Speakers
R. Brent Alderfer is executive vice president with Iberdrola Renewables, the leading renewable generation owner in the world. In 1999, Brent founded Community Energy, Inc., and successfully led the expansion of wind generation in the Northeast through groundbreaking marketing of wind generation to utility customers. The Community Energy early marketing success, in partnership with strong government leadership, paved the way in Pennsylvania for a new wind energy industry with strong job growth and wind project investment. Community Energy expanded its development of new wind farms from the East into the Midwest, and, in 2006, was acquired by Iberdrola to lead its expansion into the United States.
Prior to forming Community Energy Inc., Brent served as a Colorado Public Utility Commissioner and became a leading spokesperson for new and renewable energy technologies. As a Commissioner, Brent led the Energy Resources and the Environment Committee of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, promoting policy to open electric markets to new, renewable, and distributed generation. He co-authored the report, Making Connections, published by the U.S. Department of Energy in 1999 on utility interconnection of renewable and distributed generation. An electrical engineer and a lawyer, Brent practiced law for fifteen years, representing development-stage companies through start up and public offering. Brent holds an electrical engineering degree from Northeastern University (1974) and a law degree from Georgetown University (1977).
Rose M. Baker is director of the Center for Regional Economic and Workforce Analysis in Penn State Outreach.
David L. Passmore is director of the Institute for Research in Training and Development in Penn State's College of Education.
Baker and Passmore lead the Penn State Workforce Education and Development Initiative, an alliance between Penn State Outreach and the College of Education.
Baker and Passmore also are professors in Penn State's Workforce Education and Development academic program.
Mike Barnes is principal of INeedSolar.com, a solar energy firm that provides energy services to corporations, nonprofit
organizations, and residential customers. He teaches electrical, energy, and solar applications for the Harrisburg Area Community College and consults regularly with executives from a
variety of fields to help create energy solutions for businesses and residences, sharing his findings with students. He is a master electrician who has been in business since 1985.
Raised in Central Pennsylvania, Mike lives with his wife, Danielle, and five children in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Mike also serves as a part-time pastor for St. Paul’s United
Methodist Church in Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania, and volunteers for the Central PA Conference, consisting of over 800 churches where he is working on solutions to limit and reduce
energy demand.
Brent Beerley has ten years of experience in the renewable energy industry and currently heads up origination for Iberdrola Renewables’ assets in the Midwest and Eastern United States. In 2006, Iberdrola completed an acquisition of wind energy marketer/developer Community Energy, Inc. (CEI), where Brent was a partner, leading business development and policy efforts. He also helped develop the Atlantic City Wind Farm in New Jersey. Prior to CEI, Brent worked with the U.S. DOE’s Distributed Energy and Wind Energy programs. Brent has a bachelor’s degree in integrated science and technology from James Madison University.
Seth Blumsack is an assistant professor in the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering at Penn State and an adjunct research
professor with the Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center. He earned a bachelor of arts in mathematics and economics from Reed College in 1998, a master’s degree in economics
from Carnegie Mellon in 2003, and a doctorate in engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon in 2006. Seth researches new architectures for energy production, delivery, and
consumption; regulation and deregulation in network industries; risk analysis; and managing complex infrastructure systems. He has authored or co-authored more than twenty scientific
and policy articles and book chapters. His work on restructured electricity markets has been cited in The New York Times and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and his
writing on California’s energy crisis has been cited in the Los Angeles Times as well as in The Smartest Guys in the Room.
Many of Seth's research papers can be found on his Web site at www.personal.psu.edu/sab51.
Tyler Breiner is a consultant to the Smart Energy Initiative and has spent the last year developing an expertise in solar markets, solar business, and workforce needs. Tyler engages with existing solar companies to help them identify workforce training and other HR-related needs and works closely with emerging companies to provide market information, business development services, and linkages with other companies. He is knowledgeable about both policy issues and marketplace needs. Tyler graduated Temple University with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology.
