Biographies
Gallup Solar was formed in 2007 as an idea among a small group of Gallupian women; be sure to read the history of Gallup Solar's Founders. Today, Gallup Solar's membership is a diverse group of citizens of Gallup New Mexico; feel free to read the details about our members:
Bill Bright
Masters Degree in Special Education & Industrial Sciences, Adams State College
Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy, Colorado State University
Bill Bright is the former Secretary of the Gallup McKinley County School Board and President of the UNM-Gallup Advisory Board. He is the President of the Charter Middle College High School Governing Council & Treasurer the Bahá’í Community of Gallup.
He has served on the Health Advisory Committee of Gallup Head Start, UNM-Gallup Project Success, and the KGLP Board of Directors. He is currently or has been an active member of: the Board of Habitat For Humanity of Gallup, the McKinley Community Health Alliance, the Coalition for Healthy and Resilient Youth, the Strategic Alliance Against Substance Abuse, the Gallup Water Board, the High School to College Articulation Task Force, the Early Child Advisory Council, The Gallup McKinley School’s Wellness Advisory Council, the McKinley County Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, the NM Behavior Health Local Collaborative, the Tobacco Education Advocates of McKinley County, the Downtown Neighborhood Association, the Gallup Main Street Steering Committee, the Chess Rules! Association, the Annual Whole Child Conference Planning Committee, the Annual Youth Water Awareness Day Committee, the Annual Celebrating Youth Street Festival Committee and the Annual Bilingual Conference committee, and the Gallup Solar Association.
Mr. Bright has owned and managed a small business for 10 years, and is a US Air Force Vietnam Veteran. He is currently a landlord/property manager, small business owner, Social Entrepreneur and has lived in Gallup for 15 years.
David Brunt
Masters of Science, Agricultural Economics, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 1974
Masters of Science, Urban Planning, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 1975
Mr. Brunt began career at Mountain Bell, a subsidiary of AT&T, forecasting local exchange growth as part of the budgeting process. Later, he forecasted revenues, line growth and traffic volumes for the seven-state Mountain Bell Region. Following the break up of AT&T, duties expanded to include the 14-state region in the US WEST franchise. In 1987 is worked with the Carrier Marketing Division to develop pricing strategies and to manage development of the division’s annual business plan. This work involved analysis of complex data relationships for decision makers.
He served as Chief of Budget Review for The Navajo Nation, Office of Management and Policy Analysis in Window Rock, Arizona in 1977 through 1979. There he was responsible for developing a budget review process for PL93-638 programs contracted by the Navajo Nation for the federal government. This involved coordinating budget requests with the BIA, OMB and the House Interior Appropriations Committee. The process met all
expectations and deadlines and established a continuing process for communicating Navajo program objectives to federal authorities.
He received a Fellowship by the Untied States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to study regional economic development with course work covering a broad spectrum of planning topics and projects. He was a commissioner, Navajo Tax Commission, 1987-93. and an entrant: Marquis Who’s Who in the West, 20ed. 1986-87.
Rick Kruis, M.D.
Doctorate, Wayne State University School of Medicine (Detroit)
Dr. Kruis grew up in Navajoland. He is a graduate of Rehoboth Christian High School, Dordt College (Iowa). Dr. Kruis completed a residency in Family Medicine and a fellowship in Family and Behavioral Medicine. Rick and his wife, Dr. Mary Poel, and their three children live in Gallup. They are members of Gallup Bethany Christian Reformed Church.
Dr. Kruis was formerly Chief Medical Officer for the Navajo Nation Department of Behavioral Health Services and Chief Consultant in Addiction Medicine for Navajo Area Indian Health Services. He is certified in Addiction Medicine and Family Medicine. Dr Kruis currently works as an emergency physician at Gallup Indian Medical Center and is Medical Director for McKinley County EMS and Gallup Fire Department, and McKinley County Metro Dispatch.
Rick dabbles in his hobby of “promoting by implementing” examples of environment friendly projects. He is sole proprietor of Desert Highland Earthships, a construction / consulting business for building earth-sheltered, solar heated homes in McKinley County (we have built three). Part of his work includes solar stills, solar ovens, and a solar clothes dryer (clothes line).
David Mikesic
Master’s of Science – Zoology, Southern Illinois Univ. at Carbondale
Bachelor’s of Science – Biology, Univ. of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Mr. Mikesic has conducted many independent studies and published numerous papers in zoology. Since October 1994, David Mikesic held the position of Zoologist for the Navajo Natural Heritage Program, Navajo Nation Department of Fish & Wildlife, in Window Rock, Arizona. There he was awarded the 2003 Employee of the Year, and 2007 Supervisor of the Year, by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
In that position he perform surveys and research to determine locations and populations of rare animals and maintained the zoological portion of a Heritage Database with records of endangered species on Navajo Nation. He also maintain peer-reviewed animal portion of Navajo Endangered Species List via field research, data and literature reviews. He had developed, and assisted in, development of policies to assist land developers in avoidance of sensitive habitats and raptor protection policies. He provides education on native and listed species in oral and written presentations, and provides technical help to project sponsors and consultants for Federal Law and Tribal Code compliance.&
He served as Zoologist Curator of the Navajo Nation Zoological & Botanical Park from March to July 2007. There he acquired general-base funding to allow continuation of the park, recruited and hired well-qualified Zoo Curator to manage daily zoo operations and supervise a staff of five, organized & coordinated three special events to recognize sponsors and educate public on zoo issues, and developed budget & objectives for 2008.
He has fluency in general and specialized computer applications. Mr. Mikesic has ‘good standing’ membership in the following professional societies: Mexican Spotted Owl Recovery Working Team (Co-chair 2000 to 2004), National Wildlife Society, Native American Fish & Wildlife Society, Raptor Research Foundation, and several others.
Chuck Wade
Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering, New Mexico State University, 1968
Mr. Wade was born in 1939 and raised in Corona, New Mexico. He graduated from Corona High School in 1957 and served on active duty with the Naval Seabees from 1959 to 1963. Chuck continued as a Naval Reservist for the next 26 years, retiring as a Civil Engineering Corps officer in 1989.
He worked with a large general contracting company from 1969 to 1977 as a field engineer, estimator, superintendent, and assistant project manager on several multi-million dollar jobs. He operates his own general contracting company, Wade Building Company, in Gallup, New Mexico from 1978 through 1999, at which time I retired.
Chuck traveled to several countries on four continents and to forty-eight of the United States doing physical work in thirty-five states. He met his wife, Nancy, at New Mexico State University and has been married for forty-two years. Their daughter is also an NMSU graduate, while our son graduated from the University of New Mexico.
Mr. Wade has been interested in alternative energy for many years, having had a franchise for a solar heating system in the late 1970’s. He feels it is imperative that we wean ourselves off oil. He is pleased to be associated with Gallup Solar, with a quest to have a demonstration 40 mega-watt Consolidated Solar Power (CSP) generating plant located near Gallup, New Mexico.
