Presenters

Since September 1, 2012, Keith A. Anderson has served as the Interim Director of the District Department of the Environment (DDOE), the leading authority on energy and environmental issues affecting the District of Columbia.   He is responsible for leading a workforce of approximately 300 environmental professionals and overseeing the operations of four administrations, 13 divisions, and 14 branches that work collaboratively to protect the environment and conserve the natural resources of the District of Columbia.

Before assuming the role of Interim Director, Mr. Anderson served as Chief of Staff at DDOE for two years.  In this capacity, Mr. Anderson provided senior-level coordination for planning, organizing and developing vital policies, regulations, directives, and procedures to resolve issues and challenges that impacted the successful accomplishment of DDOE’s strategic plans, goals and objectives.  He provided oversight for the Office of Policy and Sustainability, the Office of Enforcement and Environmental Justice, the Office of Community Relations, and the Office of Public Information. 
Public service is at the heart of Mr. Anderson’s professional experience. He has spent the last 10 years of his career serving the people of the District of Columbia in numerous capacities.  Prior to becoming Chief of Staff, Mr. Anderson was the deputy director of DDOE’s Energy Administration, where he successfully managed several energy programs, including weatherization, the renewable energy incentive program, and energy conservation and education.  His extensive experience in energy administration is further documented when, in 2008, he helped to establish and manage the Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), a unique energy contract that ensures that programs are designed and implemented to improve energy efficiency in the District and create green jobs for residents.

Using federal stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Mr. Anderson directed the planning and provision of on-the-job training for staff members to help create and retain green collar jobs in the District of Columbia; and served as the Chief of DDOE’s Energy Affordability Division (EAD), where he assisted approximately 25,000 low-income District’s residents, each year, with the rising costs of home energy, including gas, electricity, oil, coal, wood or propane.

Before joining DDOE, Mr. Anderson served as a Senior Budget Analyst for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. He has served on several professional organizations including, but not limited to the Principal’s Staff Committee for the Chesapeake Bay Program; SEU Advisory Board; National Energy Assistance Directors Association; National Association of State Energy Officials; Climate, Energy, and Environmental Policy Committee for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and Chairman of the Energy Advisory Committee for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. 

Mr. Anderson, a native of Washington DC and graduate of DC’s public school system, earned a bachelor’s degree from Hampton University in Virginia.  He currently resides in Ward 4.

Jessica Bailey joined the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority as the Director of Commercial and Industrial Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) in August 2012. 

Prior to joining CEFIA, Jessica Bailey worked for the last eight years at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF), an $800 million foundation based in New York City. She served as the Fund’s program officer for sustainable development, the foundation’s largest program area. In this role, she co-managed a $7 million portfolio of grants focused on combating climate change and promoting clean energy. This work has involved developing strategies, cultivating proposals, and building partnerships. She sits on the board of the New England Clean Energy Council.

Jessica is recognized as a thought leader in the clean energy community, bringing a creative and entrepreneurial spirit to her work. Jessica is also broadly networked and respected in the larger climate change and clean energy community, where she serves in board and leadership positions with several key groups and maintains deep connections to the field, including NGOs, business leaders, and policymakers.

Before becoming the RBF’s program officer, Jessica launched and directed a foundation-wide cross-programmatic initiative on energy at the RBF. In this role, Jessica used a separate budget allocation to promote collaboration among programs with the goal of embedding energy-related grant making into each of the program areas of the RBF. This work was an important precursor to some of the RBF’s current energy and climate-related grant making in China and on global governance and was widely regarded by staff and trustees as a successful experiment at the foundation. 

Prior to joining the RBF, Jessica spent time working at the United Nations, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and on a research project in Ecuador. She received her graduate degree from Yale University and undergraduate from the University of Notre Dame.

Jessica grew up in Chicago and now lives in Connecticut with her husband Brian and their two children, Luke and Eliza.

Elizabeth Bellis directs the Warehouse for Energy Efficiency Loans (WHEEL) and Qualified Energy Conservation Bond (QECB) programs 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.  She previously practiced at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in New York.  Elizabeth is admitted to the bar in New York and the District of Columbia.

Peter is Program Manager for the Guaranteed Energy Savings Program for the Minnesota Department of Commerce.  He is responsible for supporting state agencies, local units of government, school districts and institutions of higher education in the development, implementation and on-going measurement & verification of Energy Savings Performance Contracts.  His office works closely with the Energy Services Coalition to establish best practices for Energy Saving Performance Contracting implemented through the State’s programs.

Peter has over 30 years of private sector experience in business development, marketing and management with some of the nation’s prominent energy service companies.  He brings an in-depth knowledge of the local government, education, healthcare, lodging and investment real estate markets.  He is highly experienced in the development of complex projects involving energy efficiency, sustainability and building infrastructure renewal though Energy Savings Performance Contracts.

Peter has a BA in Finance and an MBA in Marketing from the University of St. Thomas.
He is Co-Chair of the Energy Services Coalition Minnesota Chapter and serves on the Energy Services Coalition National Board.  He is a member of the United States Green Building Council and a LEED Accredited Professional.