Dr. Jeffrey R. S. Brownson grew up in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and has always enjoyed the exchange between the sciences, society, and the arts within the context of the environment. One could say he has proceeded from the ground up to the sun. He received a bachelor of science degree in geology at the University of North Dakota, captivated by the interface between minerals and soils. This led to a master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin—Madison studying the mechanisms of nanoparticle nucleation and growth by microorganisms. Jeffrey’s progressive interest in nucleation and growth directed his research to the materials laboratory of Professor Marc Anderson at the University of Wisconsin—Madison. There he earned a doctorate describing the nonthermal bonding of TiO2 nanoparticles using humidity and ultraviolet light. In 2005, his postdoctoral career began in France at the Institut de Chimie et Matériaux de Paris-Est, where he studied the photoelectrochemistry of inorganic solar cells and electrodeposition of new light-absorbing semiconductor thin films for future devices. This was followed by a shared research position between Cardinal Glass Industries and University of Wisconsin—Madison, developing nanostructured TiO2 and ZnO substrates for sensitized photovoltaic cells.
Jeffrey has been assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering since July 2007, and is the principle investigator supervising the Penn State team (Natural Fusion) in the Solar Decathlon 2009. Jeffrey offers a unique background as a materials scientist for energy systems, having pursued his degrees within the context of environmental chemistry and the geosciences. His complementary background in environmental chemistry and mineralogy provides a basis for materials research within the constraints of sustainability and materials fate in the environment.
Darrell Brubaker is a consultant, solar and renewable energy advocate, social scientist, and former coordinator of the Million Solar Roofs Initiative Pennsylvania Partnership, excluding Philadelphia, which had its own partnership. He has worked closely with weatherization programs in several states and is a strong supporter of energy efficiency at all levels. In addition to his consulting work he currently volunteers as the site administrator for www.pasolar.org.
Stephen V. Buerkle is CEO of SunGlow Energy. Steve’s professional background includes founding and managing multiple companies over
the past twenty-seven years in the diverse fields of finance, computer software, Internet technology, Internet content, and alternative energy. He has also served in a professional
capacity within two investment banking/venture capital firms. He currently serves as the founder and CEO of SunGlow Energy, a solar technology company based in the Philadelphia metro,
focused on the mid-to-large scale commercial and industrial markets.
Some of the technology products that Steve created, in the 1980s, include portfolio performance measurement software for the investment advisory industry and a multimedia children’s
atlas with music, languages, maps, and photographs from cultures around the world. In 1993 one of Steve’s companies created, in conjunction with Zagat Survey, one of the first and
most successful digital mapping products now commonplace on computers and cell phones and in automobiles. He was also on the founding management team of RealNetworks (RNWK – NASDAQ),
the developer of RealAudio/RealPlayer, the original technology for delivering music and video through the Internet.
Steve holds a bachelor of arts degree in cultural anthropology from Temple University and an MBA with concentrations in investment theory and computer science from the Fox School of
Business at Temple University. Steve has been biographed in Marquis’ Who’s Who in the East and Who’s Who in Science and Engineering and serves as the board chair of the Federation of
Neighborhood Centers in Philadelphia.
Chairman James Cawley is a 1967 graduate of St. Bonaventure University and a 1970 graduate of Notre Dame Law School. He began his
legal career in 1970 as one of the seven original law clerks serving the judges of the newly-created Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. He was later appointed Majority Counsel to the
Pennsylvania Senate Consumer Affairs Committee where he drafted several major amendments to Pennsylvania’s public utility laws and assisted with codification of those laws. In 1977,
he was appointed Chief Counsel to the Senate Majority Floor Leader. Thereafter, he was twice nominated and confirmed as a member of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, serving
from November 1979 until September 1985. Then he returned to the private practice of law with a concentration on administrative law and appellate practice. His clients included a wide
array of public utilities and competitive telephone, electric, and natural gas providers.
He currently serves as adjunct professor of administrative law at Widener University School of Law and is a frequent faculty member of Pennsylvania Bar Institute courses on appellate
advocacy, public utility law, and ethics.
On April 25, 2005, Governor Edward G. Rendell nominated him to return to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. He was confirmed by the Senate of Pennsylvania on June 9, 2005,
for a term ending March 31, 2010, and elected vice chairman by his colleagues shortly after taking office. On August 19, 2008, Governor Rendell appointed him chairman.
