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Our Leadership

At Geronimo Power, we manage the full lifecycle of our projects – from development and construction to ownership, operation and decommissioning. Our deep expertise, results-oriented culture and financial strength, paired with our farmer-friendly values and commitment to being a safe, responsible business, set us apart as an industry leader.

Our leadership team represents the industry’s top talent and is firmly committed to driving sustainability and economic growth in the communities that host our projects. 

Meet Our President

Blake Nixon

Blake Nixon

PresidentView bio

Meet Our Corporate Team

Michelle Arawwawela

Michelle Arawwawela

Executive Vice President, InvestmentsView bio

Lindsey Bauer

Lindsey Bauer

Executive Vice President, Human ResourcesView bio

Jeff Ringblom

Jeff Ringblom

Executive Vice President, Accounting & FinanceView bio

Lindsay Smith

Lindsay Smith

Executive Vice President, External Affairs and Chief of Staff View bio

Meet Our Operations Team

Andy Cukurs

Andy Cukurs

Executive AdvisorView bio

Jim Murphy

Jim Murphy

Vice President, Asset ManagementView bio

Gemma Smith

Gemma Smith

Vice President, OperationsView bio

Meet Our Development Team

Sanjay Bhasin

Sanjay Bhasin

Vice President, OriginationView bio

Nathan Franzen

Executive Vice PresidentView bio

Rafik Halim

Rafik Halim

Vice President, TransmissionView bio

Kara Heffelbower

Kara Heffelbower

Vice President, Project DevelopmentView bio

Brad Morrison

Vice President, Construction and ProcurementView bio

David Reamer

David Reamer

Executive AdvisorView bio

Melissa Schmit

Melissa Schmit

Vice President, Development ServicesView bio

Meet Our Strategy & Commercial Team

Ryan Butterfield

Ryan Butterfield

Vice President, StrategyView bio

Justin Pickar

Justin Pickar

Vice President, Strategic OriginationView bio

Drew Terwilliger

Drew Terwilliger

Executive Vice President, Strategy and CommercializationView bio

Learn More about Geronimo Power

Our Culture

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Our Projects

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Our Careers

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Blake Nixon

Blake Nixon

President, Geronimo Power

Blake Nixon is the President of Geronimo Power, a leading independent North American power and infrastructure company. Geronimo Power develops, owns and operates large-scale power and affiliated digital infrastructure projects throughout America’s Heartland, including solar, wind, energy storage and powered data parks. As a farmer-founded and community-focused business, Geronimo Power equips landowners and rural communities with sustainable revenue to ignite local economic growth. To learn more about Geronimo Power, visit www.geronimopower.com or follow the company on LinkedIn.

Prior to his 20+ year tenure with Geronimo, Blake served as a Principal at The Rahn Group, where he managed the venture capital and private equity portfolio of the family office, as well as the firm’s hedge fund. Blake’s responsibilities at The Rahn Group included deal flow generation, due diligence, deal negotiation, portfolio management, active assistance for portfolio companies on operational and strategic issues, and investment divestitures. Blake was also responsible for the majority of the portfolio company oversight and board relationships for the firm’s private equity investments. Prior to The Rahn Group, Blake worked as an equity analyst for money management firm Investment Advisers, Inc. (IAI). Blake holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of Washington at Seattle and completed the General Course at The London School of Economics (LSE).

Michelle Arawwawela

Michelle Arawwawela

Executive Vice President, Investments

Michelle Arawwawela is the Chief Investment Officer at Geronimo Power. Prior to joining the team in 2015, she received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Boston University. She began her career with a focus on energy markets and asset valuations during her time at PA Consulting Group in the energy and utilities group. From there, she enhanced her skills and over time gained valuable experience in financial modeling, tax equity finance, project debt finance, power purchase agreement negotiations, mergers and acquisitions and much more. Now, Michelle is responsible for the strategy behind pipeline and portfolio management, large scale project investment approvals, tracking investment performance management, economic modeling for utility scale solar, wind and storage projects and investor relations with joint venture partners. She serves as a crucial part of the team in maintaining external investor relationships and actively managing the Geronimo Power portfolio to execute investment strategy.

