Rizwan James, Director-Power Generation System Operation Joined Dominion Energy in 2004 as a combustion turbine technician at the Fairless Energy Power Plant. Through series of career advancements his new role is Director Power Generation System Operations. Rizwan James is responsible for providing fleetwide operational support to Power Generation assets which include regulated fleet asset management and budgetary oversight, regulatory reporting, and oversight of the PG Operational Excellence team. He is also responsible for leading Power Generation operations teams, leading Power Generation's hydrogen strategy for combustion turbines, and providing support for Project Construction

Brian Heinbaugh is the Vice President of Operations and Asset Management at ODEC, where he oversees the safe, reliable operation and maintenance of the cooperative's generation portfolio or if you want to use most of it and leave out some of the personal info. I also attached a updated headshot.

Since joining ODEC in 2015, Brian served as Plant General Manager of the Wildcat Point Generation Facility, where he played a key role in its construction, startup, and ongoing operations. With over 25 years of experience in the power generation industry, Brian has held various leadership roles across a wide range of technologies, including simple cycle, combined cycle, and coal-fired plants. He previously served as Director of Operations with GDF Suez and NAES and began his career as a nuclear plant electrician in the U.S. Navy Submarine Force.

Brian holds both an M.B.A. and a Master of Science in Energy Resources Management & Policy from the University of Maryland Global Campus. A Maryland native, he is married with three children. Outside of work, he is an active volunteer in his community, coaching cross country and track & field, and supporting organizations such as the Scouts, Boys & Girls Club, and Habitat for Humanity.

Michael Roth is an accomplished Operations and Maintenance Supervisor with extensive experience in power plant operations, maintenance, and supervision, gained through roles at Old Dominion Electric Cooperative and Calpine where he managed combined cycle plant operations, supervised technicians, and developed procedures. His earlier experience at Tennessee Valley Authority involved increasing responsibilities, including lead operations and technical roles, with a focus on turbine operations, DCS troubleshooting, and LOTO procedures.

Mr. Roth began his power career in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Enterprise serving in the reactor department, with responsibilities in engineering space surveys, health physics, and maintenance management. He possesses a strong educational foundation with specialized training in nuclear power and combined cycle power plant operations and maintenance.

Dr. Cedric F. Green is senior vice president-Generation, Dominion Energy Virginia.
He is responsible for the operations, engineering, and maintenance of Dominion Energy's fossil, hydro, and renewable generating facilities and its energy storage portfolio, as well as solar generating facilities housed at Contracted Energy.
Prior to the merger with Dominion Energy, Green started his career at SCANA in 1994 as an intern. For the next 25 years, he held several leadership roles in electric and gas operations, in both North and South Carolina. He was named the Southeast Energy Group's vice president-Gas Services in 2019, and later that year became vice president-Gas Transmission & Storage Technical Services. In 2020, he was named vice president-Technical Services for Dominion Energy Virginia. He assumed his current position in 2022.
Green serves on the Board of Directors for the University of Virginia's College at Wise. He also has served on the Board of Directors for the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and served as Chairman of the Leadership South Carolina Board of Trustees. In 2021, he joined the boards of the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education, Thrive Birth to Five for the Richmond region, and the Henrico Education Foundation.
Green is a graduate of University of South Carolina, where he earned all his degrees: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, MBA, M.E. Mechanical Engineering, and Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the states of Virginia and South Carolina. Green completed the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations' Reactor Technology Course for Utility Executives at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2024.

Dr. Darío Gil is Under Secretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy. His office is the nation's largest federal sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences, supporting all 17 National Laboratories of the United States, and responsible for programs including advanced computing, fusion, nuclear and high energy particle physics, basic energy sciences, and biological and environmental research. He is the department's principal advisor on science and technology.

Prior to his current position, Dr. Darío Gil was IBM Senior Vice President and Director of Research, where he was responsible for one of the world's largest and most influential corporate research labs.

Dr. Gil was elected to the National Academy of Engineering "for his contributions to artificial intelligence and quantum computing" and is a globally recognized leader of the quantum industry. Under his leadership, IBM was the first company in the world to build programmable quantum computers and make them universally available through the cloud.

Dr. Gil is an inventor and an institutional innovator, the force behind the creation of the International Science Reserve, the AI Alliance, the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, and the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium.

Dr. Gil has served on the President's Council of Science and Technology Advisors (PCAST) and on the National Science Board (NSB), where he was first member from industry to be elected chairman in 30 years. He has served on numerous boards including the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the New York Academy of Sciences, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), the New York Hall of Science, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

Dr. Gil is the recipient of two honorary doctorates and received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT.

Aaron Larson joined the POWER team in September 2013 as an associate editor and was named executive editor in 2017. Aaron has a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering technology and a master's degree, specializing in finance. He spent 13 years in the U.S. Navy nuclear power program, advancing to Chief Petty Officer. He has worked at commercial nuclear, biomass, and coal-fired power plants, functioning in operations, maintenance, safety, financial, and management capacities. Aaron holds a Chief A Engineer boiler operator license in the state of Minnesota.

The Honorable David A. Wright was first sworn in as a Commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on May 30, 2018. He is currently serving a third term ending June 30, 2030. Commissioner Wright previously served as Chairman of the NRC from January 20, 2025 to June 30, 2025, and again from July 31, 2025 to January 8, 2026.

Commissioner Wright was Owner/President of Wright Directions, LLC, a strategic consulting, policy development and communications business focusing on energy and water. During this time, he also was a member of the Advisory Council of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Nuclear Waste Initiative; and an Ex Officio Member and Chairman Emeritus of the Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition, an ad hoc organization representing the interests of industry, state officials, local governments and tribes, and consumer advocates.

From 2004-2013, Commissioner Wright served the South Carolina Public Service Commission in a variety of capacities, including Vice Chairman and Chairman. From 2011-2012, he served as President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners; he had previously served the association in other capacities, including as a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. From 2010-2013, Commissioner Wright was a member of the Advisory Board of the Board of Directors of the Electric Power Research Institute.

Previously, he was elected councilman and mayor in Irmo, S.C., and to the South Carolina House of Representatives. A colon cancer survivor, Commissioner Wright is an advocate for cancer awareness and education, and a former member of the Leadership Council for the Cancer Centers at the University of South Carolina. He was presented with the Community Champions Award by Molina Healthcare of South Carolina in 2016 and the Blue Star Service Excellence Award by the USC Center for Colon Cancer Research in 2014. In 1996, he received South Carolina's highest citizen honor, The Order of the Palmetto.

Commissioner Wright received a bachelor's degree in political science from Clemson University.

Technology (NS&T) Directorate in March 2021 after serving as chief scientist for the directorate since 2018. Over his 28-year career, he has built national strategies and priorities for nuclear energy, led complex projects and organizations, and developed strong relationships with senior leaders within INL, DOE and federal sponsors, and other laboratories, companies, and universities. In support of the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, he served as the national technical director for the DOE Microreactor Program. He expanded NS&T's strategic direction and helped develop and establish key projects to build advanced reactors at INL, such as the Department of Defense's demonstration microreactor Project Pele, and the Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) Project. Previously, he held research and leadership positions at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in nuclear reactor core physics, reactor core and system technologies, reactor modeling and simulation, and fuel cycle reactor applications. While at ORNL, he served as director of the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors. He earned a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering from Kansas State University, and master's and doctoral degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was an associate professor at the University of Tennessee, is a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society, and has authored or co-authored more than 120 refereed journal and conference articles, technical reports, and conference summaries.