Ron Celentano is a mechanical engineer and founder of Celentano Energy Services (CES), an organization dedicated to the
adoption of solar energy technologies, particularly solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, but also small wind and energy efficient technologies. He’s the vice president of Mid-Atlantic
Solar Energy Industries Association, a board member of both the Philadelphia Solar Energy Association, and The Energy Cooperative of Pennsylvania, and the administrator of the
Sustainable Development Fund Solar PV Grant Program.
He started designing/installing solar hot water and space heating systems more than thirty years ago, and started designing/installing solar PV systems in the mid-90s. He is an
experienced inspector of qualified solar PV systems and a trainer of solar PV installers; he provides technical assistance with design and troubleshooting problems, and monitors
system performance. In addition, he does building energy modeling for LEED and other energy-efficient whole-building designs.
Ron has also been very involved with solar energy policy issues in Pennsylvania for the last twelve years, helping spearhead and develop the Pennsylvania solar share requirement,
crafting net metering and interconnection laws and regulations. He helped shape the PA Sunshine Program and is an active participant in the Governor’s Solar Working Group.
Roger E. Clark works for The Reinvestment Fund (TRF) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as manager for technology and policy of the Sustainable Development Fund (SDF). SDF is a $32 million fund created by the PECO electric utility restructuring case to support the expansion of renewable energy, energy conservation, and sustainable energy businesses. He provides technical assistance to TRF clients on energy issues and opportunities and manages SDF’s wind, solar, public education, and core grant programs. He also serves as SDF’s attorney in various proceedings before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and other commonwealth agencies. Roger’s prior experience includes working for the Clean Energy States Alliance, an association of seventeen clean energy funds around the country. He also represented many environmental organizations in the various electric utility restructuring proceedings in Pennsylvania. Roger also created the Nonprofits Energy Savings Investment Program to help nonprofit organizations reduce their energy bills through energy conservation improvements and served as chief counsel for the Pennsylvania Energy Office. Roger has a B.A. from Carleton College and a J.D. from George Washington University Law School.
Brandi Colander is an attorney with NRDC's Air and Energy group. Her expertise is in the area of state energy policy, focusing on utility regulation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy programs. Prior to joining NRDC, Brandi worked as an associate with McCarter & English, LLP, in their environmental and general litigation practice groups and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation where she was a program officer. She is a graduate of Vermont Law School and holds a master's degree in environmental management from Yale University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia.
Dr. Stephen Costantino has more than 25 years experience managing and building technology-based businesses, with specialization in the energy, electronics, and specialty chemical sectors.
Steve recently joined PaceControls, a Pennsylvania "Growing Green" company providing energy efficiency solutions to the HVAC market. He serves as executive vice president and chief
operating officer.
Previously, he was chief technology and operating officer at Blue Square Energy, a company dedicated to the development and manufacture of cost-effective solar cell devices. His entry
into the clean technology arena was through his role as vice president of Technology Commercialization Group at Ben Franklin Technology Partners, leading the formation of the
organization’s initiative in this sector, both in the Greater Philadelphia region and on a statewide basis.
Steve was previously the CTO/COO for Oxane Materials, Inc., of Houston, Texas, a late-stage venture backed company dedicated to applying nanoparticle technology solutions in the
energy industry. Prior to this, he spent fourteen years with Cabot Corporation. While at Cabot, Steve was the managing director, Advanced Capacitor Materials Business, and global
director, Research and Development for the Supermetals Division.
He earned his bachelor of science degree in ceramic science and engineering and a doctorate in materials from Penn State.
Tim Ehmann has been a IBEW journeyman electrician for twenty-five years for the City of Rochester and a master electrician and senior project manager at O’Connell Electric. Tim is a NABCEP Certified and NYSERDA Eligible Installer of Photovoltaic systems (PV). Tim has extensive experience in large-scale construction projects, recently evolving from manufacturing to primarily energy-related facilities. Tim’s recent experiences range from large wind, landfill gas, ethanol, natural gas, and utility substation down to small wind and PV. Tim attended last summer’s NECA Green Energy Summit where the ‘Declaration of Energy Independence’ was initialized and has been selected to sit on NECA’s Energy Solutions Task Force for 2009. Most recently Tim was selected to represent NECA and testify in front of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business to discuss the subject “The State of the Economy and Identifying Policies to Promote Economic Recovery.”
