Eric T Lavoie

President / Founder

Eric’s two engineering degrees are in Industrial Technology and Water-Wastewater Treatment with years of experience in various industrial and manufacturing settings. Eric has held the positions of Engineer, Chief Engineer, and Operations Manager. In addition, Eric’s experience is with Industrial Chemical Processing and Combustion Sciences.

Eric is also an inventor and his passion in Fluid Combustion transformed into tremendous advancements in combustion engineering and resulted in him being issued two patents for the combustion of standard and hard-to-burn fuels.

Eric helped form Energy Efficiency Solutions LLC in 2008 and has designed and manufactured several oil burners with unique features such as “burners with multiple nozzles, multi-fuels; with modulating burner control technology which in some cases, can burn oil as clean as natural gas. Eric  was granted US Patents-8,052,418 for “The Burner Booster” and US Patent -8,672,672 for “The Phoenix Combustion Burner System”(Oxygenation Fuel System).  

Kenneth U Borneman

Sr. VP Power-Plant Development Operations

Ken Borneman’s over forty years’ experience and a proven track record in alternative power development, engineering and manufacturing,provides the necessary skills to be particularly effective for his clients. With nineteen years of renewable power development, thirteen years in the power industry and twelve years in the paper and specialty board industry, he has the expertise to meet the ever-changing needs of today’s green power development and emerging renewable markets.

 Mr.Borneman’s experienced knowledge provides a valuable niche for his clientele, particularly with green renewable development, power generation, alternate energy markets and clean energy initiatives. From development, project design, engineering, business/management requirements, contract negotiating, to operations O&M,  procurement, environmental compliance, project management, accounting, and project oversight Ken Borneman provides a realistic and productive approach to his customer’s needs.

Ken leads and maintains efficient productivity through experienced management knowledge, professional diligence, technical skills and a hands-on approach Mr. Borneman provides his clients with the foremost quality product. Ken has been involved with many upgrades to over seas power generating plants.

Ken has a Masters Degree in Business Science and BS. In Mechanical Engineering.

David J. Phaneuf

Sr. VP: Environmental/ Energy R&D.

David currently has over 12 years as Vice President of Research & Development in three main industry areas, Water, Food, and Energy. He’s been successful in coordinating  a group of scientists, and engineers under direction of a successful local philanthropist and entrepreneur, Irving A. Backman. Under his direction working in Hydroponic food production, water purification solutions, waste to energy, and advance biomass combusting units. David’s work in Construction Management as a Project Estimator and Project Manager that lead to overseeing Field Engineer duties for landfill methane recovery and cogeneration plants, recycling center, and sludge treatment facility that advanced him for today’s leadership.

Recently David  is coordinating with international labs and scientists in the development of high value products, (by using coal, with a special patented systems) to advance and produce synthetic graphite, chemicals and improved batteries.

David leadership roles started in the US Navy, with six years of active duty trained as Machinist Mate on a verity of technical ships including nuclear submarines. His other duties and training;  in advancements in: explosives, auxiliary equipment, steam generators, water makers, oxygen generators, refrigeration, hydraulics, valves, pumps, and  more.  After honorable discharge, he became become involved with flower and food production in a wide verity of greenhouses, soil and hydroponic cultivation operations both state side and abroad.

David’s Education expands in many areas of in business management, civil engineering, and information systems from attending Holyoke Community, Springfield Tech College, and Westfield University

Fred L. Solomon

Project Investment Relations

As the Executive Vice President and Director of Sterling Energy Group and its subsidiaries, Fred has vast and diversified experience in corporate operations and finance. Fred’s experience includes structuring mergers, asset purchases, and public/investor relations.

Fred has vast experiences in all aspects of Power-Generation Plant Operations from dealing with internal personnel to outside mechanical contracting firms and extensive experience managing projects of more than $100,000,000. Fred has dealt with all of estimating, budgeting, cost controlling of many start-up projects and understand the nuances of successfully managing the projects’ multiple schedules and budgets.

Fred is also a Member of the American Welding Society and has over thirty years of experience as a welding engineer and who grew up in the fabrication and construction industry of large boilers. Fred is a professional manager whose owned and /or managed various businesses, ranging in net worth from one million to four billion dollars.

Eric D. Taylor

Eric D. Taylor

Sr. VP: Hydrogen Operations

Eric has a Mechanical Engineering Degree and spent 3 years at Massachusetts Institute of Technology ‘s Advanced Plasma and Fusion Combustion Center as the Chief Managing Engineer where he supervised 12 technicians.