Lindsey Bauer

Lindsey Bauer

Executive Vice President, Human Resources

Lindsey Bauer serves as Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Geronimo Power, where she leads the company’s Human Resources function and supports the organization’s continued growth and scalability. She brings more than 21 years of Human Resources experience, having worked across industrial manufacturing, medical device, and software development industries both domestically and globally. Her expertise includes executive coaching, mergers and acquisitions, organizational design, and learning and development, with a strong focus on leading and developing high‑performing teams.

Lindsey holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Development and Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors camping, skiing, and hiking with family and friends.

Jeff Ringblom

Jeff Ringblom

Executive Vice President, Accounting & Finance

Jeff Ringblom is Chief Financial Officer for Geronimo Power. He brings over a decade of experience in corporate finance and accounting. Jeff has spent the majority of his career in renewable energy, where he has been instrumental in structuring the sales and negotiations of renewable energy projects throughout the Midwest. His extensive experience in corporate finance includes M&A transactions, procurement negotiations, corporate restructurings and general business strategy. Jeff joined Geronimo Power as Controller in 2010. Prior to this, Jeff was at Deloitte & Touche, LLP in Assurance and Advisory services as well as St. Jude Medical, Inc. Jeff holds a degree in Accounting from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. He is also a certified public accountant.

Lindsay Smith

Lindsay Smith

Executive Vice President, External Affairs and Chief of Staff

Lindsay T. Smith has been with Geronimo Power since 2013. Lindsay began her career with Geronimo Power as an associate and has since grown her career to now serve as Executive Vice President, External Affairs & Chief of Staff. In her current role, she oversees the Marketing & Communications, State Regulatory and Legislative Policy, and Federal Policy departments. She also serves as Chief of Staff. Lindsay initiated and grew the company’s Marketing and Communications and Community Engagement departments from inception, playing a pivotal role in bringing the company’s community focused value set and brand to life. Lindsay’s background includes significant roles at Genus Technologies, as well as in the performing arts sector, in areas such as sales, marketing, and leadership. Her extensive experience spans corporate and community-focused public relations strategies, with a proven track record in superior brand and stakeholder management. Lindsay’s education includes: a certification from Leadership U for Humanity, a MBA from the University of New York (Cum Laude), and a BA in French and a BS in Theatre from Skidmore College (Cum Laude with Honors).
Andy Cukurs

Andy Cukurs

Executive Advisor

Andy Cukurs has more than 40 years of experience across the energy, engineering, and construction industries, including over 28 years in the renewable energy sector spanning wind, solar, and energy storage. He has held senior management roles with venture-funded start-ups, large OEMs, independent service providers, and developers, as well as leadership positions overseeing international businesses delivering design, engineering, and construction services. Andy also serves voluntarily on the Illinois State University Renewable Energy Board.

Earlier in his career, Andy led the design, engineering, and construction of processing facilities in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. His work has included projects delivered across the United States and internationally, including Russia, China, Argentina, Mexico, and Australia.

Andy is passionate about coaching and mentoring managers and leaders in fast-paced growth environments, early-stage start-ups, and organizational turnarounds. He brings a practical, experience-driven approach to developing leaders and building resilient teams.

Andy holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Jim Murphy

Jim Murphy

Vice President, Asset Management

As Vice President of Asset Management at Geronimo Power, Jim Murphy oversees the P&L and financial performance of the company’s ~3 GW operating portfolio, including power trading activities. He partners closely with field operations teams to enhance profitability and mechanical reliability through disciplined execution and data-driven analytics.

