Renovate, Retrofit, Reduce

Eric Bauer

Director, Energy Contracting, Trane

Eric Bauer is the Energy Contracting & Services Leader for Trane North America and is responsible for top line and bottom line growth for the ESCO market with a strong emphasis on exceeding our customer’s ever-increasing expectations.  

Mr. Bauer began his career in the Energy Contracting field back in 1996 and has held positions of ever-increasing responsibility starting with sales in the Healthcare Vertical Market followed by a role managing the Public Sector Energy Contracting business for the West before moving into a National role in 2015. 

Mr. Bauer provides program and direct sales support to district office teams in identifying, developing and closing Energy Contracting business (Energy Savings Contracts & ESPC). His specific duties include; AOP business alignment, customer goal alignment, coordination of applicable resources, financial services & resourcing, scope development of energy (including renewables, smart grid, other technologies) and operational alternatives such as “as a Service solutions”, assist with executive level presentations and proposals, and providing continued customer support to ensure we have satisfied reference able clients.

Prior to joining the ESCO industry Mr. Bauer played for the San Diego Padres Baseball Organization for 4 years after graduating from Eastern Washington University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management / minor in Marketing.

Athena Besa

Customer Programs Energy Efficiency Project Manager, San Diego Gas & Electric Company

Athena Besa is a employed by San Diego Gas & Electric Company as the Customer Programs Energy Efficiency Project Manager.  In her current position, she is responsible for overseeing SDG&E’s implementation of energy efficiency policies as they pertain to the measurement of energy efficiency programs; regulatory reporting requirements; energy efficiency forecasting and the financial management.

Ms. Besa attended the University of the Philippines in Quezon City, Philippines.  She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics and a Master of Science degree in Statistics.  She has completed coursework at the University of California, Davis towards a Doctorate degree in Statistics.

Dave Birr

President, Synchronous Energy Solutions

David Birr is President of Synchronous Energy Solutions, Inc. Mr. Birr has over 30 years of experience designing, managing, and monitoring energy efficiency projects in buildings. He is a nationally recognized expert on the energy performance contracting industry. Measurement and verification of savings and maintenance and commissioning of equipment are technical topics he focuses on as owner’s representative. Due to his expertise in these topics Mr. Birr has served as the sole arbitrator or as an expert witness in contract disputes related to savings performance on energy performance contracts. He has worked on hundreds of energy performance contracts for states, counties, universities, public housing authorities, and schools.

Mr. Birr has been the primary technical consultant for the state energy performance contracting programs in Illinois since 1987.He is currently working as an owner’s representative on four energy performance contracting projects in Hawaii with a combined value of over $280 million.

Mr. Birr has presented over a hundred energy efficiency and energy performance contracting presentations and training seminars. Many of his technical trainings are in depth multi-day events. He has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University, but he also did extensive graduate level engineering course work there for three years in energy and environmental engineering. He serves as a voting member on the Accreditation Committee of the National Association of Energy Service Companies.

Tom Bowen

Senior Vice President, ABM Technical Solutions

Tom Bowen is the Senior Vice President of Enterprise Sales for ABM Technical Solutions.  He joined ABM in 2014 as the Vice President of Energy Solutions and transitioned to his current role in 2018.  Mr. Bowen has over 25 years of experience in Facility Services and Energy Solutions, including serving on the Board of the National Association of Energy Service Companies and volunteering with students to prepare them for college and their careers after education.  His career started in sales, continued to sales and general management and eventually overall business leadership.  Mr. Bowen earned his Executive MBA from Wake Forest University and currently lives in Southern California.

Wendell Brase

Associate Chancellor for Sustainability, University of California, Irvine

Wendell Brase is the University of California, Irvine’s first Associate Chancellor for Sustainability. In this role, he leads efforts by UC Irvine and assists other campuses throughout the UC system to implement UC’s Carbon Neutrality Initiative. Mr. Brase co-chairs the University of California’s Global Climate Leadership Council.

