About RES
Learn about us, our partners, and our goals.
Dr. George R. Rivera, Jr., CEO / CSO
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Science Officer
With a Building Industry Consulting Services (BICSI) professional engineering certification of Registered Communication Distribution Designer (RCDD) Dr. Rivera has an extensive background working in and around technological Department of Defense (DOD) projects in Classified and Non-Classified areas for the US Departments of the Army and Navy. These projects primarily centered on Communication and Energy Generation for Warfighters in theater. Dr. Rivera has been both a military and civilian contractor in his career efforts.
Having earned Doctorates in Executive Leadership (DEL) and Business Administration (DBA) including lesser degrees of Master of Science Organizational Leadership (MSOL) and Bachelor of Science Business Administration (BSBA), his business acumen assists RES in the support of technology and science efforts as both Chief Executive Officer and Chief Science Officer.
Chairman of the Board
During his career with the Department of Defense, Dr. Rivera was responsible for design and implementation tasks on high-value projects in the hundreds of millions to billions of dollars. This level of trust was extended as he added to his Building Industry Consulting Services (BICSI) professional engineering certification of Registered Communication Distribution Designer (RCDD) with Doctorates in Executive Leadership (DEL) and Business Administration (DBA) including lesser degrees of Master of Science Organizational Leadership (MSOL), Bachelor of Science Business Administration (BSBA), and an Associates of Arts (AA).
This experience has greatly assisted Dr. Rivera in the private sector as well. He was instrumental in many energy project efforts across differing companies. This brought him to think about sustainable energy and realized that the only path to such answers lay in carbon gasification. In conjunction with ProCone AG International as the technology provider, Dr. Rivera founded Rivera Energy Solutions to sustainably meet the energy needs of a hungry world.
More can be learned of Dr. George R. Rivera, Jr. at:
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-george-r-rivera-jr-3b6b0512/
Michele M. Rivera, CFO
Chief Financial Officer
Michele M. Rivera is an accomplished administrator, accountant, and C-Level Officer. Having owned her own Accountancy Business for over 25 years prior to joining RES, she brings her formidable economic acumen to the company. Well-versed in all aspects of corporate accounting, bookkeeping, and the management of office staff dedicated to the task of financially guiding the company, Mrs. Rivera organizes her department with a keen and watchful eye.
Familiar with the fiscal needs of a large enterprise, her knowledge of supply chain needs, monetary policy, and change management makes her a valuable asset.
Vice-Chairman of the Board
Director of Accountancy
Michele owned her own accounting practice for over 25 years in Southern California, serving the needs of clients from the Construction Industry to Lawyers and small businesses.
Michele’s expertise kept her client’s books clean while she advised on tax and the avoidance of usury influences in their business practices. This included incidents of successful representation in front of the Internal Revenue Service for audit representation in both client business and personal matters. Prior to this, she was a Controller of Bertech Industries providing high-tech electronic specialty tools and equipment to such companies as General Dynamics, Northrop, and Lockheed – she is not unfamiliar with the financial operations of a major electronics business with high-quality clients.
During this period she was constant in her voluntarism, especially with the Prevent Child Abuse Riverside County (PCARC). As a paid Executive Director of the Golf Course Superintendent’s Association of Southern California, Michele ran such projects as golf tournaments dedicated to collegiate scholarships and golf industry research such as environmentally friendly pesticides and low water usage strategies. Her business community efforts involved her Ambassadorship to the Riverside Chamber of Commerce, including a Chairmanship of Business Development.
Michele brings all of her considerable talents to the financial success of Rivera Energy Solutions.
Donald Knight, COO
Chief Operations Officer
With over four decades of extensive experience in both the federal civil service and contracting realms, Donald Knight stands as a testament to the dynamism and versatility of business contributions in large federal projects. His journey began with 22 years as a federal civil service employee, followed by a rewarding 25 years working as a contractor to the US Federal Government. As our Chief Operations Officer, Don has things well in hand.
Board Member
Throughout his career, Donald Knight has been involved with many types of successful endeavors including networking, telecommunications, and energy. His portfolio boasts several groundbreaking projects such as the development of an Internet Broadband Infrastructure for underserved areas of the Navajo Nation, conceptualized a coal gasification plant meeting global emission standards for the Navajo Nation, and a program to mitigate radiation with the cleanup of uranium mine tailings on the Navajo Nation via a Thorium Nuclear Plant.
While Don held the position as Business Development Manager for Pojoaque Pueblo Service Corporation in Gallup, NM, underlining his commitment to elevating the economic development of the Navajo Nation, he had a dual role. As the Business Development Director at corporate in Lancaster, California, he oversaw Operations at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, with the same proficiency in contract management and providing state-of-the-art technological solutions to both civilian and military clients.
In the 90s, working for the Computer Sciences Corporation at Edwards Air Force Base, California, Don pioneered several IT infrastructures, including the development of an innovative Intranet for the Air Force Flight Test Center. Before this, his role as Director of High-Speed Network Applications at the Air Force Flight Test Center saw him design and manage what was then the largest high-speed network within the United States Air Force, setting the foundation for future military base networks.
His vast experience, unparalleled expertise, and commitment to advancing technological frontiers have not only added value to the projects he led but also paved the way for future innovations in the Federal and Private sectors. Don is a valuable asset to the Rivera Energy Solutions Board of Directors, given his expansive knowledge, strategic mindset, and dedication to collaborative success.
