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As Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Valley, LLC. Mr. Saul has more than 12 years
experience in the Solar Power industry. He worked for Luz, the original developer of
solar thermal plants in California, and later served as COO for Solel, Inc., the leading
parabolic trough developer. Recently, he planned and directed the early development
of a 553 MW solar project, including negotiation of a multi-billion dollar Power
Purchase Agreement with PG&E. Last year, he assembled one of the largest portfolios
of solar properties in the Southwest suitable for large-scale solar development.
As Chairman of the Board of Pacific Valley. Mr. Firestone has over 25 years of experience
in launching and building, high-growth private and public companies in a variety of industries.
In 1984 Mr. Firestone launched his first company, which he sold 10 years later to a small
public company, and then co-founded Somera Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMRA),
which he took public in 1999, and remained on as CEO, Chairman of the Board, until he
stepped down in 2001. Mr. Firestone currently sits on the board of, and provides strategic
and operational consulting to, several of his portfolio companies, including Tempest
Telecom Solutions, and is actively engaged at Encore Renewable Energy as its President
and CEO, as well as in his role at Pacific Valley.
As Senior Vice President of Development. Mr. Predpall joined Pacific Valley after
spending 28 years at URS Corporation, where he was Vice President of the Power
Business Line for this $8 billion firm. While at URS, Mr. Predpall led their power
sitting practice, and conducted over one hundred siting projects throughout the
United States using a state-of-the-art siting process he designed. He has over 35
years experience in Power Plant Site Selection. During the past eight years, he
has specialized in early solar project development.
As both the chairman of real estate and finance committies for Pacific Valley, Mr. Firestone
is the founder and Chairman of Somera Capital Management (SCM), which he and a partner
co-founded in 1994. His leadership roles at SCM include strategic planning, investment
selection and oversight of the general business and financial management of the company.
Under Mr. Firestone’s leadership, SCM has grown from a family office operation to a
nationally-recognized institutional real estate investment firm, that now manages $2 billion
in real estate assets. Prior to founding SCM, Mr. Firestone was an entrepreneurial businessman
and an active commerical real estate investor for himself and for his family’s account,
with interests throughout the Western United States.