Prior to this role, Jim served as Chief of Staff to CEO Blake Nixon, supporting strategic decision-making across the renewable energy value chain and data center development, with responsibilities spanning capital allocation and siting decisions, O&M strategy, and power markets trading and hedging.

Jim brings more than 20 years of experience spanning engineering, operations, finance, and asset management within the energy sector. He holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, as well as an MBA with a focus on structured finance and accounting.

He began his career at ExxonMobil as a reservoir engineer, advancing into leadership roles supporting deepwater Gulf of Mexico operations. He later joined S&P Global, where he developed quantitative financial models and advised energy-focused A&D investment banking clients. Jim subsequently returned to ExxonMobil as Joint Venture Subsurface Asset Manager for the Tengiz oil field in Kazakhstan—one of the world’s largest—where he led a multidisciplinary team across engineering, drilling, project management, and FP&A, driving asset performance, financial optimization, and partner alignment.

Outside of work, Jim and his wife, Lina, have four children and spend much of their time at hockey rinks across the Twin Cities.

Gemma Smith

Gemma Smith

Vice President, Operations

Gemma Smith is Vice President of Operations at Geronimo Power, where she leads the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the company’s utility-scale renewable energy portfolio, including solar, wind, and battery energy storage assets. In this role, she oversees plant operations, Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS), and operations engineering teams across multiple states, with responsibility for safety performance, operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and cost-effective asset management.

Gemma joined Geronimo Power in 2018 and has held progressively senior leadership roles across EHS and field operations. She has played a key role in strengthening the company’s safety culture, professionalizing field operations, and driving process improvements that support long-term asset performance and risk reduction. Her work has included advancing self-performed operations strategies, enhancing warranty and vendor management programs, and improving cross-functional coordination among operations, engineering, asset management, and construction teams.

With more than 15 years of experience in renewable energy, Gemma brings a strong operational and engineering mindset to her leadership. Prior to joining Geronimo Power, she built and led EHS and training programs at Pattern Energy Group. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Texas Tech University.

Based in Bloomington, Minnesota, Gemma is known for her collaborative leadership style, commitment to safety-first operations, and focus on developing high-performing teams that deliver reliable, sustainable energy to the communities Geronimo serves. 

 
Sanjay Bhasin

Sanjay Bhasin

Vice President, Origination

Sanjay Bhasin is the Vice President of Origination for Geronimo Power. Sanjay has over 20 years of renewable energy experience, including expertise in origination, contract negotiation, underwriting, strategic planning, acquisitions, finance, and tax equity investments. Over the years, he has established an extensive network of customers across the US – IOUs, C&Is, Munis, and Coops.

Prior to Geronimo Power, Sanjay served as the Senior Vice President of Originations at Savion, LLC. There, he focused on a 10+ GW solar + storage portfolio across 26 states. Prior Savion, he worked for Tradewind Energy (TWE) for six years as the Head of Business Development. Under his leadership, TWE blossomed from 2 GW to over 5 GW of operating renewable projects. Earlier in his career, Sanjay played a key role in launching and growing Edison Mission Energy’s (EME) wind energy business as their Managing Director of Business Development. Over the course of 10 years, EME was successful in developing, owning, and operating 2.2 GW of wind energy products. Sanjay holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Statistics from Elphinstone College, and an MBA in Finance from Northeastern University.

Nathan Franzen

Executive Vice President

Nathan Franzen is the Executive Vice President of Development at Geronimo Power. He guides the company’s multi-gigawatt U.S. development portfolio of utility-scale solar, wind, and battery projects. He brings more than 20 years of development experience across over 15 gigawatts of energy projects, including more than 3 gigawatts of operating assets.

At Geronimo Power, Nathan provides oversight to a multidisciplinary team of project development professionals spanning Development, Engineering, Construction, Transmission, and Origination. Prior to Geronimo, he established an engineering group for a leading energy engineering provider and led the development of master-planned communities across the Upper Midwest.

Nathan holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.