Mr. Berlin is the former head of the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom's environmental and climate change practices, and has an extensive background in environmental and climate change matters.  The firm's climate change practice includes 23 attorneys and represents clients in all aspects of climate change work, including emission trading, litigation and compliance advice.  Mr. Berlin is the author of articles on clean coal and climate change and lectures widely on climate change issues.  He is one of only two U.S. lawyers listed in the first tier of Climate Change Lawyers in Chambers Global.  He is also listed in the first tier of Environmental Transactional Lawyers in Chambers USA and The Best Lawyers in America 2008.   Mr. Berlin is former Chairman of the Board of the Environmental Law Institute and has been on the Board or National Counsel of many environmental groups.  Mr. Berlin is a member of then-Senator Obama's Environmental & Energy Policy Group and his Mid-Atlantic Finance Team.

Linda Bluestein has been co-director of Clean Cities since May 2008. She works closely with Clean Cities Director Dennis Smith on day-to-day management of the Clean Cities program at the Department of Energy (DOE) headquarters. Previously, she was the regulatory manager for EPACT fleet requirements at DOE's Office of Vehicle Technologies (VT). She worked on compliance, enforcement, and writing regulations for the State and Fuel Provider fleet regulatory program. She also worked with the national laboratories to evaluate the environmental and energy security benefits of fuels for inclusion under the Alternative Fuel Transportation Program. In addition, Bluestein worked closely with the VT program manager and the Office of the Assistant Secretary on suggesting legislative changes to proposed energy bills.

Before government service, Bluestein consulted VT managers on fuel and vehicle-related programs. In this capacity, she worked with DOE to establish the first National Alternative Fuel Hotline, the Clean Cities Hotline, and worked with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on the Alternative Fuels Data Center.

Michael Bodaken serves as President of the National Housing Trust. He has served the Trust in that capacity for over 17 years. The Trust engages in preservation policy, affordable housing development and lending. He has been largely responsible for growing the organization in becoming a nationwide leader in the field of affordable housing preservation.  The Trust is a multi-faceted organization, performing a path-finding role in the housing preservation field through a unique mix of public policy development, lending, and real estate transactional activities.

Over the past five years, the Trust conceptualized and advocated for “Green Preservation” of existing affordable housing. The Trust urges state housing finance agencies to deploy affordable tax credits for the greening of existing affordable housing. More recently, the Trust became engaged with utilities in 8 states to encourage utilities to allocate resources to reduce energy use in existing, multifamily housing.

Prior to coming to the Trust, Mr. Bodaken served as Deputy Mayor for Housing for Mayor Tom Bradley in the City of Los Angeles. There, he coordinated city organizations responsible for the creation of more than 15,000 affordable rental and single family homes.

The Trust’s policy position is informed by actual practice in the field. Mr. Bodaken serves as President of NHT/Enterprise, an organization which owns and operates over 3000 affordable apartments. All of those apartments are energy efficient. Additionally, NHT Community Development Fund provides low interest loans to preservation developers. During his tenure, the Trust has financed and preserved over 20,000 apartments throughout the nation, involving over $1 billion in financing.

Mr. Bodaken is the convener of the National Preservation Working Group. He serves as a Trustee for the National Housing Conference. He serves on the board of directors of Homes for America, the Housing Preservation Project and Stewards for Affordable Housing for the Future. He is a frequent guest lecturer and panelist at affordable housing industry events.

Vaughn Clark currently serves as the Director of Community Development at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.  His responsibilities include supervision and oversight of the planning and implementation of several federal and state programs administered by the department.  Previous to this assignment, Clark began his affiliation with the department in 1994 as a planner responsible for the preparation of the state’s Consolidated Plan. 

From 1981-1994, Clark served as Administrative Assistant for District Affairs for U. S. Congressman Dave McCurdy.  Primarily, Clark directed the Congressman’s activities in the state, managed his field operations, supervised constituent service delivery, and acted  as liaison with the Washington, D. C. staff.   Following his graduation from the University of Oklahoma, Clark served as Press Secretary and Legislative Assistant for   U. S. Congressman Tom Steed in Washington, D. C. from 1971-1980.

Active in several national associations, Clark is currently the Vice Chair of the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO); is the immediate past chair of the National Association of State Community Service Programs (NASCSP); and is a member of the State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB) for the U. S. Department of Energy.

Ken Colburn came to RAP from Symbiotic Strategies, a consultancy he established in 2005. His efforts focused on climate, energy, air quality, environmental policy, and the juxtaposition of economic and environmental opportunity for state clients engaged in the development of climate mitigation and adaptation plans, progressive businesses, and major foundations. Mr. Colburn previously served as executive director of the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM).Under his direction, NESCAUM conceived and funded a comprehensive modeling approach integrating air quality, energy, economic, and public health in order to improve public policy development.

