A Dream and a Legacy

Chris Desjardins, a lifelong employee of Pella Windows Corp, was passionate about renewable energy. When he passed away unexpectedly in 2009, his family decided the best way to honor his memory would be to create a fund for renewable energy projects.

In 2011, the Iowa DNR received a donation from the Chris Desjardins Memorial Fund. The gift was matched with other grant funds to develop several energy projects at Honey Creek Resort, including a 10 kW wind turbine, solar thermal heating panels for the lodge, solar electricity panels for five cabins, two solar powered light poles and an educational kiosk. Funding was still provided for solar energy projects in four other Iowa state parks.

Pete Desjardins, Chris’ brother, said, “We want Chris’s legacy to stand for renewable energy and educating people about how to make their own homes and lifestyles more sustainable and energy-efficient. That’s what he would have wanted.”