Stephanie's work in energy is grounded in the belief that safe, accessible and sustainable power is foundational to how people live and communities thrive. As Chief Marketing Officer of Syntropic Power, Stephanie leads brand strategy and market positioning. She helps bring the company's differentiated sodium chromium oxide energy storage solutions to market, with safety and performance at the center. Her entrepreneurial experience, combined with work across public and private sector initiatives, helps her connect complex technologies with the practical needs of customers and communities.

Mr. Haya is a consultant in the DNV Energy Storage Technology and Safety team in North America. He currently serves as the Practice Lead for Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in bioengineering from Harvard University. Mr. Haya's experience spans energy storage research and industry worlds. As a researcher in the Aziz Group at Harvard, he was involved in the development of redox active materials to support the commercialization of an aqueous organic redox flow battery chemistry. At DNV, his work entails technical due diligence of residential, C&I and utility-scale energy storage systems (ESSs) that supports both corporate and project financing. Mr. Haya also works on energy access projects in emerging markets. He is a regular speaker in leading energy storage industry events and has produced numerous energy storage thought leadership articles on his web publication - FairGreen.

Policy Experience
North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center, Policy and Markets
Senior Program Director
June 2025 - Present
● Led the Center's efforts to stand up the NC Solar for All program and represented the Center with a coalition of partners including the NC Department of Environmental Quality and the Clean Energy Fund of the Carolinas
○ Steered coalition meetings focused on designing incentives, developing Solar for All programs, and education and engagement efforts
○ Proposed and designed an expansion and acceleration of a solar and storage pilot program focused on medically vulnerable customers to study the value of resilience
○ Conducted research and analysis to determine opportunities for innovative models and market transformation to enable the deployment of more residential and community solar energy installations in NC
● Created administrative and procedural tools for effective task management at the Center to ensure accountability and timeliness of deliverables
● Facilitated the NC Energy Policy Task Force, created by Governor Stein, by creating meeting agendas, drafting task force-wide communications, and conducting background research on salient energy policy matters including load growth, affordability, and reliability
● Organized and spearheaded business development efforts by finding relevant partners and foundations, drafting, reviewing, and submitting proposals, and creating project budgets
○ Secured, to date, over $250,000 for Center initiatives and work including the NC Energy Policy Task Force
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Deputy/Acting Chief of Staff
April 2024 - May 2025
● Ensured timely, efficient, appropriate, and thoughtful execution of EERE mission objectives in compliance with all applicable law, Department policies, and best practices
● Developed and communicated EERE-wide operational policies and procedures
● Advised EERE's senior executives on funding decisions, policy decisions, hiring decisions, and Congressional actions
● Monitored legislative actions at all stages, recommending and implementing courses of action to respond to mandate, direction, requirements, and inquiries.
● Prepared the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Deputy Assistant Secretaries, technology office directors, and other senior leadership for Congressional and Secretarial briefings
● Maintained and expanded leadership development and morale-building opportunities for leaders and staff within EERE
● Fostered connection between EERE and other Departmental Elements, including other technology offices and Under Secretariats, including joint responses to legislation, collaborative laboratory projects, and joint funding opportunities
● Connected EERE to external partners, including other USG agencies, advocacy organizations, and industry associations
● Led a small team of 3 senior advisors in developing strategic, analytical, and narrative reports to communicate EERE's technological and economic impact, expand EERE's commercialization portfolio, and grow EERE's presence at strategic meetings and conferences
Subject Matter Expert, Appropriations
February 2023 - March 2024
● Coordinated efforts to conduct five-year budget analysis to determine the value of each dollar spent on clean energy research, development, demonstration, and deployment across five sectors of the economy: electricity, transportation, buildings, industry, and agriculture
● Drafted narrative documents to explain and communicate EERE legislative funding needs and execution
● Monitored and tracked actions at all stages of the appropriations process
● Prepared EERE's nearly 20 senior executive leaders, including the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Deputy Assistant Secretaries, technology office directors, and other senior leadership for Congressional briefings
● Drafted and reviewed budget documents and briefing materials for response to Congressional inquiries
● Served as the advisor and liaison between four sub-office functions and 10+ staff, including the EERE Budget Office, Legislative Affairs Team, Operations pillar and Front Office, and created standard operating procedure for team functionality and cohesion
● Led a small team of 3 senior advisors in developing strategic, analytical, and narrative reports to communicate EERE's technological and economic impact

Mona is a partner and the co-chair of Cooley's infrastructure, energy and real estate practice. Dual-qualified as a lawyer in the US (New York and Illinois) and in England and Wales, and as a licensed professional engineer, she brings a distinctive combination of legal and technical experience to complex energy and infrastructure transactions. Over a 25-year career, she has led some of the largest and most complex energy and infrastructure transactions globally, with a focus on project finance and development, mergers and acquisitions, and tax equity and corporate finance.
Mona represents developers, investors, corporates, private equity funds, utilities and financial institutions across the full spectrum of energy and infrastructure assets, including solar, storage, wind, transmission, and oil and gas, as well as data centers and digital infrastructure platforms driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and the convergence of energy and technology. She has led numerous financing, acquisition, disposition and project development transactions involving M&A, tax credit and tax equity structures, and corporate finance.
Mona has particular depth in sophisticated infrastructure projects at the intersection of data, AI and digital transformation. She has been consistently recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, The Best Lawyers in America, Law360 and other publications.

Tim Heinle is OCI Energy's Executive Vice President of Business Development, leading strategic growth initiatives, project origination, and partnerships. He brings over 25 years of experience in the independent power sector, with prior leadership roles at groSolar (acquired by EDF Renewables), Pace Global Energy Services (Siemens), Community Energy, Magellan Resources Group, and Duke Energy.

At OCI Energy, Tim has led major strategic collaborations and contributed to the company's expansion from Texas's first utility-scale solar developer to a diversified renewable energy company with over 5 GW of projects under development. He serves as an At-Large Executive Committee Member for the Texas Solar + Storage Association. Tim holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Georgetown University and an MBA from the College of William & Mary.

William A. "Billy" Coyle is Director of Power Generation Regulated Operations at Dominion Energy, where he leads electric wholesale operations, including energy procurement, generation unit commitment, PJM market engagement, and compliance with renewable and clean energy mandates. He also oversees the origination and management of power purchase agreements and renewable energy programs.
Since joining Dominion Energy in 2008, Mr. Coyle has held leadership roles within financial analysis, market operations, and renewable operations, with responsibility for key functions including asset optimization, financial transmission rights management, and load forecasting and procurement.
Mr. Coyle holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the College of William and Mary and a Master of Science in Finance from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Jennifer serves as the General Manager for the Gas Power Global Services Projects & Engineered Solutions business at GE Vernova, where she leads strategic planning, growth, and P&L management for a comprehensive suite of life extension products across gas turbines, steam turbines, generators, and HRSGs. With over 25 years of experience in the power industry--spanning her tenure at GE, Alstom and her early career at ABB--Jennifer has held diverse leadership roles in commercial operations, capital equipment, aftermarket services, and strategic M&A. An alumna of Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Babson College, she brings extensive expertise in driving innovation and customer partnerships across the power generation industry.

teams responsible for generation interconnection projects. His work focuses on advancing projects through the PJM interconnection process while coordinating design, construction, and stakeholder alignment across developers, engineers, and internal business units.

