Agenda

David Terry

President, National Association of State Energy Officials

David Terry is the President 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 policy actions and programs in support of the 56 governor-designated state and territory energy directors and their offices. NASEO communicates the states' views on virtually all national energy issues. Mr. Terry has participated in governor-led policy meetings, testified before U.S. Congressional Committees and presented at White House and international energy forums.  Mr. Terry has 25 years of experience working on a range of energy issues for such organizations as the Governors’ Wind and Solar Energy and Coalition and Energy Services Coalition. Prior to working in the energy area, Mr. Terry was researcher at the National Academy of Sciences and a statistical analyst for a consumer products market research firm. 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.

Maria Effertz

Director, Division of Community Services, North Dakota Department of Commerce

Maria Effertz is the Community and Economic Development Lead with the North Dakota Department of Commerce. She works with the Main Street Program, ED&F developers and state liaison for community development programming. Prior to joining Commerce in April 2020, Maria worked in marketing and external relations for engineering and oil and gas development.

Maria has degrees in public relations, political science and management. Maria is from and currently lives near Velva, has two kids, two horses, one dog and too many cats to count.

Nick Burger

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

Nick Burger is the Deputy Director of the Energy Administration. He was previously a Senior Economist at the RAND Corporation and the director of RAND’s Washington office. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and his research has focused on energy, climate, and resilience issues. At DOEE, Nick leads a team that is working to improve the District’s building energy efficiency, access to renewable energy, and clean transportation options. His team designs and implements a range of programs that make energy cleaner and more accessible for District residents.

Nick was a Lead Author on the Fourth Assessment Report produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and is the author of two dozen academic papers and reports. Nick has worked with Habitat for Humanity of DC for ten years, helping them construct eight Passive homes for District residents. He served as an ANC Commissioner in ANC 6B for four years and has worked extensively on zoning and housing expansion. Most recently he served on the District’s Green Building Advisory Council.

Julie Staveland

Assistant Division Director, Materials Management Division, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

Julie is the Assistant Division Director for the Materials Management Division (MMD) within the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), and Director of the State Energy Program. She is responsible for overseeing energy, pollution prevention, and recycling grant and technical assistance programs. Programs range from energy efficiency and renewable energy, food waste reduction, recycling infrastructure, the electrification of medium and heavy-duty vehicles, to installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the state and includes establishing program objectives, goals, and priorities, and determining operating policies and implementing methods within the context of federal, EGLE, and MMD policies, procedures, and guidelines. Julie also coordinates the Catalyst Communities Initiative.

Born and raised in Michigan, Julie lived in Alaska for 18 years where she received a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Alaska Southeast. She and her husband have 4 children, and spend as much time as possible outdoors hiking, camping, skiing, gardening, and raising chickens on their fledgling homestead. Julie is passionate about working with communities and businesses to meet them where they are on their decarbonization journey and to help them prepare for a sustainable future.

Julie Staveland

Assistant Division Director, Materials Management Division, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

Julie is the Assistant Division Director for the Materials Management Division (MMD) within the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), and Director of the State Energy Program. She is responsible for overseeing energy, pollution prevention, and recycling grant and technical assistance programs. Programs range from energy efficiency and renewable energy, food waste reduction, recycling infrastructure, the electrification of medium and heavy-duty vehicles, to installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the state and includes establishing program objectives, goals, and priorities, and determining operating policies and implementing methods within the context of federal, EGLE, and MMD policies, procedures, and guidelines. Julie also coordinates the Catalyst Communities Initiative.

Born and raised in Michigan, Julie lived in Alaska for 18 years where she received a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Alaska Southeast. She and her husband have 4 children, and spend as much time as possible outdoors hiking, camping, skiing, gardening, and raising chickens on their fledgling homestead. Julie is passionate about working with communities and businesses to meet them where they are on their decarbonization journey and to help them prepare for a sustainable future.

Emily Wilbur

Director, Division of Energy, Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Dan Burgess

Director, Maine Governor’s Energy Office

Dan Burgess, was appointed as the Director of the Maine Governor’s Energy Office by Governor Janet Mills in March of 2019. Governor Mills has set an ambitious climate and clean energy agenda, including the recent signing of legislation that requires emissions reductions of 45% by 2030 and 80% by 2050 and increases Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standards to 80% by 2030. Prior to his return to his home state of Maine, Burgess spent eight years working in leadership roles at the Massachusetts at the Department of Energy Resources and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Burgess has a business degree from the University of Maine Orono and a masters in Public Administration from Northeastern University.

Katie Dykes

Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Katie Scharf Dykes is the Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP).  She was nominated by Governor Ned Lamont to serve as the Commissioner of DEEP, and was confirmed on February 20, 2019.  Katie previously served as Chair of the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) from 2015-2018, and as Deputy Commissioner for Energy at Connecticut DEEP from 2012-2015. Katie also served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Inc. (RGGI) from 2014 to 2017.  RGGI is a multi-state effort focused on reducing carbon emissions from electric generating facilities.  Katie joined CT DEEP in March 2012 after prior service as Deputy General Counsel for the White House Council on Environmental Quality and as a Legal Advisor to the General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy.  She is a graduate of Yale College and the Yale Law School.

Kenya Stump

Executive Director, Office of Energy Policy, Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet

Kenya Stump was appointed as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Office of Energy Policy in March of 2020. Prior to that, Kenya served Assistant Director for the Division of Energy Assistance within the Office of Energy Policy. Before her work in energy, Kenya managed the environmental assistance programs at the Cabinet including environmental leadership, brownfields, and compliance assistance with the Division of 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 state government in Frankfort, 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.

Richard Stover

Administrator, Idaho Governor’s Office of Energy and Mineral Resources

Richard Stover serves as the Adminstrator of the Idaho Governor's Office of Energy and Mineral Resources. Prior to this role he served as Senior Counsel for Government Relations at Boise State University and was with Boise law firm Eberle, Berlin, Kading, Turnbow & McKlveen, Chtd., since 2005 where he served as shareholder and vice president and covered, in part, environmental and regulatory matters for private business as an attorney. He handled natural resources issues for Governors Phil Batt and Dirk Kempthorne, and has worked as assistant city attorney for the city of Boise and as a judicial extern for U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge. He is a board member for Interfaith Sanctuary Housing Services, Inc., in Boise. Stover earned his bachelor's degree in politics and international relations from the College of Idaho and his law degree from the University of Idaho.

John Williams

Executive Vice President, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

As Executive Vice President for Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Mr. Williams’ primary responsibility is to help guide state energy policy development. At NYSERDA, Mr. Williams oversees the Energy and Environmental Analysis unit, providing economic analysis and scientific research to best inform policy-makers in energy and environmental issues, as well as the Performance Management unit, which provides market characterization and evaluation, clean energy market insights and statistical analysis that all guide effective clean energy strategies. Mr. Williams serves as NYSERDA’s designee on the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment.

Mr. Williams’ previous work experience includes serving as Energy Counsel for the New York State Assembly; Staff Attorney for The Energy Project of the Pace University School of Law; and Financial Analyst for the Public Service Company of New Mexico, a combined electric and natural gas utility serving the largest markets in the state of New Mexico. Mr. Williams earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Columbia University, a Juris Doctor degree from the St. John’s University School of Law, and a Master of Laws degree in Environmental Law from the Pace University School of Law. He is a licensed attorney in the states of New York and New Jersey.

Doreen Harris

President and Chief Executive Officer, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

Doreen M. Harris was appointed President and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on April 7, 2021, after serving as Acting President and CEO since June 2020.

President Harris is leading NYSERDA’s role to advance the policy frameworks, clean energy technologies, and solutions that help New York advance toward the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by no less than 85 percent by 2050 while creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying clean-energy jobs and building an equitable economy.

Under President Harris’s direction, NYSERDA is making significant progress toward New York’s nation-leading clean energy initiatives including advancing infrastructure and innovation, large-scale and distributed renewables, building decarbonization, energy storage, transportation electrification, clean fuels, transmission, and resiliency.

John Kotek

Senior Vice President, Policy Development and Public Affairs, Nuclear Energy Institute

John Kotek is NEI’s Senior Vice President of Policy Development and Public Affairs.

He is responsible for providing policy and public affairs leadership on financial, economic, tax, electricity market and environmental issues related to the nuclear energy industry.

Kotek was appointed in January 2015 to the position of principal deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) and was nominated by President Obama in October 2015 to serve as assistant secretary for nuclear energy. In that role he was responsible for DOE’s research efforts on current and future nuclear energy systems, maintaining the government’s nuclear energy research infrastructure, establishing a path forward for the nation’s spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste management program and a host of other national priorities.

Prior to his appointment, Kotek was the managing partner of the Boise office of Gallatin Public Affairs. He advised energy, natural resources and other clients facing complex communication and government relations challenges.

From 2010-2012, Kotek served as staff director to the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, which recommended a new strategy for managing nuclear waste in the United States. He led the development of the commission’s final report to the Secretary of Energy, engaged in regular communications with congressional and White House staff and served as media spokesperson.

From 2003-2006, Kotek was deputy manager of the DOE’s Idaho Operations Office. He was responsible for development and management of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) contract and interface with the INL cleanup effort. Before joining DOE in July 2003, Kotek worked for Argonne National Laboratory where he directed Argonne’s participation in the Generation IV technology road mapping project, an international effort focused on evaluating and developing a next-generation of nuclear energy systems.

In 2002, Kotek was the American Nuclear Society’s Glenn T. Seaborg Congressional Fellow. He served in the Office of Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Kotek started his career with DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology. He held several positions during his nine years with DOE-NE, including associate director for technology, associate director for management and administration and chief of staff.

Kotek holds a Bachelor of Science in nuclear engineering from the University of Illinois and a master of business administration from the University of Maryland.

Lon Whitman

Director, Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute

Lon Whitman is the Director of the Wyoming Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute (EORI) located in Casper, Wyoming.  Mr. Whitman grew up in Casper.  He studied at Colorado School of Mines and the University of Wyoming and has a degree in Petroleum Engineering. 

He has over 35 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry including Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Wyoming.  His professional career includes both offshore and onshore experience in reservoir engineering, economics and business development.

Lon has an extensive background in enhanced oil recovery principles and technologies and worked nearly 10 years as a private consultant in EOR and IOR projects.  Mr. Whitman also has professional experience in environmental due diligence as a consultant for oil and gas acquisitions and divestitures.

The Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute (EORI) is the only state funded institute in the country dedicated to collaborative work with the oil industry to improve and enhance oil production at no cost to the operator.  2024 marks the 20th anniversary for EORI.

Alejandro Moreno

Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Alejandro Moreno is the Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).  He provides strategic advice leadership in the strategic planning, execution, and oversight of the EERE portfolio.

