Agenda

David Terry

President, NASEO

David Terry is the President of NASEO. 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 U.S. Department of Energy. Prior to working in the energy area, Mr. Terry was researcher at the National Academy of Sciences and an analyst for a federal advisory committee focused on U.S.  energy technology innovation and global competitiveness.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Joe Pater

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

Emily Wilbur

Director, Division of Energy, Missouri Department of Natural Resources

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.

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.

Nicholas Preservati

Director, West Virginia Office of Energy

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.

Jim Robb

President and Chief Executive Officer, North American Electric Reliability Corporation

James B. Robb assumed the role of president and chief executive officer of NERC in April 2018.

Mr. Robb oversees NERC’s mission of assuring the reliability and security of the North American bulk power system. As president and CEO, Mr. Robb directs key programs affecting more than 1,400 bulk power system owners, operators, and users, including mandatory NERC Reliability Standards, compliance monitoring, enforcement, situational awareness, event and risk analysis, reliability assessments and forecasting, cyber and physical security, and government relations. Mr. Robb also oversees the operations of the Regional Entities who support the reliability mission across North America.

From 2014 to 2018, Mr. Robb served as president and CEO of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) where he was responsible for the strategic direction and leadership of all of WECC’s activities.

Mr. Robb has more than 30 years of experience in the energy sector as an engineer, a consultant, and a senior executive. Prior to becoming WECC’s CEO in 2014, he held three major leadership roles in the industry at Northeast Utilities (now Eversource Energy) as senior vice president of Enterprise Planning and Development; at Reliant Energy (now part of NRG Energy) where he served as senior vice president of Retail Marketing for the competitive retail business in Texas and the Northeast; and at McKinsey & Company where he was a partner and the leader of the West Coast’s Energy and Natural Resource Practice. During his 15-year career at McKinsey, he worked closely with prominent electric power companies in California, western Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and the Rocky Mountain states, as well as with some of the region’s largest energy consumers.

Mr. Robb earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University in Indiana and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Michael Berube

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

Michael lead’s DOE’s transportation RDD&D team focused decarbonizing the transportation sector, from cars to heavy trucks to airplanes.  This includes vehicles, batteries, hydrogen fuel cells and bioenergy as well as how EVs and Hydrogen can help support the transition to a clean energy grid.  He created DOE’s Mobility research program (EEMS) focused on new mobility solutions, including connected & automated vehicles, transit, ecommerce and ride-sharing. He has over 20 years of experience as a senior executive in the automobile industry.  He has worked closely across the government with US DOT and EPA over his career.

I left the private sector and joined government because I believe in public service and I also believe that we will not achieve our ambitious goals without harnessing the power of the private sector, guided by smart public policy.

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.

Gabrielle Stebbins

Director of Distributed Energy Resources, Center for Sustainable Energy

Gabrielle Stebbins has 15+ years of experience in renewable energy program management, policy design, regulatory processes and community outreach. At CSE, she leads the development and implementation of new distributed energy programs, supporting consumers in decarbonization. Previously, she directed a renewable energy trade association and chaired a municipal electric utility board. Gabrielle has also served on the American Public Power Association policy committee and Vermont transmission grid system planning committee. Since 2021, she has served as a Vermont state representative. She holds bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and classic violin from Rice University and a master’s in development policy from Nelson Mandela University.

Jeff 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.

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.

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.

Alexa Voytek

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

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.

Garrett Fitzgerald

Senior Director, Research, and Industry Strategy, Transportation Electrification, Smart Electric Power Alliance

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.

Amanda McClinton

Assistant Secretary, Office of Energy, Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources

Stephanie Insinna-Sahondo

Director, Weatherization Assistance Program, Colorado Energy Office

Stephanie has the privilege of Directing the Weatherization Assistance Program and has been with the Colorado Energy Office since 2019. Prior to that she worked for several years in healthcare nonprofit programmatic delivery. Stephanie holds a BA in Environmental Studies and an MA in Social Change. She has a passion for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and currently sits on the NASCSP Board of Directors as well as the NASEO Energy Equity Committee Leadership Team.

Wendolyn Holland

Senior Advisor for Policy Tax, and Government Relations, Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy

Wendolyn Holland serves as Senior Advisor for Policy, Tax & Government Relations at the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy. In this role, Wendolyn supports tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Americans in their quest for renewable energy deployment as a means to improve sovereignty and enhance sustainable economic development.

