2022 Speakers

Mark's experience with Duke through his multiple roles has given him the opportunity to meet, listen and understand, through countless customer meetings across a wide spectrum of industries, the challenges and the ever-changing world they live and compete in daily. Through these meetings he has learned that everyone has their own and unique issues and challenges. His learned business development skills have given him the opportunity to work with diverse industries on many innovative projects.

Michael Blomquist is COO and co-Founder of Open Energy Group. Since 2013, Michael has led the build out of operations and filled a number of key roles at Open Energy, primarily focused on leading business origination, distribution and operations. He has also leads employee development and has streamlined key services and processes in order to improve workflow and daily management. Michael worked previously at Morgan Stanley in London on their fixed income institutional sales desk, where he specialized in structured credit, asset-backed securities, and credit solutions. During his time he worked with clients in the UK, Europe, US, and the Middle East. Michael graduated with honors from Harvard University with an A.B. in Environmental Science and Public Policy, and earned a M.Sc. from Oxford University in Nature, Society, and Environmental Policy.

Kate has spent the last 20 plus years working for Tennessee Valley Authority honing her skills and knowledge in the policy procedures and power production and core business of the industry. She currently serves as site management in rotational development capacity for several power plants in the TVA network.

Ryan Brown is the co-founder and CEO of Salient Energy. Salient is on a mission to build the world's best batteries for daily energy storage, knowing that this is critical to decarbonizing the grid. Their zinc-ion battery is a safe, affordable, and scalable alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Since founding the company in 2017, Ryan has helped grow Salient Energy into one of the leaders in the non-Lithium battery space. In 2021, Ryan was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Rob Chapman is Senior Vice President of Energy Delivery and Customer Solutions, at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). He provides executive oversight for EPRI's broad portfolio of Power Delivery and Utilization R&D, including Integrated Grid and Energy Systems (IGES), Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure (TDI), and Electrification and Sustainable Energy Strategy (E&SES). The research and analysis spans across a large segment of the energy industry. His knowledge of the cross-EPRI research synergies, his relationships with EPRI's membership, and his understanding of the industry perspectives provide him with the right combinations of skills and experience to lead this sector. Chapman joined EPRI in 1999 as the Director of North American Technical Advisory Services and transitioned to Vice President of Member & Technical Services in 2006 and Vice President of E&SES in 2019. Prior to joining EPRI, Chapman was Director of Western Sales for Pacific Gas & Electric Energy Services during which time he led efforts to establish premium power services for technology companies in the Silicon Valley, California. Chapman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and has completed executive business courses at The University of Chicago.

Sequoya Cross oversees the company's operations and growing global network of partners, distributors, and installers, as well as managing a portfolio of energy storage and microgrid projects. Prior to joining SimpliPhi Power, Mrs. Cross served as CEO of two solar companies and has managed operations and supply chain for distribution and manufacturing of clean energy technologies within the renewable energy sector. Sequoya was also VP of Operations for AEE Solar.

David Eisenbud has been a long-standing solar advocate and clean energy business development executive for more than 20 years with a focus on addressing climate change challenges while capturing customer savings through deployment of commercial and large-scale solar and storage technologies. In his role originating projects for DSD, David sources new projects with commercial and industrial as well as public sector clients. He also supports co-development work with select partners and identifies development acquisitions supporting solar and storage deployment at various stages of development. Prior to joining DSD in 2017, he held sales and finance roles within the solar project development, energy storage and PV technology segments. He launched and was the head of SunPower Canada, leading utility-scale development, project acquisition and commercial system sales, and led the Canadian Solar Energy Industries Association during a period of robust growth. He started his career with industry solar pioneer, PowerLight holding various roles driving early solar adoption in the eastern US. Mr. Eisenbud earned his BS in Economics (Finance) from Lehigh University and an MBA in Marketing from Fordham University. An avid skier, he has spent 25 years as a trainer and instructor for the Adaptive Sports Foundation teaching snow sports to people with cognitive and physical challenges. He and his wife Lisa live in Boston, MA with two strong-minded daughters.