Rafik Halim

Rafik Halim

Vice President, Transmission

Rafik Halim is a transmission, distribution, and compliance leader with more than 25 years of experience in power system analysis, renewable and load integration, and ISO/RTO markets. He brings deep expertise in generation and load interconnection strategy, power flow and stability modeling, cost allocation, and interconnection agreement execution. He works extensively with RTOs, utilities, and industry stakeholders to support tariff development, resolve interconnection study issues, and reduce regulatory risk. Rafik pairs advanced technical analysis with a practical, financially grounded perspective to deliver bankable generation and load interconnection solutions.

Rafik holds an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, with a focus on power systems and industrial engineering, and a B.Sc. in Electrical Power Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in both Minnesota and North Dakota.

Kara Heffelbower

Kara Heffelbower

Vice President, Project Development

Kara Heffelbower serves as Vice President of Project Development at Geronimo Power and has been with the company for more than a decade. She began her career at Geronimo as a Development Intern and has since held roles across permitting and development, bringing deep institutional knowledge and continuity to her leadership position. In her current role, Kara leads Geronimo Power’s Project Development group, which includes field development, community engagement, project management, and project planning and controls.

Kara brings extensive experience in late‑stage project execution, portfolio management, strategic planning, and people leadership. Over the course of her career at Geronimo, she led cross functional teams to deliver more than 1.3 GW of renewable energy projects representing over $2 billion in total capital expenditures and has facilitated successful development transfers over 650MW.

Kara holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management from the University of Minnesota, with a minor in Geology. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking creatively, yoga, gardening (food and plants), spending time outdoors, and being with family and friends.

Brad Morrison

Vice President, Construction and Procurement

Brad Morrison serves as Vice President of Construction & Procurement at Geronimo Power, bringing more than 25 years of experience across engineering, construction, project management, and utility‑scale renewable energy development. 

Brad holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from North Dakota State University and is a registered Professional Engineer, he began his career designing a wide range of structural infrastructure, from office, and commercial buildings to complex seismic building designs and retrofits. He later spent nearly 18 years at Xcel Energy, where his work evolved from engineering design into project leadership and senior management roles. Over more than 15 years, Brad played a key role in the development and construction of utility‑scale wind, solar, and battery storage projects, ultimately leading capital project development efforts across multiple regions. 

At Geronimo Power, Brad leads construction and procurement with a holistic, end‑to‑end perspective. He is known for building strong, integrated teams and for encouraging collaboration across disciplines to deliver high‑quality project outcomes. His leadership philosophy focuses on fostering curiosity, excitement, and continuous learning. 

Raised on a dairy farm in central Minnesota, Brad brings a deep respect for land, community relationships, and keeping one’s word, values that strongly align with Geronimo Power’s roots. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with family and friends and being outdoors, especially fishing and hunting.

David Reamer

David Reamer

Executive Advisor

David is the Chief Development Officer at Geronimo Power and former President of Geronimo Energy. He has over 25 years of experience as a founder, CEO, and investor in technology companies and the energy industry. With a B.S. from the University of Minnesota, his customer-first approach to business has driven his career path from venture-backed entrepreneurial start-ups, to executive roles in the Board Room. 

Melissa Schmit

Melissa Schmit

Vice President, Development Services

Melissa Schmit is the Vice President of Development Services for Geronimo Power. Melissa has 18 years of experience in energy and infrastructure development/permitting and regulatory compliance. Previously at Geronimo Power, Melissa led the permitting team and oversaw all aspects of regulatory compliance, including environmental risk and mitigation for sitting, as well as land use and environmental permitting. Most recently, Melissa led early-stage Project Development and currently leads Development Services, including GIS, permitting, development operations and real estate teams. 

Melissa has a Juris Doctor from Hamline University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies/Geography from Gustavus Adolphus College.

