Pre-Conference Agenda

David Terry

Executive Director, National Association of State Energy Officials

David Terry is the Executive Director of the National Association of State Energy Officials and has worked with NASEO in a variety of capacities since 1996. Mr. Terry leads NASEO's programs in support of the nation's 56 State and Territory Energy Offices. The organization communicates the states' views on virtually all national energy issues, including electricity policy, energy efficiency market transformation, renewable energy commercialization and deployment, industrial energy efficiency, energy assurance and reliability, building codes and efficiency, and climate oriented energy programs.

Mr. Terry has 20 years of experience working on a range of energy issues for such organizations as the Association of State Energy Research Institutions, Governors' Biofuels Coalition, National Academy of Sciences, and the U.S. Department of Energy. Prior to working in the energy area, Mr. Terry was a statistical analyst for a market research firm, an analyst with the National Academy of Sciences, and a researcher for The Washington Post. He received a BA degree from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, and he has completed graduate coursework in statistics and marketing at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.

David Althoff Jr.

Director, Energy Programs Office, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

David has worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for over 25 years.   David began his career with the Bureau of Land Recycling and Waste Management and then in 1998 transitioned to the Pennsylvania State Energy Office located within the agency.   David’s role in the Pennsylvania Energy Office, currently named the Energy Programs Office is to manage programs designed to encourage the development and deployment of alternative energy projects resulting in environmental improvement.  David has previously led the deployment and use of over $125 Million of ARRA Stimulus funding as well as Pennsylvania’s $100 million Pennsylvania Sunshine Program and the $20 million Natural Gas Energy Development Program.  David is currently serving as the Principal Investigator for the U.S. DOE funded PA Solar Future Initiative and is also the primary point of contact for the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority. David assists in the management of DEP’s Green Energy Loan fund as well as providing key oversight of DEP’s responsibilities for Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard.   David and his currently staff lead the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program and are key contributors in the development of an Electric Vehicle Roadmap for PA as well as designing future programs resulting from the historic Volkswagen Settlement.

Rick Bender

Director, Kentucky Office of Energy Policy

John Rick Bender recently joined the energy team of Secretary Charles Snavely as Director for the Kentucky Office of Energy Policy under the Energy and Environment Cabinet.  Before coming to the Office of Energy Policy he was part of the executive management team at BlackRidge Resources Partners LLC as Vice President of Land and Administration where he oversaw leasing and land acquisition, rights-of-way and easements, title and regulatory compliance, and general office administration.  Prior to joining BlackRidge, Mr. Bender served as Vice President – Land at Magnum Hunter Production, Inc. and its predecessor NGAS Production Co. from November 2007 to October 2011. For the previous twelve years, Mr. Bender was the Director of the Division of Oil and Gas at the Kentucky Department for Natural Resources.  During his tenure as Director, he served as the Governor’s Representative to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.  He also served on the STRONGER Board of Directors.  Before joining the Division of Oil and Gas, Mr. Bender worked in the oil and gas sector, both public and private, for ten years.  He is a registered professional geologist, a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.  Mr. Bender holds a B.S. degree in geology from the University of Kentucky.

Maria Redmond

Director, Wisconsin Office of Energy Innovation

Redmond has worked for the State of Wisconsin for 17 years and currently serves as the Director of the Wisconsin Office of Energy Innovation (OEI) at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. In this capacity, she is responsible for management of the OEI, one of 56 designated state energy offices in the states and territories located in the United States. She works with her teams to direct federally funded grant and loan programs, as well as the statewide energy efficiency and renewable energy program, Focus on Energy. She ensures accountability for planning, administration and oversight of statewide energy programs and regulatory policies assuring alignment with the values, mission and vision of the office. Redmond has knowledge of renewable energy, alternative fuels, biofuels and advanced vehicle technologies and significant experience in developing and implementing competitive energy programs and services on behalf of the state agencies and businesses.

Tristan Vance

Director, Indiana Office of Energy Development

Tristan Vance serves as Director of the Indiana Office of Energy Development, where he lead the state’s energy efforts. Mr. Vance was first appointed to lead OED in February of 2012.  He previously worked as special assistant to Lt. Governor Skillman starting in 2005 and later joined the Government Efficiency and Financial Planning group in the Office of Management and Budget in 2007. There, he monitored efficiency at several state agencies, including OED. He is from Paoli and is a graduate of Hanover College.

Laura Rennick Andersen

Director, Montana Energy Office

Laura is the Chief of the Energy Bureau at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, also known as the Montana Energy Office. Growing up in Montana, Laura is passionate about sustainable solutions for her home state. Laura pursued an education in Business and Environmental Studies and worked for the Department throughout her education.  A love of Montana’s rivers led her to an early career in watershed restoration, working with grass-roots conservation organizations to develop and implement collaborative projects and solutions unique to the various needs across the Big Sky state. In 2015, Laura accepted the position of Energy Bureau Chief and completed her Masters of Science and Engineering Management from Montana State University. Laura has valued the move into sustainable energy since day one; the depth and breadth of energy work means that on an average day Laura can go from providing funding for a local rooftop solar PV system to examining how work at the international level will impact Montana’s energy sector.

Robert Jackson

Director, Energy Office, Michigan Agency for Energy

Robert Jackson is a chemical engineer with over 20 years of industrial energy efficiency and environmental engineering experience.  Mr. Jackson is currently the Director of the Michigan Energy Office.  He is directly responsible for the state of Michigan’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Revolving Loan Program, and the State Energy Program’s Clean Energy Advanced Manufacturing, Technology Demonstration and Deployment Programs, and Agricultural Energy Programs.

Andrew McAllister, Ph.D.

Commissioner, California Energy Commission

Andrew McAllister was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown in May 2012. He fills the Economist Member position on the five-member Commission where four of the five members by law are required to have professional training in specific areas - engineering or physical science, environmental protection, economics, and law.

Mr. McAllister has over 20 years of technical, programmatic and policy experience in the fields of energy management, efficiency and renewable generation. Before joining the Commission, he worked at the California Center for Sustainable Energy for six years, most recently as managing director and director of policy and strategy. Previously, he worked with NRECA International Ltd. in the electric sectors of countries in Central and South America, Southeast Asia and Africa on a variety of load management, generation and utility planning projects. He was a project manager at an energy consulting firm and worked as an energy efficiency analyst at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He has published on various energy topics in academic, trade, and popular journals.

Andrew studied both engineering sciences and art history at Dartmouth College and holds M.S. and PhD degrees from the Energy & Resources Group at UC Berkeley. He is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer.

Jeffrey Genzer

General Counsel, National Association of State Energy Officials

Jeffrey C. Genzer joined Duncan, Weinberg, Genzer & Pembroke, P.C. in 1985. His practice has concentrated on energy and environmental counseling and litigation. He has worked on electric and natural gas ratemaking, energy project development, bulk power supply, transmission system issues, contract negotiation, franchise and municipalization issues, alternative energy sources, conservation and energy efficiency programs, including demand-side management and integrated resource planning programs.

In the environment area he has been involved especially in Clean Air Act and Toxic Substances Control Act issues and all phases of environmental reviews for energy projects.

He has appeared before a variety of federal agencies and state and federal courts, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and a variety of state commissions, agencies and courts. He also has an active federal legislative practice. He has worked with a number of local and state governments throughout the United States from New York to Hawaii. Mr. Genzer presently serves as General Counsel to the National Association of State Energy Officials, the National Association of Energy Service Companies, the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association and the Energy Programs Consortium. He has spoken on numerous occasions, especially on federal legislative activities, energy, environmental and utility issues.

Prior to entering law school, Mr. Genzer served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Micronesia. He worked on a number of development projects and served as the first energy planner in the region. Mr. Genzer supervised, planned, and constructed numerous water systems and other construction projects. He also prepared legislation and successful grant proposals. While in law school, Mr. Genzer was employed at the National Consumer Law Center.

He monitored legislative and regulatory activities and wrote legal and policy memoranda in the field of energy law. After his second year of law school, Mr. Genzer clerked for Duncan, Weinberg, Genzer & Pembroke, P.C. Prior to returning to the firm, he served as Staff Counsel to the Committee on Energy and Environment of the National Governors' Association. In that role he drafted legislation in the energy and environmental area, and served as the chief energy lobbyist for the Association. He provided legal analysis for the Governors on such issues as electric utility regulation, nuclear waste, oil overcharge refunds, toxic victims compensation, and natural gas regulation and a variety of environmental issues. Mr. Genzer also coordinated the activities of the state energy offices. His practice is focused on energy, environmental, utility and legislative matters.

Michael Furze

Assistant Director, Energy Division, Washington State Department of Commerce

Michael joined the Department of Commerce in 2014 and is assistant director for the Energy Division, which includes policy, initiatives, energy emergency management and the weatherization program. Michael joined the weatherization network in 2009, drawn by the convergence of social justice and environmental sustainability.

After working for five years in New Mexico Energy$mart Program, he transitioned to Washington’s weatherization program in 2014 and has been actively involved in the weatherization network’s Weatherization Advisory Committee. Michael earned his master’s degree in community and regional planning from the University of New Mexico.

Kathleen Staks

Director, Colorado Energy Office

In January 2017, Gov. John Hickenlooper appointed Kathleen Staks as the Executive Director of the Colorado Energy Office (CEO).  Staks works to ensure that Colorado’s energy portfolio benefits Colorado businesses, workers and families by improving the effective use of all of Colorado’s energy resources across all economic sectors.

Staks has a history of working with organizations addressing Colorado’s energy and land issues. Prior to her appointment at CEO, Staks served as Assistant Director for Energy at the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, where she advised and coordinated with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety and the Governor's office.

Staks worked at Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) for six years as the program director for open space and parks and wildlife. In that position, she oversaw land conservation grant programs and managed the relationship between GOCO and the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife. Before working at GOCO, Kathleen worked on land conservation policy with the Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts.