Lance has served as Georgia Power's Resiliency Manager for the past year. His career with the Southern Company has spanned 23 years working under many of its business units including Mississippi Power, Southern Power, Southern Company Services, and Georgia Power. His previous roles include leading teams in many different functions including Power Generation, Generation Development, Business Development, Asset Management, Regulatory Affairs, and Customer Solutions. In his current role, he is responsible for implementing Georgia Power's recently approved Distributed Energy Resource Customer Program as well as providing leadership and direction in support of the company's evolving strategy to deliver resiliency solutions to customers. Most recently, he led the negotiation and execution of a battery supply agreement between Georgia Power and Form Energy which entails the utilization of Form's novel iron-air, long duration energy storage technology. Lance holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from the Missouri University of Science & Technology and an MBA from William Carey University in Mississippi. He resides in Atlanta with his wife and three children.

Gerry directs the Facilities Energy Management department at Stanford University, which includes the operation of the campus Facilities Automation Center and oversight of the University's energy efficiency programs. Gerry ensures that buildings and associated processes are operated efficiently and that new facilities incorporate best practices for energy use. Gerry holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering as well as an M.B.A. from Santa Clara University. He is also a registered professional engineer in California.

Jaimie is a Technical Advisor for the Energy Management Solutions line of business within Cummins Power Generation. She focuses on microgrids and hydrogen solutions for power generation applications. Previously, she has supported lean-burn gas generator sets since 2014 focusing on renewable fuel projects as well as unique and complex applications. Jaimie received her bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Loyola Marymount University and her master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Jaimie is an active member of the Society of Women Engineers as well as a board member for the University of Minnesota's Mechanical Engineering Advisory Committee.

Duane joined Tri-State in 2019 and has 36 years of experience with cooperatives. Previously serving as President/CEO for Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC) and Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), he led an organization that provided reliable, affordable, responsible power through 17 member systems to 1.3 million consumers. Duane serves on the Southwest Power Pool Members Committee and serves as Co-Chair of the Electric Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC), coordinating security efforts between electric utilities and the U.S. Government.

Chadwick Johnson is Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions' Key Segment Manager for Manufacturing. Chadwick has served world class manufacturing organizations for over 20 years, concentrating on resilient, sustainable energy conservation, process improvement, CAPEX selection, operational improvement, reliability excellence, OEE optimization, digitization, monitoring, IIoT justification and outsourced as a service modeling. Prior to beginning his career with DESS, Mr. Johnson has served in leadership positions with SUEZ, ATS, MECO and Trelleborg. As a KSM, Mr. Johnson assists manufacturers with long term strategies to preserve capital funding while exceeding their ESG goals. Utilizing Energy as a Service model, he specializes in Onsite Solar, Microgrids, Energy Storage, complete Central Utility Plants, VPPAs, PPAs, Offsite Renewables, Fleet EV Charging, Electrical Infrastructure Upgrades and CHP plants.

As key segment manager for education, Wayne Johnson helps public and private schools and colleges overcome the evolving challenges of energy infrastructure. He can help you manage all the assets that generate or consume power on your campus including your mechanical infrastructure and control systems. Wayne builds solutions that balance the needs of facilities managers, CFOs, presidents, faculty, staff, students and local communities. Some organizations are looking to cut energy costs - others want to be sustainability leaders. Wayne served as a Facilities Management and Energy Executive in Higher Education and brings a wealth of experience to Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions. Wayne has also managed safety and accreditation processes for his campus and has provided oversight and program responsibility for a regional K-12 outsourced facilities management firm. Wayne has a passion for "out of the box" thinking which generates a creative process in meeting the challenges facing energy infrastructure and asset management in education. Wayne strives to create a "synergy" that builds solutions to meet the needs to all campus constituents: Facilities leaders, CFOs, Presidents, Head of School, faculty, staff, students and local communities. His unique perspective and experience when combined with Duke Energy's ability to execute can be of great support as schools look to become energy efficient, sustainable and viable for the future.

As Vice President of Canopy Design Engineering at Distributed Solar Development (DSD), Ben oversees the structural and civil engineering on all projects, and leads DSD's in-house canopy team, which specializes in designing and optimizing architecturally stunning and highly functional solar canopies for high-end commercial environments, like Bishop Ranch. With over 10 years of experience, Ben Jones is considered an industry leader in C&I solar canopy design. He was an NABCEP instructor for 4 years and has spoken at industry events including the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA) conference.

Dan Lambert has over 40 years of commercial and industrial electrical experience and has worked with AC and DC power systems, with a primary focus on mission-critical power systems. Working with stationary battery systems since 1985, he has worked with many battery chemistries and has contributed to large scale energy storage analysis projects, as well as testing other storage systems. Dan is currently a member of the IEEE Power and Energy Society serving as the chairperson for the IEEE Energy Storage and Stationary Battery (ESSB) Committee's IEEE 1679.4 Alkaline Chemistries Working Group and as a member of the ESSB Codes and Standards Task Group. He is also a member of the Battcon conference Technical Committee.