Previously, he served as the Office's Renewable Energy Deputy Assistant Secretary and as the Director of the Water Power Technologies Office.  In addition to his roles at DOE, he has served in the energy groups of the World Bank and International Finance Corporation, where he designed and led regulatory reform programs to spur investment in clean energy and rural electrification. Mr. Moreno holds a Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Dr. Carolyn Snyder

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Buildings and Industry, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Carolyn Snyder is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Buildings and Industry at the U.S. Department of Energy.  In this role, she leads offices that advance energy efficiency and reduce emissions from our nation’s buildings and industry while supporting U.S. energy security and manufacturing competitiveness.  She oversees over $800 million annually for R&D across U.S. national laboratories, private industry, and universities. She also oversees comprehensive partnerships with energy sector leaders, other federal agencies, and state and local governments to demonstrate and deploy these technologies and support the transition to a clean energy economy.

Carolyn oversees three offices. The Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office accelerates the innovation and adoption of cost-effective technologies that eliminate industrial greenhouse gas emissions.  The Building Technologies Office invests in high-impact solutions to equitably and rapidly scale decarbonization technologies across the buildings sector.  The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office drives innovation in energy-related materials and manufacturing technologies to increase global competitiveness and support a clean, decarbonized economy.

Previously, Carolyn served as the Director of U.S. EPA’s Climate Protection Partnerships Division where she led voluntary partnerships with thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations.  She also served as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, a White House Fellow in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and Director of Delaware's Division of Energy & Climate.  She earned a Ph.D. in Environment and Resources from Stanford University, Masters Degrees as a Marshall Scholar from Oxford and Cambridge, and a B.A. from Amherst College.  Her scientific research has been published in Nature, Paleoceanography, and Climatic Change.

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.

Sydney Gilliam

Energy Practice Lead, IEM

Sydney Gilliam is IEM's Practice Lead for Energy, Policy & Program Development. She has been working with federal officials, state agencies, non-profits, and private entities to optimize federal funds and tax credits for energy programs, including home energy rebates and solar for all. Leveraging her diverse educational background and extensive experience, Ms. Gilliam plays a pivotal role in guiding states and jurisdictions through the complexities of program design and implementation, ensuring their initiatives are well-positioned for success. Her legal expertise and deep understanding of policy are instrumental in helping IEM clients navigate compliance with federal, state, territorial, and local regulations.

With a decade of legal experience focused on environmental science, energy policy, and climate change, Ms. Gilliam has spent the last five years specializing in energy and federal program management and ten years focusing on environmental science, policy, energy efficiency, and climate change. Her expertise spans strategic planning, needs assessments, energy efficiency, climate resiliency, policy analysis, legal compliance, audit preparation, operations management, grants administration, technical writing, and project management. Ms. Gilliam has worked for various federal and state agencies and has an expansive knowledge of the law; this, coupled with her experience and education in environmental science, energy, and climate change, ensures IEM's clients have the right person to guide the big picture of their energy efficiency goals.

The Honorable Jeffrey Merrifield

Global Energy Section Leader and Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

The Honorable Jeffrey S. Merrifield, a former presidential appointee to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is leader of Pillsbury’s Nuclear Energy Team and co-Leader of the firm’s Energy Transition practice. He is widely recognized as an international thought leader on nuclear power and the deployment of complex energy systems for the avoidance of carbon generation.
During his three decades of involvement in the energy industry, Jeff has developed wide-ranging relationships throughout the international nuclear community that allow him to identify strategic and legal solutions for major energy and environmental matters. He is considered a leader in advanced nuclear and fusion deployment and has assisted large and developing nuclear utilities, suppliers and governments in effectively meeting their regulatory requirements and strategic objectives regarding the deployment of complex energy systems. Jeff’s well-received corporate executive experience, as well as media and public speaking capabilities, also provide a significant resource for the advocacy of common-sense and cost-effective solutions.

Molly Cripps

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

Molly is the Director of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s (TDEC) Office of Energy Programs (OEP). In addition to Molly’s energy-related work, she serves as the Director of Operations for the Bureau of Environment, including emergency and environmental response efforts.

Molly leads teams that focus on the design and implementation of clean energy and sustainable transportation programs and projects, including those funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and Tennessee’s allocation under the Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust.  She has served on the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) Board of Directors since 2014 and is currently serving as the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee.  She also serves as the Co-chair of the NASEO & National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative and supports Governor Lee’s Nuclear Energy Advisory Council.  Molly is a member of the Executive Committee for the Drive Electric TN Consortium and represents TDEC on the Energy Efficient Schools Council and various TVA information exchanges and working groups.

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.

Maria Robinson

Director, Grid Deployment Office, U.S. Department of Energy

Maria Duaime Robinson was the first Korean-American elected to the Massachusetts General Court, where she served in the House of Representatives from 2019-2022. While in office, she led the bicameral Clean Energy Caucus, was the Massachusetts state lead for the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators where she also served on the board, and was the only state legislator on the U.S. EPA Clean Air Act Advisory Committee. She also served on faculty at Tufts University's School of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy, bringing her expertise in energy policy to graduate students. Prior to her election in 2018, Maria led Advanced Energy Economy's Wholesale Markets Program, including engagement at FERC and the regional transmission organizations.

Previously, she focused on regulatory issues relating to energy and air, including a 27-state campaign with Governors' offices, legislatures, and energy and environmental regulators. She also managed AEE’s report development and data-driven analysis at both the state and national level. She worked for Navigant Consulting in the renewable energy practice, supporting the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in analyzing and procuring contractors for statewide renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. 

Maria is a proud lifetime Girl Scout. She holds an S.B. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Masters of Jurisprudence in Energy Law from the University of Tulsa.?

Barbara Tyran

Director, External Relations, National Hydropower Association

Barbara Tyran is an Advisor of the Macro Grid Initiative, which seeks to expand and upgrade the nation’s transmission network to deliver job growth and economic development, a cleaner environment, and lower costs for consumers.

She brings outstanding federal/state government relations experience, following two decades as Director, Washington & State Relations, at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) where she was the principal liaison between EPRI executive management and Congress, the Administration, the national trade associations, state legislators/regulators, and the Washington policy community.

Her background includes federal advocacy for utilities and consulting for public/private/nonprofit energy clients, with engagements involving strategic planning, policy analysis, marketing, communications policies, and external engagement strategies.

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

John Moura

Director, Reliability Assessment and System Analysis, North American Electric Reliability Corporation

John Moura is the Director of Reliability Assessment and System Analysis for the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), where he joined in 2008. John leads the Electric Reliability Organization’s efforts to independently assess and report on the overall reliability, adequacy, and associated risks of the interconnected North American bulk power system. John leads the development of NERC’s annual long-term and seasonal reliability assessments, as well as NERC’s efforts in evaluating reliability impacts of potential environmental regulations, high-levels of variable generation, and an increasing dependence on natural gas. He is the co-author of numerous NERC special reports and several technical publications. In addition, John is actively engaged in multiple groups and committees across North America focused on the power system risk and vulnerability analyses, loss of load studies, probabilistic resource adequacy modeling, and interconnection-wide power system modeling. John earned his bachelor degree from Rutgers University.

Ben Bolton

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

Mr. Ben Bolton, Senior Energy Programs Administrator, serves as the Primary Emergency Services Coordinator for Energy for the State of Tennessee. In this capacity, he plays a central role in running the energy security program for the Tennessee Office of Energy Programs and activities related to critical infrastructure and energy policy. Since 2018, Mr. Bolton serves as co-chair of the NASEO Energy Security Committee and serves on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Mitigation Framework Leadership Group. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with over 400 varieties of Japanese Maples and too many antique books to catalog.

Karen Zelmar

Program Manager, IRA Home Energy Rebate Programs, Office of State and Community Energy Programs, U.S. Department of Energy

Karen Zelmar is a program manager in the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of State and Community Energy Programs. She joined DOE in 2023 and currently leads the Home Energy Rebate Programs authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act. Previously, Karen worked as the Senior Vice President of Network Planning at Volta Charging and as the Director of Clean Energy Programs at Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), where she leveraged her experience in the technology industry while pursuing her passion for energy and sustainability. Karen has previously held leadership positions at multiple technology providers including AOL and Navteq, before moving into the energy industry. Karen holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Northwestern University’s Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and an MBA from the University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

Robin LeBaron

President and Co-Founder, Pearl Certification

Robin LeBaron is the president, and co-founder of Pearl Certification, a national firm that is transforming the way homes are bought and sold in the U.S. by certifying high-performing homes and creating a platform that connects homeowners with the professionals who build, improve, sell, and finance high-performing homes. Prior to co-founding Pearl, Robin served as the Managing Director of the National Home Performance Council, a national non-profit organization created to promote energy efficiency upgrades in U.S. homes, where he led national efforts that developed energy efficiency, real estate home data, and certification standards, and authored guides on best practices in energy efficiency for the U.S. Department of Energy and other stakeholders. He previously served as the executive director of Hope Community, Inc., a non-profit based in East Harlem, New York, that built and managed 1,200 units of affordable housing, including the first affordable LEED Silver multi-family buildings in New York City.

Jeff Coleman

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Eli Technologies Inc.

Kara Saul Rinaldi

President and Chief Executive Officer, AnnDyl Policy Group, LLC

Kara has twenty-five years of experience in advocacy, policy strategy development, lobbying, and media relations. As one of the leading energy and climate policy experts, she has directed national policy, communications, and grassroots campaigns leading advocacy efforts with the Administration and Congress on tax, appropriations, authorization, and climate change policy for national and international NGOs and corporations.

Prior to starting AnnDyl Policy Group, she held positions as the Policy Expert on Energy and Climate Change for ERM, a multi-national environmental consultancy firm; the Director of Government and Public Affairs for Owens Corning, a Fortune 500 company that is a leader in insulation technologies; and, the Senior Director of Policy for the Alliance to Save Energy. Kara has been elected to the board of various energy and environmental groups and coalitions; and, has used her contacts with the non-profit community to assist industry in stakeholder engagement to advance clean and efficient energy policy. Kara has also worked on the Climate Change Campaign for the World Wildlife Fund as well as in the offices of Rep. Lynn C. Woolsey (D-Calif.) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).

Kara has testified before congressional committees on energy policy and appeared in a variety of media, including: Fox News, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, CNBC, Business Week, USA Today, and The New York Times. She also appears in podcasts and as a news guest for National Public Radio. She has authored numerous articles on energy policy for trade publications and provided many keynote and panel presentations on energy and climate policy. She has also led delegations and ran strategy efforts at numerous UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP) meetings.

Kara holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego. She is fluent in English and French.

Alyssa Latuchie

Director of Market Development for Federal and State Programs, Franklin Energy

Alyssa leads Franklin Energy’s programs that assist federal and state offices in meeting their energy goals, including those for the Inflation Reduction Act’s Home Energy Rebate programs.?Before joining our team, Alyssa worked at the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department in the Energy Conservation and Management Division, helping implement economic diversification and energy efficiency programs for New Mexico.?Prior to that, she spent 10 years in the solar industry where she learned how impactful state and federal programs can be at opening a market for new and emerging technologies.