Ryan Butterfield

Ryan Butterfield

Vice President, Strategy

Ryan Butterfield is Vice President of Strategy at Geronimo Power, where he leads strategic planning for powered data parks, new development investments, and the integration of renewable and dispatchable generation into digital infrastructure energy supply. Based in Minnesota, he plays a key role in shaping the company’s long‑term growth strategy for Geronimo. 

Ryan joined Geronimo Power in 2022, bringing deep experience across wind, solar, and energy storage. Prior to joining the company, he held leadership roles at NextEra Energy focused on operational strategy and performance across renewable and storage assets.

Justin Pickar

Justin Pickar

Vice President, Strategic Origination

As Vice President of Strategic Origination, Justin Pickar leads strategic origination efforts across Geronimo Power’s development portfolio, including identifying and advancing new Powered Data Park opportunities. In this role, he focuses on originating the next generation of energy infrastructure by pairing utility-scale power projects with data-driven development opportunities, while building and maintaining strategic relationships with utilities, customers, and stakeholders nationwide.

Justin brings nearly two decades of renewable energy experience and has been with Geronimo Power since 2008. Over the course of his tenure, he has held leadership positions spanning development, project origination, and strategic origination, helping grow the company’s development pipeline across wind, solar, energy storage, and emerging infrastructure technologies. Prior to his current role, he served as Senior Director of Origination, Senior Director of Project Origination, Director of Project Origination, Director of Development, Development Manager, and Development Associate.

Before joining Geronimo Power, Justin worked in business development, recruiting, and consulting roles and founded EHFAR, LLC, a consulting firm focused on business development, marketing, and public relations. His renewable energy career began in his hometown of Wimbledon, North Dakota, where he worked with local landowners and farmers to advance what would become the Courtenay Wind Farm, a 200-megawatt project that now helps power more than 100,000 homes annually.

Justin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications. A proud North Dakota native with deep agricultural roots, he enjoys working out, skiing, and spending time with family and friends.

Drew Terwilliger

Drew Terwilliger

Executive Vice President, Strategy and Commercialization

Drew Terwilliger is the Executive Vice President of Strategy and Commercial at Geronimo Power. He began his career at the company in 2011 and has progressed through several leadership roles, including leading Project Finance and serving as Vice President of Commercial, prior to stepping into his current position. Drew is responsible for development strategy, deal structuring, commercial negotiations, and advancing data center power solutions across the company’s portfolio. His experience spans the full lifecycle of renewable energy projects, with a focus on structuring and executing complex commercial transactions that support long-term project success. Drew holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance, Investments, and Banking from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

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Sidney Nuese Full Res

Sidney Nuese

Senior Project Developer
Geronimo Power

Sidney Nuese is a Senior Project Developer supporting the Nobles County Data Center through the development of its associated wind projects—Plum Creek 1, Plum Creek 2, and Lime Creek. A lifelong resident of southwestern Minnesota, Sidney brings deep local knowledge and nearly a decade of wind development experience. Since joining Geronimo Power in 2016, she has advanced multiple utility-scale wind projects across the region, building strong relationships with landowners and guiding projects from early siting through key development milestones.
 
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Southwest Minnesota State University. Sidney lives near Hendricks, Minnesota with her husband, Jason, and their four children. Outside of work, she enjoys golfing and spending time on the lake.
Marta_Lasch_PRINTSIZE

Marta Lasch

Permitting Lead
Geronimo Power

Marta Lasch is the Permitting Lead for the Nobles County Data Center, where she oversees environmental due diligence and land use permitting across local, state, and federal agencies. With nearly a decade of expertise working at the company, she has advanced over 1,600 MW of utility-scale wind, solar, and storage projects throughout the Midwest and Texas—550 MW of which are in Minnesota. Her work focuses on regulatory compliance, environmental risk mitigation, and coordinating with multiple agencies to advance major infrastructure projects.

Marta holds a B.S. in Geology from Iowa State University. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling and dancing with her husband, exploring state parks, gardening, and cheering on the Frost.

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