Archives > 2018 Delegates

William Antholis serves as director and CEO of UVA's Miller Center. From 2004-2014, he was managing director at the Brookings Institution. He has served in government, including at the White House’s National Security Council and National Economic Council, and at the State Department’s policy planning staff and bureau of economic affairs. He has published two books, as well as dozens of articles, book chapters, and opinion pieces on US politics, US foreign policy, international organizations, the G8, climate change, and trade. He has earned his Ph.D. From Yale University in politics (1993) and his B.A. from the University of Virginia in government and foreign affairs (1986).

George Ashton oversees corporate strategy, financial management, and client success for Sol Systems’ Development Business. Under his leadership, the company has grown from an SREC aggregator in 2008 to a full-service solar energy finance, investment, and development firm serving some of the country’s largest corporations, institutions, and municipalities today. The firm manages over $650 million in solar energy assets, and has been listed among Inc. 5000’s fastest growing private companies for four consecutive years. In 2016, Mr. Ashton was appointed to the Mid-Atlantic Board of GRID Alternatives. In 2012, he was appointed Treasurer of the Maryland Clean Energy Center by Governor O’Malley, and in 2014, he was named Chairman of the Board. Mr. Ashton was awarded Washington Business Journal‘s 2013 CFO of the Year Award, and was named one of WBJ’s 40 Under 40 in 2014.

George E. L. Barbee has taught Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Marketing Strategy at Darden since 1999 when he was named one of the first Batten Faculty Fellows. His 45 year innovative business career spanned Fortune 500 companies as a senior executive at Gillette, P&G's Noxell Division, Wilkinson Sword Ltd, Global Partner of PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Co-Founder of the Consumer Financial Institute, and Chairman and Board member of several entrepreneurial companies. Barbee was a Darden student and graduated in 1967, became Darden Alumni Board Chairman and a Trustee in 2000, and a Senior Lecturer on the Darden Faculty since 1999. He has taught his course Innovating and Integrating in Services: The New Economy until his sabbatical to write his innovation book in 2014-15. He received the prestigious Darden alumni Abbott Award in 2000. In addition to his Batten Fellow article "Innovating with Customers…, from Strategy through Implementation" and several mini cases, Barbee has written or been quoted in numerous articles in the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and national magazines like Fortune and Businessweek. He has appeared frequently on NBC's Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America, and CNN. He was invited live on the Today Show the day the stock market crashed in October of 1987 and on CNN during the Russian Coup of 1991. Barbee has led innovation in revolutionizing the global Shaving industry, his entrepreneurial company became the largest independent provider of Financial Planning in the US prior to being acquired by PwC, and his work at PwC revolutionized the Firm's Global structure working with 350 of their largest clients. His work with Gillette, General Electric, PepsiCo and IBM led to innovative projects across 40 countries. Barbee currently teaches, consults, and speaks to groups of interested innovators and entrepreneurs.

Drew Bond is a passionate entrepreneur focused on accelerating energy innovations in America and around the world. He currently leads the Energy Innovation Programs at the American Council for Capital Formation’s (ACCF) Center for Policy Research, with a focus clean energy innovation in America; and serves as the President & CEO of Powerfield Energy Inc., which is focused on dramatically simplifying solar energy for the benefit of the world. Drew has a diverse public policy and business background that includes leadership roles at the highest levels in federal and state government, business, and nonprofit educational organizations.

Jan Canterbury is an Environmental Scientist who worked for USEPA for over 25 years as a Project Manager on issues such as Global Climate Change, Economic Incentives and Resource Conservation. Her articles include: “Balancing Economic Growth and Environmental Goals" for the "American Council for Capital Formation” and “Climate Change: How to Reduce your Climate Footprint.” Jan has also conducted environmental trainings for corporate, non-profit and NGO groups both nationally and internationally and loves hiking in nature with friends and her dog.

Grant Carlisle is E2’s Director of Advocacy, working towards federal and state policies which support a robust and growing economy, while protecting the environment. As E2's principal representative in Washington, DC, Grant develops and strengthens relationships with stakeholders on Capitol Hill, federal agencies, businesses and other issue-oriented organizations. Prior to joining E2 in 2015, Grant worked in energy, environmental, transportation, tech, agriculture and defense policy in the Washington office of the law firm K&L Gates. From 2010 to 2013 Grant worked in energy and environmental policy for Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC). He is a graduate of UNC Asheville, and a native of North Carolina.