Wendolyn served as Senior Advisor for Commercialization in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, a role that supported the movement of national laboratory technologies into the market. She then served as a member of the senior leadership team at Savannah River National Laboratory.

Wendolyn advises at the nexus of finance, technology, and policy, focusing on clean energy technologies. With a particular expertise in tax strategy and policy, her projects focus on the very essence of our social and environmental problems. With the background of a historian, she models her projects for the long-range view to bend the arc of history. She also leads the teams for federal grant application submissions. She is among the nation’s experts on Section 48C, the Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit. Beyond 48C, Wendolyn has supported dozens of successful submissions for competitive federal funding opportunities, focused mostly but not exclusively on DOE solicitations.

Wendolyn received her JD and LLM in Taxation from Georgetown Law in 2017, her MBA in Finance and Strategy from Kellogg School of Management in 2001, and her BA in History and Studies in the Environment from Yale in 1991. She is a frequent lecturer on U.S. renewable energy policy and Western Americana.

Maria Redmond

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

Maria Redmond, with over 24 years of service to the State of Wisconsin, brings a wealth of experience to her role as the Director of the Wisconsin Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy. She is intensely focused on leading the implementation of the state’s first-ever Clean Energy Plan and executing the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change recommendations. Redmond leads on policies, projects, and collective action instrumental in ensuring an equitable energy transition, accelerating multi-sector deep decarbonization, and supporting the state’s transition to a clean energy economy, resulting in delivering a diverse workforce and technological innovation.

Raymond “Studie” RedCorn

Policy Analyst, Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, U.S. Department of Energy

Raymond “Studie” RedCorn serves as a Legislative and Tribal Affairs Specialist for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs. Before joining the Office of Indian Energy, Raymond served as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow in the U.S. Senate, where he worked with tribes and municipalities on issues related to energy and the environment. He has also worked as post-doctoral researcher and instructor at the University of Washington, and a Civil Engineer working at the intersection of energy and wastewater treatment. He received a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from Purdue University, an M.S. in Ecological Sciences and Engineering from Purdue University, and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Kansas.  Raymond is a citizen of the Osage (????????????) Nation, and a member of the ?????????????????????? (Gentle Sky/Peacekeeper) clan, with roots in Pawhuska, OK.

Joseph Paladino

Program Manager, Grid Deployment Office, U.S. Department of Energy

Joe Paladino serves as Senior Advisor within the Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability where he oversees the effort to determine the impact of smart grid projects. Mr. Paladino has worked at DOE for 20 years in programs involving: a) nuclear waste management, b) energy efficient buildings, and c) electric grid modernization. His particular interest is in the advancement and commercialization of technology. Prior to joining DOE, he worked for over 10 years in the private sector. This experience includes undertaking marketing, sales and technology development efforts at Westinghouse Electric Corporation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mr. Paladino has an undergraduate degree in Biology from Middlebury College and a graduate degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

Carl Mas

Vice President, Policy, Analysis and Research, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

Carl Mas is Director of NYSERDA’s Energy and Environmental Analysis Department and has responsibility for analysis in support of policy and program planning as well as the oversight of NYSERDA’s environmental research portfolio. The energy planning support includes the Authority’s efforts with respect to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the New York State Energy Plan, and the Climate Action Council Scoping Plan.  Carl also oversees the state’s fuels market intelligence and data collection activities, energy emergency planning, and energy price forecasting and systems modeling.  The environmental research activities include the provision of energy-related environmental accountability through analysis of long-term monitoring records and modeling as well as the evaluation of the effectiveness of energy-related environmental protection strategies to support regulatory processes. Carl is a frequent guest lecturer at Universities across New York on topics ranging from energy policy, sustainable energy systems, renewable energy markets, and project management.

Previously, Carl was a Manager working at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, principally in charge of the UN Sustainable Develop Solutions Network Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project, which consisted of 15 country research teams composed of over 30 leading research institutions from countries representing 70% global greenhouse gas emissions. Carl also previously held the position of Senior Project Manager in NYSERDA’s Energy Analysis group, where he managed projects and served as a policy and program advisor in the areas of renewable energy, climate change mitigation, environmental impacts of energy systems, and alternative transportation fuels. Carl also worked as a researcher at two U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories: Sandia National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory; as a energy systems analyst and team leader for a start-up fuel cell company; and as a consultant for a not-for-profit international development organization focused on renewable energy policy development and market growth. Carl received a dual Masters in Science from the University of California, Berkeley, in Mechanical Engineering and Energy & Resources.

