Chris brings his eagerness to make connections for a more sustainable Davis.
Chris brings his eagerness to make connections for a more sustainable Davis.

The Cool Davis Board has welcomed two enthusiastic new members recently.  Check them out!

Chris Soderquist is president and CEO of Davis-based Octus Energy. He has more than 20 years of experience founding, managing, advising, capitalizing and selling companies in the clean tech, high tech, professional services and private equity industries. He served or currently serves on the board of directors of Sierra Energy, the Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy, the Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance, UC Davis Connect, the UC Davis Graduate School of Management Alumni Association, and the Comstock’s Magazine Editorial Board. Chris earned a BS from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and an MBA from the UC Davis.

A (nearly) lifelong resident of Davis, the opportunity to quickly and perpetually implement community-wide sustainability initiatives drew Chris to Cool Davis. He believes there are myriad pragmatic and simple things individuals and organizations can do to make a sustainable difference. Chris says, “We can do good — for our environment — and make money; if it’s not economical, it’s not sustainable.” And, importantly, Chris feels it’s important not to preach. He believes that through practice and applied measures, versus green-washing, we can have a positive impact.

Mark Tebbutt joins the Cool Davis Board with a background in accounting and a love of bicycling and living a low-carbon lifestyle.
Mark Tebbutt joins the Cool Davis Board with a background in accounting and a love of bicycling and living a low-carbon lifestyle.

Mark Tebbutt brings some practical talents to the board, and he is a perfect model for what Cool Davis promotes. Mark’s skills include an accounting background and he has been involved in two start-up companies. In addition, Mark has always been interested in living a fun and efficient lifestyle. This has included solar energy, passive solar, bike riding and 32 fruit trees around his East Davis home.

Mark has always thought that a low carbon lifestyle is not only doable but a way of living that people will prefer once they learn all the positive aspects. Mark looks forward to helping Cool Davis encourage folks to transition to a more sustainable lifestyle individually and as a community. He believes what we do at the local level can make a significant difference in how we reduce and adapt to climate disruption.