Speakers

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.

Obi 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.

Will 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.

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. 

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.

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.

Nicola Tran

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

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.

Josh Greene

Josh Greene currently serves as corporate vice president of government, 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.

Michael Weiner

Mike Weiner is the Senior Manager, 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.

Joel Cohn

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Burl Haigwood

Burl Haigwood is the Task Force Coordinator for the Maryland Biofuels Task Force.

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.

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.

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.

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.