He brings more than 20 years of experience in electric transmission, construction, and operations, and has been with Dominion since 2001. His background includes system protection, construction management, and strategic transmission project leadership, with a focus on delivering capital projects, supporting generation and data center development, and navigating complex interconnection and regulatory requirements. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Averett University and an Associate of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering Technology from Germanna Community College, and is a U.S. Air Force veteran.

Charles Graves is a senior leader with over 25 years of extensive experience in engineering, manufacturing, and operations leadership, new product development, manufacturing development, innovation, and regulatory compliance. Currently serving as the Director of Government Microreactors at BWXT Advanced Technologies, Charles adeptly leads teams focused on delivering high-consequence programs within the engineering and manufacturing sectors. Charles' experience is uniquely suited to the development and deployment of groundbreaking, First-of-a-Kind technologies in the nuclear industry for both the commercial and government markets.
At BWX Technologies, Charles has held several key positions since joining the company, including Director of Engineering and Deputy Director of Manufacturing Development. In these roles, he has overseen teams dedicated to prototype engineering design, manufacturing development, and testing. He is known for his ability to manage high-visibility work scopes, ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget while maintaining the high-quality standards expected in the nuclear industry.
Previously, Charles worked at Framatome, holding positions such as Manager of Component Engineering and Project Engineer, where he led teams responsible for ASME Code and nuclear safety-related component repairs for domestic and international power plants. Charles began his career with Framatome, where he developed a robust foundation in tooling design, project integration, and technical management. His project execution and leadership skills were honed while working on critical repairs and innovations in the nuclear energy sector.
With a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech, Charles has continued to advance his professional qualifications through memberships and certifications, including being a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), holding Engineer-In-Training (EIT) status in Virginia, and being a member of the NEI New Nuclear Engineering Working Group. He has also completed multiple leadership training programs, including the AREVA University Marco Polo Leadership Program, Leadership Energy Carolinas Program, and Leading at BWXT Program.
Beyond his professional achievements, Charles is also an inventor with several patents for innovative technologies and devices in the nuclear industry. His contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including two Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) Top Industry Practice Awards for his work on the DC Cook LRSS Support System and Palo Verde Bottom Mounted Instrument Nozzle Repair.

It's not often that you find an athlete, engineer, musician, and a former Miss America all in one. Grace Vanderhei breaks misconceptions surrounding nuclear energy through social media, public engagements, and educational workshops. During her year as Miss America 2023, Grace was named the "New Face of Nuclear Energy" by the Wall Street Journal and was on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for Energy. While completing approximately 270,000 miles of travel, she finished her undergraduate degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since passing on the title, she was recognized by CNET as part of the four women powering America's Clean Energy Transition. Grace emphasizes the benefits of nuclear power and seeks to dispel the myths around nuclear energy while inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. In March 2024, Grace began work as a Nuclear Fuels Engineer at Constellation. Additionally, she is currently pursuing a Masters in Business Administration through Arizona State University. Outside of the nuclear industry, Grace is an avid waterskier, classical violinist, and a travel enthusiast.

"I'm not looking to change the entire world on my own - all I need to do is make the one connection that will start a chain reaction."

A national award-winning multimedia journalist, Sonal Patel has covered a wide range of technology, business, and policy issues affecting the power industry worldwide for POWER and its sister publications since 2008. Along with keeping her eye on national and international matters for POWER magazine's monthly department Global Monitor, she contributes in-depth analysis and spot news pieces for POWER and POWERnews. She also surveys, crunches, and visualizes power generation data and trends from around the world for POWER's web and print infographics and other multimedia. She is a graduate of the University of Houston.

Dr. Nelli Babayan is the AI Director at Microsoft, overseeing AI initiatives with all U.S. Federal Civilian agencies. She leads virtual cross-solution teams to advance mission outcomes, directing strategy and secure implementation of AI by fostering collaboration and developing mission-specific use-cases. She has delivered numerous talks and moderated panels at both US-based events and international conferences, including in Canada, Italy, Germany, UK, France. Nelli supports government efforts with her extensive and cross-industry background, having managed research and policy projects at DC-based think-tanks, lectured at universities and published in peer-reviewed journals.

John Josephakis is Global Vice President for HPC, AI, and Supercomputing at NVIDIA, where he leads global supercomputing efforts and go-to-market activities across Sovereign AI, energy, manufacturing, semiconductors, quantum, weather and climate, and higher education research. With more than three decades in high-performance computing and enterprise technology, his career began working with U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories and has remained focused on connecting advanced computing infrastructure with leading research organizations. Since joining NVIDIA in May 2020, he has helped expand the company's impact across global supercomputing and AI research and has advanced strategic partnerships with the U.S. government, including the DOE Genesis Mission and NSF State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs. Previously, John held senior leadership roles at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cray, and DataDirect Networks. A frequent industry speaker, he focuses on how accelerated computing and AI are transforming science, infrastructure, and industry. He holds degrees from UT Austin and Saint Edward's University and is based in Dallas, Texas.

Tom Boyle brings more than 40 years of experience across the construction and manufacturing industries, with deep expertise in life safety, fire protection, special hazard suppression, physical security, and building automation systems. He has provided consulting and application-specific support on projects ranging from power generation and petrochemical facilities to airports, education campuses, and high-rise commercial developments. Having worked both as a contractor installing and maintaining these systems and alongside the OEMs that manufacture them, Tom offers a dual customer- and user-focused perspective. He is also an experienced presenter, having led and served on industry panels addressing these specialized topics.
Tom currently serves as Senior Business Development Manager for Strategic Sales, Americas - Industrial & Transportation at Honeywell Technologies, where he supports consulting engineers and architectural/engineering firms across industrial, commercial, and infrastructure markets.

Chris McKissack is the President and CEO of ibV Energy Partners since May 2026. Chris brings extensive leadership experience across the renewable energy sector, including battery energy storage systems and broader energy infrastructure. He most recently served as CEO of Fullmark Energy and previously led GlidePath Power Solutions, where he was involved in the growth of an early U.S. energy storage platform. Earlier in his career, McKissack held leadership roles across development, engineering, transmission, procurement, and construction in both the utility and renewable spaces.

Mr. Fassett is President and founder of IEM Energy Consultants LLC, (now part of CEIS), and has more than 39 years of broad-based experience in the power and related industries. He founded IEM in 1998 as a boutique consulting practice to provide consulting services in all aspects of power plant operations, maintenance, and management to clients worldwide. Mr. Fassett has provided services in outage planning, management and oversite, long range O&M budgeting, reliability assessments, plant staffing analysis and long-term service agreement negotiations.