Alyssa received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics focusing on environmental studies from Kenyon College in Ohio. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Economics from the University of New Mexico.

Brooks Rumenik

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

Brooks Rumenik is the Director of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)’ Office of Energy (OOE) and is a proud graduate of Florida State University. She has been with the OOE since February of 2023 and leads the OOE in developing energy policy and implementation of energy efficiency programs for the State of Florida. Her responsibilities include providing recommendations to the Governor and Legislature on energy policies and programs that will move Florida toward more diverse, stable, and reliable energy options.

Prior to joining the FDACS, Brooks served as the Deputy Director within the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Safe Schools for 21 years. In this role, she was responsible for overseeing all aspects of training, compliance, and policy recommendations for matters of safety and security within the approximately 4,000 public and public charter schools in Florida.

Curtis Thayer

Executive Director, Alaska Energy Authority

Curtis W. Thayer is the executive director of the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA), the state's energy office and lead agency for statewide energy policy and program development. Prior to AEA, Thayer served as president and chief executive officer of the Alaska Chamber, the largest state trade association.

Previous to that position, he served as Commissioner for the Department of Administration and as a cabinet member for Governor Sean Parnell, with responsibility for 1,100 public employees and an annual budget of $350 million. Additionally, his public service includes time as the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development and working in Washington, D.C. with Congressman Don Young and Senators Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski.

Before public service, Thayer worked on the management team of ENSTAR Natural Gas Company and for the Alaska Gas Producers Pipeline Team.

Thayer has served on boards at Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, Alaska Retirement Management Board, Alaska Royalty Oil and Gas Development Advisory Board, U.S. Chambers’ Committee of 100, and currently chairs the Alaska Board of Marine Pilots.

Monisha Shah

Division Director, Solar for All, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Monisha Shah is the Division Director for EPA’s Solar for All – one of three programs in the historic Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. She was most recently the Deputy Director for Justice40 and Environmental Justice Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality after serving as the Equity Lead for the Joint of Office on Energy and Transportation. Ms. Shah has over 20 years of experience leading both domestic and international analysis and technical assistance efforts to accelerate the equitable deployment of clean energy and transportation technologies primarily as a principal investigator at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Ms. Shah has a M.S.E. in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in economics and B.S.E. in chemical engineering from the University of Iowa.

Shaina Fite

Manager, Relief Suite, Yardi Systems

Shaina Fite has been a key figure in managing property and asset management technology at Yardi since 2015, where she initially led support teams for energy and sustainability initiatives. In this capacity, she oversaw utility billing, expense management, and ENERGY STAR compliance for some of the largest property management firms in the U.S. With the launch of the Yardi Relief Suite, Shaina transitioned to supporting clients on this platform, where her dedication and expertise have been critical in helping clients navigate Yardi Rent Relief, ensuring the effective delivery of rental assistance nationwide. Her leadership has also driven the expansion of her team’s scope to include the development of Relief Suite products supporting mortgage relief,  utility relief, eviction prevention, opioid response, and IRA programs Solar For All and Home and Electrification Rebates.

Before her tenure at Yardi, Shaina spent six years managing sales and operations for an electricity and natural gas retail energy provider, overseeing five deregulated markets. She holds a B.S. in Communications and is a licensed Real Estate agent in the state of Georgia.

Christoper Hurwitz

Single Family Residential Systems and Data Program Manager, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

Chris Hurwitz is NYSERDA’s Single Family Residential Systems and Data Program Manager responsible for implementing systems supporting programs in single and multi-family programs. Before coming to NYSERDA in 2023, Chris managed energy efficiency programs in the Northeast United States for multiple utilities including residential, and commercial existing and new construction programs. Chris holds a master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning and enjoys hiking and travelling.

Alexa Voytek

Deputy Director of Programs, Innovation and Transportation, Communications, Office of Energy Programs, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

Alexa is TDEC OEP's Deputy Director of Programs, Innovation and Transportation, and Communications. Alexa serves as the Principal Investigator for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) State Energy Program, oversees OEP’s sustainable transportation and alternative fuels programming, and assists with the administration of a variety of funding sources, including the State of Tennessee’s initial allocation under the Volkswagen Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust, the State’s annual allocation under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Program, and the implementation of formula funding under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program. Alexa also serves as the Coalition Director for U.S. DOE’s Clean Cities Middle-West Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition, through which she acts as a technical resource for fleets and individuals evaluating alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies. Alexa is Co-Chair of the National Association for State Energy Officials’ (NASEO) Transportation Committee and also serves as the Governor’s designee to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Regional Energy Resource Council, which provides guidance on how TVA manages its energy resources against competing objectives and values. Alexa is also the Principal Investigator for the U.S. DOE Grid Resilience Formula Grant Program in Tennessee, funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The objective of this Program is to maintain and enhance the reliability and resilience of the electric grid, with the goal of minimizing the frequency and duration of power outages resulting from natural hazards. Since the passage of the IIJA and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), she has supported TDEC OEP with program design tied to the implementation of additional funding programs (e.g., Home Energy Rebate Programs, Solar for All, Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant Program, Revolving Loan Fund Capitalizations Grant Program, Training for Residential Energy Contractors, etc.). Prior to joining TDEC, Alexa interned with the UN Division for Sustainable Development and the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia. Most recently, Alexa served as Asst. Account Executive for the public relations firm Ketchum, Inc., where she was assigned to energy and technology related projects. Alexa holds an M.A. from Columbia University in Russian, Eastern European, Balkan, and Eurasian Studies and graduated summa cum laude from Duke University, with a B.A. in History and Russian Language / Area Studies.

Eddy Trevino

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

Eddy Trevino is the Director of the Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO). Through energy efficiency, SECO helps public entities improve working and learning environments. Energy efficiency assistance is provided through a technical assistance program, emerging clean energy technology program, education and training program, and an energy-efficiency revolving loan program. Mr. Trevino’s professional designations include a registered Professional Engineer and a Certified Energy Manager. He has 35 years of engineering and management experience.  While attending the University of Texas at Austin, Mr. Trevino earned the following degrees: Bachelor’s in architectural engineering, an MBA, and a Master in Technology Commercialization.

Ben Brouwer

Bureau Chief, Energy Office, Montana Department of Environmental Quality

Ben Brouwer has served in the Montana Energy Office at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) since 2016, stepping into leadership of the office in 2023. The Energy Office delivers programs including energy emergency response, clean energy finance, and electric vehicle planning and deployment. Prior to joining DEQ, Ben spent nearly a decade working in local government and public interest organizations with a focus on Montana energy policy. Ben received a degree in Geography and Environmental Studies from Middlebury College.

Rhea Rao

Project Coordinator, Smart Surfaces Coalition

Rhea Rao is a Project Coordinator for the Smart Surfaces Coalition where she works closely with leading experts and policymakers in energy, climate, health, and environmental justice to identify critical knowledge gaps and pathways for expanding Smart Surfaces implementation.

Prior to joining the Smart Surfaces Coalition, Rhea served as an Associate & Grantwriter at Sustainable Strategies DC where she directly worked with cities across the country to secure federal, state, and philanthropic resources to support sustainable economic development, green infrastructure renovation, and community revitalization efforts.

Rhea holds a B.A. in International Affairs with a dual concentration in Environmental Studies and Public Health, and a minor in Sustainability from the George Washington University.

Dr. Will Toor

Executive Director, Colorado Energy Office

In January 2019, Will Toor joined the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) as its Executive Director appointed by Governor Jared Polis. Will’s background spans transportation electrification, sustainable transportation, smart growth, electric vehicle policy, clean energy finance, green building policy, local government policy and regional planning. Prior to CEO, Will was Transportation Program Director at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP). Before SWEEP, Will served as Boulder County Commissioner for eight years where he led the effort to create and adopt a countywide Sustainable Energy Plan, the BuildSmart green building code, the EnergySmart program, and the ClimateSmart Loan Program. Prior to being elected Boulder County Commissioner, Will served as Mayor of Boulder for six years where he developed Boulder's community transit network, EcoPass unlimited access transit pass programs, and policies for denser, mixed-use urban infill development as an alternative to sprawl. Will previously served on and chaired the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG). He was appointed by Governor Ritter to the state Transportation Funding and Implementation blue ribbon panel, the Governor's Climate Action Panel, and the Regional Air Quality Council. He was appointed by Governor Hickenlooper to the Air Quality Control Commission and the state oil and gas taskforce. Will spent 12 years as Director of the University of Colorado Environmental Center, where he developed campus sustainability programs in the areas of solid waste, building energy use, and transportation planning. Will holds a BS in Physics from Carnegie Mellon University and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Chicago.

Quinn Parker

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Encolor LLC

Quinn is the founder and CEO of ENCOLOR, with over 15 years of professional experience working with utilities, non-profits, and public organizations. With a depth of experience in researching, designing, planning, and implementing products and solutions, she supports clients in strategically addressing their most pressing challenges through an equity lens. Quinn helps companies develop and implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives with impact.

Quinn is a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP), a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. She holds an M.B.A from California State University, Dominguez Hills and a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) and a member of the DEI Council.

Vince Maiden

Managing Director, State Energy Office, Virginia Department of Energy

Kendra Kostek

Senior Advisor on Siting and Permitting, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Kendra Kostek is the Senior Advisor for Siting and Permitting at the US Department of Energy, in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). She is responsible for the leading the office’s efforts to accelerate deployment of clean energy technologies while minimizing the impacts and maximizing the benefits. She also served as the Deputy Director of Permitting Renewables and Transmission at the White House to advance the Biden-Harris administration’s climate priorities. Previous to this, she worked at NYSERDA on the first of its kind clean energy siting team where she provided technical assistance to local permitting officials across the state, which inspired the EERE program of R-STEP. She currently lives in Washington, DC and holds a Bachelor’s degree from American University.

Tom Sarkus

Senior Manager and Technical Advisor, National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy

Tom Sarkus has 36 years of technical & managerial experience, including 29 years in project management at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory.

He has managed or supervised DOE funding that enabled major clean coal technology demonstration projects, including: Pure Air's 528 MWe SO2 scrubber at Northern Indiana Public Service Company's Bailly Generating Station near Chesterton, IN; Air Products'? 80,000 gallons/day liquid phase methanol unit at Eastman Chemicals'? coal-to-chemicals complex in Kingsport, TN; granulated coal injection on a blast furnace at Burns Harbor, IN; coal-based IGCC (integrated gasification combined-cycle) power plants at Wabash River (262 MWe, net; in West Terre Haute, IN) & Tampa Electric's Polk Generating Station (250 MWe, net; near Mulberry, FL); a 265 MWe (net) circulating fluidized-bed boiler at JEA's Northside Station in Jacksonville, FL; and on-site lignite upgrading at Great River Energy's Coal Creek Station in Underwood, ND. Additionally, hosted over 20 technical conferences on topics of unburned carbon in fly ash, SO3, reburning technology, and selective catalytic & non-catalytic reduction technologies for NOx control. Lead author of Coal chapter in The World Scientific Handbook of Energy, Vol 3 (2013).

