About Us

Howard Trott is the CEO of ARES North America and an executive with more than 25 years of experience developing and operating a wide range of energy projects, real estate investments and business ventures. For over twenty years, he worked for telecommunications pioneer Craig McCaw. During Howard’s tenure with McCaw, he led a variety of development projects, including the successful conversion of James Island, a 780-acre island in the gulf of British Columbia to a model of environmental sustainability. Howard has built corporate aircraft hangars for some of the largest corporations in the world. Mr. Trott is also the CEO of RECON Dynamics, which was created with a vision to provide advanced best-in-class IoT solutions for wireless asset location, management, and telemetry for a broad-spectrum of industries. He has completed a vast array of high-profile projects ranging from solar farms and aviation projects to large conservation projects. He is deeply focused on advancing green energy technologies and designing with sustainability and conservation in mind.

With a deep understanding of politics, the public sector and investor owned utilities, Katy has spent her career delivering results in challenging and high-profile political and corporate environments. She sees herself as partner in the resolution of complex challenges, bringing a level of operational sophistication and industry focus to every interaction. At ARES, Katy is responsible for executing the ARES Nevada Project  on time and on budget. Katy most recently served as Chief Commercial Officer - Powerline at RECON Dynamics where she was responsible for commercializing the Powerline Platform, which leverages movement signatures to detect failures and precursors to failure in electric utility assets to prevent and detect wildfire. Prior to joining RECON, Katy was Chief of Staff to several senior executives at San Francisco based Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) where she advised on issues ranging from inverse condemnation to wildfire risk management to future focused strategy development to cost reduction, performance and affordability. Katy joined the Company as part of the expansion of the public affairs function following the San Bruno natural gas explosion. Prior to PG&E, Katy served as a political appointee in the Office of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, advising on issues ranging from Economic Development to the American Recovery and Investment Act in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 global recession. A Northern California native, Katy and her husband David relocated to Seattle to be nearer to family following the birth of their young son, Ian. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in history from the University of California, Davis.

Todd has held numerous executive level finance positions with both private and public manufacturing companies over the past 20+ years, most recently with Data Exchange Corporation and Semtech Corporation, both headquartered in Southern California.  During this time he served as company Treasurer and helped develop and implement “Best in Class” financial systems, controls and processes to improve operating margins, profitability and cash flow while maximizing shareholder value. Responsible for complex modeling, strategic growth and profitability, Todd has been a leader in identifying tactical and strategic growth opportunities both organically and through acquisition.  His role in the acquisition, funding and integration of five companies over a six-year period while at Semtech contributed to revenue growth during that period of over 200%.  Additionally, while at Semtech Corporation Todd served as the company’s interface with institutional investors.

Russ is a seasoned business and project developer, marketing and sales leader, and legal manager, with 30 years of experience in the energy storage, renewables, and electronics industries. He has a track record of success at GE, Labtec, leading law firms when an attorney in private practice, and flow battery company UET (UniEnergy Technologies). In 2018, Russ established the consultancy CleanTech Strategies LLC. The firm’s clients include engineering, procurement, and construction firm Potelco, part of Quanta Services (NYSE: PWR), which has built the megawatt-scale Horn Rapids Solar, Storage, and Training project in conjunction with utility Energy Northwest and owner Tucci Energy Services; the energy storage program at Sandia National Laboratories; engineering and manufacturing company Hotstart with 78 years of experience providing thermal management systems for engines, equipment, and now energy storage; power market conference company Infocast to design and host two two-day energy storage conferences focused on Storage Business Models and Economics and Increasing Storage Safety and Performance; and ARES, including its 50MW/12.5MWh project in Nevada providing regulation services into the CAISO market. Russ is now the Chief Development Officer for ARES. His foci are the 50MW ARES project in Nevada, the development and negotiation of further ARES projects, development of strategic partnerships for ARES, and the go-to-market strategy of the company.

Corey has over 16 years experience managing public and private sector client relationships, negotiating service contracts, and providing strategic solutions to intricate challenges. Serving as Project Director at ARES North America he is responsible for pre-construction activities, including site research, project estimating, material procurement, as well as overall execution of ARES' design in the field. Prior to joining ARES, Corey served as Vice President, Relationship Management for Mission Square Retirement where he managed the investment recordkeeper’s service delivery to their largest public sector clients in the Pacific Northwest. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Economics from the University of Oregon. Corey also holds a Certificate in Construction Management from the University of Washington.

Tommy has a diverse background of over 17 years in product development, managing manufacturers and distribution networks worldwide. He has successfully established national product lines with Fortune 500 companies. Tommy contributes value in many ways to execute and develop ARES North America. As Manufacturing Manager, his passion is to efficiently produce and deliver quality ARES components. Tommy holds a BA from Central Washington University.