Prior to forming IEM, Mr. Fassett held roles of increasing responsibility with various utilities, both regulated and IPP's, as well as petrochemical process facilities. These roles included Plant Engineer, Maintenance Engineer, Start Up Manager, Maintenance Manager and Plant Superintendent. His experience includes coal, simple and combined cycle CT's, coal gasification and specialty chemical manufacturing. Mr. Fassett sits on the Board of Directors of the Plant Managers Institute, the Advisory Board of the Electric Power Conference, is a member of the ASME Power Committee. He has taught college classes in Energy & the Environment, Ethics in the Energy Industry, Electronics and Power Plant Operations. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Dakota State University with an emphasis in Power Plant System Design

Klaus Payrhuber has a Dr. degree from University of Technology Graz, Austria. He was working for GE Power from 2001 until 2018 and since then INNIO Jenbacher. The last 15 years Klaus hold several positions in the Jenbacher gas engine organization where he is currently looking after strategic product developments of gas engines.

Andrew Phillips currently serves as Director, Business Development, Region North for Wärtsilä Energy where he leverages his 15 plus years of experience in power generation to focus on the traditional utility customer segment. Andrew received his Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and went on to complete GE's Commercial Leadership Program. Between GE and Wärtsilä, he has held roles in engineering, proposal development, long term service agreements, account management, and new plant sales. Andrew lives in Scottsdale, Arizona

William Polen is Senior Director of the United States Energy Association (USEA), where he leads energy programs and initiatives in partnership with U.S. government agencies, the energy industry, and other stakeholders. He has more than 30 years of experience in domestic and international energy development, with expertise in project design and delivery, energy infrastructure planning, capacity building, and strategic partnerships. Mr. Polen has played a leading role in USEA's work on permitting reform, including analysis of how permitting and infrastructure development constraints affect power system reliability, affordability, competitiveness, and the ability to bring new generation and transmission resources online. Internationally, Mr. Polen has directed major U.S. government-supported energy programs focused on electricity and natural gas infrastructure, regional market integration, energy security, and private-sector investment.

As Chief Technology Officer at Westinghouse, Lou Martinez Sancho leads the company's global research and development portfolio and advances the company's innovative product and services technology strategy - accelerating advancements in AI, Westinghouse's AP300 Small Modular Reactor development and eVinci microreactor technology for the space and defense markets.

Dr. Martinez Sancho brings more than 20 years of experience to this role - having worked in senior leadership positions in the energy, biotech, automotive, and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industries. Most recently, Dr. Martinez Sancho was Executive Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Kairos Power, with additional oversight of the Supply & Procurement and Marketing & Communications teams. Previously, she served as the Chief Innovation Officer of Spie Batignolles and Vice President of Global Innovation at Framatome.

Dr. Martinez Sancho graduated from Ramon Llull University in Barcelona, Spain, and obtained Master of Science degrees in Physiology and Biomechanics from Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris VI University, as well as in Human Factors from René Descartes-Paris V University in France. Additionally, Dr. Martinez Sancho holds a doctoral degree in Public Health, Environment and Sustainability from Côte d'Azur University. Dr. Martinez Sancho is also Master Black Belt Lean Six Sigma certified by The Ohio State University in the United States.

Michael has been with Yokogawa for 12 years. He is the Sales Manager for Instrumentation. Previously, he has held positions in sales, product management and application engineering for Yokogawa's field instruments.
Michael has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Outside of work, Michael enjoys playing golf.

Lennart Hinrichs is part of the TWAICE founding team and leads the company's business across the Americas. Before TWAICE, he worked in strategy consulting and startups, specializing in business model development and go-to-market strategies across different industries. TWAICE provides a data analytics platform built for utility-scale battery storage operators, enabling safer, more reliable, and more profitable BESS fleets. The software is vendor- and technology-agnostic, delivering real-time insights from raw battery data to reduce downtime, prevent failures, and extend asset life.

Cindy Crane is the retired Chairman and CEO of PacifiCorp. In this capacity, Crane offered her experience and strategic direction to PacifiCorp's leadership team, aimed at innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of customers, communities and operational risks throughout the company's six-state western territory additionally emphasizing initiatives aimed at stabilizing wildfire risks.

Between 1990 and 2014, Crane had an extensive career at PacifiCorp, serving in multiple senior roles and providing leadership in the development of the company's traditional and renewable energy strategies, including completion of five Wyoming wind projects. Between 2014 and 2018, Crane served as president and CEO of Rocky Mountain Power, overseeing the delivery of electric service to 1.2 million customers in the Intermountain West and the mining, generation and transmission of electric power for Pacific Power's west coast state region.

Crane ts also the founding Chairman and CEO of Enchant Energy Corporation, an emerging environmental services company focused on carbon capture, storage and usage for industry and communities. She remains Board Chair of Enchant Energy Corporation. Crane also served as the Chair of the University of Wyoming's School of Energy Resources and remains on the council that oversee's and provides strategic direction to the school, which is dedicated to energy-driven economic development for the state of Wyoming.

environmental services company focused on carbon capture and storage for industry and communities. She remains Executive Board Chair of Enchant Energy Corporation. Crane also serves as the Chair of the University of Wyoming's School of Energy Resources, which is dedicated to energy-driven economic development for the state of Wyoming.

MR. George has served the North American Bulk Power Electricity Industry in the area of automation, electrification, and the application digital solutions for more than 38 years.
He is currently Director of Digital Sales and Business Development for Siemens Energy, Inc.

In his career Galen has also served as a Design Engineer, Construction Engineer, Commissioning and Startup Engineer, Project Engineer, Project Manager. He then took leap for Siemens to transition into Marketing, Direct Sales, Business Development and Sales Management.

Prior to Kindle, Kris held positions in operations, development, finance, and construction management roles. Most recently at Gen X Energy, he supervised energy investments and development. Previously, at Venture Global LNG and South Louisiana Methanol, he managed development for two LNG export terminals (30 MTPA combined) and led non-recourse debt-financing for a multibillion methanol project. He began his career in the US Army and also worked at Bechtel in its corporate finance / development arm as well as in its infrastructure group.

Matthew Fioretti is a Senior Manager for the Market Development department at Wärtsilä North America. In his role, Matt advises on wholesale electricity markets, sales opportunities, and resource capabilities that support decarbonization, while highlighting the critical role flexible gas generation plays in the evolution of the power grid. He has over 10 years of experience in the energy industry and previously held the title of Market Research & Development Manager at Mitsubishi Power Aero, where he worked on expanding market intelligence services to identify global sales opportunities and guide strategy decisions. Prior to that, Matt worked as a Market Monitor for ISO New England identifying market manipulation, opining on new wholesale electricity market designs, and conducting empirical analysis of market performance. He is a graduate of Springfield College and holds a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Finance.

Steve's career has been at the intersection of politics and policy, advocacy and communications - from the halls of Congress to the energy sector. Over the last decade, he has led public and government relations campaigns for two of the world's largest natural resources companies. At Exxon Mobil Corporation, he served in a number of government relations, coalition building, and corporate communications roles. And at Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. (ADM), one of the world's largest agricultural commodities, nutrition, and biofuels companies, he led energy and decarbonization advocacy.

Steve led policy and communications work at the Marcellus Shale Coalition, a regional natural gas trade association based in Pittsburgh. He cut his teeth in Washington on the other side of government relations - as Capitol Hill staff for former Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH), where he served in Boehner's personal congressional, committee, and leadership offices.

