Presenters

Michael A. Aimone is the Executive Director of the DoD Siting Clearinghouse which provides a single voice to coordinate DoD assessment of renewable energy projects to energy developers, federal and state agencies and Congress. The DoD Siting Clearinghouse functions as an internal staffing and external information and assessment resource on proposed utility-scale renewable energy projects that potentially impact the DoD mission and Service Title 10 responsibilities necessitating the use of training ranges, airspace, restricted areas and maritime operational areas. Mr. Aimone came to the DoD after leading business strategies for critical infrastructure and energy needs for national security clients as the Vice President of Strategy Development at Battelle Memorial Institute. Mr. Aimone is one of the country's industry leaders on energy security and sustainable operations.

Mr. Aimone entered the Air Force in 1970 after graduating from Michigan Technological University. While on active duty, he served in numerous field and staff engineering assignments. Mr. Aimone separated from active duty in 1979, and continued his military career in the Air Force Reserve. He was recalled to extended active duty to command the 819th RED HORSE Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, Montana, from July 1997 through December 1998.

Mr. Aimone was the former Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. In that position he was responsible to the Chief of Staff for leadership, management and integration of Air Force civil engineering, logistics readiness, supply, transportation, and aircraft and missile maintenance. He was also responsible for setting policy and preparing budget estimates that reflect enhancements to productivity, combat readiness and quality of life for Air Force personnel.

Mr. Aimone joined the federal civil service in 1980 as a project electrical engineer with Headquarters U.S. Air Force, where he served in various supervisory positions within the Department of the Air Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense until leaving federal service in 1993. From 1993 until his recall to active duty in 1997, Mr. Aimone was Vice President of an electrical engineering software development company. In January 1999, he returned to civil service and was appointed to the Senior Executive Service as the Air Force Deputy Civil Engineer, HQ USAF, and then later as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Basing and Infrastructure Analysis. Mr. Aimone is a professional engineer and is registered in Virginia, California, Wisconsin and Ohio.

Jim Arwood has been working in the energy field for five decades. He started right out of high school as a roughneck in the Kansas oil fields and spent his summers between college semesters working on pipeline maintenance in the natural gas industry. In 1978 he served on the Phoenix Steering Committee for Sun Day, which was the solar energy equivalent of Earth Day. After a four-year stint as a newspaperman, Mr. Arwood started his career in state government at the Arizona Solar Energy Research Commission. During his state government career he served in numerous capacities managing federal energy programs at the state level, culminating in his appointment by then Governor Janet Napolitano, as Director of the State Energy Office in 2006. In that position Mr. Arwood was responsible for the development and implementation of Arizona's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Programs, including the State Energy Programs ($55.7 million), Weatherization Assistance Program ($57 million), Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant ($9.6 million), Energy Star Appliance Rebate Program ($6.2 million), and the Energy Assurance Program ($796,410). Today, Mr. Arwood is consulting to the National Association of State Energy Officials as a regional coordinator and helping to document ARRA success stories at the state and local level.

Steve Bakkal is currently the Director of the Michigan Energy Office at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The Energy Office encourages energy efficiency and the use of new technologies and alternative fuels in buildings, industrial processes, vehicles, and in power generation. He oversees program objectives that are advanced through a variety of services, including information dissemination, technical assistance, financial assistance, and demonstration projects. Steve was previously the Director of Wind Business Development at the MEDC. Steve led a cross functional team focused on growing the wind industry in Michigan, which has overseen the growth of over 100 companies active in the wind supply chain. He was responsible for developing and executing the strategy to attract wind component manufacturing and R&D investments to the state, as well as assisting Michigan companies wanting to diversify into the wind energy market.

Steve has a bachelor of science in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University (formerly GMI Engineering and Management Institute) as well as Master in Business Administration from Wayne State University.

Elizabeth Bellis directs the QECB program at Energy Programs Consortium (EPC) in conjunction with the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO). The Energy Programs Consortium is a joint venture of the National Association of State Community Services Programs (NASCSP), representing the state weatherization and community service programs directors; National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), representing the state energy policy directors; National Association of State Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), representing the state public service commissioners; and National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association (NEADA), representing the state directors of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Elizabeth Bellis received a A.B. in Sociology from the University of Chicago in 2003 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2006.

Robert Berntsen, Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Midwest Region, directs MISO’s ongoing activities with state regulatory and legislative activities in the Midwestern states of the regional transmission organization.

As Vice President of Government & Regulatory Affairs, Midwest Region, Mr. Berntsen serves as MISO’s primary liaison with the governors and state regulatory and legislative policymakers. A dedicated public servant, Mr. Berntsen was appointed a Member and Chair of the IUB in May 2009 and served as Chair until April 2011.

Prior to joining the Iowa Board, Mr. Berntsen served as corporate counsel for Vectren Corporation, one of MISO’s founding transmission-owning members.

He also served in the U.S. Army JAG Corps and in 2005 was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Mr. Berntsen earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa and a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University.

Bruce came to Silent Power in 2008 with a strong background in manufacturing and process engineering management. His 20+ years’ experience in manufacturing, most recently as Engineering Project Manager for Landis & Gyr, has allowed him to keep Silent Power’s manufacturing processes agile with the changes required in a developing company in an emerging market. He is Six Sigma Black Belt trained along with lean manufacturing methodologies. In addition, Bruce has vast experience in implementing and auditing QS-9000 and ISO-9000 systems.

Dan Bowermaster is a Senior Project Manager of Electric Transportation at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). His primary activities focus on managing a nationwide deployment project for light and medium-duty plug-in hybrid vehicles and related electric infrastructure research projects.

Prior to joining EPRI in 2011, Dan led Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s Electric and Natural Gas Vehicles, On-bill Financing, and Emerging Technologies teams. Dan joined PG&E in September 2008 as part of the MBA Leadership Program, during which he completed projects in PG&E’s Engineering and Operations, Power Generation, and Corporate Strategy groups.

Before PG&E, Dan worked for seven years at Stryker Corporation, one of the world’s leading medical technology companies. At Stryker, Dan worked in Operations Management as well as in Human Resources in factories in Silicon Valley, Germany, San Diego, and Dallas.

Dan completed the Wharton-Lauder dual degree program at the University of Pennsylvania, earning both an MBA from Wharton and an MA in International Studies. In addition, Dan holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a BA in International Relations from the University of California, Davis.

Robert Brean is a Director/Administrator for the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation. He previously worked as Director of the Rural/Community Development Division of the Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs and as Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Community and Regional Affairs. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology from Alaska Methodist University with a specialty in Sub Arctic Native cultures.

Matthew H. Brown, principal of Harcourt Brown & Carey Energy & Finance, has worked in the energy finance and policy field for more than 20 years, beginning his work with the accounting and consulting firm of KPMG in its New York City office. 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, Colorado 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 in order to begin consulting work with the International Energy Agency, focusing in particular 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.

Matthew has worked in Colorado to negotiate and establish a State Treasurer-funded energy efficiency loan program. He also has worked with Tucson Electric Power and the states of Iowa, Florida and Michigan to develop clean energy financing products and programs. Clients have included not only the utilities, lenders, and state governments, but also national associations such as the National Governors Association, the Alliance to Save Energy, the National Small Business Association, and private lenders.

Matthew graduated from Brown University in 1986 with a BA, and continued on at New York University, where he received an MBA.

Beth currently works on bioenergy efforts in the technology organization focused on utilizing Monsanto’s scientific expertise and capabilities to support and respond to policy. The responsibilities of this effort include defending the US corn based ethanol industry by generating and providing quality sound data to help guide regulatory policies and decisions related to bioenergy.

Beth has over 23 years of direct agricultural and biofuels industry experience. She has held various positions in manufacturing, engineering and research and development. Roles have included manufacturing phosphoric acid fertilizer, designing and building round-up plants, decreasing costs of round-up formulations, developing efficient processes for automation of plant breeding and biotechnology processes, leading projects to commercialize soybean plants with improved nutritional composition, as well as providing technical support for the biodiesel and ethanol industries. Beth currently is co-inventor on five patents.

