Agenda

David Terry

Executive Director, National Association of State Energy Officials

David Terry is the Executive Director of the National Association of State Energy Officials and has worked with NASEO in a variety of capacities since 1996. Mr. Terry leads NASEO's 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.

Jeffrey Genzer

General Counsel, National Association of State Energy Officials

Jeff Genzer has been Counsel to NASEO since the organization began in 1986.  He represents the organization before Congress and the Administration, working closely with David Terry and the NASEO staff.  He has also practiced energy and environmental law since 1985 at the law firm of Duncan, Weinberg, Genzer and Pembroke, PC.  Mr. Genzer serves as President of the law firm.  Prior to going into private law practice, he served as counsel and energy lobbyist for the Energy and Environment Committee of the National Governors Association.  Mr. Genzer also worked on low income energy issues for the National Consumer Law Center.  He began his energy career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Micronesia 41 years ago.

Kelley Smith Burk

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

Kelley Smith Burk has been with the Florida Office of Energy since 2008 and oversaw the development and administration of over $176 million of federal and state grants to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy.  Kelley serves as the director for the Office of Energy.  Kelley is responsible for leading the Office of Energy as it develops energy policy and implements programs as well as promotes the use of renewable energy, energy efficient technologies, and alternative transportation technologies for the state of Florida.

Prior to joining the department, Kelley worked with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Strategic Projects and Planning as a policy analyst for the Governor’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change. Kelley has also served as the director of Scheduling in the Executive Office of the Governor. Kelley received her bachelor’s degree in history from Florida State University and her master’s degree in public policy from Pepperdine University.

Jason Lanclos

Director, Technology Assessment Division, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources

Jason Lanclos, P.E. (Jason) has worked at the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR) since August of 2018.  After serving as the Deputy Executive Director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) for the Governor’s Office since 2014, Mr. Lanclos took the opportunity to return to working in the oil and gas and emerging energy technologies sector at LDNR after working in private industry for almost 13 years.  Mr. Lanclos currently serves as the director of the State Energy Office and Technology Assessment Division of LDNR.  Mr. Lanclos is currently serving as the coalition representative for the State and Midwest region on CCUS technologies and is a central board member for the National Association of State Energy Officials.  Mr. Lanclos has worked on and managed a variety of projects/programs in the oil and gas sector during his time in private industry and managed one of the largest ecosystem restoration efforts for the State of Louisiana while at CPRA.  He holds a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Louisiana State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer.

The Honorable Richard Glick

Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Chairman Richard Glick was named by President Biden to be Chairman of the Federal Regulatory Commission on January 21, 2021 and is serving a Commission term that ends June 30, 2022.

Glick was nominated to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by President Donald J. Trump in August 2017 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 2, 2017.

Before joining the Commission, he was general counsel for the Democrats on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, serving as a senior policy advisor on numerous issues including electricity and renewable energy.

Prior to that, he was vice president of government affairs for Iberdrola’s renewable energy, electric and gas utility, and natural gas storage businesses in the United States. He ran the company’s Washington, DC, office and was responsible for developing and implementing the U.S. businesses’ federal legislative and regulatory policy advocacy strategies.

Glick previously served as a director of government affairs for PPM Energy and before that was director of government affairs for PacifiCorp. He served as a senior policy advisor to U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, and before that was legislative director and chief counsel to U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers of Arkansas. From 1988-1992 Commissioner Glick was an associate with the law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand.

He is a graduate of George Washington University and Georgetown Law. He and his wife Erin have a son.

Patricia Hoffman

Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

Serving as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Electricity (OE) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Ms. Patricia A. Hoffman also served as Acting Under Secretary for Science and Energy from January 2017 until November 2017 when the U.S. Senate confirmed Mark Menezes as Under Secretary of Energy. Ms. Hoffman served as Acting Assistant Secretary for OE from January 2017 until October 2017 when the OE Assistant Secretary was confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Ms. Hoffman was named Assistant Secretary for OE from June 2010 to January 2017, after serving as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary since November 2007. The focus of her responsibility was to provide leadership on a national level to modernize the electric grid, enhance the security and reliability of the energy infrastructure and facilitate recovery from disruptions to the energy supply both domestically and internationally. This is critical to meeting the Nation’s growing demand for reliable electricity by overcoming the challenges of our Nation’s aging electricity transmission and distribution system and addressing the vulnerabilities in our energy supply chain.

Prior to her current position, Ms. Hoffman served in a dual capacity as Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Research and Development (R&D) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) within OE. During her tenure as the DAS for R&D, she developed the long-term research strategy and improved the management portfolio of research programs for modernizing and improving the resiliency of the electric grid. This included developing and implementing sensors and operational tools for wide-area monitoring, energy storage research and demonstration and the development of advanced conductors to increase the capacity and flexibility of the grid. She also initiated a new research effort focused on integrating and distributing renewable energy through the electric grid, such as promoting plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and implementing smart grid technologies to maintain system reliability. As COO, she managed the OE business operations, including human resources, budget development, financial execution, and performance management.

Prior to joining OE, she was the Program Manager for the Federal Energy Management Program within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at DOE. This program guides the Federal government to “lead by example” promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy and smart energy management. Complementing her building energy efficiency experience, she also was the Program Manager for the Distributed Energy Program, which conducted research on advanced natural gas power generation and combined heat and power systems. Her accomplishments included the successful completion of the Advanced Turbine System program resulting in a high-efficiency industrial gas turbine power generation product.

Ms. Hoffman holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Ceramic Science and Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

Puesh Kumar

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

Kumar leads DOE’s mission to address cyber, physical, and natural hazards and threats to the U.S. energy infrastructure. Kumar has over 15 years of experience in grid modernization, cybersecurity, and emergency response within the energy sector.

Most recently, Kumar was the principal manager for cybersecurity engineering and risk management at Southern California Edison. There, he led a team that addressed cyber threats to critical infrastructure at one of the largest electric utilities in the United States.

Kumar previously served as director of preparedness and exercises for CESER’s Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration division and as senior advisor for policy and strategy at CESER. In those capacities, he led the development of national-level policies, strategies, and programs related to energy sector hazards and threats.

Kumar has also held industry positions at the American Public Power Association as director of engineering and operations and at Memphis Light, Gas, and Water as a power systems engineer.

Dr. Jennifer Wilcox

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

Jennifer Wilcox, the PDAS in the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management at DOE, was the Presidential Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. As a senior fellow at the World Resources Institute, she led WRI’s Carbon Removal Program.

Having grown up in rural Maine, Wilcox has a profound respect and appreciation of nature. That appreciation permeates her work; she focuses on minimizing the negative impacts of humankind on our natural environment. Wilcox holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and an M.A. in Chemistry from the University of Arizona and B.A. in Mathematics from Wellesley College.

Wilcox's research takes aim at the nexus of energy and the environment, developing both mitigation and adaptation strategies to minimize negative climate impacts associated with society's dependence on fossil fuels. She has served on committees of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Physical Society to assess carbon capture methods and impacts on climate. She is the author of the first textbook on carbon capture, Carbon Capture, published in March 2012. She co-edited the CDR Primer on carbon dioxide removal in 2021.

Dr. Karl Hausker

Senior Fellow, Climate Program, World Resources Institute

Dr. Karl Hausker is a Senior Fellow in WRI’s Climate Program. He leads analysis and modeling of deep decarbonization climate mitigation, electricity market design, and the social cost of carbon. He testifies before Congress, lectures widely on deep decarbonization, and led the Risky Business study of clean energy scenarios for the U.S.

He has worked for three decades in the fields of climate change, energy, and environment in a career that has spanned legislative and executive branches, research institutions, NGOs, and consulting. He has led climate policy analysis and modeling projects for USAID, USEPA, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the Western Climate Initiative, and the California Air Resources Board. Much of his work has focused on the electricity and transportation sectors, and on low carbon, climate resilient development strategies.

From 2007-2013, Karl was a Vice President at ICF International. He previously served as Deputy Director at the Center for Climate Strategies and as a Principal with Hagler Bailly. Karl lived in India all of 1999 as a Visiting Fellow at TERI.

His experience also includes: serving President Clinton as Deputy Assistant Administrator in EPA’s Policy Office where he represented EPA in interagency climate policy development and at COP-1; and serving as the Chief Economist for the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, where he worked on a diverse set of issues including electricity restructuring, CAFE standards, alternative fuels, western water policy, nuclear power, and energy security.

Karl holds an M.P.P and Ph.D. in Public Policy from University of California, Berkeley, and received his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Cornell University.

David Althoff Jr.

Director, Energy Programs Office, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

David has worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for over 27years.   David’s office, the Energy Programs Office, is involved in supporting, designing and implementing energy focused programs to encourage the development and deployment of energy efficiency 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.

During his career with DEP, David has led the development and implementation of several significant energy incentive programs including deployment of $125 Million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Stimulus funds, the $100 million Pennsylvania Sunshine Program, a $20 million Program focusing on encouraging natural gas use in on-road heavy duty vehicle fleets and a $15 million Green Energy Revolving Loan Fund.