Dr. Adam Chambers is a Scientist who lives in Telluride, Colorado and works on local and national solutions to our changing climate. In Telluride, Adam works closely with the Pinhead Climate Institute to educate young scientists and implement town-level climate actions that also encourage rural economic development. Nationally, he works with farmers and ranchers to implement voluntary conservation practices that remove carbon from the atmosphere and store that carbon in healthy soils and biomass. Over the past two decades Dr. Chambers’ project work has focused on the applied sciences and utilizing market mechanisms to reduce atmospheric pollution (air pollutants and greenhouse gases). Adam received his Doctorate from the Technical University of Vienna (Austria), Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and his B.Sc. from Murray State University in Kentucky.

Ann led GE’s efficiency, chemical stewardship and internal sustainability programs. This included supporting GE’s Ecomagination initiative; setting and achieving the Ecomagination operating goals; and coordinating climate and chemical policy & compliance. In addition, Ann developed and oversaw GE’s ethical supply chain program. Her team was responsible for GE’s sustainability website and supported GE’s leaders and investor relations teams on environmental, social and governance reporting and stakeholder engagement. Ann is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and has a J.D. from George Washington University’s National Law Center.

Scott Davis, CEO of FLIK Hospitality Group, began his career with FLIK in 1989 and was promoted to Vice President in 1993; Vice President, Operations in November 1998, President in 1999, and CEO in 2016. Prior to joining FLIK, Scott was recruited by Whole Foods Specialty Markets and for the next four years, Scott spent the majority of his time designing, building and renovating restaurants, prepared food operations and production kitchens for this nationally recognized retailer. Scott has spent his entire professional career in foodservice. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel/Restaurant Administration at Johnson & Wales College in 1980. For six years after graduation he was Director of Operations for one of Boston’s largest off-premise caterers. Scott resides in Ridgefield, CT with his wife and children.

Professor Peter Debaere is faculty leader for the MBA for Executives. In addition to teaching the core Global Economies and Markets (GEM) course, he developed and teaches "Global Economics of Water" and "Managing International Trade and Investment," two second-year electives. Debaere has received a multiyear outstanding teacher award for being consistently in the top 10% at Darden. Debaere is an international economist, with a focus on international trade, multinationals, and trade policy. He is also a water expert. In recent years, his research has studied the economics of water especially in a global context: To what extent does water scarcity determine what countries produce and trade? What explains the remarkable pattern of water use in the United States, and is the U.S. experience replicable abroad? How can water markets work as a tool in the fight against water scarcity? With a Rockefeller Grant, Debaere currently investigates together with The Nature Conservancy the use of water markets for environmental purposes in the United States, Chile, and Mexico. Many of his articles have been discussed in textbooks and graduate courses. At Darden and UVA Debaere leads the Global Water Initiative that brings together scholars from across UVA to do research, teach and give policy advice about the water challenges that we face. Debaere's papers have been published in top general interest and field journals such as Journal of Political Economy, American Economic Journal: Applied, the Journal of International Economics, and the Journal of Development Economics, as well as policy-oriented journals such as Water Policy. A native of Belgium, Debaere has held other positions worldwide. Before joining Darden, Debaere was on the faculty of the Economics Department at the University of Texas, Austin. He also had a stint at the International Monetary Fund, and the Institute for the German Economy in Germany. In 2012, Debaere taught at the Haas Business School while visiting UC Berkeley. He also visited the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany and the Leverhulme Centre for Research on Globalisation in the United Kingdom. At the University of Virginia, Debaere has co-organized the World Water Day symposia. He is also affiliated with Darden's Institute for Business in Society and the university's Economics department, and is on the advisory board of the Center for German Studies, where he takes a keen interest in transatlantic environmental questions.

Linda Dudenhoeffer is a member of the Stakeholder Engagement & Sustainability Team which is housed in Corporate Engagement at Monsanto. As the Environmental Strategy Lead, she leads the company’s efforts to tackle climate change and to enhance biodiversity on agricultural lands. Linda has spent her 25-year career with Monsanto in strategic planning, business development, and M&A. She holds a BS in accounting from the University of Missouri and an MBA from Washington University. She feels incredibly fortunate to work in the field of sustainable agriculture and has tremendous passion for Monsanto’s cutting edge technologies.

Sam graduated from Davidson College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, and worked for several years as an aide to former U.S. Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest handling a diverse set of policy issues including health care, taxes, and transportation. After graduating from Darden in 2010, he worked with an electric energy consulting firm on grid modernization projects. From 2014-16, Sam was with Pacific Gas and Electric in San Francisco in regulatory affairs and marketing, and recently began work in the strategy and regulatory affairs organization at Baltimore Gas and Electric. Sam and his wife, Erin, live in Washington, D.C.