Erin Carroll is a Managing Consultant at VEIC with a specialization in high-profile technical projects that require integrated analysis for the utility, large commercial and industrial and government market sectors. Erin joined VEIC in 2011 and has more than 25 years of professional experience in design, construction, startup and low-cost project sourcing for power generation and industrial manufacturing and institutional facilities. Most recently she led the team as the project sponsor and technical advisor for the development of the Illinois Statewide Technical Reference Manual for the state’s regulators engaged in evaluation, measurement and verification of sustainable energy efficiency programs. She has worked closely with utilities and the EPA Energy Star program managers to evaluate the feasibility of more collaboration between the Energy Start industrial programs and the industrial energy efficiency programs being offered by utilities. Erin has extensive experience in managing teams that are made up of many diverse members and defining and managing processes to allow those teams to successfully complete their projects. She is recognized by her clients and peers for her technical expertise, analytic skills, project management, team leadership, and communication skills.

Al Christopher is director of the Energy Division, a part of the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy that is tasked to “enhance the development and conservation of energy and mineral resources in a safe and environmentally sound manner to support a more productive economy.”

From 2006 to 2009 he was executive director of Virginia Clean Cities, a non-profit coalition supported and funded by stakeholder members and the federal and state Departments of Energy. Al was a second-generation fuel distributor from 1989 until 2007 and a newspaper editor and reporter for 14 years prior to 1989, working in Hampton VA; Tampa FL; and Washington DC.

Chuck Clinton currently serves as Senior Advisor and Lead Regional Coordinator for the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), an organization he helped found in 1986.

His twenty-nine year career (1978-2007) as director of the DC Energy Office (DCEO) not only enabled him to build up a comprehensive energy program for the nation's capital, but also provided him a unique opportunity to serve as a leader of national organizations representing both state and local governments. Mr. Clinton served as chairman of the Conference of Local Energy Officials (CLEO), a component of the National League of Cities (NLC), as well as a long time board member of the Urban Consortium Energy Task Force; he served many terms as a board member of NASEO, in addition to being its original treasurer. Mr. Clinton also served many years as chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (WashCOG) Energy Policy Advisory Committee (EPAC). In addition to exerting leadership on behalf of state and local energy efficiency and renewable energy challenges, domestically, he has been invited to and consulted with the energy leaders of Moscow, Rostov on Don, Russia; Beijing, Shanghai, China; Seoul, Korea; London, England; and Paris, France.

Mr. Clinton's second career is now devoted to working with and through NASEO in order to help the energy offices of all U.S. states and territories in developing and implementing effective energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, especially those funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.

His academic credentials include the Program for Senior State and Local Government Officials at the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, and BA degrees from the Catholic University of America, Washington, DC and Borromeo College, Cleveland, OH.

As the director of the Nevada State Office of Energy and the Governor’s energy advisor, Stacey helps to define energy goals and programs within the state, as well as manages federal programs and outreach efforts. As such, she serves on several regional boards including the Western Interstate Energy Board, the Nevada Energy Assistance Corporation, the State-Provincial Steering Committee, and the EPSCoR Advisory Board.

Stacey is a recognized leader in green development solutions with more than 14 years of experience in architecture, planning, research, and advocacy with projects of varying sizes, types, and locations with a focus on smart growth, conservation, and the arts. She formerly served as director of Master Planning and Environmental Initiatives for Kiley Ranch Communities in Reno and architect/project manager for KMD Architects in San Francisco. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan and a Masters of Architecture from the University of New Mexico.

Stacey serves as a Trustee of the Nevada Museum of Art, a member of the Nevada Land Conservancy Board of Trustees, and founding board member of the Reno Tahoe Young Professionals Network. Stacey and her husband enjoy cycling, skiing, cooking, home remodeling, and completely spoiling their black Labrador.

Todd Currier has three decades of experience in energy efficiency program development, implementation and evaluation – the last 25 of which have been in supervisory and management positions.

Mr. Currier is currently Assistant Director at the Washington State University (WSU) Extension Energy Program. He represents the organization in a variety of forums at the state, regional and national levels.

He is the leader of professional and technical staff members engaged in building science and research, building code development and implementation, indoor air quality improvement, workforce development issues and trends, federal and local government resource conservation programs, industrial energy efficiency, renewable energy programs and technology, energy efficiency upgrades for middle income homes and small businesses, program evaluation and data analysis.

Prior to his role with the WSU Extension Energy Program, he served as the Assistant Energy Services Manager and the Assistant Energy Conservation Manager for Tacoma Power and Tacoma Public Utilities. Mr. Currier also applied his energy expertise in former roles with the City of Tacoma and Seattle City Light.
 

Mr. John Davies serves as Deputy Commissioner within Kentucky Department for Energy Development and Independence. Prior to this appointment he served as the department’s director for the Division of Energy Efficiency and Conservation. Mr. Davies has managed energy efficiency and renewable energy programs for the Commonwealth since 2000. He has served as board member for the Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition, the Southern States Energy Board Biobased Alliance, the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance and is an ex-officio member on the Kentucky Farm Bureau’s Energy and Transportation Advisory Committee. Mr. Davies also serves as board secretary to the U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Advisory Board.

Prior to joining the department he was employed by Ferrellgas, Inc. as an Area Manager for Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. Mr. Davies is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel having served in Europe, the Far East and Washington D.C. He obtained his bachelor’s degree and commission while attending the University of Illinois. He also holds a master’s degree from the Florida Institute of Technology and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

Mr. DePrima became the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility’s (SEU) first Executive Director in October 2011. The SEU is a unique non-profit organization offering a one-stop resource through its Energize Delaware initiative to help residents and businesses save money through clean energy and efficiency. The SEU was created in 2007 by the State of Delaware to foster a sustainable energy future for the state. Prior to his appointment he served as Dover, Delaware’s City Manager, a position he was appointed to in November 2001. Dover operates an electric and water utility with over 20,000 customers. While City Manger a major initiative of Mr. DePrima‘s was to implement a wide array of projects and programs in support the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. His efforts were recognized by the Delaware Sierra Club’s Cool Cities Program. One project was the Dover Sun Park, this 10MW facility is the largest solar power plant in the northeast, and represents a partnership between Dover DE, eight municipalities, Delmarva Power, and the developer LS Power. Prior to being City Manager, he served as the Director of Planning and Inspections for the City of Dover, Delaware. He has a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech and a B.S. Degree in Human Ecology from Ramapo College of New Jersey. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy from the University of Delaware.

Cisco DeVries is President of Renewable Funding, which designs, administers and finances clean energy programs.

Renewable Funding provides innovative solutions to state and local governments – as well as private sector clients – in the United States and internationally. The firm creates new approaches, administers all aspects of energy programs, builds technology systems to simplify program and consumer engagement, and delivers financing for energy improvements. Renewable Funding has provided services to over 200 state and local governments, including the California Energy Commission and Public Utilities Commission, Los Angeles County, the City of Seattle, the U.S. Department of Energy, ICLEI, the City of Melbourne (Australia) and many others.

Previously, as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Berkeley, he envisioned and led the initial development of BerkeleyFIRST, the model for Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE) programs, which allow property owners to pay for solar installations and energy efficiency projects as a line item on their property tax bill. DeVries also served as an appointee in the administration of President Bill Clinton, serving as an aide to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and the U.S. Secretary of Energy.

Bob Dixon has over 36 years of experience in building systems, facility operations, energy conservation and management. He currently serves as the Global Head of Efficiency & Sustainability, Vice President and Senior Advisor to the Management Board of the Building Technologies Division of Siemens.

In this position, he is responsible for advising government and business leaders around the world on global initiatives for building efficiency and sustainability, enabling the reduction of carbon emissions and energy consumption, and conserving natural resources.

In addition, Bob is responsible for assessing the strategic implications of efficiency and sustainability global trends and opportunities, including identification and evaluation of partnership opportunities and sourced technologies, enhancing efficiency and sustainability strategies.

He is the first designated Senior Principle Expert for the 39,000 employee Building Technologies Division.

He currently serves as Industry First-Vice Chair for the Alliance to Save Energy, and is a past president of National Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO). He served as the Industry Member on the Buildings and Appliances Task Force under the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.

Bob earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, and is a graduate of the Minnesota Executive Program at the University of Minnesota.