Prior to his work with NESCAUM, Mr. Colburn was director of the Air Resources Division of the NH Department of Environmental Services, where  he also led state climate efforts for the National Association of Clean  Air Agencies (NACAA), representing U.S. states at Kyoto and numerous subsequent meetings of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. He also held management and policy positions within NH’s business community. Mr. Colburn is based in Meredith, NH and holds a BS in mathematics from M.I.T. and an MBA from the University of New Hampshire.

Leslie Cook is a Public Sector Program Manager with U.S. EPA's ENERGY STAR Commercial Buildings Program. She works with states, local governments, schools, and federal agencies to help them improve their energy performance through the use of ENERGY STAR tools and resources. Ms. Cook joined ENERGY STAR in 2008, and prior to that she participated with the EPA Green Building Workgroup as a National Environmental Management Studies Fellow.

Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Dr. Danielson leads the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). As Assistant Secretary, Dr. Danielson oversees a broad energy portfolio that is intended to hasten the transition to a clean energy economy.

Previously, Dr. Danielson was the first Program Director hired by DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). At ARPA-E, Dr. Danielson developed and led R&D programs with a budget of more than $100 million that focused on high-risk, high-reward, disruptive clean energy technologies.

Prior to joining ARPA-E, Dr. Danielson was a clean energy venture capitalist at General Catalyst Partners, a Boston-based venture capital fund. He co-founded the firm's clean energy investment practice and helped build and grow startups in various clean energy technology areas including solar power, wind power, advanced biofuels, bio-gas, carbon capture and storage, and advanced lighting.

Dr. Danielson was a co-founder of the New England Clean Energy Council. He has authored more than 20 scientific articles in the field of advanced materials. While at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dr. Danielson was the founder and President of the MIT  Energy Club and a founding Director of the MIT Energy Conference. For his work in building a strong multidisciplinary energy community at MIT,  he was awarded the Karl Taylor Compton Prize, MIT's highest student award. Dr. Danielson holds a Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude, in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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.

Mr. Diemer leads Pace Global’s consulting practice.  He has played a leading role in the development, financing and the acquisition and divestiture of numerous domestic and international energy infrastructure projects and he has formulated the strategies for enterprises developing and operating these assets.  His experience and expertise spans all energy forms but is principally focused on natural gas markets and procurement across the full supply chain from production to the burner tip including gathering, processing, pipeline transportation and storage.  He also has experience in coal, petroleum, electric power, and air emissions issues associated with the combustion of fuel.  He has testified as an expert witness in (i) natural gas procurement and markets before a federal court and (ii) pipeline rate design matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.  He has represented large energy consumers in contract negotiations for pipeline capacity and commodity supply, overseen all aspects of natural gas pipeline development and developed fuel procurement and management plans for over 2 Bcf/d of natural gas demand in North America for power plants and large industrial facilities.  Additionally he is a recognized expert in natural gas midstream frequent speaking and moderating panels at industry conferences and events.

Mr. Diemer holds an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a B.S. in Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  He has also completed the Executive Integral Leadership Program at the University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business.

Peter  Douglas is the Director of the Efficiency Research and Development Program at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The program that he manages: (i) provides funding and technical support for buildings and industrial technology development and commercialization; (ii) has a $60 million/year project acquisition budget; and (iii) a portfolio of over 1,000 diverse projects, valued at $250 million.

He has been with NYSERDA since 1987 and has served in various staff and management positions. Prior to joining NYSERDA, he was a Sr. Budget Examiner for the New York State Budget Division where he was responsible  for capital budgeting and development of innovative capital project financing structures. He has authored several papers on economic selection strategies for energy efficiency investments. He has advanced degrees in Architecture, Economics, Business Administration and Urban/Environmental Studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and State University of New York at Albany. He is a Registered Architect in New York State and has been an adjunct professor of economics at The State University of New York at Albany.

Russell Duncan serves as Private Sector Section Chief for the State Energy Office (SEO) in the Energy Division of the North Carolina Department of Commerce.  He joined the SEO in 2004 after retiring from Progress Energy-Carolinas with 25 years of service in the residential and commercial markets.  During the Recovery Act, he managed energy efficiency projects for appliance rebates, alternative fuels, commercial/industrial/non-profit organizations, Main Street Communities, Energy Star-labeled site-built and manufactured homes, and energy assurance.  His current role includes coordination of residential energy efficiency initiatives, alternative fuels and transportation, development activities, and energy assurance. 

In addition to an undergraduate degree from Campbell University and a Masters Degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he holds a North Carolina Real Estate Broker’s License and has completed Home Energy Rating System (HERS) training.  Russell and his wife Jo Ann live in Cary.  They have three married sons and seven grandchildren.

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.

Mr. Engman is Vice President Commercial Energy Solutions for Johnson Controls managing the delivery of energy efficiency solutions to Global 1000 and Commercial Real Estate companies. He is also on the board of PACENow, a non-profit organization focused on eliminating long standing barriers for building owners to undergo energy efficiency retrofits. Johnson Controls is the leading global provider of comprehensive energy efficiency, renewable, and technology solutions to meet and measure broad sustainability goals across a portfolio of properties.