Kathleen has a law degree from the University of Denver and a journalism degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Joel Howrani Heeres

Director of Sustainability, City of Detroit

Joel Howrani Heeres is Detroit’s first Sustainability Director and he leads a new Sustainability Office charged with strengthening the economic, social and environmental well-being of Detroit’s residents, neighborhoods, and businesses. Joel brings a wealth of experience on urban sustainability to this position, having served in multiple roles in the municipal, non-profit, and corporate sectors. Most recently he has been leading efforts to improve operational outcomes through data sharing and to provide greater public access to City information as the Director of Open Data and Analysis in the City’s Department of Innovation and Technology.

Prior to this role, Joel worked at DTE where he led metrics development and continuous improvement efforts to better manage the utility’s operations. He also contributed to the production of DTE’s first Corporate Sustainability Report. As a staff member at EcoWorks, Joel lead Sustainability and Climate Action Planning processes in 11 communities in Southeast Michigan and played a key role in the development of the Detroit Environmental Agenda, which was released in 2013.

Joel also previously served as the Managing Director for the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office, where he provided technical assistance to more than 40 local governments on a variety of sustainability-oriented issues, including building energy audits and retrofits.

Joel has lived in Detroit for more than 15 years and holds a Masters in Urban Planning, an MS in Natural Resources and Environment (Environmental Policy and Planning), and Arts (Education) from the University of Michigan, where he also received his Bachelors degree in Economics and Anthropology. When he is not working on sustainability or data issues at the City, he can be found spending time with his kids Theo and Ruby, his partner Ana, going to Eastern Market, gardening, cycling, cross country skiing, working on the house, and volunteering with local neighborhood organizations.

Christopher McGill

Vice President, Energy Markets, Analysis and Standards, American Gas Association

Chris McGill is the Vice President, Energy Markets, Analysis and Standards, at the American Gas Association (AGA), which is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AGA is a national trade association providing services and advocacy for more than 200 local natural gas utility and other members.

Mr. McGill’s work is in the assessment of future supplies of natural gas, natural gas production, sustainability of future gas supply, unconventional gas operations and completion technologies, underground storage, key pipeline transportation issues, winter heating season planning, key developments in natural gas markets and other related topics in the gas industry. He guides the analytical support for policy initiatives at the association and is an active spokesperson on many natural gas topics, representing local gas utility points of view to industry, regulators, legislators and the public.

Mr. McGill previously worked as an exploration geologist before joining AGA. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Madison College in Harrisonburg, Virginia (1975) and a M.B.A. from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia (1988). Mr. McGill has been a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists for 37 years.

Tom Wilson

Principal Technical Executive, Energy and Environmental Analysis, Electric Power Research Institute

Dr. Thomas Wilson is a Principal Technical Executive in Strategic Analysis, Safety, and Sustainability at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). His research activities focus on a variety of climate-related issues: costs of alternative policies and the role of technology R&D in potentially reducing these costs, exploring mechanisms for allowing flexibility in domestic and international climate policies and their interactions with regulatory approaches, and providing information and methods to help electric utilities make decisions in the face of climate policy uncertainty.

Dr. Wilson joined EPRI in as a Project Manager in the Risk Analysis program in the Environment Sector, where his activities focused on risk management for a variety of environmental issues (e.g., global climate change, acidic deposition, electromagnetic fields, air toxics, and non-combustion wastes), and decision support methodologies (e.g., technology choice, siting, and making decisions involving multiple objectives and multiple stakeholders).

Before joining EPRI, Dr. Wilson worked at ICF Incorporated, Stanford's Energy Modeling Forum and International Energy Program, and Brookhaven National Laboratory. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Statistics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and master’s and doctoral degrees in Operations Research from Stanford University.

Lisa Smith

Senior Planner, Maine Governor's Energy Office

Lisa Smith is a Senior Planner with the Maine Governor’s Energy Office.  The Energy Office is responsible for planning and coordinating state energy policy, and serves as primary policy advisor to the Governor.  Lisa manages all federal grants; conducts policy research for the office; is responsible for updating the state’s comprehensive energy plan, and participates on several energy related advisory boards and working groups.   She also represents the Office before the Energy, Utilities, and Technology Committee in the Maine Legislature.

Lisa’s background is in energy and environmental policy and planning.  Her educational background is in environmental science and economics.  She attended Colby College, where she majored in both economics and biology, and her graduate level work was in natural resource economics at the University of Massachusetts.

Terri Novak

Manager, Energy Office, Michigan Agency for Energy

Terri Novak has both her Bachelor and Master of Science Degrees in Agriculture and Natural Resources from Michigan State University.  Her education is augmented with 25 years of work experience in pollution prevention and energy.

She currently manages the day to day operations of the State Energy Office within the Michigan Agency for Energy, focusing on energy policy and programs that promote adaptable, affordable, reliable and environmentally protective energy options.

Starlette Hodge

State Energy Program Manager, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

Starlette Hodge is the Manager of the State Energy Program in the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.  Ms. Hodge began her career with the State Energy Program in 1999 and has served in many managerial roles during her tenure.  In this position, she provides programmatic, technical and financial oversight for programs in the governmental, residential, commercial, industrial, transportation and energy sectors.   Since joining the State Energy Program, she has overseen the initiation of several successful programs including the nationally recognized Utility Savings Initiative, the Energy Improvement Loan Program, the Upgrade and Save Program for Manufactured Homes, and other programs that encourage energy efficiency and the deployment of renewable energy.   Prior to joining the State Energy Program, she managed energy and engineering projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the city of Rocky Mount, NC.  Ms. Hodge holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University.

Dub Taylor

Director, State Energy Conservation Office, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

Dub Taylor is the Director of the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO), which is operated by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Under his direction, SECO helps the state make the most of domestic energy, reduce state and local government energy costs and promote cost-effective clean energy technologies. SECO's mission is to maximize energy efficiency while protecting the environment.  Prior to joining SECO in 1999, Taylor’s public sector experience includes six years with the Texas Railroad Commission’s Alternative Fuels Research and Education Division. Taylor's private sector experience was focused in commercial real estate, property appraisal and property tax consulting.  He is a native of Dallas and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.

Axel Lerche

Co-Founder, EcoSmart Solution, LLC

Axel Lerche is the co-founder of EcoSmart Solution LLC (ESS), an energy service company that helps land developer and production builder to build better and more sustainable homes. As a subsidiary of global real estate investment firm Taurus Investment Holdings, ESS launched successfully a technology platform for 7,500 zero energy capable and smart homes at the master planned community Whisper Valley in Austin, Texas. All homes in Whisper Valley provide clean and efficient central geothermal cooling/heating and hot water, Solar PV generated electricity, a Smart Home platform and are connected with Google Fibers 1 Gigabit superfast Internet speed.

Recently Whisper Valley was voted as Green Community of the Year in America by GreenBuilder
Magazine and won the MAX Award of the regional HBA for Best New Community of 2018 in Austin.
Previously Axel owned and managed marketing and business consulting firms in Germany and Canada.

He received recognition and various awards for building Canada’s most energy efficient home in 2010.
Passionate about the business opportunities around sustainability Axel created a network to cutting
edge technology and IT companies as Alphabet/Google, Tesla, Bosch and various home builder and land developer in the US and Canada. Through his company ESS he implemented a scalable technology platform in the land development process to make energy efficient but affordable homes available today in Austin and in the near future in other markets.

Bernice McIntyre

Regulatory Strategy Director, WGL Energy

Bernice K. McIntyre is the Regulatory Strategy Director for WGL Non-utility Business Operations. She oversees regulatory strategy and compliance for all of WGL’s non-utility entities.  Bernice served on the Sustainable Energy Utility Advisory Board for the District of Columbia from its inception in 2008 until 2016. She also served on Virginia Governor McAuliffe’s Climate Change and Resiliency Commission. Ms. McIntyre was Commissioner and later Chair of the Massachusetts Public Utilities Commission. She previously was Assistant Secretary and General Counsel of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. Bernice received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Oberlin College and her Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law.

Katy Hatcher

ENERGY STAR National Manager, Public Sector, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Caterina (Katy) Hatcher is the US EPA’s ENERGY STAR Public Sector National Manager.  She works with public sector organizations, such as government agencies and schools, to help improve energy performance through the use of ENERGY STAR tools and resources, including ENERGYSTAR Portfolio Manager. Katy has been working for EPA since 1996.  She holds a degree from the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture in City Planning. By the end 2016, more than 500,000 properties have been benchmarked in Portfolio Manager, representing 50 percent of the nation’s commercial building space. Portfolio Manager has become the standard national platform for benchmarking energy use in commercial buildings in the United States and Canada. It has been adopted for use by leading US commercial real estate, retail, healthcare, and educational organizations. Many local governments incorporate Portfolio Manager into state and local benchmarking requirements.

Alec Rexroat

Executive Director, Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust

Alec J. Rexroat is employed by M & O Insulation Company, is the Executive Director of The Illinois Regional Insulation Contractors Association, the Executive Director of The National Union Insulation Contractors Alliance, the Executive Director of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, and is a Past President of The National Insulation Association and The Midwest Insulation Contractors Association.  Mr. Rexroat began his career in the mechanical insulation industry in 1964.

Chris Baker

Principal, The Weidt Group

Chris Baker, a Principal at The Weidt Group, works on commercial new construction utility DSM programs, benchmarking existing buildings, and developing efficiency analysis software.
Mr. Baker received an MBA from the University of Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from the University of Kansas. He is a Registered Architect, a Professional Engineer, a LEED Accredited Professional, an ASHRAE certified Building Energy Modeling Professional and Building Energy Assessment Professional.