Elizabeth Dutrow directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program for industry, a voluntary partnership with manufacturers to improve energy efficiency across operations. Her design for engaging industries in ENERGY STAR and for securing the high level attention necessary for corporate energy programs to succeed has enabled more than 700 corporations to build productive energy management programs. Through Ms. Dutrow’s efforts, the automobile industry and a variety of its supplier industries are actively engaged in ENERGY STAR. As a result, many of these industries are able to nationally benchmark their energy performance and identify opportunities for energy efficiency. Ms. Dutrow has a degree in chemistry and has been with EPA since 1984.

Neal Elliott is the Associate Director for Research of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), coordinating ACEEE's overall research efforts. Elliott has been with ACEEE since 1993, and is an internationally recognized expert and author on energy efficiency programs and policies, combined heat and power, and a frequent speaker at domestic and international conferences.

Prior to joining ACEEE, Elliott was an adjunct associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University and Senior Engineering Project Manager at the N. C. Alternative Energy Corp. (now Advanced Energy). Elliott received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University, and was a Dean's Fellow and received a Ph.D. from Duke University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in North Carolina and has six patents. Elliott serves on the Strategic Advisory Group for the Institute for Industrial Productivity and the Board of the Industrial Energy Technology Conference.
 

Paula Gant is senior vice president of policy and planning for the American Gas Association (AGA) with responsibility for managing the association’s policy and regulatory agenda and outreach on behalf of AGA’s 200 natural gas distribution company members. Since joining AGA in 2006, Dr. Gant has sought to advance awareness of the important role that natural gas utilities serve in meeting the needs of a clean energy economy – now and for decades to come. Natural gas utilities and their customers have increased the efficiency of energy use in homes and buildings by 39% since 1970. This success has reduced greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining the comfort and productivity of American homes and businesses.

Previously, Paula worked for Duke Energy in a variety of positions including vice president of government affairs and energy policy for Duke Energy Gas Transmission. In that role she was responsible for ensuring a collaborative approach to stakeholder relations for new infrastructure construction projects and ongoing operations. Dr. Gant previously served as director of energy policy for Duke Energy Corporation and as director of government affairs and regulatory policy for Duke Energy International, building internal teams while developing constructive relationships with key stakeholders in the Americas and Europe. Before joining Duke, Dr. Gant served as public spokesperson for the Louisiana Alliance for Lower Electric Rates, on the faculty of the Department of Economics at Louisiana State University and as assistant professor of economics at the University of Louisville. Paula received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from McNeese State University and a Ph.D. in economics from Auburn University. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Neil Meyer and son, Mason.

Anna Garcia is Acting Program Manager of the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program in the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, providing leadership to maximize the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy through technology deployment, accessing new partnerships and resources and communications and outreach activities.

Prior to that Ms Garcia served as Executive Director of the Ozone Transport Commission (OTC), 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 OTC she was Director of Operations and State Programs for the non-profit Center for Energy and Climate Solutions, a division of the Global Environment and Technology Foundation. She provides unique environmental and energy expertise in 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 Masters of Business Administration from George Washington University.
 

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

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

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

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

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

Donald Gilligan is the President of the National Association of Energy Services Companies (NAESCO). He is responsible for coordinating NAESCO's federal and state advocacy activities as well as its relationships with other national and regional energy efficiency organizations. Mr. Gilligan has worked in the energy efficiency industry since 1975, as a consultant, entrepreneur, and state government official. He is the author and co-author of a number of reports on energy efficiency and the growth of the ESCO industry, which have been published by NAESCO and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and is a graduate of Harvard University.

David Gipson joined GEFA in February 2008 as the Director of the Division of Energy Resources. The Division administers the State Energy Program; State Facilities Program; Weatherization Assistance Program; Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant; Governor’s Energy Challege; State Energy Strategy and Energy Assurance Program.

David is a certified Professional Energy Manager, a southeastern representative of the NASEO Board, and a member of the State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB) for the Secretary of DOE. David has a Masters of Public Administration in Natural Resource Management, a Graduate Certificate in Disaster Management, and a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Protection.

Prior to coming to GEFA, David spent 14 years working on business sustainability programs and hazardous waste management.

Phil Giudice is CEO of LMBC. Mr. Giudice has more than 30 years’ experience in the energy industry as a geologist, consultant, executive, and state official. He was appointed by US Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu to the DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewables Advisory Committee and its State Energy Advisory Board. Most recently Mr. Giudice served the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as Undersecretary of Energy and as Commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources. Prior to his service in the Patrick-Murray Administration, Mr. Giudice was Senior Vice President and board member at EnerNOC. He was previously a senior partner and leader of Mercer Management Consulting’s global energy utilities practice for 20 years. Mr. Giudice is a board member for the energy business leadership trade group Advanced Energy Economy as well as the efficiency start-up FirstFuel. Mr. Giudice holds a BS from the University of New Hampshire, an MS from the University of Arizona, and an MBA from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

A 37-year veteran of the telecommunications industry, Sandra Goeken Miles currently serves as President of the Goeken Group-Corp., headquartered in Naperville, Illinois whose wholly owned
subsidiary is PolyBrite International.

PolyBrite International offers LED lighting under the Borealis Lighting brand name. PolyBrite is the developer of advanced technologies bringing LED lighting into the general illumination field since 1995. PolyBrite bulbs are 100% green with no mercury or hazardous material, last up to 10 years, emit no heat or UV rays and use 90% less energy consumption than everyday bulbs. Throughout her career, Ms. Goeken Miles crossed cultural barriers to provide air-to-ground telecommunications services to foreign countries. As the past chairman and CEO of In-Flight Phone International, and President of Airfone, Inc., Sandra helped pioneer the air-toground industry.

To expand globally, she set up international corporations in Canada, South America, Europe, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Australia, Thailand and Indonesia and served on the boards of these corporations. In Canada a public company was acquired through a reverse takeover on the Ottawa Exchange which then was moved on to the Toronto Exchange.

Ms. Goeken Miles was also instrumental in the startups of Business Telecommunications, which was sold to a Canadian phone company and Goeken Systems’ FTD Floral Network, Inc.

In 1992, President George H. W. Bush appointed Ms. Goeken Miles to the Federal Communication Commission’s Small Business Advisory Committee, where she was elected Chair of the New Technology subcommittee.

Ms. Goeken Miles has addressed audiences worldwide on a myriad of topics. Sandra has served as an adjunct professor at Southern Illinois University (SIU) who chose her as the Chicago Business Leader of the Year in 1993 and in 1995 presented Ms. Goeken Miles with an honorary doctorate degree of Commercial Science. In 1996, the University of Illinois at Chicago inducted Ms. Goeken Miles into the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame and in 1992, the University of St. Francis presented her with an Honorary Bachelor of Commercial Sciences Degree. She has served on the Board of Rush Copley Hospital, Success Magazine, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), DuPage Children’s Museum, Joliet Junior College, University of St. Francis and Clean Energy Trust.

Marion S. Gold was recently appointed as Commissioner of Energy Resources which works to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy in the State of Rhode Island and offers programs to assist residents, businesses, cities and towns, and institutions with their energy needs. As a small, densely settled state, Rhode Island has few energy sources, therefore, the office works to secure its energy independence by increasing its supply options to include energy efficiency and renewable energy and to rely less on oil, gas, coal and nuclear energy that are produced outside the state. Gold previously served as Director of the University of Rhode Island's (URI) Outreach and Energy Center, and as Coordinator of URI's Extension Education and Research Program. Prior to that, she was Director of the Recycling Program at the Rhode Island Resource Management Corporation and Senior Environmental Planner for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Gold earned her PhD in Environmental Studies from the University of Rhode Island, her MS in Environmental Economies from Michigan State University, and her BS in Natural Resources Science and Policy from the University of Michigan.

Alyson Grady joined the Illinois Energy Office of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity in December 2009 after nearly a decade working with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. As the state’s Renewable Energy Manager, she oversees all programs promoting solar, wind, biofuel, and other renewable energy sources. While serving at IEPA, Alyson worked on developing wetland and stream program initiatives at the State and Federal level, as well as coordinating with numerous state and federal agencies for project development and permitting activities. Since joining DCEO, she has been responsible for directing projects made possible under the renewable energy and green industry business development portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. (ARRA) as well as the state Renewable Energy Resources Program. Alyson received her B.S. in Biology -- with a concentration in Chemistry – in May 1995 from Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University).

