Speakers

Sen. Brian Feldman

Maryland State Senator Brian J. Feldman, both an Attorney and a CPA, is Chair of the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee. Brian serves on the Executive Nominations Committee, the Rules Committee, and the Legislative Policy Committee. He is also a member of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change and the Maryland Economic Development Commission. Nationally, as a member of the National Conferences of State Legislators, he serves as Vice Chair of the Task Force on Energy Supply, and as a member of the Task Force on State and Local Taxation and the Committee on Natural Resources and Infrastructure. Brian also represents Maryland as a member of the Southern States Energy Board. Numerous honors and awards have been conferred on Senator Feldman for his work in the Maryland General Assembly on clean energy. In 2019, Senator Feldman sponsored Maryland’s landmark “Clean Energy Jobs Act” and was recognized by the Community for Solar Access as a “Legislative Champion” and by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network as a “Climate Champion” in 2022. Brian serves on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Senator Feldman and his wife, Janice, have two children who graduated from Montgomery County public schools. 

Sen. Katie Fry Hester

Senator Katie Fry Hester is serving in her first term as State Senator.

Prior to becoming State Senator, Katie worked in international development with governments, businesses, communities, non-profits, and international agencies around the world to build partnerships and implement strategies that are good for business, good for the environment, and good for communities.

During those 20 years of international experience, Katie helped develop local agricultural markets, worked with government agencies to create jobs, advised companies on engaging key stakeholders, and trained hundreds of people in partnership building.

Del. Marc Korman

Marc Korman has proudly represented District 16 in the Maryland House of Delegates since 2014. In 2023, he was named Chair of the Environment & Transportation Committee, where he champions issues like public transit, environmental protection, and sustainable growth. Previously, Marc served as House Majority Leader and chaired the Montgomery County House Delegation. A lifelong Montgomery County resident, Marc attended Montgomery County Public Schools, earned degrees from USC, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Maryland, and now lives in Bethesda with his wife, Rebecca, and their two children. 

Del. Lorig Charkoudian

Lorig Charkoudian represents District 20 in the Maryland General Assembly, where she serves on the Economic Matters Committee and is Chair of the Unemployment Insurance Subcommittee. Lorig is a strong advocate for legislation promoting environmental justice, consumer protections, economic justice, criminal justice reform, pedestrian safety, and a sustainable food system. In addition to her role as Delegate, Lorig is the Executive Director of the Community Mediation Maryland. Lorig received her PhD in Economics from Johns Hopkins University, has been honored three times as Maryland’s Top 100 Women by the Maryland Daily Record. She lives in Takoma Park with one of her two children, Raffi, and runs ultra-marathons.

Del. Dylan Behler

Dylan Behler is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing District 30A.

Del. Linda Foley

Delegate Linda Foley represents the people of Maryland District 15 in the General Assembly. She sits on the House Environment and Transportation Committee.

Del. Dana Stein

Dana is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates and represents District 11B in Baltimore County. He was first elected to the House in 2006, served as Vice Chair of the House Environment and Transportation Committee between 2015 and 2023. He also serves as chair of the Environment Subcommittee of the Environment and Transportation Committee.

Dana is the executive director and founder of the Baltimore non-profit Civic Works. Participants rehab homes, build parks and gardens, make improvements in the homes of senior citizens, and grow fresh produce at an urban farm. Civic Works also operates a high school in Baltimore, REACH Partnership.

Prior to establishing Civic Works, Dana practiced law for several years at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey in Washington, D.C. He has a B.A. in government from Harvard University, a law degree from Columbia Law School, and an MPA from Princeton University. He and his wife Margaret live in Pikesville with their three kids.

Frederick Hoover

Frederick H. Hoover was appointed Chair of the Maryland Public Service Commission by Governor Wes Moore for a five-year term beginning on July 1, 2023.

He most recently served as Assistant People’s Counsel in the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel, representing residential consumers of public utilities, retail energy suppliers and other entities before the Maryland Public Service Commission, courts and federal agencies.

Chair Hoover served for more than seven years as director of the Maryland Energy Administration, responsible for coordinating energy policy for the state of Maryland. He subsequently held positions as director of both MEA’s Division of Energy Programs and Division of Renewable Energy. He is a former senior director of the National Association of State Energy Officials, where he directed the electricity policy program including the fuel and grid aspects of both transmission and distribution networks including modernization, renewable energy, and energy efficiency.

Chair Hoover was a founding board member of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, an organization dedicated to holding elected officials at the legislative and executive level accountable for environmental issues. He was a member of the Maryland Cybersecurity Council.

He serves on the Board of Directors for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and is a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest and the Committee on Electricity. He was recently appointed to NARUC’s Washington Actions Program, the group that represents NARUC’s interests before federal executive and legislative entities.

A resident of Annapolis, Maryland, Chair Hoover earned his law degree from the University of Baltimore, and a bachelor’s degree from Mount Saint Mary’s University. He also completed Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Education Program in Economics and Environment.

Odogwu Linton

Odogwu Obi Linton was appointed to the Maryland Public Service Commission in 2017, reappointed in 2022, and again in 2025 by Governor Wes Moore. He brings over two decades of leadership experience in energy policy, utility regulation, consumer protection, and regulatory law, with a strong focus on ensuring reliable, affordable, and equitable utility service for Maryland residents.

Commissioner Linton has served in multiple capacities at the Commission, including Director of the Consumer Affairs Division, where he led the development of comprehensive consumer protection regulations for Maryland’s competitive energy markets and managed the state’s Supplier Diversity Program to expand participation in utility supply chains. He previously served as Deputy Staff Counsel for the Commission, handling complex regulatory matters involving rate design, market oversight, and service quality standards.

Commissioner Linton was appointed by Governor Moore as the Commission’s representative on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission (WMATC). Nationally, Commissioner Linton has held leadership roles with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), including Chair of the Consumers and the Public Interest Committee, member of the Emergency Preparedness Task Force, and founding Chair of the Supplier and Workforce Diversity Staff Subcommittee. Throughout his career, he has moderated or participated in more than one hundred national and regional panel discussions, addressing a broad range of topics including ratepayer protections, energy affordability, climate policy, and small business market access.

Prior to his public service roles, Commissioner Linton practiced regulatory and energy law representing consumers, small businesses, and competitive suppliers. Earlier in his career, he served as regulatory counsel for Baltimore Gas and Electric Company and as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Evelyn Omega Cannon of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City.

Commissioner Linton holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where he served as Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Health Care Law and Policy. He earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Administration of Justice and Africana Studies from Rutgers University.

Commissioner Linton resides with his family in Catonsville, Maryland.

I. Katherine Magruder

Throughout her career Ms. Magruder has been focused on the balance of environment, economy, and cultural character in effective sustainable economic development.

As Executive Director of the Maryland Clean Energy Center, since 2009, Ms. Magruder manages the statewide green bank working to advance the commercialization and adoption of clean energy products, services, and technologies in Maryland. She collaborates with multiple state and federal agencies, along with utility and private sector partners, to implement climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives. In this role she operates financing programs, administers grants, engages in business development initiatives, oversees outreach, and monitors associated public policy activity.

