At VIP our people are our greatest asset. Our success comes from our employees, and we value the contributions they provide daily. To show our appreciation, we will have a series of Employee Spotlights where we highlight those employees at VIP that exemplify the culture and values we hold.
For our next Employee Spotlight, we have Ryan Kelly, Project Director on the Land Management Team, answer some questions about himself and provide perspective on the importance of land management for renewable projects:
VIP: Ryan, thanks for participating in VIP’s Employee Spotlight! Please tell us about yourself.
Ryan: Thank you for having me! I’m a Project Director focusing on the early-stage land acquisition and development here at VIP. I spent the last decade in the renewable sector focused on the acquisition/leasing of land for the development of wind, solar, and battery assets across the country.
VIP: How did you hear about VIP?
Ryan: I learned of Valor Infrastructure Partners from a long-time mentor of mine Thomas Mickel. Thomas and I have worked together for almost a decade. So, when he asked for me to consider a role at VIP, I was excited to learn more about the opportunity.
VIP: How did you get into the renewable industry?
Ryan: I made the switch from the oil and gas industry where I was working as a landman. I was searching for something with more stability and realized a lot of the same skill sets could be applied in this technology. I feel like the renewable sector is the wave of the future for land professionals looking to expand their career.
VIP: What does the ideal renewable company culture look like?
Ryan: I think the ideal work culture encourages and supports team members as they collaborate, share their ideas openly, ask questions, and grow professionally.
VIP: What goals do you have for your role as a Project Director at VIP?
Ryan: Joining the VIP team early affords me the opportunity to help build a best-in-class land team that fosters open communication to assist in our land campaigns. I am looking forward to sourcing, mentoring, and assisting our land team as we look to develop a pipeline of utility scale renewable projects.
VIP: What are the key attributes of a great renewable energy land agent?
Ryan: A great land agent can be described as a person who is knowledgeable and a creative communicator that thrives on the challenges associated with the development of utility scale renewable projects. The ideal land professional possesses a “can-do” persistence and displays problem-solving and communication skills that are necessary to help push a project to the finish line.
VIP: Thanks for taking the time to answer questions, last one: what do you like to do for fun when you’re not working?
Ryan: It has been my pleasure. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and three sons. The boys all play sports, so we are always in attendance when not traveling for work. As a family, we enjoy playing golf, tennis, hiking, swimming, or just about anything outdoors.