Greg Guess serves as the Director of the Division of Efficiency and Conservation, a unit within the Kentucky Department for Energy Development and Independence. He has over thirty-four years' experience in energy policy development and program implementation, in both the public and private sectors. He was involved in the planning and development of the Commonwealth's first energy agency.

He currently manages the state's energy efficiency programs, including the federally-funded State Energy Plan (SEP) a principal source of funding for the Division.

He has a B.A. in History from the University of Kentucky.

Chuck Guinn currently serves as Northeast Regional Coordinator for the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), of which he was the founding Chairman.

His thirty-two years of experience in New York State government included being a member of the management team that founded the New York State Energy Office in 1976. Mr. Guinn was closely involved in the development of the various Energy Office Programs and became Deputy Commissioner in1980-1995. He served as the staff manager for the various New York State Energy Plan processes thus leading a broad interagency team developing policy and programs. Duties included representing New York in many National Governors Association energy task forces, representing New York in many regional and international working groups and working with local governments on program development. He was Chair of the State Energy Advisory Board to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy.

In 1995 Mr. Guinn founded Strategic Guidance Associates to serve clients in the energy, environment and transportation fields. He served as an advisor to the World Bank on energy efficiency programs in emerging markets especially China and Brazil. This assignment covered over 10 years and 25 World Bank missions. Notable achievement of this activity was the successful introduction and development of energy performance contracting and energy service companies in China. Mr. Guinn is serving as the Advisor of the Coalition of Northeast Governors on energy policy and programs. He has worked with a number of states on program development activities.

Mr. Guinn is currently working with NASEO to help the Northeast States develop and implement effective energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, especially those funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

His academic credentials include a BS in civil engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and a MS in civil engineering from Northwestern University. His honors include Sigma XI--National Science and Tau Beta Pi--National Engineering.

Chairman Kevin Gunn was appointed to the Missouri Public Service Commission on March 13, 2008. He was appointed Chairman by Gov. Jay Nixon on February 10, 2011.

Prior to his appointment, Gunn was an attorney in St. Louis.

In 2000, Chairman Gunn joined the Gephardt in Congress Committee, working for Democratic Leader Richard A. Gephardt.

From January 2003 until January 2005, Chairman Gunn was chief of staff to Rep. Richard Gephardt overseeing all Congressional operations in Washington D.C. and St. Louis.

Chairman Gunn received his BA in political science from American University in 1992 and earned his J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law in 1996.

Maureen Guttman, AIA is a licensed architect with over twenty-five years of experience in energy-efficient and green building design. As BCAP’s Executive Director, Maureen has overseen the launch of a nationwide campaign to support the adoption of today’s model energy codes. In addition, she directs several technical, outreach, and advocacy projects to help various stakeholder groups realize the benefits of energy codes and efficient buildings.

Prior to joining BCAP, Maureen spent four years as the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Green Government Council, where she managed programs that provided over $34 million in consumer incentives for energy efficiency projects, developed construction incentive programs that required high-performance building standards, and other policies that encouraged efficiency and green buildings. Maureen has served on several energy and green construction code development boards, the Pennsylvania Green Energy Loan Fund Advisory Board, and the International Code Council Sustainable Building Technology Committee. In 2010 Maureen was awarded the President’s Award by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in recognition of a career dedicated to advancing building code adoption and enforcement, and incorporation of sustainability into regulated building practices. Maureen holds a Bachelor’s in Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University.

Andrew G. Hashimoto, is Professor of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering and Director of the Western Pacific Sun Grant Subcenter at the University of Hawaii. He is a Hawai‘i native, but lived most of his life away from Hawai‘i. Hashimoto was born on Maui, moved to the Big Island as a young child, and then to Oa‘hu. He graduated from Punahou School in 1962. He left Hawai‘i in 1962 to attend Purdue University, where he earned a B.S. in civil engineering in 1966 and a M.S. in environmental engineering in 1967. He received a Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from Cornell University in 1972.

While a graduate student at Cornell, he started working for the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in a program to assist egg producers manage their wastes. ARS sent Hashimoto to Clay Center, Nebraska in 1976 to start its agricultural engineering program at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center. His research focused on bioconversion of livestock waste into methane gas.

In 1986, Hashimoto left ARS to become head of the bioresource engineering department at Oregon State University. His major research area was the conversion of the crop residue to ethanol. In 1995, he became OSU’s vice provost for academic affairs, where he was responsible for undergraduate academic programs, enrollment management, academic personnel, institutional accreditation, precollege programs, summer session, and ROTC. Hashimoto was named dean of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources in October 2000. On July 1, 2010 he returned to the faculty as Professor of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. His research is focused on biofuel production.

Hashimoto is the recipient of the Arthur S. Fleming Award, presented annually to ten outstanding young federal employees by the Jaycees of Washington, D.C.; Beaver Champion Award, presented by the President of Oregon State University for outstanding service to the University; and the U.S. Public Health and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowships. He has served as editor of two scientific journals: Bioresource Technology and Biological Wastes.
 

Brian Henderson has over 35 years of experience in energy efficiency for both public and private organizations as a consultant, senior manager, department head, program designer and project engineer. He is currently an independent energy management consultant serving as the Southeast Regional Coordinator for the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) helping to facilitate communications and provide technical assistance to 9 Southeast states and 2 territories.

For the past two years, Mr. Henderson has also been providing consulting services on behalf of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) encouraging greater energy efficiency in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. He is also an energy consultant for The World Bank, as a member of an international team assisting in the design of energy efficiency programs. Previously, for over 12 years, Mr. Henderson was the Director of Energy Efficiency Services at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and for over 17 years held various positions with the New York State Energy Office. He has also served on the Board of Directors and held numerous officer positions with various national and regional energy related organizations. Mr. Henderson has a B.S. in Physics and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

Ms. Horton, Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, has over 30 years experience managing energy programs for New York State. Her focus has been on market development aspects of energy efficiency and alternative fuels for the commercial/industrial sector including efforts to encourage the supply chain to offer efficient products and services to their customers. Currently, Ms Horton is responsible for cross-cutting initiatives within NYSERDA to develop new programs, and to secure new resources for NYSERDA's comprehensive research, demonstration and deployment portfolio. She also serves as NYSERDA's liaison for federal agencies and several national organizations.

Ms. Horton holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Albany.
 

Mateo Jaramillo is the Director of Powertrain Business Development at Tesla Motors, where he focuses on expanding Tesla's electric Powertrain supply to vehicle OEMs, and developing applications of the technology both in and outside the vehicle environment. Prior to Tesla Motors, Mr. Jaramillo was an independent consultant for grid connected energy storage applications, where he co-authored a winning grant for DOE Smart Grid Energy Storage Demonstration funding, and before that served as Chief Operating Officer at Gaia Power Technologies, a provider of distributed turn-key energy storage systems for the retail and utility markets. As the COO at Gaia, Mr. Jaramillo managed all operational aspects of Gaia's backup power and utility business, as well as developed and maintained multiple sales channels, including pilot projects with national retail outlets, and an OEM relationship for Gaia's products with a leading manufacturer of high-end surge protection equipment. Previous to Gaia, Mr. Jaramillo served as Product Marketing Director for Interactive Television at Predictive Networks a set top box software provider. Mr. Jaramillo holds a Masters in Theology from Yale Divinity School and graduated cum laude from Harvard with an A.B. in Economics.

Ro Khanna was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1976, America's bicentennial year. He now lives in Fremont, California and has been involved in his local community for years. He developed a passion for public service from his family. His parents immigrated to this country to pursue the American dream. His father came to the University of Michigan to study engineering and still spends his Saturdays cheering for the Wolverines. His mother, a former substitute school teacher, raised him to believe that anything is possible in America. Ro's commitment to service is rooted in his belief that the American dream that inspired his family should also inspire future generations.

Ro recently returned to Fremont after spending two years working for the Obama Administration in Washington D.C. Ro served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary at Commerce (Sanchez letter). In this capacity, he managed 108 domestic Commerce offices that help companies export and innovate (Linkedin profile). Under his leadership, we are on track to meet the President’s National Export Initiative Goal of doubling exports by 2014. Nationally, exports grew by about 17% in 2010, and they are on pace to grow by about the same this year. This rate of growth marked a significant increase from previous years.