For 25 years, Mr. Brase provided leadership for an award-winning sustainability program in his role as Vice Chancellor for Administrative and Business Services. UC Irvine received California’s highest environmental award, the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award, in 2008 and again in 2013; has earned numerous accolades for sustainability, including a 2009 Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Leadership Achievement Award and their 2014 Climate Leadership Award; has been on Sierra magazine’s Top 10 list of greenest campuses for the past nine years, coming in at No. 1 in 2014, 2015 and again in 2018; and in 2018, UCI was recognized by the American Association for Sustainability in Higher Education with a STARS Platinum rating for its sustainability operations, academics, and research. The campus currently has 18 LEED Platinum and 10 LEED Gold buildings, among the most of any campus in the U.S.

Jonathan Brown

Vice President, Operations & Distributed Energy Resources, ENGIE Services U.S.

As Vice President of Distributed Energy Resources Group within ENGIE Services U.S., Jonathan Brown has nearly 20 years of industry experience within the fields of energy efficiency, generation, energy storage and microgrids. His group develops, engineers, and delivers strategic programs for the Commercial & Industrial (C&I) and Municipal, University, School and Hospital (MUSH) market segments. Mr. Brown ensures projects have the right resources to meet their goals, schedule, and budget. He is responsible for overall program success and customer satisfaction.

Mr. Brown holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the California State Polytechnic University. He is a Certified Energy Manager and a LEED-accredited Professional.  Mr. Brown is a Registered Professional Mechanical Engineer in the state of California.

Bill Clark

Vice President, Engineering and Development, SmartWatt

Bill Clark uses his 30+ years of experience in the energy services industry to lead the SmartWatt Project Development Team in a variety of energy saving projects. He has completed energy efficiency projects at a wide range of facility types, including wastewater treatment plants, manufacturing plants, commercial facilities, hospitals, military bases, Housing Authorities, Counties, Cities and Universities.

Mr. Clark began his career in the U.S. Navy’s nuclear power program and has worked in several energy sectors since then, including power generation, plant operations, manufacturing energy efficiency and energy performance contracting at local, county and federal government facilities. His diverse and extensive experience are key in helping SmartWatt ensure successful project implementation and verifiable savings.

Mr. Clark earned his Mechanical Engineering degree after serving in the U.S. Navy at Colorado State University

Dennis Clough

Project Director, Sustainable Infrastructure, Energy Systems Group

Dennis Clough is a project director with ESG, leading their efforts to provide turn-key design and construction solutions for municipal utilities that address aging infrastructure, consent order compliance, and improve operations efficiency.  Specializing in alternative project delivery methods, such as energy performance contracting, Mr. Clough has delivered over $200 million in project solutions for clients over the past 15 years.  Mr. Clough began his professional career as a Program Manager in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Lily Donge

Principal, Rocky Mountain Institute

Lily Donge is a Principal with RMI’s electricity practice, where she leads the Business Renewables Center. Ms. Donge focuses on accelerating the market for corporate renewable energy. She is exploring new markets for the rapid uptake of renewable energy and developing tools and products for corporate leaders to purchase renewable energy. Ms. Donge joined RMI in December 2014.

Ms. Donge comes to RMI with over 17 years’ experience in sustainability and cleantech investment. Before coming to RMI, Ms. Donge led Ernst & Young’s Cleantech knowledge management, where she developed thought leadership and strategy. She previously worked at Calvert Investments, where she managed the environment and climate change team. She has helped launch and manage Calvert’s Sustainability Index, Global Alternative Energy Fund, the Global Water Fund, and the first green bond fund strategy. Ms. Donge has covered utilities, alternative energy, and water sectors. She has also worked at the World Resources Institute and in investment services at Donaldson, Lufkin, & Jenrette.

Ms. Donge holds a Master’s in Public and Private Management from the Yale School of Management and a Master’s in Development Economics from Yale Graduate School. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Relations from Claremont McKenna College.