Brendan O'Brien

Director, American Gas Association

Brendan O'Brien is a Director with a decade-long tenure at the American Gas Association. In his role at AGA, he specializes in gas utility consumer costs and greenhouse gas emissions. As a specialist in the electrification of space and water heating, Brendan leads AGA’s modeling efforts to demonstrate where homes and businesses can benefit the most from the direct use of natural gas. Before joining AGA, he worked as a contractor at the Department of Energy, providing data analysis for offices such as the Energy Information Agency and the Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program. Brendan holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University and has a combined thirteen years in the energy industry.

Edward Schmidt

Director, MCR Performance Solutions, LLC

Ed is a Director at MCR and has 30 years of experience in energy efficiency and resource planning, forecasting, rates and regulation in gas and electric utilities. He currently applies his experience to the nascent products, services, and markets related to electrification from a gas as well as electric perspective. His utility expertise includes all aspects of program policy, planning, program design and implementation, as well as utility regulatory policy analysis and testimony in support of rate, forecasting, and EE and related matters. Prior to joining MCR, Ed was Director of Regional Initiatives for Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships where he coordinated energy efficiency program efforts for utilities and other ratepayer funded program administrators in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Previously, Ed gained experience in diverse roles in gas and electric utilities in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Ed holds a master’s in economics from Fordham University.

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.

Vince Maiden

Managing Director, State Energy Office, Virginia Department of Energy

Alfred Johnson

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Crux Climate

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.

Melanie Kenderdine

Cabinet Secretary-Designate, New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed Melanie A. Kenderdine as Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) in May 2024.

Before joining EMNRD, Kenderdine was co-founder, Principal and Executive Vice President of the Energy Futures Initiative, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit dedicated to harnessing the power of technology and policy innovation to accelerate the clean energy transition.

Prior to co-founding the Energy Futures Initiative, Kenderdine held high-level positions at the U.S. Department of Energy in both the Obama and Clinton administrations.

In the Obama administration, Kenderdine helped create Mission Innovation, now a 26-country initiative that supports transformational clean energy research, development, and demonstration; North American grid integration and security; and the modernization of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Kenderdine’s DOE Office led the management and analysis for the Quadrennial Energy Review, a multi-year, 22-agency roadmap for US energy policy.

During the Clinton administration, she was a primary architect of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve oil exchange of 2000, the creation of the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve, and the return of the Naval Oil Shale Reserve No. 2 to the Ute tribe in Utah, the largest land transfer back to Native Americans in the lower 48 in over 100 years.

Elise Caplan

Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, American Council on Renewable Energy

Elise Caplan oversees ACORE’s work on federal policies to expand and modernize the grid, including actions taken by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy, Council on Environmental Quality, and other agencies. Her areas of focus include transmission planning and cost allocation, siting and permitting, advanced transmission technologies, and energy markets. Elise leads MGI’s work on grid-enhancing technologies and high-performance conductors, as well as supporting MGI’s outreach and communications.

Before joining ACORE, Elise was an independent consultant, and prior to that spent 15 years as the Director of Electric Markets Analysis at the American Public Power Association (APPA). Elise has a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan.

Malcolm Woolf

President and Chief Executive Officer, National Hydropower Association

Malcolm Woolf is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hydropower Association.

Woolf comes to NHA after decades of experience in the energy and environment field. He was a Senior Vice President with Advanced Energy Economy and has extensive markets experience. He served in a cabinet level position for Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley where he worked to promote affordable, reliable, clean energy, and he also led energy policy for the National Governors Association.

Woolf has experience in both the executive branch and Capitol Hill having served at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and as a Congressional committee staff member.

Woolf earned his law degree, as well as a Masters of Public Administration and Public Policy, from the University of Virginia. He holds a B.A. magna cum laude from Tufts University, with a year at Pembroke College, Oxford University.

Malcolm is the supporting NHA staff member for the CEO Council.

