In Johnathan’s own words: “My name is Johnathan Van Roekel, and I am the Interim Executive Director of Lake County Resources Initiative (LCRI), located in Lakeview, Oregon. LCRI is a small nonprofit organization working to promote the economic, social, and ecological prosperity of Lake County, Oregon, and rural communities across the state by supporting the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. My journey with the organization began as a Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps member (2020-2022). I served as the Renewable Energy Coordinator with LCRI, focusing on small-scale renewable energy development assistance for agricultural producers and small businesses. My work has allowed me to meet people from across the state of Oregon, where I have learned about the challenges rural Oregonians face and how well-designed and implemented energy technologies can create positively impactful change. With the support of our project partners, we have helped raise well over a quarter of a million dollars in grants and rebates in the last two years to construct small-scale renewable energy and energy efficiency projects for farms and businesses.”