Johnson City, Tennessee, United States
I’m Cody Rife, a Project Manager and licensed Real Estate Broker with extensive experience leading multi-million-dollar development projects in renewable energy and commercial real estate. With a background in both land strategy and large-scale project execution, I bring a project management mindset to every stage—from site origination and acquisition to permitting, stakeholder coordination, and delivery. Over the past decade, I’ve successfully managed 250+ real estate transactions and contributed to building a renewable energy portfolio of nearly 3 GW. I excel at aligning diverse teams, navigating complex regulatory processes, and implementing structured project management practices that keep initiatives on schedule and within budget. I am passionate about driving projects that combine technical feasibility, financial performance, and community value, ensuring that outcomes are both commercially successful and socially sustainable.
Leveraging more than a decade of real estate, title, permitting, and development experience to support utility-scale renewable energy projects. Responsible for land acquisition, title and curative review, site control strategy, due diligence, and stakeholder coordination. Passionate about advancing energy infrastructure through effective project development, risk management, and landowner partnerships.
As the Vice Chair of the Board of Zoning Appeals for the City of Johnson City, I play an important role in reviewing and making decisions on zoning variance requests, appeals of zoning decisions, and other land-use matters. I work closely with the Chair to lead meetings and ensure that all relevant facts and perspectives are considered when making decisions. The role requires a strong understanding of zoning regulations and land-use policies, as well as an ability to balance the needs of different stakeholders and make decisions that are in the best interest of the community. Additionally, I serve as a liaison between the Board and other city officials, and work to promote public awareness and understanding of zoning regulations and their impact on the community. 2023 - Vice-Chairman 2024 - Chairman 2025 - Vice Chairman 2026 - Chairman
As Broker/Owner of HomeFinders Realty, I serve in an advisory and executive capacity, providing strategic guidance and oversight for the firm. My focus is on shaping long-term vision, ensuring regulatory compliance, and positioning the brokerage for sustained growth, while the team and agents manage daily operations. By fostering a culture of professionalism and innovation, I help create the framework for success—allowing the company and its professionals to thrive while maintaining a strong presence in the marketplace.
Within Atwell’s Power and Energy division, I support the planning, coordination, and execution of energy and infrastructure projects across multiple jurisdictions. I collaborate closely with multidisciplinary internal teams and external stakeholders to manage project schedules, budgets, and deliverables, ensuring work is executed efficiently and in alignment with regulatory and client requirements. My responsibilities include coordinating permitting and entitlement activities, supporting project controls and reporting, and serving as a key point of contact between technical teams, consultants, and clients. I leverage my background in renewable energy development, land use, and regulatory processes to help navigate complex project constraints and drive projects forward through early and mid-stage execution. This role builds on my experience in project development and permitting while expanding my focus on structured project management, cross-functional coordination, and scalable delivery within a national consulting environment.
As an Energy Consultant with Gridline Strategies, I provide advisory and execution support for utility-scale renewable energy projects, with a primary focus on early-stage development, permitting strategy, and land-use due diligence. My work supports developers, EPCs, and infrastructure partners navigating complex regulatory, environmental, and jurisdictional requirements across multiple U.S. markets. I specialize in identifying and coordinating federal, state, and local permitting pathways; developing permitting matrices and project schedules; and serving as a liaison between project teams, regulatory agencies, landowners, and third-party consultants. My background in zoning, land acquisition, and municipal processes allows me to anticipate entitlement risks early and help teams maintain schedule certainty through notice-to-proceed. This role leverages deep experience in utility-scale solar development, land control, environmental review, and stakeholder coordination, translating regulatory complexity into clear, actionable project guidance.