David Nemtzow

Director, Building Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

David Nemtzow brings to the Building Technologies Office (BTO) of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) more than three decades of experience in energy, including in industry, government, utility, non-profit associations, and consulting. As Director of BTO, David is responsible for leading this $200 million per year office that helps develop innovative, cost-effective energy efficiency R&D and other solutions for U.S. building technologies, equipment, systems and whole buildings.  Previously, he was Director-General (CEO) of the Department of Energy, Utilities, and Sustainability for New South Wales?Australia’s most populous state?where he played a central role in the State’s electricity, greenhouse, energy, and water strategies and policies. He also served as President of the Alliance to Save Energy, a prominent Washington, D.C.-based association of industry, government, utility, consumer, and environmental executives that promotes invest¬ment in energy efficiency. In addition, he has been a member of the executive committee of a distributed energy storage startup company, an independent energy consultant, and a senior congressional energy staff member. David has served on numerous governmental advisory committees and the boards of energy associations and organizations. He has published and speaks regularly in the field. He earned a master’s degree from Harvard University in public policy and a bachelor’s from Brown University in environmental policy.

Britta Gross

Director, Advanced Vehicle Commercialization Policy, General Motors

Britta Gross is the director of Advanced Vehicle Commercialization Policy at General Motors (GM). She is responsible for identifying energy strategies and partnerships, and steering the commercialization efforts for alternative fuel infrastructures required to support the deployment of GM’s rapidly developing biofuel, natural gas, plug-in battery-electric, and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle propulsion technologies.

Gross has an extensive and diverse background in the Automotive and Aerospace industries. She began her career in 1983 with Hughes Space & Communications in Los Angeles, leading Mission Design and Systems Engineering teams developing communication and weather satellite programs. In the late 90’s, based in Russelsheim, Germany, she brought aerospace program management practices into the automotive industry, leading a joint aerospace/automotive project that involved Hughes, GM, and Opel vehicle design engineers. After seven years in Europe, Gross returned to the U.S. and joined General Motors’ Advanced Vehicle Technology programs to lead infrastructure and commercialization efforts for the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle and the Chevrolet Volt Electric Vehicle programs.

Ms. Gross received a degree in electrical engineering from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and studied language arts at the University of Wurzburg in Germany. She sits on the board of directors of the Electric Drive Transportation Association and the GoElectricDrive Foundation, and is one of Automotive News’ “Electrifying 100” and a 2013 recipient of the GreenBiz “Verge 25” award.

Mark Kaufman

Global Director, Electric Vehicle Marketing and Distribution, Ford Motor Company

Christian Williss

Director of Programs and Initiatives, Colorado Energy Office

Christian is the Director of Programs and Initiatives at the Colorado Energy Office. He oversees a team of program managers and engineers responsible for managing existing programs and launching new initiatives including energy performance contracting, residential energy efficiency, alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure, and agricultural energy efficiency.  Previously he worked as Sustainability Program Administrator at the City and County of Denver where he led a number of citywide sustainability initiatives including the City’s energy efficiency program. Christian holds a BA in Political Science and an MS in Construction Management.

Anne Smart

Vice President for Public Policy for North America, ChargePoint

Anne Smart is the Vice President of Public Policy for ChargePoint, the world’s leading network of electric vehicle charging solutions. In this role, Anne leads grant operations, clean fuels programs, and federal, state and local electric vehicle policy related to utilities, grid modernization, electric buses, trucks, forklifts, fleet electrification, autonomous vehicles and future mobility across North America. Before coming to ChargePoint, Anne was the Executive Director of The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC), a rooftop solar advocacy group founded by SolarCity and Sunrun. Anne also served as Director of Energy at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a public policy trade association representing 375 of Silicon Valley’s most respected employers. Anne has a Master of Energy and Environmental Policy from the University of Delaware and Bachelor degrees in Public Administration and Environmental Studies from Miami University.

Matt Nelson

Director of Government Affairs, Electrify America

Ben Bolton

Energy Programs Administrator, Office of Energy Programs, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

Ben helps administer TDEC Office of Energy Program’s (OEP) activities under the US DOE-funded State Energy Program Annual Formula and Competitive Awards dealing with energy assurance, the energy-water nexus, sustainable transportation, and energy efficiency in wastewater treatment plants. Specifically, Ben is the Principal Investigator and Technical Lead for the 2015 DOE Competitive Award for “Advancing Energy Efficiency in Wastewater Utilities and Other Underserved Sectors.”  Ben also serves as the lead Emergency Services Coordinator (ESC) to fulfill OEP’s responsibilities for transportation and heating fuels under for Emergency Support Function 12 (Energy Assurance), which is part of Tennessee Emergency Management Plan managed by TEMA.

Prior to joining the State, Ben was an environmental scientist providing technical support to public and private clients facing environmental compliance issues. He managed projects providing expertise in air permitting, indoor air quality, fugitive dust issues, ecology, and environmental public relations. Early in his environmental career, Ben directly assisted TDOT in development of their award-winning Diesel Retrofit Grant Program, the first federally-funded grant program to reduce emissions in locomotives. Ben served for 9 years on the Tennessee Water & Wastewater Finance Board, which oversees financially distressed municipal water and wastewater systems. He is a native of Columbia, Tennessee, and holds a B.A. in English and B.S. in biology from Birmingham-Southern College.

Sam Cramer

Program Manager, NASEO

Sam Cramer is a Program Manager with the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO). He runs NASEO’s Financing Committee, conducts research on the energy-water nexus, and headed up NASEO’s updates to its State Energy Planning Guidelines. Before his arrival at NASEO, Mr. Cramer spent time with the National Governors Association, where he assisted Governors’ offices with understanding energy topics including new utility business models and electricity market structures, the energy-water nexus, shale oil and gas protective practices, commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE), and greenhouse gas emissions rules. Mr. Cramer received his Bachelors of Science degree from Cornell University, and his Masters of Public Policy (MPP) from American University.

Mahesh Lunani

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Aquasight

Mahesh Lunani is Founder and CEO of AQUASIGHT - a Real-Time Artificial Intelligence Technology Company for life cycle of water.   Aquasight has been deployed and tested in cities across the country and is recognized by utility leaders, state agencies and elected officials for bringing practical on the ground application producing terrific results

Prior to AQUASIGHT, Mr. Lunani co-founded a corporate venture group and led a portfolio of 7 emerging businesses at Cognizant a Nasdaq listed company.  He also lead a $350M technology services business at IBM.  He has completed general management from Harvard Business School and has degrees in Manufacturing, Industrial and Mechanical engineering.

Glen Andersen

Director, Energy Program, National Conference of State Legislatures

Glen Andersen is the director of the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Energy Program, which provides state legislators and staff with outreach and policy analysis on a wide range of energy issues. Glen oversees, develops and coordinates much of the program’s outreach efforts, including publications, trainings, workshops and institutes. He also assists state policymakers in their efforts to develop effective and informed policies on energy generation, utility regulation, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions and grid technologies.

Glen has testified before numerous state legislative committees on a variety of energy policy topics. He has also authored numerous articles and publications on a variety of topics, including utility regulation, renewable energy, energy planning, carbon emissions reduction policy and energy efficiency.

Mr. Andersen received his Master of Science degree in environmental health from the University of Michigan and his bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota.

Jim Saber

President and Chief Executive Officer, NextEnergy

Jim Saber is President & CEO at NextEnergy. Saber previously lead the business and technology development and demonstration activities to support commercialization and business growth of NextEnergy’s advanced energy clients and stakeholders. Saber’s experience includes the development of over $150 million in technology development and demonstration programs within e-Mobility, Smart Grid, Buildings and Infrastructure, MicroGrids, Energy Storage, Renewable Energy, and Alternative Fuels. He has lead NextEnergy’s work in establishing new technology development and demonstration platforms within next generation energy efficiency and transportation applications. Prior to joining NextEnergy, Saber spent more than a decade in the energy-storage industry, where he held product- and business-development positions with Fortune 500 and start-up companies. Jim holds a B. S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Lawrence Technological University.

Kevin Mehren

Program Manager, OurEnergyPolicy.org

James Leverette

Senior Research Engineer, Southern Company

Scott Aaronson

Vice President, Security and Preparedness, Edison Electric Institute

Scott I. Aaronson is Vice President, Security and Preparedness for EEI.  Scott joined EEI in 2009 in the government relations department focusing on security and technology issues, and most recently served as executive director of security and business continuity. He leads the EEI teams focused on cyber and physical security, storm response and recovery, and associated regulatory policy.

In addition to his role at EEI, Scott also serves as the Secretary for the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC).  The ESCC serves as the primary liaison between senior government officials and industry leaders representing all segments of the electric power sector.  This partnership is held up as a model for how critical infrastructure sectors can work with government, yielding dramatic improvements in security and preparedness for the industry and the nation.

Prior to joining EEI, Scott was a senior adviser to Members of Congress serving the 12th Congressional District of California, including former House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos.  From 2001 to 2007, he served as an economic policy adviser to U.S. Senator Bill Nelson.

Scott received a Bachelor's Degree in journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder for his undergraduate studies, and a Master's Degree from The George Washington University in political management.  He lives on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC with his wife, two daughters, a mutt, and a not-so-Great Dane.

Krystal Laymon

Policy Advisor, Strategic and Interagency Initiatives, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Krystal Laymon specializes in climate, resiliency, and energy policy. She currently serves in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office focused on clean energy strategies for vulnerable populations.

Prior positions include co-management of the White House Initiative “Climate Action Champions” under DOE's Office of Policy and Systems Analysis (EPSA). The 1.4 million dollar interagency initiative focused on bringing assistance to cities, counties, and tribes implementing climate and resiliency goals. During her tenure in EPSA, Krystal also supported the completion of DOE’s Quadrennial Energy Review chapters on climate and resilience. Krystal also served in communication roles with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Climate Change Division and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).

