5 Questions With… Eric Shangle

Get to know us! Each month, we sit down with one of our employees to get their perspective on the industry and share a little more about them with you. This week, our “5 Questions With” features Eric Shangle, our Vice President of Human Resources.

As VP of Human Resources, Eric supports the entire company through Recruiting, Learning & Development and People Operations. The Pine Gate mission is to ensure that our employees are prepared to “get solar done.” Eric leads the charge to grow our teams with top-tier talent and build an employee experience for everyone to be prepared, productive and engaged. 

1. What does Pine Gate Renewable’s mission of “getting solar done” mean to you?

Our mission represents the intersection of clean energy, meaningful jobs and a great place to work. Getting all this done well isn’t always easy, but it’s gratifying to know we are making a difference with the environment, our teams and the communities we work with. It also helps that we have a great team who has fun along the way. 

2. What are you most optimistic/excited about in this industry?

We work in relatively new industry. As utility-scale solar grows, we have found challenges bridging the gap between operational needs and qualified candidates. I am excited about the future of how more companies and universities are developing education and training around solar operations. We are also in the process of developing our own internal development programs. The more diverse mindsets we bring into our industry, the better we will be ready for the future. 

3. What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood” – Steven Covey  

 Don’t be the loudest person in the room. My background in the US Navy taught me to be assertive when needed but learning how to actively listen was the best advice I received early in my career. 

4. What is an unknown skill you possess outside of your day job?

I was an elite-level swimmer competing with and against the top swimmers from around the world. This fostered my discipline and a goal-setting mindset at an early age. I was challenged daily pushing my mind and body to their limits. My current competitive nature and pursuit of excellence comes from this background.  

5. What’s one thing still on your bucket list that you hope to achieve in the next 5 years?

Eating my way through as many Michelin-starred restaurants as possible is something that excites me. However, I would like to step foot on every continent at some point. I only have one more to go!