John Englander is an oceanographer, consultant and leading expert on sea level rise. His broad marine science background coupled with explorations to Greenland and Antarctica allow him to see the big picture of sea level rise. For over 30 years, he has been a leader in the private and non-profit sectors, serving as CEO for The International SeaKeepers and The Cousteau Society. Mr. Englander works with businesses, governmental agencies and communities to understand the risks of increased flooding due to rising seas, advocating for “intelligent adaptation”. He is also the founder of the new nonprofit, the International Sea Level Institute.

Energy Impact Partners Chief Utility Officer Present Mr. Fitzgerald leads the experience sharing between EIPs’ network of partner utilities on utility of the future business models, cultural development initiatives, and value creation opportunities. He also provides management and investment guidance to EIPs’ growing list of portfolio companies and to the fund’s Investment Committee. Pepco Holdings, Inc. Executive Vice President & General Counsel, 2012–June 2016 Mr. Fitzgerald’s leadership at PHI has extended well beyond that typical of General Counsel responsibilities. He assisted the CEO in the turnaround of the business and its ultimate merger to Exelon. Highlights of his accomplishments include: • Led the PHI/Exelon merger. Along with achieving the highest stockholder premium ever achieved, he negotiated terms and conditions in the merger agreement that set new benchmarks for such agreements and successfully led the negotiations with all jurisdictions to gain regulatory approval – an extremely demanding task as has been prominently recorded and reported on by the nation’s leading newspapers. • Developed a transforming vision and business strategy for PHI – Utility 2.0, the plug-and-play 21st century electric utility receiving national recognition from EEI and various regulators • Improved the J.D. Power customer satisfaction ratings at Pepco from below 50% to 78% • Improved CAIDI/SAIFI system reliability ratings from the bottom quartile to the first or second quartile in all of the four PHI jurisdictions • Unwound more than $3 billion in cross-border leases and the loss of 15 cents in earnings while minimizing the damage to PHI’s core business and stock price • Reorganized PHI’s regulatory, political, and public affairs teams, eliminating silos, establishing team work and mission focus, and capturing robust EPS growth • Took a leading role in assisting the CEO in the development and deployment of a cultural initiative that brought greater accountability, morale, and customer focus to the management ranks of the Company • Led and managed some of the toughest federal and state investigations ever undertaken on sensitive critical infrastructure matters such as the one surrounding Superstorm Sandy, as well as certain sensitive internal investigations and matters pertaining to cyber-physical threats that arise from serving the nation’s capital

Mark oversees the implementation of Apex’s corporate strategy. He previously served as president and COO of Apex from 2009 to 2016. Mark brings 16 years of renewable energy experience to his role. Prior to joining Apex, he was a director at Horizon Wind Energy, with broad responsibilities in project execution and technology; he also served as the Horizon’s lead commercial negotiator for all turbine supply, installation, operations, and maintenance agreements. Before that, he was North American sales manager for wind turbine manufacturer Vestas. Mark is a former naval officer and helicopter pilot. He holds a BS in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Chandra Govindarajalu is the Team Leader, Energy Climate Finance at the World Bank. Chandra is a seasoned clean energy, climate change and private sector development professional with 25 (including ~ 20 years at the WBG) years of experience in more than 15 countries in South Asia, East Asia as well as Middle East and North Africa. He has extensive background in the energy sector working on diverse energy topics with a broad range of clients including utilities, private sector, Governments, financial institutions and NGOs implementing public as well as private sector projects and programs. Chandra holds a Ph.D in Energy and Environmental Policy from the University of Delaware, Newark, DE and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delh.i

Andrew Green leads the Capital One Environmental Sustainability Office which is responsible for corporate environmental sustainability strategy and initiatives. He has been with Capital One for 12 years and has held a variety of roles including six years in corporate real estate managing the portfolio strategy team, working on the integration for the Chevy Chase Bank acquisition and US Card marketing operations. Andrew earned his B.A from Appalachian State University is a CoreNet Global MCR graduate and a member of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter. He represents Capital One on the Tysons Partnership Sustainability Council and Plano (Texas) Sustainability Forum