Krystal earned an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and an undergraduate degree from U.C. Davis. She is the former President of the MPA-ESP Columbia Alumni Association and the former Executive Director of the DOE's Young Professionals Group, the first organization at DOE dedicated to fostering young professionals. Krystal currently lives in Washington, D.C.

Daren Zigich

Engineering Technology Prgoram Manager, Energy Conservation and Management Division, New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department

Daren Zigich is currently the Engineering Technology Program Manager at the NM Energy Conservation and Management Division at the NM Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department and is the principal investigator for the, DOE grant funded, NM Energy Roadmap Project.

Mr. Zigich is a licensed professional engineer and has more than 29 years of professional work experience in both the public and private sector.   His work history includes a range of experiences from being an engineer in the manned space program to an environmental regulator and multiple years as an engineer in the private energy sector including the fuel ethanol and nuclear power industries. 

Mr. Zigich holds a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics Degree from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Mechanical Engineering Degree from New Mexico State University.

Russell Garcia, PhD

Director-Higher Education, North America, Johnson Controls, Inc.

Russell Garcia is the Director for Higher Education and State Government for Johnson Controls in North America. Russell has been with Johnson Controls since 2007, and has had many roles including PACE Program Manager, west region manager for State Government and Higher Education, and the ARRA program manager. In his current role, Russell is responsible for Higher Education market growth, strategy development, offerings, innovation, and leadership. Russell is currently the co-chair of the Energy Services Coalition in California.  He has served as President of NAIOP Sacramento, a Commercial Real Estate Development Association, and as President of the non-profit organization Green Cabinet. 

Garcia received a BA in Organizational Leadership, MBA International Business degree, and a Doctorate in Education and Leadership from Brandman University.   He is a LEED Accredited Professional and Performance Contracting and Funding (PCF) certified.

Russell has been happily married for 17 years and has 2 sons ages 9 and 13. His hobbies include traveling, reading, hiking, snowboarding, movies, sports coaching, politics, education, technology, and fishing. He is based in Sacramento, CA.

Tim Farkas

Director of Finance, Ameresco

Timothy Farkas is the Finance Director for Ameresco, Inc. and formerly a public finance banker.  Mr. Farkas has 14 years of experience managing financing processes for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects for municipal, health care, higher education, school districts, and commercial clients. He is responsible for providing structured financing for new projects.  Over the past 6 years, Mr. Farkas has helped clients secure more than $275 million in energy improvement projects. He has been a leader in utilizing several incentives, such as Tax Credit Bonds, which resulted in effective interest rates ranging from 0 to 1.5 percent interest for terms up to 21 years.

Incoming Chair

NASEO Board of Directors

Andrea Kreiner

Director, Delaware Division of Clean Energy and Climate

Andrea Kreiner is the Director of the new Division of Climate, Coastal, and Energy in the Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control.  Ms. Kreiner has 30 years’ experience working at local, state and national levels to bring sustainability and strategic focus to energy, environment, transportation, tourism, land use, and agricultural issues. Kreiner created the Energy & Sustainability Leaders Roundtable, a membership-based forum for the business and development community on energy use reduction and minimizing their environmental and carbon footprints.

As Policy Advisor to Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner, Kreiner advised the Governor and Cabinet members on the environment, agriculture, transportation, land use and energy issues. She spearheaded the Governor’s Energy Task Force, developed Principles for Responsible Industry in Delaware, co-developed the Livable Delaware land use initiative, and served on the executive committee of the National Governors Association Task Force on Electricity Infrastructure.

Kreiner served as Chair of the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable; held a variety of positions with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control; and co-chaired the Governor’s Advisory Council for the Department of Services to Children, Youth, and their Families. She has presented pollution prevention training courses and papers on several continents.

She holds a B.S. in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University and an M.S. in Resource Economics from the University of Rhode Island. She is certified as a LEED Accredited Professional in Operations and Maintenance.

Will Payne

Chief Deputy, Virginia Division of Mines, Minerals, and Energy

Will Payne serves as Chief Deputy of Virginia’s Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, primarily focused on economic development opportunities in the Commonwealth’s energy sector. He was previously the principal of Bull Moose Strategies, a consulting firm specializing in strategic communications, building bipartisan coalitions and connecting people through politics. He is a 2001 graduate of The College of William & Mary and in 2005 was named a fellow of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. Will has been a member of William & Mary’s Board of Visitors since 2014 and is currently serves as Vice Rector and Chair of the Administration, Buildings and Grounds Committee. In 2015, Will published his first book, Mark Warner the Dealmaker, an independent biography of former Virginia Governor and current U.S. Senator Mark Warner detailing lessons in leadership at the intersection of business and politics.

Alan Zelenka

Assistant Director for Planning and Innovation, Oregon Department of Energy

Alan Zelenka is the Assistant Director for Planning and Innovation at the Oregon Department of Energy where he oversees the work of 21 people who focus on efficiency, conservation, technology, and policy. 

While working on a master’s degree at the University of Oregon, he served as an intern at Emerald People’s Utility District in Eugene. His first assignment was to summarize the first Biennial Energy Plan by ODOE. Soon thereafter, EPUD offered him a job as a resource specialist. Zelenka spent 21 years at Emerald in several different roles before becoming an energy consultant in 2007.

Zelenka was instrumental in developing two more IRPs at EPUD before going into consulting. His resume includes membership on the Oregon Global Warming Commission (2013-18), Climate Trust (2004-10), Public Power Council (2000-06), Renewable Northwest (1994-2008), which he helped co-found, and the Solar Energy Association of Oregon (1988-98). On top of all that, he was re-elected this past May to a fourth four-year term on the Eugene City Council.

Laura Nelson, Ph.D.

Executive Director, Utah Governor's Office of Energy Development

Dr. Laura Nelson was appointed in May 2016 by Governor Herbert to serve as his Energy Policy Adviser.  She continues to also serve as the Executive Director of the Utah Office of Energy Development, a position she has held since July 2014.  Prior to joining Governor Herbert’s Energy Office, Dr. Nelson served as the Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs for Potash Ridge, Corp., the Vice President of Energy and Environmental Development at Red Leaf Resources, and as the Energy Advisor to Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman.  She also served as the Energy Policy Advisor to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission and a Technical Consultant to the Utah Division of Public Utilities. 

Dr. Nelson’s board and committee appointments include serving as the Chair of the Utah Energy Infrastructure board, a board member and member of the Executive Committee of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, a board member and second vice-chair to the Western Interstate Energy Board, a board member of Utah Clean Cities and as a western representative on the board of the National Association of Energy Offices.  As part of her commitment to the arts, she also serves as member of the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art.

Past board and committee positions have included serving as the Utah Representative to the Western Renewable Generation Information Systems (WREGIS) board, the Utah representative on the Federal Unconventional Resources Task Force, and the Chair of the Salt Lake Chamber Energy and Minerals Task Force.

Dr. Nelson has been proactive in defining and supporting balanced and sustainable energy solutions, including providing Congressional testimony, participating in regional collaborations, working with counties and cities, and coordinating across diverse stakeholders.  Dr. Nelson has over 20 years of experience working on energy and natural resource issues in both the public and private sectors.  She has a solid track record of working collaboratively to deliver positive policy, regulatory, and commercial results. 

Dr. Nelson holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Utah and resides with her family in Salt Lake City. She enjoys running, skiing, and art.  Through her involvement with the Salt Lake City Junior League, she is actively engaged in supporting community initiatives to enhance the welfare of low income families.

Kelley Smith Burk

Director, Office of Energy, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Kelley Smith Burk serves as the Director for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Office of Energy.  The office is responsible for the development of energy policy and programs for the state as well as promoting the use of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies.  Ms. Burk’s responsibilities include supervision and oversight of policy development, program and grant design, and legislative tracking.  Prior to her work with the Office of Energy, Ms. Burk worked with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Strategic Projects and Planning.  In this role, Ms. Burk staffed the Governor’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change, providing a range of services including managing the transportation and land use technical working group, developing reports and helping draft the Team’s Phase I and Phase II reports.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Florida State University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Pepperdine University.

Alexa Voytek

Program Manager, Tennessee Office of Energy Programs

Alexa Voytek is a Program Manager for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Office of Energy Programs.  Ms. Voytek provides support for various grant programs, energy efficiency and sustainable transportation initiatives, and external communications efforts. Prior to joining TDEC, she interned with the United Nations Division for Sustainable Development and the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia. Most recently, she served as Assistant Account Executive for New York City-based public relations firm Ketchum, Inc., where she was assigned to energy and technology related projects. Alexa holds a master's degree from Columbia University in Russian, Eastern European, Balkan, and Eurasian Studies and graduated summa cum laude with high distinction from Duke University, with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Russian Language /Area Studies.

Sue Gander

Director, Environment, Energy, and Transportation, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices

Sue Gander serves as director for the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices Environment, Energy and Transportation Division. Gander directs research, policy analysis and technical assistance to provide governors and their staff with data and guidance on best practices affecting the energy sector, environmental protection, natural resource management, transportation and other infrastructure. The division, under Gander, is currently focused on helping states on several key policy issues, including grid modernization and power sector transformation, energy assurance and cybersecurity, energy-efficient program design, the energy-water nexus, responsible shale energy development, clean energy financing, public-private partnerships for infrastructure development, alternative fuels and vehicles and cleanup and stewardship of nuclear weapons sites.

Prior to joining NGA, Gander served as program manager for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Energy-Environment State Partnership program, as well as senior policy analyst and government relations director for the Center for Clean Air Policy.

Gander is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accredited professional, member of The Keystone Center Energy Board, board liaison of the Institute for Building Technology and Safety and executive group member of the Department of Energy/EPA State Energy Efficiency Action Network.

Gander holds a master’s degree in public policy and a certificate in energy analysis and policy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a bachelor’s degree in public policy from Brown University.