Previously Mr. Engman was co-founder of E2 Capital Partners that provided financing solutions for energy efficiency projects within major commercial and industrial enterprises. 

Mr. Engman also has over 15 years experience directly managing four different software companies – two of which were successfully sold to public companies.  Mr. Engman was Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of BuildTopia, Inc the most widely used web based construction management software in the Residential Construction Industry.  This company was sold to Constellation Software in 2010.  Mr. Engman also founded HomeWrite, Inc. a venture backed Software Company that was ultimately acquired by Move.com. 

Mr. Engman is a graduate of the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Peter C. Evans leads the Global Strategy and Planning team at GE Energy,  which is responsible for tracking and analyzing political, economic and  regulatory policy trends around the world and the related implications for GE Energy’s long-term strategy. He oversees the Carbon, Fuels, Policy, Economics and Strategic Workforce Planning Centers of Excellence  as well as scenario planning projects for the business. Prior to joining GE, he was Director, Global Oil, and Research Director of the Global Energy Forum at Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA). He also worked as an independent consultant for a variety of corporate and government clients, including Rio Tinto, American Superconductor Corporation, US Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, US Department of  Energy, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the World Bank.

Dr. Evans has extensive international energy experience, including two years as a Visiting Scholar at the Central Research Institute for the Electric Power Industry in Tokyo, Japan. His many articles and policy monographs include Japan: Bracing for an Uncertain Energy Future (Brookings Institution, 2006), Liberalizing Global Trade in Energy Services (AEI Press, 2002), and “International Conflict and Cooperation in Government Export Financing” (Institute for International Economics, 2001). He also co-authored CERA’s global energy scenario study “Dawn of a  New Age: The Energy Future to 2030”. Dr. Evans holds a BA in Government  and Public Policy from Hampshire College, an M.C.P. in Economic Development and Regional Planning from MIT, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from MIT.

Jake Fey is the Director of the Washington State University (WSU) Energy Program.  Fey has over 32 years of experience providing leadership in energy and other arenas.  He served in management roles for the Washington State Energy Office, the City of Tacoma, and on many boards in the past and present – including those for the Puget Sound Regional Council on Transportation Policy, both Pierce and Sound Transit and the Tacoma–Pierce County Health Department. Fey served as Chair of the Tacoma Public Utilities Board, President of the Electric League and Vice-Chair of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. He is currently the Deputy Mayor of Tacoma and a member of the Tacoma City Council. In addition, he is the Vice-Chair of the Association of State Energy Research & Technology Transfer Institutions Executive Committee. Fey has a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Washington and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Puget Sound.

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 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.

After taking a B.S. from Fordham University, Dr. Gyuk did graduate work at Brown University where he was research assistant to Nobel Laureate Leon Cooper. Having received a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Purdue University, he became a research associate at Syracuse. He has taught Physics, Civil Engineering and Architecture at the University of Wisconsin and at Kuwait University. Diverse research interests have included work on elementary particles, groundwater flow, environmental architecture and cultural dynamics. Dr. Gyuk joined the Department of Energy to manage the Thermal and Physical Storage program. Later he managed DOE's research on biological effects of electric and magnetic fields. Currently he directs the Energy Storage research program which funds work on a wide variety of technologies such as advanced batteries,  flywheels, super-capacitors, and of course Compressed Air Energy Storage. Applications include seamless continuity of power supply for high tech industry during outages, making renewables dispatchable, and helping to increase the capacity factor and ease congested distribution lines.

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

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

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

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

Dr. Kathleen Hogan is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at the U.S. Department of Energy. In this capacity, Dr. Hogan oversees a more than $900 million annual energy efficiency policy, program, and research portfolio including industrial, buildings, and vehicle technologies, along with federal energy management. As part of EERE's senior leadership, Dr. Hogan helps to oversee $16.8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding.

Prior to this position, Dr. Hogan served for more than 10 years as the Division Director at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency responsible for the development and operation of EPA's clean energy programs focused on removing market barriers for energy efficiency and renewable energy. These programs included the ENERGY STAR® program, programs for combined heat and power and renewable energy, corporate leadership programs, and efforts focused on state clean energy policies. Under her management, ENERGY STAR grew to a national brand for energy efficiency across products, new homes, and buildings. She was also a key convener of the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency and has served as a technical advisor on the boards of a number of national and regional energy efficiency organizations.

Earlier in her EPA career, Dr. Hogan developed and managed programs to address emissions of methane and the high global warming potential gases including programs with the natural gas, waste management, livestock, aluminum smelting, and electronics industries. She also worked to address methane emissions in the Russian natural gas system and was an expert contributor on these topics to assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Dr. Hogan has been recognized for her work with a Presidential Rank Award, induction into the Energy Efficiency Hall of Fame of the U.S. Energy Association, and as a contributor to the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Dr. Hogan has a Ph.D. from the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Bucknell University.

Dr. Kuhn currently serves as Acting Deputy Director of Advanced Manufacturing Enterprise for the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute.  He is Adjunct Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, teaching courses in manufacturing, product realization, and entrepreneurship, and serving as Director of the Swanson Center for Product Innovation.  Dr. Kuhn also leads research on manufacturing of biomedical devices for tissue engineering at the University.  He is also Senior Technologist at The Ex One Company LLC, developing materials, processes and equipment for additive manufacturing of metal and ceramic components by three-dimensional printing.
Dr. Kuhn was Vice President and Chief Technical Officer of Scienda Building Sciences, LLC in Orangeburg, SC, from June, 2000 to October, 2002, where he implemented modern CAD/CAM/CAE technologies for the design and manufacture of light gage steel structures and composite construction panels.

Dr. Kuhn was a co-founder of Concurrent Technologies Corporation, a non-profit applied research and development firm headquartered in Johnstown, PA, and served as its Vice President and Chief Technical Officer (1988 – 2000).  CTC grew to a staff of over 1300 employees with 23 offices nationwide.

He was a co-founder and Technical Director (1980 – 1988) of Deformation Control Technology, Cleveland, OH, a consulting firm serving the metalworking industry.

Dr. Kuhn was on the faculties of Drexel University (1966 – 1974) and the University of Pittsburgh (1975 – 1987), with joint appointments in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.  He established research programs under industrial and government funding, which supported twenty-one Ph.D. thesis dissertations and twenty-two master’s thesis dissertations.  Among the results of these programs are the seminal research, papers, and book on powder forging, which was then commercialized through Deformation Control Technology, primarily for automotive drive train components. 

Also at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Kuhn served as Director of the Freshman Engineering Program with responsibility for all academic affairs of entering students.  He was the inaugural recipient of the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award (1983).  While at Concurrent Technologies Corporation, as an adjunct faculty member of the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Kuhn developed and presented graduate manufacturing courses by distance learning to multiple sites.

Kevin Lucas is Director of Energy Market Strategies at the Maryland Energy Administration.  In this role, Kevin engages in and monitors activities at the state, regional, and federal level that shape the energy markets in which Maryland operates.  He works closely with other state agencies such as the Public Service Commission, Department of Environment, and Office of the Governor to help advance Governor O’Malley’s policy goals related to energy and the environment.  He also works with MEA’s Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency departments to provide technical and analytical support for policies such as the Renewable Portfolio Standard and EmPOWER Maryland.

Prior to this role, Kevin was the solar program manager at MEA worked with industry to advance legislation and policies such as net metering, community energy, and an increase in the solar RPS carve out.  Kevin has a BSE in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration.

As Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, Gina McCarthy has been a leading advocate for common-sense strategies to protect public health and the environment.  Prior to her confirmation, McCarthy served as the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. In her 25 year career, she has worked at both the state and local levels on critical environmental issues and helped coordinate policies on economic growth, energy, transportation and the environment.  McCarthy received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts at Boston and a joint Master of Science in Environmental Health Engineering and Planning and Policy from Tufts University.

An acknowledged expert in public policy and a passionate spokesman for American innovation, Dave McCurdy is consistently listed as one of the most influential association executives and top policy advocates in Washington, D.C. Commanding respect on both sides of the political aisle, McCurdy is often cited for his strategic leadership and his ability to find consensus in the public policy arenas.

McCurdy joined the American Gas Association (AGA) as president and CEO in February of 2011. Founded in 1918, AGA represents more than 200 local energy utility companies that deliver natural gas throughout the nation. There are more than 71 million residential, commercial and industrial natural gas customers in the United States, of which 92 percent—more than 65 million customers—receive their gas from AGA members.

McCurdy joined AGA after serving for four years as president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (Alliance). He led the Alliance during a period of unprecedented economic, environmental and regulatory challenges for the auto industry. During his tenure, the Alliance recorded significant achievements and McCurdy was instrumental in developing the historic agreement between automakers and the Obama administration establishing the national program to increase fuel economy by 40 percent and decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2016.

Prior to his work at the Alliance, McCurdy served for eight years as president and CEO of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA). As president, he helped promote the market development and competitiveness of the U.S. high-tech industry by crafting both domestic and international programs and policies for EIA’s nearly 1,300 member companies. In April of 2001, McCurdy co-founded the Internet Security Alliance as a non-profit collaboration between EIA and the Carnegie Mellon University CyLab to enhance cyber security.

Before his tenure at EIA, McCurdy had a distinguished career in Congress. McCurdy spent 14 years (1981-1995) in the House of Representatives as the Member from the Fourth Congressional District of Oklahoma. He attained numerous leadership positions, including: Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee; Chairman of the Military Installations and Facilities Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee; and Chairman of the Transportation Aviation and Materials Subcommittee of the Science and Space Committee. He was the youngest person in congressional history to chair a full committee. He was also co-founder and national Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council.

As a House Member, McCurdy played a major role in enacting numerous important legislative initiatives, including: the 1988 National Superconductivity Competitiveness Act; the 1985 Goldwater-Nichols Act, which reorganized the Department of Defense; the Nunn-McCurdy Amendment in 1982, requiring congressional notification of Department of Defense cost overruns of 15 percent or more; and the 1993 National Service Legislation, which originated in a bill introduced by Representative McCurdy and Senator Nunn.

