Gate 5 Energy Partners Hires Dan Trznadel as its CFO and Larry Dees as a Project Manager

Gate 5 Energy Partners, Inc., an Aliso Viejo-based firm which transforms natural waste materials such as sludge, manure or crop waste into a renewable non-fossil fuel, has hired Dan Trznadel as the company’s Chief Financial Officer, and Larry Dees, PE, as Project Manager, according to Steve Delson, Chief Executive Officer.

“As our firm continues its work in renewable energy, wastewater and agricultural arenas, these two new team members will be keys to our firm’s ability to produce the best results for our clients and for our investors,” Delson notes.

Dan Trznadel brings extensive financial consulting, operational and management experience to the role of Chief Financial Officer for Gate 5.  He comes to the company from Private Access, Inc., a privacy technology company where he served as its CFO/Controller. Prior to that, Dan was CFO for SBN.com, an internet yellow pages company and he also worked as an M&A consultant for Platinum Equity, a private equity firm based in Beverly Hills. 

“Dan’s deep background in finance, technology and consulting is a perfect match to help us build the company, as well as for the work we are conducting at Gate 5,” Delson adds.

Trznadel began his career with Arthur Andersen & Company, where he was the Chief Designer of a product named PC Magazine’s “Product of the Year.” He also brings investment banking experience gained working at Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers and ING Barings, where he completed more than 30 debt, equity and M&A transactions generating investment banking fees of $130 million.

Trznadel obtained an MBA at Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management and graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science in accounting.  He continues to serve as CFO for the Tustin Chamber of Commerce.

Larry Dees, a registered civil engineer, brings more than three decades of engineering and municipal water and wastewater operations management experience to Gate 5.  In his role as Project Manager, Larry will oversee design and construction operations for the company, according to Delson.  In the early years of his professional career, Dees has served as an engineering consultant performing water and wastewater planning studies and design work.  Prior to joining Gate 5, Dees led the operations and maintenance for Moulton Niguel Water District, including managing a $7.5 million annual capital replacement and refurbishment program.

Dees has led the planning, design and construction of more than $120 million in water and wastewater facilities including California’s first district-wide implementation of an onsite chlorine generation water quality control project; which ultimately paid back its costs with labor and other savings.

“The experience and successes Larry has achieved, particularly in the public sector will add important perspective and client sensitivity to the company,” Delson says. 

Over his twenty-three year career at Moulton Niguel Water District Larry was responsible for many technologic innovations and computerization of many operational and management functions.  Larry obtained his Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from University of California, Los Angeles and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.