Darcy Jones

Energy Policy Analyst, Energy Office, South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff

Marion Gold, Ph.D.

Commissioner, Rhode Isand Public Utilities Commission

Marion Gold was appointed to the RI Public Utilities Commission by Governor Gina Raimondo in June 2016.  Commissioner Gold had previously served as Commissioner of the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER). As leader of the OER, Dr. Gold was dedicated to working with public and private sector partners to provide sustainable, secure, and cost-effective energy services to all sectors of the community. Prior to joining the OER, she was the Director of the Outreach Center at the University of Rhode of Island where she established the URI Partnership for Energy and directed extension programs for communities and the public in energy, environmental horticulture, and urban agriculture. She served on the URI President's Council for Sustainability and on the RI Energy Efficiency and Resource Management Council.  Dr. Gold continues to serve as an adjunct professor of Environmental and Resource Economics at URI.

Dr. Gold has been a leader in environmental issues throughout her many years of public service. Early in her career she worked at the RI Department of Environmental Management and the RI Resource Recovery Corporation where she was instrumental in launching the first statewide recycling program in the country. She holds a B.S. in Natural Resource Science and Policy from the University of Michigan, a M.S. in Environmental Economics from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Rhode Island.

Jim Baak

Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs, STEM Inc.

Jim Baak is Senior Manager for Regulatory Affairs, West for Stem - a leading behind-the-meter energy storage software and services provider.  He leads regulatory work for Stem in the western US, focusing on developing legislation, policies and regulations to support the transistion of the energy industry to cleaner, more reliable and distributed future, enabled by advanced energy storage.  He has 30 years of experience in the energy industry, having worked in various sectors, including investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, technology startups and consulting firms. 

For the past five years, Jim has has focused on the integration of distributed energy resources into the grid.  He has experience managing programs and developing policies for electric vehicles, solar energy and energy storage.  Jim has testified before the US House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee as well as state and local utilities commissions and legislative bodies on energy issues.

Previously, he worked for Vote Solar, PG&E, Powel Group, Utility.com, Alameda Municipal Power, and ElectriCities of NC. 

He graduated magna cum laude with a BS in economics from the University of South Carolina.

Asa Hopkins, Ph.D.

Principal Associate, Synapse Energy Economics, Inc.

Asa Hopkins, Ph..D, is an expert in the development and analysis of public policy and regulation regarding energy and greenhouse gas emissions, including cost-benefit analysis, stakeholder engagement, state energy strategy and planning, and utility planning. He has provided analysis and testimony supporting decision-makers in both legislative and regulatory contexts, including state utility regulation and state and federal rulemaking.

Since arriving at Synapse in 2017, Dr. Hopkins has focused on utility and demand-side issues, including demand response in Quebec, rate design in Massachusetts, and utility performance metrics in Puerto Rico, as well as multi-state analysis of strategic end-use electrification across the Northeast region.

As the Director of Energy Policy and Planning at the Vermont Department of Public Service from 2011-2016, Dr. Hopkins was responsible for development and analysis of state policy regarding renewable energy, ratepayer-funded energy efficiency, energy-related economic development, and innovative utility rates and programs. Prior to 2011, Dr. Hopkins was an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow in the Office of the Under Secretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy. In that role, he was the Assistant Project Director for the DOE’s first Quadrennial Technology Review, responsible for ensuring that the stakeholder engagement and report-drafting processes were completed successfully. He was also the primary author of the QTR’s section on building and industrial energy efficiency. Dr. Hopkins came to DOE from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he worked on economic and market analysis of appliance energy efficiency standards and led LBNL’s support for the first rulemaking on small electric motors.

Dr. Hopkins holds a B.S. in Physics from Haverford College and a Masters and PhD in Physics from California Institute of Technology.

Becca Trietch

Administrator of Energy Programs, Energy Efficiency, Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources

Kaci Radcliffe

Energy Analyst, Oregon Department of Energy

Kaci Radcliffe is an Energy Analyst and Sustainability Coordinator for the Oregon Department of Energy. She works in building energy efficiency programs, helping schools, government, and businesses make long-term building improvements and become leaders in energy and sustainability. Other duties include managing sustainable business practices, cross-functional projects, policy development, regional partnerships, and grant coordination.

Her professional experience includes 10 years working in the built and natural environment, in the fields of natural resources and restoration, community planning and engagement, energy management, and sustainability. Kaci previously worked for city and county governments in the Northwest, focused on program implementation, inter-jurisdictional coordination, environmental systems, and stakeholder engagement. She is an Oregon Project Management Associate, Board Member for Oregon Green Schools, Master Recycler, and has a Bachelor degree in Environmental Science from Western Washington University.

Mitchell Simpson

Director, Energy Office, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality

Mitchell Simpson is the director of the Arkansas Energy Office (AEO), a division of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. Mr. Simpson has managed various local, state, and federal programs and divisions in municipalities like Little Rock and in branches of state government including the Arkansas Department of Health and the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services. At AEO, he directs the office’s energy efficiency, weatherization, transportation, financing, and market preparation programming. He holds a master's degree in public administration from Arkansas State University and a juris doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Molly Cripps

Assistant Commissioner, Office of Energy Programs, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

Molly oversees the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s (TDEC) Office of Energy Programs (OEP), which is comprised of two sections: the Governor-designated State Energy Office (SEO) and the State Facility Utility Management Section (SFUM).  OEP promotes the efficient, effective use of energy to enhance the environmental and economic health of the state through.  Efforts and activities include education, outreach, technical assistance, and/or funding and financing opportunities that focus on energy efficiency and conservation, renewable energy, utility data management, energy assurance and resiliency, sustainable transportation, and alternative fuels.

Molly has been named the Administrative Lead for Tennessee’s Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust allocation and serves as the TDEC representative to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Distributed Generation Information Exchange, Energy Efficiency Information Exchange, and Solar Strategies Working Group.  She has served on the NASEO Board of Directors since 2014 and is presently serving as the Secretary of Executive Committee.

Prior to joining the State in 2010, Molly spent several years practicing law in Tennessee, with a focus on compliance and municipal liability defense.  She holds a B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of Tennessee and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Charlie Haack

Director, Technical Services, North American Insulation Manufacturers Association

Mr. Haack is the Director of Technical Services for the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association.

In this role, he supports the development and adoption of building codes and standards, the creation of training programs, and advocacy efforts with green certification programs.

Prior to joining NAIMA, Mr. Haack was a Manager at the consulting firm ICF where he directed a team of engineers and energy analysts performing energy policy analysis for the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR Certified Homes program and international energy efficiency studies. While at Penn State, Charlie interned with ASHRAE in their Washington, DC office as well as several architectural and engineering design firms.

Mr. Haack graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with both a Bachelor and Master of Architectural Engineering and is a LEED accredited professional.

Barbara Bauman Tyran

Executive Director, Washington and State Relations, Electric Power Research Institute

Barbara Tyran is Executive Director, Government & External  Relations, in EPRI’s office in Washington DC. She serves as the principal liaison between EPRI executive management, and Congress, the Administration, the national trade associations, the national leadership of the state public utility commissions, state legislators/regulators, and the Washington energy community.

Ms. Tyran joined EPRI after serving for several years as Manager of Federal Government Affairs for two electric utilities, Kansas City Power & Light (now Great Plains Energy, Inc.) and Empire District Electric Company. Previously, she was the Washington Representative for the Detroit Edison Company (now DTE Energy).

Prior to that, Ms. Tyran worked as a management consultant, initially with Booz Allen & Hamilton in their Institutional Management Consulting Division and subsequently, with Pace Global, where she was engaged with energy-related clients in both the private and public sectors.

In recognition of her electricity industry expertise and knowledge, she was appointed in 2005 by the Secretary of Commerce to the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Energy and Energy Services, elected Chairman in 2010, and re-elected in 2014. Ms. Tyran was also General Chairman of the 2014 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting Local Organizing Committee, hosting 3000 delegates from over 50 nations.

Ms. Tyran is Chairman, Association of State Energy Research and Technology Transfer Institutions, and serves on the Advisory Council of the Maryland Clean Energy Center. In 2018, she was elected Vice President of the Women’s Council on Energy & the Environment.

Ms. Tyran holds a BA degree with Honors from Stanford University and an MBA from Yale University.

Keith Dennis

Associate Director, Strategic Initiatives, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

Keith Dennis is Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives, in the Business and Technologies Strategies Division of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Keith has an interdisciplinary background in engineering, business, and law and works with NRECA's Legislative, Regulatory Policy, and Technical teams on issues related to energy end use, including energy efficiency and demand response.

Keith joined NRECA in 2012 directly from the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) where he led a Policy and Guidance Team for a $3.2 billion energy efficiency and conservation grant program and completed an eight month detail at the White House. Keith is a graduate of Dartmouth College and holds Masters degrees in engineering management and environmental law from Dartmouth College and Vermont Law School. He is also licensed Professional Engineer.

Michael Hyland

Senior Vice President, Engineering Services, American Public Power Association

Mike has overseen engineering and operations for the American Public Power Association since 1996. He helped launch the Association’s Reliable Public Power Provider program and the Public Power Lineworkers Rodeo. He oversees the national mutual aid, safety, and security programs. Mike has served as chair of the National Electric Safety Code, on the boards of the Association of Demand Response and Smart Grid and the International Lineman’s Museum Hall of Fame, and on committees of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. He is a registered Professional Engineer with more than 25 years of experience in the electric utility industry.

Kenya Stump

Assistant Director, Kentucky Office of Energy Policy

Kenya Stump is an Assistant Director with Kentucky’s Office of Energy Policy within Kentucky’s Energy and Environment Cabinet. Before her work in energy, Kenya managed the environmental assistance programs at the Cabinet including environmental leadership, brownfields, and compliance assistance. She also served as environmental scientist and policy advisor for the Director’s Office at the Division for Air Quality.  Prior to moving to the state, she served as an environmental consultant with the Kentucky Business Environmental Assistance Program at the University of Kentucky.  Kenya has master’s degrees in Environmental Science and Public Administration from Indiana University and the University of Kentucky, respectively.  She also holds a post-graduate certificate in Environmental Systems and graduated from Western Kentucky University with a Bachelors degree in Chemistry.