His specialties include: clean coal technologies; air pollution control technologies; flue gas cleanup; advanced coal-based electric power generation technologies (e.g., fluidized-bed combustion; integrated gasification combined-cycle), carbon capture & sequestration.

Lesley Matthews

Senior Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Climeworks

Lesley has served as an advisor in the technology, energy, and natural resources sectors for the past 25 years. Working at the intersection of regulatory, stakeholder, and Indigenous engagement activities, Lesley's experience spans both the private and public sectors. She currently serves as Climeworks' first senior manager, stakeholder engagement, managing the external risks related to regulatory reviews and stakeholder interests.

Gillian Black

Director, Build Ready, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

Rebecca "Puck" Stair

Director, Energy Conservation and Management Division, New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department

Nicky Barthel

Water/Wastewater Business Development Manager, Northeast Region Strategic Section, Schneider Electric

Nicky Barthel is a Water/Wastewater Business Development Manager supporting the Northeast region.
Mrs. Barthel builds relationships with End Users/Municipalities, Design Consultants and Systems Integrators to drive awareness around Schneider Electric and provide solutions that solve their industry problems.  Mrs. Barthel has been with Schneider Electric for over 22 years in different roles such as Project Management, End User Sales Engineer, Large Contractor Sales Engineer, and Strategic Account Manager.   Prior to joining Schneider Electric Mrs. Barthel was an Engineer for a Water/Wastewater Systems Integrator, Retro Electric, based in Baltimore, Maryland for 4 years.
Schneider Electric – Water & Wastewater industry trends such as climate change, water resource management, water circularity and digital revolution cause challenges.  We know that sustainable and resilient water is critical for human health, environment, and economy. Through our innovative smart devices, software solutions, smart water technologies and services, we help make water safe, reliable, sustainable, and efficient across the entire water cycle.  Schneider Electric can provide an end-to-end solution to design, build, operate and maintain sustainable and resilient water infrastructures.

Sam Ricketts

Co-Founder and Partner, S2 Strategies

Sam has spent his career working to advance climate and clean energy progress at the federal and state levels. He is a former longtime adviser to Governor Jay Inslee, including serving for five years in the Washington state governor’s office, and leading climate policy and strategy for Inslee’s 2020 presidential campaign.

Sam was also the first executive director of the Congressional Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition (SEEC). Most recently, he co-founded and was head of policy for the climate advocacy organization Evergreen Action, and has served as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP), where he launched the center’s State-Federal Climate Initiative.

Sam hails from Seattle, attended Syracuse University, and lives in Washington, DC with his wife and two children.

Jennifer Grove

Managing Director, Energy Programs in Communities, Energy Division, Washington State Department of Commerce

Jennifer Grove, Managing Director for Energy Programs in Communities at the Washington State Department of Commerce, has over two decades of expertise in executing and spearheading clean energy initiatives. Jennifer leads a team of 40 staff at Commerce, partnering with communities to design and implement energy and environmental justice programs. Under her leadership, her team administers a grant portfolio worth $600 million to reduce the energy burden for low-income households, promote access to renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, and advance environmental justice. She is responsible for negotiating and overseeing the execution of all contracting, including multi-million dollar state contracts and complex federal awards.

Maya Goodwin

Workforce Strategy Lead, Office of Energy Jobs, U.S. Department of Energy

Maya Goodwin serves as the Workforce Strategy Lead in the Office of Energy Jobs at the U.S. Department of Energy. In this role, Maya advances the adoption of workforce strategies across the Department that expand inclusive opportunity to benefit from good quality careers in the growing, changing energy sector.

An economic policy strategist and researcher, Maya has deep knowledge of workforce development, labor, and economic mobility policy. Maya has worked to advance worker-focused, inclusive economic policy strategies as a Senior Manager for Workforce Policy and Research at the Markle Foundation, a social impact and economic policy consultant with Sperling Economic Strategies, a fiscal policy researcher at the Pew Charitable Trusts, and a workforce development researcher at the Aspen Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program.

Maya holds masters' degrees from Sciences Po and the London School of Economics, as well as a bachelor's degree in anthropology from Princeton University.

Josh Elliott

Director, Division of Policy and Programs, New Hampshire Department of Energy

Josh Elliott serves as the Director of the Division of Policy and Programs at the New Hampshire Department of Energy. The Division is responsible for a variety of assistance programs, sustainable energy programs, a state funded community solar program, as well as the new federal funds made available from the BIL and IRA, including Solar for All. It is also tasked with drafting and updating the state’s State Energy Strategy. Josh graduated from Saint Anselm College with honors and earned a master’s degree from the University of Chicago. In addition to his work at the Department, he serves as the Governor’s designee on the Drinking Water Groundwater Trust Fund Advisory Commission, which awards grants and loans for drinking water infrastructure projects across the state.

Lissa Pawlisch

Assistant Commissioner, Federal and State Initiatives, Division of Energy Resources, Minnesota Department of Commerce

Emily Stiever

Techincal Advisor, Workforce and Equitable Access, Solar Energy Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Emily Stiever joined the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) in May 2024 as a technical advisor on the Workforce & Equitable Access (WEA) team. Emily is a solar professional with 15 years of experience scaling equitable, distributed solar across the country. Prior to joining SETO, Emily served in a number of senior roles at Solar United Neighbors, a national nonprofit that is a leading implementer for residential solar deployment. Before joining Solar United Neighbors, Emily worked as a renewable energy consultant specializing in solar electric and solar water heating initiatives and incentive programs.

Emily holds a B.S. in political ecology from Grinnell College and was a member of the 2016 Neighborworks Achieving Excellence program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Rebecca O'Neil

Advisor, Electricity Infrastructure, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Rebecca O’Neil is an Advisor for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and in her career, she has served at the lab relationship manager for the DOE-EERE Renewable Energy Portfolio. She has also served a rotation in the Water Power Technologies Office to develop a hydropower-grid research program, and led the regulatory area for energy storage. Her research interests relate to energy equity, energy storage, community-scale innovation, sustainable hydropower and marine energy development. She joined the lab in 2015 from the Oregon Department of Energy, where she represented the agency on water power development, oversaw the state renewable portfolio standard, and ran a multi-million-dollar portfolio of federal grants ranging from renewable energy feasibility studies, agricultural efficiency measures, energy assurance, and woodstove replacement programs.

David Epley

Associate Director, Data and Benchmarking Division, Energy Administration, District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment

Heather Cowley

Regional Energy Specialist, Energy Programs Office, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Gayle Sims

Bureau Manager, Energy and Natural Resources Division, Mississippi Development Authority

Gayle Sims is a Bureau Manager with the Energy & Natural Resources Division of the Mississippi Development Authority.  With over 30 years of experience in the energy arena, Gayle is a versatile communicator committed to sharing her project management experience with her younger colleagues as they work to advance their careers.  She is responsible for administering state energy programs and grants, while also managing budgets, compliance and reporting.  She holds a master’s degree in political science & public administration from the University of Southern Mississippi.  A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.,  Gayle resides in the capital city of Jackson and enjoys spending time with her family, serving her community, traveling and attending college football games.

Kerry Campbell

Environmental Program Manager, Energy Programs Office, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Kerry Campbell is an Environmental Program Manager in the Energy Programs Office of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).  He oversees staff who support the Pennsylvania Climate Program, the State Energy Program, Energy Security Program, the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program, among other climate and clean energy initiatives, including implementing programs from the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.  He previously worked for the Air Quality and Waste Management programs in DEP and was a Research Assistant at Penn State University.  He received an M.S. in Agronomy, and B.S. degrees in Biology and Environmental Resource Management, all from Penn State.

Sarah Messbauer

Deputy Director, West Virginia Office of Energy

Dr. Bobby Jeffers

Acting Laboratory Program Manager, Cybersecurity and Resilience, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Bobby Jeffers helps shape and manage the lab's research portfolio in energy security, resilience, and cybersecurity through strategic collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response. Jeffers joined NREL as the Energy Security and Resilience Center's senior resilience advisor. He works closely with collaborators across NREL who lead resilience research to help shape and manage the lab's rapidly growing energy resilience portfolio.

Jeffers comes to NREL from Sandia National Laboratories, where he was a principal member of the research staff since 2013, focused on distributed systems integration, power systems R&D, grid modernization, and developing a body of resilience research. His work spanned community-level resilience, grid restoration following intentionally-caused outages, and consequences of defense critical infrastructure disruptions. He began his career at Idaho National Laboratories, where his research focused on the energy-water nexus, critical material supply chain economics, and novel concepts for grid integration of renewable energy.

Philip Jordan

Vice President, Principal Researcher, BW Research Partnership

Philip Jordan is the Vice President of BW Research and manages the firm's Massachusetts office. He has worked in research, law, and policy for more than two decades in the private sector, government, and academia. Phil is an adept problem-solver who is intensely focused on building systems that are more equitable and effective.

Phil leads the firm's energy practice and his research is focused on the intersection of the human age and the digital, especially with regards to inclusive economic and talent development that lead to increased mobility. He is a Luma Certified Practitioner of Human Centered Design and is credited for using data and communications to create change.

Phil is a Senior Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he focuses his teaching and research on comparative talent and labor practices in the U.S. and Asia, and is an attorney and member of the Massachusetts Bar. He has his J.D. and Certificate in Environment and Land Law from Boston College and his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Connecticut. When not working, you can find Phil outside with his family, on the water, in the woods, or in the garden.

Skye Gruen

Deputy Director, National Energy Codes Collaborative, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy

Skye Gruen is Deputy Director of the National Energy Codes Collaborative, leading a new initiative empowering states to effectively and sustainably implement updated building energy codes. She works to advance codes and standards and promote energy transformation and resource equity through interdisciplinary collaboration, technical assistance, and implementation support for states and cities. Skye also contributes to ACEEE research on energy efficiency and decarbonization in the buildings sector, including commercial, residential, and multi-family buildings. She joined ACEEE in 2023.

Prior to joining ACEEE, Skye was vice president of new construction and on-site generation at Bright Power, working to design, implement, and commission solar, resiliency, and energy efficiency projects in new and existing buildings.

Skye earned a master of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington and a bachelor of science in chemical engineering from Yale University.