Madeline Fazzalari

Senior Sales Executive, Atlantic Energy Concepts

Madeline Fazzalari is the Regional Director of Sales for Atlantic Energy Concepts.  In this role she manages relationships with ESCO customers in the MUSH and federal markets and ensures the success of their energy savings projects through the delivery of energy efficient turnkey lighting solutions.  Her background in sustainability and green building includes business development for LED lighting products and renewable energy companies.  In addition to participating in the Affiliate member program with NAESCO, Ms. Fazzalari is a LEED Accredited Professional and an active member of multiple Energy Services Coalition chapters.  She is a graduate of the Chemical Engineering program at Rice University in Houston, TX and resides in Raleigh, NC.

Benjamin Finkelor

Executive Director, University of California, Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute

Benjamin Finkelor is Executive Director of the University of California, Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute. Prior to joining the EEI, he served in a variety of roles within the clean technology sector, including Director of Business Development for a local clean-energy start-up company, interim Executive Director for CleanStart (a Sacramento-based business incubator supporting local clean energy technology ventures and entrepreneurs), and as a cleantech analyst for the private equity arm of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS).

Mr. Finkelor holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Davis Graduate School of Management. He also earned an emphasis in corporate environmental management through the Bren School at University of California, Santa Barbara. His undergraduate degree is from University of California, San Diego.

Alex Fitzsimmons

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, U.S. Department of Energy

Alex Fitzsimmons is Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Chief of Staff for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. In his current role, Mr. Fitzsimmons leads strategic planning, policy, and communications, supporting the Assistant Secretary in advancing the mission of the office. 

Prior to joining the Department of Energy, Mr. Fitzsimmons worked on energy policy for a variety of D.C.-based organizations, including the Institute for Energy Research, where he served as the Policy Director managing energy and environmental issues at the state and federal level.

Mr. Fitzsimmons is a graduate of The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Donald Gilligan

President, NAESCO

Donald Gilligan is the President of NAESCO. He is responsible for coordinating NAESCO's 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.

Prior to joining NAESCO, Mr. Gilligan was a founder and officer of two energy service companies, Coneco Corporation and DMC Energy (now part of Honeywell). As a consultant, he has provided services to numerous utilities, government agencies, corporations, and trade associations.

Mr. Gilligan began his career as a Program Associate to Governor Hugh Carey of New York, responsible for liaison between the Governor and the state energy agencies. He is a graduate of Harvard University.

Steve Gossett Jr.

Operating Partner, Generate Capital

Steve Gossett has nearly 25 years of experience in developing and deploying successful intelligent building technologies, and has a diverse background in engineering, capital finance and energy. 

In 1996 Mr. Gossett pioneered the creation the Managed Energy Services Agreement (MESA), credited as the efficiency market’s first energy efficiency-as-a-service model.  In 2001, Mr. Gossett founded Transcend Equity Development Corp, an ESCO targeting multi-tenant commercial real estate using MESA.  In 2010, he created a joint venture with Mitsui USA to develop and invest in over $50 million of energy efficiency projects in commercial buildings in the private sector, thus creating the first “efficiency as a service” investment platform in the United States.  In 2014, Mr. Gossett helped create a nearly $1 billion dollar energy efficiency investment fund for energy efficiency in the private sector with a large multinational bank.

While building Transcend, Mr. Gossett pioneered the creation of the first active energy management SaaS platform designed to manage the ongoing building performance for efficiency projects, and ultimately sold Transcend to SaaS provider Flywheel in 2012. Shortly after the sale Mr. Gossett became CEO of the combined company, which he led for six years.

Zachary Hart

Manager, Building Performance Policy, Institute for Market Transformation

IMT’s Manager of Building Performance Policy, Zachary Hart joined IMT in July 2015. He supports the efforts of City Energy Project cities as they work to adopt and implement policies and programs to reduce energy waste from their building stock. He is responsible for supplying CEP cities with resources, tools, and technical assistance.

Mr. Hart previously worked for the American Institute of Architects where he served as Director, Emerging Policy, focusing on energy efficiency and sustainability. At the AIA, he led the development of resources and training material to help architects capture emerging opportunities in delivering energy retrofits of existing buildings. Prior to the AIA he worked on state and federal political campaigns. Mr. Hart holds a B.A. in English from the University of Kansas and a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Michigan.