Emmanuel Martin-Lauzer

Board Member, Oceantic Network, Director of Business Development, Nexans

Rebecca "Puck" Stair

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

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.

Diana McCarthy-Bercury

Principal, Earth Forward Group

Diana McCarthy-Bercury leads Earth Forward Group’s energy, workforce development, and climate resilience practice. She has broad technical expertise in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable building performance. She has advised on energy strategy, program design, and implementation for the private and public sector. Diana is an advocate for sustainability workforce development and education and has previously managed Connecticut energy efficiency fund workforce development programs for the region's largest energy provider, Eversource. She is certified USGBC GPRO instructor, BPI Building Science Principles Instructor/Proctor and a Teacher Facilitator for the US Department of Parks and Forest Project WET and Project Learning Tree. Diana holds an M.S. in Sustainability Management from Columbia University.

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.

Kirsten Stasio

Chief Executive Officer, Nevada Clean Energy Fund

Glenn Davis

Director, Virginia Department of Energy

Prior to being appointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin as Director of the Virginia Department of Energy, Glenn Davis represented Virginia’s 84th District in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2014-2023 where he served as Chairman of the House Education Committee and Subcommittee Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Glenn also served as Vice Chairman of the Joint Commission on Technology and Science where he chaired the cyber security and blockchain subcommittees.

Prior to his service in the Virginia General Assembly, Glenn served on the Virginia Beach City Council from 2008-2014.

Professionally, Glenn began his entrepreneurial career out of a one-bedroom apartment when he was 26. In 2007, his telecommunications management firm was named by the Inc. 5000 as one of the 100 fastest growing IT companies in America. After the acquisition of a publicly traded national IT company, Glenn’s company became a national provider of IT and telecom solutions.

Glenn has served as Chairman of Junior Achievement of Greater Hampton Roads, was a founding board member of Green Run Collegiate, a charter school connected to the Green Run community where he grew up and is a past president of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization of Southeast Virginia.

Glenn attended George Mason University, is a graduate of the EO/MIT Entrepreneurial master’s program and the University of Virginia's Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, and received the Entrepreneurial Excellence Award from the Regent University School of Global Leadership and Entrepreneurship.

Deb Harris

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

Deb works across subnational governments and utilities to develop and implement climate action and energy plans and conduct decarbonization scenarios analyses. She leads multi-sector analyses, stakeholder and public engagement, report development, implementation planning, and identification of funding opportunities. Over the past 15 years Deb has worked extensively with the energy sector; carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration; sustainability data and metrics; fluorinated greenhouse gases; climate risks; and greenhouse gas monitoring, reporting, and verification at the facility-level. Deb works with a broad range of domestic and international clients including the state of Delaware, Oregon, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, New York City, the City of Philadelphia, Arlington County, Fairfax County, the City of Los Angeles, National Grid and Duke Energy. She also has supported the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute, the World Bank Partnership for Market Readiness, and C2ES, among others.

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 and the Infrastructure Branch Manager in the State Emergency Operations Center 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 500 varieties of Japanese Maples and too many antique books to catalog.

Megan Levy

State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Project Manager, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, U.S. Department of Energy

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison; Megan has spent two decades in energy both with the low-income weatherization program and with the Wisconsin State Energy Office as a Resilience Strategist and Energy Emergency Assurance Coordinator.   From 2017 through 2022, Megan served as the Co-Chair of the National Association of State Energy Officials Energy Security Committee.  Megan joined CESER’s SLTT team in September of 2022.

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.

Jessica Burdette

Director, Office of Energy Reliability and Security, Division of Energy Resources, Minnesota Department of Commerce

Jessica Burdette is the Director of the Office of Energy Reliability and Security with the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Her responsibilities include representing the interests of Minnesota residents, businesses, and governments at the regional and federal level in matters related to grid reliability and security. She oversees a team focused on critical infrastructure planning, community resilience for vulnerable populations, cyber and physical security issues, and response to energy related emergencies pursuant to Executive Order 23-13. Jessica has been with the Department for over a decade working in a variety of capacities and is an Iowa State University alumni.