Previously, as Chief of Staff at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Ms. Magruder was responsible for strategic planning, staff management and external relations. During appointment as the Director of Resource Based Industries at the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (Commerce), she focused on sustaining the agriculture, forestry, mining, fisheries and maritime industry sectors. Working in key positions with various municipalities, Ms. Magruder led local and regional agribusiness, cultural preservation, and ecotourism initiatives to benefit communities on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Kathy is a member of the American Green Bank Coalition and currently serves as co-chair of the Association for University Research Parks Climate Technology & Building Caucus. She holds seats on the Maryland Power Plant Research Program Advisory Committee, the Maryland Industrial Partnerships Advisory Board , the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Climate, Energy & Environment Policy Committee and is appointed to the Governor’s Economic Competitiveness Sub-cabinet for Maryland.

Serena McIlwain

Secretary Serena McIlwain is the 11th Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, confirmed in Marc​h 2023. She leads Maryland’s efforts to protect public health, advance climate action, and safeguard natural resources. Secretary McIlwain brings more than 30 years of federal, state, and legislative experience, spanning large-scale operations and environmental and energy policy. Before joining Maryland, she served as Undersecretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and held senior leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other Executive Branch Agencies. Her priorities include meeting Maryland’s ambitious climate goals, addressing systemic environmental injustices, restoring the Chesap​eake Bay, and building a high-performing, accountable public agency.

Kelly Speakes-Backman

Kelly Speakes-Backman is the Director of the Maryland Energy Administration under the Moore-Miller administration. A nationally recognized energy executive with over 25 years of experience in energy and environmental issues, her experience spans public, NGO and private sectors, including most recently building and managing a public affairs organization at Invenergy, an American-based multinational power generation development and operations company.

Prior to this, Kelly served as Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. She was the first CEO of the Energy Storage Association, where she led policy, external relations, and industry leadership efforts for the organization. She was also a commissioner of the Maryland Public Service Commission in the O’Malley-Brown administration, where, as an adjunct to the commission, she served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Co-Vice Chair of the NARUC (National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners) Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment, and member of the EPRI Energy Efficiency & Grid Modernization Public Advisory Group. Kelly has held leadership positions in the private sector at United Technologies, Wärtsilä, SunEdison, and The Alliance to Save Energy.

William Ellis

William is a nationally recognized leader in energy policy, grid modernization and climate change. In 2015, he was first recognized by Association of Energy Service Professionals (AESP) as the “One to Watch” for his contribution related to energy efficiency and sustainability. William was awarded Modern Day Technology Leader at the 2017 Black Engineer of the Year Awards. As recent as 2021, William was recognized by Environment + Energy as the Nation’s Top 100 Leaders, for his work related to decarbonization and electrification transportation.

In his current role as Director of Governmental and External Affairs, William is responsible for engaging in stakeholder relations with state and local officials, community leaders and businesses, consumer and nonprofit organizations within the Pepco Maryland region. Advocating, shaping policy and managing issues to deliver value to our customers and key stakeholders. In 2020, William was appointed to the Prince George’s County Climate Action Commission. He was instrumental in the County’s plan to reduce GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Ed Hirsch

Ed Hirsch is the Manager of Strategy and Decarbonization at Baltimore Gas & Electric.

Tamla Olivier

Tamla Olivier is the president and chief executive officer of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation. Olivier and her leadership team oversee safety, reliability, customer service, financial performance, and BGE’s commitment to delivering value to its customers while fostering an equitable energy transition. BGE is the nation’s first gas utility and is currently Maryland’s largest electric and natural gas utility, serving more than 1.3 million electric and 700,000 gas customers in central Maryland.

Jason Stanek

Jason M. Stanek is the Executive Director for Governmental Services at PJM Interconnection, LLC. He most recently served as Chairman of the Maryland Public Service Commission from 2018 to 2023. Before that, he was Senior Counsel to the Energy Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce where he advised on matters involving national energy policy, with specific focus on electricity issues and the operations of the regional power markets. He also served in senior positions at FERC for 16 years, advising both a chairman and a commissioner. Jason received a law degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University. He also completed studies at American University and the University of North Carolina. 

Lauren Urbanek

Lauren Urbanek is the Senior Manager of Decarbonization Strategy for Utility of the Future at Baltimore Gas & Electric.

Eric Coffman

Eric leads the Maryland Energy Administration’s (MEA) portfolio of energy programs, a broad portfolio of efforts funded by the Strategic Energy Investment Fund (SEIF). Th​is dynamic portfolio spans more than $40 million annually backed by a team of fifteen subject matter experts in the fields of resiliency, solar, wind energy, energy efficiency, energy finance, transportation electrification, infrastructure investment programs, biomass and other relevant topics.. His work includes grid modernization, clean energy deployment, energy efficiency, resiliency, smart cities technologies and more. Prior to joining MEA, Eric led the Office of Energy and Sustainability (OES) within Montgomery County’s Department of General Services (DGS). In his time with OES, he was responsible for the sustainability and energy performance of County operations as well as efforts before the Maryland Public Service Commision. In this capacity, Eric oversaw the procurement, financing, construction and commissioning of the County Government’s first microgrids. Before joining OES, Eric led the County’s climate and energy programs for the Department of Environmental Protection.  Eric is a Certified Public Manager, Certified Energy Manager, Certified Energy Procurement Professional among other qualifications.

Hannah Debelius

Deputy Director of the Office of Energy and Sustainability for the Maryland Department of General Services.

Anne Hairston-Strang

Anne Hairston-Strang is the Director of the Maryland Forest Service and an active State Forester.

Haley Kotzker

Haley Kotzker is an Energy Policy Manager at the Maryland Energy Administration

Deron Lovaas

Deron Lovaas has worked on state and federal transportation policy for more than three decades. He’s Chief of Environment and Sustainable Transportation in the Secretary’s office at the Maryland Department of Transportation. His team’s portfolio includes climate mitigation and resilience, vehicle electrification, active transportation, and environmental compliance and innovation. He worked for more than 20 years at the Natural Resources Defense Council before joining the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), leading initiatives and projects focused on transportation, utility, housing, and clean vehicles policy. Before that he worked with other nonprofit advocacy groups including the Sierra Club, and he served briefly with the Maryland Department of the Environment. Deron graduated from the University of Virginia.

Dr. Ryan Opsal

Dr. Ryan Opsal is the Director of Energy Policy at the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA). Dr. Opsal previously served as an Energy Policy Manager at MEA. Prior to working at MEA, Ryan was an Adjunct Professor in the Politics and International Relations Department at Florida International University, where he recently completed his doctorate in International Relations. He taught and conducted research in many areas including energy and international political economy.

Ryan Powell

Ryan has 20 years of experience in science, technology and entrepreneurship. His technical background is in molecular biology and biotechnology where his Ph.D. focused on biofuels. After finishing his Ph.D. he founded a renewable energy startup company to commercialize inventions developed during his doctoral work. His company raised over $5.5M from public and private sources including over $2M from SBIRs. The company developed and scaled biological production systems, solid-liquid separations systems and thermochemical conversion systems to pilot scale. Ryan joined the Department of Commerce in March 2024 as the Energy Program Manager. His work at Commerce focuses on helping renewable energy companies in Maryland grow and thrive. In this role he helps connect companies to funding, raise investment capital, connect them to customers and partners, and provide regulatory assistance.

Angel Saules

Angel Saules is an Energy Efficiency Program Manager at the Maryland Energy Administration.

Nicola Tran

Nicola Tran is the Director of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.