David and his staff lead the very popular Pennsylvania Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Programs distributing nearly $5 Million annually to support alternative fuel use in the transportation sector in Pennsylvania.  In addition, Dave and a few key staff persons have spent the last two years developing Pennsylvania’s Electric Vehicle Roadmap and creating an EV focused stakeholder group, the Drive Electric Pennsylvania Coalition.  David is also the acting Executive Director for the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority and is currently working on behalf of PEDA to develop a Pennsylvania Green Bank Partnership.

Dave is a life-long Pennsylvanian, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and lives in Hummelstown, PA.

Jessie Stolark

Public Policy and Member Relations Manager, Carbon Capture Coalition

Jessie Stolark joined the Coalition in November 2019 from Third Way, where she has been a Policy Advisor managing the Climate and Energy Program’s carbon capture and industrial decarbonization portfolio. In that role, she provided advice and counsel on carbon capture policy and served as that organization’s principal liaison to the Carbon Capture Coalition.

Previously, Jessie served as a Policy Associate at the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. She holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Geosciences from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology and Environmental Science from Bryn Mawr College. She currently serves on the board of the Women’s Council for Energy and Environment.

Kelly Speakes-Backman

Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

Kelly Speakes-Backman is the Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at the U.S. Department of Energy. In her role, Speakes-Backman leads and directs EERE, focused on creating and sustaining American leadership in the transition to a global clean energy economy.  She oversees the planning and execution of the organization’s $2.8B portfolio of research, development, demonstration, and deployment activities in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable transportation.

Speakes-Backman most recently served as the first CEO of the Energy Storage Association, the national trade organization for the energy storage industry. She has spent more than 20 years working in energy and environmental issues in the public, NGO, and private sectors. In 2019, Speakes-Backman was honored by The Cleanie Awards as Woman of the Year.

Rob Gramlich

Founder and President, Grid Strategies LLC

Rob Gramlich is Founder and President of Grid Strategies LLC where he provides economic policy analysis for clients on electric transmission and power markets in pursuit of low-cost de-carbonization.  He serves as Executive Director of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid, Executive Director of the WATT Coalition, on the board of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy Foundation, on the Advisory Council for the Energy Systems Integration Group, and on the Advisory Board of the National Regulatory Research Institute’s Regulatory Training Institute.

Rob oversaw transmission and power market policy for the American Wind Energy Association from 2005 through 2016 as Senior Vice President for Government and Public Affairs, Interim CEO, and Policy Director. He was Economic Advisor to FERC Chairman Pat Wood III from 2001 to 2005, Senior Economist at PJM Interconnection in 1999 and 2000, Senior Associate at PG&E National Energy Group in 2000-2001, and an analyst at the FERC Office of Economic Policy, ICF Resources, the World Resources Institute, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the 1990s. He testifies frequently before the US Congress, US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), US Department of Energy, and state legislatures and regulatory commissions.  He has served on advisory committees for the U.S. Department of Energy and the North American Energy Standards Board, on boards of a number of regional clean energy organizations, as Vice Chair of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, and as Interim Executive Director of the Wind Energy Foundation (now Wind-Solar Alliance).

Patrick Woodcock

Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources

Patrick Woodcock was named DOER Commissioner in February 2020. Formerly, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Undersecretary of Energy, Commissioner Woodcock was named Acting Commissioner in December 2019 and served in this role until his current appointment.    

Woodcock joined the Baker-Polito Administration in 2017 and served as the Undersecretary of Energy in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs for over two years. In that position, Woodcock oversaw the Department of Energy Resources and the Department of Public Utilities. Woodcock serves on the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Board and Investment Committee, represents Massachusetts on the Boards of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Inc. and National Association of State Energy Officials, and is a member of the Energy Facilities Siting Board.

Prior to his time in the administration, Woodcock was Director of the Maine State Energy Office, a position he held from 2013 through 2016. Previously, Woodcock worked for United States Senator Olympia Snowe in her Washington, D.C. office. Woodcock graduated from Bowdoin College and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government.

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).  In addition to his daily management and oversight activities, he oversees the State Energy Program activities, the LoanSTAR revolving loan program, and the Clean Energy Incubator initiative. 

Under Mr. Trevino’s management of the LoanSTAR revolving loan program, fund value has increased to $230 million with over 310 loans.  There have been no loan defaults over the life of the loan program.

Between September 1, 2018 and July 31, 2019, the Clean Energy Incubator program activities resulted in an economic impact of $28,435,933 to the state of Texas and supported 499 new jobs.

Mr. Trevino’s professional designations include a registered Professional Engineer and a Certified Energy Manager. He has 29 years of engineering and management experience. 

While attending the University of Texas at Austin, Mr. Trevino earned the following degrees: Bachelor in Architectural Engineering (1980), an MBA (1986), and a Master in Technology Commercialization (2001).

James Campbell

Director, Innovation and Sustainability Policy, PacifiCorp/Berkshire Hathaway Energy

James Campbell is the Director of Innovation and Sustainability Policy at PacifiCorp James joined PacifiCorp in 2007 where he worked on crafting corporate environmental policy and strategy and designed and implemented the company’s GHG Cap and Trade program in California.  He has successfully led major pieces of legislation enabling innovative technologies including most recently the creation of a $50 million EV infrastructure program in Utah, He has led projects that have been awarded over $17 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, including a Connected Communities award to develop mechanisms that utilize DERs for grid services. Prior to joining PacifiCorp, James was the staff lead for Utah Governor Jon Huntsman’s Renewable Energy Initiative and Blue Ribbon Advisory Council for Climate Change.   James earned a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering, a Masters in Environmental Engineering, and a Masters in Business Administration all from the University of Utah.     

Molly Cripps

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

Molly oversees the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s (TDEC) Office of Energy Programs (OEP).  OEP promotes the efficient, effective use of energy to enhance the environmental and economic health of the state.  Efforts and activities include education, outreach, technical assistance, and/or funding and financing opportunities that focus on energy efficiency and conservation, renewable energy, utility data management, energy security planning and preparedness, and energy in transportation.

Molly is the Administrative Lead for Tennessee’s Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust (VW Settlement EMT) allocation and a member of the Executive Committee for the Drive Electric TN Consortium.  She serves as Governor Lee’s designee to the State Energy Policy Council and represents TDEC on the Energy Efficient Schools Council and various TVA information exchanges and working groups.  She has served on the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) Board of Directors in various capacities and is currently serving as the Treasurer of the Executive Committee and a member of the Government Affairs Committee.

In addition to Molly’s energy-related work, she serves as the Department’s Compliance Coordinator for Internal Audit and the Director of Operations for the Bureau of Environment, including emergency response efforts.  She holds a B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of Tennessee and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School.

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.

David Townley

Director of Public Policy, CTC Global Corporation

David works with CTC Global Corporation as Director of Public Policy where he communicates with Federal and State policy makers about the benefits of using high performance transmission conductors to increase electric grid efficiency, capacity, and resilience. With over 40 years of experience in energy service and technology companies, his experience has been in both the regulated electric utility industry as well as the fast-paced electric technology development world. He is an executive with S&P 100 managerial experience, has been an adviser to multiple electric technology startup companies, and participated in the White House Executive Exchange Program. David has a Bachelor of Nuclear Engineering (Georgia Tech); Bachelor of Arts – Religion, Psychology (Lee University); MBA Studies at Georgia State University; and International Business Studies at Harvard University.

Suzanne Lemieux

Director, Operations Security and Emergency Response Policy, American Petroleum Institute

Dr. Andrew McAllister

Commissioner, California Energy Commission

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

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

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

Dr. Karen Wayland

Chief Executive Officer, GridWise Alliance

Dr. Karen Wayland is a recognized expert in national energy and environmental policy and served in leadership positions at the highest levels of government and nonprofits. Through her business, kW Energy Strategies, she has been providing strategic consulting on grid modernization policy, coalition building and communications for major clean energy companies, national environmental organizations, local officials, and foundations. At the U.S. Department of Energy during the Obama Administration, she established a team for Secretary Moniz to conduct analyses and develop strategies for DOE’s work with states, local authorities, served on leadership team for the Quadrennial Energy Review (QER), and was the primary author of the QER “Modernizing the Grid” chapter and policy recommendations. She also served as Senior Advisor for Domestic Energy Policy to the Deputy Secretary Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall. Dr. Wayland worked on energy and climate legislation for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senator Harry Reid when he was Majority Whip. She has extensive experience working with nonprofit organizations, including as CEO of the Clean Energy Project, Legislative Director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, Director on the Board of Center for Sustainable Energy, and Distinguished Associate at former Secretary Moniz’ think tank Energy Futures Initiative. She has been the Policy Advisor to GridWise Alliance for the last year. Dr. Wayland is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at Boston University Institute for Sustainable Energy and an Equity in Energy Ambassador at the US DOE. She holds a Master of Science from the University of Connecticut and a Dual Ph.D. in the fields of geochemistry and resource development from Michigan State University.