More can be learned of Donald Knight at:
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-knight-45ba3238/
Dr. Jorge “Chevy” Chavarin
Board Member
Dr. Jorge “Chevy” Chavarin is a bi-lingual (English/Spanish) retired U.S. Marine. He is the CEO/Owner of JOChavarin Consulting Group LLC whose firm specializes in professional management development training, executive coaching, business consulting/advising, and educational services. He has served in a myriad of leadership positions including Senior Advisor as a U.S. Marine; International Director of Training and Development, at Hart Global Management; Department Chair for the Graduate School of Business and Management, at Argosy University; Executive Director for the Veterans’ Chamber of Commerce.
With regard to his business where his focus is on Executive Coaching, past clients have included the United States Marine Corps, the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health, the City of Lake Elsinore, and the San Bernardino Community College District. Dr. Chavarin serves as a Business Expert/Advisor for numerous Small Business Development Centers within the Los Angeles Network, and the Goldman Sachs 10KSB Program bringing his considerable skills to Rivera Energy Solutions.
Dr. Chavarin holds the following degrees and certifications - Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership | Brandman University, Master of Business Administration (MBA) | Brandman University, Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership | Chapman University, 21st Century Leadership Certificate | Center for Non-Profit Management, Executive Certificate in Public and Nonprofit Leadership | Brandman University, Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) Certificate | Brandman University, and an Equal Employment Opportunity Certificate | Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute.
More can be learned of Dr. Chavarin at:
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jorge-chavarin-7b490930
Sherry Collins
Board Member
Sherry Collins is an accomplished Business Owner, Economist, and Lawyer having practiced in California. She holds multiple degrees; a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, a Master of Arts in Business, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD). Sherry brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Rivera Energy Solutions.
Sherry has an impressive work history, from owning and managing her own rental properties to holding the presidency of a community credit union. She has guided the income efforts of multimillion-dollar Fortune 500 companies as the Chief Economist and Pricing Specialist for Sunkist Growers in managing their bidding of US Government Contracts, securing for the company two of their largest deals. For Kal Kan Foods (Pedigree Pet Food) Sherry organized and developed their first successful overseas shipment of products and materials along with creating the Kal Kan Shipping Trading System for Materials.
Most impressive was her efforts at Citibank, though, where Sherry managed up to a 13-billion-dollar book of international business (IBF) trading between USD and foreign currency interest rates on 1.1-billion-dollar daily asset flows. In her capacity at Citibank she created derivative interest rate products for trade and international repurchase agreements, all meeting US Treasury requirements.
In her legal career, Sherry successfully owned and operated her practice in Southern California. With a 95% success rate, she negotiated/litigated in all aspects of law, from Family Law to Probates and Trusts in both State and Federal Courts mostly at the California State Appellate Level. She has been appointed as an Attorney for Children, serving as the Chair of the Family Law Section in Riverside, California. Sherry further served as Judge Pro-Tempore in Riverside Superior Court as well as volunteering to assist low-income families with Family Law and obtaining the first Elder Abuse Restraining Order in Riverside County, showing the high value of her character.
Sean McClain
Advisory Council Member
Space Consultant
Sean McClain is a United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) graduate, class of 2007. During his military career, Sean has served with distinction in nuclear and space operations, with notable accomplishments in highly selective Green Door assignments. Sean is a 2023 graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School’s Space Test Course, a partner program between the Air Force and the Space Force to produce premier space test professionals for leading and solving the challenges of developing the United States military’s and intelligence community’s most complex space systems. Sean has a Master of Military Operational Art and Science (MMOAS), a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Science in Military Strategic Studies from the United States Air Force Academy. His Masters thesis, “Celestial Sentinels: A Framework for Cis-Lunar Space Domain Awareness in 2035,” has been used by industry professionals since its public release in 2020 as a vision for how to unlock the economic potential of the Earth’s cislunar regime.
Michael L. McClain
Advisory Council Member
Technology Specialist
Michael McClain brings 50+ years of experience in technology, transportation, and logistics business. With a degree in electronics, Mike honed his skills in the computer sciences and biomedical instrument technologies.
Applied Science is no stranger, as Mike worked in and around manufacturing and engineering in the mainframe computing industry. He used these skills to be in on the ground-floor of a then nascent ISP-OSP infrastructure and networking paradigm. This ability to look “down-the-road” and see technological evolution in energy, fuels, and their applications is a defining skill of Mr. McClain and having him on the RES team will ensure a vibrant, innovative, and responsive management team navigating its way to a very exciting and promising future.
Mykel G. Larson
Advisory Council Member
Economist
Mykel G. Larson acts as an economic advisor to Rivera Energy Solutions, focusing on macroeconomy policy, FOREX markets, and commodities markets. With academic training at Cornell University and Pennsylvania State University (BS Economics summa cum laude), Mykel focuses on how trade policy and arbitrage opportunities are impacted by Central Banks’ Interest Rate Policies, along with how political instability affects supply and demand, specifically issues revolving around factor mobility. With research in pattern recognition, Mykel has developed algorithms to parse data sets from financial markets of all kinds to identify profitable arbitrage opportunities and mitigate risk.
More can be learned of Mykel at:
Our Energy Partners
In conjunction with ProCone AG International (a Swiss Company of the SUMITOMO GROUP) Rivera Energy Solutions, as the gasification facility owner, produces valuable chemicals.
https://www.procone.org/home.php
Our Mission: Develop Cutting-Edge Energy Technology
The mission of Rivera Energy Solutions (RES) is to find, develop, and implement cutting-edge technologies to provide humanity with practical and sustainable Green Energy in order to thrive. We seek to provide sustainable green energy to humanity and fuel human creativity into perpetuity. We, along with our partners, can free humanity by allowing innovation and progress through plentiful, sustainable energy strategies and products.