Kimberly Denbow

Vice President, Security and Operations, American Gas Association

Kimberly Denbow is the Vice President of Security & Operations at the American Gas Association (AGA). Over the course of her 25 years with AGA, she has served as staff executive for multiple AGA Operations Section technical committees covering security, safety, gas control, underground storage, field operations, and environment. At present, she leads the AGA Board-appointed Cybersecurity Strategy & Regulatory Action Committee. Ms. Denbow built AGA’s cyber and physical security program and helped stand up the Downstream Natural Gas Information Sharing & Analysis Center. She also supports all-hazards emergency preparedness activities and pipeline resilience and reliability initiatives.

Ms. Denbow serves as the industry liaison to numerous U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Department of Energy (DOE) natural gas physical and cybersecurity programs. Ms. Denbow was a voting member of the Transportation Security Administration Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee, in which she helped stand-up and co-chair the Cybersecurity Subcommittee. She continues to serve as a voting member of the DOE Electricity Advisory Committee. Ms. Denbow is an active member of the Oil & Natural Gas Sector Coordinating Council (ONG SCC). She has testified before Congress on the matters of cybersecurity incident reporting and the value of the government/industry partnership.

Ms. Denbow holds a Bachelor of Science in marine biology from the University of Florida and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Kara Podkaminer

Senior Advisor, Sustainable Transportation and Fuels, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Kara Podkaminer is a Senior Advisor for Sustainable Transportation and Fuels in DOE’s office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). She directs cross-cutting analysis related to sustainable transportation and leads the EVGrid Assist initiative to develop technical assistance activities focused on planning and policy decisions for electric utilities, regulators and other vehicle grid integration stakeholders.  Prior to serving as Senior Advisor, Kara was Technology and Policy Analyst for the EERE Office of Strategic Analysis where she oversaw analysis related to the intersections renewable power, transportation, the building and industry sectors.

Daniel Stephens

Senior Partner, McKinsey and Company

Tim Cawley

Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Consolidated Edison, Inc.

Tim Cawley oversees the activities of Con Edison, Inc.’s two regulated utilities, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, and Orange and Rockland Utilities, which energize the lives of over 10 million people across the company’s service territory. Con Edison’s resilient and flexible grid allows the company to deliver world-class reliability.

Mr. Cawley is leading the charge of Con Edison’s Clean Energy Commitment to combat climate change. Con Edison’s commitment to a cleaner energy future will be realized through more renewable resources, technological innovation, and infrastructure improvements that support greater energy efficiency and enhanced customer information. Emphasis on electric vehicles and the shift towards a carbon-free energy future are prompting pursuit of new opportunities for innovative, inclusive partnerships among stakeholders.

Mr. Cawley also oversees Con Edison Transmission, which has expanded and diversified the company’s energy portfolio, and focuses on providing greater access to renewable energy supplies.

Mr. Cawley serves as a director of the Edison Electric Institute and the American Gas Association boards. Mr. Cawley is a member of the Trust for Governor’s Island board of directors. He is a member of the executive committee for the Partnership for New York City.

Before becoming president of Con Edison, Mr. Cawley served as president and CEO of Orange and Rockland Utilities. Earlier, he held a series of increasingly important senior roles. He originally joined Con Edison in 1987.

Mr. Cawley earned an M.B.A. from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Union College.

Mary MacPherson

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

Dr. Susan Hamm

Director, Integrated Strategies, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

r. Susan Hamm serves as the director for the Integrated Strategies Office in the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). She brings to EERE a wealth of experience in operations, budget, and management and a broad interest in cross-functional programs. In this role, she leads efforts to support EERE’s priorities that cross technology boundaries, such as workforce development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data-driven assessments for internal and external use, international engagement, and place-based work.

Prior to this, Hamm was the director of the Geothermal Technologies Office in EERE, leading efforts to improve performance, lower costs, and accelerate the deployment of geothermal technologies. She also served as the directorate operations officer for the National Science Foundation's Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate, managing human capital, space, and budget. She served as a senior advisor to the assistant director on these and other policy issues.

Before serving the National Science Foundation, Hamm worked with the nascent U.S. Department of Homeland Security in the Science and Technology Directorate. In the Office of the Assistant Secretary, she focused on strategic planning, budget development, policy planning, and congressional affairs. She has also worked as an advocate for professional science societies and as a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill.

She has a bachelor's degree in geology from Amherst College, and a master's degree in geophysics and a Ph.D. in material sciences from the University of Minnesota.

