Presenters
Our Faculty
Bios for the faculty of our upcoming and recorded Webinars appear on this page.
Innovative Models, Strategies & Options for Communities
April 18 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Jamie Fine, Economist
James "Jamie" Fine works for Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to reduce the impacts of energy systems used to power buildings, transport and service people, and produce and move goods.
His areas of research and advocacy include design and implementation of market-based policy, modeling the economic, air quality, and health consequences of policy decisions, deploying smart grid for environmental and electricity customer benefits, and facilitating the meaningful involvement of community stakeholders in environmental planning.
He previously was an Assistant Professor, University of San Francisco, Dept of Environmental Science, Environmental Studies Program (2003-2007), a Coordinating Team Member, West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (2005 - present), a Task Force Member, Port of Oakland Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan (2007 - present), a Task Force Member, Bay Area Air Quality Management District CARE Program (2006 - present), Consultant, M.Cubed and Envair (1994-2007), and a Graduate Student Researcher, Lawrence Berkeley Lab Atmospheric Sciences Program (1999 - 2003).
James has a Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, Energy and Resources Group, 2003 and a B.S., University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, 1989.
Anne Blair - Clean Fuels and Bioenergy Program Director
Anne is the program director for Southern Alliance for Clean Energy’s (SACE) clean fuels and bioenergy programs. Her work focuses on diesel emissions reduction, advanced transportation and the utilization of biomass for electricity and fuel production, with an emphasis on state and federal energy, fuel, transportation, and climate policy and education. Anne joined the SACE staff in 2003. Anne serves on the Green-e Governance Board, the Southeast Diesel Collaborative Leadership Council, the Steering Committee for the Pine 2 Energy Coalition, facilitates the Tennessee Diesel Working Group and is a graduate of the Environmental Leadership Institute. Anne is the lead author of "A Safer Ride to School: How to Clean Up School Buses and Protect Our Children's Health" and "A Case for the Healthy School Bus: Lessons from the Field." Anne previously worked for River Network in Washington, DC, The Fund for Public Interest Research, and was an AmeriCorps volunteer with the National Park Service. She is a graduate of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, VA.
Maggie (Eldridge) Molina, State Policy Program Senior Manager
Maggie Molina leads many of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economyu’s (ACEEE) state policy and analysis activities, including the annual State Energy Efficiency Scorecard and the State Clean Energy Research Project, which prepares a series of state energy efficiency potential studies and provides technical assistance to states on policy implementation. She has completed studies for Florida, Texas, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Missouri. She joined ACEEE in 2005.
Maggie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and French from Colgate University in 2005 and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy at the University of Maryland. She has background expertise in state energy efficiency policies and scorecard and state efficiency potential assessments.
Lisa Bacot, Executive Director, Florida Public Transportation Association
She has over 17 years of experience in the transportation industry. She most recently served as the Director of Business Development for TMS Management Group, Inc., a national transportation company. Immediately prior to joining TMS, Bacot served as the Executive Director for the Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, a state agency legislatively charged with ensuring transportation disadvantaged services are provided to the citizens of Florida. In this capacity, Bacot also provided the direct oversight of the Florida Medicaid Non-Emergency Transportation Program. Bacot has been appointed to numerous national human service transportation coordination panels, committees and advisory councils.
Amy Meese, General Manager of Sarasota County Natural Resources
As General Manager of Sarasota County Natural Resources Amy seeks to balance the human and environmental needs of the community. She is responsible for the oversight and direction of all divisions within the department, which consists of Resource Management, Air Quality/Storage Tank Management, Resource Protection, Coastal Resource Management, Sustainability, Urban Forestry, and Natural Resources Administration. This includes responsibility for developing and implementing environmental policy and practice for the preservation and conservation of the natural environment and human welfare. She was a developer of the County’s Roadmap to Sustainability and their Green Champion Certification Program. She is also a champion for outreach and education efforts and programs to foster positive health outcomes, and stewardship and awareness, especially in children and families.
Ms. Meese joined Sarasota County Government in 2001 as a Project Scientist. She served in that role until 2005 when she was appointed Manager of Resource Protection. She assumed her current role as General Manager of Natural Resources in 2006. Prior to joining Sarasota County, Ms. Meese worked at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection in various positions from 1992-2000 in the Division of Drinking Water Quality Control. She holds a BS in Animal Science from Cornell University and an MPH in Environmental Health from Columbia University.
The Legal Side of Alternative Energy Finance & Development
March 13, 2:00 – 4:00 PM CEU’s: CLE’s approved, CM pending
Erin Deady, P.A., is Of Counsel to Corbett and White, P.A. She practices in environmental, energy, planning and land use, administrative, and water law. Previously a Shareholder with Lewis, Longman & Walker, she created the firm’s Sustainability Practice Group in 2010. From 1997-2003, she served as Environmental Counsel of Audubon of Florida. A graduate of Nova University’s Shepard Broad Law Center, she received her J.D. in 2000, and also holds a Master of Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University. She is a member of the Florida Bar’s Executive Council for the Environmental and Land Use Law Section, and is a Certified Planner by the American Planning Association. She is also credentialed by the U.S. Green Building Council in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED AP).
