Bill Farris — Chief External Development Officer

As chief officer for external development, Farris is responsible for the continued growth of NREL's external partnerships, focusing on regional collaborations among industry, government, and academia that tackle complex and urgent energy issues, create advanced-industry workforce opportunities, and engage people of all ages. Farris coordinates NREL's efforts to expand its international portfolio.

Since joining the lab in 2008, Farris has expanded NREL's partnership portfolio and positioned the lab as a trusted research and development partner for clean energy startups and established corporations across the country and worldwide. Under his leadership, NREL has inked more than 9,000 high-impact partnership agreements with external partners, including prominent companies such as Shell, ExxonMobil, Eaton, and Wells Fargo.

Farris also led the development of a privately funded technology transfer program and a revolutionary private contracting framework that is the model for the U.S. Department of Energy system. Entrepreneurship, startup, and technology incubation have been Farris' priorities during his time at NREL. More than 500 technology-based startups have benefited from interactions with NREL, and these companies have raised more than $7 billion in private-sector funding.

Prior to NREL, Farris was responsible for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Commercialization, Economic Development, Business and Competitive Intelligence, and Commercial Relationships offices. He also managed new venture activities at the Pacific Northwest division of the Battelle Memorial Institute and served as a primary point of contact for interactions with venture capitalists.

Farris holds a bachelor's degree in geological sciences, a master's degree in radiological sciences from the University of Washington, and a master's degree in management of technology from the National Technological University.