Jeff Gilbert graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering,
specializing in energy technologies. He co-founded and grew Chesapeake Solar for eight years before the company was acquired in June of 2008 by groSolar, a national solar energy
distributor and systems integrator. Before founding Chesapeake Solar, Jeff worked for three years as an energy analyst under contracts with the Department of Energy and the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory. His first contract included writing a technology characterization of small wind turbines.
Jeff currently heads up the solar thermal division with groSolar. In total, Jeff brings fourteen years of experience with renewable energy systems, and is certified by the National
Association of Board Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) for both thermal and photovoltaic systems.
Richard J. Gillenwater graduated from The Ohio State University as a mechanical engineer. He is currently working as the manager of advanced projects, Carlisle SynTec Incorporated. Richard has worked at Carlisle SynTec for thirty years. His past duties include management systems engineering, manager of new product development, director of R&D, and project manager of Sure-Weld TPO. He is currently assigned to investigating and the development of new business and product opportunities that fit Carlisle’s growth strategy. His accomplishments include introducing two major roofing lines, one in EPDM and the Sure-Weld TPO product line; bringing together the green products consisting of the Ecostar synthetic slate and wood shake products with 80 percent recycled content, vegetative roof garden program; and developing and introducing a molded skylight product line. He has been a major contributor to the National Standard RP-4 "Wind Design Guide for Ballasted Roofing Systems" and is now directing the development and introduction of Carlisle’s first solar roof system.
Dan Griffiths is deputy secretary for energy and technology deployment at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). He is responsible for developing state energy policies; supporting economic development initiatives related to energy; providing technical advice related to electricity, fuels, and climate change; and supporting energy aspects of Pennsylvania’s emergency management operations. He was most recently director of the Bureau of Energy, Innovations, and Technology Deployment at the DEP. Previously, he was senior analyst for the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) where his responsibilities included ISO/RTO committees and working groups; federal regulatory activities; policy, price, and competition analysis; and issues related to distributed and demand-side resources. Before joining OCA, he was an energy consultant with Customized Energy Solutions, Ltd. Prior to that, he was the director of operations for the Energy Cooperative, a membership-based retail energy company in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. From 1997 through 1999 he was vice president, Corporate Development for East Coast operations of New Energy Ventures, now Constellation-New Energy. Before entering the competitive arena, he was assistant for energy issues to Pennsylvania PUC Commissioner David Rolka.
Kenneth M. Huber is manager of advanced technology at PJM Interconnection with responsibilities for conceiving, developing, and
applying technology to address the needs of the PJM business units.
Prior to joining PJM, Kenneth was employed for twenty-three years by AT&T Bell Laboratories. His responsibilities included new services creation, vertical industry development,
and corporate strategy.
Kenneth is the holder of twelve patents. One patent, Communications Systems Having Unified Messaging, was awarded patent of the year by Lucent Technologies in 2000.
Kenneth holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, a M.S. in systems engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from Drexel University.
Robb Jetty is credited with many renewable energy installations throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, from small off-grid systems to the largest currently operating solar power plant. In 2002 he founded a renewable energy engineering and construction company that remains a dominant player in the regional market. Prior to joining Recurrent Energy, Robb led the East Coast development activities at UPC Solar. He also played a critical role in the development of the first utility-scale solar project on the East Coast, a three megawatt system at Waste Management’s GROWS landfill. Robb holds a bachelor of arts degree in land use planning from Binghamton University, an AOS in HVAC/R from Universal Technical Institute, and numerous certifications in industrial electricity, solar, wind, and geothermal.
Gary D. Kleiman is the founder and president of The Gemstone Group, Inc. and a group of affiliated companies. Gemstone, formed in
1993, is a combination of investment and merchant banking, renewable energy project development, and developer and manager of residential solar leasing and energy efficiency loan
programs. Gary has been involved in financing energy-related companies and projects for many years, including the use of tax-driven financing techniques such as leveraged leasing.
Recently, Gemstone Lease Management, LLC, developed and launched the Connecticut Solar Leasing Program, which was the first state-sponsored residential solar leasing program in the
country. Gemstone is actively developing similar programs around the country. Gemstone also developed the highly successful Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (Keystone HELP), a
Pennsylvania program which is a model for consumer energy efficiency lending.
Sarah Klinetob has just completed her master’s degree in architectural engineering and holds undergraduates degrees from Penn
State in engineering science, and German.
She is currently a project manager for the 2009 Solar Decathlon, was a team leader for the 2009 RenewCrew Honduras project, has participated in the American Indian Housing Initiative
program for two summers, and was a team member for the 2007 Solar Decathlon.
She will be starting an internship in energy auditing at Matson Environmental after graduation.
Bernie Kotlier is director of Green Energy Solutions, IBEW-NECA/LMCC, California. He is responsible for the development and
implementation of California LMCC green building education and training programs, as well as related green energy business development activities. His department promotes
photovoltaics, energy management, and energy efficiency systems through green building training for electricians, as well as business development programs for contractors throughout
the state. He is a member of the California Public Utilities Commission Advisory Committee on Energy Efficiency Workforce Development, and the Working Group on Lighting. Kotlier also
currently serves as co-executive chairman of the California Advanced Lighting Controls Training Program (CALCTP) and is chairman of CALCTP’s Curriculum Committee.
Bernie came to the LMCC from Solectria Renewables where he directed business development for the Western United States. Educated at Bennington College and The University of
California, Berkeley, Bernie went on to promote energy conservation in the transportation sector by building a twenty-year career in the bicycle industry. Before moving to the
renewable energy field he served as president of Brunswick Bicycles International, president of Bell Sports Specialty Retail Division, and president of Service Cycle/Mongoose, a
division of American Recreation, Inc. He has also been a published contributor to the Harvard Business Review.
Gary Lakritz has a bachelor’s degree in engineering from UCLA and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. At Knollwood Energy, he has used his twenty years of financial experience to help his customers maximize their investment in alternative energy. Knollwood Energy has been an active participant in the renewable energy credit market since 2006. They have a customer base of more than 600 installations of all sizes and are one of the largest aggregators in the state of New Jersey.
Chris Lehman is a renewable energy applications specialist at Envinity Green Design and Construction in State College, Pennsylvania. His career in the alternative energy industry began in 1976 when he took a job building flat plat solar collectors for a small manufacturing company in Palm Beach County, Florida. Today, that would be known as getting a “really green job.” Instantly hooked on the promise of an abundant and free energy source, he managed to spend the next thirty-three years actively involved in the industry, while focusing on the wider HVAC marketplace to survive the ups and downs of the renewable energy arena. Chris spent five years as the ethics committee chairman for the Florida Solar Energy Industry Association during the time when questionable sales tactics and abuse of Federal tax credits and utility incentives threatened to derail the credibility of the solar industry before it could get up to speed. To further strengthen the emerging industry, Chris participated in drafting Florida’s first solar installation codes and solar contractor certification in the early 1980s. But even the most dedicated industry proponents were no match for the Reagan administration, and the rest is history. So Chris joined the ranks of aging solar devotees scattered around the nation, above ground and underground, working continuously to encourage the early adoption of technologies they always knew made sense, and hoping to live long enough to see the pendulum make its final swing away from the façade of fossil fuels. More energized than ever, Chris is responsible for many of the locally visible renewable energy installations including PV systems, solar water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, and various combinations of them all. One of his biggest thrills now is being able to offer his peers a ‘senior discount’ on their new solar system. Some things are definitely worth waiting for!
Roland Le Roux earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Centrale Lyon, France, and obtained his master’s degree in sustainable energy engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden. Roland joined the Center for Sustainability at Penn State in 2008 as an intern and has been enrolled as a doctoral student in architectural engineering since August 2008. His research mainly focuses on energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.