Dr. Gina Green is a specialist in biodiversity (terrestrial and marine), climate change, marine conservation and management, and agriculture, with over 35 years of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating initiatives to protect and manage natural resources in Latin America, North America, Caribbean, Asia, and the Pacific. Dr. Green currently works as Senior Associate for the Environment and Natural Resource Sector for Tetra Tech. She holds a D. Phil. in Natural Resource Management and Forestry from Oxford University, England. She currently chairs the National Whistleblower Center as well as sits on other Boards and Foundations and continues to publish and lecture about natural resource management in tropical and semi-tropical countries

Yuri Horwitz oversees strategic growth, performance, and investment strategy. His disciplined focus on developing intrinsic value within a portfolio of complementary business lines has led to steady strong growth for the company since its inception in 2008. Under his leadership, revenues have grown over 800% in the last four years. To date, the firm has developed and/or delivered 650MW of solar projects across 13 states, and manages over $650 million in solar energy assets. Mr. Horwitz serves on the Board of the Solar Energy Industries Association. He was a 2014 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and named one of Washington Business Journal‘s 40 Under 40 in 2011.

As a sustainable energy advocate for NRDC’s Climate and Clean Energy Program, Arjun Krishnaswami works to promote energy efficiency and clean energy through legislation, administrative action, and innovation programs at the federal and state levels. Prior to joining NRDC, Krishnaswami conducted research on the impacts of climate change in Puerto Rico and was a fellow at the World Resources Institute, where he worked on water-energy nexus issues in India. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental systems engineering and a master’s in civil and environmental engineering from Stanford University.

Joshua Lachs serves as Chief Development & Client Programs Officer at Net Impact, the premier accelerator for purpose-driven millennials, emerging change-makers, and informed influencers wanting to use their skills and careers to create tangible, sustainable impact. Prior to joining Net Impact, Joshua served in several key leadership roles within nationally- and regionally-focused social enterprises, nonprofits, and universities; including as CEO for Breakthrough Collaborative, a national college- and career readiness organization. Throughout his career, Joshua has served on and led numerous institutional boards, committees, and task forces. He holds an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley and masters degrees from Columbia University.

Michael J. Lenox holds the Tayloe Murphy Professorship in Business Administration at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, where he teaches the core MBA strategy course. He also serves as the Senior Associate Dean and Chief Strategy Officer. He has served as Associate Dean of Innovation Programs and Academic Director of Darden's Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Professor Lenox is the founding President of the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS), a global consortium of scholars and universities focused on advancing rigorous academic research on corporate sustainability. He is the Faculty Director for Darden’s Business Innovation and Climate Change Initiative.

Erica works across all departments to build and nurture strategic alliances in support of Echoing Green’s mission. Residing in the office of the President, she also leads on special projects and ensures overall operating excellence. A thorough line to her work, Erica believes in the strength of systems, processes and kaizen. Her prior role at EG was managing the Fellowship Program, where she oversaw the selection process, portfolio support and community programming. Before EG, Erica worked at PlaNYC and MTV Networks. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS from the University of Pennsylvania. When Erica’s not engaging and optimizing at work, she’s pretty much doing the same with her husband and two daughters.

Michael is an award-winning planner, designer and builder with over 20 years experience in regenerative design and development. His company, Sustainable Life Designs (SLD), has worked on significant community resiliency projects in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. These include hundreds of residential, commercial and institutional stormwater management landscapes, administering DC’s Green Roof Rebate Program and leading ten schoolyard greening projects. Their work at Brent Elementary was the first Sustainable SITESTM Initiative certified school in America. SLD is currently providing a modular green infrastructure system for climate stabilization & excellence. You can learn more about Michael and his company at www.SustainableLifeDesigns.com.

In his role as director of urban innovation and mobility, Tom Madrecki leads UPS's efforts to partner with cities on ways to reduce congestion, increase quality of life and drive mutually beneficial policy decisions through pilot projects, academic research and best-practice sharing. Previously, Tom was a strategic communications manager specializing in federal policy issues including transportation infrastructure and sustainability. A past legislative assistant at UPS from 2010-2011, Tom rejoined UPS in 2013 after serving as the chief spokesperson for Smart Growth America, a non-profit organization focused on sustainable urban planning. In his spare time, Tom is an avid cyclist and even more avid cook, having also worked as a chef in Paris and Copenhagen. A 2010 graduate of the University of Virginia, Tom also served as past president of the Cavalier Daily Alumni Association.