Michael Wallander is President of Demeter Power Group, Inc., where the firm specializes in investments for distributed clean technologies, including the federal PACE program. His specialties include renewable energy project finance and development, and entrepreneurship. He is a board member of the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation, and the founder and principal of EcoCity Partners, L3C, a firm specializing in clean energy financing programs. He is a partner in Carolina Solar Farms, which developed two one megawatt solar farms that were sold to Duke Energy. Wallander is the founder and President of The Kapok Group, a sustainability incubator located in West Palm Beach, Florida. Formerly a securities attorney with Greenberg Traurig, LLLP, he received a J.D. from the University of Pittsburg School of Law, and an LL.M, with distinction in Securities and Financial Regulation from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Michel Goldstein is a Martindale Hubble AV rated attorney and the Managing Partner of The Goldstein Environmental Law Firm, P.A., a boutique Florida environmental practice focusing on development, construction, sustainable reuse of Brownfield sites, real estate transactions, due diligence, permitting, compliance, and enforcement defense. Michael has developed a national reputation as one of the leading Brownfields practitioners and advocates for environmental justice and social equity in Florida, working on important and precedent establishing projects as well as heading up or participating in numerous local, regional, state, and federal environmental restoration initiatives. On a statewide level, Michael was the founding Chairman of the Florida Brownfields Association and served in that capacity and as its President for the first five years of the organization's existence. In 1996 the Miami-Dade County Commission appointed him Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Brownfields Task Force, a post that he held until the committee's business was completed in 2004. In January 2006 Mr. Goldstein was appointed to serve on the Advisory Board of the Bureau of National Affair's highly respected Environmental Due Diligence Guide, which serves as a national reporting, editorial, and opinion forum for environmental transactions and related Brownfields and policy matters. In 2008, he founded and funded the Goldstein Brownfields Foundation, which is dedicated to empowering economically and health disadvantaged individuals and communities with scholarships, programming, and resources to restore polluted land, revitalize neighborhoods, and protect public health. The Goldstein Brownfields Foundation also focuses on increasing the ethnic and gender diversity of lawyers working in the environmental arena through academic scholarships, educational and career programming, and professional mentoring. In 2009 Mr. Goldstein was appointed to the Executive Committee of the National Brownfields Coalition, an affiliation of private and public sector stakeholders working in the United States Congress to advocate for improvements in environmental redevelopment policy and legislation. Michael is also a principal in the Goldstein Brownfield Group, a for-profit development company specializing in landfill restoration for retail, industrial warehouse, and renewable energy production uses.
Local Government Clean Energy Forum
February 29, 2012
Commissioner Ray Judah has served the citizens of Lee County since 1988. He is a strong advocate for providing a balance between responsible stewardship of our precious natural resources while also providing sufficient infrastructure and services to accommodate Southwest Florida’s rapid growth.
Commissioner Judah’s commitment to enhance our quality of life is reflected in his effort to establish and support the highly successful Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed Land Trust and Conservation 2020 Program which acquires environmentally sensitive lands to protect our water supplies, open space and natural heritage.
Commissioner Judah’s numerous awards include “Conservationist of the Year” from the Florida Audubon Society in both 1984 & 1996, “Pathfinder Award” from the Urban Land Institute in 2004 and “Conservationist of the Year” from the Florida Wildlife Federation in 2007.
Commissioner Judah graduated from California State University – Humboldt with a Master of Science in Natural Resources and Bachelor of Arts in Zoology.
Kristin Dozier is serving her first term as Leon County Commissioner for District 5. In addition to her work on the Commission, where she continues her commitment to sustainable policies and projects, she serves on numerous board and committee including, but not limited to, the Leon County Research and Development Authority, the Economic Development Council, and the Council on Culture and Arts. Prior to joining the Leon County Commission, Kristin, a LEED Accredited Professional, was Green Building Advisor for Mad Dog Construction, where she worked for eleven years. She was the Founding President of the Board of Directors of Sustainable Tallahassee, Inc., and continues to serve on the Board. She is also a founding member of the Florida Capitol Region Chapter of the US Green Building Council, and was a member of the Leon County Climate Summit Leadership Team member in Spring 2008.
Jennifer Szaro is the Renewable Energy Coordinator for the Orlando Utilities Commission. She manages the development and implementation of renewable energy, carbon reduction and alternative fuel programs for OUC. Prior to her present position, Jennifer was a Senior Energy Analyst for the Florida Solar Energy Center for nine years, where she directed research focused on photovoltaics, distributed generation, biomass energy and green power marketing. She also managed Florida’s Million Solar Roofs Partnership, the SunSmart Schools Program and the Florida Photovoltaic Rebate Pilot Program.www.ouc.com
Nancy J. Gassman, Ph.D.
Natural Resources Administrator
Energy and Sustainability Program
Broward County Natural Resources Planning and Management Division
Dr. Nancy J. Gassman received her Ph.D. from the University of Miami working on a variety of issues impacting coastal ecosystems. Dr. Gassman started her 16 years in public service guiding the early development of Broward’s Integrated Water Resources Plan. She was promoted to Director of Environmental Monitoring where she played a critical role in the design and construction of Broward’s LEED certified environmental chemistry laboratory. Since her appointment to Natural Resources Administrator in January 2009, her main focus has been supporting the development and implementation of Broward’s Climate Change Action Plan and managing Broward’s Energy and Sustainability Program. She has been a major contributor to developing technical tools for the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact.
J. Douglas “Doug” Drymon was selected to serve the City of Leesburg as Deputy City Manager beginning January 2010. A native Floridian who grew up in Sarasota, Doug’s career in local government spans more than a decade-and-a-half, and includes serving communities in the Tampa Bay, North Central Florida and Southeast Florida areas. Prior to coming to Leesburg, Doug was the Economic Stimulus Coordinator for Alachua County. He holds a Master of Public Affairs degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida.
Nancy Byrne is the Interim Director of Development, and the Sustainable Development Coordinator for the City of Boynton Beach. In her role as Interim Director, Nancy is responsible for overseeing the City’s Economic Development Program and Implementation schedule, as well as guiding sustainable, green development projects through the City’s Planning, Building, Engineering and Fire review and inspection processes.
Shelly Weidenhamer
Director, Aviation, Energy, Optics & Photonics
Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission
As Director of Business Development, Shelly is responsible for marketing the Metro Orlando region to prospects and providing assistance to clients considering relocation or expansion. Her primary area of focus is aviation, energy, and optics and photonics.
Shelly has over 20 years of experience in economic development in the private as well as public sector. Prior to joining the EDC, she served as vice president for Real Trend Inc. As a veteran in the economic development industry, Ms. Weidenhamer’s background in the public sector includes experience creating and implementing economic development strategic plans that included the development of major industrial, office and retail projects, main street redevelopment plans, incentive programs, BRAC reuse and realignment strategies, comprehensive planning, and reengineering land development processes. In the private sector, Ms. Weidenhamer has experience in both commercial and residential real estate.
Shelly is a member of the International Economic Development Council, CoreNet Global and the National Network of Clean Energy Innovation Organization. She is actively involved in Central Florida serving on the LSCC BRC Advisory Board, BankFirst Socially Responsible Banking Program, and the Eustis Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and a number of economic development committees throughout the region.