J. Michael Love serves as president and chief executive officer of the Energy Association of Pennsylvania (EAPA), headquartered in
Harrisburg. His more than thirty years as a utility executive and regulator provides the trade association with the necessary public policy expertise to represent the interests of the
Commonwealth’s eighteen Public Utility Commission–regulated electric and natural gas distribution companies that provide service to more than eight million commercial, industrial, and
residential customers.
For more than fifteen years, Michael held increasingly more responsible executive-level positions with Citizens Communication Company (formerly Citizens Utilities), which included
service as president and chief operating officer of the electric, gas, water, wastewater, and propane operations of Citizens in eleven states, including Pennsylvania. These operations
involved serving the utility needs of three million people.
Prior to entering the corporate arena, Michael was appointed chairman of the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission and, in that capacity, he served as president of the New England
Conference of Public Utility Commissioners. In addition, he served as consumer advocate in New Hampshire.
Michael received a juris doctorate degree from the University of Detroit and a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Michigan. He has lectured on the utility industry and
regulation at Dartmouth University, Franklin Pierce Law School, and the University of New Hampshire.
Richard Madeira is the vice president of Enginuity Energy LLC, a company that was “designed for the environment.” The turnkey solutions developed and implemented by Enginuity Energy promote energy conservation, use alternative energy sources for the creation of “green” steam or power, and include sustainable building designs for both the renovation and new construction of commercial buildings. Under his direction, Enginuity Energy LLC is introducing new biomass gasification technology to the Mid-Atlantic region. This new multifuel source technology is ideal for states such as Pennsylvania which are steeped in agriculture. Richard has extensive experience developing and managing the deployment of energy conservation projects within the PJM territory. Prior to becoming vice president of Enginuity Energy, Richard spent eleven years with a global leader in the energy services industry where he held various positions, including business development and marketing. He resides in Central Pennsylvania and serves on several boards, including the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers.
Eric Matheson graduated from Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences as a petroleum and natural gas engineering major, class of 1984. He is currently the energy adviser to Chairman Cawley at the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
Dr. J.W. McCamy is currently responsible for leading the technical development of materials and products for Solar Technologies at PPG Industries. This responsibility extends across both the photovoltaic and CSP areas. In addition, he is the PI for the DOE project “High Value Mirrors for Concentration Solar Power Applications.”
Jim has been a member of the R&D organization at PPG since 2003 where he has been responsible for development and implementation of APCVD coatings.
Throughout his career, Jim has been involved in the development of thin film deposition of functional coatings using CVD and PVD processes. He has experience in the optical design, fabrication, and characterization of devices utilizing both passive and active optical functional layers. In addition, he has been involved in the development of bulk thermophotovoltaic devices and holds a number of patents related to the alloying and doping of II-VI materials.
Jim holds degrees in both chemical engineering and materials science, but has spent most of his time skulking around the applied physics departments and laboratories in a number of academic institutions.
Ted Middleton, as director of sales at Tecta Solar, a Tecta America company, is responsible for development and coordination of Tecta America’s national solar operations. He is actively involved in the acquisition and development of key projects, and providing Tecta’s national resources to regional operations. His development duties are to deliver consistency and support to the customer project and ensure quality delivery according to national guidelines. Prior to 2009, Ted worked as a consultant for Tecta America and was a founder of several regional solar companies that provided commercial, residential, and professional services. Ted is also a founding steering committee member for The Alliance for Renewable Energy, a solar policy group focusing on North American laws. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Towson University and an MBA from the University of Tennessee.
Maureen Mulligan is the owner of Sustainable Futures Communications which she founded six years ago when she left her job as
division chief in the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s Communications Office. She formed her consulting firm to work on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other
sustainable growth opportunities for businesses and nonprofit organizations.
Clients include the Solar Alliance, the nation’s leading solar manufacturers trade organization and Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association (MSEIA) where she has served as
their Pennsylvania lobbyist since forming her business. Other lobby work includes the Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA) which she helped to form almost two years ago to
advocate for policies on energy efficiency, particularly home performance with energy star programs. KEEA’s lobbying efforts lead to the passage of Act 129 which advances energy
efficiency goals for Pennsylvania.
She also works for the Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) of Southeastern Pennsylvania where she serves as the SDF’s grant program education specialist on renewable energy education
and marketing; Vista Energy Group, an energy consulting firm; and US Bancorp where she recently completed a comprehensive study on the state of the world solar market and an analysis
of the innovative Connecticut Solar Lease Program.
