Christopher LaForge is the CEO of Great Northern Solar and a NABCEP certified photovoltaic installer-emeritus. He has been designing, specifying, and installing systems since 1988. He has been an instructor with the MREA since 1993 teaching Advanced Photovoltaic design and installation and is an ISPQ Affiliated Master Trainer. In 2016 he was named IREC's Master Trainer of the Year. For over 29 years, Christopher has been deploying renewable energy systems for both the grid interactive and off-grid markets. A strong advocate for clean energy production, Christopher volunteers with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (as a member of the Board of Directors until 2015, now as Chair of the BOD Nominations Committee), and the Northern Futures Foundation. Christopher has developed training for contractors, administrators, project managers, and the public. Clients have included: The Gwich’in in Northern Alaska, the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin and St. Louis County in Minnesota, the Madison Area Technical College, and several other colleges. He has trained many electrical contractors in the greater Midwest and beyond. Christopher has a master's degree in Philosophy concentrating in Ethics and Non-Violence from the UW-Madison and is an organic gardener.