Michael Joseph

Program Manager, Market Development, Clean Fuels and Infrastructure, CALSTART

Michael Joseph leads infrastructure market development within CALSTART's Clean Fuels and Infrastructure initiative, which seeks to continue CALSTART's 30-year history of clean transportation technology incubation by finding ways of removing infrastructure barriers to transportation decarbonization. He seeks out innovative demonstration and solution-scaling projects for this group. A recent project, which he leads, is the Department of Energy Vehicles Technologies Office East Coast Commercial Zero-Emission Vehicle Corridor Planning Partnership, an effort to identify near-term utility and state actions needed to support a future electrified I-95 between Savannah and New York. He has seven years experience in goods movement and transportation planning and policy, as well as alternative fuels and technology integration. He has worked as a transportation planner and program analyst at the Caltrans Sustainable Freight Planning Division and the California Transportation Commission, where he was responsible for programming for the state's Trade Corridor Enhancement Program. He has also contributed research in transportation finance, sustainable development, and methods of collaborative planning, economic coordination, and governance for nonprofits and in academia, at Princeton University and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Ward Lenz

Deputy Director of State Energy Programs, Office of State and Community Programs, U.S. Department of Energy

With nearly 30 years of experience in clean energy development, Ward Lenz brings a range of background and expertise to the U.S. Department of Energy. Ward started his energy career at the Iowa State Energy Office and also served as Energy Division (State Energy Office) Director for North Carolina during the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act years; where he ran an 80 person division to implement the State Energy Program and Weatherization Assistance Program. In addition to working in state energy offices, Ward has also worked with several energy non-profits, most recently as Executive Director of the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, a membership association focused on policy advocacy in legislative and regulatory arenas. Whether in the public or private sector, Ward works to foster partner collaboration in an effort to find appropriate value propositions for energy consumers and producers. Ward strives to find methods to improve the human condition through economic development and environmental sustainability.

Ke Wei

Director, Clean and Resilient Buildings, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

Ke Wei is an energy infrastructure and buildings strategist and planner who has worked across the private, academic and government sectors. Currently a Director of the Clean & Resilient Buildings unit at NYSERDA, she leads research, planning and strategic priorities across the buildings portfolio, which invests roughly $400-500 million a year in key market acceleration activities to drive building decarbonization in New York State. Prior to that, she was the Associate Director for Energy at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, working closely with a broad array of energy sector entities and regulators across fuels, natural gas and electricity to advance and ensure clean, affordable and reliable energy for New York City. She has also served as a Program Director at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, an Associate at McKinsey & Company in the NYC office, and as an Editor for the Foreign Policy Association.

Dr. Alexis McKittrick

Hydrothermal Resources and Low Temperature and Coproduced Resources, Geothermal Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy

Dr. Alexis McKittrick is a Program Manager with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office overseeing both the Low Temperature & Co-Produced Resources and Hydrothermal Resources research portfolios. In this role, she leads a team that supports research, development, and demonstrations across a range of geothermal technology platforms, including district heating and cooling systems, ground-source heat pumps, thermal energy storage, hydrothermal power production, advanced drilling technologies, and extraction of critical minerals from geothermal fluids. Prior to joining DOE in April 2020, Dr. McKittrick was a senior researcher at the IDA Science & Technology Policy Institute, where she worked with the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy. Dr. McKittrick also has prior experience in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Change Division. She has a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Whitney Muse

Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation, The White House

Alan Zelenka

Assistant Director for Planning and Innovation, Oregon Department of Energy

Alan is the Assistant Director for Planning and Innovation at the Oregon Department of Energy. His team works on energy efficiency, renewable resources, sustainable transportation, energy planning, and climate change issues.

Before joining ODOE he was the Energy Services Leader for Kennedy/Jenks Consultants for over 10 years, a consulting firm where he worked with clients all over the west on climate change, energy efficiency, and renewables.

Prior to that Alan worked at Emerald PUD in Eugene for over 21 years, where he was the Power Manager.

Alan Zelenka graduated with a degree in political-economy from UC Berkeley, and got his master’s degree in energy planning and policy from the University of Oregon.

In his spare time, Alan is in his fourth term as a Eugene City Councilor.

Elizabeth Mahony

Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources

Elizabeth Mahony most recently worked for Attorneys General Andrea Joy Campbell and Maura Healey as an Assistant Attorney General and Senior Policy Advisor for Energy. Elizabeth served in the Energy and Telecommunications Division, focusing on utility clean energy procurements, solar program development, clean energy rate design, consumer protections, and legislative engagement. Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, Elizabeth was Acting General Counsel for the Department of Energy Resources and Committee Counsel to Benjamin Downing, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy before that. Prior to her work in the energy field, Elizabeth was an associate at a small litigation firm in Quincy, Massachusetts, and was Public Affairs Director for the late Senator Susan C. Fargo (D-Lincoln). She is a member of the Boston Bar Association’s Energy Committee. Elizabeth is a graduate of Marist College and Suffolk University Law School. She lives in Walpole.

Eric Coffman

Director of Energy Programs, Maryland Energy Administration

Eric leads the Maryland Energy Administration’s (MEA) portfolio of energy programs, a broad portfolio of efforts funded by the Strategic Energy Investment Fund (SEIF). Th?is dynamic portfolio spans more than $40 million annually backed by a team of fifteen subject matter experts in the fields of resiliency, solar, wind energy, energy efficiency, energy finance, transportation electrification, infrastructure investment programs, biomass and other relevant topics.. His work includes grid modernization, clean energy deployment, energy efficiency, resiliency, smart cities technologies and more. Prior to joining MEA, Eric led the Office of Energy and Sustainability (OES) within Montgomery County’s Department of General Services (DGS). In his time with OES, he was responsible for the sustainability and energy performance of County operations as well as efforts before the Maryland Public Service Commision. In this capacity, Eric oversaw the procurement, financing, construction and commissioning of the County Government’s first microgrids. Before joining OES, Eric led the County’s climate and energy programs for the Department of Environmental Protection.  Eric is a Certified Public Manager, Certified Energy Manager, Certified Energy Procurement Professional among other qualifications.

John DeRosa

Manager, Office of Energy, Illinois Environmental Agency

Dr. Andrew McAllister

Commissioner, California Energy Commission

Andrew McAllister was first appointed to the California Energy Commission in 2012, and in 2022 was reappointed by Governor Newsom to a third term. Commissioner McAllister’s priorities include: decarbonization of buildings and industry; energy efficiency of buildings and appliances; load flexibility as a tool for grid optimization; improving access to data and analytical tools that can drive innovation at the grid edge; alignment of energy and housing policy & programs; and amplifying California’s innovation-centered approach through collaboration with diverse partners beyond its borders.

Commissioner McAllister has worked in the utility, energy efficiency and renewable energy spaces for more than three decades. Prior to CEC he served as managing director of a California-based clean energy non-profit; energy efficiency and renewable energy specialist at an international development contractor; utility energy efficiency program consultant; and researcher at a DOE national laboratory. He has worked in numerous countries to deploy clean, cost-effective energy solutions partnering with counterparts ranging from tiny remote communities to the largest of utilities.

Commissioner McAllister chairs the Western Interstate Energy Board and serves on the boards of the National Association of State energy Officials, the Smart Electric Power Alliance, and Camp Kesem at UC Davis. He holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley, and B.A. from Dartmouth College. He served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer.

Matthew Agen

Chief Regulatory Counsel, Energy, American Gas Association

Matthew J. Agen is the Chief Regulatory Counsel, Energy at the American Gas Association.  Mr. Agen is an energy attorney with over nineteen years of experience in the private sector and with the federal government.  Mr. Agen has extensive experience advising and representing natural gas distribution companies, oil pipelines, natural gas pipelines, and electric utilities in a variety of federal regulatory and transactional matters arising under the Natural Gas Act, Interstate Commerce Act, and Federal Power Act before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  He has additional experience representing clients before U.S. Courts of Appeals, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), other federal agencies, and state commissions.  Mr. Agen serves on the Board of Directors for the North American Energy Standards Board and as an Associate Member of the CFTC’s Energy and Environmental Markets Advisory Committee.  Mr. Agen is a past Chair of the Energy Bar Association’s Gas, Oil & Liquids Steering Committee.

Kim Cheslak

Senior Technical Advisor, Building Energy Codes Program, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Kim is a building energy policy leader and content matter expert that guides the future of building energy policy throughout the United States. Her work includes assisting jurisdictions to improve their use of codes and energy policies to achieve their goals and assist in achieving national goals. Before joining PNNL, Kim led the codes and policy team at New Buildings Institute in development, implementation and thought leadership around energy codes and building performance standards to assist U.S. cities and states to meet their climate goals, with a   strong focus on building decarbonization and building-grid integration. Kim has over 10 years of experience focusing on the role of codes and standards to move the needle on the design and construction of high performance buildings. Her career has included commercial and residential code compliance studies, working with local governments to maximize savings through adoption of and compliance with code, and managing sustainability portfolios. Kim was instrumental in the formation of Washington DC’s Green Building Division.

Adam Parris

Senior Consultant, Climate Planning and Climate Center Senior Fellow, ICF

Adam is an environmental expert with more than 20 years of experience helping people build equitable and just solutions to adapt to climate and societal change.
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Adam helps people build equitable, just, and science-informed solutions that adapt to climate and societal change. Over the past two decades, he has worked collaboratively with diverse coastal communities across the U.S. as part of the city, state, and federal government agencies.

Previously, Adam served as the deputy director of climate science and services at the Mayor’s Office of Resiliency in New York City. He worked to integrate climate information into all aspects of city decision-making and led a comprehensive climate resiliency needs assessment with city agencies, infrastructure providers, and nongovernmental organizations across multiple sectors and communities. Adam also helped organize the fourth report for the New York City Panel on Climate Change, incorporating priorities from the needs assessment and focusing on community resiliency, adaptive capacity, and health.

Earlier in his career, Adam served as the founding executive director of the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay, co-designing Cycles of Resilience, a community-driven process to advance climate action. He also directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments program, a network of 10 regional centers that expand the nation's capacity to prepare for and adapt to climate change. While at NOAA, he earned a Presidential GreenGov Award for supporting federal resiliency efforts in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and an Administrator’s Award for supporting the third U.S. National Climate Assessment.

Ed Carley

Senior Program Director, National Association of State Energy Officials

Ed Carley works with State and Territory Energy Offices to support policy and program development in building energy efficiency, including ENERGY STAR for buildings, building energy codes, home energy labeling, and other areas. Prior to NASEO, he consulted with a California municipal utility on energy efficiency program design, and interned with the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy supporting a research paper investigating Measurement and Verification 2.0 topics. Mr. Carley received his Bachelor of Science in political science from Appalachian State University and a Master of Sustainability Management from American University.