In 2006, she was presented with the Department of Community and Economic Development Award as one of the 50 Best Women in Business in Pennsylvania. On April 21, 2009, she received the
Energy Coordinating Agency “Energy Ace” Award. She holds a master’s degree from University of Pennsylvania in government administration. She lives in an intentional community with her
husband in Perry County, Pennsylvania.
Sonny Popowsky has served as the Consumer Advocate of Pennsylvania since 1990 and has worked at the Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) since 1979. He was the president of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA) from 1996 to 1998 and was previously chairman of the NASUCA Electric Committee. He served on the Board of Trustees of the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) from 1997 to 2001 and served on the NERC Stakeholders Committee from 2001 to 2006. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) and the Keystone Energy Board. In 1988, he briefed and argued the landmark United States Supreme Court case of Duquesne Light Company v. Barasch, in which the Court upheld the position of the OCA that two Pennsylvania utilities had no constitutional right to charge consumers for the costs of four cancelled nuclear power plants. Sonny graduated Cum Laude from Yale University and received his J.D. Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he served as an editor of the Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. Between college and law school, Sonny worked as a newspaper reporter for the Press of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Prior to joining the OCA, he was an associate at the Philadelphia law firm of Pepper, Hamilton and Scheetz from 1977 to 1979.
Rep. Chris Ross is serving his 7th term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he represents Chester County’s 158th District. Chris serves on the following house committees: Intergovernmental Affairs, Chairman; Environmental Resources and Energy. He is active in the following caucuses: autism, alternative energy, alzheimer's awareness, life science, and women’s health. He is also a member of the Local Government Commission.
Chris has a history of active involvement in his community, where he has lived and worked for more than twenty years. For seven years, he served as the chairman of the London Grove Township Board of Supervisors. He was also a Republican committeeman in London Grove. Prior to becoming state representative, Chris owned and operated Rox Industries which blends minerals for lost wax investment casting of jewelry and self-leveling concrete. As the owner and operator of a small business, Chris understands particularly well the questions and concerns of the business community. Chris’s involvement in the area extends beyond government and business to the community service realm. He has served on the Board of Directors at two local schools and is a member of the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, and the Brandywine Conservancy.
Rep. Chris Ross and his wife, Cecilia, reside in East Marlborough Township with their two children.
Dave Shimmel is the Northcentral Region program manager for the Office of Energy and Technology Deployment (OETD) in the Department of Environmental Protection. His activities include overseeing the OETD site visit program, which provides on-site assistance with energy efficiency and conservation, compliance assistance, and pollution prevention measures; coordinating and presenting seminars and meetings in the region on energy-related topics; providing businesses, organizations, and the public in Northcentral Pennsylvania with information and financial resources needed for enhancing energy efficiency in their operations; and training and educating at workshops and seminars to residential, business, and local government sectors on energy efficiency and renewable and alternative energy. He also serves as the program manager and project adviser for several alternative and renewable energy grants programs. Prior to joining DEP, his twenty-five plus years in the private sector included design engineering and project and construction management in the fields of combustion engineering, industrial machinery, and wind energy. He is a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania and California.
John M. Stanton, is executive vice president and general counsel for Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). John joined SEIA in 2006. Formerly vice president for energy, climate, and transportation programs at the National Environmental Trust, John previously served as Legislative Counsel at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and New Jersey Deputy Attorney General. John also served as counsel and director of the energy and environment committee at the National Conference of State Legislatures. He earned his law degree at Georgetown University Law School and clerked for Judge Edward Beglin.
Adam Stern is executive vice president and a founding principal at Gemstone Lease Management, LLC (www.gemstoneleasing.com), which manages and operates the Connecticut Solar Leasing Program (www.ctsolarlease.com), and leads the renewable energy practice for The Gemstone Group, Inc.
Gemstone, formed in 1993, is a combination of investment and merchant banking; renewable energy project development; and developer of residential solar leasing and energy efficiency
loan programs. Recently, Gemstone developed and launched the Connecticut Solar Leasing Program which was the first state-sponsored residential solar leasing program in the country.