Education: B.S., International Business Management, Hampton University
A.A., Accounting, Steven’s Henegar College of Business
Graduate, National Trust Leadership Training
Helene Caseltine, CEcD
Helene Caseltine is the Director of Economic Development for the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber serves as the county’s primary agency for economic diversification on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners. She has 25 years’ experience in economic development with state and local levels of government and within the private sector. Ms. Caseltine received her Bachelor’s Degree in Multinational Business from The Florida State University in 1987. She earned her designation as a Certified Economic Developer in 2000 – the highest professional status within the field, and one of approximately 50 certified practitioners in the State of Florida.
Economic Development & Clean Energy
January 30, 2012 2:00 - 4:00 PM EDT
John A. "Skip" Laitner
John A. “Skip” Laitner is the Director of Economic and Social Analysis for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). He previously served almost 10 years as a Senior Economist for Technology Policy for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but chose to leave the federal service in June 2006 to focus his research on developing a more robust technology and behavioral characterization of energy efficiency resources for use in energy and climate policy analyses and within economic policy models.
In 1998 Skip was awarded EPA's Gold Medal for his work with a team of other EPA economists to evaluate the impact of different strategies that might assist in the implementation of greenhouse gas emissions reduction policies. In 2003 the US Combined Heat and Power Association gave him an award to acknowledge his contributions to the policy development of that industry. In 2004 his paper, “How Far Energy Efficiency?” catalyzed new research into the proper the characterization of efficiency as a long-term resource.
Author of more than 280 reports, journal articles, and book chapters, Skip has nearly 40 years of involvement in the environmental, energy and economic policy arenas. His expertise includes benefit-cost assessments, behavioral assessments, resource costs and constraints, and the macroeconomic impacts of climate and energy policy scenarios. He’s been invited to provide technical seminars in diverse places as Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Netherlands, South Africa, and Spain. His clients have ranged from the United Nations and the United Nations Foundation to the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Semiconductor Industry Association, the Argonne National Laboratory, and the U.S. Department of Energy. He has served as an adjunct faculty member for the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the University of Oregon, teaching graduate courses on the Economics of Technology. Skip has a master’s degree in Resource Economics from Antioch University in Yellow Springs, OH.
Among Skip’s latest publications is a book he co-edited with colleague Karen Ehrhardt-Martinez, People-Centered Initiatives for Increasing Energy Savings. Washington, DC: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. See, www.aceee.org/node/9275.
J.L. Martinez
J.L. “Buck” Martinez is the senior director of project development for FPL Group, where his responsibilities include overseeing the development of renewable energy projects in the State of Florida.
FPL Group is one of the nation’s leading electricity-related services companies. Its subsidiaries include Florida Power & Light Company, Florida’s largest electric utility with nearly 4.5 million customer accounts, and FPL Energy, LLC, a fast-growing independent power producer with a presence in 26 states.
Mr. Martinez joined Florida Power & Light in 1981. Prior to being named to his present position, he served as director human resource services overseeing the corporate safety department, labor relations and the corporate quality program. Before that he served the company in various management positions and special projects. Mr. Martinez holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Thomas University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Nova Southeast. In addition, he is a graduate of the Boston University Leadership Program. He and his wife Silvia, and their three children, live in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Mike Aller
Mike Aller is the Executive Director of the Space Coast Energy Consortium, a non-profit business association devoted to convening and supporting innovative energy and clean technology businesses in the Space Coast and Central Florida region. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Rollins College in Winter Park where he teaches international economics, energy and the environment, and public policy. He has a dozen years’ experience in economic and policy research, serving on the staff of the Brookings Institution, the Peterson Institute, and the White House Office of Management and Budget. Mr. Aller holds a masters degree in International Economics and Environmental Policy from the University of California at San Diego, and a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
MARIO FARIAS
Mario Farias is Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Farias Marketing Group LLC (FMG) in St. Petersburg, Florida. A long time resident of St. Petersburg, Farias has more than thirty years’ experience in diverse businesses where he has gained extensive business management, marketing and sales knowledge and developed a wide reaching network of influential contacts. He was raised in the family hospitality businesses, and as an entrepreneur, he has owned and successfully operated various businesses since 1979. He enjoyed an extensive career with Varig Airlines where he last served as regional sales manager, and was an award winning manager over the course of his twenty year career in the automotive industry. In recent years, he has focused on forming his own innovative organization, Farias Marketing Group, to provide services directed toward business development, with an emphasis on spurring local jobs and improving the community.
Farias and his FMG team devise and successfully implement innovative sales and marketing strategies for a multinational clientele, and are currently concluding contracts with European solar manufacturers and one of the world’s largest eco-friendly floating dock manufacturers from Finland, who will be building their North American headquarters manufacturing plants in St. Petersburg, bringing hundreds of jobs to the area.
For the past two years, FMG has been working around the state educating local governments about the economic development and job creation potential of PACE (property assessed clean energy) programs. PACE provides low cost financing for energy-saving and wind hardening retrofits to commercial properties under current legislation, and hopefully will soon also be extended to residential properties. It has been viewed as one of the nation’s best ways to put people back to work while providing energy-saving, carbon reducing and wind hardening building improvements in our local communities. By increasing marketing demand, PACE will drive down individual product prices, and it will put unemployed contractors back to work making much needed property improvements. Everybody wins with PACE.
Focusing on their perspective that shopping locally puts dollars back in the local school system, infrastructure and builds the community, FMG also recently partnered with LocalShops1.com. The two companies have joined forces to spread the word about shared prosperity by reaching out to help local, independent businesses compete with big box stores, including negotiating an agreement with the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce to provide Guest LocalShopper Cards for visitors to the area.
Farias’ many activities in proactive community development, particularly in relation to non-profit organizations, have built volunteerism for events, improved the lives and property of those in need, increased public knowledge of those needs through more extensive press coverage, and encouraged greater corporate and local government involvement. He serves on the Board of Directors for St Pete Dream Center and is Regional Marketing Consultant for Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay, assisting them in project development and press relations. This year Rebuilding will join forces with Carter’s Kids Foundation and Carter Oosterhouse of HGTV for a park restoration and improvement project in St. Petersburg.
