Board of Directors
We envision a world where houses of worship and faith-based nonprofits are leaders in clean energy adoption.
Meet our board members.
Allen Drew
Board member
Rev Allen Drew is an ordained pastor in the Christian Reformed Church, North America (CRCNA) with 10 years of experience as a parish minister. He lives in Philadelphia and serves as the East Coast Regional Organizer for the Climate Witness Project, which focuses on engaging and equipping the church to take meaningful action on the climate crisis. He is also the chief organizer for the Hunting Park Community Solar Initiative.
Steve Mulder
Solar Faithful, Vice President and board member
Steve Mulder is a retired insurance industry executive. Building on a lifelong passion for the Creation, since 2016, he has been the Michigan Regional Organizer for the Climate Witness Project. In this role, he helps congregations connect and engage in creation care in 4 areas: Energy Stewardship, Education, Worship, and Advocacy. His love and concern for his kids and grandchildren and our world’s most vulnerable drives his determination to mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
Diane Cheklich
Board member
Diane Cheklich is a project manager and environmental advocate with a focus on solar energy as a response to the climate crisis caused by fossil fuel-based energy. She is a co-founder of D2 Solar, a solar equipment distributor in Detroit, and is active in several other solar ventures as well. Diane is a co-chair of the Detroit City Council’s Green Task Force Renewable Energy Committee, which works to promote progressive energy policy in Detroit. In 2017 she was hired by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar in Your Community Challenge initiative to coach five project teams in the State of Michigan, one of which established the initial model for Solar Faithful. In addition to being on the board of Solar Faithful, Diane is also on the board of Detroit Audubon, where she chairs Detroit Audubon’s Conservation Committee.
Jennifer Young
Solar Faithful Secretary and board member
Jennifer Young is an Energy Programs Manager with Michigan Interfaith Power & Light, a nonprofit inspiring and equipping people of faith to exercise stewardship of and love for all Creation. In this role she assists faith communities across the state, bringing earth stewardship into congregational life. Jennifer’s primary responsibilities include working with congregations who were awarded $100K each to make their worship facilities energy efficient via a Sacred Spaces grant from the State of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Prior to working with Michigan IPL, Jennifer worked as a program manager for the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office where she convened government leaders in southeast Michigan communities in collaborative renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives. Jennifer is actively involved with the Detroit Interfaith Outreach Network, the Ferndale Environmental Sustainability Commission, and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Detroit Chapter. Jennifer is delighted by the opportunity to participate on the board of Solar Faithful and to contribute towards creating a cleaner, healthier, and more just world.
Murray Rosenthal
Board President
Murray Rosenthal, PhD, is an advocate for installing solar on the roofs of non-profit organizations. He helped guide eight solar installations using the Investor Model, acting as the chair of Solar Faithful of Ann Arbor, the precursor organization to Solar Faithful. He also chairs the Ann Arbor 2030 District House of Worship (HoW) and Non-Profit Green Team and is a member of the leadership council of the Ann Arbor 2030 District. He is currently the Board President of this Solar Faithful non-profit organization and the combined Episcopalian and Reform Jewish HoWs known as Genesis of Ann Arbor. Murray is President of NSF Toastmasters and has earned the Advanced Toastmaster Gold award. He also co-facilitates a NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) support group. He is best known professionally for helping to invent the first commercial Hemoglobin A1c test, which is used to monitor and diagnose diabetes. Murray is retired but still consults in the medical device and regulatory arenas.
Pamela Pugh
Board member
Pamela Pugh, DrPH, MS, was elected to the State Board of Education in 2014, and currently serves as its vice president. She is a member of the Healthy Schools Network Board of Directors, and a member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of State Boards of Education where she serves as Chair of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee. She is the Chief Programs Officer for The Chisholm Legacy Project: A Resource Hub for Black Frontline Climate Justice Leadership. Dr. Pugh was the Chief Public Health Advisor for the City of Flint, Michigan for three years. She is the co-founder of Regeneration LLC, a consultancy that serves as a catalyst for economic sustainability and healthy urban communities. She was previously employed by the Saginaw County Department of Public Health for 14 years. She received both a Doctor of Public Health and Master of Science from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Florida A&M University, and an Associate’s Degree in Pre-Engineering from Delta College.
Rob Rafson
Solar Faithful President and board member
Rob Rafson is president of Solar Faithful. He believes that the energy transition can also have a transformative effect in our economy through a just transition. The opportunity is to use solar development as an entrance ramp to the construction industry for those traditionally left out for the industry. In this way we can both address Creation Care and care for those in need. Chart House Energy founder and President, Rob is a professional engineer with over 30 years experience in environmental engineering, design, construction and operation of over 150 environmental improvement projects in the United States and abroad. Mr. Rafson has achieved recognition in energy efficiency, patented innovative soil remediation technology, gaseous emission controls and Brownfield redevelopment.
John Mirsky
Board member
John Mirsky is a civic volunteer with a passion for the environment, sustainability in the broadest sense of the term, and developing high-performance organizations. He retired after a 37-year career as an engineering executive with Bosch. He lives in Ann Arbor with his wife, Renate.
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