Kent is a distributed energy industry professional with 20 years of experience developing successful projects for commercial, industrial and municipal building owners. Kent is currently responsible for business development for Kinsley Energy Systems, with a focus on project development and engineering for high-efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) systems. Kent's project development expertise includes all types of CHP solutions (fuel cells, microturbines, and engine-based systems), organic Rankine cycle (ORC) waste-heat-to-electricity systems, and commercial solar solutions. Kent is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology with bachelor's and master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering, and holds a master's degree in Energy Management from New York Institute of Technology. Kent is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and has been trained in carbon accounting.

William "Bill" McEvoy is a Global Industry Principal for power and utilities with OSIsoft, now part of AVEVA, and has been with the company for five years. Previously, Bill spent over 34 years working within the power and utility business and information technology industries at Eversource Energy, holding roles in transmission, distribution, power generation, gas, operational technology (OT), and information technology (IT). Bill is an active participant on several industry committees associated with smart grids and cybersecurity within both Europe and North America. Bill retired as the Executive Director of information technology and real-time systems at Eversource Energy on April 1, 2016. He was responsible for all real-time IT systems within the transmission, distribution, generation, and gas businesses. His responsibilities included identifying, prioritizing, and aligning all IT services and investments with the company's strategies and objectives. Bill was also the Eversource Energy smart grid information technology Program Director. Before being named the smart grid Program Director, he spent four years as the Director of the Northeast Utilities cybersecurity program. A native of Waterbury, CT, McEvoy holds a Bachelor of Science in computer information systems and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in information systems management, both from the University of New Haven. McEvoy represented Eversource Energy on the EEI cybersecurity working group, EEI smart grid working group, North American Transmission Forum cybersecurity working group, and is a voting member on the North American Reliability Council (NERC) Critical Infrastructure and Protection Committee (CIPC). He also served as the Chairmen of the Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC) Task Force on Infrastructure and Technology (TFIST) for two years.

Ann's current role at AVEVA is Industry Principal - Power & Utilities. Previously, Ann was the Business Development Executive, then Director, Industry and Market Principals at OSIsoft (now part of AVEVA). In her roles, she worked directly with global utility companies to help them build an enterprise data management and infrastructure and bring the maximum values to the organizations. Ann spent six years in China, as Director-Regional Development, Greater China and India, helping to grow OSIsoft Greater China, India and APAC business. Prior to joining OSIsoft in 2006, Ann worked for San Diego Gas & Electric Company (Sempra Energy) with extensive years in Grid Operations, managing SDG&E's transmission and distribution operations. Ann holds a master's degree in electrical and computer engineering from The University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Christian Mueller is a Senior Sales Manager at INNIO Jenbacher, responsible for the Jenbacher gas engine product line from 200 kW to 10MW for CHP, biogas and power generation applications. He brings more than ten years of gas power generation experience to the company, having worked in sales and sales engineering roles at different engine OEMs. Christian holds a degree in industrial engineering from the Technical University in Berlin, Germany.

With fifteen years of experience in microgrid engineering, project management and operations utilizing various prime movers, including reciprocating engines, fuel cells and gas turbines, Adam coordinates all aspects of project engineering from initial feasibility study to commercial operation, including civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and controls. He is also responsible for developing relationships with utility interconnection teams and incentive program administrators. Some of his accomplishments include: • Commissioned over 12MW of microgrids in a 2 year span at Unison Energy. • Managed design of over 35MW of microgrids across two dozen projects at Unison Energy • Participated in the design, installation, commissioning, and operation of more than 80MW of fuel cells in the US and the Republic of Korea between 2010 and 2016. • Managed the construction profit & loss center for Doosan Fuel Cell America with annual budget exceeding $100 million. Prior to his current position Adam held roles of increasing responsibility at Doosan Fuel Cell America, ClearEdge Power and UTC Power. Adam is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and Building Commissioning Professional (CBCP) by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE). He holds an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a graduate certificate in Power Engineering from the University of Connecticut.