Joe Pater

Director, Office of Energy Innovation, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin

Maren Mahoney

Director, Office of Resiliency, Arizona Executive Office of the Governor

Maren Mahoney is an experienced attorney passionate about building an equitable, resilient future for all Arizonans. Trained in systems-level analysis, her expertise is in energy regulation, law, and policy development, analysis, and advocacy. Prior to joining the Hobbs Administration, she advocated for state-level energy efficiency and decarbonization policies around the country, served as a Policy Advisor at the Arizona Corporation Commission, managed an energy policy think tank at Arizona State University, and was a litigator in New York. She holds a J.D. from New York Law School, where she was a John Marshall Harlan Scholar and earned a Certificate for Public Service. Maren earned her M.A. in Sustainability from ASU, where she is a Senior Sustainability Scholar. Maren lives in Phoenix with her husband, two children, and their dog, Mr. Bunny.

Joan Glickman

Senior Advisor, Office of State and Community Energy Programs, U.S. Department of Energy

Joan Glickman serves as the IRA Program Management Expert in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP). In this role, she is leading the development of program requirements for the forthcoming DOE Home Energy Rebate Programs, an $8.8 billion investment that will fund upgrades for U.S. homes. The home energy rebates will help American households save money on energy bills, upgrade to clean energy equipment and improve energy efficiency, and reduce indoor and outdoor air pollution.

Prior to joining the Home Energy Rebates Team at SCEP, Joan served as the Program Manager for the Residential Buildings Integration program in the DOE Building Technologies Office. In that leadership role, Joan oversaw DOE’s investments in research, development, and partnerships focused on decarbonizing residential buildings. Joan also previously led the DOE’s Advanced Building Construction Initiative (ABC), which makes transformative investments construction and renovation technologies that reduce the time and cost required to complete deep energy retrofits and build low-carbon new construction.

Joan has nearly 30 years of experience at DOE and has held various leadership positions, including leading the creation of the DOE Home Energy Score, developing a test program for biofuels, and serving as Deputy Director of the Federal Energy Management Program.

Holly Harris

Senior Manager, Intermountain West, Building Decarbonization Coalition

Holly is an attorney who collaborates at the forefront of intersectional climate change advocacy to advance renewable energy policy and just, effective climate change solutions.

Holly served as a staff attorney for Earthjustice in Alaska for roughly a decade, where she worked to achieve a swift and equitable shift from fossil fuels. She began her career as an attorney with K&L Gates LLP in Washington, focusing on decarbonization, renewable energy, mass transportation, and public project development.

Holly lives in her home state of Colorado at the base of Tavá Kaa-vi — the Sun Mountain. She shares her life with the best old dog to ever come from the Haines Beerfest and a hellhound of a rescue pup from Texas … (and roughly 100,000 honey bees).

Samantha Lamos

Public Policy Manager, Gradient

Alfred Griffin

Chief Capital Officer, Coalition for Green Capital

Alfred Griffin is Chief Capital Officer and Head of Investments at the Coalition for Green Capital (CGC). In these roles, Alfred has responsibility for establishing investment strategy and policies, investment origination, execution and portfolio management, and capital formation activities to facilitate mobilization of third-party capital into CGC investment activities. Alfred is Chair of the Investment & Risk Commitee and a member of the Management Committee.

Prior to CGC, Alfred was Senior Managing Director and Head of Generate Credit at Generate Capital, where he led the company’s private credit lending platform for sustainable infrastructure. At Generate, Alfred was a member of the Operating Committee, Portfolio Managment Committee, Credit Investment Committee and Equity Investment Commitee.

Prior to Generate, Alfred was founding President of NY Green Bank, a $1 billion New York State-sponsored specialty finance company focused on specialty finance for sustainable infrastructure and clean energy. He led the organization from concept to over $1 billion of investments, making NYGB the largest exclusively focused sustainable infrastructure private credit fund in the United States — investing in solar, wind, storage, energy efficiency, fuel cells, controlled environment agriculture, sustainable transportation and other proven technologies expected to reduce greenhouse gases.

Prior to NY Green Bank, Alfred spent 16 years with Citigroup Global Markets in a variety of structured finance roles in Capital Markets and Investment Banking.

Alfred holds bachelor’s and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Alfred is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Chris Corcoran

Assistant Director, Team Lead for Codes, Products, and Standards, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

Chris Corcoran, Assistant Director & Team Lead for Codes, Products, and Standards, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Chris leads NYSERDA’s Codes, Products, and Standards team and focuses on regulatory efficiency and decarbonization programs, such as building codes, appliance standards, benchmarking, and building labeling, that help to achieve broad-based greenhouse gas reductions while also saving money for New Yorkers. Chris has been with NYSERDA for almost 10 years, managing programs across technologies and building sectors. Prior to joining NYSERDA, Chris worked with several utilities and service providers to expand efficiency offerings and help ratepayers reduce their monthly bills after spending a decade in national politics and advocacy.

Dan Bradley

Partner, Guidehouse

Dan Bradley is a Partner within the Energy, Infrastructure and Sustainability practice at Guidehouse. During his 25 years with Guidehouse, Dan’s creative, collaborative working style is hallmark and has been key to his success as leader of a teams focused on helping State, Local and Utility clients develop and implement strategy, innovation and transformation. His experience spans strategy, asset planning, grid transformation, stakeholder engagement, program design and implementation. In 2019, Consulting magazine named Dan a Top 25 Consultant in the management consulting industry and named to Public Utilities Fortnightly as 2018 Industry Innovator of the Year runner up. Dan received his MBA from Clemson University and his BA in Environmental Geography from Rutgers University. He resides with his family in Austin, TX.

Thomas Ashley

Vice President, Government and Utility Relations, Voltera

With extensive experience in clean energy, transportation, and transportation electrification policy and planning, Tom leads Voltera’s policy, regulatory, and government and utility relations strategy and engagement. His work focuses on growing the electric vehicle and EV charging markets by increasing investment in charging infrastructure; expanding connectivity between EVs and the grid; growing EV equity; advancing fleet electrification; and helping develop a collaborative vision for the future of mobility; in partnership with government and the utility community.

Prerna Tomar

Director, Public Policy, Samsung

Prerna Tomar is a Director and Senior Public Policy Counsel in Samsung’s US Public Affairs Office.  She is focused on environment and sustainability policy within the Public Policy team and leads Samsung’s efforts on IRA home rebates implementation, among other issues.  Prerna analyzes legislation and regulations at the federal and state level, coordinates with Samsung’s global and US business teams, including engineers, to develop Samsung’s public policy positions, which are driven by the company’s innovative technology and help advance sustainability, including by way of energy efficient products.  Prerna has helped deploy public policy strategies and engages with think tanks, NGOs, and government officials to help exchange ideas and drive well-reasoned outcomes.  Prerna is a proud Samsung employee for over 10 years and was a part of the team that led Samsung to win the rare and distinguished ENERGY STAR Corporate Commitment Award in 2021.  Prerna serves as an elected representative of the Responsible Minerals Initiative Steering Committee and has previously chaired various trade associations’ environmental policy committees.  Prerna attended Northwestern University for her undergraduate education where she focused on Political Science and Legal Studies and later attended the University of Chicago Law School.  Her favorite activities in her free time include yoga, meditation, and writing poetry inspired by family and friends.

Emily Barkdoll

Strategic and Policy Design Analyst, Office of Policy, U.S. Department of Energy

Emily Barkdoll is a Strategic and Policy Design Analyst in the Department of Energy's Office of Policy where she project manages DOE's engagement providing technical expertise to the IRS and Treasury on the Inflation Reduction Act clean energy tax incentives. In this role, she also supports implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Prior to joining DOE, Barkdoll was Northeast Regional Director at the Natural Resources Defense Council where she led NRDC's local climate and energy strategy in the region. Also at NRDC, Barkdoll worked with cities across the country to support their climate goals on both the American Cities Climate Challenge and the City Energy Project. Barkdoll earned her M.S. in Energy Policy and Climate from the Johns Hopkins University and her B.A. from the University of Vermont.

Maria Redmond

Director, Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy, Wisconsin Department of Administration

Maria Redmond serves as the Director of the Wisconsin Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy and has worked for the State of Wisconsin for over 23 years. She is keenly focused on developing and executing the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change recommendations and leading the implementation of the state’s first-ever Clean Energy Plan. Maria's leads on policies, projects, and partnerships that have been instrumental in ensuring an equitable energy transition, accelerating multi-sector deep decarbonization, and supporting the state’s bustling clean energy economy that ensures a diverse workforce and technological innovation.

Harry Hansen

Deputy Director, Utah Office of Energy Development

Harry Hansen is the deputy director of the Utah Office of Energy Development (OED). Prior to his current role, he served as the communications director for the office. Before OED, Harry was with the Utah Legislature where he worked on advancing a variety of legislative priorities for House leadership.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in political science and a master’s degree in management and leadership from Western Governors University.

Watson Collins

Senior Technical Executive, Electric Power Research Institute

Watson Collins is a Sr. Technical Executive in Electrification and Customer Solutions. Watson is a licensed professional engineer who joined EPRI in 2017 after more than 34 years of experience leading strategic projects for Eversource Energy. At EPRI, his focus is integration of electric vehicles and distributed energy resources to the power delivery grid. Current research activities include DC fast charging economic and rate analysis, High Power DC charging systems, power system architectures for EV charging and DC as a Service approaches. He is Principal Investigator for the California’s Research Hub for Electric Technologies in Truck Applications (eTRUC) project funded by the California Energy Commission.

Phil Assmus

Senior Policy Specialist, State and Local Climate and Energy Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Phil Assmus is a Senior Policy Specialist with EPA’s State and Local Climate and Energy Program, which offers state, local, and tribal governments free tools, data, and expertise to help meet their environmental, energy, and economic objectives. Phil serves as the program’s state outreach lead.     

Prior to joining EPA, Mr. Assmus was a Senior Staff Associate with the National Association of Clean Air Agencies where he was the primary staffer for Clean Air Act matters related to climate change, agriculture, and training. He has practiced environmental law at a large Washington, DC law firm and worked as a legislative staffer on Capitol Hill, primarily for members of the South Dakota congressional delegation, his home state.  Mr. Assmus holds physics degrees from Luther College and Oxford University.  He attended Harvard Law School and was awarded a J.D. in 2010.

Abbie Christophersen

Energy Project Manager, Iowa Economic Development Authority

Abbie Christophersen has been at the Iowa Economic Development Authority since May 2022. The Iowa Energy Office is located within the Iowa Economic Development Authority. The primary focus of her current role as Energy Project Manager is to advance energy security initiatives while administering the State Energy Program Formula and IIJA funds. Previously within the agency, she led a statewide coalition focused on deployment and adoption of alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles while capitalizing on Iowa's resources. In addition to advancing clean transportation, she has assisted the rollout of a statewide pandemic assistance program, two energy efficiency fund programs, and coordinated efforts related to community solar funding.

