Newly Promoted Holzinger At Windtest-North America Plans To Continue Partnership With Iowa Lakes Community College

(Estherville, Iowa) Jasmin Holzinger named Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of windtest grevenbroich gmbhs’ subsidiary, windtest north-america, in Estherville, Iowa.

With the promotion, Holzinger is now responsible for overall business operations, from developing and managing windtest north-america’s strategic direction to ensuring production efficiency, consistently high quality, and responsive client service.

“When windtest north-america chose Iowa Lakes as the location for their American wind energy operations, one of the deciding factors was the high quality of Iowa Lakes graduates. With two full-time Iowa Lakes alumni on board and a third recently hired, their commitment to providing a local option for employees reflects their company’s commitment to long-term relationships. That sounds a lot like an American value, and we are proud to support their efforts in moving wind energy forward,” explained Dan Lutat, Iowa Lakes Director of Government Affairs/Special Projects.

windtest grevenbroich gmbh in Grevenbroich, Germany, has nearly 25 years of renewable energy experience, having participated in several large projects in the US and Europe, India, China, and other countries. In 2014, windtest Grevenbroich gmbh established headquarters for windtest north-america at the Sustainable Energy Resources and Technologies Center (SERT) of Iowa Lakes Community College.

“From the first day I met with the Iowa Lakes team in charge of our co-operation, I knew it was the right decision to set-up our American headquarters in the SERT building. I appreciate every piece of our partnership, including sharing a mutual presence at the biggest trade show in the US for wind energy and renewables, developing the Chava wind project to bring new small wind energy development to the area, creating the great training facilities for our climbing certification needs, and more. I am very much looking forward to continuing our valuable partnership,” shared Holzinger.

Windtest North-America Employs Iowa Lakes Grads
Iowa Lakes graduates find employment at windtest north-america. Three Iowa Lakes alumni working for windtest north-america are Joshua Moore, Ryan Steinkamp, and Jacob Wittkamp.

All three Iowa Lakes alumni took different paths becoming employed at windtest north-america. Still, they all started at Iowa Lakes, gaining the skills needed to succeed in a highly competitive job market.

“Transferrable skills are important to industry and a big part of what makes Iowa Lakes a great value during uncertain times for workers,” said Lutat. “The programming at Iowa Lakes allows our students to gain the skills needed to obtain highly competitive employment opportunities as graduates.”

“Iowa Lakes gave me a strong understanding of and practical experience in electricity, technical knowledge, and troubleshooting experience, which is a large part of my current career. After my first year at Iowa Lakes, I obtained an internship in the summer working on turbines and fieldwork. In my second year, I had the opportunity to work at windtest as a student assistant,” explained Ryan Steinkamp, who grew up in Spencer, Iowa, and graduated from Iowa Lakes in Wind Energy and Turbine Technology. Steinkamp transferred to South Dakota State University (SDSU) to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering before returning to windtest north-america as an Engineer for Loads and Power Performance.

Joshua Moore, an Iowa Lakes Engineering Technology graduate, completed a bachelor’s degree in Project Management with Bellevue University before becoming the newest member of the windtest north-america team as a Technician for Measurement & Technology Services on October 1, 2020.

“After ten years in the Air Force and working for a company in Arizona while I completed my bachelor’s degree, I am excited to be back in Estherville, where I grew up,” shared Moore. “Iowa Lakes gave me the professional knowledge and hands-on skills I needed to succeed in a variety of industries. I now have the potential to make a positive impact here at windtest north-america! Every day I use the knowledge gained, including basic electricity and digital electronics, to meet the needs of my position.”

Jacob Wittkamp, a married musician with two children, graduated in 2008 from Iowa Lakes with a major in Sustainable Energy Resource Management and started his own business selling small scale wind turbines and solar equipment before joining windtest north-america as a Technician for Measurement and Technology Services.

“After working in the Lakes area for quite a few years, doing various jobs, I decided I wanted to do something that had more of a positive impact on the environment. Graduating from Iowa Lakes and working at windtest north-america have allowed me to do just that. At Iowa Lakes, I learned about business and renewable energy, which was a great fit for windtest,” said Wittkamp. “For students interested in becoming a student assistant with us, it is a great opportunity to learn a unique side of the industry. You will learn a lot about critical thinking and problem solving as well as a lot about measurement in general.”

For More Information:

Dan Lutat, Director of Government Affairs/Special Projects, at 712-362-8374 or dlutat@iowalakes.educreate new email.