Tom Poteet is the VP of Corporate Development for Mesa Natural Gas Solutions. Tom's purview in this role includes characterizing and casting the vision for the optimal use of natural gas-powered generation, monitoring the innovation stream for future sources of site power, and developing customized rate plans and progressive field applications to meet customers' needs and financial preferences. With over 30 years in engineering, Tom's career has given him experience in electric power, telecommunications, and oil field production. Tom graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.

Darrell Proctor joined POWER in 2017. He has years of experience in the energy and publishing industries, including as a writer, editor and energy data analyst for Ponderosa Advisors and Bentek Energy (S&P Global/Platts). He has written numerous reports and white papers on power demand, particularly from industrial facilities, as well as natural gas and crude oil exploration and trading. He also has written about transportation of commodities, particularly coal, crude oil and natural gas, and the operation of crude oil refineries. He was an assistant business editor and assistant news editor as well as Technology Editor for the Rocky Mountain News in Colorado, and also was a senior editor at the St. Petersburg Times in Florida. He is a graduate of Franklin College of Indiana.

Thomas J. Pyle is the president of the Institute for Energy Research (IER). In this capacity, Pyle brings a unique backdrop of public and private sector experience to help manage IER's Washington, DC-based staff and operations. He also helps to develop the organization's free market policy positions and implement education efforts with respect to key energy stakeholders, including policymakers, federal agency representatives, industry leaders, consumer entities and the media. Previously, Pyle was the founder of his own consulting firm, Pyle Consulting, Inc., an active public affairs consulting firm with a wide range of private and not-for-profit customers. Prior to starting his own firm, Pyle served as vice president of the Rhoads Group in Washington, DC where he represented and advised a variety of association and corporate clients in meeting their strategic public policy goals and priorities. Additionally, he also served as director of federal affairs for a major integrated manufacturing and services company focusing on energy, environment, regulatory and transportation issues. Before coming to the private sector, Pyle held numerous positions on Capitol Hill including serving as a policy analyst for the Majority Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives and as staff director for the Congressional Western Caucus, as well as other legislative staff positions. Pyle holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Southern California.

Zhihua Qu received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, in June 1990. Since then, he has been with the University of Central Florida (UCF), Orlando. He served as the Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (2010-2021 and 2009-2004). Currently, he is the Thomas J. Riordan and Herbert C. Towle Chair and Pegasus Professor of Electrical Engineering, and the Founding Director of RISES (Resilient, Intelligent and Sustainable Energy Systems, a university research center at UCF. His areas of expertise are nonlinear systems and control, with applications to energy, power systems, and autonomous vehicle systems. In energy systems, his research covers distributed energy resources, dynamic stability of power systems, microgrid control, distributed generation and load sharing control, distributed VAR compensation, distributed optimization, and cooperative control. He is serving as an inaugural member of Engineering Leadership Multi-Section Alliance's Standing Council, and IEEE CSS liaison to IEEE Smart Grid Steering and Operational Committees.

Jon Rodriguez has over 20 years of professional experience with a diverse background covering power generation in multiple industries including data center, utilities, mining, oil & gas, and commercial/industrial customers. His roles over the years have included delivery of projects as a project manager, delivery of products as an operations executive in manufacturing, and delivery of sales opportunities as both an outside salesperson and sales leader. He holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and earned his Professional Engineer license in the state of Wisconsin. He resides in the Raleigh-Durham, NC area.

Reg joined Tri-State in January 2022 and is responsible for developing and implementing competitive energy services, managing beneficial electrification programs and overseeing member relations. Prior to Tri-State, he served as General Manager of San Isabel Electric Association, Inc. for 13 years and has more than 30 years of experience in the electric cooperative utility industry. Reg has a Master of Business Administration degree from Colorado State University and bachelor's degrees in business administration and economics from North Dakota State University.

Hugh Douglas Sansom is the Distributed Energy Resource Origination Director at NRG where he develops customized solutions for NRG and other North American utilities and large Commercial & Industrial (C&I) customers. He has been an employee of NRG since 2015. He leverages more than 30 years' experience in sales, operations, and project management. His experience is in smart grid and Demand Response business development and project deployment. For example, he managed sales and field operations to deploy 550,000 remote control demand response devices with Pepco Holdings, Southern Maryland Electric Co-op, and Central Hudson Gas & Electric. Doug earned a Professional Engineer license from the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1984.