Chris Yunker

Managing Director, Resiliency, Clean Transportation and Analytics, Hawaii State Energy Office

Chris Yunker is the Managing Director for Resiliency, Clean Transportation, and Analytics for the Hawaii State Energy Office.  Mr. Yunker is an energy industry professional with a broad range of experience in a variety of functions and roles including start-ups, venture capital, and central station power plant development. Most recently Chris was the Rates and Analysis Manager for San Diego Gas & Electric where he oversaw rate design, forecasting and load analysis. Prior to that he held positions at SDG&E in Strategic Planning, Finance, RD&D, and Resource Planning. In these roles he oversaw the development of applications and served as an expert witness in proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission covering topics ranging from rate policy, rate design, procurement and finance.  In addition Mr. Yunker has worked for Sempra Connections which installed micro-turbines in combined heat and power applications on the customer side of the meter as well as for GEA Power Cooling Systems, Inc. which developed condensing systems for steam turbines in utility scale central station power plants.  He has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from University of California – San Diego and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Southern California.  He is also a professional engineer (PE) in mechanical engineering and a certified energy manager (CEM) through the association of energy engineers.

Jason Lanclos

Director, State Energy Development and Planning, Louisiana Economic Development

Celina Cunningham

Deputy Director, Maine Governor's Energy Office

Celina Cunningham is the Deputy Director of the Governor’s Energy Office in Maine, where she leads the renewable energy and markets team. She has extensive experience leading energy, climate, and natural resource issues in the public and private sector, including at the U.S. Department of the Interior and as staff at the U.S. House of Representatives. She earned her B.A. from the Colorado College and is pursuing a Master in Business Administration from the University of Maine.

Pedro Jardim

Lead Analyst, Clean Energy Development, National Grid

Pedro Jardim is a Lead Analyst at National Grid’s Clean Energy Development-NY team. At National Grid, Pedro works on transportation electrification and storage related projects. Pedro’s recent work focuses on identifying proactive investments needed to meet future charging demand on highways travel plazas and preparing the grid to meet fleet electrification mandates in National Grid’s service territory. He joined National Grid in 2022 after completing his MBA at NYU – Stern. Prior to Stern, Pedro worked in political consulting focused on Latin America, helping companies navigate new and challenging regulatory landscapes. Pedro has a BA in Political Science and Urban Studies from Tufts University.

Mark Glick

Chief Energy Officer, Hawaii State Energy Office

Rupa Deshmukh

Senior Program Manager, Division of Clean Energy, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities

Rupa Deshmukh is Senior Program Manager at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, working on energy efficiency programs, buildings decarbonization and utilization of federal grants. Previously, Rupa was Supervisor of the Climate Change Section at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, where she managed the State’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) program, and led the analysis of economy-wide climate mitigation policies towards achieving the State’s climate and clean energy goals. Rupa has Masters degrees in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University and Environment Economics and Policy from Rutgers University.

Amy Royden-Bloom

Program Manager, Residential Building Program, Building Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy

Amy Royden-Bloom is the manager of the Residential Buildings Integration team in the Buildings Technology Office at the U.S. Department of Energy. In this role, she provides leadership to maximize the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy through technology deployment, accessing new partnerships and resources, and communications and outreach activities.

Previously, she served as the State Energy Program Manager. The program 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 increasing energy affordability.
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.

Janine Benner

Director, Oregon Department of Energy

Janine Benner is the director of the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE). Janine joined ODOE in 2017 as assistant director for Planning and Innovation and was confirmed by the Oregon Senate as director in February of 2018. Janine came to ODOE from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), where she served as associate assistant secretary in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs. Janine also spent 12 years working for Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), as energy and environmental policy advisor, legislative director, and deputy chief of staff. She grew up in Portland, OR and has a degree in history from Princeton University.

Sushma Masemore

Assistant Secretary for Environment, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

Sushma Masemore serves as DEQ’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment and the State Energy Director.  She has 29 years of public and private sector experience related to environment, energy, and climate.

As a consultant, Sushma designed pollution control equipment and led demonstration projects with industries, technology developers, and energy companies.  In state government, Sushma managed a team of engineers and scientists to develop air quality rules and Clean Air Act mandated state implementation plans.

In her current role, Sushma is leading implementation of Governor Cooper’s Executive Order on climate and energy through impact assessments, clean energy planning, and resiliency measures.  As the State Energy Director, Sushma oversees programs related to low-income weatherization assistance, energy planning, and energy efficiency.

Sushma has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Maryland Baltimore County, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in NC.

Dwayne McClinton

Director, Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy

Dwayne McClinton – a proud United States Marine Corps veteran – has spent the past two decades working in renewables, utilities, and government affairs, amassing a wealth of multi-industry experience in the energy sector. In February 2023, his work ethic and knowledge of energy policy resulted in his appointment as Director of the Nevada Governor's Office of Energy by Gov. Joe Lombardo.

Prior to his appointment, he served as the Sr. Legislative Advisor for Southwest Gas Corporation, where he advised the company on federal, state, and local policies for the state of Nevada and California. McClinton was also Staff Project Manager and Manager of Operations for Granite Services, where he planned and executed all O&M and warranty activities and Regional Operations Manager for Gamesa North America, where he was responsible for the wind farm activity of over 500 megawatts and a multi-million-dollar annual budget. 

In 2017, McClinton was appointed by former Governor Brian Sandoval to the Nevada Commission on Mentoring, and he currently serves on the board of the Committee on Regional Electric Power Cooperation (CREPC), Western Interstate Energy Board (WEIB), Western Regional Partnership (WRP), Western Interconnection Regional Advisory Body (WIRAB), and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He is also a member of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) and 100 Black Men of Las Vegas.

Jeremy Lewis

Deputy Director, Energy Conservation and Management Division, New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department

Joanna Troy

Deputy Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources

Joanna Troy is the Deputy Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), coordinating the wide scope of DOER’s energy policy and programs. This includes coordinating DOER’s applications for federal energy and infrastructure funding, supporting the Interagency Offshore Wind Council, and developing new policies and programs. Previously at DOER, Joanna was the Director of Policy, managing the Commonwealth offshore wind procurements and contributing to policy reports such as the Energy Storage Study and the Clean Energy and Climate Plans. Prior to joining DOER in 2014, Joanna worked for ExxonMobil as a geologist. She holds a BS in Geological Science from Tufts University, a MS in Earth and Environmental Science from Lehigh University, and a JD from the University of Houston Law Center.

Gil Bindewald

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity, U.S. Department of Energy

Gil Bindewald currently serves as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Electricity within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). He leads activities to help transform the system that powers our homes and businesses, and increasingly, even fuels our cars. His responsibilities include oversight of the Department's long-term strategic and foundational R&D efforts related to the resilience and reliability of our Nation’s electricity delivery system. He is co-chair of the Grid Modernization Initiative, and has been involved in several broader Departmental efforts, including the Quadrennial Technology Review and the “Grid Tech Team,” working to improve coordination and communication on the grid topic across DOE's programs. 

Immediately prior to this assignment, Gil was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grid Communications and Controls. This division manages applied research advancements in mathematics, computational science, and modeling to enhance operations and planning capabilities across the transmission and distribution system, including development of sensors, data analytics, and software tools. He previously led activities in Power Electronics, Renewables Integration, and Workforce Development.

In support of resilience, he initiated a multi-domain, model-based analytical platform to assess risks to the energy sector from climate change, extreme weather, and other emerging threats. He has supported the Department's response/recovery efforts for multiple reliability events, including Hurricane Katrina/Rita where he provided daily briefing materials to the White House and Departmental leadership on electricity restoration progress, field deployment, and coordination.

Gil has served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Permitting, Siting, and Analysis, providing on a national-level, unbiased technical assistance and analysis to facilitate electricity infrastructure investment needed to deliver clean, affordable, and reliable electricity to customers. He has also served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Electricity R&D, which included oversight of research on grid systems and components such as energy storage, transformers, and cables/conductors.

Gil has worked for DOE for over 20 years. Before coming to DOE, he worked as an engineer at General Electric Company and Westinghouse Electric Corporation, was on the technical staff of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory and spent time in the Czech Republic and Bangladesh. He is a registered Professional Engineer (New York); he received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Union College (Schenectady, NY), and an M.P.A. in International Development (Economics) from Harvard University.

Brandi Martin

Assistant Director, Energy Security Policy and Partnerships, U.S. Department of Energy

Brandi Martin is the Assistant Director of the Energy Security Policy and Partnerships team at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER). In this role, Brandi leads the team supporting energy sector security and resilience in partnership with industry and state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) government partners. Prior to joining the Department of Energy in 2016, she served as the Partner Engagement Director at the Smart Cities Council, managing industry-leading energy and technology partners, and engaging city government leaders. She also has 7 years of experience in various roles at Cisco Systems. Brandi received her B.S. in Information Systems Management from the University of California Santa Cruz and her M.S. in Energy Policy and Climate from Johns Hopkins University.

Courtni Holness

Managing Policy Advisor, Carbon180

Courtni supports the development of tech-based carbon removal policy at Carbon180. She holds a BE in earth system science and environmental engineering from The City College of New York. Before C180, she led research that informed conservation efforts to preserve biodiversity in eastern Mexico’s Montane forests. Courtni loves listening to music and creating playlists in her free time.

Kristofor Anderson

Director, Energy Resources Division, Georgia Environmental Finance Authority

Kristofor Anderson is the Director of Energy Resources with the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA), which is the state’s energy office. Kris leads the state energy office programs, including the Weatherization Assistance Program, the State Energy Program, and the Fuel Storage Tank Program. Kris joined GEFA as a program manager in 2010 and prior to that was a planning consultant and worked on a range of planning and management programs for federal and energy industry clients. At GEFA, Kris has managed millions of dollars of federal grants for energy efficiency, energy emergency planning, renewable energy, and weatherization.

Kris has a master’s of city and regional planning degree from Georgia Tech and a Bachelor of Science in geography from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Vlad Gutman-Britten

Director, Policy and Analysis, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

Vlad is the Director for Policy & Analysis at NYSERDA. He oversees multiple teams charged with ensuring continued energy security, developing policy to advance the state’s Climate Act targets on emissions, equity and workforce development, and overseeing projects to quantitively understand the economic, energy and distributional impacts of these policy choices. In this role, he was a major contributor to the Scoping Plan and its Integration Analysis and is currently overseeing the research and analytic work in support of the NYCI program. Before joining NYSERDA in 2021, Vlad was a leading clean energy advocate in Washington State, where he helped design and enact a range of marquee policies, including that state’s cap-and-invest, Clean Fuel Standard, and 100% clean electricity laws.

Chris Kearns

Acting State Energy Commissioner, Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources

Chris Kearns is the Acting Energy Commissioner at the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources. Commissioner Kearns joined the Office of Energy Resources in 2012 and has been actively involved in advancing the state’s renewable energy and energy efficiency policies and programs over the past decade, including the 100% Renewable Energy Standard by 2033. Previously, Commissioner Kearns served as Governor Lincoln Chafee’s Energy, Transportation and Environment Policy and Legislative Analyst.