McCurdy also had a successful business consulting and investment practice as chairman and CEO of the McCurdy Group, L.L.C.

Dave McCurdy was appointed by Secretary of Defense Robert to the Defense Policy Board, which provides the secretary with independent, informed advice and opinion concerning matters of defense policy. McCurdy served on the board from 2008-2011 during the Gates tenure in both the Bush and Obama administrations.  He currently serves on a number of not-for-profit boards including: the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Analysis, The Center for Naval Analysis, The Close Up Foundation, the Alliance to Save Energy and LMI (Logistics Management Institute).
In 2011, McCurdy co-founded the Coalition for a Fiscally Sound America, a bi-partisan group organized to make more Americans aware of the scope and depth of the nation's fiscal dilemma and help them better understand the causes, effects and potential solutions. CFSA seeks to motivate Americans to take action and communicate with their elected officials to enact both spending and tax reform sufficient to stabilize our national debt, revive our economy and return prosperity to America. (info@fiscallysoundamerica.com)

A 1972 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, McCurdy received his J.D. in 1975 from Oklahoma Law School. As a Rotary International Graduate Fellow, he studied international economics at Edinburgh University, Scotland. He also held a commission in the United States Air Force Reserve, attaining the rank of major and serving as a Judge Advocate General (JAG).

His numerous prestigious awards and honors include being the first recipient of the University of Oklahoma’s Distinguished Service Award, being named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men in America, receiving the PTA’s national award for child advocacy and the USO’s award for his commitment to improving education. McCurdy was a four-time MVP of the Congressional Baseball Game and a member of Roll Call’s Hall of Fame.

McCurdy and his wife, Dr. Pam McCurdy, a physician specializing in child psychiatry, live in McLean, VA. They have three grown children, Josh, Cydney and Shannon and two sons-in-law.

Ms. McGetrick has over 25 years of management-level experience in plant operations, process engineering, and project management.

Ms. McGetrick spent the first 15 years of her career at the Y-12 National Security Complex in weapons manufacturing and nuclear operations.   Ms. McGetrick then worked for Washington Group International (now URS Washington) where she was Site Manager at the West Valley Demonstration Project and later a regional manager for Business Development with Washington Group.  Ms. McGetrick joined UT-Battelle in 2007 where she served as the Directorate Operations Manager for Nuclear Operations. She is now serving as the Director for ORNL’s Carbon Fiber Technology Facility, where she is responsible for the installation and commissioning of the facility as well integration of research projects and program development activities associated with ORNL’s low-cost carbon fiber portfolio.
Ms. McGetrick holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Tennessee.

Lawrence Megan is currently R&D Director for Global Productivity for Praxair. In this role, he is responsible for managing a portfolio of R&D programs focused on improving the efficiency of Praxair’s process plant operations, supply chains, and business processes.

Larry joined Praxair in 1993 as a Development Associate, later becoming an R&D manager and Corporate Fellow. He holds 4 US patents and has co-authored 13 peer reviewed journal articles. He received a National Academy of Engineering Eminent Young Engineer award in 2006, a Praxair R&D Commercialization Award in 2005, and a Praxair R&D Technology Innovation award in 2002. He is a member of the University at Buffalo Industrial Engineering Advisory Board and is actively involved in collaborative efforts between UB and the Buffalo Public Schools to improve science and math education. 

Larry has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Connecticut.

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.

Roland Risser is the Director for the Building Technologies Office (BTO) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).  BTO’s goal is to optimize US energy savings opportunities and help create a self-sustaining market for building energy efficiency by pioneering advanced technologies, accelerating the speed and scale of codes and standards, and promoting highly efficient buildings and homes. Results produced to date are expected to save U.S. consumers $91 billion and 32 quads of energy by 2030.

Prior to this position Roland served as the Director of Customer Energy Efficiency for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).  He was responsible for developing and implementing the strategies to support PG&E's delivery of customer energy savings and strategies to support a Net Zero Energy future.  In addition, he was responsible for assessing and deploying new technologies and products into PG&E’s energy efficiency portfolio, managing a building and appliance codes and standards program, as well as PG&E's Pacific Energy, Energy Training, and Food Service Technology Centers.

During his 31-year tenure at PG&E, Roland held several other positions, including Director of Energy Efficiency (which included Low Income, Solar and Demand Response programs); Director, Tariffs and Compliance; Manager, Business Account Services and Corporate Sales; Manager, New Energy Markets; and Manager, Customer Systems Research and Development.  In addition, while on a one year executive loan from PG&E, he served as the Executive Director of the Washington D.C. based Electric Vehicle Association of the Americas.

Prior to DOE, Roland was a member of the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency Leadership Group, Chairman of the Consortium for Energy Efficiency, an advisor to the Institute of Electric Efficiency, and was a board member of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (now ex officio).  Currently, Roland is the Chairman of the US Technical Advisory Committee to ISO 50001 (Energy Management standard).