Raised in northeast Ohio, Steve holds degrees from Xavier University in Cincinnati and The Johns Hopkins University's Carey School of Business.

Ed Myers, Vice President of Business Development at Long Ridge Energy and Power, brings over 20 years of experience in power, data center, and telecommunications infrastructure sales and transactions. Before joining Long Ridge, Ed served as Vice President of Business and Corporate Development at Tillman Global Holdings' in-building wireless systems integrator and finance company, TDC.

Earlier, he co-founded and led the telecommunications group at Parallel Infrastructure, a national build-to-suit communications tower and fiber service provider. Ed also managed offer development and the national spectrum program for FiberTower, a cell tower backhaul and fixed wireless service provider. His leadership journey spans notable roles with AT&T, Level 3, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile.

A University of Virginia graduate, Ed holds BA and MA degrees in English Literature and frequently lectures at UVA's Darden School of Business and the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Technology.

Jason P. Connell has responsibility for activities related to resource adequacy, generation interconnection, interregional planning and transmission planning, including the development of the Regional Transmission Expansion Plan.

Previously, Connell was executive director of Transmission & Resource Adequacy Planning, where he was responsible for the oversight and implementation of the Regional Transmission Expansion Plan and load forecast at PJM. He has worked at PJM for over 12 years in various roles in System Planning.

Before joining PJM, Connell worked at PECO Energy as a relay testing supervisor and a protection and control engineer in the transmission and substations group. He also spent several years at Unisys Corporation as a project manager and hardware engineer.

Connell earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Drexel University and a Master of Business Administration from Villanova University.

After serving in the US Navy, Mr. Karr was employed by Duke Energy for many years functioning in multiple rolls, including plant operations, pant maintenance and then controls and electrical engineering.
Alan then Joined Siemens Energy, where he started in Engineering, then construction and commissioning. HE eventually rose to perform project management functions and recently ascended to the Director of Operations for SE Digital Solutions.

Jim is the Principal Project Engineer and founding member of DES.
He is an early implementer of advanced systems and controls to improve efficiency and reduce fossil fuel usage. In the 70's he was commissioning the first process control computers. In the 80's he was with Honeywell during the development of the TDC2000 product family and the Integrated Pulp & Paper Mill development program. During the 90's he was a founding member of AAI with design responsibilities to build industrial powerhouses inside B&W, Gotaverken, Kvaerner, and Siemens Westinghouse organizations. Now, as a founding member of DES, he is part of a development team creating a new class of technologies to integrate industrial powerhouses into the grid.
Jim serves as an advisor to the Texas A&M Industrial Energy Technology Conference (IETC) and is a board member of the Pennsylvania Southeast Smart Energy Initiative (SEI).

Wayshalee Patel works for Sargent & Lundy, a comprehensive consulting, engineering and design firm providing solutions for the electric power industry. She is currently the Director of S&L's Environmental Technologies, Licensing and Permitting Group. Mrs. Patel is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Illinois and has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and Masters in Business Administration. She directs multiple project teams, each led by project managers and technical and engineering personnel. Her overall experience encompasses environmental permitting, regulatory compliance, and air pollution controls. She is well versed in existing and proposed environmental regulations, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). She has been involved with several air quality retrofit projects, new generation projects and transmission line projects where she assisted in project management, preliminary engineering and design, specification/procurement, and project implementation.

Curtis Wilkerson founded Orion Strategies in 2006. The firm has assisted energy and infrastructure projects in more than half the country, providing strategic communication, stakeholder engagement, and local government affairs expertise. The firm's experience spans natural gas production, pipelines, power plants, renewables, transmission projects, hydrogen, and carbon sequestration projects, with six offices including Washington DC.

Curtis is known for his deep and ever-expanding network of contacts across the public and private sectors, encompassing key areas of influence critical to the firm's success. He has directed scores of public relations campaigns and is widely quoted and used as a trusted background source by national and regional media outlets.

Curtis regularly speaks at energy conferences around the country and has appeared on several energy webinars and podcasts for national industry trade organizations.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Curtis serves as a trustee at West Virginia Wesleyan College, where he obtained a degree in political science and history. He and his amazing wife, Kristi, have two kids.

Cleo Carter is a policy analyst at the National Governors Association's Center for Best Practices, where she works on the energy team. She leads the team's renewable generation policy portfolio, helping governors' energy advisors and state energy teams develop and implement solutions to energy policy challenges. Cleo also helps standardize and track governors' energy actions across the 55 states and territories, with a particular focus on the Southeast. Her work spans state technical assistance, convenings, and the development of best practice resources delivered nationwide.

She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2025 with a degree in political science and public policy. Before joining NGA, she spent a year at the NC Clean Energy Technology Center, where she worked on the Carolinas Development Assistance and Siting Hub. There, she led stakeholder engagement, helped draft the NC Utility-Scale Solar and Storage Model Ordinance, and provided technical assistance across counties in North and South Carolina. She also helped maintain the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, which tracks legislative, regulatory, and executive actions on clean energy across all 50 states.

Michael Burroughs is an an almost 34 year veteran of the electric utility industry with experience in coal, gas, fuels, solar, wind, operations strategy, environmental rules impact, Plant closures, and leadership development.

Michael began his career in 1991 as a Plant Engineer with Alabama Power Company's Barry Generating Plant which is part of the Southern Company. During the next 15 years, Michael held positions at Alabama Power Company and Gulf Power Company (former subsidiary of Southern Company) in front line supervision and management in Engineering, Planning, Maintenance, Operations, and Compliance in Power Plants. Michael was afterwards selected to be the Assistant To Executive Vice President of Alabama Power and Chief Production Officer for the Southern Company.

Since 2007, Michael has been in the Plant Manager roles at Alabama Power Company's Barry Steam Plant and Georgia Power Company's Plant Yates and Plant Scherer. He was also elected to be the Vice President of Generation and Senior Production Officer for Gulf Power Company before retiring at the end of 2024 after a long impactful and accomplished career.

Michael also served on the Plant Scherer Managing Board, Board member Coal Users Group, Florida Solar Energy Center Policy Advisory Board, Board member of Southeast Labor and Management Public Affairs Committee, Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, and Pensacola Sports Association.

Michael earned his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Birmingham in December 1990.
Michael is a native of Birmingham, Alabama and has one daughter Genesis Nicole, who is a school teacher in Pensacola, Florida.

Kate Tillotson is the founder and principal of The Beacon Group, a strategic communications firm that advises C-suites on PR strategy and reputation systems that convert operational performance into market authority.

Previously, she directed national media strategy as senior manager of media relations at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, serving a 900 member trade group and launching the organization's first nationwide media training program.

A former television journalist with on-air roles at CBS and NBC affiliates in Michigan, Georgia, and Montana, Kate earned national recognition for investigative and feature reporting, including two Associated Press awards and two Emmy nominations. A nationally recognized coach and consultant, Kate has worked with leaders at government agencies, professional associations, and nonprofits; her insights have appeared in Forbes, Training Magazine, Authority Magazine, and In.Comms.

Kate is MIT certified in persuasive communication and holds a B.S. in Broadcast Journalism from Emerson College in Boston.

Chris Anderson serves as General Counsel of Rayburn Electric Cooperative, where he oversees legal strategy, enterprise risk management, regulatory compliance, and human resources, while serving on the senior leadership team as an advisor on strategic, operational, and governance matters.

Chris joined Rayburn in 2022 and brings nearly four decades of experience in the legal field. Since 1998, his work has focused primarily on the energy and utility regulatory space. Before joining Rayburn, Chris spent 27 years with ALLETE, Inc. as Associate General Counsel, representing the company before federal and state regulators, leading mergers and acquisitions, and advising leadership on compliance and regulatory matters. Chris also served as Director of Legal Affairs at Twin Metals Minnesota, LLC, where he led legal strategy for a major mining project. Throughout his career he has held a variety of judicial appointments as a citizen of the Bois Forte Band - Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

Chris has earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School and holds an Executive MBA from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.

Clint Vince is the Chair of Dentons' US Energy practice and Co-lead of Dentons' Transportation and Infrastructure sector for the US Region.

Clint is rated as one of the leading energy lawyers in the US and has directed the expansion of the US Energy team into a premier practice that includes professionals spanning the continent coast-to-coast, offering a full range of services to energy industry clients. He is widely recognized for his cutting-edge theories and solutions within the energy industry and has a top-tier litigation track record. Clint created the groundbreaking Dentons Infrastructure & Strategic Innovation Think Tank, (formerly known as the Dentons Smart Cities & Connected Communities Think Tank), and he is one of the industry leaders on this subject.

Clint remains at the forefront of energy developments and continuously handles some of the highest profile cases in the industry. His experience involves major project development, legislative and regulatory advocacy on behalf of public and private clients, and litigation and appellate cases including US Supreme Court advocacy.

Laura Heller joined CAEL in 2022 and serves as Vice President, Industry Coalitions, where she leads national partnerships that align industry, postsecondary education, and workforce systems to advance economic mobility for adult learners. In this role, she provides strategic leadership for CAEL's industry-driven initiatives, including the Energy Providers Coalition for Education (EPCE) and National Alliance for Communications Technology Education and Learning (NACTEL), guiding governance, partnership growth, program strategy, and long-term sustainability across complex employer and higher education networks.
Heller brings deep expertise in workforce and economic development, with a focus on data-informed strategy, career pathway design, and cross-sector collaboration that drives measurable impact for learners, institutions, and employers. She oversees initiatives that integrate competency and career mapping, stakeholder engagement, and employer alignment to expand opportunity and strengthen talent pipelines within critical industries.
Her background includes significant leadership in federal grant management, apprenticeship strategy, and large-scale program implementation. Prior to joining CAEL, Heller served as Director of Administration at Midwest Urban Strategies, where she partnered with workforce development boards across the Midwest to advance regional economic transformation and innovative workforce solutions.
She previously held the role of Regional Director at WRTP/BIG STEP, a nationally recognized, industry-led workforce intermediary connecting employers, labor, training providers, and community partners to address workforce shortages and strengthen regional talent ecosystems. In this capacity, Heller led construction and manufacturing workforce initiatives that expanded access to family-sustaining careers and built diverse, highly qualified talent pipelines aligned to employer demand. She managed sector-based training programs, ensured regulatory and funding compliance, and advanced strategies that promoted equitable workforce participation, economic mobility, and long-term industry sustainability.
In 2024, Heller completed the Strada Education Foundation's Extraordinary Leadership Program, strengthening her executive leadership capacity within education and workforce ecosystems. A relationship-centered leader, she is passionate about building partnerships that create scalable and sustainable pathways to economic advancement.
Heller holds a Bachelor of Arts in English (Professional and Technical Writing) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Jamie Choate is the Director of Workforce Strategy & Enablement (WS&E) at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). In this strategic leadership role, Jamie drives enterprise wide workforce planning, capability development, and labor forecasting and modeling to ensure TVA has the skilled and adaptable talent required to power the region's energy future.
Jamie leads efforts to strengthen workforce agility by aligning strategic talent initiatives, expanding partnerships, developing robust pathways and pipelines, and equipping both current and future employees with critical skills. Her work integrates predictive analytics, strategic planning, and cross functional collaboration to position TVA for long-term success in a rapidly evolving industry.
With more than two decades of experience at TVA, Jamie has advanced through multiple leadership roles after beginning her career as an apprentice. Her background in the energy sector, combined with her strengths in organizational leadership, financial management, training strategy, and change management, has established her as a trusted leader focused on innovation and the future of work.
Jamie holds an MBA from Arizona State University, a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and Engineering from the University of Tennessee at Martin, and an Associate's degree from Columbia State Community College. She also holds the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute and a Green Belt Certification from SSD Global.

Dr. Naeem Turner-Bandele is the Founder & CEO of Latimer Enterprises, an energy technology company providing advanced engineering, technology, and workforce solutions for the modern power grid and buildings. He is an award-winning researcher, educator, and inventor who develops frameworks, tools, software, and programs to modernize power grids, improve building energy efficiency, and educate the next generation of energy engineers by blending a unique combination of technical and business expertise. He frequently provides expert commentary on energy issues for national outlets, including Forbes, Yahoo Finance, and MarketWatch.

His success is rooted in a rigorous academic foundation, including a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Santa Clara University, a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, and an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business. His distinguished background includes honors as a Consortium Fellow, a GEM Associate Fellow, and a John & Claire Bertucci Engineering Fellow, as well as the 2018 Raymond M. Galentine Award.

Beyond his work in energy, he is also a co-founder of The League of Extraordinary Parents and the author of 4 children's books, including co-authoring The Amazing World of STEM series. Across every endeavor, Dr. Turner-Bandele merges technical innovation with a commitment to community agency, ensuring that the tools for progress are accessible to all.

DeAnna Myers is a Vice President and the Director of Learning and Organizational Change at Sargent Lundy, a prominent engineering consultant in the power generation industry. Ms. Myers orchestrates design solutions while helping her organization navigate change. The efforts of Ms. Myers' groups ensure that employees gain the skills and abilities needed for success in an ever changing marketplace.

Ms. Myers authored the organization's first knowledge transfer process and continues to cultivate the organization's learning culture through training, knowledge sharing and skill building.

Ms. Myers completed her Master's degree in Northwestern University's Learning and Organizational Change Program in June 2013. Her master's research is based on the transfer of knowledge across levels of expertise as a means of sustaining intellectual capital within the organization.

Her research is featured on Northwestern's Knowledge Lens website for exemplary Capstone efforts.

Arjun is a Senior Advisor at the Federation of American Scientists, where he focuses on policy to deploy clean energy and accelerate innovation. Most recently, Arjun served in the Biden-Harris Administration as the Senior Policy Advisor for Clean Energy Infrastructure in the White House. In this role, he worked to secure and execute policies to address the climate crisis, create well-paying jobs, build domestic supply chains, and reduce energy costs. His work spanned tax policy, electricity regulation and investments, supply chain and manufacturing policy, and implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Prior to the White House, Arjun was the Special Advisor to the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), where he worked on implementation, congressional strategy, long-term planning, clean energy permitting, and budget policy. Arjun also served on the policy team for the Biden-Harris transition team.