Ben is currently a Principal and Founder at genseed advisors, a management consulting company targeted for early stage ventures. At genseed advisors, Ben has been advising companies in the cleantech sector including EVs, grid technologies, storage, and renewable energy. In addition to Ben's work at genseed advisors, Ben serves as a Principal Advisor for Larta's Commercialization Assistance Program for the Department of Energy. Prior to genseed advisors, Ben was at Sol Systems where he focused on managing strategic partnerships to deliver renewable energy projects. Before Sol Systems, Mr. Margolis founded and led Pentricity, a company that worked with publicly-owned utilities to implement residential energy efficiency solutions. Mr. Margolis holds an MBA from University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, and a Bachelor of Sciences in Environmental Engineering from the University of Maryland.

Allie Medack is the senior manager for emerging technologies policy at General Motors and is based in Washington, DC. As part of General Motors’ vision for a future of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion, Ms. Medack leads the company’s public engagement efforts to advance self-driving cars and other clean mobility technologies in the U.S. and around the world.

Robin Millican is Program Manager for Advocacy and Government Relations at bgC3, where she manages the organization’s work on energy innovation. Prior to joining bgC3 in 2017, Ms. Millican was a senior public-sector consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, working in the Commerce and defense energy sectors. Ms. Millican has also held positions as the Director of Federal Affairs at the Institute for Energy Research, and as a legislative aide to U.S. Senator John Cornyn. She has a B.A. in International Studies from Southern Methodist University, and a Master of Public Policy degree from Duke University.

Tom Murray is Vice President of EDF+Business at Environmental Defense Fund, a leading international nonprofit organization that links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to solve the most serious environmental problems. Tom spearheads EDF’s work with companies and investors to catalyze environmental leadership and collaboration across organizations, industries, and supply chains. EDF+Business has been at the forefront of this change for 25 years, bringing cutting edge solutions to high-impact companies – including McDonalds, Walmart, and KKR – to transform business as usual in their products, operations, and advocacy. Prior to joining EDF, Tom held several positions at ICF International and Jellinek, Schwartz & Connolly, where he advised government agencies and Fortune 500 companies on environmental, safety and health compliance, pollution prevention, and legislative and regulatory strategy. Tom is a frequent speaker at business conferences and his work has been featured in New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Bloomberg, Fortune, Fast Company, NPR's Marketplace and Environmental Finance. He is an advisor to the American University Center for Environmental Policy. Tom earned an M.B.A. from The George Washington University and B.A. in Political Science from Trinity College.

Erika Myers is the Director of Research for the Smart Electric Power Alliance, a non-profit focused on working with electric utilities to integrate distributed energy resources. She specializes in renewable energy and electric vehicle infrastructure and staffs SEPA’s Electric Vehicle Working Group. She has authored and co-authored numerous reports, briefs, articles, and blogs while at SEPA and regularly speaks at events around the country. Prior to joining SEPA, Erika spent nearly four years as a consultant with ICF International and five years with the South Carolina Energy Office with a focus on renewable energy and alternative transportation fuel policy and regulatory planning and development. Erika has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Clemson University and a master’s degree in earth and environmental resources from the University of South Carolina.

Katherine currently leads Walmart’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy. In her role, she helps the industry define and innovate towards strong metrics that measure ESG performance and drive positive outcomes. In addition, she shapes and coordinates Walmart’s voice in global industry forums to accelerate progress on ESG issues. Prior to Walmart, Katherine spent six years at WWF managing one of the world’s largest corporate-NGO partnerships, a $97MM sustainability-driven initiative with The Coca-Cola Company which was active in over 45 countries. Katherine received her MBA from The Darden School at UVa in 2004 and has a BA in English from Colorado College.

Elizabeth Noll is the Deputy Director, Congressional and External Affairs for the Climate and Clean Energy Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, where she works to promote and advance federal clean energy policies. Ms. Noll serves a lead role in working with Congress and government agencies to advance new and protect existing clean energy policies and programs, as well as working closely with clean energy businesses and advocates creating opportunities to secure a clean energy future. Ms. Noll holds a M.S. in Public Policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Communications from Clemson University.

Chrissa Pagitsas is the Director of Fannie Mae Multifamily’s Green Financing Business. Under Ms. Pagitsas’ leadership, the Green Financing Business’ portfolio has grown to over $32B in through YE 2017. She is responsible for market transforming innovations in the financing industry such creating the Green MBS, launching mortgage loan products that finance green building certified properties and energy/water efficient investments and determining how to integrate green cost savings into conventional mortgage underwriting. Ms. Pagitsas regularly advises national, state and local policy on the intersection of energy efficiency and housing. She initiated and led the project to create the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Score for Existing Multifamily and the EPA Water Score for multifamily properties across the US. Prior to Fannie Mae, Ms. Pagitsas implemented environmental sustainability strategies for real estate owners and large scale utility data and financial management solutions for utility companies in the U.S. and Europe. Ms. Pagitsas is the Secretary-Treasurer and a Board Member for the US Green Building Council. Ms. Pagitsas holds an MBA from the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia and a BA from Johns Hopkins University.

Edward recently joined Facebook’s Sustainability team, as Director for Policy and Partnerships, working on Facebook’s global approach to efficient and responsible business operations. For the prior seven years Edward served as Director and Associate General Counsel, advising on US and international privacy issues. He engaged with regulators, such as the FTC, oversaw Facebook’s terms and policies, privacy program, and privacy-related acquisition diligence and integration. Before joining Facebook, Edward was Deputy Chief Privacy Officer at Sprint, where he led the Legal Department’s Office of Privacy.

Stephen Pantano is Chief Innovation Officer at CLASP, where he leads a wide range of energy efficiency and energy access programs focusing on innovation in off-grid energy services. For the past 10 years, his work has focused extensively on policies and programs to promote energy efficiency in consumer product design, first as the consulting team lead for consumer electronics and IT products for the US EPA’s ENERGY STAR program, and then more broadly in his current role with CLASP. Steve received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from The Johns Hopkins University.

Vivek is the co-founder and Director of AscentVirginia, Inc., a social impact venture focused on promoting clean technology jobs and economic development in Virginia. He is an experienced life science entrepreneur having founded two biotech startups and has consulted with several biopharma companies. He is presently employed at PerkinElmer, Inc. leading global scientific teams to advance their human and environmental health mission. Vivek is a member of BuildingBridgesVA, a group focused on bridging the political, ideological and economic divide in Virginia. He has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Ohio University and a public policy degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Rich Powell is the Executive Director at ClearPath Foundation, where he leads the day-to-day operations of ClearPath programs including policy and strategy. He focuses on educating policymakers on investing wisely in energy innovation, and maintaining and promoting baseload clean energy resources. Rich also leads ClearPath’s external advocacy and research partnerships with non profits, academia, and the private sector. Previously, Rich was with McKinsey & Company in the Sustainability and Resource Productivity Practice. He focused on clean energy strategy, residential energy efficiency, low carbon growth, and clean tech market entry. He served clients across the private, public, and social sectors. Education B.A. from Harvard College in Environmental Science and Public Policy, and a J.D. from New York University. Area of Expertise Policy and Strategy

Jon Powers is Co-Founder and President of CleanCapital. Jon’s responsibilities include leading corporate strategy and development, investor relations, and marketing. His passion for clean energy derives from his time served with the US Army in Iraq and the realization that a clean energy economy is vital to protect America’s national security interests. After helping revolutionize the US Army’s energy program, Jon was appointed by President Obama to serve as the Federal Chief Sustainability Officer. While in this role, Jon recognized the need to address the inefficiencies in clean energy finance. Jon was named to Washington Life’s Top 25 Tech Leader for DC, 2016.

Mr. Prindle is a senior strategist for ICF’s energy, climate, and transportation business. He also serves as the technical lead for ICF’s international energy efficiency services; in this capacity he has worked on or overseen projects in Bangladesh, China, El Salvador, Ghana, India, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Mozambique, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Tanzania, as Senior Advisor in ICF’s Energy Efficiency for Clean Development Program cooperative agreement with USAID. His subject matter expertise ranges from policy analysis and energy analytics to program design and field implementation. He has more than 40 years of experience in the energy field, specializing in national and state policy development, utility-sector efficiency programs as well as building codes and appliance standards. His international work has included utility-sector potential studies and program design, regulatory policy analysis, building energy codes, and appliance labeling and standards. He has testified before legislative and regulatory bodies, served on numerous nonprofit organization boards, and made several major media appearances as an energy efficiency expert. He holds a Master’s degree in Energy Management and Policy from the University of Pennsylvania.

Stefan Reichelstein is known internationally for his research on the interface of management accounting and economics. His work has addressed issues in cost- and profitability analysis, decentralization, internal pricing and performance measurement. His research projects have spanned analytical models, empirical work and field studies. Insights from his research have been applied by a range of corporations and government agencies. In recent years, Reichelstein has focused on the cost of reducing carbon emissions and the cost competitiveness of different energy sources, with a particular focus on renewable energy and storage. He currently serves as the Faculty Director of the Sustainable Energy Initiative at the Stanford GSB.