Lindsey Hawes

Municipal Energy Program Manager, Sustainability Department, City of San Diego

As Municipal Energy Program Manager at the City of San Diego's Sustainability Department, Lindsey Hawes is driving energy and GHG reductions in City facilities through clean energy projects and policies. The City's ambitious Climate Action Plan calls for a 15% reduction in municipal energy consumption by 2020 and an additional 25% reduction by 2035. Ms. Hawes and her team work closely with City staff, elected officials and public stakeholders to develop and implement strategic energy projects that help keep the City of San Diego at the forefront of clean energy innovation. Ms. Hawes' background in DER program consulting, classroom instruction, and project management lends a unique skill set that allows her to lead and affect change across a wide variety of clean energy projects, policies and initiatives. In her spare time, Ms. Hawes enjoys exploring San Diego's and the world's natural and culinary treasures with her family and friends.

James Hockett

Vice President of ESCO, Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc.

Jim Hockett is the Vice President of ESCO for Acuity Brands Inc (AYI). Mr. Hockett has responsibility to lead process and sales initiatives that promote customer connectivity, new technology placement, and growth within the energy segments.

Mr. Hockett began his lighting and energy solutions career in 1983 with Sylvania where he spent 30 years prior to accepting an early retirement & enhanced severance package. Since 2013 he has served in several sales and marketing roles within the Acuity Brands organization.

Mr. Hockett has been active in the Technology and Energy Solutions Industry for many years. He became Lighting Certified by the National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professions (NCQLP) in January of 2009. He served on the University of North Texas Industrial Advisory Board – Mechanical and Energy Engineering from 2012 – 2015. He has also served on the NAESCO Affiliate Advisory Committee since 2016 and most recently named the Chair of the Committee in December of 2018.  

Mr. Hockett currently resides in Ft Myers Florida and holds an Associate of Arts in Computer Information Systems from Midway University and a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from John Brown University.

Matthew Hunt

Chief Investment Officer, BluePath Finance

Matt Hunt is the CIO of BluePath Finance.  BluePath funds distributed energy projects in a variety of financial structures and across technologies, including energy efficiency, solar, storage, and controls.  Mr. Hunt started his career at Citadel Investment Group in Chicago.

The next hundred years will see a tremendous increase in the number of onsite micro-grid and net zero projects. The market migration is just beginning. Mr. Hunt’s goal and BluePath’s purpose are to provide financial solutions to speed this change.

Robert Johnson

Senior Vice President, Hannon Armstrong

Robert Johnson is Senior Vice President and Group Head, Federal and National Accounts at Hannon Armstrong with responsibility for growing financing solutions in the federal sector and with national account customers. Mr. Johnson has been at the leading edge of the energy efficiency industry where he has built businesses across a broad range of systems in the energy services business.

Prior to joining Hannon Armstrong, Mr. Johnson held executive leadership positions at early stage start-up organizations in the energy efficiency market. Prior to these assignments, he held senior leadership positions in multinational organizations such as Cooper Industries and Ingersoll Rand (Trane) where he led institutional sales for North America. Prior to this assignment, he held the global sales leadership role for Johnson Controls’ Federal Systems Division. Mr. Johnson began his career at Honeywell, where he held leadership positions in various divisions of Honeywell during his 15 year tenure there.

Mr. Johnson has been published in Military Engineer magazine and holds a Bachelor,s degree in Economics from the University of Maryland.

Jason Lee

Managing Director & Co-Portfolio Manager, GFI Energy Group, Oaktree Capital Management

Jason Lee is a managing director and co-portfolio manager at Oaktree Capital Management, a Los Angeles based investment management firm with over $120 billion in assets under management.  Within Oaktree he is responsible for the management of the GFI Energy Group whose focus for the past 25 years has been investing in companies that provide products, services and technologies used in the generation, transmission, distribution and consumption of power, energy and other utility resources. Mr. Lee leads the group’s investments in energy efficiency and energy services and previously oversaw GFI’s investments in NORESCO and OpTerra Energy (now ENGIE Services).  He currently serves on the boards of Array Technologies, NAPEC, Shoals Technologies and SiteogIQ.