Roland has a Master of Science degree from the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Irvine.   He also graduated from the Haas School of Business, Executive Program, at the University of California, Berkeley.

Steven R. Schmid received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1986. He then joined Triodyne, Inc., where his duties included investigation of machinery failures and consultation in machine design. He earned his Master’s Degree from Northwestern University in 1989 and his Ph.D. in 1993, both in mechanical engineering. In 1993 he joined the faculty at the University of Notre Dame, where he teaches and conducts research in the fields of design and manufacturing. Dr. Schmid received the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Newkirk Award and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Parsons Award in 2000. He was also awarded the Kaneb Center Teaching Award in 2000, 2003, and 2010, and has served as a Kaneb fellow since 2003. Dr. Schmid holds professional engineering (P.E.) and certified manufacturing engineer (C.Mfg.E) licenses. He is co-author (with S. Kalpakjian) of Manufacturing Engineering and Technology (2013) and Manufacturing Processes for Engineering Materials (2008), both published by Prentice Hall; Manufacturing Engineering and Technology is the world’s most popular manufacturing textbook, and has been translated into eight languages. He was awarded the ASME Foundation Swanson Fellowship in 2012, and is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. During 2012-2013, he is serving as the Assistant Director for Research Partnerships at the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Dr. Howard Schwartz is Senior Energy Policy Analyst for the Washington members of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council and for the Washington Department of Commerce Energy Office. He has worked in executive, policy and academic positions in the Northwest for over thirty years.  He has most recently been engaged with the 6th Northwest Power Plan, the Western Renewable Energy Zone project, the Western Climate Initiative and implementation of the Washington Renewable Portfolio Standard and now is the Governor’s representative to WECC/WGA transmission planning committees. . Dr. Schwartz is also an Adjunct Professor at The Evergreen State College in Olympia where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in energy policy and public administration.

Prior to his current mix of responsibilities Dr. Schwartz held a number of management positions at the Washington State Energy Office, served as administrator of Missoula County, Montana and taught at the University of Montana and The Evergreen State College.  He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Stanford University.

Christopher  Smith is Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Gas in the Office of Fossil Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy. In this position, Smith is responsible for administering domestic and international oil and gas programs, including research and development, policy analysis, and LNG import and export licensing. Smith served as the Designated Federal Official for the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, established by President Obama to investigate the root causes of the Gulf oil spill.  He currently chairs the steering team that will lead efforts to coordinate research on shale gas and tight oil resources conducted by the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Prior to his appointment in October of 2009, Smith served in managerial and analytical positions of increasing responsibility in the private sector. Most recently he spent eleven years with two major international oil companies focused primarily on upstream business development and LNG trading, including three years negotiating production and transportation agreements in Bogotá, Colombia.
Smith began his career as an officer in the U. S. Army and served tours in Korea and Hawaii. He subsequently worked for Citibank and JPMorgan in New York City and London in the area of emerging markets and  currency derivatives.

Smith holds a bachelor's degree in Engineering Management from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an MBA from Cambridge University.

Smith is married to Dr. Patricia Smith. They reside in Alexandria with their two children.

Peter R. Smith serves as the Managing Director for the Climate Change, Energy and the Environment Group for the Pataki-Cahill Group.  Smith joined Pataki-Cahill after serving for nearly four years as the President and CEO of the New York State Energy and Development Authority(NYSERDA) and before that as Vice President for Programs as well as Director of Energy Analysis at NYSERDA. Mr. Smith brings more than 35 years of experience in the energy field 

The Pataki-Cahill Group, founded by former New York State Governor George E. Pataki and John P. Cahill, is a strategic consulting and project development firm dedicated to helping business and governmental interests maximize opportunities and limit risk in addressing climate change and the related issues of developing clean and renewable energy and deploying innovative energy and environmental practices and technologies. The Pataki-Cahill Group has a wide range of clients, including clean energy funds, domestic and international utilities, “clean tech” start-up companies, domestic and  international renewable energy developers, commercial real estate developers, high voltage electric transmission developers and  combined heat and power and district energy providers

While leading NYSERDA, Peter oversaw a $400 million dollar budget dedicated to research, economic development and deployment of progressive energy programs and technologies throughout the State of New York.  Mr. Smith, as President and CEO, helped establish nearly 3,000 energy efficiency, conservation, renewable resource, and economic development and research projects throughout New York State. 

Mr. Smith also serves on the Boards of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, the Alliance to Save Energy and Navillus Energy.  He is the former chairman of the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and the former chairman of the Gas Technology Institute Public Interest Advisory Committee. 

Mr. Smith has a Masters of Public Administration from the Nelson A. Rockefeller School of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany and a Bachelor of Arts in History from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York.

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.

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.

Barbara  Tyran is Director, Washington & State Relations, in EPRI’s office in Washington DC. She serves as the principal liaison between EPRI executive management, and Congress, the Administration, the national trade associations, the national leadership of the state public utility commissions, state legislators/regulators, and the Washington energy community.

