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David Sandbank 鈥�89, the director of New York鈥檚 NY-Sun听Initiative, has $1 billion to spend on scaling up solar power听in New York State. The money isn鈥檛 his鈥攊t comes largely听from New Yorkers鈥� utility bills鈥攂ut he has been selected听by Governor Andrew Cuomo to deem how it is used. How听Sandbank got to yield such influence in a growing industry听is an interesting story.

David Sandbank 鈥�89 is the director of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority鈥檚 NY-Sun Initiative, which has $1 billion to spend on scaling up solar power in New York State.

By his own admission, Sandbank barely made it to college.听He struggled in high school and redeemed his record a bit with听a post-graduate year at the all-boys Bridgeton Academy in听Maine. 鈥淢y parents thought I was crazy because I volunteered听to go,鈥� he said, adding 鈥渂ut I got to Bridgeton and听I worked my tail off.鈥澨�

His strategy worked. Adelphi admitted him in spite of grades听and SAT scores that fell below the typical cutoff. 鈥淗ere鈥檚 a听guy who really struggled in school but was given a shot to go听to Adelphi because they saw strength and someone trying听hard,鈥� Sandbank said.听

After graduating from Adelphi with a B.A. in Sociology,听Sandbank fell into advertising鈥攖he career that his father,听the director and photographer Henry Sandbank, had made听his name in. 鈥淚 enjoyed it, but something was missing there,听and I wasn鈥檛 sure what it was,鈥� Sandbank said.听

Herb-infused vodka helped him find the answer. Sandbank听didn鈥檛 drown his sorrows in it. Rather, he teamed up with two听colleagues to develop and market it as the brand ambassador听and head of sales at Garden Variety Vodka. All of a sudden,听he got to be a 鈥渂ig picture person,鈥� developing strategy听and honing his sales skills, 鈥渨hich I didn鈥檛 even know I had,鈥澨齋andbank said.听

Next came some soul-searching and some good fortune.听I was very interested in technology and being an entrepreneur,鈥澨齋andbank said. A chance invitation to sell solar systems听to pool owners in Westchester became his entr茅e.听鈥淚 knew energy was going to be an economic driver in the听country, and I knew solar had to be at the forefront of that,鈥澨齢e recalled.听

Sandbank joined OnForce Solar, Inc. as employee number one,听and he quickly helped the company scale up from installing听pool systems to setting up solar systems for commercial clients.听鈥淚 did what I do best,鈥� Sandbank said. 鈥淚 learned about the听industry on my own鈥�I basically learned how to do every single听job in the entire company,鈥� from sales and marketing to obtaining听permits and hiring installers.

Sandbank takes special pride in the team he created at the听Bronx-based company, which grew to 100 employees by听2014. Committed to hiring locally, Sandbank admitted,听鈥淚t was really hard to recruit鈥� as few local residents had the听requisite training and experience. 鈥淪o we would take risks听on people and train them.鈥�

听鈥淚 can see promise in people,鈥� Sandbank said. 鈥淏ecause of听what I came up through in my career and educational听past, I鈥檓 able to cut through the clutter a little bit easier,听and I feel I put a really good team together鈥攕ales, operations,听engineering, you name it.鈥�

听During his time at OnForce, Sandbank witnessed up close the听emergence of the solar industry. 鈥淲hen I first got into the industry,听solar for your home was for the rich, well-to-do hedge fund owner听who drove a Prius,鈥� Sandbank said. 鈥淲hen I left the company,听it was for every middle-class person you could imagine.鈥� He听noted that leasing plans have made solar far more affordable for听private homeowners as well as commercial enterprises.

Now, as director of the New York State Energy Research and听Development Authority鈥檚 (NYSERDA) NY-Sun Initiative鈥攁听position he started in November 2014鈥擲andbank is taking听solar to the next level. He oversees incentive programs and听other initiatives designed to further lower costs and听streamline听processes for solar installation. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a billion-dollar initiative听to create a self-sustaining industry,鈥� Sandbank said.

Sandbank鈥檚 entrepreneurial experience is serving him well.听鈥淚 love bringing my street cred to NYSERDA and using that to听create decisions that make it easier for the solar installer to听do their job,鈥� he said.

听He is gaining increased recognition for his work. In June, , a website that covers energy market听rends, named Sandbank one of the Top Ten New York Energy听Government Leaders.听鈥淚 feel like I really have a job that is right for me, and I鈥檓 right for听the job,鈥� Sandbank said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 in an industry that鈥檚 fun, an industry听that鈥檚 there to help save the environment, to help people听save on their electric bills. It鈥檚 a lot of work鈥�but it鈥檚 gratifying.鈥