Al Rudeck
President

Al Rudeck has dedicated his career to serving the electric industry, including innovations in leadership, workforce education & development, safety, environmental stewardship, and community service. He currently serves as ALLETE Clean Energy’s President. He began his career at Cargill before serving customers at Minnesota Power for 20 years, including roles as Engineer, Plant Manager, Director of Engineering, and VP of Generation and Strategy and Planning, which included fuels, energy marketing, resource planning, and major construction project development and execution. Al serves on the Board of Directors for Thrivent Financial Northland Region, University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) NRRI and Swenson College of Science and Engineering, Association of Edison Illuminating Companies, Lignite Energy Council, and the Minnesota Chamber. He was inducted into the UMD Academy of Science in 2011. Al has championed military supportive policies helping Minnesota Power and ALLETE Clean Energy gain Yellow Ribbon company status. He is a graduate of UMD in Chemical Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Minnesota.

Laura Schauer
Chief Financial Officer CFO

Laura Schauer, CFA, is the Chief Financial Officer at ALLETE Clean Energy. In this leadership role, she supports business development and strategic planning efforts and has broad oversight and leadership responsibility for finance, accounting, tax, financial forecasting, tax equity partnerships and investor and banking relationships. Laura has been part of ALLETE Clean Energy’s leadership team since the company’s formation in 2011. She joined ALLETE as a financial analyst in 1998, and held several positions within the ALLETE corporate finance team. Prior to joining ALLETE Clean Energy, she worked on several strategic corporate initiatives, including negotiating and issuing corporate debt, negotiating transmission-related investments and initiatives, and negotiating Minnesota Power’s first wind power purchase agreement. Laura received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of St. Catherine, and her Master of Business Administration degree from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. She is a graduate of the Minnesota Executive Management program at the University of Minnesota’s School of Management.

Wells McGiffert
Business Development Vice President

Wells McGiffert is the Vice President of Business Development at ALLETE Clean Energy. He is responsible for leading project development initiatives and supporting project acquisitions, including project valuation, due diligence, contract negotiations, and operations integration. He manages key relationships with engineering firms, construction companies, equipment providers, project developers, asset owners and financial advisors. Wells previously worked as a project manager for an international wind development company managing a portfolio of wind projects in Canada and the US. Wells has experience working on complex permitting of energy projects through his role as Renewable Energy Project Manager for the Department of Interior; successfully permitting Nevada’s first utility-scale wind project. Wells has additional experience managing development, construction, and financing of large capital projects. He received an undergraduate Business Management Degree and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

William Sawyer
General Manager of Operations

William Sawyer is the General Manager of Operations at ALLETE Clean Energy. He has leadership responsibilities for operation and safety of the company’s wind sites across the country as well as for the operations and maintenance support team in Duluth. Prior to this role, he was the Manager for Clean Energy Solutions at ALLETE Clean Energy and was responsible for the development of strategy, technology, and business initiatives to further the advancement and implementation of carbon solutions for the energy industry. Before moving to ALLETE Clean Energy, William worked for Minnesota Power in a variety of positions, including as Manager - Renewable Business Operations, Manager - Project Development and Reporting, and as a Project Development Leader. William has also worked at the University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Economic and Technology Development offices and for the City of Duluth. He holds an Industrial Engineering degree and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Minnesota.

Kathryn Koch
Human Resources Manager

Kathryn Koch is the Manager of Human Resources at ALLETE Clean Energy, where she collaborates with the leadership team to develop, manage, and ensure all aspects of Human Resources align with and contribute to ALLETE Clean Energy’s strategic business goals. In her role, she is responsible for all aspects of employee relations, performance management, culture development, recruiting, HR administration, benefits, and employee retention. Kathryn joined ALLETE in 1997 and has worked in all areas of Human Resources. Kathryn was named a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (through SHRM), Certified Compensation Professional, and a Certified Benefits Professional (through World at Work). She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Gustavus Adolphus College and a Master’s Degree in Industrial Relations from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

