Meet the Team

Paul Gaucher
CEO

Starting with a degree in Theater from San Francisco State University, it made sense that Paul would find a career path that led him to work with the deregulation of long-distance services in 1993. He began project managing the installation of dialers designed to reduce the cost of LATA calls by 50-70%. Studying utility tariffs and utility rules was part of his training, and he saw that there was a gap between the utility companies and the general contractors. The offer of utility project management for electricity, natural gas, water, sewer, telecommunications, and data was developed with the expansion of the regional bagel company, Noah’s Bagels. The assurance of timely and operational utility services on the date the tenant required was a niche offer that expanded rapidly as retail operators looked to capture market share with rapid expansion in brick-and-mortar locations. Paul maintains a balance in life by working with Breakthrough Men’s Community as Board Chair and has coached boys’ soccer for over 15 years at multiple levels.

Before joining Gaucher & Associates, Inc. (GA) in 2010 as CFO, Ellen spent 20 years honing her skills in operations and organizational structure while working in the hospitality industry. After several years in management with DoubleTree Hotels, Ellen hit her stride with Bon Appetit Management Company, an onsite restaurant and catering company. At Bon Appetit, Ellen gained considerable knowledge in creating, planning, and opening new restaurant concepts and developed cherished relationships with clients, staff, and management throughout California. Ellen now serves as a senior thought-partner for GA and spends the bulk of her time focusing on finance, compliance, and process improvement. In her spare time, Ellen creates community around the dining room table with family and friends, runs miles throughout the Monterey Peninsula, and serves on the Board of Trustees for an acclaimed local high school. She holds degrees from The Ohio State University and the California Culinary Academy.

Ellen Gaucher
CFO

Michael Bowers
Utility Project Manager

Michael Bowers obtained his degree in Applied Geology from the Metropolitan State University of Denver in Denver, CO, in 2017. He began his career at a Denver-based Geotechnical and Environmental Engineering Consulting Firm, working his way up from Field Engineer to Field Geologist to Environmental Geologist. He worked on large-scale Residential and Commercial Developments, providing soil foundation and subsurface investigations, construction materials testing, Regulatory Environmental Sampling, and Groundwater testing for baseline sampling records with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC). After six wonderful years, he was brought on to the staff with Gaucher & Associates, Inc. in 2023, providing Utility Project Management and Utility Due Diligence reporting. Michael is also an acting volunteer as the Legislative & Regulatory Officer for the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) Colorado Chapter and has helped facilitate legislative victories in the realm of the geological sciences and renewable energy sectors. Michael has geological field experience throughout Colorado, Utah, and Germany (from an international field course attended during his senior year). Michael is now based out of his hometown of Monument, Colorado, with his wife Lauren, son Beau, and dog Layla. He enjoys brushing up on renewable energy-related technologies, hiking, camping, rock-hounding, off-roading in Pike National Forest, and spending time with his wonderful family.

Cara Hawran graduated from San Jose State University and obtained a degree in Hospitality Management with a minor in Business. She has over 15 years of hospitality experience from working in hotels throughout Monterey, San Jose, and Palo Alto, California. Her background includes hotel sales & catering, where she coordinated corporate, social, and non-profit events. Handling many logistical details with her event management skills later led her to a project management role with Gaucher & Associates in 2020. She has a passion for helping people and is thrilled about the relationships she builds with her clients. She enjoys adventures with her family, traveling, cooking, yoga, live music, and a good spa day.

Cara Hawran
Utility Project Manager

Kento Yoshikawa
Utility Research & Operations Manager

Kento Yoshikawa graduated in Environmental Science from the Metropolitan State University of Denver in Denver, CO, in 2017. He began his career at a Denver-based Geotechnical and Environmental Engineering Consulting Firm as a Field Engineering Technician. Following three years in the field, Kento worked his way into in the office as commercial dispatch. During his three years in the office, he worked on creating daily schedules over 70 field technicians, while communicating with various clients and contractors in the state of Colorado. Kento was also responsible for setting up new projects alongside project managers and reviewing PO’s, invoices, and reports for large-scale Residential and Commercial Developments. In 2024, he was brought on to the staff with Gaucher & Associates, Inc. as a Utility Research and Operations Manager. Kento was originally born in Osaka, Japan, but currently resides in Denver, Colorado with his two dogs, Hamburger and Cosmo. During his free time, he is either spending time with his dogs or he is playing music in several different projects in Denver and the surrounding areas.