Our Management Team
Rob Rafson, P.E. – Green Guru & President

The President and Founder of Chart House Energy has 27 years of experience in environmental engineering, design, construction and operation of over 150 environmental improvement projects in the United States and abroad. Mr. Rafson has achieved recognition in energy efficiency, patented innovative soil remediation technology, gaseous emission controls, and Brownfields redevelopment. He has also supervised the redevelopment of 17 contaminated properties including four superfund projects in the Chicago area and since 2006 has been developing renewable energy systems under Rafson Engineering, including the largest solar thermal system in Illinois.

Mr. Rafson has authored the authoritative text Brownfields: Redeveloping Environmentally Contaminated Properties, published June 1999 with McGraw-Hill. He has a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is also a licensed Professional Engineer.

Our Chief Operations Officer has over 7 years of experience in solar energy policy research and development. Emily has worked to develop testimony and intervention strategies in Michigan on energy policy issues on behalf of solar industry groups. Her experience lies in community engagement and impact development with a focus on community solar applications. She manages the Chart House Energy production team to install high community impact solar arrays across Michigan.

Emily graduated with a Master of Science and Doctoral Degree from Michigan Technological University in the Environmental and Energy Policy program. She has authored and published several articles on solar energy applications and policy strategies, including a guidebook on how to design and develop a community solar program for rural and low-to-moderate income communities.

Emily Prehoda, PhD – Chief Operations Officer
Jon Ledsworth – Community Development Director

Jon is our Community Development Director. Jon left a successful 25-year career in sales and project management in the industrial custom printing industry. He was in search of something more dynamic and inspiring within the communities he served.

In the Spring of 2019, Chart House Energy offered Jon an opportunity to lead the community impact initiatives of the company. He quickly realized the degree of positive influence that solar development has in communities, whether the projects are municipal, nonprofit, industrial, commercial, or residential. His focus at Chart House Energy has been to strategically pursue solar developments that will leave a community stimulated long after the solar installation is complete; a community that continues to benefit far beyond the clean and renewable solar energy itself.

Our Production Manager, Steven Thompson, leads our installation teams and manages our projects from drawing to commissioning. With a management philosophy focused on timeliness and quality, Steven’s expertise assures installations large and small are on time, safe, and completed with our client’s needs in mind.

Steven earned his BFA at The School of the Art Institute, with a concentration in painting and performance. He performed in venues in Chicago and abroad, including Carnival in Venice, Italy, The Randolph Street Gallery in Chicago, and Cankarjev Dom in Slovenia.

Before working for Chart House Energy Steven owned and managed Metro Restoration in Chicago for over 15 years, a company specializing in the restoration and renovation of some of Chicago’s most historic homes and buildings, including the famous Hyde Park neoclassical Del Prado Hotel, and the former Sutherland Hotel Lounge, both on the National Register of Historic Places. While living in Chicago, Steven also managed community projects with non-profits.  As an avid nature lover, Steven is passionate about keeping our forests and streams beautiful. Working for renewable energy is a natural fit for him, both personally and professionally. His passion extends to his projects, and he’s excited to expand our solar network for a greener future.

Steven Thompson – Production Manager

Abby Keesen – Director of Financial Planning

Abby is our Director of Financial Planning, Analysis, and Strategy 

Abby graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan in 2019 and then received her Master of Business Administration from Western Michigan University.  Abby returned to the West Michigan area and joined the Chart House Energy team as our Director of Financial Planning, Analysis, and Strategy.

In her role, she analyzes the financial data of individual projects and the overall company to guide future decision-making. Abby determines optimal project design by researching and distilling applicable incentives, utility rates, interconnection rules, and site characteristics into a simple understandable format.  She is also responsible for collecting financial data to develop and maintain relationships with financial institutions and project investors to guide the growth of Chart House Energy.