Elizabeth Doris

Principal Laboratory Program Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Puesh Kumar

Director, Preparedness and Exercises, Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration, U.S. Department of Energy

Puesh Kumar is the Director of Preparedness and Exercises in the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response's Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration (ISER) Division at the U.S. Department of Energy. ISER works with other U.S. government agencies, state and local partners, and industry to enhance the security and resilience of critical energy infrastructure and facilitate the reconstruction and recovery of damaged or disrupted energy systems.

In this role, Puesh leads a team focused on identifying risks and hazards to the energy sector and mitigating those risks through close coordination with the private sector and SLTT community. His team accomplishes this through hosting exercises, developing new tools and technologies, strengthening information sharing networks, and supporting the development of policies that strengthen national security by addressing all hazards.

Joe Hagerman

Deputy Chief Scientist, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

Prior to joining NRECA, Joseph was a Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Office focusing on building energy efficiency and new building technology development including building to grid, transactive controls, and transactive energy. Mr. Hagerman oversaw all of BTO’s grid integration activities, various negotiated federal regulatory and related matters, and new initiatives for the program – including all activities on smart and connected equipment, cybersecurity in buildings, and interoperability.

Before joining DOE, Mr. Hagerman was the project manager for the Building Technologies group at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). At FAS, Mr. Hagerman conducted research in new building components while demonstrating these technologies in the public sector. His efforts helped address environmental and energy injustice in affordable housing. Hagerman has also worked at Booze Allen Hamilton and ICF.

Megan Levy

Local Energy Programs Manager, Wisconsin Office of Energy Innovation

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison; Megan has spent more than a decade working with building energy efficiency both in the low-income weatherization program and with the Wisconsin State Energy Office (now known as the Wisconsin Office of Energy Innovation). Megan is currently an Energy Emergency Assurance Coordinator for the state and also oversees the Energy Independent Communities program which counts more than 147 communities as members. Megan designed and is the manager of the Municipal Energy Efficiency Technical Assistance Program (MEETAP) in which the Energy Office provides expertise to municipalities and schools across the state to facilitate successful energy efficiency projects.  Megan has served on  the Board of Directors of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association since being elected in 2016 (www.midwestrenew.org).  In August of 2017, Megan was named Co-Chair of the National Association of State Energy Officials Energy Security Committee. A chanteuse for the last 20 years, Megan performs jazz, jump blues, and swing all over Wisconsin under the moniker Madison Red, with her four piece band.

Kate Marks

Director for State, Local, and Tribal Policy Analysis, U.S. Department of Energy

Kate Marks is currently a senior advisor in ISER managing the SLTT program. In collaboration with State and local governments, Ms. Marks leads efforts to secure U.S. energy infrastructure against all hazards, reduce the impact of disruptive events, and respond to and facilitate recovery from energy disruptions. Previously Ms. Marks served as the office director for state, local, and tribal policy analysis in the Office of Policy, overseeing state and local regulatory and policy analysis and supporting stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining DOE, Ms. Marks was the managing director for the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) where she was responsible for informing the nation’s 56 state and territory energy offices of Federal action, sharing energy program best practices, and coordinating peer exchange. There she managed NASEO’s regional activities and program staff covering efficient buildings, energy security, renewable energy, and electricity issues. Before NASEO, Ms. Marks served as the energy program director in the Environment, Energy and Transportation Division of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) where she advised state legislators and legislative staff on energy policy. Ms. Marks has authored numerous publications and testified before state legislative bodies on energy and environmental issues. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from James Madison University and a Master of Resource Law Studies in Energy Law and Policy from the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law.

Alex Morese

Manager, Energy Security, Michigan Agency for Energy

Jill Nordstrom

Data and Program Section Manager, Lead for ESF12 – Energy, Energy Division, Washington State Department of Commerce

Jill works in the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Energy Division where she has a diverse set of responsibilities, overseeing the Clean Energy Fund and the Fuel Mix Disclosure Program, and as the state lead for Emergency Support Function 12.

Prior to joining the Energy Division in 2016, Jill managed a number of state and federally funded programs gaining experience in emergency management, insurance requirements, and contracting.  This work shaped her belief that resilient and sustainable energy infrastructure solutions can decrease the social and economic impacts of emergencies and disasters.

Pat Stanton

Director of Policy, E4TheFuture

A nationally recognized, award-winning expert in regulatory policy analysis and advocacy, Pat Stanton works tirelessly to improve public policies related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and the full range of demand resources.

Among other initiatives she is leading the Faces of EE campaign. Prior to E4TheFuture she served as policy advocacy lead at CSG (2003-2015) and led a consulting service for Clean Energy Markets participants. Before CSG, she was Deputy Commissioner at Massachusetts Dept. of Energy Resources (DOER). She was Assistant Commissioner of Waste Prevention at Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) where she contributed award-winning program design, and was a director of DEP’s Division of Water Supply. Stanton earned master’s degrees from Harvard University’s JFK School of Government (Public Administration) and MIT (Civil Engineering). She is also a power knitter and a cyclist in the American Lung Association’s Trek Across Maine the past few years.

Kevin Doyle

President, Green Economy

Kevin Doyle is President of Green Economy, an independent consultancy, serving clients nationwide.  He is a Senior Consultant with BW Research Partnership (www.bwresearch.com), the nation’s leading provider of national and state clean energy industry and workforce studies.  Among many other studies, BW Research was the lead researcher for the 2018 United States Energy and Employment Report from NASEO and the Energy Futures Initiative (https://www.usenergyjobs.org).  Kevin is also workforce development consultant for the Northeast Clean Energy Council (www.necec.org).

Before launching Green Economy, Kevin was the National Director of Program Development at the headquarters of Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) from 1988-2007.  He is the co-author of popular books about environmental careers, including The ECO Guide to Careers That Make a Difference: Environmental Work for a Sustainable World, and The Complete Guide to Environmental Careers in the 21st Century. 
 
Kevin’s work has been noted by New York Times, Boston Globe, Boston Globe Magazine, Newsweek, Forbes, E Magazine, Marketplace Money, Living on Earth, National Public Radio, Sierra, Outside, Chronicle Channel 5 (Boston), Mass High Tech News, Boston Business Journal, Grist, and more.

Amy Royden-Bloom

Manager, State Energy Program, Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office, U.S. Department of Energy

Amy Royden-Bloom is the manager of the State Energy Program in the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office, which is housed in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy (DOE).  The State Energy Program (SEP) provides funding and technical assistance to states, territories, and the District of Columbia to enhance energy security, advance state-led energy initiatives, and maximize the benefits of decreasing energy waste.

Prior to joining DOE in 2013, Amy was a Senior Staff Associate for 12 years at the National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA), where she led the association’s efforts on global warming, enforcement, agricultural air pollution and training.  She previously worked as a special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs and, before that, as a lawyer at DOE.

Amy holds a law degree from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and Spanish from the University of Virginia.

Diana Hernandez, PhD

Assistant Professor, Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

Diana Hernandez (PhD) focuses her work on the social and environmental determinants of health by querying the impacts of policy and place-based interventions on the health and socioeconomic well-being of vulnerable populations. Her community-oriented research examines the intersections between the built environment (housing and neighborhoods), poverty/equity and health with a particular emphasis on energy insecurity. Much of her research is conducted in her native South Bronx neighborhood, where she also lives and invests in social impact real estate. Dr. Hernandez is currently a Principal or Co-Investigator on several projects related to structural interventions in low-income housing (i.e. energy efficiency upgrades, cleaner burning fuel source conversions, smoke-free housing compliance, new finance and capital improvement models in public housing and post-Sandy resilience among public housing residents) or otherwise related to alleviating the consequences of poverty on health (i.e. attrition study of the Nurse Family Partnership Program and qualitative evaluation of the Medical Legal Partnership model). Her work is currently funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the JPB Foundation, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, among others. Her research has been published in leading journals including the American Journal of Public Health, Energy Policy, Public Health Reports and Energy Research and Social Sciences. Professor Hernandez teaches Qualitative Research Methods at the graduate level and has also taught undergraduate courses on Health Disparities and Cultural Competence. She has advised numerous master's theses and doctoral dissertations. In addition, she actively engages in a variety translational research activities through consulting, board service and social entrepreneurship.

Samantha Caputo

Policy and Research Associate, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership

Samantha works in a cross-functional position to support NEEP’s work in public policy, buildings and market strategies. Samantha helps advance energy efficiency through tracking and analyzing public policy trends in the Northeast & Mid-Atlantic region, providing technical assistance on state and local programs, and advancing knowledge and best practices across sectors. Samantha has been working on residential energy labeling for the past two years on the Home Energy Labeling Information eXchange (HELIX) project and also manages the Regional Energy Efficiency Database (REED). Prior to joining NEEP Samantha completed an accelerated program at Clark University, graduating in 2015 with a B.A. in Global Environmental Studies and Spanish, and in 2016 with a M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy.

Moises Behar

Energy Officer, Office of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Bureau of Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State

Moises Behar is an Energy Officer in the Office of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Energy Resources.  In this role, Moises serves as the bureau’s lead in the development and monitoring of subnational energy partnerships between U.S. states, municipalities, research institutions, private sector and their foreign counterparts.  He also serves as the State Department’s lead for the U.S.-India State and Urban Initiative, which is a joint program with the Center for Strategic and International Studies that aims to develop energy partnerships between U.S. and Indian subnational actors.  These partnerships are directed to the design and implementation of energy policies, technology innovation and deployment, opening markets for U.S. energy firms, and building capacity of new and existing energy institutions and workforce development.  Moises also collaborates with the U.S.-India Clean Energy Finance Task Force, which is a State Department initiative whose purpose is to strengthen India’s ability to raise capital to finance India’s ambitious target of 175 GW of installed renewable energy capacity and to enhance opportunities for U.S. companies in India’s power sector.

