# John Pimentel

> John Pimentel is a renewable-energy entrepreneur, co-founder and former CEO of 280 Earth, and an elected San Mateo County Community College District trustee. His career includes California transportation and higher-education policy, Bain & Company, and businesses in wind, solar, biofuels, water and recycling. He is a 2026 candidate for California’s Board of Equalization, District 2.

- **Role:** Trustee, Area 5 at San Mateo County Community College District
- **Organizations:** 280 Earth, Foundation Windpower, Sustainable Water Solutions, Pacific Ethanol, PV2 Energy, Bain & Company, San Mateo County Community College District, State of California
- **Education:** AA, San Joaquin Delta College, BA, University of California, Berkeley, MBA, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Co-founded 280 Earth, which announced operation of its Oregon direct air capture facility and a $50 million Series B in May 2024., Co-founded Foundation Windpower., His companies built more than $1.5 billion in renewable-energy infrastructure, according to his district biography.

## Career timeline

- **Early career** — Student body president and student trustee at San Joaquin Delta College; began state service as an Assembly Fellow.
- **1990s** — Served as California deputy secretary for transportation; helped manage freeway rebuilding after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
- **1998** — Completed an MBA at Harvard Business School; subsequently worked at Bain & Company.
- **2002** — Dates the start of his environmental business career to Pacific Ethanol in his 2024 interview.
- **2009** — Co-founded Foundation Windpower.
- **2020** — Elected to represent Area 5 on the San Mateo County Community College District board.
- **2024** — Publicly identified as 280 Earth CEO at its Oregon facility launch; the company announced a $50 million Series B.
- **2024** — Re-elected as community-college trustee for a term running through 2028.
- **2026** — Candidate for California Board of Equalization, District 2.

## Achievements

- Co-founded 280 Earth, which announced operation of its Oregon direct air capture facility and a $50 million Series B in May 2024.
- Co-founded Foundation Windpower.
- His companies built more than $1.5 billion in renewable-energy infrastructure, according to his district biography.
- Helped manage Southern California freeway rebuilding following the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
- Served as district board president in 2024 during implementation of the Free College initiative.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Public campaign and voter information list him as a candidate for Board of Equalization District 2 in the November 3, 2026 election; the district lists his trustee term as 2024–2028.
- **2024-12** — Re-elected trustee Pimentel took the oath of office; the district reported a 24 percent enrollment increase linked to Free College.
- **2024-07** — Joined a Bloomberg Green Festival discussion with Page Crahan and Evelyn Wang.
- **2024-05** — As CEO, participated in 280 Earth’s announcement of its Oregon facility and $50 million Series B.

## Links

- Website: https://johnpimentel.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pimentel-a5358036/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnpimentelforcalifornia
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnPimentelforCalifornia/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/john-pimentel
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-20