Farias has become a popular speaker at a number of economic and environmental functions because of his successful work to create jobs in greentech and cleantech in a difficult economic environment, due to his unique insight on how to fuse global environmental concerns with profitable business decision making.
Leading By Example: Energy Use & Efficiency in Campus Scale Settings
December 15, 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Otto VanGeet, P.E. , Senior Engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Mr. VanGeet is a Senior Engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), working in the Federal Energy Management Program. Prior to this assignment, Otto was the Senior Mechanical Engineer in the Site Operations group at NREL, and a Mechanical Engineer at Sandia National Laboratories. Mr. VanGeet has been involved in the design, construction, and operation of energy efficient R&D facilities for microelectronics, photovoltaic, thermal, and biological research, as well as office and general use facilities. Mr. VanGeet has been involved with the Labs21 program since its inception and provides technical guidance for the program. His experience also includes passive solar building design, use of design tools, photovoltaic (PV) system design, energy audits, and minimizing energy use. Mr. VanGeet is a Registered Professional Engineer, a Certified Energy Manager, a LEED® Accredited Professional, and a Project Management Professional. Otto is also a member of ASHRAE and ASES and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Mexico.
David Norvell, P.E., LEED AP, C.E.M., is the Energy Manager at the University of Central Florida as well as the director of the department of Sustainability & Energy Management. The energy services team that he manages is comprised of professionals in project management, building commissioning, marketing, building automation and chiller plant optimization. Together the team manages more than 6 million square feet of building space at the 6th largest university in the nation. David received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UCF in 1993. David is a registered Professional Engineer with the State of Florida. He has more than 20 years experience in building automation and industrial controls design and implementation. He is currently Vice President of the Central Florida Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE). David developed the Open Energy Information System, an open-source web-based automated utility metering and reporting system.
Marty E. Sanders, P.E.,
Eva Westfall
Eva Westfall is a key member of Eglin AFB's Energy Management Team, which
focuses on planning and programming of projects to improve current and
future base infrastructure, expand renewable energy resources and reduce
facility energy costs. Eva is a retired Air Force Senior Master Sergeant
with a Master's degree in Computer Information Systems. Her 24 years of
service included positions within Air Force Logistics, Telecommunications,
Computer Systems, Information Management and Civil Engineer Operations. Eva
successfully established the first ever Energy Program at the Utah Air
National Guard, the cornerstone of which included smart metering and
retro-commissioning projects for the "small campus" military installation.
Since arriving at Eglin, her technical background has been essential in
coordinating, planning and implementing an Energy Management Controls
System, dubbed "the backbone", via a Utility Energy Service Contract (UESC).
Its robust front end dashboards capitalize on today's technology to
integrate smart metering and direct digital controls onto a common
"electronic platform" for proactive management of facility energy
consumption. This project will be the focus for the webinar topic.
Joining Eva Westfall for the Eglin Team are:
Jeff Meyers, Eglin Air Force Base, Civil Engineer Technician, Eglin Energy Management - lead project coordinator on Energy Conservation Measures and Initiatives
Matthew Ossi, P.E., C.E.M., Chevron Energy Solutions, Inc., Sr.
Engineer, Team Leader for Eglin AFB Energy Conservation Projects
Brian Gilmore, Senior Integration Specialist, McKenney's Automation and Controls Solutions Division. Responsible for new software technology design and development, with focus on business intelligence and enterprise data integration.
Fred Gordy, Lead Integration Analyst, McKenny's, Software evaluation and implementation, internal and external technology evangelism and overall coordination of customer data requirements
Community Partnering for Clean Energy
November 16, 10:00 AM - Noon EST
Jennifer Clymer
Ms. Clymer is a Senior Associate with ICF International’s Energy, Environment & Transportation group. Ms. Clymer has a decade of experience in the public and private sectors ... championing and implementing sustainable practices, primarily related to resource conservation, air quality, and climate change. She has expertise in evaluating and communicating the environmental benefits of energy and transportation demand management programs, from both a behavioral and technological perspective.
Ms. Clymer has delivered webinars on topics such as utility-local government partnership opportunities, climate action planning, and gaining support from local leaders for clean energy programs in support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Technical Assistance Program.
She is currently developing case studies on local governments that demonstrate best practice in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and alternative fuels policy and program design and implementation. She also serves as an expert to the program’s regional coordinators and the jurisdictions they serve on a variety of topics, including utility engagement, energy and climate action planning, demand-side management program design and implementation, etc.
Before returning to ICF International in August 2010, Ms. Clymer worked for Austin Energy and the City of Austin, where she was instrumental in implementing the Austin Climate Protection Program and related sustainability initiatives. Ms. Clymer also has state legislative experience as an energy and natural resources policy aide for a Texas legislator. She holds a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas and a B.A. in Environmental Sciences and Environmental Management from The University of Virginia.
Karl R. Rábago
Karl R. Rábago is Vice President for Distributed Energy Services with Austin
Energy, the municipal electric utility for the City of Austin. At Austin
Energy, Karl leads the utility’s energy efficiency, green building, market
research, key accounts, and advanced transportation groups. He also oversees
the Austin Climate Protection Program team and serves as Austin Energy’s
executive sponsor to the Pecan Street Project smart grid demonstration
project. He has some 20 years experience in electricity policy and regulation,
emerging energy markets development, clean energy technology
development, and the implementation of sustainability principles.
His past positions include: Deputy Assistant Secretary at the US Department
of Energy; Commissioner, Texas Public Utility Commission; Sustainability
Leader with NatureWorks, LLC; and Managing Director & Principal, Rocky
Mountain Institute. Karl chairs the board for the Center for Resource Solutions and helped create the “Green-e” Certification program for renewable energy products. He is a member of Pedernales Electric Coop’s member advisory committee, an officer of the Renewable Energy Markets Association (REMA), and an advisor to the Texas Interfaith Power & Light project.
A graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Business Management, Mr. Rábago is an attorney (University of Texas Law School, J.D. with Honors) with post-doctorate degrees in environmental (LL.M., Pace University School of Law) and military law (LL.M., US Army Judge Advocate General’s School). A veteran of more than 12 years in the US Army, he served as an Armored Cavalry officer and member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, and is Airborne and Ranger qualified.
Pegeen Hanrahan, P.E.
A Registered Professional Engineer and Principal of Community and Conservation Solutions, LLC, Pegeen Hanrahan was term limited in 2010 after twelve years of elective service and two terms as Mayor of Gainesville, Florida.
She is a consultant to the Trust for Public Land's Conservation Finance Team, helping local governments develop and fund land conservation and parks. One of her primary areas of practice is in energy conservation and renewable energy deployment, with clients including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the California CLEAN Coalition, and RES Partners of Tallahassee.
Ms. Hanrahan has served as President of the Florida League of Mayors, and serves on the boards of ICLEI-USA: Local Governments for Sustainability, the Alliance for Renewable Energy (ARE), Florida State University’s LeRoy Collins Institute, the University of Florida’s Reubin Askew Institute, and the Mayors’ Innovation Project. She holds Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Environmental Engineering and a B.A. in Sociology, all from the University of Florida.
Barry Moline
Barry Moline is Executive Director for the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) in Tallahassee, where he has served since 1996. He represents Florida’s 34 publicly owned electric utilities before the legislature and regulatory agencies.
Mr. Moline has worked in the energy industry since the early 1980s. He has done oil and natural gas research for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Fuels, promoted renewable energy and energy efficiency for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Guatemala working to conserve firewood and build latrines. Before joining FMEA, he worked in Washington, D.C., for the American Public Power Association, the national trade association of the municipal electric utilities. In the electric utility industry Mr. Moline has handled just about every issue related to electric utilities, from power supply to customer service to safety. Prior to his work in energy, Mr. Moline taught high school for two years in the Chicago and St. Louis metro areas.
Mr. Moline holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in Vocational and Technical Education (1979) and a Master’s degree from Washington University in Engineering and Policy (1985).
Smart Planning for Sustainable Development
October 19, 2011
Richard A. Hall, P.E.
Rick Hall is a practicing, registered transportation engineer and for 15 years, President for Hall Planning & Engineering, Inc. He is registered in 16 states and is committed to understanding the established neighborhood vision and context before transportation design is undertaken.
He is serving as a visiting professor at Florida State University's Department of Urban and Regional Planning where he teaches land use and transportation courses and has also served as President of the Florida Section, Institute of Transportation Engineers as well as Chair of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), Florida Chapter.
Firm services and expertise include land use and transportation issues for community design charrettes, public involvement projects, traffic engineering studies, conceptual design studies, growth management analysis, development-related transportation studies, MPO issues, parking and circulation studies, preliminary design studies, and other tasks. Since becoming a consultant in 1980, Mr. Hall has worked on a variety of projects including Urban Transportation Plans, Developments of Regional Impact, hurricane evacuation planning, level of service analysis, scenic highway planning and Transportation / Land Use interrelationships. Mr. Hall assisted in the planning of Seaside by performing the Development of Regional Impact traffic element and other parking and traffic analysis. Since then he has participated in over 75 TND charrettes with Dover Kohl & Partners, DPZ, PlaceMakers and other leading firms performing New Urbanism designs.
He is a Knight Community Building Fellow in the initial class of this University of Miami based program. This fellowship produced research in street design for walkable communities with new street classifications serving pedestrian oriented neighborhoods. Mr. Hall is a member of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) and was part of a team that authored a joint ITE-CNU Street Design Manual.
Dr. Pierce Jones
Dr. Jones graduated from UF in 1980 with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. He is a Professor at the University of Florida where he directs the Program for Resource Efficient Communities, an interdisciplinary group that promotes the adoption of “best design, construction and management practices” in master planned developments. The Program’s most recent workshops target Low Impact Development, GHG reduction in land development and residential loan programs for energy efficiency retrofits. Finally, his program directly participates in land development and building projects that adopt and demonstrate “green” practices.
Ken Zeichner
Principal Planner
Alachua County, FL
Ken Zeichner, AICP, is currently Principal Planner for Comprehensive Planning for the Alachua County Growth Management Department. He has worked on comprehensive plans in Florida for 25 years. He led the recently adopted update of the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan: 2011-2030, which included an Energy Element and a Community Health Element; the Plan was selected for an American Planning Association Florida Chapter Award of Excellence in the Comprehensive Plan category.
Ken’s a member of the Florida Bar and its Environmental and Land Use Law, City County and Local Government Law, Administrative Law, and Government Lawyer sections. He received a Masters of Regional Planning from Cornell University, a law degree from Brooklyn Law School, and a Bachelors degree with majors in Political Science and Urban Studies from Brooklyn College.
Robin K. Vieira
Rob Vieira serves as Buildings Research Director for the Florida Solar Energy Center. There he conducts research in green building technologies and green building standards.
He also helped found the Florida Green Building Coalition, served as the president for their organizing committee. He served as editor and committee chair for FGBC's Green Development Standard, a first of its kind environmental stewardship designation for land developments meeting objective criteria that far exceeds minimum code. He was one of two co-PIs creating a Green Local Government Designation for Florida City and County governments. Mr. Vieira participated in the development of FGBC green guidelines for homes and served on the United States Green Building Council LEED 1.0 committee developing a standard for commercial buildings. He managed research on 384 households, comparing transportation, electricity and water use among 10 Central Florida developments.
Mr. Vieira directed a million-dollar demand-side management research project including audits and analysis of 400 recently built homes. Key outcomes of the project included changes that were implemented in Florida's energy code and rating system. The analysis demonstrated a detriment to peak load and annual energy use from oversizing of HVAC equipment.
He has helped disseminate information through workshops and publications, co-authored the book, Energy-Efficient Florida Home Building. He has provided builder technical support via EPA Energy Star Homes and Department of Energy Building America program, and he has helped design, write and supervise the development of new energy analysis software for the home energy auditing and construction market (EnergyGauge).