Pablo Koziner

President, Energy and Commercial, Nikola Corporation

Pablo Koziner leads Nikola’s hydrogen fueling and battery charging business as president of Nikola Energy & Commercial. Pablo’s extensive global energy and distribution services experience is derived from his more than 19 years at Caterpillar Inc. where he served as president of Solar Turbines, vice president of Electric Power, and in various roles in North and South America leading dealer relations. Prior to joining Caterpillar, Pablo practiced commercial law at Hunton & Williams LLP (now Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP) and later at Paul Hastings LLP.

Pablo is a graduate of Boston College and earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Boston College Law School.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Pablo is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Lily Li

Chief Executive Officer and Product Architect, Hancock Software

Responsible for the vision, innovation and growth of Hancock Software. In 2004 Lily created the company's first software system that helped energy efficiency programs service low income households. Under her leadership, the company has emerged as the top cloud and mobile software provider for the Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program and has expanded its reach to utilities and commercial and industrial energy efficiency providers. Lily is fluent in three languages and earned a MS and BS in optics from one of China's most prestigious universities, Zhejiang University.

Matthew Brown

Co-Chair and Founder, National Energy Improvement Fund, LLC

Matthew has worked in the energy finance and policy field for more than 25 years, beginning his work with the accounting and consulting firm of KPMG in New York. He subsequently worked with an environmental, energy and finance consulting firm conducting research on viability of clean coal companies in the late 1980s. He went on to work with the City of New York, where he was in charge of establishing public-private partnerships for the financing of natural gas fueling stations, among other related activities.

In 1994 he moved to Denver where he headed the National Conference of State Legislatures energy program for 11 years. In this role, he directed a program that provided non-partisan advice on a wide variety of state clean energy policies, including renewable energy standards, tax policy, and establishment of public benefit funds, among numerous other roles. During this time, he testified in more than 35 state legislatures, as well as in front of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In 2005, Matthew moved to Paris, France to begin consulting work with the International Energy Agency, focusing on renewable energy and energy efficiency. Upon his return to Colorado, Matthew built upon his background in a combination of clean energy policy and finance to develop an extensive practice that involves assisting state governments, utilities, lenders, the U.S. Department of Energy, national associations and others in the area of clean energy finance.

As Co-Chair and Founder of the National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF) he provides strategic direction for the overall activities of the firm, co-leads all capital raise activities to satisfy loan and other capital needs, and leads implementation of the firm’s commercial and rebate advance product activities. Prior to founding of NEIF, Matthew was principal with Harcourt Brown and Carey, a clean energy finance consulting firm. In that role he, among many other activities, led HB&C’s engagement with the four California investor owned utilities to develop and implement energy efficiency financing programs as well as a similar engagement to develop a third party financing program with utility bill collections for utilities, utility commissions, energy offices or others in many other locations including Michigan, Colorado, New York, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Wisconsin and elsewhere. Matthew has worked extensively with financial institutions to advise on deployment of capital through loans and leases for clean energy in the western United States as well as nationally. Matthew’s expertise in advising governments that are looking to support financing program development and has developed multiple public-private partnerships between state governments and private capital providers and lenders.

Matthew holds a BA from Brown University and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School.

Donnel Baird

Chief Executive Officer, BlocPower

Donnel Baird is the founder of BlocPower, a clean tech startup based in New York City. BlocPower develops portfolios of clean energy retrofit opportunities in underserved communities and connects those opportunities to investors seeking social, environmental, and financial returns. BlocPower creates jobs for qualified local low-income workers, energy savings for community institutions, reduces carbon emissions, and provides returns to investors. In 2021, the company announced a historic partnership with Ithaca, New York to decarbonize all of the city’s buildings—the first such project in the United States. BlocPower is backed by Kapor Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Eric and Wendy Schmidt, the American Family Institute for social and environmental impact, and Salesforce. Baird is a graduate of Duke University and Columbia Business School, where he was a recipient of the Board of Overseers Fellowship and a recipient of investment from the Lang Fund for Entrepreneurial Initiatives. He spent four years as a political and community organizer, and more than two years managing a national initiative to leverage American Reinvestment and Recovery Act energy efficiency investments in underserved communities. He sits on various boards including the New York Federal Reserve Bank Advisory Board. Baird lives in New Jersey with his wife and son.

The Honorable Ernest J. Moniz

President and Chief Executive Officer, Energy Futures Initiative

Ernest J. Moniz is the CEO of Energy Futures Initiative and EJM Associates. He served as the thirteenth United States Secretary of Energy from 2013 to January 2017. In that role, he advanced energy technology innovation, nuclear security and strategic stability, cutting-edge capabilities for the American scientific research community, and environmental stewardship. He also strengthened the Department of Energy’s (DOE) strategic partnerships with its seventeen national laboratories to produce science-based policy proposals that attracted strong bipartisan support.

A key architect of the Paris Agreement on climate change and Mission Innovation at COP 21, Professor Moniz championed international initiatives that placed energy, science, and technological innovation at the center of the global response to the climate crisis. He also negotiated the historic Iran nuclear agreement alongside Secretary of State John Kerry. Today Professor Moniz also serves as CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a non-profit organization that has advanced innovative solutions for securing nuclear materials, building international cooperation for nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, preventing the spread of disease, and reducing radiological threats.

Professor Moniz was the Founding Director of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) and Director of the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment. He received a Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude in physics from Boston College, a doctorate in theoretical physics from Stanford University, and has received multiple honorary doctorates.
 

Dr. Ali Nouri

Assistant Secretary, Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

Dr. Ali Nouri leads the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs as an Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy. He was previously serving as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in that office.  Prior to joining the Biden Administration, Dr. Nouri was the President of the Federation of American Scientists, a public policy organization focused on countering WMDs, addressing emerging infectious diseases, and crafting solutions to energy and innovation challenges.  Under his leadership, the organization also tackled science denialism and COVID-19 misinformation by providing timely, science-based information to policy makers and to the public.

Previously, Dr. Nouri served as an advisor in the U.S. Senate for nearly a decade, including six years for a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. During his time in the Senate, he served in various positions including as an Energy and Environment Advisor, a National Security Advisor, and as a Legislative Director. Prior to that, Dr. Nouri served as an advisor to the office of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan where he developed initiatives to block biotechnology from being used to produce biological weapons. He earned a B.A. in biology from Reed College and a Ph.D. in molecular biology from Princeton University. He resides in Washington D.C. with his wife, Logan Gibson, and their two sons.

Lisa Jacobson

President, Business Council for Sustainable Energy

Lisa Jacobson serves as the President of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), a 55 member trade association representing the energy efficiency, renewable energy and natural gas industries. Ms. Jacobson has advised states and federal policymakers on energy, tax, air quality and climate change issues. She is a member of the Department of Energy's State Energy Efficiency Steering Committee, the United States Trade Representative’s Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee and 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 the BCSE, Ms. Jacobson was a legislative aide to the U.S. Congress; received a Master’s in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science; and a Bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of Vermont.

Carolyn Berndt

Legislative Director, Sustainability, National League of Cities

Carolyn Berndt is the Legislative Director for Sustainability in the federal advocacy department at the National League of Cities, the nation’s oldest and largest national organization representing municipal governments. As a member of the federal advocacy team, Carolyn leads NLC’s advocacy, regulatory, and policy efforts on energy and environmental issues, including water infrastructure and financing, water and air quality, climate change, energy efficiency, brownfields, solid and hazardous waste and more.

Carolyn serves on the Board of Directors for PACENation, a national nonprofit whose mission is to promote Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing. She is also a member of the Cary Institute Forest Pest Advisory Committee, helping to inform policy to reduce the importation of insect pests and diseases into the U.S. through international trade. 

Prior to joining NLC, Carolyn served as associate director of government and public affairs at the American Society for Interior Designers, working with coalitions throughout the country to secure interior design registration and licensure laws. Formerly, Carolyn worked for Burns and Roe, a private engineering and construction company, in their government affairs office in Washington, DC.

Carolyn received her master’s degree in public administration from American University in Washington, DC and her bachelor of arts in political science from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.

Jacqueline (Jae) Berg

Senior Manager, Center for Sustainable Energy

Jacqueline (Jae) Berg, Senior Manager, Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) for the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) Program.

The SOMAH Program is the largest investment of its kind in the nation, funded by up to $100 million annually for 10 years by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Jae leads program strategy, policy, design and implementation to ensure the program meets its statutory goal to install 300 MW of solar on multifamily affordable housing.

With a focus on equity and environmental justice, Jae is committed to ensuring the SOMAH Program delivers benefits to those most in need. SOMAH's goal is to assure equal access to solar and help reduce energy bills primarily for tenants. The program's unique, community-based approach ensures long-term, direct economic benefits for low-income households, helps catalyze the market for solar on general market multifamily housing, and creates local jobs.

Additionally, Jae directs the CPUC’s Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) Program in the San Diego Gas & Electric territory. Jae holds a Master of Architecture from the Newschool of Architecture and Design and a B.A. in architecture from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Dr. Emily Grubert

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Carbon Management, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

Dr. Emily Grubert is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Carbon Management in the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM). In this role, she oversees FECM’s Carbon Management program, which focuses on minimizing the climate and environmental impacts of fossil energy through technology pathways including carbon capture, carbon dioxide (CO2) removal, CO2 conversion into products, reliable CO2 storage, and hydrogen production with carbon management. Dr. Grubert is an Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and, by courtesy, of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She holds a Ph.D. in Environment and Resources from Stanford, an M.S. in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering and an M.A. in Energy and Earth Resources from UT Austin and a B.S. in Mathematics and Atmosphere/Energy Engineering from Stanford.