Commissioner Kearns holds a BS in Environmental Economics and Management from the University of Rhode Island. Chris is a Rhode Island native having grown up in Westerly.

Erica Iannotti

Specialist Master, Government and Public Services, Deloitte

Erica Iannotti is a Specialist Master in Deloitte's Government & Public Services practice serving as a Subject Matter Expert on Climate Action and Climate Equity. Erica has been with Deloitte since October 2021 and has more than 15 years of experience in energy, innovation, climate action, and environmental justice issues. Erica has worked in federal and state government policy and operations in addition to her work at the community level co-designing and delivering solutions that work for the public.

Andrew Wills

Senior Vice President, Federal Affairs, Invenergy

Andrew Wills leads Invenergy’s federal affairs team, which supports the development of the company’s key policy positions, conducts federal, congressional and administration advocacy activities, and drives federal policy development. Prior to Invenergy, Wills spent over a year as the chief of staff for the Cyber Security, Energy Security, and Emergency Response Office at the U.S. Department of Energy. Earlier in his career, he served as government relations director and counsel at the American Public Power Association and associate counsel at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.

Marc Vinson

Utility Scale Procurement Manager, Renewable Development, Southern Company

Marc Vinson is the manager of Georgia Power’s Utility Scale Renewable Procurement department since April of 2023.  In this role he leads a team responsible for developing and executing RFPs for large-scale renewable resources for Southern Company’s retail operating companies.  His team is also responsible for implementing state-jurisdictional processes for procuring Qualifying Facility (QF) resources in compliance with PURPA.  He regularly interfaces with GPSC Staff to provide updates on renewable projects and develop strategies for new solicitations.

Prior to his current role, Marc held several positions within Georgia Power and Southern Company Services.  Most recently, we spent six years in Georgia Power’s Regulatory Affairs organization where he was responsible for cultivating relationships with Georgia Public Service Commissioners and Staff to support a constructive regulatory environment for Georgia Power primarily focusing on renewable generation growth and electric transportation initiatives.  In his other roles, he was responsible for embedded and marginal cost of service studies, financial analyses for capital projects, and economic analyses for sales and demand-side management programs.

Dr. Siva Sivaram

President and Chief Executive Officer, QuantumScape

Dr. Siva Sivaram joined QuantumScape as President in September 2023. Previously, he served as President of Technology and Strategy at Western Digital, a leader in data storage. Prior to Western Digital, Dr. Sivaram was Executive Vice President of Memory Technology at SanDisk. Before that, he founded and headed Twin Creek Technologies, an American manufacturer specializing in novel solar cells and equipment, and held several leadership positions for global technology manufacturers, including Intel and Matrix Semiconductor – the pioneer in 3D semiconductors. Dr. Sivaram holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in materials science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology.

Sara Bazemore

Director, State Energy Office, South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff

Sara Pendarvis Bazemore is Director of the South Carolina Energy Office, within the Office of Regulatory Staff. Her team promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy and clean transportation through funding, education, technical assistance, and collaborative outreach efforts, while serving as an energy data clearinghouse. The State Energy Office implements strategies that maximize environmental quality and energy conservation and efficiency and minimize the cost of energy throughout the state.

Prior to joining the Energy Office in 2021, Sara practiced environmental and regulatory law for over 15 years both in the private and public sector. She spent much of her career in the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Office of General Counsel (DHEC-OGC). She prepared, negotiated, and litigated environmental matters before South Carolina’s Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and other judicial and quasi-judicial forums, including appeals involving the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, coastal law, CERCLA and more. Additionally, Sara served as the Deputy Director of the SC Office of Ocean and Coastal Resources Management (DHEC-OCRM). In between her terms within the DHEC-OGC, Sara gained valuable insight and experience as an attorney in the private sector with Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough and most recently with D’Alberto Graham & Grimsley.

As a native Charlestonian, Sara developed a passion for the environment and public policy. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science from the University of South Carolina, where she was awarded the prestigious Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. She earned a Certificate of Biblical Studies from Columbia International University (Seminary). Later, Sara earned her MEERM/JD dual degree (Master of Earth and Environmental Resources Management from the USC School of the Environment, along with a Juris Doctor from the USC School of Law). Sara is also an adjunct professor at USC’s School of Law, where she teaches Energy Law and Environmental Law in SC.

Nicholas Preservati

Director, West Virginia Office of Energy

Keishaa Austin

Acting Director, Office of State and Community Energy Programs, U.S. Department of Energy

Ali Garrison

Senior Manager, Government Services, HORNE

Ali has over 10 years of experience in compliance and client management. She has meticulously tracked and studied the IRA Home Energy Rebate Programs for the last two years, working to provide best practices, advise on application preparation and submittal, collaborate on program design, and stay current on all federal energy initiatives. She is currently overseeing client success in HORNE’s four IRA Home Energy Rebate Programs across the country and US Territories. Prior to her current role, she led HORNE’s pandemic response portfolio and partnered with state agencies to navigate large-scale, first-time federal programs in a global pandemic, requiring flexibility and innovative solutions daily. She also led our Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) portfolio, in which she helped state agencies apply for and secure over $1.5 billion in federal funds through the HAF application and approval process.

Dr. Asa Hopkins

Vice President, Synapse Energy Economics, Inc.

Asa Hopkins, PhD, 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. He was responsible for developing the state’s Comprehensive Energy Plan and for review of utility integrated resource plans. Dr. Hopkins also directed the actions of the Planning and Energy Resources Division, including the evaluation of utility energy efficiency programs, evaluation of utility power supply contracts and costs, economic analysis of proposed energy infrastructure projects, advancement of clean energy finance tools, funding to foster key energy industries, development of standards for the energy portions of regional and town plans, analysis and tracking of state energy data, and programs advancing the strategic electrification of transportation and heating. He also served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of State Energy Officials. During his tenure, Vermont rose in the rankings on national clean energy state scorecards: ACEEE State Energy Efficiency Scorecard from 5th to 3rd and U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index from 10th to 3rd.

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.

Jeff Pitkin

Senior Advisor, National Association of State Energy Officials

Jeff Pitkin provides support for NASEO’s peer-to-peer learning among states on various clean energy financing topics and assists NASEO in an advisory capacity to support State and Territory Energy Offices with steps to help support the development of state clean energy funds and state green banks. Mr. Pitkin previously served as Treasurer (chief financial officer) for New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), where he was responsible for oversight and management of several financial and operational support functions, until his retirement in 2021.  While at NYSERDA, he was responsible for the design, implementation, and oversight of the Green Jobs-Green New York Residential Financing Program, which offered unsecured consumer loans and on-bill recovery loans to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements in residential homes. From 2011-2021, the program issued over 34,000 loans totaling over $413 million. Mr. Pitkin was also actively involved in the development, implementation, and oversight of NY Green Bank, a division of NYSERDA, which is an investment fund dedicated to filling financing gaps in clean energy and sustainable infrastructure markets. Launched in 2013 with $1 billion in capitalization, NY Green Bank deployed over $2 billion in capital commitments in its first 10 years of operation. Mr. Pitkin was also a prior co-chair of NASEO’s Energy Finance Committee.

Jordan Bonomo

Senior Program Manager, Asset and Capital Management, New York City Housing Authority

Alyse Peterson

Senior Advisor for Nuclear Coordination and Radioactive Waste Policy, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

Rob Curis

Manager, Government Affairs, Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

Robert is an experienced government affairs professional with a B.A in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy from Michigan State University and over ten years of experience in government, politics, and public policy. Prior to joining the Government Affairs team at Lowe's, Robert served as a Policy Advisor for the U.S. Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Committee under Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow covering a broad policy portfolio that included labor and workforce development, transportation, technology, finance, manufacturing, small business, and economic development issues.

Neil Smith

Managing Director, Cantor Fitzgerald

Neil Smith is an institutional equity product specialist within the energy and transitional energy vertical at Cantor. He has been at Cantor as an MD for 7 years, after a 30-year institutional equity trading career in the same vertical at UBS. As an energy product specialist, he is in constant dialogue with a wide variety of investor types within energy transition. As such he is well versed on capital flows and current financing trends and investor requirements within the vertical.

Peter Brehm

Vice President, Senior Advisor, CTC Global Corporation

Peter Brehm joined CTC Global as VP, Senior Advisor. Peter has extensive experience in strategy, business development, finance, and government relations.  He comes to CTC from American Superconductor, where he was successful in securing government policy initiatives and funding for several important commercial and national security related products and technology deployments.  Prior to his tenure at American Superconductor, Peter held leadership positions with Infinia, and with Daniel Industries (now Emerson Electric).  He leads CTC’s Government Relations efforts to establish policies and incentives that encourage and reward utilities to adopt Advanced Conductors.  Peter received his MBA, BS Mechanical Engineering and BA Economics from Rice University.

Mara Winn

Deputy Director, Preparedness, Policy, and Risk Analysis, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, U.S. Department of Energy

Mara Winn is the Deputy Director for the Preparedness, Policy, and Risk Analysis (PPRA) division of the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER). In this role, Winn leads the division in supporting energy sector security and resilience through strong, two-way coordination and communication with the Department of Energy‘s (DOE) government and industry partners.

Prior to joining the DOE, Winn was the Associate Director for Planning and Coordination at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) National Risk Management Center. She oversaw planning and collaboration activities focused on addressing the Nation's highest priority critical infrastructure risks, originating from cyber-attacks and other hazards. Winn has more than twenty years of experience in all stages of acquisition management, systems engineering, project management, and product development life cycles from analysis through implementation and closeout. She has led teams across the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the areas of risk management, radiological and nuclear detection, transportation security, and immigration, as well as in medical device development in the private sector.

Winn received a Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Smith College and a Bachelor of Engineering from Dartmouth College, and is a graduate of the DHS Senior Executive Services Candidate Development Program. Winn also holds a Certificate in Project Management from Boston University, is a certified Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP), and holds several technical certifications.

Sandy Fazeli

Senior Managing Director, National Association of State Energy Officials

Sandy Fazeli leads NASEO policy and program priorities coordination; workforce development; equity, access, and inclusion; and state and local cooperation and coordination on energy, climate, and resilience planning. She oversees NASEO’s private sector Affiliates program, which connects state energy policy makers, companies, and non-profits, and helps lead the content development of NASEO’s major conferences and events. She serves as an Adjunct Fellow for the Center for Strategic and International Studies Wadhwani Chair in U.S. India Policy Studies; on the Advisory Board of the Energy Policy Institute at Boise State University; as the Vice-Chair of the City of Minneapolis's Community Environmental Advisory Commission; and on the National Academies' Committee on Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States. Prior to NASEO, Ms. Fazeli worked on energy efficiency and state policy issues at the Rocky Mountain Institute, the Colorado Energy Office, and the Alliance to Save Energy. She received a Bachelor of Science in foreign service from Georgetown University and a Master of Development Practice from the University of Denver.