Prior to Oaktree, Mr. Lee worked for a number of years as an executive in the operational management of several companies, some of which he co-founded, and has advised a number of companies and government organizations in the areas of entrepreneurial strategy, investments and finance. He began his career at JP Morgan, focusing on M&A and corporate finance transactions for companies in the technology, media, consumer retail and industrial sectors.  Mr. Lee has also served on the faculty of the UCLA Anderson School of Management for the past decade where he teaches courses on private equity, corporate finance and entrepreneurship.

Steve Lindemann

Partner, Stinson LLP

Steve Lindemann works with companies involved in the construction industry to manage risk and to solve problems. He also serves as the lead attorney for Fortune 100 companies who have selected Stinson as their national construction counsel.

Mr. Lindemann has represented contractor and design professional clients in trials, arbitrations and mediations involving design and construction defects, delays, disruption, energy efficiency guarantees, mechanic’s liens, payment bonds, construction cost audits, claims for extra work and catastrophic fire loss. Mr. Lindemann also counsels construction and energy clients on a broad range of issues, from contract negotiation to dispute avoidance. He has extensive experience representing energy services companies in connection with performance contracts and helping other clients involved with government contracts and P3 projects.

Ranked as one of America’s Leading Business Lawyers in Minnesota in construction law by Chambers USA, Mr. Lindemann has also been named among The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of construction law and has been selected multiple times for inclusion in Super Lawyers® in the area of construction litigation.

Devoted to educating his clients on best practices, Mr. Lindemann has taught courses for the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota and given multiple seminars on performance contracting for NAESCO and other construction trade associations.

Dedicated to giving back to the community through pro bono legal service, Mr. Lindemann was one of the founders of the firm’s Deinard Legal Clinic, which is housed within the Community-University Health Care Center in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis.

Before joining the firm, Mr. Lindemann clerked for two years for the Honorable Paul Magnuson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. He is a graduate of Yale Law School and Stanford University.

J. Andrew McAllister

Commissioner, California Energy Commission

Commissioner Andrew McAllister is serving his second term on the California Energy Commission.

Commissioner McAllister has been working on energy deployment and policy since the early 1990’s. He has worked across the world to deploy clean, cost-effective energy solutions with counterparts ranging from tiny remote communities to the largest of utilities. Commissioner McAllister administered two of California’s signature renewable energy programs (California Solar Initiative and Self-Generation Incentive Program), developed and operated energy efficiency programs for utilities, and performed a broad range of policy-related research for California and the federal government.

He is chair of the board of directors of the National Association of State Energy Officials and serves on the board of the Alliance to Save Energy. Commissioner McAllister’s deep grounding in technology, policy, and the marketplace provides him with uncommon insight on the accelerating changes taking place in California’s energy sector.

Before joining the Energy Commission, Commissioner McAllister was managing director at the California Center for Sustainable Energy. He worked with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association International, Ltd. in countries in Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa on renewable generation, load management, utility planning, and remote power projects. He was a project manager at an energy-consulting firm and an energy efficiency analyst at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Commissioner McAllister holds a Master of Science and a Ph.D. from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley. Commissioner McAllister also served as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Charles McGinnis

Vice President Sales-North America Performance Infrastructure and Energy Solutions, Johnson Controls Inc.

Charles McGinnis is Vice President, Performance Infrastructure and Solutions Sales, North America for Johnson Controls Building Technology and Solutions.

Mr. McGinnis’ responsibilities are to advance and execute a growth strategy to achieve short- and long-term plan commitments to profitably grow the Performance Infrastructure-Energy Solutions business for Johnson Controls-North America. Key initiatives are to reinforce existing practices and establish new standards for strategic projects, sales management practices, recruiting/hiring, forecasting, sales training, marketing, and innovation. He manages the Vertical Market Teams, Proposal Development Team, Solutions Program/Product Managers and Government Facing Business Consultants
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Joining Johnson Controls in 2000, Mr. McGinnis has held positions of increasing responsibility in branch management, regional management, and national director roles, most recently serving as Director of Higher Education and State Government Markets for the Energy Solutions business. He has been a two-time Masters Award winner and Chairman’s Team Award recipient for Global Growth.

