Jan Blittersdorf
President and CEO

NRG Systems, Inc.

NRG Systems CEO and President Jan Blittersdorf is passionate about protecting the planet. She believes it is this passion, shared by so many within NRG Systems, that has made this growing company successful.

When Jan took over as NRG Systems CEO and president in 2004, the company was ready for a new style of leadership. Jan’s husband, David Blittersdorf founded NRG Systems in 1982, and created a successful niche for this manufacturer of wind measurement systems. Now at the helm, Jan is leading NRG Systems helping to maintain its leadership role during a time of tremendous growth in the company and its worldwide industry.

Jan joined NRG Systems in 1987 as CFO and vice president; the company had only a handful of employees. She took charge of the company’s financial systems, crafted a progressive compensation and benefits package and developed a hiring system that has helped create a vibrant organization recognized by business groups across the nation for its unique workforce practices.

Jan has been the systems person, the organizer and the communicator; David, the engineer and entrepreneur. Together the two have made a dynamic pair that has taken NRG Systems from a small group of employees to a world leader in its market.

As NRG president and CEO, Jan still looks forward to getting up each morning ready to “change the world” and her goal is to keep that passion ignited for each and every one of the company’s employees. As company president, she continues to draw upon her strengths and financial background to lead this growing company in an industry no longer considered “fringe,” but a mainstream $10 billion per year sector.

Jan is an active contributor to her communities nationally and in Vermont. In 2006, she was the first woman to be recognized as the Wind Woman of the Year by WOWE (Women of Wind Energy), a networking and sponsorship organization that encourages and supports the participation of professional women in the wind energy industry. Jan is a member of the Audit Committee for the American Wind Energy Association and on the steering committee for Women of Wind Energy. Closer to home, she is on the Board of Directors for Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, the Fairbanks Museum, and the Vermont Humanities Council, on the Advisory Boards for the University of Vermont School of Business and Vermont Technical College, a member of the Vermont Business Roundtable and a member of the Business Advisory Council for the Vermont Speaker of the House.

Jan received her bachelor’s degrees in both professional nursing and human development from the University of Vermont in 1984. She and David have a son Evan and a daughter Alyssa.

David C. Blittersdorf

Founder, NRG Systems, Inc.

Current President/CEO, Earth Turbines, Inc.

It seems only fitting that David Blittersdorf's childhood home in Pittsford, Vermont, was situated so close to what would one day become his life's passion and work. From his home, he could see Grandpa's Knob-the site of the world's very first large-scale windmill. Built at the beginning of World War II with a price tag of $1.25 million, the 1.25-megawatt experimental wind energy system fed power directly into Central Vermont Public Service's electrical system. As a teen, David heard stories about the days when the windmill was running. He and his father often trekked to the top of the mountain where the windmill once stood-its foundation still visible.

This connection to local history and his own interest in building model windmills helped foster David's curiosity about wind energy and other renewable energy sources. His curiosity became more of a dedication in 1973 during the Arab Oil embargo. David still remembers how lives were affected by the embargo and hopes history won't repeat itself.

This may best explain David's commitment to renewable energy and wind energy in particular. He is not simply an advocate for renewable energy, David practices what he preaches. With an 80-foot (23-foot diameter) windmill in his backyard and a solar PV (photovoltaic) system on his rooftop, this Charlotteresident exemplifies Vermontpride and the desire to be self-sufficient. His family of four's 15-kilowatt home energy system eliminates the need to use power from their local electric utility.

In 1982, David founded NRG Systems. In 2005, he left NRG Systems to pursue his passion for small wind and form a new company, Earth Turbines. A sister company to NRG Systems, Earth Turbines is developing a family of wind turbine products for the small and community wind markets.

David is past president of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the national trade organization for the wind industry. He has been actively involved in AWEA's legislative activities on the Federal level. Blittersdorf is also a founding member and past chair of the non-profit association, Renewable Energy Vermont (REV).