During his time in the Obama Administration, Ro was named to the White House Business Council. In this capacity, he held meetings with business and labor leaders across the country and advocated for policies to strengthen American competitiveness in a global economy. Ro also led and planned many clean technology trade missions and supported the Green Embassy program. This program allows American clean technology companies to showcase their products in our embassies overseas.

While in Washington, Ro never forgot about issues back home in the East Bay. He helped Fremont secure resources after the NUMMI plant closure to build a new manufacturing base. He worked with local leaders to support the I-Gate innovation cluster, a partnership between local government and the private sector to incubate high technology companies in Alameda County.

Prior to his service in the Administration, Ro was an intellectual property attorney with O'Melveny & Myers. He worked on a number of pro bono cases with the Mississippi Center of Justice. While at O’Melveny, Ro worked with Speaker Pelosi, Congresswoman Eshoo, and Congresswoman Lofgren to shape the party’s innovation agenda. Ro also enjoys the ongoing opportunity to work with students. He taught American Jurisprudence as an Adjunct Professor at San Francisco State, and he volunteered for Irvington’s We The People high school team in Fremont.

Ro is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in economics from the University of Chicago, and a graduate of Yale Law School. He was a clerk for Judge Morris S. Arnold on the Eighth Circuit.

He is currently Of Counsel at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, a Palo Alto based law firm, where he specializes in representing high technology companies. Ro is on the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, I-Gate, and Innovation Tri Valley. He also is a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Economics at Stanford University.

Dr. Theresa Kotanchek is the Global VP for Sustainable Technologies and Innovation Sourcing. In this role, she leads the strategic planning and integration of sustainability into Dow’s innovation platforms and R&D function, working as an R&D member of Dow’s Sustainability Leadership team. As Dow's global R&D focal point for External Technology Leadership, she coordinates external bodies including universities, national labs, government agencies and development partners, with the responsibility to maximizing external sourcing for R&D as well as coordinate Dow’s corporate wide interactions to maximize effectiveness and access to external resources and to build Dow’s brand. In addition she provides corporate oversight of global EHS for R&D. She is based Midland, Michigan.

In 2000, Kotanchek was appointed senior R&D director for INSITE™ Technology and New Business Development for Dow Plastics. In 2003, she was named Senior Director of Technology for Dow’s Growth Center.In 2004, Kotanchek was promoted to Global R&D Director for Ventures.In November 2005, Kotanchek was named as Chief Technology Officer of Dow Asia Pacific. In this role, she led all Asia Pacific R&D, including the development and staffing of Dow’s new state-of-the-art R&D center in Shanghai, China.

Kotanchek holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science, a Masters of Science in Ceramic Science, and a Bachelor of Science in Ceramic Science & Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University.
 

Dan was appointed as Deputy Director of the Office of External Affairs, Department of Environmental Protection, in July 2011. Dan’s role is to serve as the liaison between DEP and outside stakeholders whose interests are directly related to or impacted by the agency’s mission. In addition to working with industry, environmental organizations, and other external stakeholders, Dan oversees the Pennsylvania’s State Energy Office and the DEP/DCNR Environmental Education Center.

Dan began his career with the DEP over 10 years ago as a Soil Scientist in the Southcentral Regional Office and spent three years as an Executive Policy Specialist in DEP’s Policy Office before being appointed as Deputy Director. Dan has worked on a wide range of environmental issues including mineral resource extraction, energy, air quality, recycling, waste management and brownfield redevelopment.

Allen Lee is an Executive Director at The Cadmus Group in the Portland, Oregon, office. He is a nationally recognized expert in issues related to building energy codes and appliance standards. He led the California Energy Commission’s development of codes and standards in the early 1980s and has worked on such codes and standards for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and two major consulting firms. He is currently the principal investigator evaluating the impact of the California utilities’ Codes and Standards Program and a study for Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships developing a protocol for addressing the role of program administrators in advancing energy codes. Dr. Lee has an M.S. and Ph.D. in policy analysis from the RAND Graduate School, an M.S. in aerospace engineering from University of Southern California, and a B.S. in engineering from Caltech.

Ward Lenz joined the North Carolina Energy Office, which is part of the N.C. Department of Commerce, in October 2009 when he was named director. The office oversees nearly $232 million in U.S. Recovery Act funds, through which it has distributed more than 360 grants to communities and agencies across North Carolina. The office also includes the N.C. Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides funding for home weatherization services to low income families in the state. In addition, the office is the home of the state’s nationally recognized Utility Savings Initiative, which over the last five years, has saved the state’s taxpayers more than $325 million in avoided utility costs while investing $11 million into utility savings improvements in North Carolina government, university and community college facilities.

Before joining the Energy Office, he was the energy programs director at Advanced Energy, a North Carolina and national resource that focuses on industrial process technologies, motors and drives testing and applied building science. With the dual responsibility of being energy programs director and manager of the organization’s utility partners, Lenz’s leadership led Advanced Energy in collaborating with groups in more than 30 states, the federal government and utilities across the country. Starting in 2001, Lenz served as the liaison between the organization and government agencies, and helped the company secure more than $5 million in government contracts.

Prior to joining Advanced Energy, Lenz worked at the Iowa State Energy Office in a variety of roles including energy data analyst, spokesman and energy emergency coordinator. He served the state of Iowa as spokesman for matters relating to ethanol, biodiesel, biomass, landfill gas and wind energy, as well as for energy supplies and prices.

Lenz holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Drake University.

Matthew Light is an infrastructure systems analyst for the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). He is responsible for developing analytic products, informing plans and policies, and coordinating with federal and private sector partners as part of DOE’s role in protecting critical energy infrastructure under the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP). He is currently serving as the program manager for the Electricity Subsector Cybersecurity Risk Management Process (RMP) guideline and Electricity Subsector Cybersecurity Capability Maturity Model (ES-C2M2). He holds a B.S. in Materials Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University.

Ms. Alice Lippert is currently employed with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) where she serves as the Senior Technical Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration (ISER). She is responsible for DOE’s State and Local Government Energy Assurance Outreach Program.

Ms. Lippert is a Senior Energy Infrastructure Analyst for energy reliability and security programs and has over 25 years dealing with energy markets and emergency response events.

During energy emergencies, she serves as the Emergency Response Operations Director and is also the Continuity of Operations Coordinator (COOP) for her Office.

She was formerly the Director of the Infrastructure Analysis and Planning Directorate, leading a team of analysts on energy infrastructure security and reliability projects. She is responsible for publishing multiple articles and reports on energy reliability and response topics.

Prior to joining the current office, Ms. Lippert was employed as an Energy Economist with the Energy Information Administration (EIA) where she served as the Project Manager for the State Heating Oil and Propane Project and Survey Manager of EIA's Annual Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales Report Project. She was one of EIA’s resident senior petroleum analysts.

Ms. Lippert was also employed as an Economist for the Bureau of Labor Statistics', Consumer Expenditure Survey, a large household consumption survey used to update the basket of goods and services in the Consumer Price Index.

Ms Lippert holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Dakota.

Scott Miller is the Director of Sustainability and Product Affairs at Knauf Insulation. He is responsible for Knauf’s external relations with agencies, key standard-setting organizations and interest groups. In this role, his areas of interest include promoting sustainable development, the value of energy efficiency, and the fair and balanced performance of all genres of insulation products.

Scott is involved in a wide range of industry organizations. He is Chairman of the Sustainability and Environment Committee of the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA), as well as serving on the Regulatory Affairs Committee. Scott is active in ASHRAE (past Chairman of Fundamentals Chapter 23 – Mechanical Insulation, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, the U.S. Green Building Council, ASTM and others.

As a mechanical engineer, with more than 30 years of product assessment and testing experience, Scott is a recognized expert in the performance of insulation products, with a special focus on elevated temperature performance and sustainability. Scott holds 12 U.S. Patents, and his recent work with Knauf includes an emphasis on environmental issues, as the industry works to promote insulation’s role in reducing energy consumption and preserving our natural resources, while maintaining comfortable and healthy indoor environments.