G. Ganesh Das, PhD

Chief Operating Officer, Tata Clean Energy International Incubation Centre and Head - Strategy, Business Excellence and Collaborations, Digital and Business Intelligence, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited

Dr. G. Ganesh Das is a PhD in the area of Strategic Marketing & Consumer Behavior from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India, MBA and LLB from University of Delhi besides having an executive qualification on Export Management from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. He is also a Visiting Scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

His professional experience of around 30 years’ in the area of Technology Management, Collaborations & Partnership Development, Strategy Planning, Innovation Management, Consumer Management & Analysis, Digital & Business Intelligence, Corporate Performance Management, Business and Market Development, customer relationship management in the area of Power, Smart Grid, Technology, Solar Renewables, Electric Vehicles Infrastructure, Automotive, Services, including international assignments. He has done significant researches in the areas of consumer behavior and strategy with papers written on the subject in international Journals. He has also co-authored a book ‘Aesthetics in Marketing’ published by Sage Publications, Los Angeles, London, New Delhi and Singapore.

He was the part of the global team involved in conceptualizing, development and enablement of “Smart Grid Maturity Model” (SGMM) whose rights now rests with Software Engineering Institute (SEI), Carnegie Mellon University (USA). One of his key areas of interest is looking at how changing technologies derives from and improves quality of consumer life with papers published in the areas of energy management technologies and strategies in the demand side management of energy. He has presented papers and participated in panel discussions in more than 25 international conference in relation to electricity distribution, energy and Smart Grid including Electric Vehicles and Renewables.

He is also involved in policy advocacy with multiple stakeholders such as NITI Aayog, Ministry of Power, Central Electricity Authority, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Heavy Industry and Bureau of Indian Standards to develop regulations and framework for the optimised integration of the emerging technologies to the current network system.

Presently he is driving and facilitating more than 40 Technology Partnerships in the company with around 60 projects. Working with Institutions like MIT, LBNL in the area of Smart Grid Technologies, MicroGrid, Integrated Communication Technologies, Self- Healing networks, Software Solutions, Applications and others.

He is also a member of the teams working on developing solutions to integrate futuristic technologies such as Utility level storage systems, Micro Grid Systems, Home Automation Systems, Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure and Renewable Power Systems for the power distribution companies. The primary objective of the integrated solution is to build a scalable and cost effective model for the DISCOMs.

He is the Chief Operating Officer of the Clean Energy International Incubation Centre (CEIIC). CEIIC is an initiative of Tata Trusts, Tata Power, and Tata Power DDL with a mandate to catalyse disruption in the energy technology space by supporting ventures, start- ups, and innovators through incubation where we provide technical and commercial expertise, state of the art lab facilities through Tata ecosystem and our partners in academia, and seed funding for early stage start-ups. CEIIC is designed to provide state-of-the-art lab facilities and world class-infrastructure, strong strategy and go-to- market support, mentorship by a curated set of the most qualified experts, specialists and sector leaders, access to test beds on the ground for trials and field testing, a gateway to a diverse and large investor ecosystem, soft landing assistance for innovations wishing to become involved in the energy ecosystem; and assistance for innovations seeking to expand in India.

Warren Harris

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Tata Technologies

Warren Harris has been with Tata Technologies and its predecessor companies for more than 25 years. His roles have evolved from engineer to a number of technical management positions worldwide.

In 1998, Mr. Harris was named CEO of INCAT (acquired by Tata Technologies) and served on its Board of Directors. He managed a worldwide expansion initiative, overseeing a merger that established the company as a major force in the U.S. In 2003, he launched a joint venture in Japan that became the foundation of INCAT’s expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, before securing a public listing on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in 2004. Mr. Harris also was the driving force behind the 2013 acquisition of Cambric Corp., which solidified Tata Technologies’ position in the industrial machinery engineering services market as well as added an Eastern European delivery centre to the company’s growing global footprint. More recently, under his leadership the company acquired Escenda Engineering AB, a Gothenburg, Sweden based automotive engineering and design house, which has strengthened its presence in Scandinavia.

Mr. Harris is a recognized authority on global manufacturing. His expertise has been leveraged by media organizations including The Economist, BusinessWeek, Crain’s Detroit Business, Automotive News, and Automotive Engineering International. He also has contributed his insights to the book, “Globality – Competing With Everyone From Everywhere For Everything.”

In addition, he has presented to the National Academy of Sciences, Cambridge University, The Centre for Automotive Research, the Society of Automotive Engineers; as well as at international forums hosted by Frost & Sullivan, McKinsey & Company, and Nasscom

Mr. Harris holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree (Honors), earned in 1986 from the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology. He is a member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and is a Chartered Engineer. In October 2011, Mr. Harris graduated from the Harvard Business School Advanced Management program. In 2016, for his distinguished achievements, he was conferred with an honorary PhD degree by Amity University. Mr. Harris currently serves the executive board of Reggie Jackson’s DETermined to Assist Foundation, and has formerly been on the Board of Overseers of the Malcom Baldrige National Quality Award. Mr. Harris was also the former Chairman of the North America Tata Network Forum, a platform for dialogue between the leaders of Tata Group’s North American businesses.

Ward Lenz

Managing Director, North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association

As NCSEA's Managing Director, Ward Lenz manages relationships and programs that serve NCSEA's membership, develops staff abilities, supports new technology markets, and increases business opportunities. Ward also serves as an integrator of internal operations and programming to ensure smooth business processes throughout the organization.

Ward has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Drake University. He has also participated in the Executive Development Program at the University of North Carolina and completed Executive Education at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Maureen Neighbors

Energy Division Chief, Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs

Maureen Neighbors is a graduate of Auburn University. She has been with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) since 2002.  She currently serves as ADECA’s Energy Division Chief. As the Energy Division Chief, she is responsible for programs including the State Energy Program, Alabama Energy and Residential Codes, AlabamaSAVES, Weatherization Assistance Program, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and Community Services Block Grant, among others.  She currently serves as the ADECA Director’s Designee to the Alabama Space Authority Commission and the Alabama FirstNet Commission as well as coordinating ADECA’s broadband initiative.

George Phelps

Manager, Product and Legislative Affairs, Knauf Insulation

George Phelps, the former Vice President of Government and Industry affairs at the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association, joined Knauf Insulation North America as Manager of Public Affairs in June of 2009.He is responsible for positioning Knauf products with regard to various energy efficiency improvement initiatives with federal, state and municipal programs. These programs include energy codes, recycling of glass, and retrofit of buildings.

During Phelps’ nearly 20-year tenure at NAIMA, he was influential in advocating states adopt more progressive energy codes to improve the energy efficiency of homes and buildings. He was also instrumental in developing and leading the initiative to recycle more post-consumer glass, a key component of fiber glass insulation.

Tracy Babbidge

Bureau Chief for Energy Policy, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Ms. Tracy Babbidge is the Director of Air Planning Division. She also serves as DEP Commissioner McCarthy’s designee on the Connecticut Energy Advisory Board. Ms. Babbidge joined the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection in 1993. Prior to her state environmental experience, Ms. Babbidge worked at the federal level for the Environmental Crimes Section of the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. She has served as the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection commissioner’s designee to the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund Board since 2007. Ms. Babbidge is a Member of the Connecticut Bar. She holds a law degree from Quinnipiac College School of Law and a Bachelor’s degree from Providence College.

Chad Kruse

Manager, Office of Energy, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

Chad’s childhood love of water and the outdoors matured into a desire to apply his education in anthropology, earth sciences, and law to environmental concerns.  He has over a decade of environmental law and policy experience with the State of Illinois.  His work with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency includes serving as Assistant Legal Counsel for the Bureau of Water and his current role as Manager of the Office of Energy.

Over the past year, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has worked to align the State’s energy programs with environmental protection.  One example of this effort is the Agency’s focus on energy efficiency at publicly-owned wastewater treatment plants with the objectives of energy savings for municipalities and improved water quality.

Dale Hahs

State Liaison Team Manager, Energy Services Coalition

Dale L. Hahs presently serves as a Technical Assistance Provider for the Energy Services Coalition State Technical Liaison team supported by a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Energy. 

Dale previously served as the Executive Director of the Energy Services Coalition where he filled the role of Technical Assistance Subject Matter Expert for Guaranteed Energy Saving Performance Contracting (GESPC), assisted in the customization of GESPC programs for multiple states within their legislative and administrative framework, managed and coordinated the continuous improvement of the nation’s compendium of best practices tools, resources, instruments and guides.  Prior to this role, Dale was a member of the leadership team of an ESCO for over a decade and has been engaged in energy efficiency providing client solutions for over 30 years.

Cedric Daniels

Electric Transportation Manager, Alabama Power

Cedric Daniels is the Electric Transportation Manager for Alabama Power Company a Southern Company.  During 38 years with Southern Company, Cedric worked in power generation, human resources, external affairs, customer services, and marketing. He manages ways customers receive economy, efficiency, and environmental benefits using electricity as their transportation fuel.
Cedric is a Co-Chair of Electric Power Research Institute’s Electric Transportation Program, an Alabama Clean Cities Board member, past Board member of CalStart and is an advisor for Edison Electric Institute electric transportation.

Taresa Lawrence, PhD

Deputy Director, Energy Administration, District Department of Energy and Environment

Thomas Myers

Client Services, Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation

Tom Myers is a forward-thinking, goal-driven business professional with a MBA from the University of WI Madison and more than 20 years of experience leading business development efforts in the public and private sectors. He is a strong team leader well-versed in energy and financial management, municipal utilities and government, budgeting, operations, sales, environmental and social responsibility, and sustainability.