Gemstone is actively developing similar programs around the country. Gemstone also architected the highly successful Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (Keystone HELP), a Pennsylvania
program that is a model for consumer energy efficiency lending.
Adam has advised clients on numerous renewable transactions including wind, biomass, green buildings, and energy star lending programs involving more than $250 million of renewable
project capital and many which involve the use of complex tax-driven financing techniques.
Prior to joining Gemstone, Adam was chief financial officer and a founder of GFS Holdings Co. (GFS), a $35 million bank and Internet bank computer data processing company, until its
merger with Aurum Technology, Inc. (formerly a division of EDS) in early 2001. He and other founders coordinated the fundraising of nearly $18 million in private equity and over $13
million in bank financing. He was an integral part of the mergers and acquisitions and integration team which included five buy side acquisitions, one sell side merger, and numerous
rounds of private equity and bank financings over a three-year period.
Prior to GFS, Adam spent nearly five years as controller and CFO of a Philadelphia-based wholesale distribution business and directed the company's electronic commerce program. He
also spent several years as a senior financial analyst for CoreStates Bank, N.A. serving its large corporate, real estate, cash management and investment banking areas and completed
nearly $1 billion in transactions. Before CoreStates, Adam served as financial analyst for the investment-banking firm of Hartley & Lee, Inc.
Adam graduated with his MBA from the George Washington University with a concentration in finance and investments. He also received dual undergraduate degrees in finance and real
estate development from The American University.
Dr. Craig D. Weidemann was named Penn State's vice president for outreach in 2003. In this position he oversees the
University's outreach initiatives and is responsible for Continuing Education, Penn State Online, the World Campus, Penn State Public Broadcasting, Economic and Workforce Development,
and Cooperative Extension.
Penn State Outreach is the largest unified outreach organization in American higher education. Each year Penn State touches one out of every two households in the Commonwealth,
serving more than 95 million participants, viewers, and listeners at more than 125 locations, and from all 50 states and 80 countries.
Craig has been recognized for his leadership and contributions in higher education with the Julius M. Nolte Award from the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA). In 2006
he was selected by the University of Georgia's College of Education Awards Committee to receive the Professional Achievement Alumni Award.
Craig has served two terms on the Commission on Lifelong Learning of the American Council on Education. In 2004 he was appointed to the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board by
Governor Rendell. He also serves as a member of the board of directors of the Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Craig has held a number of national leadership positions with UCEA, including serving on the board of directors and chairing the National Task Force on Displaced Professionals and the
Division of Business, Industry, and Labor. He is secretary of the Council on Engagement and Outreach of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges
(NASULGC) and serves on the Committee on Engagement of the CIC (the academic consortium of the Big Ten universities and the University of Chicago). Craig also serves as the treasurer
of the National Outreach Scholarship Conference Partnership.
Prior to his appointment at Penn State, Craig was the vice provost and executive assistant to the president at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). In that position he
led several outreach initiatives, including the Deutsche Banc/Alex. Brown Center for Science and Technology Entrepreneurship and the UMBC President's Advisory Council on Business
Outreach. He provided the leadership for the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program, a nationally recognized academic program for minority students in the sciences, and was responsible for
supervising the UMBC's Division I athletic program in the America East Conference. During his tenure as vice provost at UMBC, Dr. Weidemann served on the Greater Baltimore Technology
Council and the Information Technology Task Force of the Governor's Workforce Investment Board; he was chair of the Baltimore County Technology Council for three years.
Craig has also served as associate vice president for research and dean of the College of Graduate and Extended Education at Towson University, where he led the campus graduate
program, research agenda, and academic outreach initiative. And he has held administrative positions at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Craig serves on the board of directors of Special Olympics Pennsylvania and has held a number of other leadership positions with nonprofit organizations. He has written and presented
on various topics, including adult learning and memory, board management, strategic partnerships, workforce issues, continuing education, and managerial issues in higher education. He
has taught courses on education, leadership, and management at several universities.
Craig earned his bachelor's degree in psychology at Illinois State University and his doctorate in educational psychology at the University of Georgia.
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