Our Advisory Board
Accio Energy benefits from the counsel of recognized leaders with vital energy industry and wind technology expertise.
Robert Buckler, Chairperson
Robert J. Buckler as Chairman of Accio Energy's Advisory Board provides expert leadership regarding all utility related matters. Buckler was President and Chief Operating Officer of Detroit Edison until his retirement in December 2008. A thirty-five year veteran of the company, Buckler joined Detroit Edison in 1972 as an engineer. He held various positions of greater responsibility throughout and was elected president & COO of DTE Energy Distribution in 1998 and of Detroit Edison in 2005. In addition to his contributions to DTE Energy, Buckler has been deeply involved in the community and has been instrumental in efforts to boost the economic development of the region and state. Buckler is chairman of the Michigan Economic Development Foundation, the Detroit Regional Economic Partnership, and the Wayne County Economic Development board of directors. He is vice chairman of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Next Energy Corporation. He served as chairman of the Downtown Planning Committee for Super Bowl XL, and has the lead responsibility for the special events committee of the 2009 NCAA Men's Final Four. Buckler is a trustee of the University Musical Society, the Rackham Engineering Foundation and past president of the Engineering Society of Detroit.
Richard Pearson
Richard Pearson provides Accio Energy's Advisory Board expert leadership regarding manufacturing related matters. He has a diverse manufacturing and organizational management background that spans over 40 years. He started his career at Ford Motor Company in process design and development and rose through a series of manufacturing positions that spanned the range from pilot production to management of some of Ford’s largest plants. He became one of Ford’s senior Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Technology leaders, benchmarking processes, developing and implementing new manufacturing technologies, and creating corporate strategies to improve Ford’s manufacturing competitiveness worldwide. After leaving Ford, Richard Pearson became the President of the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences; the largest cross-industry collaborative manufacturing research consortium in the United States devoted exclusively to manufacturing technologies, processes and practices. Richard has served on Board of Directors for NACFAM (National Council for Advanced Manufacturing) and ESD (Engineering Society of Detroit), External Advisory Board for AMT (Association for Manufacturing Technology), External Advisory Board for Tauber Institute at University of Michigan and Advisory Boards for the National Science Foundation and National Academy of Science and Engineering. In addition he has authored numerous patents and publications.
Robert Nelson
Robert Nelson provides Accio Energy's Advisory Board expert leadership regarding utility regulatory matters. He is a former Commissioner of the Michigan Public Service Commission. During his tenure as a Commissioner, he chaired The Telecommunications Committee and two task forces under the auspices of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. He testified before three Congressional committees. Following his tenure as Commissioner, he was a shareholder of the law firm Fraser Trebilcock, Davis and Dunlap for five years, specializing in energy and telecommunications law. For the last three years he has taught Energy Law and Regulation at the Michigan State University College of Law. Mr. Nelson received his B.A. from Wayne State University and his J.D. from the University of Michigan. After law school, he was employed by the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C. as a trial attorney. He worked for two years as an Assistant Prosecutor in Ingham County, Michigan and for 11 years in various Staff positions at the Michigan Public Service Commission, including Director of Policy. He headed the Michigan Electric and Gas Association for 11 years, before being appointed to the Commission. Mr. Nelson has served on numerous boards and commissions and represented the Michigan Sustainable Energy Commission in their efforts to enact a Renewable Portfolio Standard for the state.
Thomas Zurbuchen, PhD
Professor Thomas Zurbuchen provides Accio Energy's Advisory Board expert leadership regarding science and engineering matters. He is the Founding Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and now oversees the Center as an Associate Dean of Entrepreneurial Programs. He is a professor in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, and the Department of Aerospace Engineering, at the University of Michigan College of Engineering. He serves on the boards of three small companies and non-profits, mostly in the state of Michigan. He has been at the University of Michigan for over 14 years. Zurbuchen, who holds a PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Bern, Switzerland, was a recipient of a Swiss National Science Foundation award before coming to the University of Michigan, where he has received numerous awards, including the prestigious U.S. Presidential Early Career Award, which represents the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers. Zurbuchen also has a long record of service as a Chair and Member of committees advising NASA, the NSF, and the DOL. He served on several committees of the National Research Council, mostly focused on Space Research. He has also testified to congress on research topics, on educational issues, and on export control.