Mr. Vieira also developed passive and mechanical cooling methods for off-shore equipment enclosures for the U.S. Navy and researched a new cooling concept using a radiative/desiccant roof system that provides cooling and dehumidification for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Transportation Alternatives for Energy
Efficiency, October 4, 2011
Many options exist for making communities more energy efficient though transportation choices … from land use planning and development practices to public transportation and operational systems to alternative fuel vehicles and a whole lot more. Find out what your community can do to tap significant efficiencies (and related benefits) for now and the long haul.
Dr. Michael D. Meyer
Dr. Meyer holds the Frederick R. Dickerson Chair, is Director of the Georgia Transportation Institute, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and former Chair of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. From 1983 to 1988, Dr. Meyer was Director of Transportation Planning and Development for Massachusetts where he was responsible for statewide planning, project development and engineering, traffic engineering, and transportation research. Prior to this, he was a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at M.I.T. Dr. Meyer has written over 180 technical articles and has authored or co-authored numerous texts on transportation planning and policy, including a college textbook for McGraw Hill entitled Urban Transportation Planning: A Decision Oriented Approach. He was the author of Transportation Congestion and Mobility: A Toolbox for Transportation Officials, a book sponsored by the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Federal Highway Administration that focuses on transportation actions that can be implemented to enhance mobility. His publications have examined many issues in transportation ranging from land use/transportation interactions to freight and logistics planning to climate change.
Dr. Meyer is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2009 Transportation Research Board's, W.N. Carey, Jr.'s Award for Distinguished Service, the 2006 Wilbur Smith Distinguished Educator award from the Institute of Transportation Engineers; the 2000 Theodore M. Matson Memorial Award in recognition of outstanding contributions in the field of transportation engineering; the 1995 Pyke Johnson Award of the Transportation Research Board for best paper in planning and administration delivered at the TRB Annual Meeting; and the 1988 Harland Bartholomew Award of the American Society of Civil Engineers for contribution to the enhancement of the role of the civil engineer in urban planning and development. He was Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board in 2006. Dr. Meyer has a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, an M.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering from M.I.T. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Georgia.
Marianne Gurnee
Marianne Gurnee currently is involved with Program Management for SunRail, Central Florida’s Commuter Rail project. Marianne joined the Florida Department of Transportation’s Commuter Rail consultant team in 2006, and is primarily responsible for all public involvement activities associated with the project. Her duties include developing and updating the project website, outreach to business, community and political groups, organizing public meetings, responding to inquiries, crisis communications and project support. Marianne also prepares and coordinates the development of technical reports, grants and inter-governmental communications. Prior to joining the SunRail team, Marianne was a Senior Editorial Writer at the Orlando Sentinel, where she wrote extensively about transportation, growth management, the environment and local and state political issues. She also spent 10 years as a Senior Writer for Newsday in New York City, where she covered transportation, state and New York City politics before moving to Florida in 1992. She lives with her two daughters in Orlando.
Debora Lynne Griner
Environmental Project Supervisor, Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management ... Core Planning Team Member, Miami-Dade County GreenPrint Sustainability Plan ... Liaison to Miami-Dade County Climate Action Plan & Southeast Florida Regional Climate Compact
Ms. Griner serves as an Environmental Resources Project Supervisor in the County’s Air Quality Management Division, where she has worked for the fifteen years she has been with the County. Her current responsibilities include administrative support of division programs including budget development and federal and state grant administration and reporting. For the last couple of years she has been a core team member in the development of the county’s community-wide sustainability plan, GreenPrint – Our Design for a Sustainable Future. She was the co-lead for the Responsible Land Use and Smart Transportation Goal Area and more recently was assigned as an implementation facilitator for the Climate Action Plan component of the GreenPrint. Ms. Griner serves as an alternate county representative on the Steering Committee for the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Compact, a four-county partnership working collaboratively to mitigate emissions associated with the built environment, regional transportation and land use and to actively incorporate adaptation considerations into a regional climate action plan.
Ken Fischer
Ken Fischer serves as McDonald’s Transit Associates’ Senior Vice-President and Managing Director for the transit systems they manage in the Southeastern Region of the country. Ken has been the General Manager for the Volusia County, Florida Transit System (VoTran) for over twenty years. Ken was inducted into the Florida Public Transportation Association Hall of Fame in 2006 and in 2007 he was presented with the William Bell Lifetime Achievement Award by the Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged. Ken is a Past-President of the Florida Transportation Association, Past-Vice Chairman of the Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged and Past-President of the Port Orange, South Daytona Chamber of Commerce.
He holds a B.S. in Urban Planning from Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia. He started his career as an intern for the transit system in Columbus, Georgia. After graduation his first job was as a transportation planner for the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in Alexandria, Louisiana. Three years later he went to work for McDonald Transit Associates as their General Manager for the transit system in National City, California. In 1981, McDonald moved him to Volusia County to serve as the Votran General Manager. He has served in that capacity since then, except for a three year stretch, when he worked in the McDonald Corporate Office and was tasked with starting up four transit systems: Ocala, Florida, Naples, Florida, Gwinnett County, Georgia and the Xpress Bus Service in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sustainability & Energy Planning for Communities
September 22, 2011 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Jared Lang
National Association of Counties
As Program Manager for the National Association of Counties’ Green Government Initiative, Jared Lang provides cutting-edge strategies and resources to county officials on a broad range of sustainability issues—including energy efficiency, renewable energy generation, and green jobs.
Prior to working with NACo, Mr. Lang was Director of Operations for GreenHOME, a green job training organization located in Washington, DC, and a Sustainability Consultant with Davis Langdon, an international building solutions firm located in Santa Monica, California. At Davis Langdon Mr. Lang provided sustainable development services to private and public sector clients—assisting developers in navigating the US Green Building Council’s LEED process and putting together sustainable neighborhood development plans.
Mr. Lang holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, with a Certificate in Real Estate Development from the Wharton School.
Tammy Zborel
National League of Cities
Ms. Zborel is a Senior Associate within the Sustainability Program at the National League of Cities (NLC), the nation’s oldest and largest organization representing municipal governments. In this role she conducts research and develops resources to assist cities and towns across the country develop and strengthen their sustainability initiatives. While her work spans across a range of sustainability topics, she is primarily engaged in the areas of energy efficiency, green buildings, and the emerging green economy/ workforce development.