Ben Bolton

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

Mr. Bolton serves as the Primary Emergency Services Coordinator for Energy for the State of Tennessee.  In his role as helps administer the Tennessee Office of Energy Programs activities related to energy security/assurance, critical infrastructure, & energy policy. In 2018, Mr. Bolton was selected as co-chair of the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) Energy Security Committee & serves on the FEMA's Mitigation Framework Leadership Group. Originally from Mule Capital of the World – Columbia, Tennessee, he has a B.A. in English and B.S. in biology from Birmingham-Southern College. 

Megan Levy

Resilience Strategist and Energy Assurance Coordinator, Office of Energy Innovation, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison; Megan has spent more than a decade working with building energy efficiency both with the low-income weatherization program and with the Wisconsin State Energy Office (now known as the Wisconsin Office of Energy Innovation). Megan is currently the Resilience Strategist and Energy Assurance Coordinator for the state and also oversees the Energy Independent Communities program which counts more than 147 communities as members. Megan designed and is the manager of the Municipal Energy Efficiency Technical Assistance Program (MEETAP) in which the Energy Office provides expertise to municipalities, tribes, and schools across the state to facilitate successful energy efficiency projects.  Megan served on the Board of Directors of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association in 2016-17 (www.midwestrenew.org).  In August of 2017, Megan was named Co-Chair of the National Association of State Energy Officials Energy Security Committee. A chanteuse for the last 20 years, Megan performs jazz, jump blues, and swing all over Wisconsin under the moniker Madison Red, with her four piece band.

Michael Berube

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

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.

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.

Scott Glenn

Chief Energy Officer, Hawaii State Energy Office

Scott Glenn serves as the Chief Energy Officer for the State of Hawaii, leading the Hawaii State Energy Office (HSEO) in its mission to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean transportation to help achieve a resilient, clean energy, decarbonized economy. Scott specializes in innovative, consensus-oriented problem solving for difficult challenges. He is especially focused on climate change, energy, environment, and sustainability that improves decision making and enhances public engagement.

Gov. David Ige designated Scott to be the co-chair of the Sustainable Hawaii Initiative and liaison to the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of state governors working to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. In these roles Scott works with state, county, and federal agencies, as well as communities across the state, and stakeholders nationally and internationally to coordinate state policy development on energy, climate change, and key sustainability initiatives.

Prior to joining the HSEO, Scott served as the Director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control, where he led the modernization of the state environmental review process. Scott also worked in the private sector as a professional environmental planning consultant on environmental and energy projects and volunteered on numerous boards.

Scott received his master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Hawaii in 2009 and his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and archaeology from the University of Evansville (IN) in 2000.

Katy Hatcher

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

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

Robert Jackson

Director, Energy Office, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

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

Karen Lasure

Energy Development Specialist, Office of Energy, West Virginia Department of Economic Development

Karen Lasure is an energy development specialist with the West Virginia State Energy Office, housed within the recently formed WV Department of Economic Development. Karen directly manages 85% of West Virginia's State Energy Program activities. The office's largest SEP-supported program provides comprehensive statewide energy efficiency and workforce education. Most recently, Karen provided technical assistance and guidance to the West Virginia Legislature that led to the passage of HB 2667 (Energy Savings in Public Buildings). This bill sets the state’s first energy reduction goal of 25% by 2030, as well as establishes the first benchmarking and disclosure policy. Karen has over 20 years' experience in program administration and grants management, extensive experience in pre- and post- awards management, as well as university research compliance. Karen has worked directly in the energy sector since 2015. She received a bachelor’s in science from West Virginia State University and a master’s in organizational management from Emmanuel College in Boston, MA.

Kate Marks

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

Kate Marks oversees CESER’s efforts to secure critical energy infrastructure against manmade or physical hazards, reduce the impact of disruptive events, and respond to and facilitate recovery from energy disruptions. Marks began her federal service in 2014 as part of the DOE’s Energy Policy and Systems Analysis office, analyzing state and local government energy policy and managing stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining DOE, Marks served as Managing Director at the National Association of State Energy Officials in Arlington, Virginia, and as Director of the Energy Program at the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver.

Marks holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from James Madison University and a Master of Resource Law Studies in Energy Law and Policy from the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law. She has authored numerous publications and testified before state legislatures on energy and climate policy issues.

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.

Alexa Voytek

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

Alexa serves as the Principal Investigator for the U.S. DOE State Energy Program (SEP) in Tennessee, oversees TDEC OEP’s energy in transportation programming, and administers the State’s initial allocation under the VW Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust. Alexa also serves as the Coordinator 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 serves on the leadership team for the National Association of State Energy Officials' Transportation Committee and is an Advisory Group member for the National Association of State Energy Officials' Energy Technology Innovation Project. She 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. 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.

John Williams

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

As 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.

Robin Yochum

Energy Program Manager, Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy

As an Energy Program Manager, Ms. Yochum works on advancing energy efficiency policies for the state of Nevada with the Governor’s Office of Energy (GOE). Ms. Yochum joined the GOE team in 2016 and her responsibilities include participating in the development and implementation of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) on a three-year cycle, the development and adoption of appliance standards including the most recent adoption of minimum efficiency standards for general service lamps, administration of a green building tax abatement program, and providing no cost energy efficient improvements for low income seniors. Ms. Yochum serves on the International Code Councils (ICC) Building Membership Council, Raise the Profile Subcommittee and Community Building Best Practices & Innovation Subcommittee. Ms. Yochum also serves on the ICCs Sustainability Membership Councils Zero Carbon Subcommittee as the Chair of the Implementation and Workforce development task group and represents Nevada on the US Climate Alliance Building and Appliance working groups. Ms. Yochum is a Nevada Certified Contracts Manager as well as LEED Green Associate and GPRO Certified for green building and sustainable practices. Ms. Yochum has over 20 years of experience in residential and commercial construction.

Francis Murray

Chair, NASEO Institute Board of Directors

Francis Murray is the past president of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Prior to his appointment, He served as senior advisor at the international environmental consulting firm Ecology and Environment, Inc. He was previously a policy advisor to the US secretary of energy, assisting in the development of the Clinton administration’s national energy policy. In the early 1990s, Mr. Murray served as the New York State commissioner of energy and chairman of the NYSERDA Board of Directors. He also served as chairman of the State Energy Planning Board, a multi-agency statutory board charged with the responsibility of developing a comprehensive energy plan for the state that integrated state energy, environmental, and economic development policies.

In 1985, Mr. Murray was appointed deputy secretary to Governor Cuomo for energy and the environment, a position he held until 1992. He represented New York in numerous national and regional energy and environmental activities, including the Coalition of Northeastern Governors, the National Governors’ Association, and the Council of Great Lakes Governors. Mr. Murray began his work on New York State energy issues as legislative counsel and subsequently as an energy and environmental policy advisor to governor Hugh Carey.

Michael Pesin

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Advanced Grid Research and Development, Office of Electricity, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

Michael Pesin is Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Advanced Grid Research and Development Division in the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity. Mr. Pesin has 30 years of experience in the electric utility industry, much of it directing development and execution of advanced technology programs. His most recent assignment was with Seattle City Light (SCL) where he developed the technology strategy, managed research and development projects and directed strategic programs to management demonstration projects. His subordinate strategic programs included substation automation, distributed automation, advanced metering infrastructure, enterprise OT communication networks, energy storage, microgrids, transactive energy management and distributed management systems. 

Mr. Pesin has numerous professional affiliations, publications and patents. He holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Russia, is a Licensed Professional Electrical Engineer in the State of Washington, a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA).

Matt Hagen

Senior Business Development Manager, Air Products and Chemicals

Lloyd Kass

Vice President of Market Development and Regulatory Strategy, Franklin Energy

Lloyd Kass is a 25-year veteran developer and implementer of clean energy policy and programs with utilities and government, and as a private sector consultant. Since 2015, Lloyd serving as Lime Energy's Senior Vice President for Utility Strategy, growing the company into a national leader in the deployment of utility programs serving commercial customers. Lloyd also launched the New York office of Willdan (Lime Energy's parent company) growing it from 1 employee into a $40 million dollar business in 4 years.

Mr. Kass has also had a long career in state and local government. With the New York Power Authority, Lloyd directed a strategic initiative, ordered by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, designed to accelerate energy efficiency improvements in NY state buildings and agency operations. He also served 10 years at the New York City Housing Authority during the Administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, where he was responsible for capital planning and energy management and retrofit programs.

Since 2009, Lloyd has been an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University, in the School of International and Public Affairs, instructing graduate students in public administration and environmental policy.

Mr. Kass also serves on the boards of the Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance and the Energy Efficiency Alliance of New Jersey.

Jim Tymon

Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

Jim Tymon is the Executive Director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), a non-profit, non-partisan association that supports and represents the interests and missions of state departments of transportation, providing improved quality of life through leadership in transportation. His experience includes service in key Congressional and federal agency roles, as well as non-profit association management.