Dee Kimata

Cybersecurity Thought Leadership Director, Schneider Electric

Susanne DesRoches

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

Hayley Floyd

Intelligence Analyst, Partnership Intelligence Coordination Team, Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center

Dr. Pete Wyckoff

Deputy Commissioner of Energy Resources, Minnesota Department of Commerce

Wyckoff was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Energy Resources in September 2024. He joined Commerce in March 2023 as Assistant Commissioner of Federal and State Initiatives for the Energy Resources Division. During that time, he has worked closely with the Governor’s Office and Legislature to coordinate efforts to bring millions in federal clean energy funds to Minnesota. He oversaw the Commerce Offices of Energy Affordability and Energy Development during a time of rapid expansion, as Commerce has worked to stand up many new programs funded by recent federal and state legislation. Prior to joining Commerce, Wyckoff served as Senior Policy Advisor for Energy for U.S. Senator Tina Smith. He also worked for former U.S. Senator Al Franken and at the U.S. Department of Energy during his time in Washington, DC. Wyckoff is an environmental scientist by training and an emeritus professor of the University of Minnesota Morris. Wyckoff received his bachelor’s degree in biology and political science from Drew University in New Jersey and a PhD in Ecology from Duke University in North Carolina.

David Althoff, Jr.

Director, Energy Programs Office, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

David’s office, DEP’s Energy Programs Office, is involved in supporting, designing, and implementing energy-focused programs to encourage the development and deployment of energy efficiency, energy resiliency and alternative energy projects in Pennsylvania.  The Energy Program’s Office’s mission is to support energy activities which result in environmental improvements including mitigating the effects of and adapting to climate change.

David along with his staff have spent the last several years developing forward-looking plans and new incentive programs centered on positioning Pennsylvania to take advantage of its wealth of natural resources and existing infrastructure while considering the needs of communities and improving justice.

During his career with DEP, David has served as the Executive Director for the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority and is currently a Board Member of the National Association of State Energy Officials and serves on the National Council on Electric Policy’s Executive Committee.

Dave has proudly served the citizens of Pennsylvania through his work at DEP for over 30 years, is a life-long Pennsylvanian, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and lives in Hummelstown, PA.

Jack Thirolf

Head of Energy Policy, NETPower

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.

Tucker Perkin

President and Chief Executive Officer, Propane Education and Research Council

Tucker Perkins is the president and CEO of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit which invests in the research and development of propane-powered innovation, consumer education about propane, and promotes the safe, efficient use of propane through safety training and education programs.

Perkins graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and earned his MBA from the University of Richmond. He is active with many industry organizations including the National Propane Gas Association, the Industrial Truck Association, the Outdoor Power institute, and the World LP Gas Association.

A dynamic and relatable leader who has amplified propane’s voice in the national energy conversation, Tucker has been a frequent keynote speaker on energy-related topics on the domestic and international stage. Perkins is also host of the podcast, Path to Zero, in which he engages energy thought leaders in provocative discussions regarding energy and the environment and the path to zero carbon emissions.

William Parks

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Grid Controls and Communications Division, Office of Electricity, U.S. Department of Energy

The Honorable Mark Christie

Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Commissioner Mark C. Christie took office on January 4, 2021, after having been nominated by President Trump in July 2020 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 30, 2020.

Immediately before joining FERC, Commissioner Christie was the Chairman of the Virginia State Corporation Commission (Virginia SCC), on which he served for nearly 17 years.  He was elected to the Virginia SCC, which regulates utilities, insurance and banking, three times by the Virginia legislature on bipartisan votes.

During Commissioner Christie’s service as a state regulator, he was elected president of the Organization of PJM States, Inc. (OPSI), an organization of utility regulators representing the 13 states and the District of Columbia which participate in the PJM transmission and markets organization.  He served for more than a decade on the OPSI governing board.  Commissioner Christie also served as president of the Mid-Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners (MACRUC), a regional chapter of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). 

Commissioner Christie taught regulatory law for a decade as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Virginia School of Law and constitutional law and government for 20 years in a doctoral program at Virginia Commonwealth University.  