Mr. Rob Schueffner is the EaaS Growth Manager for the Caterpillar Electric Power Division. His responsibilities include the evaluation and partnership or integration of energy-as-a-service related organizations. In his more than 25 years with Caterpillar, he has held a wide variety of responsibilities within Energy & Transportation including engineering, marketing, application & installation, sales, management, 6 Sigma Black Belt, facility management, and strategy.

Allan Schurr brings go-to-market expertise from over 30 years of experience in commercial and industrial energy services and innovative utility solutions. As Chief Commercial Officer at Enchanted Rock, Schurr is responsible for corporate and product marketing, direct sales, and channel sales functions. Schurr holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Davis and a Master's in Business Administration from St. Mary's College in California. He is also a registered Professional Engineer in the State of California, and he is a co-inventor on seven patents related to distributed energy.

Tom leads a development and field-based sales team of experts responsible for growing and supporting Caterpillar's Energy as a Service business. His sales and development team also supports the sales and service of Caterpillar's generation products, including Distributed Power, Economic Dispatch/Resiliency and Combined Heat and Power (CHP). His team works with dealers, customers, and partners to develop and provide the best overall solution of power generation equipment and related products/services. Upon graduating from Miami University, Ohio, Tom began his career with Westinghouse Electric Corp. In addition to Westinghouse Tom has held positions of increasing responsibility with Rolls Royce Energy Systems, Equity Office Properties, Endurant Energy, and Professional Power Products Inc. Prior to joining Caterpillar, Tom was with Sterling & Wilson Power Solutions as President and CEO focusing on development, engineering and construction of micro-grid systems including cogeneration, hybrid, demand response and resiliency technologies. Tom is also very active in Power Generation industry associations including the United States Combined Heat and Power Alliance (President), Cogeneration World Coalition (Board Member) Northeast Clean Heat and Power Initiative and Midwest Cogeneration Association (Board Member).

Jonathan "JT" Thompson is Vice President, Enterprise Sales, for Enbala. He is a sales and marketing leader within the energy industry with a wide range of experience, from buying/selling energy products to market research and fundamental analysis. Prior to joining Enbala, he was the Sales Director for Noble Americas Energy Solutions, where he generated sales of complex electricity and risk management products to commercial and industrial customers. Before going to Noble, JT spent almost seven years with GE. During his time there, he led the commercial efforts for some of GE's largest accounts in the oil and gas space, led the global utility sales and marketing efforts for GE Appliances' Home Energy Solutions team, and served as the director of Global Operations for GE Corporate's Energy Sourcing Organization. He has worked with some of the world's largest utilities, industrial, and oil and gas companies. Prior to joining GE in 2007, JT spent nine years in trading, pricing/risk management, account management, and financial services all within the energy industry, including an entrepreneurial venture focused on strategic risk management. JT holds a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

With a degree in renewable energy engineering and a focus on sustainability, Jeremy brings a unique perspective to electrical design. As an electrical engineer Jeremy has experience designing electrical distribution systems for a broad range of building and occupant types including: commercial office, education, data centers, healthcare and multifamily residential. Jeremy enjoys challenging and progressive projects where thoughtful collaboration allows for design solutions that meet client financial, occupant and environmental goals.

Joe VonDerHaar has over 35 years of experience in the utility and manufacturing industries. On the utility side he has held positions in System Operations, Transmission & Distribution and Power Generation. On the manufacturing front he was a Plant Manager for a Power Transmission OEM. A common thread in both industries is the tremendous change in process and mission because of competition, new technology and evolving regulations. Being able to adapt and even welcome change is critical to success. Joe is currently the Plant Director at the Spurlock Power Station, a 4-unit, coal fired, 1500MW facility in Maysville Kentucky. He holds an engineering degree from the University of Dayton.

As President of Greener by Design, a global energy, resiliency and sustainability consulting firm, he works directly with a variety of corporate and government entities, including several Fortune 500 companies. In addition, he works on policy issues both in the United States and overseas and has hosted or attended a variety of policy think tanks. Previously to his business, Mr. Zellner served in a host of high profile Government roles including as Policy Director for the State of New Jersey, Deputy Commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Executive Director of the State's land use planning office. In addition, he has significant experience in providing regulatory support and permitting assistance in the many different areas of the green building sector. Mr. Zellner has published a variety of articles and papers and continues to speak globally on the developing world of green infrastructure and resiliency financing. Mr. Zellner has a degree in Economics from Rowan University and serves as an adjunct Professor at Rutgers University.