Louise M. Moore has a B.S. Degree from Montana State University. She has worked in the fields of energy conservation, pollution prevention and environmental protection for the past 25 years. Much of her career was with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation where she managed information and incentive based programs for builders and architects on home design and construction; grant and loan programs to develop renewable energy resources; and programs to renovate schools, hospitals and state government buildings. In 1997, Moore became the Chief of the Pollution Prevention Bureau at the Department of Environmental Quality. She was responsible for a diverse group of multi media programs generally aimed at protecting water resources and reducing the toxicity and volume of wastes and emissions generated from a variety of different sources. Those programs included wetland protection, the source water protection of public drinking water supplies, small business assistance, biomass energy and source reduction and recycling market development programs. In 2004 Moore became the Chief of the newly formed Air, Energy, and Pollution Prevention Bureau at the Department of Environmental Quality. Her current responsibilities include oversight of air quality monitoring for Montana, oversight of energy conservation, renewable energy and energy.

William Nesmith is currently the Senior Energy Advisor for the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) located in Alexandria, Virginia. In this position Mr. Nesmith provides expert advice and consultation to NASEO on a variety of energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable development, and international programs. A major client for international advice is the United States Department of Energy.

Mr. Nesmith's background includes a Master of Science degree and over twenty-five years experience in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy. He has worked as a land use planner for local government, been a program manager with state government, served as a public utilities specialist with the U.S. Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration, and served as the Assistant Director for Energy Efficiency at the Oregon Department of Energy.

Mr. Osborn has extensive experience (34 yrs) in energy efficiency, heating plant, and renewable projects and for the majority of his career led one of the most successful energy and water management programs in the federal government. At Rock Island Arsenal, a world-class Department of Defense industrial site, he accomplished 36% energy, 50% coal, and 69% water reductions including 30% on-site renewable electric generation. From January 2009 to present, he has managed Wisconsin’s energy bond fund program ($180 million) which provides for Energy Saving Performance Contracting (ESPC) projects across all state facilities. This currently involves major projects at the University of Wisconsin Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Platteville, Eau Claire, and numerous other campuses or state institutions. Mr. Osborn has also been involved in Wisconsin’s sustainability program, Off-grid Initiative, renewable, and other conservation programs for state facilites. Mr. Osborn’s professional recognition includes four Federal Energy Management Program awards and four Secretary of the Army Energy Program awards. He was also recognized as Federal Energy Champion by the Department of Energy in 2008. This coming October, at the World Energy Engineering Congress in Atlanta, he will be recognized by the Association of Energy Engineers as the “International” 2012 Energy Manager of the Year.

Lopa Parikh is Director of Federal Regulatory Affairs for Energy Supply for Edison Electric Institute (“EEI”). In that role, she is responsible for identifying and assessing key policy issues of interest to EEI’s members and helps direct the development of EEI industry positions at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on issues involving energy supply and deliverability. Prior to joining EEI, Ms. Parikh was Director of RTO and Regulatory Affairs at Old Dominion Electric Cooperative as well as Assistant People’s Counsel in the District of Columbia and Assistant Consumer’s Counsel in Ohio. In these positions, Ms. Parikh worked on a variety of issues in the retail and wholesale electric markets and represented retail ratepayers before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other regulatory agencies. Prior to joining the energy industry, Ms. Parikh worked as a county prosecutor in Ohio.

Ms. Parikh received her Juris Doctor from the Ohio State University College of Law and her Bachelor of Science from the University of Akron.

Jeffrey Pillon is the Director of Energy Assurance for the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO). In this capacity he is providing technical support to states who have received a total of $38 million nationally in support of a three year program to update their energy emergency response plans and work towards enhancing the resiliency of critical energy infrastructure. He also has Special Term Appointment to Argonne National Laboratory, Infrastructure Assurance Center.

Mr. Pillon has lectured nationally on energy assurance planning and preparedness and designed and assisted in conducting a series of multi-state regional energy emergency exercises and after action workshops. He is the principal author and editor of the State Energy Assurance Guidelines developed by NASEO and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissions (NARUC). He represents NASEO on the Government Coordinating Council for the Energy Sector under the National Infrastructure Protection Plan and serves on the Electric Power Research Institute’s Energy Efficiency/Smart Grid Public Advisory Group. He is the past chairs the Energy Data and Security Committee for the NASEO and a past member and chair of the NARUC Staff Subcommittee on Critical Infrastructure.

Mr. Pillon worked for the State of Michigan from 1973 to 2009. During this time he was Manager of Energy Data & Security for the Michigan Public Service Commission and was responsible for monitoring energy supply and demand, short term energy forecasting, emergency preparedness and management of the Commission’s website and information technology applications. He also served as the Emergency Management Coordinator for the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth and represents the department at the State Emergency Operation Center. He was a member of the Michigan Homeland Security Preparedness Committee; Michigan Homeland Security Advisory Council; chaired the Michigan Critical Infrastructure Protection Committee and later co-chaired of the Energy Sector Committee of the Michigan Infrastructure Coordinating Committee.

Mr. Pillon is a graduate of Michigan State University in Political Science.

Jim Ploger is a Regional Coordinator for the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO). He is responsible for a 10-state area of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. In July of 2009, Mr. Ploger retired from the Energy Office at the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC). He worked for the KCC since 1991. Appointed the Division's Director in 1994, Mr. Ploger managed the U.S. Department of Energy's State Energy Program for Kansas. The Kansas program involved over $1 million in funding for renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation programs. The office is the lead state agency for alternative fuel vehicle programs. Also included are renewable energy programs for biomass, solar, and wind energy resources. Other programs include energy education, energy conservation measures for schools, energy building codes and standards education and training programs, and energy efficiency programs for government, business and industry.

Mr. Ploger has held memberships in numerous energy related organizations and associations including the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO); Energy Services Coalition (ESC), National Board of Directors; Energy Programs Consortium (EPC), National Board of Directors; American Wind Energy Association (AWEA); National Wind Coordinating Collaborative (NASEO Delegate); Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) Standards Committee; and numerous other energy associations and organizations.

Dan Reicher is Executive Director of the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance at Stanford University, a joint center of the Stanford Law School and Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he also holds faculty positions. Reicher has more than 25 years of experience in energy technology, policy, and finance, including serving in the Clinton administration at the Department of Energy as Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and recently as a member of President Obama's Transition Team. Reicher came to Stanford in 2011 from Google, where he served since 2007 as Director of Climate Change and Energy Initiatives.

Reicher also serves as Senior Advisor to the Atlantic Wind Connection, a project backed by Google and other investors to build an underwater transmission line for offshore wind power along the US east coast. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences Board on Energy and Environmental Systems and Chairman of the Board of the American Council on Renewable Energy. He is also a member of the boards of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, the Hewlett-Packard Environmental Advisory Council, and the Advanced Energy Economy Advisory Committee.

Reicher holds a BA in biology from Dartmouth College and a JD from Stanford Law School. He also studied at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and MIT.
 

Kara Saul Rinaldi is the Executive Director of the National Home Performance Council, a new non-profit, DC-based organization that is committed to promoting energy efficiency building retrofits, especially focused on whole-house retrofits.

Kara has directed national policy, communications, and grassroots campaigns spearheading education efforts with the Administration and Congress on tax, appropriations, and authorization issues for national and international NGOs and corporations. An expert in energy and climate policy, she 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 Time. Kara also appears in podcasts and as a news guest for National Public Radio.
Kara has also served as the Director of Government and Public Affairs for Owens Corning, the Senior Director of Policy for the Alliance to Save Energy and worked on the Climate Change Campaign at World Wildlife Fund and in the offices of Rep. Lynn C. Woolsey (D-Calif.) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). Kara has been elected to the board of different 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 holds a masters degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelors degree from the University of California, San Diego.

As the Senior Manager of Transportation Fuels at the Colorado Energy Office (GEO), Alex works to develop, implement and promote the use of alternative fuels in Colorado. Prior to joining the GEO in 2011, he was the Program Director for Alternative Transportation Fuels and Nuclear Waste Transportation at the Western Governors’ Association, where he advised the Governors and WGA’s Executive Director and worked with diverse stakeholders on a variety of energy and nuclear waste policy issues from 2005 to 2011. Alex has also worked for the Colorado Energy Research Institute on policies to encourage innovation in the energy space and for and PA Consulting on asset valuation in the electric utility industry. He received his B.S. in General Engineering and completed the Professional Pilot Program at the University of Illinois and has an M.S. in Engineering and Technology Management from the Colorado School of Mines.

