Former president and CEO Ken Smith to serve as senior advisor to the board of directors
Ever-Green Energy appointed Luke Gaalswyk as its CEO effective January 1, 2024. Luke joined Ever-Green as president of the organization in September 2022 and has since overseen corporate services supporting Ever-Green’s rapidly growing footprint of operations and innovative, low-carbon development projects. He is now responsible for all aspects of the business.
“Ever-Green is on a strong growth trajectory, and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead this company at such an exciting time,” said Luke. “Ever-Green has proven itself to be an innovative leader in the industry, and I look forward to helping further the company’s mission.” Luke brings over 16 years of energy, operations, and engineering experience to the role and is a veteran of the United States Air Force. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and is a drill-status member of the Minnesota Air National Guard.
This transition comes as part of former Ever-Green President and CEO Ken Smith’s succession planning for his eventual retirement in 2025. Ken remains the president and CEO of Ever-Green’s nonprofit utility parent company, District Energy St. Paul. Since starting with the company in 2006 as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development and advancing into the president and CEO role in 2010, Ken has led the company through significant and sustainable growth. During his tenure, the company deployed low-carbon energy technologies and expanded the company’s operations from one state to five, more than doubling Ever-Green’s employee base in the process.
Ken has served as board chair for the International District Energy Association (IDEA), the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, the Midwest Renewable Energy Tracking System (M-RETS), and the electric vehicle startup company, Zeus Electric Chassis. He also served on the board of directors for the Corporate Council for Metropolitan State University. He currently serves on the board of trustees of the Science Museum of Minnesota as vice chair, the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, and has been a fellow of the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment since 2016. Since 2012, Ken has participated in the energy policy exchange between Germany and the State of Minnesota and is cofounder of the highly successful Climate Smart Municipalities exchange with Germany. In 2022, Ken was awarded the Norman R. Taylor Award by IDEA for his leadership and lifelong commitment to energy efficiency and sustainable energy solutions.
Questions can be directed to Jenae Batt, director of marketing and public relations, at jenae.batt@ever-greenenergy.com.