Sonny Murphy and Mel Jones founded Sterling Planet in 2000. A true pioneer in the environmental energy space, Mr. Murphy has long held a personal and professional commitment to sustainability by all measures: environmental, social and economic. Living this commitment first within the conventional electric utility industry, Mr. Murphy had a distinguished career at Southern Company, the Atlanta-based investor-owned utility that ranks among the world s largest. Through an array of roles such as treasurer, chief financial officer and chief operating officer, Mr. Murphy pioneered Southern s expansion into unregulated independent power production and diversified energy-related markets. During those 30 years with Southern and later with his own startup company, Mr. Murphy developed, owned and/or operated a total of eight electricity generators powered by the sun and other forms of renewable energy. Mr. Murphy's background has given Sterling Planet a solid foundation for growth. He has expertise in legislative and licensing issues, electricity generation and production processes, the deregulated national and international electric market, power purchase agreements, partnership analysis and creation, business development and financial analysis. Beyond Sterling Planet, Mr. Murphy also founded the Advancement for Christian Education (ACE) and has served as its Chairman of the Board. Through ACE, Mr. Murphy has also been involved with the Sierra Leone International Mission School in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and with Solar Light for Africa, a not-for-profit organization that installs solar power in rural villages across sub-Saharan Africa.