I was raised in northeast Klamath County on a ranch, where our family relied on well water for all our needs. From a young age, I learned the value of hard work through ranching, farming, and harvesting hay. Water conservation was ingrained in me early on, as we were always mindful of the possibility of our well running dry.

I’ve always been an avid reader, with a particular fondness for Encyclopedias, and I had a passion for collecting maps from National Geographic magazines. As a child, I would often gaze into the night sky, identifying constellations and pondering the potential uses of the satellites that NASA and others were placing in orbit. Little did I know then that I would later use data from these satellites to create custom maps.

My curiosity about scientific studies was strong, particularly in areas like renewable energy—solar, wind, and hydropower—agricultural and animal science, computer sciences, data analytics, and my favorite: geographic information systems (GIS).

After moving to Kauai, I attended college and took on various roles, from working as a tour guide on horseback to serving as a controller for the dairy at Moloa’a on Kauai’s north shore. Although I found office work monotonous, I broke it up by assisting the vet with pregnancy checks and artificial insemination, and by unloading feed containers with a front-end loader.

My passion for technology led me to pursue an education in Computer Science at the University of Hawaii. With the guidance of several effective mentors, I became recognized as one of the state’s leading computer and network analysts, and an up-and-coming electrician. My work took me across the islands, where I resolved complex issues in network and software topology.

During college, I held multiple roles, including electrician, communications specialist, and data collector. I was responsible for locating, processing, analyzing, formatting, and providing specific data for building the back end of web-based applications. After obtaining my CISCO certification, I became a federal and corporate network installer, overseeing cabling crews, installing layer 2 and 3 devices, and became the island’s first Siemens structured cabling specialist.

Over my career, I have installed numerous network and grounding systems for various branches of the military, as well as federal agencies like the USPS, USDA, NRCS, FBI, DEA, US Customs, IRS, U.S. Treasury, Homeland Security, and others. I was a consultant for the U.S. Navy at Pacific Missile Range Facility for 12 years and built the wireless intrusion detection system (WIDS) for NAVFAC, the Department of the Navy, as part of the advanced metering (smart meter) infrastructure project.

Between 2004 and 2005, I installed technologies at the Kauai Police Department and Kauai Prosecutor’s office. My involvement led to supplying documentation, legal research, and court filings to the South Texas School of Law, contributing to their curriculum in training future lawyers on prosecutorial ethics. I witnessed systemic police corruption firsthand and worked with honest officers to address these issues.

In 2006, I bypassed the SCADA interface controlling the flood control systems at the Navy base and rocket launch facility at Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) to prevent flooding after 40 days of rain. From 2006 to 2008, I served as the Information Technology Director for CARCLE (Congress Against Racism and Corruption in Law Enforcement).

In 2007, I was interviewed by Walter Cronkite, who was intrigued by my efforts to clean up the Kauai Police Department, supported by honest officers who were also fed up with systemic corruption.

In 2012, I moved to Maui, where I oversaw energy projects in Micronesia and Hawaii, working with HNU Energy and HNU Photonics. These projects included the installation of cutting-edge battery storage technology on the ISS (International Space Station) and building a wind farm with advanced battery storage in a joint effort between British Petroleum and Sempra.

In late 2014, I served as the interim Information Technology Director for the largest non-profit organization on Maui, and later worked for the largest civil engineering firm in Hawaii. While on Maui, I took a course in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with a focus on ArcMap at the University of Hawaii Maui Campus, and I’ve been making maps ever since. Check out a few of the maps I’ve made on the Custom Mapping page.

For 14 years, I moonlighted for Concert Technologies, becoming the highest-ranked, senior-level contractor performing emergency network services across the Pacific Rim.

In 2017, I moved back to Oregon after living in Hawaii for 30 years. Upon returning, I maintained eight solar power plants across two states, utilizing the technical and electrical skills I had developed over my career. However, my love for the outdoors led me to briefly work in the forest for the nation’s largest private landowner. While there, I observed the drought conditions, lack of snowpack, and forest mismanagement on United States Forest Service land. It was then that I decided to integrate and install the technologies needed to collect and provide data to help solve and conserve our water issues, improve water quality, and combat the climate crisis. This led to the founding of Pinkertons Consulting LLC. Now, I supply environmental (climate) and ecological data to stakeholders, decision-makers, and policymakers, enabling them to make informed and urgent decisions regarding our rapidly shrinking surface and groundwater supply and to take significant steps towards ecological restoration.

I no longer hold a full-time position as an electrical field technician for the leading battery storage and inverter manufacturer in the world, Power Electronics. That role focused on maintaining, troubleshooting, repairing, and analyzing grid-tied DC to AC inverters, battery storage devices, and components in the region where I live.

Recently, I made a business decision with my son to start a pilot escort vehicle company together, another venture that highlights the importance of diversity in achieving prosperity.

Here are three of my favorite quotes:

• “Anyone attending college can get a degree. Only those who seek knowledge and study beyond the classroom will achieve an education.” – Bruce Stokes, PhD

• “Sometimes it’s the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.” – From the movie The Imitation Game

• “Ain’t nobody got time for that!” – Sweet Brown and Tyler Perry

Krstafer (Kris) Pinkerton