Development Team

Leonel Umaña - Business Developer: Leonel has over 12 years of experience in the energy and environment sector, having worked for NGO's in the implementation of renewable energy projects in the Central American region. Leonel has been a consultant to the UNDP, BUN-CA, USAID and others, providing advice on project development, policy, financing and carbon credit mechanisms. Leonel holds a BA in business from the Universidad Interamericana and has an MBA degree from Universidad Latina de Costa Rica, and has participated in many international symposia on energy and environmental policy.

Hesler Acevedo - Project Engineer: Prior to joining Mesoamerica Energy in 2006, Hesler built the solar and wind module of the Renewable Energy Park at San Carlos University in Guatemala, managing the park and working together with local NGO's for 2 years. Hesler holds a mechanical engineering degree from San Carlos University and took a specialized course in photovoltaic systems at Florida Atlantic University. He is in charge of Mesoamerica Energy's met towers and greenfield work.

Marco Acuña - Project Engineer: Marco has an electrical engineering degree from the University of Costa Rica and is now working on his final project to obtain a Masters Degree in Medium and Low Voltage Power Systems at the same University. Before joining Mesoamerica Energy’s team in 2008, he worked for 5 years in CNFL, S.A. in Costa Rica. During this period, he carried out electrical distribution system planning and design, hydro and wind power plants interconnection and electrical distribution system modeling and analysis. He is a temporary professor in the Electrical Engineering School of the University of Costa Rica. He has also presented and published works on wind power plant interconnection in Costa Rica and other countries.

Manuel Dobles - Project Engineer: Manuel is a civil engineer with a bachelor’s degree in applied science from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Prior to joining Mesoamerica Energy, Manuel worked for 11 years with a large multinational engineering and construction company based in Vancouver. While at this company, he first worked in the engineering and project development field, assuming various roles such as engineering coordinator and feasibility study coordinator for international mass transit projects. He later joined the project execution team for large-scale industrial and mass transit projects, assuming various roles such as resident engineer, site manager and quality manager. His international experience in the execution of these projects includes Canada, Argentina and Brazil. At Mesoamerica Energy, Manuel looks after the technical civil engineering and construction aspects of the projects that the company develops and executes.

Fola Folowosele - Resource Analyst: Fola graduated from Williams College in 2007 with a double major in Mathematics and Economics. While in college, he interned at an emerging market hedge fund in New York and later on interned at Analysis Group, an economic consulting firm in Denver. At Mesoamerica Energy, Fola is primarily a wind data analyst. 

Alana Paul - Environmental Compliance Specialist: Alana graduated with a double Master of Arts degree in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from American University in Washington, D.C. and the United Nations mandated University for Peace in San Jose, Costa Rica. Prior to joining Mesoamerica Energy in 2007, Alana coordinated renewable energy and energy efficiency programs for a small NGO and at Tulane University, both in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has an undergraduate double degree in Environmental Policy and Anthropology from Tulane University. She is in charge of project environmental compliance at Mesoamerica Energy.

Carlos Walker - Project Developer: Carlos joined Mesoamerica Energy in early 2007 after working for its parent company, Mesoamerica Investments, for nearly five years. He came to Central America in 1995 to work for the Arias Foundation, a non-governmental organization in Costa Rica, where he coordinated various international projects over the next six and a half years. He has an undergraduate degree in Latin American Studies from Oberlin College in the US, and is a specialist in information technology systems. He is in charge of Mesoamerica Energy's landowner relations.