Tom is responsible for achieving overall client satisfaction through operational excellence, contract management, profitability and revenue attainment goals for assigned accounts. Other responsibilities include identifying and securing new business opportunities, capital sourcing, and strategic planning and development among internal and external partners.

Jan Berman

Director, Grid Innovation, Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Janice Berman is the senior director of energy efficiency strategy at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Ms. Berman is responsible for providing strategic leadership of PG&E’s energy efficiency portfolio.

Prior to her current position, Ms. Berman has held numerous regulatory, financial, and operational posts at PG&E, including director of customer generation, director of rates and tariffs, director of revenue requirements, director of business development, and director of gas system operations. Since 2008, she has been on the board of the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE), a coalition of efficiency program administrators from the United States and Canada who support program approaches across jurisdictions to increase market success. She is currently chair of the CEE board.

Ms. Berman earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Whitman College, and has a master’s degree in operations research from Stanford University and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. She joined PG&E in 1987 as an engineer working on the development of new power plants and quickly became interested in integrating resource planning for power plants, demand-side resources, and T&D.

Alex Pollard

Energy Efficiency Commercial Programs Manager, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources

Joanne Morin

Deputy Commissioner, Energy Policy, Planning and Analysis, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources

Joe Doiron

Deputy Director and State Energy Program Administrator, Office of Strategic Initiatives, New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning

Cassie Powers

Senior Program Director, NASEO

Cassie Powers is a Senior Program Director at the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), where she leads NASEO’s transportation and state energy planning programs. In this role, Cassie provides research, analysis, and facilitation support for state energy offices on transportation and clean energy issues, and also acts as a resource on federal transportation policy for the states. Prior to joining NASEO, Cassie was an Electric Vehicle Program Coordinator with Georgetown Climate Center, where she worked with state governments to support the development of EV policies and programs. She holds a Master's Degree in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia, and a Bachelor of Arts from the College of William and Mary.

Michael Tubman

Manager, State Government Affairs and Public Policy, Electrify America

Michael Tubman is manager of state government affairs and public policy at Electrify America, a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group of America. He coordinates with government officials as the company invests $2 billion in electric vehicle infrastructure across the United States. Mr. Tubman was previously director of outreach at C2ES, facilitating collaboration between government and business leaders to advance clean energy, and he served as energy advisor in the administrations of three Alaska governors. He holds a master of arts from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University.

Geoff Morrison, PhD

Senior Associate, Sustainable Transportation Practice, Cadmus Group

Dr. Geoff Morrison serves as the technical lead for the Cadmus’s Sustainable Transportation Practice, where he directs work on electric vehicle policy and planning, hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles. As an accomplished academic researcher, Geoff brings a rigorous, science-based approach to supporting clients. Previous research posts include the Department of Energy and International Energy Agency and his doctorate is from the University of California, Davis. Previously, Geoff served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy supervising a nuclear power plant aboard an aircraft carrier.

Ken Alston

Investment Manager, California Clean Energy Fund

Ken Alston is Investment Manager at the California Clean Energy Fund, which since 2004 has invested in clean energy and transportation sector startups.  His work includes the $24 million CalSEED fund (supported by the California Energy Commission) and developing international partnerships.  Prior to joining the California Clean Energy Fund, Ken worked at the White House and U.S. Department of Energy.  At DOE he was Special Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Energy. Ken's prior experience includes investment firms Penta Group and Investor’s Circle, technology startup Simbol Materials, and strategy consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton. He holds an MBA and MS in Environment and Resources from Stanford University, and a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia.

Patrick Hughes

Senior Director, Government Relations and Strategic Initiatives, National Electrical Manufacturers Association

Patrick Hughes is Senior Director of Government Relations and Strategic Initiatives at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). Patrick is the principal lead for NEMA's legislative and regulatory government relations work on grid modernization, high-performance buildings, energy storage systems, electric vehicles, and more. Patrick also leads NEMA's Strategic Initiatives program—an idea incubator and accelerator that establishes short-term, innovative programs and projects to prepare NEMA members for emerging opportunities and technologies, including smart cities, Internet of Things, high-performance buildings, and the energy-water nexus.

Before joining NEMA, Patrick was a Senior Associate at the Energy Future Coalition, an initiative of the United Nations Foundation, where he developed innovative new policy approaches to increase the energy efficiency of commercial buildings, and advocated for policies that resulted in increased investment in electric grid infrastructure to interconnect remote renewable energy resources. Prior to that, he worked in the office of Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano (D-California). Patrick has a M.S. in Energy Policy and Climate Science from Johns Hopkins University and B.A. degrees in Political Science and Spanish from the University of Rochester.

Edward Stones

Global Director, Energy and Climate Change, Dow

Edward Stones is Global Business Director Energy and Climate Change for Dow Chemical.  Stones is accountable for delivering Energy business profitability, power production at the 14 Company-operated power facilities, as well as steam and utilities and energy service to more than 300 manufacturing facilities globally. He leads Dow’s energy conservation and greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts, providing business guidance for the company’s global advocacy efforts in energy sustainability and climate change.

He joined Union Carbide in 1997 as a manufacturing engineer at the Saint Charles, LA site.  After a number of manufacturing, finance and commercial roles in Hydrocarbons, Specialty Chemicals and Plastics, he was named Director, Energy Risk in 2007.  He relocated to Horgen, Switzerland and was named Director, Hydrocarbons Business Development and EMEA Plastics Strategic Development in 2010.  In 2012, he was appointed Director, Global Business Development and Hydrocarbons Risk Management.  In 2014, he relocated to Midland and was appointed Sr. Director for Investor Relations.  
Stones served as Chair of the Industrial Efficiency portion of the National Petroleum Council "Hard Truths" report and provided testimony to the US Senate Energy Committee on the role of natural gas in climate change.  He served on the European Petrochemical Association Young Executive Think Tank.  He led the negotiation of the Sadara feedstocks agreements with Saudi Aramco and of the Vaca Muerta development technical agreements with YPF, and has presented Dow to investors throughout the world.

Stones holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University, and an MBA from Louisiana State University.

Andy Popp

Manager of Energy Efficiency, Division of Energy, Missouri Department of Economic Development

Facilitated the development of the Missouri Comprehensive State Energy Plan. The plan includes many recommendations focused on energy resiliency, efficient energy use, and energy affordability. Over the last nine years has focused on improving energy efficiency related to residential, manufacturing, commercial and agricultural sectors in the State of Missouri and was instrumental in the development and oversight of over 150 successful energy efficiency projects across the state. With over 30 years of project management experience, has presented on energy efficiency related to many segments of the Missouri economy and the development of the Missouri Home Energy Certification program that will have significant, long-lasting impact on the residential market.

Chuck Conlen

Vice President, DTE Energy

Bill Prindle

Vice President, ICF International

Mr. Prindle is a senior strategist for ICF’s energy and sustainability business. His subject matter expertise ranges from policy analysis and energy analytics to program design and field implementation. He has more than 40 years of experience in the energy field, specializing in national and state policy development, utility-sector efficiency programs as well as building codes and appliance standards. His international work has included energy planning, resource potential studies, program design, building energy codes, and appliance labeling and standards. He has testified before legislative and regulatory bodies, served on numerous nonprofit organization boards, and made several major media appearances as an energy efficiency expert. He holds a Master’s degree in Energy Management and Policy from the University of Pennsylvania.

Michelle Gransee

State Energy Office Manager, Clean Energy and Programs, Minnesota Department of Commerce

Sumesh Arora, PhD

Director, Energy and Natural Resources Division, Mississippi Development Authority

Dr. Sumesh Arora is the director of the Energy & Natural Resources Division of the Mississippi Development Authority which is the state energy office.  Since assuming this position in November 2016, Sumesh has reorganized this office to focus on four areas: energy efficiency programs, energy education and workforce development, energy projects and policy development, and energy data and security.

Previously, Sumesh served as vice president of Innovate Mississippi, director of the Strategic Biomass Solutions, and the Energy-Economy-Environment (E3) program manager for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Mississippi.  He has led programs in cleantech commercialization, combined heat and power, innovation strategy development, STEM education, and technology-based entrepreneurship.  Prior to that, he worked for 13 years as a researcher and product development engineer in the chemical fertilizer industry.

Sumesh is the co-inventor of a patented technology to convert poultry litter into bioenergy and testified before the United States Senate in 2014 to lend support for advanced biofuels technologies.  He has over 125 presentations and publications including two book chapters.  Sumesh received his PhD in international development from the University of Southern Mississippi and his BS and MS degrees in engineering from the University of Central Florida.

Howard "Mac" Dashney

Senior Advisor, Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation

Jan Patrick

Manager, Michigan Agency for Energy

Robert Knake

Whitney Shepardson Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

Rob Knake is senior fellow for cyber policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He is also a senior research scientist at Northeastern University’s Global Resilience Institute.

Knake served from 2011 to 2015 as director for cybersecurity policy at the National Security Council. In this role, he was responsible for the development of presidential policy on cybersecurity, and built and managed federal processes for cyber incident response and vulnerability management.

Before joining government, Knake was an international affairs fellow at CFR where he completed the manuscript for Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It and authored the Council Special Report Internet Governance in an Age of Cyber Insecurity. He has testified before Congress on cybersecurity information sharing and on the problem of attribution in cyberspace and written and lectured extensively on cybersecurity policy.

Knake holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government and undergraduate degrees in history and government from Connecticut College. He is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Ian Hiskens, PhD

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan Energy Institute

Professor Hiskens’s research interests include power system analysis, and analysis and control of nonlinear non-smooth dynamical systems. His areas of specialty are power system dynamics and control, wind power, grid controllability, and inverse problems.