Aaron is an ecosystem solutions professional with 20 years of experience restoring natural resources to support economic development and long-term environmental sustainability. His land-based work centers around implementation of ecological restoration projects for clients looking to go beyond compliance to achieve their sustainability development goals while enabling a broad range of environmental engagement. Aaron’s work is enhancing community resiliency around the country delivering green infrastructure across thousands of acres, nearly 100 miles of streams, and numerous threatened /endangered species. Aaron holds an MBA, a Masters in Environmental Planning, and a B.A. in Environmental Science, all from the University of Virginia.

Jonathan (“Rocky”) Rief works as a Group Director of International Government Relations for The Coca-Cola Company, and is responsible for global public policy political and economic insights, as well as providing support to Company initiatives regarding tax, public health and other public policy issues. He also provides leadership in areas of public policy polling and competitive intelligence. Before joining Public Affairs, Rocky directed the Company’s Public Affairs and Communications group in the South Pacific. Other roles within the Company have included assignments as director Operations Research & Strategy for Public Affairs, member of the internal Company Think Tank and a variety of roles within the Company’s North American Business Unit. Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company, Rocky worked for a dozen years in the United States Congress, including more than a decade with Senator Sam Nunn, with the last half dozen years as Senator Nunn’s Legislative Director. As Legislative Director, he helped draft legislation on a variety of issues, ranging from reform of the entire US Tax Code to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics to nuclear threat reduction. Rocky is a graduate of Stanford University, where he studied under Condoleezza Rice.

Bruno Sarda is a leading practitioner in the field of corporate sustainability. As head of sustainability at NRG, the country’s leading integrated power company, he leads the development and execution of highly integrated, company-wide sustainability strategy and programs that address climate-related risks, create business value and enhance company reputation. His role also involves advancing the adoption of sustainable energy solutions for new and existing NRG customers. In addition, Sarda is a faculty member and Senior Sustainability Scholar at Arizona State University, where he teaches sustainability leadership to graduate and executive students.

Anna J. Siefken, LEED AP BD+C, has extensive experience fostering internationally-recognized brands in partnership with corporations, non-profits and the government sector. She is the Associate Director for Innovation & Strategic Partnerships at the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, Carnegie Mellon University, and Adjunct Faculty, The H. John Heinz III College of Information Systems and Public Policy. At CMU, she cultivates corporate and industrial partnerships, fostering energy-related initiatives across the Carnegie Mellon University campuses to create synergistic relationships and new opportunities – linking together industry, faculty and staff, start-ups, other universities, regional and nonprofit organizations, corporate foundations, and government agencies. Previously, Siefken served as VP of Strategic Engagement and the Pittsburgh 2030 District Director at Green Building Alliance, where she led the largest 2030 District in North America. Prior to joining GBA, Siefken was Principal Consultant at ICF International in Washington, DC, where she designed programs and recruited strategic partners on behalf of EPA, DOE, and utility partners. Siefken was previously employed at The Home Depot headquarters in Atlanta, GA, where she held positions in product purchasing, advertising and marketing, consumer education, e-commerce, community affairs and environmental programming. Siefken is a graduate of Duke University.

Manoj is the Co-Founder and CEO of Husk Power Systems – a pioneering rural utility that provides decentralised renewable energy to off-grid and underserved communities. He co-founded Husk Power Systems in 2008, which designs, installs and operates 25-250kW mini-power plants that converts agricultural waste and solar energy into affordable electricity for people in rural India and East Africa. Manoj is leading a global team of 250 employees and by 2022, he aims to provide affordable, renewable and reliable power to over one million people in rural areas of India and Africa. Manoj has raised equity and debt capital for the amount US $50 million from investors around the world. Previously, Manoj worked as a Senior Director at S&P Global (erstwhile McGraw-Hill Financial) in New York City, USA. He led a team of financial analysts to develop and launch risk management analytics for financial institution professionals. Prior to this, he worked as a Senior Design Engineer at Intel Corp in Austin, Texas where he designed next generation microprocessors for mobile devices. He holds seven U.S. patents in semiconductor industry for circuit design. Manoj completed his MBA from Darden GSB at University of Virginia, MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from University of Massachusetts Amherst and B.Tech from IIT Varanasi.

Val Smith is Managing Director and Global Head of Corporate Sustainability for Citi. She oversees Citi’s global sustainability initiatives, including leading the bank’s Sustainable Progress Strategy and $100 Billion Environmental Finance Goal. Val also serves as an advisor and spokesperson on sustainability and stakeholder issues and trends. Val serves on the boards of the United Nations Global Compact USA Network and New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, and is a member of the Aspen Institute Leaders Forum. She earned her MBA from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and her BA from University of Virginia.

