About Us
Lead Viability Staff
Chris Byrnes
President
Byrnes has been an economic development professional since 1986.
He had served as the CEO of several economic development agencies and chambers of commerce. In 2003, he founded Viability, LLC to pursue private economic development initiatives on behalf of business.
Dave Armstrong, PhD
Partner
Dave combines over 50 years of experience in academics, large and small businesses and private ventures –focusing on sales and marketing, strategic planning, financial turnarounds and entrepreneurial activities. Viability Ventures, LLC and related companies offer an opportunity to use these skills and experience in an exciting business frontier in the energy technology movement.
Dan Kuipers
Senior Carbon Specialist
Dan oversees all carbon assessment and carbon asset development. With an educational background in Natural Resource Management, his focuses on renewable energy crops, biomass sourcing, and incentive programs relating to each. Dan uses real world experience to voice his expertise on quantifying GHG emissions, developing assets in the carbon markets, and how biomass should be treated in the world of carbon accounting.
David Bell, P.E.
Lead Engineer, LEED AP, CGD
David brings to Viability a wide variety of technical and professional skills, from sustainable green building to renewable energy systems design. David manages the myriad of resources at his fingertips to ensure the best project team for Viability’s efforts.
Kyle Denning
Carbon Asset Development
Kyle has studied International Business, Finance, and Spanish and now concentrates on developing Viability’s international strategy. He works at identifying project opportunities, managing carbon asset development, and providing a strong understanding of both domestic and international carbon markets. Kyle’s past experience includes Europe, east Africa and South America, and he has spent most of his life living and working on a dairy farm
Amanda Burmeister
Carbon and Incentives Support
After graduating from Lake Superior State University in 2007 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, Amanda gained two years of experience working in grant administration and environmental policy in the private and public sectors. She joined Viability to provide project and administrative support to both its grant writing and carbon assessment teams.
Ryan Summers
Project Analyst
Ryan’s educational experience includes applied economics in business management and financial modeling. Functioning as a support analyst in feasibility studies, financial assessments, environmental reviews and incentive research, Ryan brings an analytical angle to a variety of project contexts.
Jonathan Cooper
Project Engineer
Jonathan comes to Viability with a complex understanding of rural development, sustainability, and relevant engineering practices. Over the past two years, Jonathan has not only assisted communities with water development projects in Cambodia, but also presented at an international climate conference in Seoul, South Korea, and served with the U.S. Green Building Council. He will be working with Incentives to help evaluate renewable and energy efficiency system projects.
Jessie Clark
Market Research Analyst
Jessie is finishing up her Bachelors of Business Administration in International Business and Finance at Grand Valley State University. She has enjoyed studying and working abroad in Europe, South America and South East Asia. Here at Viability, Jessie works alongside Kyle Denning in analyzing and developing market strategies for Viability Africa LLC.
Pictures by Carl Morrison
