Richard Swett, Chairman
Richard Swett
Swett grew up in New Hampshire, graduated from Yale University and began his career as an architect in San Francisco. In 1991 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire’s 2nd District, and he served in that capacity until 1995. In 1998, President Bill Clinton appointed Swett as the United States Ambassador to Denmark, a position he held for three years.
In 2000 he was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architecture. He returned to the field of architecture as Managing Principal of Leo A. Daly Architects and Engineers’ Washington, D.C. office, before leaving to become the co-founder and CEO of Climate PROSPERITY Enterprise Solutions LLC in Concord, NH. CPES is an international clean energy enterprise community software development firm. He was also the co-author of the national energy policy for Senator Joe Lieberman’s 2004 presidential campaign.
Bill Carr
Bill Carr
William C. (Bill) Carr III has a background of over 40 years in intercollegiate athletics. For the past 14 years he has lead his highly respected executive search and management consulting firm, Carr Sports Consulting, LLC in serving that unique industry. Previously, he enjoyed four years as athletics director at the University of Houston from 1993-1997 and over 20 years at his alma mater, the University of Florida as a football student-athlete, assistant coach, academic advisor and assistant athletics director. At the age of 33, Carr was appointed athletics director at Florida, the youngest AD in the country at that time and still the youngest in SEC history; he served eight years in that position. He also spent three years in the non-profit sector with a community foundation in Clearwater, FL and two years an officer in the U.S. Army.
Steve Sesnick
Mr. Sesnick, co-founder and Vice President of Product Development with Sestar, has over 40 years experience as an innovator, inventor and marketer. He is the chief inventor of Sestar conceptual innovations and began his career under the tutelage of the late Lester Persky on Madison Avenue in New York City. The knowledge and experience he gained led him to create a nationally successful live music hall in Boston in the late 1960′s called “The Boston Tea Party”. Many great progressive music acts in this era were born out of “The Tea Party” and similar musical venues such as Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.
In the early 80s Mr. Sesnick discovered golf and immediately began to apply his creativity to developing events; one of the first concepts he originated was the highly successful “Skins Game” which has aired on ABC television for over 25 years.
SESTAR principals & Board members Mike Starks (left) and Steve Sesnick (right) flank Alan Hudd, Managing Director of Xennia Technology Ltd., and former President Bill Clinton.
Since that time Mr. Sesnick has been active as a consultant and entrepreneur working with organizations and companies including Golf 20/20, The First Tee and TourTurf.
Michael Starks
In 2001, Mr. Starks founded TourTurf Holding, LLC and acquired the rights to distribute FieldTurf synthetic turf products for the golf and residential and commercial landscaping markets. He left TourTurf in 2006 to work with inventor Steve Sesnick to patent and develop solar grass. Previously Mr. Starks worked at the PGA TOUR beginning in 1988 as controller, and was later promoted to Vice President of Finance and Administration. When Tim Finchem became Commissioner of the PGA TOUR in 1994, he appointed Starks as his Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Strategic Planning. In this role, Starks coordinated the TOUR’s long term strategic planning and the TOUR 2000 initiative which set the strategic vision for the organization.
Before his employment with the PGA TOUR, he was Vice President of Finance and General Manager of Planned Cable Systems, a multi-system cable television owner and operator located in Dallas, Texas. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.
Roberta Goes Shepherd
Ms. Shepherd has a long and distinguished career with special expertise in the areas of corporate governance and management, legal and accounting. She holds a BA from Valdosta State University, an MBA from the University of North Florida and a law degree from Mercer University. Among the positions she has held over the years are President and CEO of Les Affaires LLC, a private Investment and Real Estate Holding Company; Corporate Counsel and Senior Vice President for FPIC Insurance Group, Inc.; and Vice President and Controller of Peoples First Properties, Inc., a private bank holding company of Peoples First Community Bank.