Prior to joining NLC in 2009 Tammy received her Master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University. During this time she assisted community development efforts in the cities of Lawrence and Somerville, MA and worked on green development issues with the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) in Boston. An avid supporter of civic engagement, Tammy has served as an Americorps*VISTA, Peace Corps Volunteer, and worked to strengthen the civic roles of higher education through the international Talloires Network where she helped to develop the first ever MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship.
Tammy received her B.S. from West Virginia Wesleyan College in Environmental Science and has worked in research and advocacy capacities across a number of environmentally-focused issues from water quality impacts of coal mining in Appalachia, to the bushmeat crisis in Central and West Africa.
Tad McGalliard
International City-County Management Association
Tad McGalliard is the director of ICMA’s Center for Sustainable Communities, which is focused on providing best practices, tools and knowledge resources for local government professionals and stakeholders. He has worked with ICMA, since 2003 when he was hired to direct the National Brownfields Conference, a cooperative effort with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. From 1995-2003, Tad worked for Cornell University’s Center for the Environment where he led projects focused on sustainability, industrial ecology, and student engagement. Prior to his work at Cornell, Tad worked for the Energy, Environment, and Resources Center at the University of Tennessee where he organized the annual Beneficial Reuse conferences and workshops in interactive adult learning, professional development settings.
Alexander Dane
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Alexander Dane, Project Leader, at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, focuses on strategic energy planning at the local level. He is the lead organizer for the Department of Energy’s Community Energy Strategic Planning Academy. The Academy, which is currently in progress, assists forty cities and counties nationwide to develop their local energy plans and EE/RE programs . Outside of the Academy, Dane works with local and state entities to create long term sustainability plans. As part of these efforts, he focuses on the nexus of land use planning and clean energy implementation, including: transit-oriented-development energy opportunities and civic engagement in the energy planning process. Mr. Dane holds graduate degrees in urban and regional planning as well as public administration.
Smart Planning for Communities: Tapping Green Energy Strategies for High Power Returns
August 11, 2011 2:00-4:00 PM EDT
Mitchell Silver, AICP, PP
President, American Planning Association
Chief Planning & Economic Development Officer
Director, Department of City Planning
City of Raleigh, North Carolina
Mitchell Silver is the current President of the American Planning Association (APA).
In addition, he serves as Chief Planning and Economic Development Officer for the City of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Silver is an award-winning planner with more than 25 years of planning experience. He is nationally recognized for his leadership in the profession and his contributions to contemporary planning issues. Before coming to Raleigh in 2005 as planning director, Silver worked as policy and planning director in New York City, a principal of a New York City-based planning firm, a town manager in New Jersey and deputy planning director in Washington, D.C. He has taught graduate planning courses at Hunter College, Brooklyn College, Pratt Institute, and North Carolina State University. As planning director in Raleigh, he led the comprehensive plan update process. He is now overseeing a rewrite of the city's Development Code.
Randall Reid
County Manager, Alachua County, FL
Sustainability Committee Chair,
International City-County Management Association
Mr. Reid has served as County Manager for Alachua County since December, 1999.
• Prior to coming to Gainesville he worked in Martin County, Florida (Stuart) as Deputy County Administrator and for 14 months as Acting County Manager.
• From 1987 to 1994 he served as City Manager of Titusville, Florida and also as Executive Director of the Titusville Community Redevelopment Agency.
• Prior to coming to Florida, Mr. Reid served as City Administrator of Green River, Wyoming and as Assistant City Manager of Vandalia, Ohio.
These positions have provided him with very practical experiences that enabled him to improve financial management practices, create team-based management, effectively manage capital projects, advance strategic economic development efforts, and enhance the quality of neighborhoods in the communities he has managed. He moved to county management in 1994.
Mr. Reid is active in a number of professional associations including the International City Management Association, the Florida City/County Management Association, where he has served as both President and Chairman of the Ethics Committee for Professional Conduct.
His professional goal is to enhance the credibility of county government with the public through providing responsive services while remaining always fiscally accountable to the taxpayers. Mr. Reid's personal mission is "to create respect for people and place."
He serves on the Smart Growth advisory group of the International City/County Management Association and has spoken nationally on the subject of leading organizational change, growth management, and sustainability. Mr. Reid believes that sustainability has as much to do with how we ethically govern and engage our citizens, as it does with how we build viable communities by encouraging best development practices.
Randall H. Reid holds a Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Dayton, Ohio. Throughout his career he has taught graduate and undergraduate classes in public administration, public finance, and state and local government.
Paula S. Thomas
Director, Office of Sustainability
City of Raleigh, North Carolina
Paula S. Thomas is Director of the Office of Sustainability for City of Raleigh, North Carolina. Her key responsibility is to develop and manage Raleigh’s comprehensive sustainability program. Current priority projects include: Electric Vehicle Infrastructure development, Green Workforce development, manage City of Raleigh’s first Green House Gas Inventory and Climate Action Plan and develop the City’s Clean Energy Economic Development Strategy. She also serves as staff to the City’s Environmental Advisory Board and is a member of the U.S. Sustainability Directors Network.
In the three years since Thomas became director of City of Raleigh Office of Sustainability, the city has garnered national and local awards in acknowledgment of its sustainability accomplishments.
- In 2009 Raleigh was selected as one of the first three cities in the nation to participate in Rocky Mountain Institute’s Project Get Ready, an initiative to help U.S. cities prepare for plug-in vehicles.
- Raleigh was the first municipality in the nation to partner with the Environmental Defense Fund on the Climate Corps program.
- In 2010 the city was named Green Awards Government Leader by Triangle Business Journal.
- In 2011 Raleigh received the Community Enhancement Champion Award from Triangle Crew, and the Policy/Organization award in appreciation for air quality efforts from NC Mobile CARE, NC Solar Center and NC Dept. of Transportation.
-Most recently, the US Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) and Siemens Corporation awarded Raleigh the 2011 Siemens Most Sustainable City Award in the medium-sized municipality category.