Eric has over 15 years’ experience in the manufacturing, production, development of new technologies. Eric developed many computer-activated mechanical controls with automation software that maximizes the operation.

Eric’s experience includes re-designing, documenting, and building state-of-the-art mechanical systems for industrial environments and was involved in the technological development of 3 US Patents. Eric helped form Advanced Burner Solutions (“ABS”)…  where he used his expertise with the design and development of ABS’ Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Catalytic Chemistry Modules.

Steve Hawkes

High-Pressure Boiler & Power Systems Engineer Advisor

Steve first got involved in high-pressure power plant boilers in the merchant marines where he graduated tops in his class. Today, Steve is a 1st Class Power-Plant Engineer with over 35 years in industrial/commercial power-plant operations and is experienced operating power plants that run a various fuel including Coal, Oil and Bio-Mass.

Steve has been affilia… ted with The Sterling Energy Group for several years and has been responsible “start-ups” many power-plants worldwide and currently overseeing the daily operations of two bio-mass power plants in Maine.  Steve the overseeing and implementation of special upgrades to improve efficiency and emissions at these two plants.  

Martha Jackson

Environmental Communication Coordinator

 Martha brings her experience from both the corporate world and small business (including start-ups) to interface with corporate, government and different levels in the community. Her unique ability to coordinate a series of data info and how best to show trends helps make better; communication continuity, identity and vision. Agen values her ability to problem solve in a creative and diplomatic manner with real world feasibility through many disciplines. She brings  the “STEAM” (Science. Technology. Energy. ARTS- Management) to give outstanding coordination in presentations. Her passion for global sustainability, along with her years of teaching experience, has provided her with an arsenal of practical design solutions to make an effective presentation to help better the planet for the future.

Lori J. Cutter

Office Manager and Bookkeeper

Lori brings 8 years of Energy Saving Corporation cross-over work experiences. Lori started with Energy Efficiency Solutions, LLC as past Managing Partner in 2009 and was responsible for handling a wide variety of record keeping and accounting documentation and state filings. She  came on board with AGEN in 2018 to help keep all accounting records and filing. Lori handles AGEN’s Corporate stock documentation and other presentation packages both on the internet and by mail.

Steven Swartz

Steven Swartz

Sr. VP: Corporate Public Relations Director

Steven has over 30 years specializing in high technology products and services, with an outstanding track record of promotional achievement ranging from accounting software and advanced biotechnology systems to software for manufacturing enterprises, electric-powered vehicles and a variety of environmentally positive initiatives.
Steven has been in the vanguard of the high technology industry, using high-impact public relations and direct marketing techniques, assisting clients in sales of over two billion dollars of applications of a verity of industries. In addition, he developed innovative and successful communications programs that made major improvements of corporate image. He has generated positive, high-impact publicity in the leading US business print, broadcast and online outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg’s Business Week, Fortune, Forbes, TIME, USA TODAY and many metropolitan dailies, radio, TV and online sources.
His communications skills have been recognized with more than 30 ICP Promotional Achievement Awards, as well as numerous prizes for achievement in readership and ad recognition. He won the inaugural competition for BEST SOFTWARE ADVERTISING, presented by the ICP/Million Dollar Awards. He is a founding publisher of Manufacturing Technology Quarterly and American Executive magazines.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University. He is also a Teaching Assistant at the Harvard Extension division of Harvard University and Instructor in Marketing and Public Relations at Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies.

John Gass

Combustion Burner Service Engineer

John is experienced with many different engineering applications for very heavy oil, heavy oil mi… xtures, and other waste crude-glycerin products and was instrumental in the construction of Energy Efficiency Solutions’ $500,000 Advanced Combustion Laboratory for the advanced studies of The Burner Booster Technology.  

John knowledge and experience with these heavy fuels was invaluable with the research and development projects at the Advanced Combustion Laboratory which aided in the development of the Phoenix Combustion System.

Ray Brooks

Burner System’s Manufacturing Director

Ray has over 25 years in managing and the setting up  industrial equipment systems. He’s been instrumental in designing, manufacturing and managing production staff. Ray talents of overseeing systems installations while organizing field repair and service operations programs have made him an asset to the team.

Ray’s entrepreneurial skills and out of the box troubleshooting talents along with good common sense has led to a great working relationship with Eric (Agen President) before the development of The Burner Booster.