Prior to Johnson Controls, Mr. McGinnis worked for Honeywell Inc., Erie Controls, North American Mechanical Inc. and Siemens Building Technologies in sales management, product management, operations, and general management roles. He previously taught courses in Automatic Controls at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Engineering and Professional Development.

David NieKamp

Spherical Consulting: A Nenni Brand

Dr. David NieKamp is a licensed clinical psychologist and has been working in the field of organizational development and leadership design for 20 years.  His expertise and experience are utilized by ownership and organizational leadership to create an efficient and effective work culture; mitigate risk, improve overall performance and effectively train team members for professional growth.  A noted strength of Dr. NieKamp is his ability to move seamlessly between organizational culture and leadership’s personal needs that impact their ability to maintain effective decision making.
 
Dr. NieKamp is the originator of the unique and powerful, Triad Team Model.   The Triad Team Model is a systems based leadership model, stemming from the theories of Peter Drucker, Edward Demming, Russell Ackoff and more currently, Michael Maccoby.  The model identifies and leverages an accurate and simple understanding of fundamental personality structures to create productive leadership teams. 

Leadership is created when personality, an enduring factor, and context, a transient factor, are accurately matched.  The Triad Team Model suggests that creating teams comprised of complimentary personality types and creating effective relationships amongst the personality types can usurp transient contextual factors; therefore, maintaining organizational learning necessary for continuous development and growth.

A key to the model’s effectiveness is a clear understanding of the four types of relationships; parallel, transactional, creation and transformational.  Application of this understanding in a triad team model creates a relational gyroscope effect that evolves into curvilinear, sustainable growth.

Tracy Niro

Utility Program Manager, Federal Energy Management Program, U.S. Department of Energy

Tracy Niro is the Utility Partnerships Program Manager at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). Ms. Niro has particular expertise in Utility Energy Service Contracts, Utility Service Contracts, federal distributed energy procurement, and regulatory intervention. She also oversees electric and natural gas utility acquisitions at DOE and serves as the Chair of the Federal Utility Partnership Working Group. Ms. Niro was a 2009 Presidential Management Fellow, has completed detail assignments to the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the International Energy Agency, and was awarded a Fulbright Professional Scholarship to conduct energy research in Australia.

Ms. Niro began her career as a staff accountant for an investor-owned utility and has 15 years of experience in the energy industry including leading the DOE FEMP Power Purchase Agreement Program and serving as coordinator for floating offshore wind regulation in Hawaii at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, earned her Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law and is a licensed attorney in the State of California (inactive).

Mark O'Malley

Chief Scientist, Energy Systems Integration, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Mark O’Malley is Chief Scientist, Energy Systems Integration at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA.  He is currently on sabbatical from University College Dublin where is the Professor of Electrical Engineering.  He is a Foreign Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, a member of the Royal Irish Academy and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and has received two Fulbright Fellowships. 

Mr. O’Malley is recognized as a world authority on Energy Systems Integration and in grid integration of renewable energy.  He works closely and collaboratively with researchers in other disciplines, including economists, social scientists and geologists, and is on the advisory board of the European Platform for Energy Research in the Socio-Economic Nexus.  Most recently, he was the James M. Flaherty Visiting Professor in Electrical Engineering at McGill University where he worked on strategies to decarbonize the combined Eastern Canada and North Eastern US electricity grids.  Mr. O’Malley has very strong industry collaborations and is the Chair of the Research and Education working group of the Energy Systems Integration Group, a global organization that brings together industry, regulators, policy makers and the research community to further our collective knowledge and understanding in Energy Systems Integration.

Roland Risser

Board Member, Energy Trust of Oregon

Roland Risser provides technical consulting services to a wide range of government and non-government organizations in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable power, grid modernization, and demand management. He currently serves on the Energy Trust of Oregon board, an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping utility customers benefit from saving energy and generating renewable power.