Arjun previously was the Climate Policy Lead for Innovation at NRDC, where he worked to advance strong federal policy to build an economy that works for all, promote clean energy innovation, and curb climate change. He also used modeling and analysis tools to study the effects of federal and state climate policies. He holds an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a B.S. in Environmental Systems Engineering from Stanford University.

For nearly 30 years, Jason Boffey has built a distinguished career at the intersection of construction, energy, and complex project delivery, advising on the negotiation and execution of the core agreements that underpin complex, capital-intensive projects--often involving multinational stakeholders and first-of-their-kind applications throughout the U.S. market. His experience spans EPC contracting and delivery, including gas-fired power projects, HVDC projects, datacenter infrastructure, solar projects, onshore & offshore wind developments, BESS facilities, biofuels, and STATCOM installations, as well as the full suite of related project documentation, including equipment supply agreements, long-term service agreements, consortium and development agreements, preferred supplier agreements, and other commercial arrangements critical to project success.
Jason began his career earning a degree from the University of Florida's Rinker School of Construction Management, where he went on to manage major construction projects and develop a firsthand understanding of the technical, commercial, and schedule-driven realities that determine project outcomes. He later earned his J.D. from the University of Florida's Levin College of Law and transitioned into construction litigation, focusing on high-stakes disputes involving major projects.
Building on this combined construction and legal foundation, Jason moved into senior in-house roles supporting some of the most sophisticated energy and infrastructure projects in the United States. He served as Senior Counsel for EPC Projects at Siemens Energy, and later as in-house counsel at TEi Construction Services, Inc., a trusted partner to power producers nationwide.
Jason draws on his practical industry background, litigation experience, and in-house perspective to deliver perseverance, integrity, and pragmatic guidance--providing clear, business-minded counsel and disciplined advocacy to his clients focused on protecting value, managing risk, and achieving results.

Siraj Taj is a rare Power industry insider who has the experience to look across the entire value chain - from sourcing and generation to transmission and distribution - to optimize plant efficiencies and economics. Siraj and his team at ST Power Services are focused on creating Innovative and Pragmatic O & M strategies that empower plant owners to solve today's problems while laying the groundwork to profitably transform their organization for a carbon-free future.

A sought-after Power industry consultant and thought leader, Siraj Taj has leveraged more than 35 years experience into his latest pursuit: Helping power plant owners prepare for our clean energy future.

Scott Rogers is currently the Technical Superintendent for the entire fleet of generation at Power South Electrical Cooperative.

I am an operating technician here at Powersouth. I am responsible for the daily operations and monitoring of all the plant systems as well as the two hydro plants that we have. This consists of making rounds in the field as well as constant monitoring on the t3000 system for the assigned plant that I am located. I am also cross trained in the maintenance and Ic&e crafts here at work.

Ann Jones is vice president-Operations Support at Dominion Energy Virginia.
She heads the company's newly formed organization consolidating the safety, environmental, and training functions for all of Dominion Energy Virginia. She also leads efforts to evaluate partnerships within Dominion Energy Virginia and engages with business segments and industry peers on best practices and accelerated learning.
Jones began her career in 1990 at the company's now-divested Kincaid Power Station in Illinois, where she worked for 17 years before transitioning to other roles in Shared Services and Supply Chain, Generation, and Alternative Energy.
Jones was promoted to manager-Alternative Energy Solutions (AES) in 2015 and manager-Power Generation Contracted Assets in 2016. In 2018, she was promoted to director-Power Generation Station II, leading Contracted Assets & Simple Cycle Combustion Turbines. In 2019, she was named director of Clover Power Station. Jones assumed her current position in August 2021. Jones is an advisory member of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE). She also serves on the board of ChildSavers, a non-profit in Richmond, Va., which provides children's mental health services and childcare resources, and Mega Mentors, which promotes higher education and career opportunities for public school students in Chesterfield County, Va. In addition, she is a member of the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond.
Jones holds bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration from the University of Illinois.

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

Ed Gray is vice president - Asset Management and Planning at PSE&G. In this role he is responsible for electric and gas asset strategy, asset reliability, electric delivery planning, gas system operations and technical services, utility business performance and improvement, utility finance support, basic generation services and basic gas supply services, and energy supplier services.

Mr. Gray has worked for PSE&G for more than 35 years and has held a variety of positions. Prior to his current role, Mr. Gray served as the Senior Director of Asset Strategy, Technology and Systems at PSE&G where he oversaw the engineering and standards for all electric transmission and distribution facilities, reliability centered maintenance, project origination and various aspects of NERC compliance. Prior to that position, he oversaw reliability programs at both PSE&G and PSEG Long Island and was involved in the program development, regulatory approval and execution of PSE&G's Energy Strong 1, Energy Strong 2 and the current Infrastructure Advancement Program.

Other relevant experience includes overseeing electric service policy, solar interconnections and being a utility team lead for service management and plant maintenance SAP work management implementations with integrated mobile applications at PSE&G for both Electric and Gas Distribution.

He is a licensed professional engineer in New Jersey, has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Rutgers University and a Master of Science in Management from New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Valencia McClure is the Senior Vice President of Governmental, Regulatory and External Affairs (GREA) for Maryland and DC. In this role, she leads strategic engagement with government officials, regulatory bodies, and community stakeholders to advance the company's mission and strengthen its presence across both regions. She holds more than 15 years of experience at Exelon, including prior roles at BGE and Pepco.

Valencia has served on a number of boards and councils, including the Washington DC Economic Partnership, Maryland Chamber of Commerce, Prince Georges County Business Roundtable, University of Maryland School of Medicine, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation (Maryland and North Texas). She was previously named one of Savoy Magazine's Most Influential Women in Corporate America and was included in the Baltimore Sun's Top 25 Women to Watch. She is the past president of American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) Baltimore Chapter and graduate of Leadership Maryland. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from The University of Texas at Arlington.

Expert Business Development Professional with extensive energy industry experience. Energy Storage, renewable solar generation, acquisitions, divestitures, FERC 7c regulated natural gas pipeline project development, strategic marketing, contract management, asset management, and contract negotiation. Liquid Natural Gas (LNG), Virtual Pipelines.

John graduated from the Ohio State University with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Welding Engineering in 2008 and successfully defended his PhD thesis in 2019. John presently leads the Materials group at EPRI executing world-class research in support of the non-Nuclear thermal fleet. His 20-years of research is diverse in the fields of material science and welding engineering and he is the primary or a contributing author to more than 175 manuscripts.

Gary Baysinger is a utility operations, asset management, and infrastructure executive with more than 35 years of experience leading operational excellence, reliability improvement, and asset performance initiatives across electric power generation, transmission and distribution, water, gas, telecom, and industrial operations.
Throughout his career, Gary has held leadership positions with Fortune 100 international organizations responsible for the development, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and optimization of large scale energy and industrial facilities. His experience spans both linear assets -- including electric transmission and distribution networks, pipelines, and utility infrastructure -- and static assets such as power generation facilities, process plants, substations, and critical industrial infrastructure.
Combining executive leadership with deep technical expertise in reliability engineering, maintenance strategy, and asset lifecycle management, Gary has led enterprise transformation programs, operational readiness initiatives, capital improvement portfolios, and workforce performance programs designed to improve safety, reliability, operational performance, and long term asset value. He is a trusted advisor to utility executives, plant leadership teams, and infrastructure owners on asset management strategy, operational excellence, maintenance optimization, and infrastructure modernization.
As Director II of Operations & Maintenance for Fluor's Asset Management Team (AMT), Gary helps clients improve asset performance, reduce operational risk, prepare organizations for successful startup and transition to operations, and maximize the lifecycle value of critical infrastructure investments.