Ms. Tyran joined EPRI in 1998 after serving for several years as Manager  of Federal Government Affairs for two electric utilities, Kansas City Power & Light (now Great Plains Energy, Inc.) and Empire District Electric Company. Previously, she was the Washington Representative for the Detroit Edison Company (now DTE Energy).

Prior to that, Ms. Tyran worked as a management consultant, initially with Booz Allen & Hamilton in their Institutional Management Consulting Division and subsequently, with Pace Global, where she was engaged with energy-related clients in both the private and public sectors.

Ms. Tyran holds a BA degree with Honors from Stanford University and an MBA from Yale University. In recognition of her electricity industry expertise and knowledge, she was appointed in 2005 by the Secretary of Commerce to the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Energy and Energy Services and elected Chairman in 2010. Ms. Tyran also serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of State Energy Research and Technology Transfer Institutions, the Board of Directors for the Women’s  Council on Energy & the Environment, and the Executive Council of the USEA/Johnson Controls Energy Efficiency Forum.

Keith Welks is Deputy Treasurer for Fiscal Operations and Senior Advisor for Policy. In this role, Mr. Welks provides advice to the Pennsylvania Treasurer and to the Chief of Staff, works on a variety of special projects and assignments regarding policy and legislation.  He works on corporate governance issues related to Commonwealth investments managed by the Treasury Department.  Mr. Welks is also responsible for identifying investment opportunities for Treasury in a number of areas, including investments that involve green or clean technologies.  Mr. Welks worked with the Commonwealth’s sustainable energy funds, the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, regulated utilities and the petroleum marketers’ association, and with AFC First Financial to establish the KeystoneHELP program, which provides low interest loans to homeowners who install EnergyStar and comparable equipment to conserve energy.  He is currently overseeing the recapitalization of Treasury’s HELP loan portfolio as well as the Department’s efforts to develop secondary market financing structures.

Mr. Welks was graduated summa cum laude from Lafayette College, received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and is a member of the Pennsylvania bar.

Previously, Mr. Welks helped create and led the environmental crimes section of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General from 1980 until 1987.  He was Chief Counsel of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources from 1987 until 1994. After that, Mr. Welks created, secured funding for and served as President of the Phoenix Land Recycling Company, a nonprofit organization that facilitated the remediation and reuse of brownfield sites in the Commonwealth.

Mr. Welks is the co-chair of the Department of Energy’s Financial Working Group, a part of the See Energy Efficiency Action Network.

Mr. Welks is also Chairman of the Board of the Northeast Environmental Enforcement Training Fund, a non-profit philanthropy that supports compliance and enforcement efforts of most of the environmental and law enforcement agencies of the states in the northeastern United States.

Jeremiah Williams is a Project Manager with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.  He works in the Building Technologies Office, specifically overseeing projects related to building energy codes. 

His educational background includes a B.S. degree in Business and Education, and an M.S. in Construction Management from Michigan State University (MSU).  Prior to joining DOE, he was a Senior Research Assistant at the Center for Construction Project Performance, Assessment and Improvement (c2p2ai), with a research focus on energy code compliance.  He also coordinated the Michigan Energy Code Training and Implementation Program–a joint effort between the State of Michigan and MSU.  He is also a certified high school science instructor, teaching courses in chemistry and physics.

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.

Kat Willson is a Director on Microsoft’s Worldwide Public Sector team and is responsible for developing the marketing strategy for energy and environmental solutions for cities.  During her 16 year career at Microsoft, she developed the partner ecosystem for energy and environmental solutions, and led product management teams to deliver server infrastructure, business intelligence, security and collaboration solutions.  Prior to her career at Microsoft, Kat worked as a licensed Architect for commercial, civic and residential projects.  She earned her both of her degrees from the University of California at Berkeley; an MBA from the Haas School of Business and a BA in Architecture from the College of Environmental Design.

Mr. Wolfe directs the activities of the Energy Programs Consortium (EPC), an energy policy research organization sponsored by the four national organizations representing state energy program and regulatory officials.  As part of his responsibilities, he is currently overseeing a national project to develop secondary market options residential energy efficiency loan programs as well as a project to analyze lessons learned from foundation and federal efforts to finance multi-family housing energy efficiency retrofits. He also serves as a senior editor for the State and Local Energy Report.

Mark Wolfe also serves as the Executive Director of the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association (NEADA), representing the state directors of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).  NEADA is the primary educational and policy organization representing state low-income energy directors.

He has testified before Congress and is frequently cited in the national media on energy issues. Previous positions have included serving as a Senior Advisor to the US Treasury Department, Deputy Director for the Coalition of Northeastern Governors and Senior Analyst for the Congressional Research Service. 

Mr. Wolfe has a M.S. degree in Public Policy from the State University of New York and a B.A. in Urban Studies from Antioch College.  He also serves on US Department of Energy’s State Energy Efficiency Action Network and several boards including the National Home Performance Council and the National Low Income Energy Consortium.