A board of directors made up of publicly-appointed and customer-elected representatives oversees District Energy activities. All District Energy board members are also members of our affiliate, District Cooling St. Paul. We feel fortunate to have so much talent on the boards of both our heating and cooling companies.
Here's a brief look at each of these outstanding individuals.
GEORGE C. FREMDER , chairperson, joined the board as a publicly appointed member in February 1999. Fremder is the retired second vice president, corporate services, at Securian Financial Group, the company he worked for his entire career. While at Securian, he provided top management leadership to 11 corporate support departments and was responsible for Securian’s corporate property management. He brings to the board extensive human resource management knowledge and expertise in the areas of building design and construction. Active in numerous community organizations, Fremder’s leisure time activities include youth soccer, fishing, golf, reading and travel.
MARK E. RANCONE, vice chairperson, is vice president of Roseville Properties Management Co., where he oversees the management of more than 3 million square feet of mixed-use commercial, industrial and residential real estate. Rancone represented the interests of our district cooling customers on the District Cooling board from 1993 to 2004 before moving to the District Energy board. Rancone sat on the board of Greater St. Paul BOMA for six years, was an original member of the Rice Park Committee and served on the Chamber’s Light Rail, Business Development and Shepard Road Advisory committees. A former junior high school teacher, he likes to golf, fish and play hockey.
T. JERRY BARNES was publicly appointed to the board in November 2005. Barnes is the retired business manager for St. Paul Pipefitters Local 455. He has 39 years of experience as a pipefitter (11 as a full-time officer) and was involved in the original installation of District Energy’s hot water district heating pipes in 1983-84. Barnes is a member of the Minnesota Pipe Trades Council, the Building Trades Council, and the Trades and Labor Council. His skills come from having spent thousands of hours in the field, working on temperature control systems, HVAC systems and critical path work for nuclear, fossil fuel, cogeneration and chemical plants, oil refineries, paper mills and the Alaskan pipeline. Leisure time activities include downhill skiing, riding a Harley, golf and spending time with his grandchildren.
Representing the interests of District Energy’s small-size customers since June 2007 is WILLIAM BUTH, retired president of the Saint Paul Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA). Buth has had a close working relationship with District Energy for many years, having served as the first board secretary when the company was founded in 1979. During his 34 years as president of BOMA, Buth served on numerous boards and was a member of many City, County and State-appointed committees. He currently serves on a committee to select a new Saint Paul fire chief and on two Ramsey County committees associated with light-rail transit. Leisure time activities include boating on the St. Croix River and playing golf.
District Energy’s largest customers elected RICHARD D. SCHREINER to the board in September 2005. He has been involved in the healthcare facilities management field for more than 20 years. As director of facility operations at United Hospital, Schreiner oversees all of the maintenance, engineering, parking, security, construction and space planning functions of the campus. The campus consists of 1.4 million square feet of hospital/medical space and 1.2 million square feet of parking facilities. Schreiner is a state/national disaster logistics volunteer with the St. Paul Chapter of the Red Cross. He is currently enrolled in the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class of 2006. Leisure time activities revolve around his family, playing golf and traveling.
DONOVAN SCHWICHTENBERG joined the board in March 2007 and represents the interests of District Energy’s medium-size customers. He is the president of Saint Paul College – A Community & Technical College, which has set enrollment records for each of the last three years. Dr. Schwichtenberg is a graduate of Minnesota State University at Mankato, the University of Minnesota, Walden College and the University of St. Thomas. His skills in education and administration were developed while working in business, as a teacher and administrator with Minneapolis Public Schools and as head of the Minneapolis Technical College. He is an active member of St. Paul Rotary and his leisure time activities include youth basketball, raising horses, gardening, chess and beekeeping.
District cooling customers elected PATRICIA A. WOLF to the District Cooling board in September 2005. Wolf has been actively involved in the commercial real estate industry in downtown St. Paul for 27 years, leasing and managing more than a dozen buildings during this time. She formed Commercial Real Estate Services Inc. in 1990 to help primarily local owners lease and manage their properties. Wolf is a past chair of Greater St. Paul BOMA and currently serves as the chair of BOMA Minnesota. She was on the St. Paul BOMA committee that reviewed and negotiated the service agreement for district cooling customers that is used today. Wolf is an active member of many real estate organizations and the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce.
Directors Emeriti
BERNARD V. ST. PETER was declared Director Emeritus of District Energy St. Paul in September 2005. The declaration recognized St. Peter’s 19 years of leadership, guidance and dedication to the advancement of district energy services in and outside of St. Paul. It also recognized his lasting contributions as a board member, representing District Energy’s medium-size customers since 1986, and his service as board chair.
SUSAN J. SANDS was declared Director Emerita of District Energy St. Paul and its affiliate Market Street Energy Company in January 2007. The declaration recognized Sands’ 13 years of dedicated service, leadership and outstanding contributions on the boards of both companies, including five years as District Energy’s chairperson.