As AASHTO Executive Director, Tymon oversees a staff of 130 professionals who support their members in connecting America with the transportation system of today and tomorrow. AASHTO is now in its second century of service to state departments of transportation and their highly skilled employees.

Prior to his appointment, Tymon was AASHTO’s Chief Operating Officer and the Director of Policy and Management from 2013 to 2018, working closely with state DOTs in the development of AASHTO’s transportation policy positions and overseeing the monitoring of legislative, administrative, and regulatory activities relating to transportation.  As AASHTO’s COO, Jim also oversaw the management of the Association’s internal operations.

Tymon previously served as the staff director of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. As staff director, Tymon managed the subcommittee responsible for writing legislation for the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Jim was the Committee’s lead staffer for the development of MAP-21 — the surface transportation bill signed into law in 2012 and SAFETEA LU – the surface transportation bill signed into law in 2005. And, Tymon served in the Office of Management and Budget, where he worked as the program examiner responsible for overseeing the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Tymon graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science, along with a Master of Arts degree in Public Policy. A native of New Jersey, Tymon and his family reside in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Keith Dennis

President, Beneficial Electrification League

Keith is the President of the Beneficial Electrification League, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to increase understanding of the benefits of electrification by promoting the market acceptance of beneficial electrification. He is also the CEO and founder of Electrification Strategies, LLC. Keith has an interdisciplinary background in engineering, business, and law. He worked for nearly a decade at NRECA where he was Vice President of consumer member engagement and coined the term “environmentally beneficial electrification,” which led to an industry movement around beneficial electrification.

Keith holds an A.B. in Engineering and Environmental Sciences from Dartmouth College, a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) and Master of Engineering Management (M.E.M.) from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, and a Master of Studies in Environmental Law (M.S.E.L), summa cum laude, from Vermont Law School. He is also licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) and holds multiple certifications in the energy field.

Chris Irwin

Program Manager for Transactive Energy, Communications and Interoperability in Smart Grid, Office of Electricity, U.S. Department of Energy

At the Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, I’ve had the opportunity to manage and oversee just over $1.5B in grid modernization projects. I’ve seen some of the top utilities in the country, from very large to very small, tackle technology, integration and business challenges necessary to bring about the Smart Grid.

I lead DOE’s Smart Grid standards and interoperability efforts, working alongside NIST, FERC and other federal agencies in the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel and other forums. I founded DOE’s participation in the Federal Government’s Green Button Data Access Initiative to empower customers with improved access to their own energy data, and I also stay involved in State and Federal regulatory developments, and policy aspects of consumer level issues.

Prior to joining the DOE, I served as Director of Products at Eka Systems, also participating in Marketing and Business Development. In that role, I gained a full market perspective on the electric energy sector, as well as natural gas and water infrastructure. This experience, combined with my semiconductor and satellite communications background, gives me a unique and valuable perspective on the US energy business under transformation.

Stephanie Crawford

Senior Regulatory Manager, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

Stephanie Crawford is a Senior Regulatory Manager at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). In this role, Stephanie advocates on behalf of cooperatives at the U.S. Department of Energy and on issues regarding power supply, the power marketing administrations, electric vehicles and other types of distributed energy resources (DER).

Before joining NRECA, she was an ORISE fellow in the Department of Energy’s Office of European and Eurasian Affairs and advised international clients on U.S. energy policy and regulation at a consulting firm in Washington, DC. Stephanie earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree from the University of Michigan..

Michael Pickens

Executive Director, National Council of School Facilities

Mike Pickens is well established across the country with his knowledge and expertise of building operations and maintenance, energy management and sustainable practices in the school facilities arena.

He currently serves as the Executive Director of the National Council on School Facilities, a nonprofit organization made up of State school facilities officials and US territories in the United States whose mission is to support states to equitably deliver safe, healthy, and educationally appropriate public-school facilities that are sustainable and fiscally sound.

He previously served as the Executive Director of the Office of School Facilities and Transportation at the West Virginia Department of Education where he worked with the WV State Board of Education to develop policies and procedural mandates to improve education by improving the environment in which students learn. During Mike’s tenure his office created and implemented a statewide software based preventive maintenance program and created a West Virginia chapter of the National Energy Service Coalition for all the fifty-five county school systems in their state.
 
Mike is a proponent of including energy savings as a vital part of overall maintenance and operations in school facilities that will provide a healthy and quality environment in the school buildings where teachers can teach, and students can learn.

Julie Kempf

Policy Analyst, Indiana Office of Energy Development

In March 2020, Julie Kempf joined the Indiana Office of Energy Development as a policy analyst to support the state’s comprehensive energy policy and development. Julie has extensive experience in state government, leadership, strategic planning, and agency management. Her current role has a variety of responsibilities, including research and analysis of statewide energy topics and policies, strategic planning, outreach, and coordination of federal programs and initiatives.

Prior to joining Indiana OED, Julie worked with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources providing oversight of grant and compliance programs as well as serving as on national committees as a liaison for regional state and federal assistance policy coordinators. Julie was a recipient of the Innovation, Design, Efficiency Award (IDEA) in 2012 for a unique approach to leveraging federal grants and saving millions of dollars. In 2018, Julie completed the Certified Public Manager program. Her education also includes a Master of Public Affairs and Master of Environmental Science from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Dr. Sunita Satyapal

Director, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

Sunita Satyapal is the Director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). In this capacity, she is responsible for the overall strategy and execution of hydrogen and fuel cell activities, including oversight and coordination of about $150 million per year of research and development (R&D) programs, as well as staff.

She has about  two and a half decades of experience, including academia, industry and government. Prior positions within the office included Chief Engineer, Deputy Program Manager, and Hydrogen Storage Team Leader, and she has coordinated hydrogen and fuel cell activities across DOE, with other agencies, and with international stakeholders. These included 18 countries and the European Commission through the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy.

Before joining DOE in 2003, she managed R&D, as well as business development at United Technologies Research Center and at UTC Fuel Cells in Connecticut. She  also served as a visiting assistant professor at Vassar College, a visiting scientist at Columbia University and visiting student at Hokkaido University. In addition to hydrogen and fuel cell research, she has worked in the area of laser diagnostics in photodissociation, the combustion of chemical warfare agents, and various energy related technologies.

Dr. Satyapal received her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Columbia University and did her postdoctoral work in Applied and Engineering Physics at Cornell University. She has numerous publications, including in Scientific American, has 10 patents issued, and a number of recognitions including a Presidential Rank Award.

Samantha Pearce

Vice President of Sustainability, New York State Division of Homes and Community Renewal

Samantha Pearce is the Vice President of Sustainability at NYS Homes and Community Renewal, where she oversees the states Weatherization Assistance Program and aligns and implements sustainability standards across the agency with New York State's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. She previously held positions as the Director of Housing Development and Sustainability at Selfhelp Community Services and as the Director of Energy Management Services at Bright Power. She has over ten years of experience supporting operators and owners to reduce utility and operations costs through on-site training, data analysis, and technical field support. She developed various Technical Service programs with a focus on portfolio benchmarking, energy audits, construction management, and technical review; all supporting affordable housing owners throughout New York. Samantha is a LEED Accredited Professional (AP), Associate AIA member, and has a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering.

Ginger Scoggins

President and Co-Owner, Engineered Designs, Inc.

Ginger Scoggins is a licensed mechanical engineer with 32 years of experience.  Ginger has been heavily involved in ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning engineers) since 1988 when she joined the Triangle Chapter in Raleigh, becoming the first female president of the chapter in the 1995-96 year, the first female Regional Vice-chair, and the first female Director & Regional Chair for the Region.  Recently, Ginger completed a 2-year term as a National ASHRAE Society Vice-President and was named a Fellow of the organization.  Ginger is the current Treasurer of ASHRAE and, in addition to other duties, sits as a member on the Task Force for Building Decarbonization. 

In addition to her volunteer work at ASHRAE, Ginger is the President and Co-owner of Engineered Designs, Inc., a full-service engineering which she founded 22 years ago.  Ginger is also a certified commissioning agent, as well as a certified energy manager, and works on the design and commissioning of projects ranging from $4 million construction cost up to $90 million construction cost.   Her focus is on designing high-performing buildings across a wide variety of markets.

Trisha Miller

Chief Innovation and Development Officer, Elevate Energy

Trisha Miller is the Chief Innovation and Development Offer at Elevate, where she leads federal policy and building decarbonization. Prior to joining Elevate, she served as Senior Director at Breakthrough Energy, founded by Bill Gates. Miller is an expert in climate and energy policy, community development, and sustainable housing. As a former Senior Advisor with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), she worked to advance President Obama’s Climate Action Plan and deliver clean energy to unserved communities.

Jeremy Williams

Energy Technology Specialist, Building Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

Jeremy Williams is a Specialist with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office. He directs projects related to building energy efficiency, and specializes in energy codes which help U.S. homes and businesses in becoming more efficient, healthier, more productive, and more resilient. For over 10 years, he has represented the Department in its code research and development activities, and is a voting member of the IECC and Standard 90.1 technical committees. Jeremy has also led DOE's code technical assistance initiatives, which support states and local governments in successfully implementing their codes. His educational background includes an M.S. degree in Construction Management from Michigan State University, and a B.S. in Business and Education.

