CHARLIE PICKARD:  

After high school I eventually earned a BA in Motion Picture/Television from UCLA (1980). Hmmm... five schools, nine years to get a four year degree? Anyway, got married the same year to my California girl, Donna. We immediately moved to Minnesota where we've lived ever since. For 16 years I worked in the film industry in the Twin Cities as a lighting technician (gaffer, key grip, crane and dolly operator, rigger, electrician, etc.) I worked on a lot of TV commercials, some rock videos, industrial videos and a few feature films. During those years Donna and I also started our family and had two daughters and a son. I decided to make a drastic career change in the late '90s, went back to school and then became, for 10 years, a software developer at a small start-up company in Eden Prairie. Turns out this wasn't really my cup of tea, although I was able to perform okay as a lead programmer--just didn't really have much passion (or even much interest in computers). My previous work and hobby experiences really came together for my final career in renewable energy. Back to the classroom again, study and hands-on training. Then in 2008 Donna and I started Aladdin Solar, a Minnesota 'mom and pop' solar construction company. We personally installed a bunch of solar panel systems on homes and small businesses over the next 6-8 years. Oddly enough, I noticed my body was getting less and less enthusiastic about working on roofs. At that t...Expand for more