Kenneth J Southwick PE

Kenneth J Southwick PE

Process Piping & Thermal Engineer Consultant

Ken is a Mechanical Engineer who has developed and obtained 8 patents in Advanced Thermal Processes and has taken a company public on NASDAQ when he was just 28 years old. Ken invented a process for the high-frequency induction melting and destruct… ion of various metallic and mineral waste materials. Ken designed heat exchanger systems and energy recovery systems in many industries.  Ken’s inventions include a high-temperature molten alloying and extraction process for recovering and refining precious metals and a “Molecular Collider” Technology that uses ultra-compressive vortexian energy to produce extremely high-temperature water systems for heating and treatment processes. 

In addition, Ken is gifted and a respected Process Piping Engineer who has work in the Biotech, Pharmaceutical, and Medical industries where he designed special gas piping systems for hydrogen, helium, and arsine.  Ken as been a leader in wastewater treatment of acid waste systems and designed specialized reverse osmosis /deionized water systems for various companies for over 30 years.

Peter B. Chykaliuk-PhD

Chief Agronomist

Peter has worked in the agriculture, oil, and gas industries for more than 40 years. Peter has managed large farm production entities in Ukraine where he was able to increase crop yields that were in difficult growing conditions and areas. Peter has filed and received over 20 registrations, trademarks, and patents for various plant varieties in Sorghum, Blueberries and Artic Kiwi.

In 1991, Peter started a Farm Supply Distributorship in Ukraine. Peter then spear-headed and assisted several other start-up companies in the agriculture and energy sectors by acting as a conduit to other investors. Peter and his associates still own a few agricultural related businesses in Ukraine. 

Jarmin Kaltsas

BioFuel Consultant Operations

Jarmin has 15 years’ experience in the Bio-fuels Industry and is the Founder and President of Maine Bio Fuels. Jarmin has always had an interest in advancing the use of bio-fuels from different sustainably grown crops. Jarmin is a leader in the waste to energy field and has made many advances converting waste streams into value-added products. Jarmin co-founded an aquaponics farm in Maine that was heated entirely from Bio-fuels that were produced on his farm which was the basis for his research into alternative fuels such as bio-fuels and waste streams.

Steve Hayes

Sales Communications Advisor

Senior VP Engineering, General Manager, President, CEO, Senior VP Sales and Marketing and Senior VP of Human Resources are just a few of the professional roles that Steve has successfully filled throughout his career.  He holds a Master’s degree in Educational Administration, an Executive MBA in Marketing, Senior HR Professional certifications and offers over 30 years of business management experience in high tech, engineering, distribution and construction.  He has built a reputation as a systems thinker, problem solver and capable operations manager and is consistently sought out as a start-up and/or turnaround expert.

Focused on collaboration, innovation, and being fun to work with Steve is a rare blend of education and practical application with proven ability to positively impact the bottom line.

Dave Nudelman

VP: Strategic Sales & Marketing

David has over 30 years of experience with high-tech companies in various marketing roles including sales and sale management and has been instrumental with the introduction of many new products and technologies.

David’s strengths include marketing, product management and training, establishing and maintaining distribution networks, and the hirin… g and management of a direct and outside sales force. David is very detail and goal orientated and his nature combined with his communication skills, allow him to quickly develop a rapport with others. 

Bob Ketter

Strategic Sales Consultant

Bob has strong skills in operations management with past ownership of two manufacturing companies in the USA. Bob has helped launch new products and setup sales teams since 1985. Bob worked with Eric LaVoie on the transition from Energy Efficiencies Solutions, LLC to Advanced Burner Systems in 2015. Bob is a part-owner/investor of RENTAR Corporation where he holds the position of Senior Regional Sales Manager and supports the operations and sales of a technology to advance oil/diesel fuel burning for the US and overseas. 

William J. Harrington

William J. Harrington

Energy Grid Management Consultant.

William (Bill) is President and Founder of Sterling Energy Group Inc. and has over 38 years of leadership experiences in the oil and coal-fired power plant operations from 25-MW to 2200MW. In addition, Bill has worked with oil and gas fields for over 10 years. Bill has managed and trained many managers and technicians at coal, oil, and bio-mass power generation plants to optimize the plants’ efficiencies.

Bill excels in power-plant management, maintenance, finances, and operations in the USA and overseas. Bill is currently overseeing the upgrade to Sterling Energy Group’s coal-fired powerplant. 

Bill has developed and installed a few boiler modifications that resulted in improved efficiencies and safety, while producing cleaner emissions. Bill excels with many engineering skills and the wisdom to make decisions that increase the plant’s efficiencies and profit. Bill is very well known and respected for advancing new troubleshooting methods within the Power-Generation Industry.