The Honorable Mark W. Menezes is President and Chief Executive Officer of the United States Energy Association. Through its membership, USEA represents 150 members across the U.S. energy sector from the largest Fortune 500 companies to small energy consulting firms.

In his role, Mr. Menezes represents the broad interests of the U.S. energy industry and interacts with domestic and international leaders to advance knowledge and seek partnerships to develop and enhance energy infrastructure worldwide.

The Honorable Mark W. Menezes is a nationally recognized energy attorney. As the former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, former senior executive with two major energy companies, and former Congressional Committee Chief Counsel, he's a strategic advisor to Wall Street, businesses, and policymakers.

Mark W. Menezes is the founder of Global Sustainable Energy Advisors LLC, a strategic advisory firm to energy, technology and defense organizations. Mr. Menezes is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown Law School teaching courses on energy law, policy, and climate change.

He is a former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, confirmed by the US Senate in a bipartisan vote of 79-16. As Deputy Secretary, he served as the Chief Operating Officer over an agency with 120,000 employees and contractors, a $34 billion budget, and management responsibilities of the 17 national labs, the nation's nuclear weapons programs, and its environmental cleanup obligations from the Manhattan Project. Prior to being confirmed as Deputy Secretary, Mr. Menezes served as Under Secretary of Energy, receiving confirmation of the US Senate by voice vote. As Under Secretary, he was responsible for directing transformative energy progress and technology development through coordinated policy and budget planning, management, and innovation.

Prior to his federal executive branch service, Mr. Menezes was an executive at Berkshire Hathaway Energy after practicing law as a partner at Hunton & Williams LLP for ten years, heading its Energy and Infrastructure practice group. In his federal legislative branch service, Mr. Menezes was Chief Counsel, Energy and Environment, to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce during which he oversaw the passage of the historic Energy Policy Act of 2005. Mr. Menezes has also held positions within the energy sector. Before his service with the House Energy & Commerce Committee, he was Vice President with Central and South West Corporation and upon its merger with American Electric Power, served as Vice President and Associate General Counsel for federal and state legislative and regulatory affairs.

For his service to the Department of Energy, Mr. Menezes was awarded its highest honor, the Secretary of Energy's James R. Schlesinger Award. For his Congressional service, he was named in National Journal's "Hill 100"--top Congressional staff for his work on both energy and environmental matters. He has testified numerous times before Congress, is a frequent speaker and lecturer before associations and civic groups, including legal education seminars where he has been called on to address the nation's energy and environmental policies, utility restructuring, telecommunications, ethics, merger and acquisition practices, and regulatory and legislative processes. He has co-authored numerous articles, a practice manual published by West Publishing Company, and has been a contributor to network and cable TV broadcasts and quoted in the New York Times, Law360, Oil and Gas Journal, Politico, and other publications. He's been listed in Best Lawyers in America 2013-2016, Corporate Counsel's Top Lawyers 2006-2011, Washington Post's Top Lawyers 2008-2016, and DC Super Lawyers 2012-2016.

Mr. Menezes is a graduate of Louisiana State University receiving both his undergraduate and juris doctor degrees. He is licensed to practice in D.C., Texas and Louisiana, and is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar. Before being sworn in as the Under Secretary of Energy, he was a charter member Louisiana State University's Energy Law Center, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Congressional Chorus & American Youth Chorus, serving as its President for two years.

Tom Falcone is President of the Large Public Power Council, an association of 29 of the largest not-for-profit public power systems in the United States. Together, LPPC members provide electricity to more than 30.5 million people across 23 states and territories.

Before joining LPPC in 2024, Falcone served as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Long Island Power Authority, the nation's third-largest public power utility. During his tenure, LIPA increased grid investment by 300%, reduced outages by 40%, achieved top-tier reliability, and launched the nation's first utility-scale offshore wind farm. LIPA also secured approval for $3.3 billion in transmission investments to integrate 3,000 megawatts of clean energy, deployed smart meters and opt-out time-of-day rates, earned four credit-rating upgrades, and reduced leverage by 25%, while keeping electric rate adjustments below inflation.

Falcone is a past chair of LPPC and has served on the boards of the American Public Power Association, the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies, and the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook University. Before joining LIPA, he was an investment banker and advisor to publicly owned utilities and state and local governments, raising more than $25 billion for infrastructure investments nationwide. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Jim Matheson is Chief Executive Officer of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), the national service organization that represents the nation's more than 900 not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives. NRECA members provide service to 42 million people in 48 states. Jim joined NRECA in July 2016 following distinguished careers in both the public and private sectors.

Prior to joining NRECA, Jim served as Principal, Public Policy Practice, for the international law firm Squire Patton Boggs, based in Washington, D.C.

From 2001 to 2015, Jim served as a United States Representative from Utah for seven terms. During his tenure on Capitol Hill, Jim was known as a legislator who was able to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Jim was a Chief Deputy Whip for the House Democratic Caucus and served as co-chairman of the Blue Dog Coalition. He was a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as the Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Science committees. Prior to entering government service, Jim worked in the energy industry for several years.

Jim was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Government from Harvard University, and an MBA in Finance and Accounting from UCLA. Jim's wife, Amy, is a pediatrician, and they have two sons, William and Harris.

Rich Powell is the CEO of CEBA, a business association with members that include the world's largest energy buyers and their partners across all economic sectors, dedicated to advancing low-cost, reliable, carbon emissions-free global electricity systems. CEBA's members represent more than $40 trillion in market capitalization. He is also the CEO of the Clean Energy Buyers Institute, a nonprofit organization affiliated with CEBA. CEBA aims to serve as a trusted advisor to business leaders, policymakers, and energy system planners, providing objective, unbiased information on energy issues.
Rich has frequently testified before Congress on energy issues and innovation, and his views are regularly featured in national and energy trade media articles. Washingtonian has named him on its list of the "Most Influential People in Energy" from 2022 to 2025.
Prior to CEBA, Rich was the CEO of ClearPath and ClearPath Action, DC-based organizations advancing policies that accelerate breakthrough innovations to reduce emissions in the energy and industrial sectors. He remains Chair of ClearPath's Board of Directors and serves on ClearPath's Advisory Board. Before leading ClearPath, he worked for McKinsey & Company in its energy and sustainability practices.
Rich also serves on the board of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance and Clean Economy Project, as well as the advisory boards of the Task Force for Corporate Action Transparency and Renaissance Philanthropies Science Champions Fund. He is also a fellow at the Institute. In 2023, he delivered a TED Talk on updating permitting systems to build more clean energy, much faster. Rich served on the Advisory Committee to the Export-Import Bank of the United States from 2019 to 2021.