Scott Schroeder is the General Manager for Energy Services Group (ESG), a Honeywell Company in its Energy and Environmental Solutions business unit. Scott is exclusively responsible for the Local Government, Higher Education, K-12 Education and Healthcare markets in the central United States. He is responsible for the assessment and development of programs to meet the needs of clients for optimum facility efficiency, comfort and environmental stewardship. Scott has been with ESG and Honeywell for 16 years. During this time he has held numerous positions including: Service Manager, National Account Manager, Global Sales Operations Director, Operations Manager and for the past 3 years Leader for Honeywell’s regional Energy Services business. In this role he has served as liaison to the DOE, lead the team that is implementing a wind turbine living lab at a technical college and coordinated the implementation of a $30M program at a higher education campus that has realized over 40% reduction in baseline utility usage in the first 800,000 square feet completed. His areas of expertise include HVAC mechanical design, advanced control systems application and design, building commissioning, and business management.

Steven Schultz is responsible for the development and execution of corporate energy strategies for 3M operations worldwide. His department develops tools and resources that 3M facilities can use to improve efficiency and supports a network of energy champions who lead the energy program at 3M manufacturing plants. Steve's department coordinates 3M's participation in various voluntary programs such as the ENERGY STAR program which has awarded 3M the Sustained Excellence award for five consecutive years.

During his twenty-nine year career with 3M, Steve has held positions in manufacturing, engineering and energy management. Steve has been responsible for 3M's energy management program for the past eleven years.

Steve is a Certified Energy Manager with the Association of Energy Engineers and was named a Champion of Energy Efficiency by the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy. He participates in an advisory role with the U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Technologies Program.

As President of AES Energy Storage, LLC, Chris Shelton leads the AES Corporation business unit with 84 MW of advanced energy storage systems in operation and construction and another 500 MW of projects in near-term development. He has over 15 years of technology related development and systems architecture experience and has been a leader in the origination of new business efforts at AES. These efforts include the launch of a retail electricity business where he pioneered the bundling of environmental offsets with customer electricity consumption and began the first AES wind development efforts.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics and currently sits on the Board of the Electricity Storage Association.

Adam Sieminski was sworn in on June 4, 2012 as the eighth Administrator of the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). From March 2012 to May 2012, while awaiting confirmation as EIA Administrator, Mr. Sieminski served as a senior director on the staff of the National Security Council. From 2005 until March 2012, he was the Chief Energy Economist for Deutsche Bank, working with the Bank's global commodities research and trading units. Drawing on extensive industry, government, and academic sources, Mr. Sieminski forecasted energy market trends and wrote on a variety of topics involving energy economics, climate change, geopolitics, and commodity prices.

From 1998 to 2005 he served as the Director and energy strategist for Deutsche Bank's global oil and gas equity team. Prior to that, from 1988-1997, Mr. Sieminski was the senior energy analyst for NatWest Securities in the United States, covering the major U.S. international integrated oil companies.

He also had acted as a senior advisor to the Energy and National Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a nonpartisan policy think-tank in Washington. He is a senior fellow and ex-president of the U.S. Association for Energy Economics and served as president of the National Association of Petroleum Investment Analysts.

In 2006, Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman appointed Mr. Sieminski to the U.S. National Petroleum Council (NPC), an advisory group to the U.S. Secretary of Energy, where he helped author the NPC's Global Oil and Gas Study: The Hard Truths.

In addition to his affiliation with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, he was also an advisory board member of the Global Energy and Environment Initiative at Johns Hopkins University/SAIS. He has also served as chairman of the Supply-Demand Committee of the Independent Petroleum Association and as an advisory member of the Strategic Energy Task Force of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a member of the Washington, DC investment professional society, and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. He received both an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering and a master's degree in Public Administration from Cornell University.

Chad Smith is the Deputy Chief of the Office of Energy in the Ohio Department of Development. The Office works to connect companies and communities with financial and technical resources in order to adopt energy efficiency and deploy advanced energy technologies across the state. In this role, he provides direction and guidance to technical and administrative staff, develops and implements division and agency goals and objectives, develops policy and programs, and leads efforts to administer annual state funding of more than $15 million and $150 million in federal stimulus energy programs.

Chad joined the Ohio Department of Development in November 2007 and has served the Department in a number of roles before taking on his current assignment. Chad previously worked in the utility industry on international renewable energy projects/power investment deals and as a meteorologist in the US Navy. He holds a BA from The Ohio State University and a MA from the International University of Japan.

Brandi Stensos is the Alternative Fuels Product Leader for GE Capital, Fleet Services. Brandi has spent the last seven years of her career with GE Capital, in various Commercial roles. Prior to that, she worked in the Financial Services industry. Brandi has an MBA with a Marketing focus. Her undergraduate studies focused on Accounting and Computer Science.

RK Stewart, FAIA, NCARB, Hon. FRAIC, Hon. JIA, Hon. RAIA, LEED AP® is is Vice Chairman of the National Institute of Building Sciences Board of Directors. An architect, he was elected to the Board in 2008 in the public interest category. He serves on the Annual Report Committee and chairs the Strategic Plan and Development Committee. In 2009, Stewart chaired the Board’s Certification and Accreditation Task Group, which drafted a special report. He also is Board Liaison to the buildingSMART alliance.

An Associate Principal in the San Francisco office of architectural firm Perkins+Will, RK Stewart has extensive experience in large scale, mixed-use projects, institutional projects, renovation/restoration projects and office projects. He also is a wide resource for planning code, building code, historic preservation, building technology and similar issues. In addition to his project leadership responsibilities, RK is a leader in efforts to develop and implement project delivery, documentation and interdisciplinary design advancements firm-wide.

Stewart is involved in advocacy efforts across the state of California and the nation. He was elected to serve as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) National President in 2007, the year AIA celebrated its 150th Anniversary. An active member of the AIA since 1987, Stewart has held numerous board and committee positions at the National AIA, AIA California Council and AIA San Francisco over the course of two decades. He was invested into the AIA College of Fellows in 2001.

Stewart also is involved in registration and certification activities. He has served on the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, the National Architectural Accrediting Board and the California Architects Board.

In San Francisco, Stewart has been a member of the Department of Building Inspection’s Technical Advisory Committee and Disabled Access Advisory Task Force and previously served on the Code Enforcement Task Force. He is a member of San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR). He was on the Mayor’s Access Policy Advisory Group.

A registered architect in both California and Michigan, Stewart has taught in the Schools of Architecture at both Mississippi State University and Louisiana State University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental design from the University of Kansas (Lawrence) and received his master’s degree in architecture from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Stewart has written numerous publications, including book forewords, opinion editorials, and has been quoted in more than 100 news articles, television and radio interviews. He has served on 15 awards juries and has been a speaker, keynote, or moderator at more than 50 conferences, conventions, press conferences or legislative testimonies over the course of his career.

For his decades-long commitment to the profession and project work, a number of organizations have recognized Stewart with awards and fellowships, including the Australian Institute of Architects, Japanese Institute of Architects, Design Futures Council, University of Kansas, Royal Canadian Institute of Architects, American Institute of Architects, California Architects Board, California Preservation Foundation, Pre-Cast Concrete Institute of America, and the Foundation for San Francisco’s Architectural Heritage.

Monica Stone is the Energy Program Manager for the Iowa Department of Administrative Services. Since September 2011, Monica has led the effort to establish the Iowa Energy Bank, which is a program providing the necessary outreach, technical assistance, financing, and project management for public sector investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy. In the past year, this program has been the catalyst for the implementation of more than $30 million in cost effective public/non-profit energy projects. Monica has 22 years of experience working with environmental programs, particularly in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy and environmental compliance. Monica’s background is principally in creating and delivering outreach, education and financing programs that have allowed government and industry to save millions of dollars in energy and environmental costs.

Janet Streff is the manager of the State Energy Office, located in the Minnesota Department of Commerce. In this capacity she directs professional staff with responsibilities for the state's utility conservation program, other state incentive and rebate programs as well as multiple programs funded through the US Department of Energy.