Roland Risser started his career in energy efficiency, renewable power, and demand management at Pacific Gas and Electric Company where he was responsible for developing and implementing energy efficiency research projects, and leading the company’s energy efficiency programs, including development of strategies that support delivery of energy savings, new construction approaches to Zero Net Energy, and achievement of greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Mr. Risser joined the U.S. Department of Energy in 2010 as Director of the Building Technologies Office, where he was responsible for U.S. appliance and equipment minimum energy efficiency standards, building-related technology research and development, and residential and commercial "technology to market" programs that increase the speed and scale of market adoption of new energy saving opportunities. He was subsequently the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Power, responsible for the four DOE offices developing and advancing geothermal, solar, wind and water renewable power technologies, as well as co-leading DOE’s Grid Modernization Initiative. He retired from DOE in 2017.

Mr. Risser was elected to chair the ISO Technical Committee on Energy Management (ISO 50001), a position he holds today, and he has been on the board of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy and was chairman of the board of the Consortium of Energy Efficiency.

Rob Rouse

Business Development Manager, AECOM

Based in San Diego, California, Rob Rouse develops energy efficiency and energy transformation opportunities for AECOM’s Power and Energy Business Line. He specializes in energy performance contracting (primarily at DoD installations) and he develops opportunities and consults on matters related to grid-edge innovation, transactive energy, energy storage and distributed resources, energy security and resiliency, and utility tariffs and rate structures.

Mr. Rouse has 20 years’ experience leading Marines in peacetime and combat and 17 years’ experience leading and managing civilians in the Federal and private sectors. Mr. Rouse is a registered professional engineer in the state of Colorado and has Bachelor’s and Master’s engineering degrees from the University of Colorado and the Colorado School of Mines, respectively.

Susan Stratton

Executive Director, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

Susan Stratton is the Executive Director of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) whose purpose is to accelerate energy efficiency in the Northwest working in collaboration with 140 utilities.

Ms. Stratton has 40 years of experience advancing energy efficiency, leading both non-profit and government organizations. She joined NEEA in 2012 and has led the organization through two five-year planning cycles to define long-term strategies and goals for the region’s market transformation work. As a member of the EPRI Public Advisory Committee on Energy Efficiency and Smart Grid, Ms. Stratton advises EPRI research teams on energy efficiency and smart grid issues. Ms. Stratton also serves on the boards of the Consortium for Energy Efficiency and the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.

Most recently, as Executive Director of the Energy Center of Wisconsin, she led energy efficiency and renewable energy research, demonstration, program design, and education initiatives in the Midwest. As a key participant and influencer in Midwest energy policy, she supported Wisconsin as a leader in energy efficiency and renewable energy sources over many years and assisted with the development of the statewide efficiency program in Indiana. Ms. Stratton has also served as a utility regulator in Wisconsin and Virginia and led the Public Utility Institute at the University of Wisconsin. She also served in an energy research role at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ms. Stratton holds a Master of Science in Economics with a focus in Industrial Organization from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, a Master of Arts in Economics from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York. In her spare time, you’ll find Ms. Stratton on a hike or on the tennis court.

Elizabeth Stuart

Program Manager, Electricity Markets and Policy Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Elizabeth Stuart is a Program Manager in the Electricity Markets and Policy Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She conducts research and provides technical assistance on a range of demand-side management program and policy issues. Ms. Stuart has been lead or co-author on over 20 LBNL reports and policy briefs on topics that include ESCO industry and market trends, ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs and policies, EM&V of energy efficiency programs, building energy benchmarking and labeling policies, and the energy efficiency workforce. Ms. Stuart also manages development and stakeholder engagement for eProject Builder, the national web-based ESPC database that enables ESCOs and their customers to track, report, and benchmark their ESPC project data.

Prior to joining LBNL in 2009, Ms. Stuart garnered over 13 years’ experience as a project manager in the entertainment software industry. She also worked on the City of Berkeley’s FIRST solar financing program--the progenitor of Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing and consulted for Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps energy efficiency program.

Ms. Stuart holds an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco.

William Tokash

Senior Research Analyst, Navigant Research

William Tokash is a senior research analyst in Navigant Research’s DER Solutions service, where he leads Utility Customer Solutions research coverage.