Lyssa Supinski
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Lyssa Supinski is the General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Director of Compliance at ALLETE Clean Energy. In her role, Lyssa leads the legal, land, compliance, and asset management teams. Lyssa joined ALLETE in 2000 as an attorney in the legal department and represented the company across a broad range of matters, including real estate, purchasing, environmental, and securities law. She also worked as the Director of Power Supply for Minnesota Power where she was responsible for the life cycle of the energy supply and made valuable contributions to the ALLETE’s EnergyForward strategy, most notably advancing the resource package that included the Nobles Wind project and Nemadji Trail Energy Center. Before joining ALLETE, she worked for several years at a small law firm in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Lyssa attended Grinnell College and earned a law degree from the William Mitchell College of Law. She is a graduate of the Minnesota Executive Management program at the University of Minnesota’s School of Management.

Mahendra Mishra
Business Development Director

Mahendra Mishra is the Business Development Director at ALLETE Clean Energy. He is responsible for origination and business development functions, including leading the full cycle of renewable energy transactions. Prior to joining ALLETE Clean Energy, Mahendra was a key member of Minnesota Power’s Strategy and Planning team, and made significant contributions in formulating and executing the EnergyForward strategy, particularly in the areas of combined-cycle and renewable expansion. Before joining Minnesota Power, Mahendra held the position of Vice President, Commercial, at Essar Steel in Minnesota. He was responsible for early-stage project development, marketing strategy, and the procurement and sales department. In this role, Mahendra was involved in executing sales agreements, power and gas contracts, and the company’s product off-take and logistics strategy. Mahendra gained operational experience working at a combined-cycle power plant in India. He holds a Bachelors of Engineering degree from Gujarat University in India and a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Buffalo.

John Hollingsworth
Project Development Director

John Hollingsworth is the Project Development Director at ALLETE Clean Energy. He is responsible for developing and directing the strategic planning of multiple new build construction projects, as well as overseeing the coordination of personnel and resources required for successful project completion. Prior to his current role, John worked as a Project Development Manager, Safety Specialist Senior, and Construction Manager at the company. He has been an integral part of the Project Management team for all six new build wind projects at ALLETE Clean Energy. He previously worked at ALLETE/Minnesota Power as a Construction Inspector and also as a Safety Professional in Generation Operations. John was a key contributor to the Bison wind expansion project as a Site Construction Manager. John holds a Bachelor of Environmental Sciences degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Master of Environmental Health and Safety degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Tim Sweeney
Technical Development Director

Tim Sweeney is the Technical Development Director at ALLETE Clean Energy. His responsibilities include focusing on creating opportunities for various business aspects, including cost reduction and technological advancement. He provides technical direction for the development, design and integration of the company’s wind site projects. Prior to joining ALLETE Clean Energy in 2013, Tim worked for Parker Hannifin’s Oildyne Division, Intermet’s Hibbing Foundry, and Potlatch Corporation. In his tenure with Parker, Tim worked in a variety of roles, including as a Manufacturing Engineer and an on-site Project Manager in Shanghai, China. He was involved in the development of a new catalog product, which successfully resulted in two patents granted. Tim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Stout and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota with an emphasis in operations and finance.

Kris Spenningsby
Customer Solutions and Asset Optimization Director

Kris Spenningsby is the Customer Solutions and Asset Optimization Director at ALLETE Clean Energy, where he is responsible for managing customer relationships and contracts for current and future customers. He is responsible for developing and negotiating contracts, developing and implementing new value-added products, and collecting and evaluating market trends. He also leads the long-range planning efforts of the company’s existing fleet of assets. Prior to joining ALLETE Clean Energy, Kris worked in various roles at Minnesota Power in Marketing, Project Development, Generation Operations, and Engineering. He holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from North Dakota State University, a Master of Gas Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and a Master of Business Administration from the College of St. Scholastica. Kris is a licensed Professional Engineer in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota.