September 1 marks the first day for Tami Votava and Tom Erickson to step into their new roles as CFO and COO and VP for Intellectual Property, respectively, at the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC).
Tami Votava was previously the Director of Business and Finance at the EERC where she was responsible for leading the Budget Analysts team, serving as a liaison with EERC Financial Services and EERC Contracts, and advising the CFO/COO and other leadership team members on financial strategy in support of the EERC’s strategic goals. Prior to that position, she served as a Senior Accountant and Assistant Manager of the Budget Analysis Group at the EERC.
In her new role as CFO, she will oversee all financial functions of the EERC. Ms. Votava is originally from Grand Forks, North Dakota and is enthusiastic to step into this new role. “Since I walked into the EERC 23 years ago, what has stood out to me most is the commitment of the staff to a uniquely high standard of excellence. I couldn’t be more proud and excited to transition to the CFO role to help lead this incredible team of people to solve critical global challenges,” Votava said.
Before transitioning into the role of COO and Vice President for Intellectual Property, Tom Erickson was the Director of Exploratory Research and Intellectual Property and Technology Commercialization at the EERC. During that time, he lead research on emerging topics and pioneering technologies that support North Dakota and the nation’s energy industry and benefit the environment. In addition, he oversaw the development and protection of IP and the commercialization of EERC-developed technologies. Mr. Erickson also served as CEO and Associate Director for Business, Operations, and Intellectual Property at the EERC.
In his new role, Tom will focus on managing and handling facilities, safety, information technology, and intellectual property management of the EERC. In addition, Tom will also lead the State Energy Research Center with a focus on public service to North Dakota.
“I have had the pleasure to be able to work with so many great researchers at the EERC over the years that are striving to make the world better,” said Erickson. He continued, “In the role of COO I have the opportunity to work with our safety, facilities and information technologies teams that serve as a critical component for the success of our research activities.”
The EERC is recognized as one of the world’s leading developers of cleaner, more efficient energy and environmental technologies. Since 1951, the EERC has grown from a federal lignite research facility to a total-systems team with extensive experience, multidisciplinary staff, global partnerships, and state-of-the art facilities. The EERC is a research unit of the University of North Dakota.
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