Ryan Trauley

Ryan Trauley is the Energy Efficiency & Electrification Program Manager for the Maryland Energy Administration.

Mollie Woods

Mollie’s work at OPC focuses on legislative policy and strategic projects, developing, coordinating, and advocating for policy positions that advance the interests of residential utility customers. Mollie earned her B.A. from Colgate University and her J.D. from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law, where she focused on consumer and environmental issues. Before joining OPC in 2022, Mollie worked as a judicial law clerk for Judge Dan Friedman on the Appellate Court of Maryland. Prior to law school, Mollie worked in community and youth development for many years before moving to New Hampshire to pursue a love of food through farming and baking.

Dave Castille

Dave Castille, also based in our Hanover office, leads BWEV’s public sector business focusing on Local, State, Federal and Education markets. Dave brings more than 35 years of public sector experience including serving as President for FEI Systems and several other senior positions for 15 years delivering health technology solutions for the public sector. He also spent more than 20 years with Booz Allen & Hamilton as a strategic consultant in the technology sector as well as leading internal teams supporting the business. Dave understands the uniqueness of the public sector business where one size never fits all! His goal is to ensure the EVSE solutions being delivered to our customers meet their needs and will stand the test of time.

Lindsay Cherry

Lindsay Cherry is the Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at NineDot Energy. She leads efforts to navigate and influence policies and regulations that impact the energy storage market. Prior to joining NineDot, Lindsay worked at Qcells, developing policies to reshore the solar supply chain and to make the supply chain more sustainable and less carbon intensive. She has also worked as a solar analyst for Wood Mackenzie (formerly Greentech media), researching and writing about trends in solar technologies. Lindsay earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Boston University and a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University, where she concentrated in energy and environmental policy.

Brian Ferrarese

Brian Ferrarese is the Regulatory Affairs Manager at Dandelion Energy, the leading residential geothermal heating and cooling provider in the U.S. In this role, he works on state policy in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Brian has previously served as Chief of Staff at the MA Department of Environmental Protection as well as in the MA State Legislature. He has a Masters of Public Administration from Suffolk University and a Bachelor of Science from Lasell University.

Joshua Greene

Josh Greene currently serves as corporate vice president of regulatory and industry affairs having served in that role since joining the company in 2016. As a member of the company’s senior leadership, he is responsible for advancing the company’s business goals and objectives in front of international, federal, and state policy makers and regulatory bodies, as well as representing the company within its industry associations. He also works with the company’s corporate development, ESG, and innovation teams in facilitating new business opportunities and industry relationships. Josh maintains very board relationships within the environmental, municipal, and business communities.

Josh joined the company after 14 years with the international law firm Squire Patton Boggs LLP in Washington, D.C. where he was partner providing regulatory, policy, and business advice to private and public companies in the energy and environmental industry. Earlier in his career, Josh served as legislative aide in the U.S. House of Representatives as well as a law clerk to the General Counsel of the Maryland Commission on Human Relations

Josh earned his BA with honors from the University of Delaware and JD (law degree) with honors from the University of Baltimore.

Elias Hinckley, LL.M., J.D.

Committee Member

Elias Hinckley is a Partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. He focuses his practice on assisting clients navigating a changing energy, tax, and financial landscape by efficiently and creatively structuring deals.

He incorporates tax, policy, and market insight to solve complex financing challenges for renewable energy companies, private equity, hedge funds, tax equity investors, real estate investors, independent power companies, and public utilities. He has been at the forefront of the development of several financing structures for the clean energy industry.

He has experience representing clients across energy sectors, including solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biofuels, hydroelectric, batteries, fuel cells, energy efficiency, demand response, electric transmission, natural gas, and advanced coal.

Previously, Elias led the energy practice at another international law firm and was the Head of the Alternative Energy Practice for Deloitte USA for several years. He is also an Adjunct Professor of International Energy Policy and Markets at the Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Dr. Greg Hitz

As founder of Ion Storage Systems, Dr. Hitz led development of the groundbreaking multilayer garnet structure at the heart of ION’s battery. Greg now sets the vision for the company’s technology growth, oversees intellectual property and data science efforts, and leads technology roadmapping. He has fostered a culture focused on excellence, integrity, and rapid learning cycles across all activities.

Greg has built a world-class team dedicated to delivering no-compromise customer solutions with highly scalable manufacturing. His leadership has also been key in developing new company capabilities and cultivating them into high-performance core competencies. He holds a PhD in Materials Science & Engineering and a bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maryland.

Andrew Kays

Andrew Kays is the Executive Director of the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority.

Kenya Langford

Kenya Langford is the CEO and Founder of GeaVance.

Jonathan Moore

Geoff Oxnam

Geoff Oxnam is a microgrid project developer and former utility executive with more than two decades of experience in energy, utilities, telecommunications, and infrastructure. Geoff earned a BA in History from Williams College (Williamstown, Mass.) and an MBA from The Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School (Baltimore, Md.). Geoff served as Chair of the Maryland Clean Energy Center board of directors on appointment by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.

Bobby Ruiz

Dr. Salvo Vitale

With a strong background of over 15 years of legal experience in the areas of corporate governance, business law and extraordinary transactions, Dr. Vitale has worked in the fields of international commercial law and renewable energy. Dr. Vitale is responsible for the organization of the company in terms of general strategy, commercial development, operational structure and financial results. In addition to the above, he oversees all contracts, business commitments, formal legal arrangements and agreements for the portfolio of projects in the US and Europe. Dr. Vitale joined the Toto Group in 2011 and previously practiced law in Rome, Italy at Bonelli Erede law firm. Salvo attended Guido Carli International University (LUISS) in Rome, Italy, where he earned his Master Degree in Law and PhD in Commercial Law.

Michael Weiner

Mike Weiner is the Director, Policy and Advocacy for the Americas at Fluence, focusing on U.S. and Canadian energy policy. He has over a decade of experience in policy advocacy, with previous roles at Siemens Energy, Siemens Gamesa, and Van Ness Feldman, LLP.

John Willis

John Willis is the Founder and CEO of Zero Net Energy Homes.

Chris Castro

Chris Castro is Founding Director and EVP, Chief Sustainability Officer at Climate First Bank. With a distinguished career in sustainability and clean energy, Chris has made significant contributions to environmental initiatives. Prior to joining Climate First Bank, Chris served as a presidential appointee for the Biden-Harris Administration, where he managed a $16 billion portfolio of grants and technical assistance programs at the U.S. Department of Energy. Chris’s career also includes nearly a decade of service at the City of Orlando, Florida, where he held various roles, including Senior Advisor to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Director of Sustainability & Resilience. During this time, Chris developed comprehensive policies and programs that advanced the City’s sustainability and climate action goals through the Green Works Orlando initiative. In addition to his public service, Chris is known for his eco-entrepreneurial efforts. He co-founded IDEAS For Us, a global UN-accredited nonprofit advancing community-led sustainability projects, and started Citizen Energy, a clean-energy consulting firm specializing in commercial and multifamily buildings. Chris also co-created Fleet Farming, an urban farming social enterprise transforming underutilized land into edible landscapes throughout Central Florida. Chris is a graduate of University of Central Florida where he studied B.S. Environmental Studies & Policy, Energy & Sustainability.

Joel Cohn

Brandee Davis

Brandee Davis is the Owner of CAMI Energy.