Mr. Tokash brings broad-based, leading-edge expertise in the areas of energy as a service, solar PV, energy storage, vehicle electrification, technology assessment, business development, investment analysis, and project finance. He holds a B.S. in Medical Technology from Indiana University.

Timothy Unruh

Executive Director, NAESCO

Dr. Timothy D. Unruh joins NAESCO after over 26 years in energy efficiency and clean energy development.  Most recently, he served in two senior roles at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) – Director of the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Renewable Power.  As FEMP Director, Dr. Unruh helped launch the President’s Performance Contracting Challenge pushing for growth in performance contracting with the Federal Government, as well as eProject Builder targeting a common national platform for ESCO industry data. As DAS for Renewable Power, Dr. Unruh helped develop the Beyond Batteries initiative to explore innovative ways to provide grid services, including using building energy efficiency technologies to improve grid integration with renewable technologies.

Prior to his work at DOE, Dr. Unruh spend many years working for ESCOs. During his time at Custom Energy and ConEdison Solutions, he fulfilled performance contracting work in all markets (MUSH, industrial, commercial and federal), gaining expertise in business development, engineering, measurement and verification, legal and financial aspects of the industry, often through first-hand experience in fulfilling the work.  Early in his career, Dr. Unruh worked for CMS Energy, finding efficiency and power quality solutions for commercial and industrial energy users, where he developed his energy engineering foundation.

Dr. Unruh holds a Bachelors, Masters, and Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering from Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas.  He also holds professional engineering licenses in 13 States and the District of Columbia.

Byron Washom

Director of Strategic Energy Initiatives, University of California, San Diego

Mr. Byron Washom has served as Director of Strategic Energy Initiatives at the University of California, San Diego since 2008. Previously he served as the CEO of a technical due diligence firm in CleanTech while concurrently serving as Senior International Advisor to The World bank and being a four-time Rockefeller Foundation Grantee in renewable energy development. In 1984, Mr. Washom received an R&D100 for one of the 100 most outstanding innovations in the world based upon his entrepreneurial leadership that set eight technical world records for the conversion efficiency of sunlight-to-grid connection that remained unsurpassed for 24 years. Fast Company magazine named him to their June 2010 cover story “100 Most Innovative Persons in Business”.  In 2013, he was retained to help design the microgrid for the Hawaiian Island of Lana`i which is 98% owned by Larry Ellison.

Mr. Washom’s responsibilities at UCSD are to bring quantum innovations in zero and low carbon technologies to its 52 MW microgrid that self-generates 80% of its annual electrical load.  UCSD has deployed 3 MW of PV, 2.5 MW/5 MWH of energy storage, 27 MW of CHP gas turbines, 2.8 MW of a directed biogas fuel cell with the world’s first fuel cell-absorption chiller, 9 million gallons of thermal energy storage, and 245 Level II and 5 DC Fast EV charging stations. UCSD’s microgrid is the world’s largest, most diversified portfolio of distributed energy resources.

Greg Wikler

Executive Director, California Efficiency & Demand Managment Council

Greg Wikler is the Executive Director for the California Efficiency + Demand Management Council (www.cedmc.org). Mr. Wikler is responsible for running this nonprofit organization comprised of more than 70 member companies that implement, evaluate, and manage clean energy programs in California. The Council is California's leading and respected voice for efficiency and demand management service providers.  The Council plays a critical role in helping to shape future policies and practices around climate change, improved efficiency, and economic vitality for the state.

In his over 30 years of experience in the energy industry, Mr. Wikler has addressed a variety of issues related to demand-side resources including energy efficiency, demand response, distributed generation, energy storage, and grid modernization programs for the electric and gas industries. Over this time, he has directed numerous national, regional, and utility-specific market potential and load forecasting studies, technology assessments, integrated demand-side resource program designs, eco

nomic assessments, evaluation studies, and extensive stakeholder collaboration and resolution.
Mr. Wikler is involved in various clean energy and decarbonization policy initiatives in California, providing leadership and insights on legislation, market design improvements, cost-effectiveness approaches, and identification of new markets. He received his Bachelor’s degree from UC Davis and his Master’s degrees from the University of Oregon.