MIT in 1942 with a degree in Applied Physics, Mort served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Commander. During the post-war years he was instrumental in establishing Raytheon's position in the guided missile business. Mort was one of eleven engineering managers who left Raytheon in 1951 to form Sanders Associates, where he was Director and Vice President for 22 years, expanding the business to over $1 billion in annual sales. In 1973, Mort accepted an appointment as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Warning Systems and served under three presidents until July 1977. Since then, Mort has been highly involved in the financing of high-tech companies, serving nearly 20 years as a director of the Bank of New Hampshire. Founder of The Breakfast Club—a group of successful entrepreneurs who invest in early stage companies—Mort has been an active investor and director of numerous high-tech start-ups.

Dean Kamen, who joined the Board of Directors in 1996, is an inventor, entrepreneur, and a tireless advocate for science and technology. He is the founder of DEKA Research & Development Corporation, where he develops internally generated inventions and provides research and development for major corporate clients. He holds more than 440 U.S. and foreign patents for innovative devices that have expanded the frontiers of health care worldwide. Some of his notable inventions include the first wearable insulin pump for diabetics, the HomeChoice™ portable peritoneal dialysis machine, the INDEPENDENCE® IBOT® Mobility System, and the Segway® Human Transporter. Among Mr. Kamen's proudest accomplishments is founding FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an organization dedicated to motivating the next generation to understand, use, and enjoy science and technology. Mr. Kamen was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 2000, the Lemelson-MIT Prize in 2002, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in May 2005.

Preston R. (Jeff) Miller, Jr. joined the Board of Directors in 2000. He is a partner of The Tremont Group, a private investment firm based in Boston. He is also partner and co-head of The Beacon Group Energy Funds, which made private equity investments in over 30 companies globally, throughout the energy industry. He was a founding Partner in 1993 of The Beacon Group, a private investment and merger advisory firm, which was acquired by JPMorgan Chase in 2000. Most recently, he was a Partner with JPMorgan Partners, the private equity affiliate of JPMorgan Chase. Prior to the formation of The Beacon Group, Mr. Miller was with Goldman, Sachs & Co. for 15 years, where he was the founder and global head of the non-regulated power generation group, and financed many of the most significant transactions in the early stages of the industry. Mr. Miller is a member of the boards of Alliance Resource Partners LP, Longhorn Partners Pipeline LP, Nexant Inc., the World Resources Institute and the Yale Alumni fund; and is a member of the Gas Technology Institute's Strategic Advisory Council and the Advisory Committee for MIT's Study of the Future of Coal. Jeff received a B.A. from Yale University and an M.P.A. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Alexander (Hap) Ellis III joined the Board of Directors in 2004. Hap is a General Partner of RockPort Capital Partners. He has extensive operating experience in electric power and renewable energy. Hap was a member of the management team at Kenetech Corporation from 1991-1995, where he was responsible for expanding the portfolio of wind generation opportunities and introducing wind into utility systems across the country. He later was a partner in several electric-related companies, including most recently Casco Bay Energy Company, LLC, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Duke Energy, which developed and owns a 520 MW gas-fired electric generating station, and Acadia Bay Energy Company, LLC, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Allegheny Energy which developed a 638 MW gas-fired electric generating station. In 1998 Hap joined RockPort Partners, a merchant bank specializing in the energy and environmental sectors, and helped form the venture fund in 2001. In addition to Powerspan, Hap serves on the Boards of Directors of Catalytic Solutions, Inc; Comverge, Inc; BayCorp Holdings; and Pilgrim Insurance Company. He is also a member of the Finance and Administration Committee of the Massachusetts Audubon Society as well as a Council member. Hap received a BA from Colorado College and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.

Steven Parry joined the Board of Directors in 2007. Steve is a managing partner of NGEN Partners, LLC. A longtime member of the Canadian mining fraternity, Steve is a geologist with more than 25 years of operational and senior management experience. Prior to joining NGEN, he was employed by BHP Billiton, the world’s largest diversified resource company, as a member of the corporate venturing team and as General Manager, Innovation responsible for the company’s global investment portfolio in junior resource startups. Steve’s Director and Observer seats include Powerspan, Pionetics (home low-waste water purification for developing nations’ markets), EnviroTower (chemical free cooling tower water systems), Artificial Muscle (silent, weight- and power-saving actuators and sensors), Sol Focus (Concentrator PV) and Cerox (radioactive hazardous waste remediation). Originally from Chicago, Steve is a graduate of Queen’s University and the University of Western Ontario, and was awarded the Canada 125 Medal for his activist role in support of sustainability in northern Canadian resource communities. He is an active participant in education as the Treasurer and Director of the Waldorf School of Santa Barbara.

Charles D. Lasky joined the Board of Directors in 2007. He is vice president of Fossil Operations and Air Quality Compliance for FirstEnergy Solutions Corp., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. His responsibilities include supervising management of FirstEnergy’s coal, natural gas, hydro, and oil-powered generating plants in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Charlie joined FirstEnergy in 1986 as an engineer at the W.H. Sammis Plant. After serving in various engineering positions at Sammis and other locations, he was promoted to planning supervisor at the R.E. Burger Plant in 1992, and to Industrial Relations coordinator in the Akron General Office from 1994 to 1995. Charlie then served in various fossil operations and plant management positions before being named director of the Bruce Mansfield Plant in 2001. He was appointed to his current position in September 2004. Charlie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering in 1986 from The University of Akron.  He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Ohio and is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Charlie is a director of the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (OVEC) and represents FirstEnergy as a member of the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC).

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