Brad Dockser

Bradford H. Dockser is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of GreenGen. Founded in 2011, GreenGen transforms and decarbonizes the built environment through innovative solutions that integrate energy, real estate, technology, and capital markets, empowering organizations to Operate in the Green®. GreenGen helps clients including Blackstone, KKR, Allianz, DWS, Starwood Capital, and AEW profitably transition to a zero-carbon world across all asset types and verticals. GreenGen’s net zero carbon strategies are developed and implemented by a global team that includes mechanical, electrical, lighting, and environmental engineers, PhDs, tradesmen, as well as real estate and capital markets experts.

Brad is a sought-after advisor and speaker on the role of sustainability in driving the profitability of real assets and investment firms. He is a Forbes contributor and has spoken at many ULI convenings around the world, as well as for events hosted by AFIRE, MIPIM, and PERE.

Throughout two decades of real estate investing, Brad was a Principal with CalPERS-backed MacFarlane Partners and the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Starwood Capital Europe and Starwood Capital Asia, overseeing operations in each region. Brad led Starwood’s strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and overall strategy in APAC and Europe for over a decade.

Brad began his career with JMB Realty, then the largest US real estate firm, and later with CRI, then the largest owner of multifamily residential properties, where he oversaw the creation of Capital Apartment Properties REIT (CAPREIT).

Brad received an A.B. cum laude in Economics and an MBA, both from Harvard University. Brad serves as a Global Governing Trustee of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and is a member of the Global Advisory Board for ULI’s Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate, which includes the ULI Greenpoint program, the Healthy Places Initiative, and ULI’s Resiliency program. He is also on the ULI Global Exchange Product Council. He previously served as the Chair of ULI’s Redevelopment and Reuse Product Council and founded ULI Washington’s Sustainability Initiative. He is a frequent speaker on issues pertaining to the clean energy transition, including for organizations such as ULI, PERE, CRETech, Harvard University, and Duke University. He is a member of The Economic Club of Washington DC, the US Green Building Council, and the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP). He previously taught as Adjunct Faculty at Johns Hopkins University’s Carey School (MBA Program). Brad is a mentor for MetaProp (NY), and a CREtech Leadership Board member. He was also Founding Director of the Greater Washington Exploratory Committee, DC’s bid committee for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

Dr. Charles Glass

Charles C. Glass, Ph.D., P.E. was unanimously confirmed by the Maryland State Senate as the Director of Maryland Environmental Service (MES) on March 19, 2021. He was appointed as Acting Director and Chairman at MES by Governor Larry Hogan in June 2020.  He was reappointed by Governor Wes Moore on July 1, 2023. Previously he served as Deputy Secretary at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Prior to his role at DNR, Dr. Glass served as Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy Analysis and Planning and Director of Bicycle and Pedestrian Access at the Maryland Department of Transportation.

Dr. Glass’ credentials include serving more than 30 years as a research and engineering professional in academia and the consulting engineering industries. Throughout his distinguished career, he has held important positions as a teacher, researcher, and consulting professional in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Dr. Glass is a trained Professional Environmental Engineer, with a doctorate that focused on the microbiological processes involved in wastewater treatment engineering. For 19 years he taught students how to design water and wastewater treatment plants, performed and published research on environmental engineering topics, and taught engineering economics to prepare young engineers to work in the industry.

He has sustained two successful long-term funding relationships involving the District Department of Transportation in Washington, DC, and the National Science Foundation. He has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, participated in a variety of widely attended conference proceedings, and is recognized nationally as an expert in stormwater management, green infrastructure, and wastewater treatment.

Dr. Glass joined the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) from Howard University, where he served on the faculty for seventeen years. For eight months in 2010, he spent time as an Environmental Engineer at the United States Environmental Protection Agency as the lead on a potential new regulation for the mitigation of sanitary sewer overflows.

He graduated from Montgomery Blair High School in 1989 and completed his undergraduate degree requirements in Civil Engineering in 1992 at The Johns Hopkins University. He completed his Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1994 and 1997, respectively.

Jill Hamilton

Jill Hamilton is the Founder and President of Sustainable Energy Strategies, Inc. (SESI), bringing over 35 years of experience in consulting for the alternative fuels sector. She is recognized as a subject matter expert with extensive knowledge in:

• Advanced alternative fuel technologies and the development of domestic clean energy infrastructure.
• Business development strategies for the biofuels and clean energy sectors, encompassing policy analysis, market research, fleet evaluations, equipment assessments, and collaborations with retailers and fleet operators.
• A deep understanding of government programs, staff, and related grant opportunities. – Management of non-profit organizations and foundations.
• Supporting Clean Cities coalitions effectively.

Ms. Hamilton’s journey in the alternative fuels arena commenced in 1988 when she joined the U.S. Department of Energy’s Biofuels Division. Between 1992 and 1997, she founded and co-managed the Alternative Fuels Hotline for Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) while overseeing its alternative fuels division. In 1997, she established Sustainable Energy Strategies, Inc. Over the past two decades, SESI has been instrumental in providing grant management and fundraising support to Clean Fuels Alliance America (formerly the National Biodiesel Board), its Foundation, and members, helping industry stakeholders secure over a billion dollars and maximize additional funding. For nearly ten years, she has served as chair of the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition and held positions on various boards. Ms. Hamilton earned her BS degree in Environmental Studies from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois.

Tom Jacobs

Tom Jacobs is the Director of the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology at Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Pamela Kelly

Committee Member

Pam Kelly has more than 25 years of experience in the public finance industry providing investment banking and advisory services to the government and not-for-profit sectors. She has significant experience evaluating and implementing financing plans structured with various funding and credit sources and has a particular interest in economic and community development initiatives. She has advised clients in the State of Maryland and nationally on tax-exempt and taxable financings utilizing general obligation and revenue bonds, appropriation and lease structures, tax credits, energy performance contracts, tax increment districts and community development authorities.

Ms. Kelly is a registered Municipal Advisor, serves on the board of the Maryland Women in Public Finance and is a member of Maryland Government Finance Officers Association, Maryland Economic Development Association and Maryland Association of Counties. She received her undergraduate degree from Towson University and lives in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Cindy McCabe

Cindy McCabe is the Senior Director of Renewable Energy at the Montgomery County Green Bank.

Dr. Nandini Mouli

Dr. Nandini Mouli has extensive experience originating and managing all aspects of clean energy businesses. A serious entrepreneur with expertise in building new businesses, directing and consulting for public and private sectors, she has demonstrated superior leadership skills and an impressive ability to attract high energy-progressive clients and has undertaken design-and-build projects utilizing industry best practices. As the Principal of eSai LLC, she manages business development, funding and implementation of clean energy projects for public/private sector clients.

Some of Dr. Mouli’s other accomplishments:

• Inventor: 49 US and International patents in chemical and energy fields: Recently issued: US9777204 B2, (Oct.3,’17), US 8668791 (Mar.’14); US 8663494 (Mar.’04); US 8535555 (Sep.’13); US 8529786 (Sep.’13); 8,383,004 B2 & US 8394386 (Jan.’14),8529786 (Sep.’13),US 8946846(Jul ’13),US 8101094(Jan.’12), US 80718 (Jan.’12).
• Author: Over 10 technical papers on carbon abatement, climate change, green buildings, Distributed Energy Services and Microgrids.
• Board-of-Directors: National Council on Women in Energy and Environmental Leadership (CWEEL), Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), Angstroms Inc., HACSI and an honorary advisor to the Maryland Clean Energy Center (2017-to-date).
• President: Association of Energy Engineers – Baltimore.
• Board-of-Trustees: UHJT, HTA and GBT and Advisor for Inter-Faith Coalition on Climate Change
• Moderator: Panel discussions on Microgrid and Energy Storage (Nov.’17), many clean energy and “You be the Chemist” National competitions
• Education: Ph.D., Six Sigma Black Belt, DOE-Superior Energy Performance, Certified Climate Leadership Professional, Rapid Marketing Assessment/Rapid Value Assessment Certifications

Chris Nihan

Kerry E. O'Neill

Kerry leads Inclusive Prosperity Capital, a not-for-profit investment platform that was spun out of the Connecticut Green Bank to scale up impact for underserved communities and underinvested markets. Inclusive Prosperity Capital operates at the intersection of community development, clean energy finance and climate impacts using a collection of products and strategies and an ecosystem approach to matching capital supply with project demand through mission-aligned partners on the ground.

Kerry’s work at IPC and previously at the Connecticut Green Bank as Vice President of Residential Programs has given her tremendous exposure to the kind of institutional challenges – and opportunities – associated with clean energy investing for underserved communities. Kerry was responsible for the portfolio of single-family and multifamily clean energy financing programs as well as low-to-moderate income initiatives. The residential sector developed and launched 11 products in five years using a channel marketing and partnership origination approach. The products use a variety of credit enhancements and structures, but all share a focus on reducing energy burdens by expanding access to credit.

Prior to joining the Green Bank, Kerry was Senior Advisor at the Clean Energy Finance Center, a non-profit organization she co-founded. The center developed innovative approaches to attract greater private and public sector capital to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy. Kerry also co-founded Earth Markets, a consulting firm that developed and managed community-based social marketing programs to accelerate demand for energy efficiency.

Previously, Kerry was EVP of Transaction Management, Product Development and Strategy at Clayton Holdings, an industry-leading provider of credit risk analytics and due diligence services in the mortgage-backed securitization market. She has also held executive roles in operations, marketing and strategy in diverse sectors including e-commerce, direct marketing, and educational services. Kerry earned a BS in computer science and engineering from MIT and a master’s degree from NYU Tisch School of the Art’s Interactive Telecommunications Program. Kerry serves as the current Chair of EPA’s Environmental Financial Advisory Board.

Tom Peterson

Tom Peterson serves as the President and CEO of the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS). Since founding CCS in 2004, he has directed more than 100 high impact projects and bilateral cooperation initiatives at the local, state, and national levels in the US, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. This includes policy research on multi objective solutions to climate change as well as consensus-based policy planning and assessment processes resulting in the development and implementation of sector level climate change mitigation and adaptation approaches. In addition, Tom serves an Adjunct Professor and Lecturer at the Johns Hopkins’ University Energy Policy and Climate program and as an Adjunct Professor in the Environmental Science and Policy Department at George Mason University. He also is Chair of the City of Fairfax Environmental Sustainability Committee. Tom has authored many studies on public policy decision procedures innovations. He previously served as a Senior White House Advisor, Legislative Fellow to US Senator Joe Lieberman, Economist with the US EPA, and Vice President of DSL Capital Corporation. He holds a BS in Biology from the College of William and Mary, an MS in Environmental Management from Duke University, and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

Benjamin Rupert

Ben Rupert brings more than 15 years of experience developing, creatively financing, and implementing clean energy projects and programs to the Maryland Clean Energy Center. He has spent significant time working in both the public and private sectors, and has unique experience developing collaborative procurement solutions to implement cost effective clean energy projects. He has provided technical support and leadership for a wide array of energy projects, including energy efficiency, combined heat and power, microgrid, energy storage, and renewable energy systems including solar, wind, renewable natural gas (RNG), and biomass.

Beyond technical energy expertise, Ben holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy. He has significant experience developing and implementing climate and energy policy at the state and local levels, and has served as a building codes and standards advisor for the States of Washington and California. He is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM), has served on the board of directors for the Association of Energy Engineer’s National Capital Chapter since 2016, and is a past president of the organizations Pacific Northwest Chapter.

Nick Silbergeld

Nick Silbergeld is a Senior Director at HASI.

Kathleen Spees

Dr. Spees is a Principal at The Brattle Group with expertise in wholesale electricity and environmental policy design and analysis.

Her work for market operators, regulators, regulated utilities, and market participants focuses on:

• Wholesale Power Market Reform
• Capacity Market Design
• Wholesale Energy and Ancillary Service Market Design
• Carbon and Environmental Policy
• Generation and Transmission Asset Valuation
• Analysis of Emerging Technologies and Specialized Products

Dr. Spees has worked in more than a dozen international jurisdictions supporting the design and enhancement of environmental policies and wholesale power markets. Her clients include electricity system operators in PJM, Midcontinent, New England, Ontario, New York, Alberta, Texas, Italy, and Australia. Electricity market design assignments involve ensuring adequacy of capacity and energy market investment incentives to achieve reliability objectives at least cost; designing carbon and clean energy policies that effectively interact with wholesale electricity markets; enhancing operational reliability and efficiency through energy market, scarcity pricing, and ancillary service market improvements; effectively integrating intermittent renewables, storage, demand response, and other emerging technologies; evaluating benefits and costs of industry reform initiatives; and enhancing efficiency at market interties.

For system operators and regulators, Dr. Spees provides expert support through stakeholder forums, independent public reports, and testimony in regulatory proceedings. For utilities and market participants, her assignments support business strategy, investment decisions, asset transactions, contract negotiation, regulatory proceedings, and litigation. Dr. Spees has developed and applied a wide range of analytical and modeling tools to inform these policy, market design, and business decisions.

Dr. Spees earned her PhD in Engineering and Public Policy within the Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center and her MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. She earned her BS in Physics and Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University.

Anmol Vanamali

Anmol Vanamali is a sustainable finance expert with almost 20 years of experience working in climate, energy and infrastructure sectors with corporations, financial institutions, non-profit institutions and governments. Prior to joining MCEC, he was the Director of Innovative Climate Finance at the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) where he was responsible for institutional strategy development, transaction underwriting, interagency collaboration and external engagement related to climate finance. Prior to joining the DFC, he was the Director of Sustainable Finance at Winrock International and was responsible for designing and implementing sustainable finance solutions through partnerships with financial institutions and the private sector to achieve global sustainable development goals. Previously, he was the Financing Strategies Director with the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC), responsible for designing and implementing impact investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Prior to VEIC, he was the Director of Finance and Policy Analysis at the Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) and was a leading voice in areas of global climate finance and sustainable infrastructure. Earlier in his career, Anmol was part of the Principal Investments team at Macquarie Capital that focused on private equity investments in the renewable energy sector and an Assistant Manager at Gammon Infrastructure Projects Ltd., where he financed and developed large-scale infrastructure in India. He is also currently an Adjunct Professor at the Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) at Georgetown University where he teaches a course that explores the intersection of corporate sustainability and international development.  Anmol hails from India originally and has a Bachelor of Sciences degree from PSG College of technology (Coimbatore), a Masters in Business Administration from Sydenham Institute of Management (Mumbai) and a Masters in International Affairs degree from Columbia University (New York). He has business fluency in English, Spanish and Hindi and is conversational in French.

Joseph Weaver

Joseph N. Weaver is a seasoned executive, strategist, and innovator with over 34 years of experience in technology integration, AI-driven transformation, and business growth. As President & CEO of Global Design, Inc., Joseph has spearheaded the expansion of integrated marketing, data analytics, and drone-media platforms, helping organizations embrace innovation while achieving measurable business outcomes. Previously, Joseph served as a Senior Consultant at Price Waterhouse, where he directed enterprise-level system development and introduced early data modeling techniques that laid the groundwork for modern decision support systems. His career began at Monsanto, where he led database design and enterprise system development, enhancing efficiency across purchasing, accounting, and manufacturing functions. Known for blending strategic foresight with technical fluency, Joseph thrives in fractional executive roles, where organizations require immediate impact, adaptable leadership, and guidance in aligning strategy with execution.

Bert Wilson

Eli Allen

Eli Allen is a Senior Program Director for Civicworks.

Puala Bahler

Paula Bahler is a Workforce Development Manager at IEC Chesapeake.

Daniel Bresette

Daniel Bresette serves as President of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute in Washington, D.C.—a non-profit education and policy organization.

Before joining EESI, Daniel served as the Vice President of Policy at the Alliance to Save Energy, which also involved leading the Energy-Efficient Codes Coalition as its Executive Director. Previously, Daniel was the Maryland Energy Administration’s Senior Energy Policy Manager and oversaw a diverse portfolio of state energy efficiency financing initiatives. He has provided expert testimony to Congress, the Maryland General Assembly, and other regulatory agencies on energy efficiency topics, presented at national conferences, and served on a range of national committees and work groups. Previously, he worked in the strategy practice at Booz Allen Hamilton. He began his career with U.S. Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-VT).

Daniel attended Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in government and international relations. Later, he graduated from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business with a master’s degree in business administration.

Jamie DeMarco

Jamie DeMarco has more than a decade of experience advocating in Annapolis and a proven track record of success.

In 2017, Jamie co-founded the Maryland Clean Energy Jobs Initiative, a non-profit with the sole mission of passing the Maryland Clean Energy Jobs Act of 2019. He played a leading role in designing the two-year campaign strategy, executing that strategy, and successfully passing the Clean Energy Jobs Act of 2019.

Jamie lead a coalition to advocate for, and eventually pass, the Climate Solutions Now Act, Maryland’s landmark climate legislation which requires the state to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. Jamie also helped pass legislation in Maryland to ban fracking, invest in offshore wind, require agencies to consider the climate impacts of their decisions, and more.

In addition to his victories in Annapolis, Jamie has had an impact in states across the country and at the federal level. He spent 18 months as a lead grassroots advocate working to pass the Inflation Reduction Act. He helped pass the Clean Energy DC Act of 2018, which at the time was the strongest clean energy legislation in the country, and played a supportive role in the passage of the New York Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019.

Jamie knows how to get things done in Annapolis and is ready to work with you for a better Maryland.

Cora Dickson

Cora Dickson is a Principal at Solar Policy Associates.

Hon. John Conger

John Conger is Director Emeritus of the Center for Climate and Security, Senior Advisor to the Council on Strategic Risks, and Senior US Advisor to the International Military Council on Climate and Security (IMCCS).

Mr. Conger previously served as Director and Senior Policy Advisor with the Center for Climate and Security, and as the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).  As principal deputy comptroller, he assisted the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) in the performance of his or her duties, provided advice to the Secretary of Defense on all budgetary and financial matters, including the development and execution of the DoD’s annual budget of over $500 billion, and oversaw the DoD’s efforts to achieve audit readiness.

Prior to his service as Deputy Comptroller, Mr. Conger oversaw energy, installations and environmental policy throughout DoD in three different positions: as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment, as Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations & Environment, and as Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations & Environment from 2009 to 2015.  In this role, Mr. Conger oversaw a vast portfolio that included base closure, energy security, climate change, and management of $850 billion in real property.

Before his appointment at DoD, Mr. Conger served for 12 years on legislative staffs in the U.S. Congress, including as Professional Staff for the House International Relations Committee.  Previously, Mr. Conger was employed in the private sector as an aerospace engineer and defense analyst supporting the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Mr. Conger holds a B.S. and an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.A. in Science, Technology and Public Policy from the George Washington University. He is also President of Conger Strategies and Solutions, LLC, and a non-resident senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Michelle Cross

Michelle Cross is the Manager of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs for Reliability First.

Sade Dennis

Sade Dennis is the Director of Market Transformation and Development at the  U.S.Green Building Council.

Courtney Fasca

Ms. Fasca has more than five years of RTO/ISO operations and compliance experience, working side-by-side (and virtually) with operations, compliance teams, planning, and various engineers to maintain and improve RTO/ISO operations.

Ms. Fasca was a representative on the Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC) Taskforce on Coordination of Operation (CO-12), helping to develop the regional summer and winter assessments. She also served as a member of the NERC Reliability Assessment Subcommittee (RAS) where she performed a similar role in preparing the NERC summer and winter reliability assessments.

Ms. Fasca has served as the ISO New England Generation Outage Coordinator, collaborating with Generator Owners to receive generator reductions, limits, and outage information. She studied and approved generation outage requests based on system reliability in accordance with operating procedures, utilizing various study tools. She worked to help develop, maintain, and run several energy assessment forecast tools and reports, such as the 21-Day Energy Assessment.

She has experience with the PJM control room dispatch and compliance departments.

Ms. Fasca graduated from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, with a bachelor of science in electrical engineering and a minor in English.

Ellen Flowers-Fields

Flowers-Fields has more than 30 years of progressive professional experience in the field of workforce development and human capital management – the last nine of which have been with CSM. Throughout her career she has acquired and managed more than $100 million in support of various economic and community development initiatives.

Her other roles have included: acting assistant secretary, and deputy assistant secretary of the Division of Workforce Development & Adult Learning at the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation (now the Maryland Department of Labor); regional director of economic development at the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland; and executive director for Southern Maryland Works. In her role with Southern Maryland Works, Flowers-Fields led the effort to establish the region’s first One Stop workforce service delivery system and Workforce Investment Board under the Federal Workforce Investment Act.

Flowers-Fields is pursuing her master’s degree in Public Administration from Old Dominion University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Pace University in New York and certification from the International Business Innovation Association in Business Incubation Management. She is credentialed as a Global Career Development Facilitator from the Center for Credentialing and Education. Flowers-Fields is a 2009 graduate of the inaugural class of Leadership Southern Maryland and a 2016 League for Innovation in the Community College Excellence Award recipient. She is also an entrepreneur and a self-published author.

Her current affiliations include a gubernatorial appointment as vice chair of Maryland’s Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) – which serves as Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies. She is also a member of the American Association of Community College’s Economic & Workforce Development Commission; an executive board member for the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland; a member of the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals and of the Maryland Economic Development Association. Previously, she served as a board member on the Maryland Broadband Coordination Board; as past board chair for Bethel House Inc.; and as treasurer for the Community Foundation of Southern Maryland.

Tunde Gbotosh

Tunde Gbotosh is the Senior Manager & AI Champion at the National Public Utilities Council.