Christopher Perry

Engineer, Building Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

Chris Perry is an Engineer with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office. He participates in technical code development committees and directs energy code projects that promote energy efficiency, grid-interactivity, and resiliency. Before joining DOE, Chris worked as Research Manager at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a Sustainability Consultant at JDM Associates, and an Engineer at URS Corporation. He earned a M.S. degree in Engineering Management from George Washington University and a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. Chris is a registered professional engineer in Washington, DC.

Judy Chang

Undersecretary of Energy and Climate Solutions, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Ms. Judy Chang is the Undersecretary of Energy for Massachusetts. She is leading Massachusetts’ effort in setting policies across the energy sector in the state, working across agencies in aligning the strategies and plans for decarbonization. Ms. Chang is an energy economist and policy expert with a background in electrical engineering. Prior to joining Massachusetts’ Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, she co-led the energy practice at The Brattle Group, an economic consulting company, based in Boston, with global presence. Ms. Chang has over 20 years of experience in advising energy companies on regulatory and financial issues, particularly as they relate to investment decisions in transmission, clean energy, and storage. Ms. Chang has submitted expert testimonies to the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S. state, and Canadian provincial regulatory authorities on topics related to resource planning; power purchase and sale agreements; and transmission planning, access, and pricing. She has authored numerous reports and articles detailing the economic issues associated with generation and transmission investments; clean energy development; energy storage; and system planning. In addition, she had worked closely with executives and board members of numerous energy companies in developing their corporate strategies.

Ms. Chang has presented at a variety of industry conferences and graduate school seminars on energy and environmental policies, including at Harvard Law School, Tuft’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and MIT’s Sloan School of Management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from University of California, Davis and a Master of Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School. She is a founding Board member of New England Women in Energy and the Environment.

Liza Reed

Research Manager for Low Carbon Technology Policy, Niskanen Center

Liza is the research manager for low carbon technology policy at the Niskanen Center. She is an expert in High Voltage Direct Current, electricity transmission, and technology innovation. Before joining the Niskanen Center, she worked on energy funding at the Great Lakes Energy Institute at Case Western Reserve University, wireless communication technology development at inmobly, and business analysis at Capital One Finance.

She holds a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University in Engineering and Public Policy and a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The Ohio State University.

Will Clear

Deputy Director, Virginia Department of Energy

Andrew Wishnia

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate Policy, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation (virtual)

Andrew Wishnia serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate Policy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy in the U.S. Department of Transportation.  Wishnia previously served at the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, including as Senior Policy Advisor, and also served at the Federal Highway Administration as Special Assistant for Policy to the FHWA Administrator, and as a Senior Program Manager at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Wishnia previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a legislative assistant to Congressman John Yarmuth, now Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on the Budget.

Claire Alford

Associate, Market Development, Highland Electric Fleets

Claire Alford is the Mid-Atlantic Regional Associate on the Market Development team at Highland Electric Fleets. At Highland, Claire leads outreach and community engagement efforts in the Mid-Atlantic region. Previously, Claire was at Advanced Energy Economy where she worked as a Policy Associate focused on regulatory and legislative transportation electrification efforts across the country. Claire graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio with a Bachelor of Art in Communication. Claire currently lives in Washington, D.C. but is originally from Houston, Texas.

Thomas Bartholomew

Branch Chief, Renewable Energy and Clean Transportation, District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment

Richard Meyer

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

Richard Meyer serves as a Vice President of Energy Markets, Analysis, and Standards at the American Gas Association (AGA), which represents more than 200 local energy companies that deliver natural gas throughout the United States.

Richard is responsible for overseeing AGA’s energy markets, analysis, and codes and standards activities that support the association’s outreach to advance awareness of the vital role that natural gas utilities serve in meeting the needs of a clean energy economy.

In his tenth year at AGA, Mr. Meyer’s work relates to natural gas supply and demand fundamentals, gas enduse economics, greenhouse gas emissions including methane topics, climate change policy, renewable gases, energy efficiency, and distributed generation technologies like combined heat and power, reliability and resilience, and innovation including advanced gas production and end-use technologies.

Before AGA, Mr. Meyer was a Senior Associate with ICF International in its Fuels and Technology group. He worked on a range of natural gas and propane market modeling, analyses, and climate-related projects. He has an M.A. in Global Environmental Politics from American University and an M.S. in Physics from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California.

Richard serves on the Business Council for Sustainable Energy Board of Directors, the Energy Advisory Board of the American Council for Capital Formation, the Council of the National Capital Area Chapter of the United States Association of Energy Economics, and is a member of the Economic  of Washington DC Emerging Leader Program.

Kenneth Wagner

Secretary of Energy and Environment, State of Oklahoma

Kenneth Wagner serves as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Energy and Environment where he was appointed in 2019 by Oklahoma’s new Governor J. Kevin Stitt. In this role, he is responsible for over 30 state agencies, boards, compacts, and commissions as well as advancing policies that encourage economic growth, sensible regulation that fosters responsible energy production, protects natural resources, and ensures clean air, land and water for all Oklahomans.

Previously, Mr. Wagner served as the Senior Advisor to the Administrator for Regional and State Affairs within USEPA’s Office of the Administrator where he also served as Director of the Office of Regional Operations. In his duties at EPA, he served as the Administrator’s designee to all 10 regions before regional administrators were appointed, and he continued to coordinate all 10 U.S. EPA Regional Administrators and served as an advocate for the regions at headquarters with all the assistant administrators for each national program and the Administrator’s office.

In addition to his regional duties, he served as the main point of contact in the Administrator’s Office with all 50 states’ top environmental regulators and tribal governments. He lead the efforts to reform and redefine the federal-state relationship and its efforts around cooperative federalism. Mr. Wagner was helped lead numerous policy initiatives for the Administrator.

He was appointed and previously served at the Administrator’s Designee on the Gulf Coast Eco System Restoration Council, also known as the RESTORE Council. EPA and Acting Administrator Wheeler was appointed by President Trump as Chairman of the RESTORE Council which was responsible for implementing the RESTORE Act and administering billions of dollars of settlement funds that were paid by BP as a result of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill. During his time at RESTORE, Wagner served as the Chair governing all business and executive meetings of the five gulf states and six federal agencies making up the Council.

Mr. Wagner was also closely involved in the Office of Research & Development’s initiative to better partner with states to solve every day environmental challenges and make their vast inventory of research more readily accessible for states, tribes and the public. He also coordinated the intra-agency working group to tackle the waste discharges entering the U.S. from our border neighbors in Mexico, and assists the Administrator in his goal of bringing certainty to the American people by returning the Agency to its core mission: improving water quality, accelerating land clean ups, modernizing aging water infrastructure and bringing the country back into air attainment by improving air quality.

Before joining the Agency he came from the private sector where he practiced law and held private business interests for nearly 25 years. He was a founding member and managing partner of a successful mid-sized law firm in Tulsa, Oklahoma where he practiced and managed a diverse practice that included commercial, energy and environmental matters. In addition to running a successful law firm, he was involved in numerous successful business and commercial

ventures, including being a minority partner in Oklahoma’s Triple-A baseball team based in Oklahoma City from 2003 to 2010.

He received his degrees from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Tulsa College of Law.

Sonia Kikeri

Director of Policy and Civic Engagement, Emerald Cities Collaborative

Sonia Kikeri is the National Director of Policy and Civic Engagement for Emerald Cities Collaborative. Previous to this role, they have held positions in state government as a legislative and executive director as well as consulted on institutional diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

Joe Pater

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

Dr. Sumesh Arora

Director, Energy and Natural Resources Division, Mississippi Development Authority

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

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

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

Alex Schroeder

Interim Executive Lead, Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (virtual)

Alex leads the newly formed Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, which was established in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to align resources and expertise across the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Department of Energy (DOE).  The Joint Office seeks to accelerate an electrified transportation system that is affordable, convenient, equitable, reliable, and safe.  Initial work by the Joint Office is geared towards providing technical and analytical assistance to states on EV charging plans and will quickly expand to support additional transportation electrification opportunities. 

Alex is serving in the interim role on assignment from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) where he leads a research group that focuses on vehicle charging, electric grid integration, and the decarbonization of commercial vehicles.  Alex has served in a variety of leadership roles at NREL ranging from transportation technology deployment to institutional planning and strategy.  In that time, he helped to conceptualize the Energy Efficiency Mobility Systems program at U.S. DOE and aligned efforts between DOE and DOT to accelerate transportation systems research.  Alex also served as a senior advisor on innovation to DOT and was part of the team that supported the initial designation of alternative fuel corridors.    

Prior to NREL, Alex spent the better part of a decade in state government in the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office and Western Governors’ Association where he led programs related to transportation fuels and clean energy working with a variety of private and public sector stakeholders.   An engineer and pilot by training, Alex has spent his career supporting research, policies, and programs that push past traditional boundaries in pursuit of outcomes that transcend organizations and magnify benefits.  Outside of the office, Alex is a proud father, avid traveler, and consummate tinkerer.

