Board of Directors

Don Collins

Mr. Collins is Chief Executive Officer of Western Research Institute (www.westernresearch.org) since December 2007. He leads a diverse R&D team in development of clean fossil and renewable energy technologies, environmental remediation and prevention technologies, highway asphalt and pavement advancement, and highly specialized analytical services and test devices.

Previously Mr. Collins spent six years working for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). Mostly recently he was Director of the Power Systems Division for the Office of Coal Power and R&D, where he managed and was responsible for the implementation of technology research and development, and national initiatives for advanced hydrogen turbine and fuel cell technology programs. In this position he led nine project managers in the definition of R&D problem statements/needs and in the selection and negotiation of financial assistance $140M/YR R&D agreements with external participants, including industry, academia, other national laboratories, and state and federal agencies. The division managed 115 projects with total value of $1.7B.

In addition, he assisted the Federal Project Management Center of NETL in development of project management guidelines and methodologies specifically for basic and applied R&D endeavors. He served on the Technical Advisory Board for the West Virginia University Advanced Power and Electricity Research Center and a joint project between the NETL Office of System Analysis and Policy and Carnegie Mellon University to studying energy storage technologies and market cost-benefits.

Prior to becoming the Director, Mr. Collins was the Fuel Cell R&D Project Management Team Leader. He managed fuel cell research and development projects executed via cooperative agreements with external organizations. Responsibilities primarily focused on reviewing, assessing, and awarding research proposals/plans and negotiating technical project work scopes for the overall fuel cell program team and for specifically assigned projects. Duties included developing and processing solicitations for fuel cell technology research and development. Efforts were closely coordinated with program stakeholders to integrate R&D focus with overall Department of Energy goals and funding levels.

William Haynes, Consultant

Mr Haynes' 25 year career focus has been to prove economic benefits of environmental paradigm shifts. This is accomplished in close cooperation between industry and governmental organizations. He completed the course work for an MBA and MCM (Masters of City Management) focusing on FASB and GASB (Financial and Governmental Standards Board). He also did graduate studies in City Management, City Planning & Finance from East Tennessee State University.

Mr Haynes researched and proved the environmental and economic benefit for the industry's first sanitary landfill. His landfill design model became the industry standard for subtitle D of the Sanitary Landfill Act. He also designed and developed the first active landfill project to meet this standard working with TenKan, a division of H.R. Hamm. This eastern Kansas landfill project created a billion dollar cash flow.

Previously Mr. Haynes established the first industrial recycling program in Tennessee by proving the economic benefits to industry. He worked closely with several industries to establish best business practices. He also has trained the FBI's hazardous waste squad and been involved in many civic activities and organizations.

Brad Hamilton

Brad Hamilton's background is in real-world sales, marketing, retail management, and business administration. Mr. Hamilton is the vice president of Cellular Express, Inc., a TN corporation, which he founded in 1998.  Cellular Express is a management company that operates authorized retail locations throughout the southeast region for national cellular carriers AT&T and U S Cellular.  Mr. Hamilton graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1999, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing.  He currently resides in Lenoir City, TN with his wife and two daughters.