Please welcome Skip DeLong and JJ Jones to the High Country Energy project team! Brought on to help secure land rights in our North Footprint, Skip and JJ bring years of valuable experience to High Country Energy. Both Skip and JJ join High Country after successful work at other National Wind projects. Before joining High Country, Skip worked as a field specialist assigned to the M-Power 169.5 MW Luverne Wind Farm project in North Dakota, which is now under construction. JJ worked on the NECO Wind project in Colorado.

Both specialists bring impressive resumes to the project. Skip has worked in the wind industry for over 25 years, beginning when he studied Wind Energy Technology at the Red Wing Area Vocational Technical Institute in Red Wing, Minnesota, and continuing through a wide range of projects where he has been involved in many aspects of Wind Energy, from manufacturing to construction to operations and maintenance. JJ also has a diverse set of skills acquired from her previous work as a business owner, a realtor and the vice president of a bank before joining National Wind.
JJ and Skip both view the relationships they develop with landowners as the main draw of being a field specialist.

“I look out for their interests,” said Skip. “Educating landowners about wind energy and working with them to make the decision that best suits them, it’s a reward on its own.” As M-Power started construction, Skip received phone calls from grateful landowners, letting him know that everything was occurring just as he told them it would.

“I like the feeling of helping people secure some kind of future security for their families,” said JJ. They both enjoy fishing and being outdoors, but have different preferences when it comes to outdoor sports — JJ’s a kayaker while Skip prefers cross-country skiing. Together, they’ll work with Dan Hemmingsen and Missy Kelley to continue securing land throughout High Country Energy’s North footprint.

Read more stories from the Summer 2009 newsletter