Karl Simon

Director, Transportation and Climate Division, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Mr. Simon is the Director of the Transportation and Climate Division of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. His portfolio includes work with voluntary programs like SmartWay, international trade issues, renewable fuels, and modeling and forecasting of mobile source emissions trends and future scenarios. He previously served as Director of the Compliance and Innovative Strategies Division and other roles in the transportation office as well as the submarine construction and design division at Newport News Ship building and Dry Dock Company. Mr. Simon holds a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, a law degree from the George Mason University School of Law, and a Masters in Environmental Law from George Washington University.

Melissa Lavinson

Senior Vice President, Federal, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Exelon

Angela Conroy

Senior Planner, Air and Renewable Energy Division, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

Angela Conroy is a senior Air Quality Planner for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). She leads DEQ’s greenhouse gas planning and Volkswagen environmental mitigation trust efforts. She has 20 years of experience in environmental program and project management for federal government agencies including the U.S. EPA, DOE, DOD, Department of Interior, the Veterans Administration, and the Massachusetts Department of Health.

Ms. Conroy has an extensive background in renewable energy and the redevelopment of disturbed lands and landfills. She co-authored technical guidance and published articles on environmental and energy topics for the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP).

She has a B.S. in Environmental Science from Ferrum College, an M.B.A. and M.S. in Environmental Management from the University of Maryland, graduate studies in Urban and Regional Planning at Virginia Tech, and is a Certified Sustainable Development Professional through the Association of Energy Engineers.

Sarah Zeleski

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

Sarah Zaleski?serves as a senior advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies?Office, where she leads the Commercial Building Integration zero energy efforts, multibuilding solutions, and a portfolio of various other projects.?In previous roles at DOE, Sarah led local government clean energy innovation programs.

Sarah has more than?15 years of experience in sustainability and energy work. She helped create the first comprehensive sustainability planning initiative in Teton County, Wyoming, designed and marketed energy-efficiency programs for government and utility-sponsored initiatives in North Carolina, researched economic implications of expanding global biofuel markets while with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and developed comprehensive energy-efficiency and sustainability programs for large commercial real estate portfolios.

Before joining?DOE in June?2010, Sarah worked for the City of Baltimore, where she helped establish their Office of Sustainability. In this role, she launched a range of efforts including the Baltimore Sustainability Plan, the city's original green building requirements, the Baltimore Neighborhood Energy Challenge, and multiple other initiatives.

Sarah received a bachelor of science degree?in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University and both a master's of environmental management and a master's of public policy from Duke University.

Anna Maria Garcia

Director, Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

AnnaMaria Garcia is the Director of Department of Energy’s Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office. 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, Ms. Garcia served as Executive Director of the Ozone Transport Commission, the organization of 12 states and the District of Columbia created by Congress in 1990 to assess and coordinate the development of policies to reduce regional ground-level ozone or "smog" in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Before joining the Commission, she was Director of Operations and State Programs for the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions, a non-profit that is a division of the Global Environment and Technology Foundation. She provided unique environmental and energy expertise through creating partnerships with and among state agencies to design multi-pollutant strategies that have both environmental and economic benefits.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Princeton University and an Executive Master of Business Administration from the George Washington University.

Amy Royden-Bloom

Manager, U.S. State Energy Program, Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

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

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.

Lynn Retz

Director, Energy Office, Kansas Corporation Commission

Lynn Retz joined the Kansas Corporation Commission’s Energy Division in December 2016. She was named Energy Director in May 2017. Prior to that, she worked in Legislative Post Audit for more than
eight years. Lynn worked as an attorney in private practice for several years and also worked for the
Kansas Performance Review Board.

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 and collaborative outreach efforts, while serving as an energy data clearinghouse. The State Energy Office implements plans 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, 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, Circuit Court, Administrative Law Court, Mining Council and DHEC’s Board, including appeals involving Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act permitting and compliance, CERCLA, USTs 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.

Sara 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) in 2000. Then in 2005, 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).

Vicki Hackett

Deputy Commissioner of Energy, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (virtual)

Vicki Hackett is the Bureau Chief and Acting Deputy Commissioner of Energy at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).  Before accepting the Bureau Chief position in January, 2022 she was appointed the Deputy Commissioner position in August, 2019.

Vicki is leading DEEP's Energy Branch as Connecticut transitions to a zero carbon electric grid. Her responsibilities include developing Connecticut's Integrated Resources Plan and Comprehensive Energy Strategy, overseeing procurements of clean energy resources, and developing policies and programs in the areas of energy affordability, energy efficiency, and strategic electrification of the transportation and housing sectors to help Connecticut achieve its greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Vicki has developed broad ranging experience in energy and environmental policy and utility regulation in the state of Connecticut since 2006.  She previously served as Chief of Staff, Operations, and Performance at DEEP, where she worked on issues involving energy, environmental quality and environmental conservation.

As the Director of Adjudications at the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, Vicki oversaw the legal work of the agency and acted as general counsel to the Commissioners on matters including utility rate cases, mergers and acquisitions, regional and federal matters, and grid modernization.

As an attorney at the CT Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC), Vicki gained significant experience in utility finance and rate design, integrated resources planning, energy efficiency policy and program review, utility infrastructure planning, and consumer issues related to retail electric supply.  Vicki was a litigation attorney in private practice for four years prior to joining the OCC.

Vicki earned her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and her B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology from Western Connecticut State University.

Dan Lloyd

Bureau Chief, Energy Office, Montana Department of Environmental Quality

Dan Lloyd has led the Montana Energy Office (MEO) at the Department of Environmental Quality since August of 2020. Prior to this, Dan was employed by an energy development company working on transmission and storage projects and has served the state of Montana state for nearly a decade including positions with the Montana Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the Department of Commerce. Dan has a business degree from the University of Notre Dame and served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member focused on improving access to energy efficiency. He lives with his wife and two dogs in Helena, Montana.

Gina McCarthy

White House National Climate Advisor, Executive Office of the President

Gina McCarthy was appointed by President Biden as the first White National Climate Advisor. In 2020, she served as president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). President Obama appointed Gina McCarthy as the 13th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) where she served from 2013 to 2017. Her leadership at EPA led to significant federal, state, and local actions on critical issues related to the environment, economy, energy, and transportation. At the state level, she served as commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, deputy secretary of the Massachusetts Office of Commonwealth Development, and undersecretary of policy for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. In Connecticut, she was instrumental in developing the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a multi-state effort to reduce emissions contributing to global warming, which has spurred economic growth, improved public health, decreased energy demand, and helped mitigate electricity price increases across the region. In Massachusetts, McCarthy advised five governors on environmental affairs, worked at the state and local levels on critical environmental issues, and coordinated policies on economic growth, energy, transportation, and the environment.  Gina. McCarthy holds a master's degree in environmental health engineering and planning and policy from Tufts University and a bachelor's in social anthropology from University of Massachusetts at Boston.

Kristofor Anderson

Director of Energy Resources, Georgia Environmental Finance Authority

Jeff Heino

Weatherization Assistance Program Manager, Wisconsin Department of Administration (virtual)

Willie Fobbs III

Associate Director of Housing, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (virtual)

Josh La Rose

Energy Services Program Officer, Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity (virtual)

The Honorable David Turk

Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy

Prior to his nomination as Deputy Secretary, Turk was the Deputy Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), where he focused on helping countries around the world tackle their clean energy transitions. He also directed reports on the digitalization of energy systems, the future of clean hydrogen, and a project tracking progress on a wide range of clean energy technologies.

During the Obama-Biden Administration, Turk coordinated international technology and clean energy efforts at DOE. During this time, he helped spearhead the launch of Mission Innovation—a global effort to enhance clean energy innovation.

Turk also served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director at the U.S. National Security Council, where he coordinated interagency legislative affairs efforts by the full range of national security agencies and provided legislative advice to National Security Council decision-making. He also previously worked at the U.S. Department of State, including as Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change and helping to coordinate New Start Treaty ratification efforts in the U.S. Senate.  

Earlier in his career, Turk worked in both the U.S. Senate, primarily on national security issues, and as the Staff Director of the National Security Subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee.

Turk was born in Quito, Ecuador and raised in Rock Falls, Illinois. He is a graduate of both the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Virginia Law School.

Andrew Griffith

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain, Office of Nuclear Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

Andrew Griffith serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain. Mr. Griffith leads DOE’s research and development on advanced nuclear fuel cycle technologies that have the potential to improve resource utilization and energy generation, reduce waste generation, and limit proliferation risk.

Prior to this, Mr. Griffith served in various leadership roles in the Office of Nuclear Energy, supporting the full range of nuclear energy waste management, facility operations, and technology research missions (2003-present), and the Office of Environmental Management, primarily focusing on the management of DOE’s spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste (1990-2003).

Before joining DOE, Mr. Griffith served in the U.S. nuclear submarine force and continued serving in the Naval Reserve after joining DOE. He retired from the Naval Reserve as a captain in 2009.