Elizabeth Tate is the Director of Energy and Environmental Policy & Global Corporate Sustainability at Johnson Controls, a leader in energy storage and building technology solutions. Previously, Elizabeth held positions as the Senior Policy Director at the Alliance to Save Energy, Counsel to the House Committee on Science and Technology, and at the American Public Gas Association. Elizabeth started as an attorney at Fried Frank LLP. She holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia (Wahoowa!) a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, and a Certificate of Business and Public Policy from the Wharton School.

Since 2008 Lauren has served as a judge and mentor for the Mentor Capital Network’s global sustainable business plan competition, assessing the latest solar, water, ecotourism, and food & beverage innovations. A Darden MBA and entrepreneur who brings over 20 years senior executive experience in various C-suite roles, in 1997 she helped craft the first course on sustainability offered at the school. She has owned and operated a multi-million dollar manufacturing firm, integrating sustainability principles into product design, and was a founding partner of a sustainability-based water technologies company bringing new technologies to the US and Africa. From 2008-2010 she was the Communications Director at the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), an NGO delivering decentralized whole village energy solutions to remote villages in the developing world. Through her efforts, SELF’s Solar Market Gardens project in Benin won Ashoka’s Women | Tools | Technology challenge, sponsored by Exxon Mobil, and the project video was featured in the US pavilion at COP 15.

Andrea Ruedy Trimble is Sustainability Director at the University of Virginia and has been a leader in higher education sustainability for over a decade. Andrea leads the UVA Office for Sustainability in strategic planning, program development, and project implementation across topic areas. Andrea is a member of the AASHE STARS Steering Committee, the Better Buildings Alliance Higher Education Sector Group Steering Committee, and the Board of City Schoolyard Garden. Prior to UVA, Andrea worked in Harvard’s Office for Sustainability, taught courses in design and sustainability, and worked in architecture, historic preservation, and sustainability consulting fields. Andrea holds degrees in Architecture, Historic Preservation, and Sustainability/Environmental Management.

Dr. Daniel Vermeer directs Duke University's Center for Energy, Development, and the Global Environment (EDGE), an initiative that leverages the power of business to address the global challenges of sustainable development. Through research, outreach, and education, EDGE helps to develop promising global energy and sustainability solutions, and brings together coalitions to scale these solutions. Vermeer joined Duke from The Coca-Cola Company, where he led the company’s Water Sustainability Initiative. At Duke, Vermeer teaches graduate classes in the business of energy and environment, conducts research, and consults with leading companies and organizations. His areas of expertise include sustainability strategy, renewable energy, resource productity, value chain management, and low-carbon development. Dr. Vermeer plays a leading public role in advocating for business sustainability through speaking, research, and institution-building. He is the founder of the Global Water Challenge, co-author of the CEO Water Mandate, and lead contributor to policy documents issued through the World Economic Forum, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and the United Nations Foundation.

Jesse Vogel is the Managing Director of the Partnership for Responsible Growth, a bipartisan organization working to advance market-based climate change policy at the federal level. He is also a member of the Executive Board and Leadership Council of Launch Progress, a PAC building the bench of progressive leadership by investing in first time candidates for state and local office. Previously, Jesse served as the Assistant to the Managing Director of Tax Equity Advisors, a clean energy investment firm focused on deploying corporate capital in solar generation projects. He has served as a consultant on international climate policy for the Center for American Progress and the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, and has published research on international climate cooperation.

As Co-Founder and Vice President of Business Development, Devin Welch is responsible for sales and marketing strategy for Sun Tribe Solar, Virginia’s fastest growing renewable energy solutions provider. Passionate about market transformation, Mr. Welch engages with individuals, businesses, and governments to reimagine the way energy is produced, stored and consumed. Welch is a published author and serves on boards for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Amazon Aid Foundation.

Tommy Wells is the director of the District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE). Appointed January 2015, he is chiefly responsible for protecting the environment and conserving the natural resources of the District of Columbia. Tommy’s team is comprised of approximately 300 environmental professionals collectively working to improve the quality of life for residents and the natural inhabitants of the Nation’s Capital. Most recently, Tommy served as the DC Councilmember representing Ward 6—a position he held since 2006. During his time on Council, he garnered broad support for his efforts to make the District livable and walkable for all.