Larry Goldenhersch

Lawrence Goldenhersh is a lawyer-turned-entrepreneur-turned nonprofit leader with extensive experience in the sustainability and environmental sectors. Prior to becoming president of CSE in late 2017, Larry ran Enviance, a leading environmental technology company that he founded in 1999. Before Enviance, Larry was a partner at Irell & Manella, a Los Angeles law firm of more than 150 lawyers, where he served on the management committee and specialized in complex commercial litigation.

Burl Haigwood

Burl Haigwood is the Task Force Coordinator for the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition.

Michael Hindle

Michael Hindle is the founder and principal of Passive to POSITIVE, a Building Enclosure and Energy Efficiency consulting firm specializing in PASSIVE HOUSE, Zero Energy, Low Carbon, and Resilient Design. He is also co-founder and principal of Common Ecology, a regenerative and permaculture-based design company, focused on regenerative community redevelopment projects.

Michael was trained formally as an artist and was a practicing artist and educator at the college level for 12 years. He began his inquiry into sustainable architecture as a member of an Architecture Design Studio faculty at Miami University of Ohio in 2003. While teaching painting and drawing at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD, he began working with Brennan + Company Architects in Baltimore, researching ways to deepen the firm’s commitment to environmental practice. He turned his attention to architecture full time in 2008, focused on sustainability and climate change impacts. Michael became one of the nation’s first Certified Passive House Consultants (CPHC) in late 2009. He has consulted on Passive House, zero-energy, and Living Building Challenge projects that include single-family and multi-family residential, mixed-use, and small commercial projects from Washington DC to New Hampshire. He has experience in both new construction and retrofits, and is committed to low toxicity, low Global Warming Potential, and carbon sequestering building methods.

In 2014, Michael founded Passive to POSITIVE. Since its founding in 2014, the company has achieved an impressive range of firsts and ground breaking projects: Weinberg Commons, in Washington DC, was the first Certified Passive House Retrofit apartment building in the country, and won the PHIUS 2017 Affordable Project of the year award; The Old Hopkins Rd. House in Clarksville, MD, won 2018 “Source-Energy Zero” project of the year from PHIUS; The Studio for High-Performance Design and Construction, in Newton, MA, is one of the first Passive House retrofit and positive energy office buildings in the country; and Gilford Village Knolls III, the first multi-family Passive House in New Hampshire, and the Dallas Street Passive House in Baltimore, has won numerous AIA design awards.

Michael is a former president of the Passive House Alliance and served on the Board of Directors of the Passive House Institute/US. He received his MFA from Indiana University, Bloomington, and his CPHC designation through the Passive House Institute/US (PHIUS), located in Chicago, Illinois.

He lives with his wife and business partner, Architect, Carri Beer, and 3 kids in a mid-century modern, deep energy retrofit, near net-zero home on a permaculture inspired lot in Catonsville, MD.

Diane Holder

Ms. Holder, Vice President, Engineering & Strategic Engagement, is responsible for RF’s outreach to utilities, government officials and the public, as well as for RF’s engineering and event analysis work. In this role, she leads the External Affairs, Entity Engagement, Engineering & System Performance, and Operational Analysis & Awareness teams.

Joanne Ivancic

Advanced Biofuels USA Executive Director, Joanne Ivancic, has lived and worked in the Washington area for more than 30 years.  She graduated from George Washington University National Law Center, worked for Senator Charles Grassley under his chairmanship of the Senate Special Committee on Aging and has served as a lobbyist for Atlantic Biomass Conversions, Inc., promoting advanced biofuels research and production on Capitol Hill and with executive agencies.  She has observed the development of advanced biofuels research and financing for nearly 20 years.  Joanne has been licensed to practice law in Washington, DC; Virginia; and Utah.

Dr. Masica Jordan

Dr. Masica D. Jordan Alston is a nationally recognized leader in clean energy, workforce development, and social justice. Her ability to design innovative solutions for removing systemic barriers has positioned her as a trailblazer in creating equitable opportunities for underserved communities, particularly justice-impacted individuals and those in recovery.

In 2018, Dr. Jordan Alston provided expert testimony to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on removing barriers for individuals recovering from substance use disorders to access employment and build sustainable futures. Her insights influenced national discussions on workforce inclusion for people in recovery. In 2020, SAMHSA recognized her as one of the top 10% of innovators in recovery in America for developing programs and products that empower people in recovery to reenter the workforce.

Dr. Jordan Alston is also the co-founder of Black Wall Street AVL, a nationally acclaimed initiative that supports minority entrepreneurs, including justice-impacted individuals. In 2022, she received a national award from the Truist Foundation for her transformative work, which included leading a Black Wall Street cohort of returning citizens who collectively earned over $1 million in revenue within one year. By combining entrepreneurship training with mentorship, she has helped hundreds of underserved individuals achieve sustainable success, driving economic growth in marginalized communities.

As CEO of Apexx Adams Transportation and Clean Energy, LLC, she expanded these principles into the clean energy sector, developing a nationally recognized EV Franchising Model. Her programs provide BIPOC entrepreneurs with the tools and opportunities to thrive in a sector where women and people of color represent less than 3% of the workforce.

Dr. Jordan Alston’s Clean Energy Workforce Navigator Program has trained nearly 1,000 individuals, focusing on underrepresented communities, justice-impacted populations and those in recovery, equipping them with skills to succeed in clean energy entrepreneurship. Her leadership has influenced major initiatives and she launched Maryland’s first Cybersecurity in Clean Energy Registered Apprenticeship Program to increase diversity in energy-related technology careers.

Her impact extends to key advisory roles, including the Maryland Clean Energy Center Advisory Council, the Climate Equity Action Team, and the D.C. Public Service Commission’s Equity Advisory Working Group, where she advocates for equitable clean energy policies and workforce inclusion.

Dr. Jordan Alston’s work has been featured in Forbes, Time Magazine, The Washington Informer, CNN, Roland Martin’s platform, and FOX Media. A 2024 TEDx Speaker, she inspires audiences with her vision for clean energy as a tool for economic and social transformation.

Through her innovative programs, entrepreneurial expertise, and commitment to equity, Dr. Jordan Alston bridges recovery, workforce development, and clean energy, empowering marginalized communities to build sustainable futures.

Catherine Lewis

Catherine Lewis is an Energy Policy Analyst at Reliability First.

Kevin Lucas

Kevin Lucas is SEIA’s Vice President of Policy Analysis. In this role, he focuses on cross-cutting policy issues that are shaping the energy transition. Kevin’s team of subject matter experts focus on topics such as cybersecurity, virtual power plants, rate design, long-term resource planning, distribution system planning, grid reliability, and interconnection reform at the state, regional, and federal level.

He also works with other State Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, and Congressional Affairs team members providing technical support for policy and regulatory issues across the country. Prior to joining SEIA, Kevin worked at the Alliance to Save Energy, a non-profit focused on implementing technology-neutral energy efficiency policies and programs. Before that, Kevin was Director of Policy for the Maryland Energy Administration, focused on efforts including renewable energy, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas reduction.

Shannon McGuire

Shannon McGuire serves as the Operations Director, where she ensures the smooth business operations for VGIC with a focus on membership sales, engagement, retention, and overall satisfaction.