Ms. Thomas has more than 30 years of experience in local, state and national environmental policy and operations. She also served in the private sector as a senior consultant to AMEC Corporation. Prior to joining City of Raleigh, Thomas served as Manager of Environmental Policy for NC League of Municipalities for 10 years. Her role was to inform and educate municipal elected and staff officials on environmental matters, regulations, programs and planning; and to engage those officials in active participation in policy, legislative and regulatory efforts in a variety of settings.
Thomas’ other career positions include: Sustainability Director, Orange Water and Sewer Authority in Chapel Hill, NC Environmental Health Administrator for Gaston County Health Dept., Gastonia, NC, Chief of the Bureau of Water Resources Management at Carroll County MD, and Assistant to Director of Public Works for Carroll County.
Thomas is a much sought-after conference presenter and widely known for her local government advocacy, practical experience, and regulatory and legislative experience. She has authored numerous papers and studies that were featured in various publications.
She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Master of Public Administration studies from NC State University. She is also a graduate of the School of Government – Municipal Administration program at University of NC at Chapel Hill.
Sean H. McLendon
Sustainability Program Manager
Alachua County
Sean McLendon’s study of sustainability spans a twenty year commitment to the innovative, university-centered community of Alachua County, Florida. He is a life-long student of architecture and sustainable development as well as a successful entrepreneur. His interest for preserving the beauty of north Florida and rejuvenating its historic town centers led him to civil service as Alachua County’s Sustainability Program Manager, where he has been since 2001. In this role he has had the good fortune to engage with a diverse cross section of viewpoints on the challenges of resource and societal overreach, climate change, and the interdependency of all to find solutions.
Currently, he is implementing the work he helped produce through the Alachua County Energy Conservation Strategies Commission. It's final report was recognized by the Florida City and County Management Association for the 2009 Program Excellence Award for Community Sustainability.
His work involves championing county-wide sustainability efforts and managing innovative pilot projects involving public, private and faith communities’ cooperation. Projects include interagency-town-gown partnerships, post-carbon economic development, “waste to wealth” initiatives, peak oil preparedness, greenhouse gas reduction, local food entrepreneurship, and the promotion of energy conservation and alternative energy production. Project outcomes will preserve quality of life & place, grow civic participation & shared governance and creating excellence in county government.
Mr. McLendon has traveled and studied extensively throughout Europe and Russia and in 2009 was a part of professional exchange on urban design and planning issues to the Netherlands. He previously workd for the Center for Construction and Environment, University of Florida.
Clean Energy Technologies for Communities 
August 18, 2011 2:00 – 4:00 PM EDT
Dr. Jim Fenton
Director
Florida Solar Energy Center
James M. Fenton is the Director of the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), where he leads a staff of 140 in the research and development of energy technologies that enhance Florida's and the nation's economy and environment and educate the public, students and practitioners on the results of the research. FSEC, created in 1975 by the Florida Legislature to serve as the state’s energy research institute, is the nation’s largest and most active state-supported renewable energy and energy efficiency research institute.
Dr. Fenton’s research activities in fuel cells, pollution prevention and sustainable energy are helping FSEC expand its nationally acclaimed research and education programs in hydrogen, alternative fuels, solar energy and buildings energy efficiency. He is the author of more than 120 scientific publications and a number of book chapters and holds three patents. In addition to his duties as FSEC Director, he leads a 12-member university and industry research team in a $19 million U.S. Department of Energy research program to develop the next generation proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell automobile engine. Dr. Fenton also serves as a Professor in UCF’s Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering Department. He was elected as Fellow of The Electrochemical Society and Governor Crist appointed him as a member of the Florida Governor’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change.
Jay Levenstein
Deputy Commissioner
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
Jay Levenstein is one of three Deputy Commissioners for the Department (DACS). He oversees the Divisions of Consumer Services, Licensing, and Standards as well as the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement. He joined the Department in November 1993 and prior to his appointment as Deputy Commissioner in 2001, served as the Department's State-Federal Relations Director, Legislative Affairs Director, Chief of the Bureau of Animal Disease Control, and Senior Attorney.
Jay developed the Department’s Farm to Fuel Initiative and serves on the USDA/DOE Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee. Jay received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida and his law degree from the University of Miami.
Jolyn Newton
State Program & Technical Assistance Director
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance
Jolyn Newton is the Director of State Energy Efficiency Programs and the Technical Program Manager at Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA). In these roles, she has overall responsibility for strategic planning, program development and implementation for State level program initiatives, as well as leading SEEA’s work in providing support to states, cities, and counties in the Southeast region that are receiving federal Stimulus (ARRA) funding for implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
Mrs. Newton administers the Multistate model for Catalyzing the National Home Energy Retrofit Market in the Southeast, which will provide a national model for home energy labeling, workforce development, innovative financing and policy development to advance residential energy efficiency. She also provides energy efficiency program design and implementation assistance aimed to increase the penetration of energy efficiency programs in local communities throughout the Southeast.
Prior to joining SEEA, she was with Tennessee Valley Authority for ten years where she focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy programs with end-use customers. She worked in multiple program management and project management roles, including Green Power Switch, Generation Partners, Energy Right Solutions, Energy Efficiency Education and Outreach, and TVA’s Energy Services Company. She also served as an advisor to the Vice President for Energy Efficiency and Demand Response.
Newton earned her B.S. in Environmental Science and Technology from MTSU with a focus on energy resource management. She is currently pursuing a M.S. in Sustainable Practice from Lipscomb University. She is also a Certified Energy Manager and Certified Sustainable Development Professional. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her partner and their three children.
Roger W. Taylor
Principal Project Manager – Tribal Energy Program
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Mr. Taylor is a Principal Project Manager at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. With 30 years of experience in renewable energy technology development and application, his quest has been to expand and promote the use of renewable energy to support sustainable communities, both domestically and internationally, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, other U.S. government agencies, the renewable energy industry, financing and development agencies.
Mr. Taylor was extensively involved in application of renewable energy systems to the needs of international developing communities from 1992-2000. Subsequently he has focused on Tribal economic development over the past 10 years. Prior to NREL, he spent 15 years working on the integration of renewables with electric utilities, which included 10 years working with the Electric Power Research Institute and the EPRI-sponsored Power Electronics Applications Center.