Commissioner Christie is a magna cum laude graduate of Wake Forest University, where he earned Phi Beta Kappa and degrees in History and English.  He earned his law degree at Georgetown, where he completed a summer clerkship after his first year in the FERC Office of General Counsel, which was then housed in the old building on North Capitol Street.  He is a graduate of the public schools of Welch, West Virginia, where he grew up.

Commissioner Christie served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. Semper Fi.

Rebecca Isacowitz

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Resilience and Optimization, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment, U.S. Department of Defense

Ms. Rebecca Isacowitz is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy Resilience & Optimization (DASD(ERO)) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment (ASD(EI&E)). In this position, she supports a team of talented professionals providing policy innovation, direction, and governance for programs and activities across the operational energy, climate resilience, and installation reliability spaces. A member of the Senior Executive Service, Ms. Isacowitz comes with over a decade of private sector, nonprofit, and government experience focused in the energy efficiency, resilience, and clean energy sectors.

She previously served as Chief of Staff for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) working to accelerate the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of technologies and solutions to equitably transition America to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, economy-wide by no later than 2050 and ensure the clean energy economy benefits all Americans. As Deputy Secretary for Energy & Environment with the Executive Chamber for the State of New York, Rebecca supported the tactical development and operationalization of the State’s 14 energy and environmental agencies, and advanced Corporate Strategy initiates with the New York Power Authority in a directorship role.

Ms. Isacowitz also served in various government roles for the City of New York, most recently as Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the Department of Citywide Administrative Services’ Division of Energy Management. In that role she created and executed crosscutting projects to meet citywide goals on greenhouse gas emissions across 80+ city agency partners in 250M+ sq. ft. While with the City Parks Department she wrote and implemented energy, climate, resiliency, and emergency action plans for vulnerable areas across New York City, post Superstorm Sandy. Prior to her time in government, she held various positions including as a Sustainability and Energy Consultant, Analyst in the Wind Industry, and worked for the National Audubon Society.

Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Spanish from Lehigh University, with a minor in Environmental Policy.

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.

Andrew deLaski

Executive Director, Appliance Standards Awareness Project

Andrew is the Executive Director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project. ASAP advocates for appliance, equipment, and lighting standards that cut planet-warming emissions and other air pollution, save water, and reduce economic and environmental burdens for low- and moderate-income households. ASAP’s steering committee includes representatives from environmental and efficiency nonprofits, consumer groups, the utility sector, and state government. Within just the past few years, more than a dozen states have enacted laws based on ASAP model legislation for efficiency standards and clean lighting. Andrew has led ASAP’s federal and state level research and advocacy work for more than twenty years. He is an alum of the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan.

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.

Samantha Meserve

Director, Renewable and Alternative Energy Division, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources

Samantha Meserve is the Director of the Renewable and Alternative Energy Division for the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources. She first began her career at the Department administering the Solar Carve-Out II portion of the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard before transitioning to managing the development and implementation of renewable thermal technologies in the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard. She has since broadened her experience to include a variety of policy development initiatives for renewable thermal technologies and building decarbonization. She served as the Deputy Director for the Division for 3 years prior to moving into the Director role in Fall 2022. She began her career at the Department after graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Resources Engineering from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry and has also earned her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

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.

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.

Keith Canfield

Program Director, CLEAResult

Clayburne Stevens

Program Manager, West Virginia Office of Energy

Dominque Gómez

Deputy Director, Colorado Energy Office

Dominique Gómez is the Deputy Director of the Colorado Energy Office which works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and consumer energy costs by advancing energy, energy efficiency and zero emissions vehicles to benefit all Coloradans.

Prior to this role, she served as the Program Director at the Salazar Center at Colorado State University where she focused on climate adaptation and resilience, and as Chief Operating Officer at WaterSmart Software where she worked on operations at a fast-growing startup.