Mr. Griffith holds a bachelor of science degree in naval architecture from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master of science degree in technology management from the University of Maryland, University College.

The Honorable John Curtis

Member, Energy and Commerce Committee and Chair, Conservative Climate Caucus, U.S. House of Representatives (virtual)

John R. Curtis proudly represents Utah’s 3rd Congressional District. Since being elected to Congress on November 13, 2017, John has worked on 11 pieces of legislation that were signed into law, ranging in diverse topics such as better managing public lands, combatting human trafficking, supporting small businesses, and more. Additionally, he serves as the inaugural Chairman of the Conservative Climate Caucus and a member of the powerful House Committee on Energy and Commerce. He previously served on the House Natural Resources Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee.

The Congressman cares deeply about hearing the diverse perspectives and feedback from his constituents: he held over 100 town halls during his first full year in office. Utah’s third district is the youngest in the country, with an average age of 26 years old. John is also sensitive to the many constituents that live in rural Utah and has focused on legislation that can fit needs of both demographics.

John has been committed to helping Utah’s growing tech scene flourish and was recognized by Silicon Slopes as their first Community Hero Award recipient. Other personal awards comprise of Civic Innovator of the Year by Utah Valley University, Thayne Robson Award for Leadership in Economic Development, and Outstanding Citizen Award from the Office of Civic Engagement Leadership by Brigham Young University.

Prior to coming to Washington, John was the 45th mayor of Provo City, serving two terms. He was named the #1 Top Elected Official on Social Media 2015 by the Government Social Media group and has been recognized by Forbes for his commitment to citizen engagement. As mayor, he averaged an approval rating of 93%.

Before becoming mayor, John was a small business owner in Provo, working with his partners to build their business “Action Target,” where he led sales and operations strategy.

Dr. Alyse Taylor-Anyikire

Policy Advisor, Office of Policy, U.S. Department of Energy

Nam Nguyen

Associate Director, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Virginia Department of Energy

As manager of the Virginia Energy Management Program, Nam Nguyen works to reduce energy consumption and costs for state facilities. As part of Virginia Energy, the state’s energy office, he serves as technical lead for the Governor and Executive Branch on energy issues.

Nguyen promotes renewable energy projects on public facilities across the Commonwealth.He and his team serve state agencies and localtities to help reach energy efficiency goals through the Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) program. In June 2021, that program celebrated $1 billion in energy savings for the Commonwealth. They also ensure the grid is secure during peak times by working with state facilities that can go “off the grid” when demand for electricity is high.

Nguyen joined Virginia Energy with 20 years experience in the electric utility industry. He holds an electrical engineering degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen

Member, U.S. Senate

The first woman in U.S. history to be elected both a Governor and a United States Senator, New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen is a trailblazer with a reputation for working across the aisle to get things done. She is committed to serving the citizens of New Hampshire and is known for her common-sense leadership, hard work and dedication to improving the lives of the middle class. She has served in the Senate since 2009 and is a member of the Senate Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Appropriations, Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Select Committee on Ethics.

As a former small business owner, Senator Shaheen knows how tough it can be for entrepreneurs, who often operate on razor thin profit margins. On the Small Business Committee, she’s expanded small businesses’ access to credit and markets. Her annual Experience New Hampshire event in Washington, D.C., gives New Hampshire businesses a forum to showcase their products and services to policymakers and government officials. Shaheen continues to lead efforts in the Senate to protect New Hampshire businesses from having to unfairly collect internet sales taxes for other states.

Serving Granite Staters in the U.S. Senate

Serving Granite Staters in the U.S. Senate

The opioid epidemic is the worst public health crisis in New Hampshire’s history, and Senator Shaheen has made fighting this crisis her number one priority in Congress. Through her leadership on the Appropriations committee, Senator Shaheen worked to deliver a seven fold increase in resources to help Granite Staters suffering from substance use disorders receive desperately needed treatment. She works across the aisle to provide tools that treatment providers, law enforcement and first responders need to deliver lifesaving services.

Shaheen helped pass the Affordable Care Act, and has defended the law from partisan attacks, ensuring that tens of thousands of Granite Staters can keep their health care. The law drastically expanded the availability of drug treatment in New Hampshire through Medicaid Expansion, a vital tool to address the opioid crisis, and provided protections to people with pre-existing conditions. She continues to lead efforts in the Senate to advance common-sense health care legislation that would expand access to care and lower the costs of both treatment and prescription drugs.

Visiting Afghanistan to receive a mission update and meet with deployed Granite Staters

Visiting Afghanistan to receive a mission update and meet with deployed Granite Staters

As top ranking woman of the Armed Services committee and the only woman on the Foreign Relations committee, Senator Shaheen advocates for a strong foreign policy that confronts our enemies, strengthens key alliances, and bolsters New Hampshire’s role in our national defense. Shaheen’s strong stance against Vladimir Putin’s aggression, led to her being sanctioned by the Kremlin and denied a visa to travel to Russia. Shaheen is a leader on protecting our democratic institutions from foreign intrusion, enhancing our cyber defenses, and working with our allies to improve trade and security cooperation. She has been a consistent advocate for the critical role the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Pease Air National Guard Base and New Hampshire's defense-related companies, serve in protecting our nation.

Senator Shaheen is a champion for women here at home and around the globe. In 2018, she worked to broaden the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in order to better investigate and prosecute violent crimes against women. In 2016, President Obama signed into law the Shaheen-authored Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act, a federal bill of rights for sexual assault survivors. Jeanne Shaheen has also been a consistent supporter of Planned Parenthood and the critical health services it provides to thousands of Granite Staters. She has led bipartisan efforts in Congress to permanently repeal the Trump administration’s expanded Global Gag Rule, which undermines the availability of family planning and other health care services in developing countries, and got legislation signed into law that gives women a seat at the table to better facilitate lasting conflict resolution around the world.

New Hampshire is the only state in the nation without a full service VA hospital.  To expand health services for veterans, Shaheen worked with members of both parties to pass VA reforms enabling Granite State veterans to receive quality health care outside the VA system and closer to home.

Senator Shaheen has made streamlining government and fiscal responsibility a hallmark of her career in the Senate, identifying many areas of waste and inefficiency. She has introduced bipartisan legislation to reform the congressional budget process, eliminate duplicative programs, and phase out unneeded and costly tax breaks for sugar growers and mining companies. She has also led efforts to eliminate exorbitant subsidies for powerful special interests like pharmaceutical and oil companies.

Shaheen recognizes the severity of the environmental and economic threat that climate change poses to New Hampshire and the world. She supports smart energy policies that will curb carbon pollution and preserve New Hampshire’s way of life. As a champion for energy efficiency, Shaheen created programs while Governor that saved New Hampshire families and businesses over $1 billion. In the Senate, Shaheen has worked across the aisle in Congress to pass national energy efficiency legislation which was signed into law by President Obama. Further, Shaheen has established a goal of more than 50 percent clean and carbon-free electricity by 2030.

Presenting Captain Martin Gelb with the Congressional Gold Medal for his service during World War II

Presenting Captain Martin Gelb with the Congressional Gold Medal for his service during World War II

Senator Shaheen has a reputation for outstanding constituent services. She and her staff have successfully helped thousands of constituents navigate bureaucracy, avoid foreclosure, secure military commendations, receive delayed Social Security and Medicare assistance and access VA benefits, among many other services.

Shaheen served as Governor of New Hampshire from 1997 to 2003. During her time in the statehouse, she helped create nearly 67,000 new jobs while keeping New Hampshire's tax burden the lowest in the country. (Learn more about Jeanne Shaheen's three terms as Governor.) With bipartisan support, she expanded public kindergarten to thousands of families and made higher education more affordable with a tax free college savings program.

Between her time as Governor and election to the U.S. Senate, Shaheen served as the Director of Harvard University's Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government.

Shaheen was born in Saint Charles, Missouri. Her father worked his way up to a management position in a shoe factory and her mother worked as a secretary in their local church. After attending public schools, Shaheen received a bachelor's degree from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania and a master's degree from the University of Mississippi. She and her husband, Bill, live in Madbury and have three daughters, Stefany, Stacey and Molly, and seven grandchildren.

Dr. Carolyn Snyder

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (virtual)

Dr. Carolyn Snyder is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. In this role, she leads a diverse energy efficiency program and R&D portfolio that includes advanced manufacturing, building technologies, federal energy management, low-income weatherization, and intergovernmental partnerships.

Previously, Dr. Snyder served as the Director of U.S. EPA’s Climate Protection Partnerships Division. She led voluntary partnerships with thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations to remove market barriers for energy efficiency and renewable energy and accelerate emissions reductions.  She oversaw the ENERGY STAR program, the Green Power Partnership, the Combined Heat and Power Partnership, the Center for Corporate Climate Leadership, and the State and Local Climate and Energy program.

Prior to EPA, Dr. Snyder supported both public and private clients on strategic management and environmental projects at McKinsey & Company.  She served as a White House Fellow in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget working on cross-agency policy and management initiatives for the OMB Director.  She also was the Director of Delaware's Division of Energy and Climate, where she created and led the new division and managed a wide range of energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate policy, and low-income weatherization programs.  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.