At our Solar C³ITIES summer 2026 hybrid board meeting, co-founder and outgoing executive director Janice Kelsey “passes the torch” to incoming executive director Jonathan Sidharta Leibovic.
On Sunday, July 12, we held a quarterly meeting of the Solar C³ITIES Board of Directors. Some of these directors have been serving on the organization’s board since its founding in 2014, like Jody Spangler, Janice Kelsey, and Dr. T. H. Culhane. For others, it was our first meeting – including Kaylee Koutroulelis, Stephen Smith, and myself. Li Zhu and Douglas Francisco also joined the board along the journey. This was a hybrid meeting with several of us at Janice’s house in Pensylvania, TH in Germany, Li in South Carolina, and others attending online.
As a collective, we told a story of the past, present, and future of Solar C³ITIES. Here are some of the highlights:
Early stages (2006-2014)
- TH develops IBC design in Heliopolis, Egypt
- TH travels to Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Burundi, and Rwanda with funding from the Blackstone Ranch Innovation Synergy Award
- TH works with Boma Mohammed Chi in Cameroon
- State Department funds biodigester projects in Iraq
- Insinkerator projects in Brazil
Growth & expansion (2015-2020)
- 2015 incorporated as a 501c3 non-profit corporation in Pennsylvania with TH, Janice, and Jody as the initial board of directors
- Janice and Jody record a TEDx Talk
- Jody’s tests showed increased growth on a hayfield fertilized with digestate from her biodigester
- Kaylee’s liquid flow dynamic assessment
- Growth of the organization, including enrolling in a program for learning about nonprofit management from mentors (continuing)
COVID era (2020-2023)
- Wrote and published Volume 1 of How to Build a Solar CITIES IBC Tank Biodigester book; began translating into different languages
- 2023 World Biogas Association awards – TH, Boma Mohammed Chi and Kathy Puffer all win in different categories
Rebirth (2024-2026)
- Janice transitions out of Executive Director role, training Jonathan to take over
- A re-invigorated board of directors will develop a new strategic plan for the organization’s future
Notes from the board discussion about the past, present, and future of Solar CITIES