Shannon brings ten years of program and project management, development, operations, and communications experience in the nonprofit and government sectors. Most recently, she managed membership and business operations for the California Energy Storage Alliance and the Green Hydrogen Coalition through Strategen Consulting. Prior to this, she led the pandemic recovery efforts for the hospitality industry in North Carolina and managed the workforce development initiatives, federal grants, and scholarship program. Shannon has also previously worked at a small management consulting firm that works with federal government agencies to empower their staff to improve program operations, stakeholder engagement, and communications. She is passionate about building partnerships and engagement for ESG initiatives.

Shannon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services and Social Justice and a Master of Public Administration with a focus on nonprofit management from George Washington University.

Ruth Ann Norton

Ruth Ann Norton is President & CEO of the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to advancing racial and health equity and opportunity through healthy housing. A national expert and advocate on green and healthy homes, she directs GHHI’s groundbreaking work across the United States where 65 cities, counties and states are using housing as a platform for improved health and social outcomes. Through the implementation of the GHHI comprehensive housing intervention model and its best practices Toolbox that she helped develop, cities are improving the ability of children to arrive in the classroom healthy and ready to learn and to stay in school through reduced asthma related absences.

The architect of the State of Maryland’s 99% reduction in childhood lead poisoning, Ms. Norton has developed over 45 pieces of successful healthy housing legislation that focus on reducing health disparities. Through its current feasibility and development work with healthcare partners and jurisdictions nationally, she heads a GHHI technical assistance team that is creating sustainable models for Medicaid reimbursement for preventive asthma and household injury services.

Ms. Norton serves as a member of the: EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee, National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health (NLAPH), National Council of State Housing Agencies’ National Advisory Group, Ohio Asthma Council, and Maryland Lead Poisoning Prevention Commission, and was previously a federally appointed liaison to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention. A founding member of the NEWHAB Advisory Board, she provides a leading voice to articulate the significant health and social benefits of weatherization investments through her advisory role with Energy Efficiency for All (EEFA) and has authored research publications on the non-energy benefits of energy efficiency.

Ms. Norton is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Health Leader, a Weinberg Foundation Fellow, a WE ACT Environmental and Social Justice awardee, and received the Tony Woods Award for Excellence from the Building Performance Industry in 2016 for her efforts to integrate energy efficiency upgrades with healthy homes interventions on a national scale. Under her leadership, GHHI has been awarded the HUD Secretary’s Award for Healthy Homes and the EPA’s National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management for its innovative programs.

Laurel Peltier

Laurel is an energy writer and energy advocate focused on ensuring that Maryland’s 430,000 low-income families can afford their home energy bills. She is also AARP Maryland’s utility advocate. She chairs the state coalition that works with agencies and legislators to develop and implement programs that work for residential customers. Her work on residential retail choice culminated in SB1’s passing, which reformed Maryland’s retail energy choice market. She volunteers 2 hours a week in Baltimore City’s GEDCO Community HUB directly helping families manage their utility bills.

Rebecca Rehr

Rebecca Rehr is the Director of Climate Policy and Justice at the Maryland League of Conservation Voters. She joined Maryland LCV in 2022 to shape the organization’s climate policy efforts with a focus on communities that are overburdened by a history of environmental injustice. Rebecca was previously director of ecoAmerica’s Climate for Health Program, where she worked to build the health voice on climate action. Before that, she served as the public policy and advocacy manager at the Maryland Environmental Health Network. Rebecca deeply believes that health equity is the foundation of strong and just climate solutions. She earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and public policy at Franklin and Marshall College and a master’s degree in public health in environmental health sciences from the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

Dr. Karen Wayland

Chair of the Board

Dr. Karen Wayland is a nationally recognized expert in energy and environmental policy, with extensive experience in government and non-profit leadership. Through her firm, kW Energy Strategies, she provides strategic consulting on grid modernization, coalition building, and communications to clean energy companies, environmental organizations, local governments, and foundations. Dr. Wayland’s prior experience includes the U.S. Department of Energy and work on energy and climate legislation for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and then-Majority Whip Senator Harry Reid. She currently serves on DOE’s Electricity Advisory Committee, chairing the Smart Grid subcommittee, and holds board positions with the Energy Futures Initiative Foundation, Keystone Policy Center, and the Center for Sustainable Energy.

Sara Westrick

Ms. Westrick leads AARP Maryland’s legislative strategy, working closely with volunteers, legislators, and community partners to champion issues that matter most to older adults—from caregiving and health care to financial security and livable communities.

Ms. Westrick brings over two decades of experience in public policy, strategic communications, and civic engagement. She has built a distinguished career influencing policy at the federal, state, and local levels, focusing on public health, humanitarian affairs, aging populations, and community resilience. Her leadership has spanned roles at USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Anne Arundel County Commission for Women, where she served as chair.

Ms. Westrick holds a master’s degree in international political economy from Universidad de Belgrano in Argentina and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and modern languages from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. She is fluent in Spanish and conversational in French, Portuguese, and Italian. She is also a Jeopardy champion from Season 23.

Ronnie Gist

Ronnie Gist is the Associate Director of the Maryland Industrial Partnerships.

Ben Margolis

Ben Margolis serves as the Director of the Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator, leading all facets of the organization.

Abe Silverman

Abe Silverman is an assistant research scholar with the Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute (ROSEI) focusing on bringing academics, business leaders, and state and federal regulators together to solve the most pressing barriers to the clean energy transition. He joined Hopkins in July 2024.

Silverman is a lawyer licensed to practice law in Maryland and Washington D.C. and received his Juris Doctor from George Washington University Law School in 2001. Before coming to Hopkins, Silverman served as the managing director of non-technical barriers to the clean energy transition at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, starting in April 2023.

Prior to his work at Columbia University, he was general counsel and executive policy counsel for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities from May 2019 to April 2023. Prior to going into state service, Silverman was an executive at NRG Energy, Inc., leading the company’s state and federal markets policy work. Silverman also served at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Silverman facilitates the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission (States Collaborative), which is made up of representatives from  ten states—Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont—that have come together to coordinate on transmission grid expansion efforts in coordination with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Silverman received a Bachelor of Science in environmental geology and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Maryland in 1998.

Carlos A. Romero Talamás

Carlos A. Romero Talamás is the Founder of Terrafusion.

Ratnesh Tiwari

Ratnesh Tiwari is the Founder of NextGlass.

Dr. Eric D. Wachsman

Ex Officio Board Member

Dr. Eric D Wachsman, Director of the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute, is the William L. Crentz Centennial Chair in Energy Research and a Distinguished University Professor with appointments in both the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Maryland. He received his Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering from Stanford University, and his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.

Dr. Wachsman is President of The Electrochemical Society (ECS) and Editor-in-Chief of Ionics. He is a Fellow of both ECS and the American Ceramic Society; elected member of the World Academy of Ceramics; the recipient of the 2017 Carl Wagner Award from ECS; the 2014 Sir William Grove Award from the International Association for Hydrogen Energy; the 2014 Pfeil Award from The Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining; the Outstanding Invention of 2013 award from the University of Maryland Office of Technology Licensing; the 2012 Fuel Cell Seminar & Exposition Award; and the 2012 HTM Outstanding Achievement Award from ECS.

His research is focused on solid ion-conducting materials and electrocatalysts, and includes the development of solid-state batteries, solid oxide fuel cells, ion-transport membrane reactors, and solid-state gas sensors, using advanced ion conducting materials. He has more than 270 publications and 35 patents/patent applications on ionic and electronic transport in materials, and their catalytic properties, and device performance, and to date three companies have been founded based on these technologies.