The US Department of Energy programs include the State Energy Program, which promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy by providing technical assistance and consumer information, the new Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, which provides targeted funding to cities and counties, and the Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides energy conservation improvements to low-income homes.

Janet was appointed by Secretary Chu in November 2009 to chair the State Energy Advisory Board, a board established by Congress in 1991 to advise the US Department of Energy on the implementation of its EERE programs and the deployment of new technologies. She is also a past chair of the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and sits on the board of MN GreenStar, a residential sustainable building certification organization.

Prior to joining the State Energy Office in1995, Janet managed commercial construction. She is a certified building official, holds a B.A. from the University of North Dakota and an M.A. (Public Administration) from Hamline University.

Dub Taylor is the Director of the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO), which is operated by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Under his direction, SECO helps the state make the most of domestic energy, reduce state and local government energy costs and promote cost-effective clean energy technologies. SECO's mission is to maximize energy efficiency while protecting the environment.

Prior to joining SECO in 1999, Taylor’s public sector experience includes six years with the Texas Railroad Commission’s Alternative Fuels Research and Education Division. Taylor's private sector experience was focused in commercial real estate, property appraisal and property tax consulting.

A native of Dallas and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Taylor resides in Austin with his wife, two children and two dogs. Taylor currently serves on, and is actively involved in a number of energy efficiency and clean energy-focused national, state and local organizations.

National, State and Local Organizations

National

• National Association of State Energy Officials – past Chairman, Executive Committee
• National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency - Leadership Group
• National Council on Electricity Policy - Steering Committee Member
• National Home Performance Council – Board Member
• U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Advisory Board – past Chairman

State

• State Cogeneration Council - Comptroller’s Representative
• Rain Harvesting and Water Recycling Task Force – Comptroller’s Representative
• Texas Clean Air Working Group

Local

• Austin-San Antonio Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers

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

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

Alecia Ward is Director of Government Relations and Business Development at The Weidt Group. An expert on energy efficiency, sustainability and climate, Ms. Ward has knowledge and insight into the process of designing, deploying, managing, and evaluating energy efficiency, demand-side management, demand response, and renewable energy programs. Working collaboratively, as a consultant and as a stakeholder advocate, Ms. Ward has advised investor-owned utilities, regulatory commissions, rural electric cooperatives, and municipal utilities and their associations for more than a decade. Having extensive experience in building energy code adoption, implementation and compliance, Ms. Ward advises the process of code development and adoption domestically and internationally. Ms. Ward has tracked energy and climate policy at international, national, regional and local levels for nearly 20 years. She has served at the pleasure of two members of Congress and one President and has coordinated extensively with federal agencies and state and local governments. Before joining The Weidt Group, Ms. Ward served as President and CEO of the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA), a regional non-profit organization dedicated to advancing energy efficiency across a nine-state footprint.

Carol Werner serves as Executive Director of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute in Washington, DC - a non-profit education and policy organization. EESI is dedicated to sustainable development, believing that a sound environment and a sound economy go hand in hand. Ms. Werner came to EESI in late 1987 as director of EESI's Energy & Climate Change Program through January 1998 when she was named Executive Director. Ms. Werner has more than 30 years of public policy experience on energy and environmental issues. She has organized dozens of Congressional briefings on science, technology and policy issues and has been a frequent speaker at many conferences and workshops on energy and environmental issues in EESI’s program areas.

Carol serves on the steering committee of the Sustainable Energy Coalition, the Surface Transportation Policy Project, the Environmental Advisory Committee of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, and the Policy Committee of the American Solar Energy Society. She also serves on the board of the National Center for Appropriate Technology, the editorial board of BioCycle magazine, and the Advisory Board of Planet Forward. She was a member of the Department of Energy's (DOE) State Energy Advisory Board for six years, served on the World Council of Churches Task Force on Climate Change, and was a stakeholder in the DOE/USDA Bioenergy Initiative. Carol also was a member of DOE's Federal Advisory Committee on the Commercialization of Renewable Energy Technologies and was a founding member of the U.S. Climate Action Network.

Before joining EESI, Ms. Werner served as the legislative director of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition, the legislative representative for the National Consumer Law Center, and as a legislative assistant to Rep. Neal Smith (D – IA).

Bill Willis is a program coordinator for the Energy Efficiency Program (EEP), a unit of the West Virginia Division of Energy (WVDOE). Mr. Willis currently serves as a program manager for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. This $9.5 million stimulus-funded activity provides funding for energy efficiency activities in local governments. Mr. Willis also works with the Industry of the Future –WV program and Projects with Industries programs. These programs deliver energy efficiency assistance to West Virginia industrial and manufacturing sectors. Other duty areas include serving as program contact for the Saving Energy in West Virginia Schools program, renewable energy, recycling and energy emergency planning activities. Mr. Willis has a B.A. degree from Morris Harvey College, now the University of Charleston, and a Masters of Public Administration degree from West Virginia University.

Ginger Willson began her service as the Director of the Nebraska Energy Office in July 2010, receiving her appointment from Governor Dave Heineman.

Ginger previously worked for nearly two years as the Assistant Director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, joining the Department in August 2008. She served three years as the Deputy Director of Government Relations for the National Pork Producers Council where she was responsible for issue monitoring, developing policy strategies, managing grassroots policy and managing the 2007 Farm Bill Policy Task Force.

Prior to joining NPPC, Ginger spent nearly seven years advising members of Congress. She served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., and as Deputy Chief of Staff, Senior Policy Adviser and Senior Legislative Assistant to Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo. In 2000 and 2002, Ginger was respectively Assistant Finance Director and Finance Director for Graves’s successful election campaigns to Congress.

Ginger holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, MO.

Phil Wrobel has 25 plus years experience in Construction and Land Development. He received his Bachelors in Landscape Architecture (BLA) from Ball State University with a Minor in Urban Planning and Marketing and received his Masters in Landscape Architecture (MLA) from Louisiana State University with an emphasis in Financial and Market Feasibility Studies.

Phil Wrobel became the Development Manager, Sustainability Chairperson and Environmental Chair for Knox Hills LLC (Lend Lease) – Fort Knox, Kentucky in August 2006. In this position, he provides management and oversight for new construction, renovations and demolition of homes. Knox Hills covers 1,579 acres, with 2,998 buildings and structures and is valued at more than $260 million dollars. His responsibilities include the development of new homes, parks and recreational facilities for Soldiers and their families, the development budget; energy programs and utilities such as “The Flip the Switch Event,’ which will house the largest LED community in the world; and integration of environmental needs into military housing. He is also responsible for environmental management, safety and occupational health and restoration.

Before his appointment to the Lend Lease team, Phil Wrobel worked in Palm Beach Gardens, Flordia as a Development Manager, Acquisition and Land Use Planner for DiVosta and Pulte Homes. He focused principally on acquiring all approvals and permitting to construct active adult communities and master planned communities. The process required the oversight of and approval for Development of Regional Impacts (DRI’s). Most relevant to Divosta and Pulte Homes in Palm Beach, he saw the development and implementation of properties for Edward Rose and Sons as an Acquisition and Land Use Planner by acquiring all approvals to construct multi-family developments throughout the Mid-West.

Mr. Wrobel served as Principal Land Use Planner for Allen County in Fort Wayne, Indiana. His responsibilities included over sight of all new proposed developments to verify that they met all zoning and code compliance, which all finding were presented to the Planning Commission for their final review and approval.

Phil Wrobel is an active member of America Planning Association – Kentucky Chapter (APA-KY), American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Construction Real Estate Women – Louisville Chapter (CREW), United States Green Build Council - Kentucky Chapter (USGBCKY), and is LEED AP certified.

Mr. Li Yangzhe is the Director General and leader of the National Energy Conservation Center. He gained his Master Degree in Economics in China Renmin University. He is the former Deputy Director General of the Bureau of Economic Operations of National Development and Reform Committee and Director in the Comprehensive Bureau of State Economic and Trade Commission.

During his tenure, he has accomplished the project of Research on Economic Management Mechanism and Operational Mechanism of Addressing Public Emergencies. He has led the project of Research on the General Problems of Energy Emergencies proposed by the National Energy Leadership Office. He has also participated in the development of National Emergency System Construction Plan during the 11th Five Year Plan.