Don Kendall

Donald R. Kendall, Jr. is a General Partner of New Climate Ventures and is the founding Managing Director and the Chief Executive Officer of Kenmont Capital, LP.  Mr. Kendall ran a $500 million distressed debt and credit-based hedge fund focused on the energy, power and transportation sectors and a top performing private equity fund of funds under the Kenmont umbrella.  In addition, Mr. Kendall utilized his extensive background in the energy, power and infrastructure industries overseeing event driven, distressed and capital structure arbitrage credit activities, in addition to private equity activities, as a portfolio manager for Carlson Capital, L.P., a multi-billion dollar hedge fund headquartered in Dallas, Texas. 

From 1993 to 1998, Mr. Kendall was President of Cogen Technologies Capital Company, L.P.  His responsibilities included acquisitions, domestic and international project development, project and corporate financings, asset management, strategic planning and the initiation of Cogen’s planned reorganization, initial public offering and ultimate sale for $1.1 billion.  In addition to his duties at Cogen, Mr. Kendall was the founding Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Palmetto Partners, Ltd., a family office and investment management company for a Forbes 400 family.  Mr. Kendall’s duties included identifying, analyzing, structuring, investing, monitoring and exiting investments in private equities on a direct basis and through private equity funds.  In addition, Mr. Kendall managed various public equity, hedge fund and fixed income portfolios for affiliated entities and charitable foundations.

Previously Mr. Kendall ran project finance and leasing groups at Credit Suisse First Boston, Drexel Burnham and Morgan Stanley.  Mr. Kendall’s activities concentrated heavily in the alternative energy, electric power, energy, clean fuel technologies, transportation and other capital intensive industries. He has also been actively involved in restructurings and workouts, reorganizations and recapitalizations, mergers and acquisitions, expert witness testimony and initial public offerings.  Mr. Kendall also established and managed private equity programs including one focused on hard assets that exceeded $1.5 billion.

Mr. Kendall received an A.B. degree from Hamilton College and an M.B.A. with high honors from The Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College.  He was a Tuck Scholar and a recipient of the W. M. Bollenbach, Jr. Fellowship. 

Mr. Kendall served as Chair of the Special Committee of the SolarCity Board for SolarCity’s acquisition by Tesla.  In addition, he chaired its Audit Committee and served on the Compensation Committee. Mr. Kendall serves on the board of Talos Energy and is Chair of its Compensation Committee, serves on its Audit Committee and its Special Committee for Carbon Capture and Storage.. Further, Mr. Kendall served on the board of American Midstream Partners and its Audit and Conflict Committees, Syzygy Plasmonics, Tangent Energy and on its Compensation Committee, EnPower, and as Chair of the Stream Energy Audit Committee and Compensation Committee.

Mr. Kendall is a Board Member of Bat Conservation International, Earthwatch International, Ecological Defense Group, Incorporated and Mar Alliance. Additionally, Mr. Kendall has served as a Trustee of Hamilton College, as well as a member of the Investment Committee, the Board of Overseers of The Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College, Chair of the Jane Goodall Institute, Vice Chair of the Houston Zoo, Inc. and a member of its Conservation Committee, and Prospect Park Alliance, and chaired multiple committees of various nonprofits boards.