Dominique is a Commissioner at Denver Water and a member of the Board at Cascadia Consulting, a sustainability consulting firm based in Seattle, as well as Communities Unlimited, a nonprofit serving rural with persistent poverty. She lives in Denver with her husband and young daughters

Joe Hagerman

Director, Energy and Natural Resources Division, Mississippi Development Authority

Aine Shiozaki

Global Power Sector Program Manager, Bureau of Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State

Ms. Shiozaki joined the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources Office of Energy Programs in October 2019.  She serves as a Foreign Affairs Officer, managing Power Sector Programs, which provides technical assistance to foreign partner governments to strengthen electricity markets and power systems and advance power sector decarbonization, resiliency, clean energy investment, and electricity access goals. Aine designs and leads implementation of engagements in South, Southeast, and Central Asia and Africa, resulting in increased use and procurement of renewable energy, improved clean energy and distributed generation regulations; increased cross-border power trade; competitive tenders for renewable energy capacity; and capacity building in foreign energy ministries, electric utilities, and regulators.
Previously, she was the Economic Analyst at U.S. Embassy Kyiv’s Economic Section, leading Mission initiatives to advance key U.S. foreign policy objectives in the areas of environment, science, technology, and health.  She carried out diplomatic and outreach functions on topics such as climate change, healthcare reform, entrepreneurship, science and technology cooperation, the digital economy, and cyber security.  Prior to Ukraine, she worked at the Economic Section at U.S. Embassy Bangkok where she managed a mission-wide initiative that connected Thai-U.S. public and private sectors to support the development of Thailand’s innovative industry.

Ms. Shiozaki has 13 years of experience working for the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Technical Assistance.  She was the Senior Program Officer for the Government Debt Issuance and Management program where she coordinated Debt Technical Assistance activities for Africa, Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.  In addition, Ms. Shiozaki served in Malawi where she managed multiple Treasury assistance projects under the Millennium Challenge Corporation Threshold program.

Ms. Shiozaki received both a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in East Asian Political Affairs from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Lisa Jacobson

President, Business Council for Sustainable Energy

Lisa Jacobson is the President of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, a 65-member trade association representing the energy efficiency, natural gas, and renewable energy industries. Ms. Jacobson has over 20 years of experience advising federal and state policymakers on energy, tax, air quality, and climate change issues. She is a member of the United States Trade Representative’s Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee, the Energy Efficiency Global Alliance Steering Committee, and the Gas Technology Institute’s Public Interest Advisory Committee.

Ms. Jacobson has testified before Congress and has represented energy industries before the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Prior to her position with BCSE, Ms. Jacobson was a legislative aide in the U.S. Congress. She has a master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Vermont.

Quinn Parker

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Encolor LLC

Quinn Parker is the Founder and CEO of Encolor, a strategic consulting firm dedicated to helping its clients to operationalize equity. Quinn is responsible for the growth of Encolor. Quinn specializes in helping clients develop actionable equity frameworks with metrics and indicators to measure their impact. Quinn has over 16 years of professional experience in regulatory finance and analytics, program research, design, implementation, and strategic planning. She is also an experienced trainer and facilitator who has delivered workshops and keynotes virtually and in person around the country. Quinn is a Certified Diversity Professional, a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory. Quinn holds an M.B.A from California State University, Dominguez Hills and a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University.

Rachel Dortin

Senior Consultant, Encolor

Rachel Dortin is Senior Consultant at Encolor, where she leads community-based participatory research projects and delivers workshops on stakeholder engagement, power sharing, and co-creation with communities. Bringing over a decade of experience crossing industries, including higher education, climate, and energy, Rachel works to build bridges between her clients and the communities they serve with inclusive, community-driven research methodologies that tell the stories the people being researched want to tell. Rachel sits on the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. Rachel holds a Ph.D. from Wayne State University, where she developed a community-based research methodology to assess relationships between universities and community-based organizations. She also holds an M.A. from the University of Findlay, and a B.A. from Ohio Northern University.

Alex Breckel

Senior Director of Programs, Clean Tomorrow

Alex Breckel is an electricity policy expert. Alex was Director of Clean Energy Infrastructure Deployment at Clean Air Task Force, leading CATF’s policy work on transmission infrastructure, permitting reform, and clean energy siting. With his colleagues, Alex launched the nation’s first clean energy siting policy inventory, published groundbreaking research on clean energy siting policy design and social license, and advanced infrastructure policy reforms at the state and federal levels. Alex was also Director of Research at the Energy Futures Initiative, a climate and clean energy think tank founded by former Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, and served Democratic and Republican administrations in various electricity policy roles in the U.S. Department of Energy.

Eric Johnson

Executive Director, External Affairs New England Office, ISO New England Inc.

Dr. Karrie Weber

Associate Professor, School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska – Lincoln

Doug Jennings

Planning Administrator, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa