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Speakers for VX2024

Angelina Galiteva
Board Member
CAISO
Biography

Angelina Galiteva

Board Member
CAISO

Angelina M. Galiteva is the Founder and Board Chair of Renewables 100 Policy Institute, an organization dedicated to accelerating the global transition to 100% renewable energy for all sectors. In 2011 Governor Jerry Brown appointed Ms. Galiteva to the California Independent Systems Operator Board (CAISO), one of the largest transmission operators in the World. On October 2020 Angelina became the first Female Chair of the CAISO Board of Governors and in March 2023 Governor Newsom reappointed Ms. Galiteva to serve her 4th term on the Board. Over the last year, Ms. Galiteva has been leading California’s Statewide Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) initiative focused on accelerating the decarbonization of the 4th largest economy. Angelina also serves as Chairperson of the World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE) and is a Founding Board Member of the Global Clean Energy Desalination Alliance. Ms. Galiteva is an expert in strategic issues related to renewable energy, new technology development and implementation, optimizing power system resiliency and efficiency, as well as overall sustainability and environmental policy programs for public and private entities. As such she is frequently sent as a US State Department representative expert on renewable energy and power grid resiliency and reliability issues. In addition, Ms. Galiteva is founder and principal of NEOptions, Inc., a renewable energy product and project development firm. Previously, Ms. Galiteva was the Executive Director of Strategic Planning for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), overseeing the utility's renewable energy program, she also worked at the New York Power Authority. Ms. Galiteva is an attorney with a JD Degree and Master’s in International and Energy Law. 

Angelina has overseen numerous utility scale renewable energy, bulk storage, combined heat and power project developments, including distributed generation and microgrid specific installations. She has experience structuring electric vehicle to grid programs, accelerating the development and deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell infrastructure as well as financing large scale renewable power project development both in the US and abroad. 

Ms. Galiteva holds a JD and LLM Degrees in Energy and Environmental Law from Pace University School of Law and is a globally recognized expert in the area of designing regulatory structures and programs to support the development of carbon free technologies and the transition to a reliable, resilient carbon free future.
 
Carla Peterman
Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer
PG&E Corporation
Biography

Carla Peterman

Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer
PG&E Corporation

Carla J. Peterman is Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer for PG&E Corporation, the parent company of Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

Peterman has spent her career focused on California's energy policy and regulatory landscape. At PG&E, she oversees the company's regulatory, legislative, sustainability, and charitable strategies, all focused on delivering for the customers and communities that PG&E serves in Northern and Central California.

Prior to joining PG&E in 2021, Peterman served as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Regulatory Affairs at Southern California Edison. Before that she served a six-year term as a Commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

A steadfast proponent of clean energy, at the CPUC Peterman led the adoption of the first utility energy storage mandate in the country, the approval of nearly $1 billion of utility investments in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the adoption of utility energy efficiency goals and business plans, and the implementation of California's Renewables Portfolio Standard.

Before her CPUC appointment, Peterman served on the California Energy Commission, where she was the lead commissioner for renewables, transportation, and natural gas. She also is a former board member of The Utility Reform Network, an organization that represents consumers before the CPUC and California Legislature.

In 2019, Governor Newsom appointed her to chair the Commission on Catastrophic Wildfire Cost and Recovery. She currently serves as a member of the Federal Reserve of San Francisco Economic Advisory Council. She has also served on various other boards, including the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), NARUC's Energy Resources and Environment Committee (Vice-Chair), and the external advisory board for Sandia National Laboratories’ Energy and Homeland Security Portfolio.

Peterman holds a BA from Howard University, a PhD in energy and resources from the University of California, Berkeley, and MS and MBA degrees from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.
Adel Hagekhalil
General Manager
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Biography

Adel Hagekhalil

General Manager
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

Adel Hagekhalil is the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the largest wholesale drinking water agency in the country. Metropolitan is a state-established cooperative that delivers water to 26-member public agencies, serving 19 million people across Southern CA.
 
As General Manager, Mr. Hagekhalil is responsible for leading Metropolitan’s daily and long-term operations and planning to provide safe, reliable water to Southern California. He oversees Metropolitan’s $1.9 billion annual budget, 1,800 employees, and extensive system of conveyance, storage, treatment, and delivery infrastructure.
 
Mr. Hagekhalil is a registered civil engineer and national board-certified environmental engineer, having earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Houston, TX. Before joining Metropolitan, he was appointed in 2018 by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to serve as the executive director and general manager of the city’s Bureau of Street Services. His responsibilities included oversight of the management, maintenance, and improvement of the city’s network of streets, sidewalks, trees, and bikeways. He also focused on climate change adaptation and multi-benefit integrated active transportation corridors.
 
Previously, he served nearly 10 years as assistant general manager of the Los Angeles’ Bureau of Sanitation, led the city’s wastewater collection system, stormwater and watershed protection program, water quality compliance, advance planning, and facilities. He also helped develop the city’s 2040 One Water LA Plan, an award-winning regional watershed approach to integrate water supply, reuse, conservation, stormwater management and wastewater facilities planning.
 
Mr. Hagekhalil is a member of the American Public Works Association as well as the Water Environment Federation, which recognized him in 2019 as a WEF Fellow for his contribution to enhancing and forwarding the water industry. He also served for more than a decade as a board member on the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, including a term as president.
Christine Harada
Executive Director
Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council
Biography

Christine Harada

Executive Director
Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council

Biden-Harris Administration Presidential appointee Christine Harada serves as the Executive Director of the Permitting Council. As Executive Director, Harada assists Permitting Council member agencies in managing a portfolio of nearly $100 billion in large-scale infrastructure projects—most of which are renewable energy, coastal restoration, and electricity transmission projects. She assists Federal agencies in developing and implementing comprehensive, project-specific timetables for all required infrastructure permitting reviews and authorizations for FAST-41 covered infrastructure projects, advancing the administration's infrastructure agenda to rebuild the economy.

Harada brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in the public and private sectors to the Permitting Council. Harada was most recently the Vice President for Government Affairs at Heliogen, a California-based renewable energy technology company. Previously, she served as the President of i(x) investments, a company focused on impact-driven investments in critical areas such as renewable energy, green real estate development, and accessible smart and sustainable housing. She was a Partner with Ridge-Lane Limited Partners, an advisory firm of experts in private sector innovation, investment capital, and government policy that works with companies pursuing social and environmental impact, along with financial performance.
 
As the former Federal Chief Sustainability Officer under President Barack Obama, Harada oversaw all federal sustainability-related initiatives in energy, vehicle fleets, and acquisitions. She also served as the Acting Chief of Staff, the Associate Administrator of Government-wide Policy, and Chief Acquisition Officer at the U.S. General Services Administration.
 
Harada has worked as a Senior Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin and as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group and Booz Allen Hamilton. She holds a master's degree in international studies from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and an MBA in finance from the Wharton School at Penn. Additionally, she has a master's degree from Stanford University and a bachelor's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in aeronautics and astronautics.   
Randall Winston
Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure
Office of City of LA Mayor Karen Bass
Biography

Randall Winston

Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure
Office of City of LA Mayor Karen Bass

Randall Winston was appointed Acting Executive Director of the Strategic Growth Council in July 2015 and was officially sworn in as Executive Director in December 2015. Prior to his appointment, Randall served in Governor Brown's office as Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary, where he helped lead implementation of Governor Brown's Executive Orders on Green Buildings and Zero Emission Vehicles as well as international climate change policy. Randall has professional experience in architecture, urban development, venture technology and finance, most recently having worked for the architecture and integrated design practice Foster + Partners prior to joining Governor Brown's office as an Executive Fellow through the Center for California Studies' Capital Fellows Program. Randall was a founding director at Causes, a venture technology company led by Facebook's founding president, and worked in Beijing, China for SOHO China, an integrated urban development and architecture firm, as well as Goldman Sachs Gao Hua Securities, a China mainland joint-venture with Goldman Sachs.

Randall received a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Virginia and a B.A. in Government from Harvard University. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Urban Land Institute and Pacific Council on International Policy.
Fiona Ma
State Treasurer
California
Biography

Fiona Ma

State Treasurer
California

Fiona Ma is California’s 34th State Treasurer. She was first elected on November 6, 2018, with more votes (7,825,587) than any other candidate for treasurer in the state's history and reelected on November 8, 2022. She is the first woman of color and the first woman Certified Public Accountant (CPA) elected to the position. The State Treasurer’s Office was created in the California Constitution in 1849. It provides financing for schools, roads, housing, recycling and waste management, hospitals, public facilities, and other crucial infrastructure projects that better the lives of residents. California is poised to become the world’s fourth-largest economy and Treasurer Ma is the state’s primary banker. Presently, her office processes more than $3 trillion in banking transactions. She provides transparency and oversight for the government’s investment portfolio and accounts, as well as for the state’s surplus funds. Treasurer Ma oversees an investment portfolio that currently averages over $200 billion—a significant portion of which is beneficially owned by more than 2,200 local governments in California. She serves as agent of sale for all State bonds and is trustee of billions of dollars of state indebtedness.
Richard Katz
President
Board of Water and Power Commissioners
Biography

Richard Katz

President
Board of Water and Power Commissioners

Richard Katz is a longtime public servant and state policymaker with specific expertise in the areas of water, transportation, land use, and energy.

Katz served in the California State Assembly representing the North and East San Fernando Valley from 1980 until 1996. For 10 years, he served as Chair of the powerful Assembly Transportation Committee. During his tenure, he authored Proposition 111, a 10-year Transportation Blueprint passed by the voters, and created the Congestion Management Plan, requiring cities and counties to measure and mitigate impacts of land use decisions on their streets, highways and transit systems. He wrote the legislation that created the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, merging the Southern California Rapid Transit District with the LA County Transportation Commission, which became the current day Metro.

Richard was California’s lead negotiator for the landmark Colorado River Agreement between the State of California, the Federal Government, four California Water Agencies, and the six Colorado River Basin States, furthering his expertise as a negotiator on issues of statewide significance. Katz had already played a pivotal role in renegotiating $30 billion worth of California’s Energy contracts and developing California’s Transportation Blueprint for the 21st Century, which the voters approved as Proposition 111 in 1990.

After leaving the State Assembly, Mr. Katz was appointed to the State Water Resources Control Board, confirmed by the Senate and served for six years, occupying the water quality seat. In Jan. of 2003, Governor Davis appointed him as his Senior Advisor on Energy and Water issues.

Shortly after his election in June of 2005, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appointed Richard to serve with him on the Governing Board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. After the horrific Metrolink accident in 2008, Mayor Villaraigosa appointed him to the Metrolink Board, where he served as Chair from 2011-2013.

Richard is the owner of a successful public policy and government relations firm based in Los Angeles, Richard Katz Consulting (RKC), Inc. RKC offers a wide variety of services, including strategic advice, message development, negotiations/mediation and government relations strategies. RKC brings a vast knowledge of all levels of government and has guided numerous clients through the maze of both bureaucratic and regulatory concerns.

 
Liane Randolph
Chair
California Air Resources Board
Biography

Liane Randolph

Chair
California Air Resources Board

Liane Randolph has spent most of her career in public service, specializing in environmental law and policy, effective administration, and a commitment to transparency and public process. She was appointed Chair of the California Air Resources Board by Governor Gavin Newsom in December 2020. Starting in 2015, Randolph served six years as a Commissioner at the California Public Utilities Commission and managed numerous decisions on energy efficiency, integrated energy resource planning, and regulation of transportation network companies, as well as spearheading significant Commission policy reforms. Prior to the PUC, Randolph served from 2011 to 2014 as Deputy Secretary and General Counsel at the California Natural Resources Agency, where she worked on a wide variety of legal and policy issues, including work on the Klamath Dam Removal agreement, CEQA guidelines, and the Agency’s first Tribal Consultation Policy. Randolph’s first role with the State was as Chair of the California Fair Political Practices Commission from 2003 to 2007. Her work at the state level builds on experience with local government that she gained while practicing municipal law as a contract City Attorney for the Cities of San Leandro and Suisun City. Randolph earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law and lives in Oakland with her husband and family. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, running, and reading.
Maryam Brown
President
SoCal Gas
Biography

Maryam Brown

President
SoCal Gas

Maryam Brown is president of Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), the nation’s largest gas distribution utility. SoCalGas’ 8,000 employees serve 22 million consumers in 500 communities from California’s Central Valley in the north to the San Diego County line in the south.

As president, Brown develops and executes SoCalGas’ strategic vision with a focus on SoCalGas’ aspiration to achieve carbon neutral operations and delivery of energy by 2045.

Brown started her career as an engineer in the petroleum refining sector and has 25 years of experience in the energy industry across engineering, legal, policy, and regulatory roles. She joined SoCalGas in 2019 from SoCalGas’ corporate parent Sempra, a diversified energy services company based in San Diego, where she was vice president, federal government affairs.

Prior to joining Sempra, Brown amassed a decade of legislative and policy expertise working on Capitol Hill, serving in senior staff roles in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. During this period, she served as chief energy counsel to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and subsequently as senior energy and environment counsel for two speakers of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Prior to this, she was a corporate securities associate attorney in the San Francisco office of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.

Brown is chair of the American Gas Association Foundation, serves on the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Petroleum Council, and is on the Board and Executive Committee of the California Chamber of Commerce.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and her law degree (Order of the Coif) from Louisiana State University.

At SoCalGas Brown is guiding the company through the domestic clean energy transition and helping California reach its climate goals while delivering energy that is reliable and affordable.

 
Sara Neff
Head of Sustainability
Lendlease Americas
Biography

Sara Neff

Head of Sustainability
Lendlease Americas

Sara Neff is the Head of Sustainability, Lendlease Americas, where she provides leadership and management oversight in developing, implementing and driving Lendlease's corporate sustainability framework in the Americas region. Prior to that role, she served as Senior Vice President, Sustainability at Kilroy Realty Corporation. Under her leadership, Kilroy has been recognized as a leader among publicly traded real estate companies on sustainability in the Americas by GRESB for seven of the last eight years as well as being recognized by NAREIT, and achieved carbon neutral operations at the end of 2020. She is a LEED Fellow and holds a BS from Stanford and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Elise Zoli
Partner, Energy and Climate Solutions
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Biography

Elise Zoli

Partner, Energy and Climate Solutions
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Elise Zoli is a partner in the energy and climate solutions practice at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where she focuses on advancing strategic alliances in the clean energy, water, agriculture, and de-carbonized sectors.

Elise has worked extensively on a variety of groundbreaking technologies, transactions, and projects, including with nuclear, solar, wind, fuel cell (PEM (polymer electrolyte membrane) and SOF/EC (solid oxide fuel cells)), storage, micro- and smart-grid, CCUS, de-salination, and water technologies, as well as the associated securitization and markets for carbon, fuels, land, and ecological attributes. In conjunction with her transactional work, which focuses on strategic alliances, Elise has pioneered the use of novel P3 (public-private partnership) instruments, including U.S. Department of Energy grants, loan guarantees, and incentives.

Prior to joining Wilson Sonsini, Elise was a partner and the global head of the Future of Energy, Renewables+ and Sustainability initiative at Jones Day. Previously, she led the energy practice and was a partner at Goodwin Procter.

Elise is a co-founder of the Alliance for a Climate Resilient Earth and serves on the board of directors of the Stimson Center, a leading, nonpartisan global think tank. She is currently obtaining her global M.B.A. from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
Hilary Norton
Commissioner
California Transportation Commission
Biography

Hilary Norton

Commissioner
California Transportation Commission

Hilary Norton is the Chairwoman Emeritus of the California Transportation Commission (CTC) and Executive Director of FASTLinkDTLA, the Transportation Management Organization for Downtown Los Angeles. 

Hilary was appointed to the CTC by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2019, and elected Chair of the CTC in August 2020.  Hilary concluded her second term as Chair on February 28th, 2022.  She brings over 30 years of experience in transportation and community development to her Commission role.  Ms. Norton’s primary goals as CTC Chair include investing over $5 billion in annual SB1 gas tax and other funds into California’s transportation infrastructure system in order to improve outcomes in equity, mobility across numerous modes, safety, environment/climate change resilience, and economic growth.

As the Executive Director of FASTLinkDTLA – a new Transportation Management Organization (TMO) for Downtown LA (DTLA)– with a goal of reducing single occupant vehicle (SOV) trips in DTLA by 75% by 2030.  To achieve this goal, FASTLinkDTLA TMO connects employers and residents to transit, micro-transit and on-demand shuttles, AVP parking, walking and biking options and advocates for new mobility options to be funded to travel to and within DTLA.  Through FASTLinkDTLA, Ms. Norton launched one of the first ever in LA County micro-transit systems, connecting travelers through the flexLA multi-mobility app, and connecting new on-demand wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV), transit, vanpools, carpools, scooters, bike share, biking and walking.  FASTLinkDTLA enthusiastically supports the proposed LA Streetcar for DTLA, as well as new Metro rail and bus service planned for DTLA such as the Regional Connector, West Santa Ana Branch and Sixth Street/Arts District Station on the Metro Red/Purple Line.

As Fixing Angelenos Stuck in Traffic (FAST)’s founding Executive Director since 2008, Ms. Norton mobilized a diverse coalition of business, labor, civic groups, educational institutions and transit organizations to support policy and infrastructure improvements to LA’s mobility, livability and economic prosperity.  FAST’s primary focuses: 1) Mobility Hubs – carshare, bikeshare, bike parking, EV charging and traveler services at transit stations, job and education centers; 2) comprehensive arterial improvements to improve travel time, encourage mode shift, and promote safety and transit connectivity; 3) Metro ExpressLanes expansion throughout LA County, creating the Metro ExpressLanes Business Roundtable to support the I-110/I-10 pilot corridors;  4) Expanding LA County’s bus rapid transit (BRT) network, especially in her neighborhood of Eagle Rock; and 5) Revitalizing the Arts District in DTLA with new mobility options: the Sixth Street/ Arts District Metro Station, and Sixth Street Viaduct / Sixth Street Park -- the largest bridge reconstruction project in LA’s history, adding bicycle and pedestrian lanes, and connections to the LA River and the Metro Red/Purple Line.

Ms. Norton is President and Managing Partner of Effect Strategies, a full-service strategic communications firm, with clients ranging from biotech/life sciences to innovations in service delivery, clean buildings, and mobility.

Ms. Norton served as 2018 Chairwoman of the Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed), and is on the Board of Directors of the Central City Association. She co-chairs the Transportation Committees for BizFed, the LA Chamber of Commerce, and the LA Business Council (LABC). 

Ms. Norton is a member of the UCLA Institute for Transportation Studies (ITS) Advisory Board and a member of SCAG’s GLUE Council and its TDM Working Group.

Ms. Norton holds a BA from Wellesley College and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.  She is the mother of two adults, Xavier and Eva Orozco.
Darcie Houck
Commissioner
California Public Utilities Commission
Biography

Darcie Houck

Commissioner
California Public Utilities Commission

Commissioner Darcie L. Houck was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) by Governor Gavin Newsom on Feb. 9, 2021. She formerly served as Chief Counsel for the California Energy Commission since 2019.

Commissioner Houck was an Administrative Law Judge at the CPUC from 2016 to 2019, a Partner at Fredericks Peebles & Morgan from 2005 to 2016, and Staff Counsel and Policy Advisor at the California Energy Commission from 2000 to 2005.

Commissioner Houck has expertise in matters concerning environmental equity, nuclear energy regulation, and safety policy. She has an extensive background representing Native American tribes throughout the country on matters involving energy, natural resources, land claims, and water rights, among others.

Commissioner Houck is a member of the California Indian Law Association, California Lawyers Association, Schwartz-Levi Inn of Court, Women Lead and the Association of Women in Water, Energy, and Environment. She earned a law degree from the University of California, where she also earned a Master of Science in community development.
Andrea Ambriz
General Manager
Exposition Park
Biography

Andrea Ambriz

General Manager
Exposition Park

Andrea Ambriz serves as the General Manager of Exposition Park, one of the largest public, open spaces in the heart of Los Angeles welcoming millions of visitors annually. With a commitment to building healthy, vibrant and safe communities, General Manager Ambriz was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to steward Exposition Park and bring her experience working successfully in community and policy development and engagement.

Exposition Park, a 160-acre renown state property, is home to celebrated museums, leading-edge sporting venues, recreational and educational facilities, and community assets that engage, entertain and accommodate visitors from near and far.  General Manager Ambriz believes in championing park and green equity and access through the Park, particularly to over half a million residents who live within a three-mile radius. As well, she recognizes the Park’s potential to serve as a world-class destination and community economic opportunity as it prepares to host the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, following historic hosting of the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympic Games.

Prior to serving as General Manager, Ambriz was Deputy Secretary of External Affairs at the California Natural Resources Agency, cultivating strategic partnerships to facilitate the agency’s protection of California’s natural, historic and cultural resources. She previously served as Chief Operating Officer at River LA and as Chief of Staff at SEIU Local 2015. She also formerly held notable roles in the U.S. federal government, including for 44th U.S. President Barack Obama as White House Deputy Director of Private Sector Engagement and at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Ambriz has also worked in the California State Legislature, advising on diverse policies and initiatives, including advancing the allocation of over $400 million equitably to park-poor neighborhoods across California and supporting landmark clean-air legislation.

She serves on the Board of the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension Commission and the Municipal Improvement Corporation of Los Angeles among others. She is a Los Angeles native, and earned undergraduate degrees from DePaul University, and holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

 
Tamotsu Saito
Chairman
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) 
Biography

Tamotsu Saito

Chairman
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) 

Mr. Saito was appointed Chair of NEDO, Japan’s largest and most influential government organization fostering the development of new energy and industrial technologies, in April of 2023.

Prior career was largely with IHI Corporation, one of Japan’s largest, and highly diversified, heavy industry manufacturing companies.  Starting as the founding firm of Japan’s first modern shipyard in 1853, the current IHI product mix ranges from shipbuilding to aviation and space industries, with a healthy portfolio of sustainable energy and environmental technology solutions. 

Saito joined IHI immediately upon completing Graduate Studies at the Engineering Faculty of Tokyo University in 1975.  A successful and varied career was capped with multiple senior executive positions in aerospace related operations until rising to become President of the Aero-Engine & Space Operations of IHI in 2009. 

Successive promotions soon brought Saito to the office of President and CEO of IHI Corporation in 2012, Chairman of the Board and CEO by 2016, and Chairman of IHI to year 2020. 
 
Susan Kennedy
Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO
Cadiz
Biography

Susan Kennedy

Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO
Cadiz

Susan Kennedy is Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Cadiz. Ms. Kennedy joined the Board in February 2021 and was elected Chairman in February 2022. In January 2024, Ms. Kennedy was appointed CEO.

Ms. Kennedy has led a distinguished career as a policymaker and entrepreneur, a top advisor to two California Governors, former Commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission, and founder and chief executive of a distributed energy company. Ms. Kennedy joined the Board of Directors of Cadiz, Inc. in March 2021 and currently serves as Executive Chair of the water solutions company, which is headquartered in LA and has infrastructure assets in San Bernardino, LA and Kern County.

Prior to entering the private sector, Ms. Kennedy served for two decades at the highest levels of California government, including chief of staff to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and cabinet secretary to Governor Gray Davis. From 2003 to 2006, Ms. Kennedy served as Commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which regulates the state’s investor-owned utilities. In this role, she oversaw the CPUC’s efforts to ensure water utilities deliver clean, safe, and reliable water to their customers at reasonable rates.

In her leadership role for two California Governors, Ms. Kennedy was responsible for negotiating some of the largest agreements among agricultural interests, environmentalists, rural and urban water users for multi-billion-dollar investments in water supply, storage and conveyance facilities, as well as conservation and environmental restoration projects including the $8 billion,10-year restoration of the San Francisco Bay Delta ecosystem and the early plans to restore the Salton Sea.
Liz Crosson
Chief Sustainability, Resiliency, Innovation Officer
Metropolitan Water District
Biography

Liz Crosson

Chief Sustainability, Resiliency, Innovation Officer
Metropolitan Water District

Liz Crosson has been the Chief Sustainability, Resiliency, Innovation Officer at Metropolitan Water District since March of 2022.

Previously, Crosson was a sustainability consultant for the Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office, and is currently an adjunct instructor in urban sustainability at the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy. As director of infrastructure for the city of Los Angeles from 2018 to 2021, Crosson was Mayor Eric Garcetti’s policy lead on water, power, waste and public right of way infrastructure issues. From 2017 to 2018, she served as the city’s deputy chief sustainability officer and was the city’s first appointed water policy advisor. She served as executive director of Los Angeles Waterkeeper from 2010-2015. Liz Crosson joined Mayor Eric Garcetti's Sustainability Team as Water Policy Advisor after serving as the Executive Director of Los Angeles Waterkeeper for five years. Liz led Waterkeeper’s efforts to protect, conserve and restore Los Angeles' waterways through advocacy, community education and litigation. She previously worked with Lawyers for Clean Water, Inc. where she represented non-profit organizations in water pollution enforcement actions. She has a J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School with an emphasis in environmental law.
Janna Sidley
Board Member/Partner
LACERS/Ichor Strategies
Biography

Janna Sidley

Board Member/Partner
LACERS/Ichor Strategies

Recently retired, Janna Sidley was honored to serve as the first female general counsel for the Port of Los Angeles for over nine years. Ms. Sidley’s career with the City of Los Angeles began in 2003. 

In addition to Ms. Sidley’s work with LA, she serves as a Commissioner of the California Milton Marks “Little Hoover” Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy, appointed in 2016 by Governor Brown and reappointed by Governor Newsom. 

Ms. Sidley was honored in 2020 as a member of Lawyers of Distinction and in 2019 received a Leader in the Law award from the Los Angeles Business Journal. 

Ms. Sidley holds a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School and a Bachelor of Arts, Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
David Hochschild
Chair
California Energy Commission
Biography

David Hochschild

Chair
California Energy Commission

David Hochschild was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown in February 2013. He fills the environmental position on the five-member Commission where four of the five members by law are required to have professional training in specific areas - engineering or physical science, environmental protection, economics, and law.

Commissioner Hochschild’s career has spanned public service, environmental advocacy and the private sector. He first got involved in the solar energy field in 2001 in San Francisco as a Special Assistant to Mayor Willie Brown where he launched a citywide $100 million initiative to put solar panels on public buildings. He went on to co-found the Vote Solar Initiative, a 60,000-member advocacy organization promoting solar policies at the local, state and federal level. He served as executive director of a national consortium of leading solar manufacturers and worked for five years at Solaria, a solar company in Silicon Valley. In 2007-2008, he served as a commissioner at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

For his work to advance clean energy, Commissioner Hochschild was awarded the Sierra Club’s Trailblazer Award, the American Lung Association’s Clean Air Hero Award and the Department of Energy’s Million Solar Roof True Champion Award. Commissioner Hochschild holds a B.A. degree from Swarthmore College and a Masters of Public Policy degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs.
Jules Radcliff
Partner
Radcliff Fairman LLP
Biography

Jules Radcliff

Partner
Radcliff Fairman LLP

Jules Radcliff is a business, government, and trial lawyer experienced in counseling directors, officers, and senior government officials, specialized in crafting solutions to complex business challenges, often where government plays a role in regulation, contracting, or enforcement. In addition to negotiating and documenting transactions common to most businesses, he has also conducted complex factual and financial forensic investigations and managed high-stakes, multi-jurisdiction litigation. As special counsel to boards of directors, he has assisted boards in properly discharging fiduciary duties both as to enterprise risks and as to corporate governance. Jules has extensive experience with the regulation of insurance and with all forms of insurance coverage, as well as with risk retention and risk purchasing groups, and served as national coordinating counsel for major D&O insurers coordinating and overseeing the response to, and management of, multiple waves of class action litigation aimed at savings & loan institutions, high-tech companies, and other targeted segments of the national business community. 

His clients have included well-known companies in national and international commerce, finance, insurance, technology, radio and television broadcast, entertainment, manufacturing, real estate, energy, and health care, as well as both domestic (U.S.) and foreign governments. Jules has represented numerous clients in matters before the U.S. Congress involving major, national investigations and related hearings, and he has successfully managed the passage of multiple, new laws through state legislatures, including the California legislature, as well as the amendment or adoption of new regulations in matters of importance to the business community. 

Mr. Radcliff has had a parallel career in government and politics. In government he has served in multiple roles and capacities, from Chief of Staff to appointed member of commissions overseeing municipal and state departments. He has overseen, developed, or managed multiple projects as well as high-profile and diverse public-private commissions and advisory boards, frequently consulting as Special Counsel to government agencies and officials in sensitive matters. In politics he has served as General Counsel, Manager, Chairman, or Co-Chairman of many local, state, and federal political campaigns across the U.S., including mayoral, gubernatorial, congressional, and presidential campaigns.

Internationally, Jules has served as Business Investment Advisor, Office of U.N. High Commissioner, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and as Legal Advisor and Intermediary between U.S. Justice/State Departments and the national government of an Eastern European country. 

He is a graduate of UCLA Law School, and holds a Bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, in Business Administration, with a minor in accounting, from California State University—Northridge.
Ana Bandea
Director of Methane Results
Insight M
Biography

Ana Bandea

Director of Methane Results
Insight M
Mary Nichols
Co-Chair
Commission on the Future of Mobility
Biography

Mary Nichols

Co-Chair
Commission on the Future of Mobility

Mary Nichols is the former Chair of The California Air Resources Board, where she occupies the attorney seat. She served on the Board under Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. (1975-82 and 2010-18), Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (2007-2010) and Governor Gavin Newsom (2019—2021.)  She also served as California’s Secretary for Natural Resources (1999-2003), appointed by Gov. Gray Davis.

When not working for the State of California, Mary was a senior staff attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council; Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Regulation, in the administration of President William Jefferson Clinton; and headed the Institute of Environment and Sustainability at UCLA.

Over a career as an environmental lawyer spanning over 45 years, Mary Nichols has played a key role in California and the nation’s progress toward healthy air. She has also led the Board in crafting California’s internationally recognized climate action plan.       
Siva Gunda
Vice Chair
California Energy Commission
Biography

Siva Gunda

Vice Chair
California Energy Commission

Commissioner Siva Gunda is serving his first term on the California Energy Commission.

Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Gunda in February 2021 to serve as the Energy Commission’s public member. Gunda was later appointed to Vice Chair in September 2021. He is the lead commissioner on energy assessments.

Gunda served as manager of the Demand Analysis Office and deputy director for the Energy Commission’s Energy Assessments Division. The division forecasts and assesses energy demands and supplies.

Before joining the Energy Commission, he served in a variety of capacities at the Energy Efficiency Institute at the University of California, Davis, including as the director of research, where he directed the institute’s operations and research portfolio.

He holds a master of science in mechanical and aeronautical engineering from Utah State University. Gunda is pursuing his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from UC Davis. He is a serious cricket fan and former captain of his college team. He lives with his family in Davis.
Joy Langford
Chief Community Benefits Officer,
Arches
Biography

Joy Langford

Chief Community Benefits Officer,
Arches

Joy Langford is the Chief Community Benefits officer of ARCHES H2 Hub where she oversees ARCHES commitment to $150 Million dollars in direct community investment and creation of over 220,000 jobs with a commitment to $220 million in workforce development within California’s new Hydrogen Infrastructure plan.

Joy has over 18 years’ experience as a public-private partnership liaison, assisting companies in becoming better corporate citizens through environmental and corporate responsibility initiatives.   With intricate knowledge of compliance issues as they relate to governmental agencies at the local, state, and federal government levels (such as OSHA, Cal EPA, AQMD, and CARB), Joy has helped some of America’s largest corporations face some of their toughest environmental and community problems.  She specializes in resolving complex environmental issues between companies and local communities; developing good corporate citizenship values while navigating various government rules and creating positive community initiatives. 

Previously, Joy’s work included serving as the Senior Environmental Policy Advisor and Economist for a member of the Assembly for the State of California.  Prior to that, she originated and funded over $100 million worth of utility grade solar and alternative energy deals for a private equity fund, and managed and ran her own mortgage bank, facilitating a $10 million warehouse line of credit to fund home loans, primarily in the inner city of Los Angeles. 

Joy was appointed by the Water replenishment District of Southern California’s Board of Directors to serve as Director of Division One in February of 2022.  She was subsequently elected to the board in an official government election in 2023 and as of 2024 is the President of Water Replenishment District, managing renewable water rights throughout Los Angeles, Long Beach and various parts of Southern California.  

Joy’s most recent endeavors include consulting on light rail and energy efficient trucking solutions and implementing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations units in several California Municipalities, as well as working with local government agencies and local industry on rendering and renewable waste issues in Los Angeles County.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Joy has a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Joy sat on the advisory board for Air Quality Management District, currently sits on the boards of Young Professionals in Energy (Los Angeles and Orange County chapters), as well as the advisory board of Climate Resolve. She is a Milken Associate, specializing in social policy and legislation. Additionally, she sits on the board of The Children’s Museum of La Habra. Ms. Langford currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

 
Matt Horton
Director, Center for Regional Economics & California Center
Milken Institute/Accelerator for America
Biography

Matt Horton

Director, Center for Regional Economics & California Center
Milken Institute/Accelerator for America

Matt Horton is a director at the Milken Institute’s Center for Regional Economics and California Center. In this capacity, he interacts with government officials, business leaders, and other key stakeholders in directing statewide programming and policy initiatives. Horton’s programmatic work at the Institute is focused on identifying a variety of financial tools, public policies, and collaborative models that leaders can deploy to increase investments in education, community development, housing, employment and other areas supporting human capital and place-based economic development. Previously, Horton worked for the Southern California Association of Governments, the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization. There, Horton served as the primary point of contact for external and government affairs, coordinating regional policy development with elected officials as well as subregional, state, and federal stakeholders in Los Angeles and Orange counties. In this role, he developed plans with leaders across Southern California to address growth, resiliency, and improve quality of life.
Lex Heslin
CEO
Enso Infrastructure, LLC
Biography

Lex Heslin

CEO
Enso Infrastructure, LLC

Lex Heslin is CEO of ENSO Infrastructure, a developer and investor in green infrastructure projects focused on decarbonization. He also serves as Senior Project Developer for Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI), a global engineering and cleantech company with anaerobic digestion (AD) and other projects to produce green electricity, renewable natural gas, and hydrogen. Mr. Heslin has extensive experience in energy and waste, advising leading institutional investors, private equity, and governments in developing green energy solutions. As an advisor to the City of Lancaster, California, Mr. Heslin has championed efforts to transform Lancaster into the first U.S. municipality to commit to hydrogen, creating a 10-year hydrogen roadmap to convert city facilities and fleets to hydrogen, encourage hydrogen-tech investment, and plan participation in large-scale hydrogen generation, storage, and distribution. ENSO is also the program manager of the U.S. Department of Energy’s H2 Twin Cities Mentor/Mentee program, announced in Egypt in November 2022 at COP 27, between Lancaster, Hawai’i County and Namie town (Fukushima, Japan).

Mr. Heslin arranged Lancaster’s partnership with Namie, Japan for the first Smart Sister City program promoting mutual assistance in hydrogen advancement in July 2021. As the previous founder and CEO of Beautiful Earth Group, a solar, wind and hydro IPP, Mr. Heslin’s views have evolved to support rapid advancement of hydrogen believing that profound global decarbonization requires a mix of both electron- and molecule-based solutions. Prior to ENSO and HZI, he spent 30 years and participated in more than $8.0 billion in project and structured financing, development, and infrastructure investment at Sanwa Bank in Tokyo, then in New York at Goldman Sachs and as President of Capital Holdings. Mr. Heslin holds a BA from Emory, an MBA from Mercer, an MSc from the London School of Economics (where he received the Rotary International scholarship), and he received a Monbusho Scholarship for post-graduate study in international economics at Seikei University in Tokyo.
 
Minh Le
General Manager
Los Angeles County Internal Services Department
Biography

Minh Le

General Manager
Los Angeles County Internal Services Department

Minh Le serves as the General Manager for Energy and Environmental Services for the County of Los Angeles’ Internal Service Department.  His team manages the County’s energy assets as well as regional energy programs.  Prior to this role, he served at the Office of Management and Budget and US Department of Energy where he led the SunShot Initiative.  Minh also worked in the private sector in solar and semiconductor manufacturing. He earned his SM and SB degrees from MIT.
Ross Zelen
Chief Committee Consultant
Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies
Biography

Ross Zelen

Chief Committee Consultant
Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies

Ross Zelen is a Research Fellow in the Climate Program at CLEE. Ross’s research focuses on implementation of climate change policy, with a specific focus on solutions to reduce methane emissions. Ross has worked in California environmental policy and public interest for much of the past decade. Starting as an Executive Fellow at the California Air Resources Board, he worked on advancing air quality, clean energy, and sustainable transportation priorities. He also worked for the VerdeXchange Institute as Program Manager and served as Editor of The Planning Report. Ross received his J.D. from Loyola Law School, where he teamed up to win the 2019 California Lawyers Association Environmental Negotiations Competition and was a semifinalist in the 2020 National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition. He has been admitted to the California bar.

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Ruben Aronin
Senior Vice President
Better World Group
Biography

Ruben Aronin

Senior Vice President
Better World Group

Ruben leads the Better World Group’s clean transportation campaigns in California and in more than a dozen states across the country. He also oversees a growing practice of equity-focused policy advocacy and communications strategies for zero emission vehicle pilot projects and initiatives. His demonstrated commitment to developing and scaling solutions to create a clean economy has yielded enduring relationships with a vast network of stakeholders from the nonprofit, media, government, philanthropy, and private sectors.

Ruben managed and led the Clean Cars Coalition to successfully win California’s adoption of the Advanced Clean Cars II regulation that will require 100% of new cars sold in California to be zero emission by 2035. Ruben architected the campaign with a diverse coalition of dozens of advocacy organizations including labor, health, consumer, equity, business and environmental organizations. The campaign successfully influenced the California Air Resources Board to strengthen the rule and incorporate equity provisions. 

Ruben is also leading a national effort to support states across the country to adopt California’s first-in-the-nation zero emission clean car and clean truck regulations. Additionally, he is leading a diverse coalition of more than 70 organizations to support California’s adoption of the Advanced Clean Fleets rule that would require 100% of new truck sales to be zero emission by 2036.

Ruben also has created and managed highly effective coalition campaigns to support passage of climate bills and regulations and to win passage of $10 billion dollars in California state funding for zero emission vehicle incentives and infrastructure that prioritizes benefits for frontline communities. He leads the outreach and policy work for Southern California’s Clean Transportation Funding programs and is the director of the California Business Alliance for a Clean Economy -- a statewide alliance of California business leaders who support strong and equitable climate policies. Previously, he led a multi-state campaign opposing the Trump administration’s rollback of clean car standards, co-authored a report on electric vehicle incentives and contributed to several clean truck and clean cars studies. 

Throughout his career, Ruben has worked extensively with nonprofits and foundations to create strategic plans and marketing and communications tools such as the Red Carpet/Green Cars Academy Awards initiative for Global Green, the Little Green Fingers community gardens initiative for First 5 LA and the LA Conservation Corps and the Founders Business Accelerator program for the LA Cleantech Incubator. He also has developed an annual corporate philanthropy program and provided strategic guidance to philanthropic leaders including the Southern California Grantmakers Association, Energy Foundation, Pisces Foundation, and the Water Foundation about ways to best implement their priorities.

Prior to joining Better World Group, Ruben served as the Director of Communications and Corporate Relations for Global Green USA, founded by President Gorbachev. He helped lead an innovative green rebuilding effort in New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina and developed a national green schools initiative. Before Global Green, he ran the Earth Communications Office (ECO), a Hollywood-based national nonprofit organization.

Ruben serves on the Advisory Board for the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and the Advisory Committee for the California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Program Investment Plan. He was selected to be an inaugural CORO Lead LA Fellow and recently completed service on the KCET/PBS SoCal Advisory Board where he successfully relaunched their Local Heroes initiative. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania. 
 
Gunjan Bagla
CEO
Amritt, Inc.
Biography

Gunjan Bagla

CEO
Amritt, Inc.

Gunjan Bagla is CEO of Amritt Inc. a consulting firm that has a 20-year track record of building trade, technology and trust between USA and India. Executives from companies such as Boeing, Bose, Clorox, Digikey, Flex, Hewlett Packard, Medtronic. Nordic Naturals and Roche have benefited from Gunjan and Amritt’s expertise and insights on India.  In the green energy space. Westinghouse Nuclear hired Amritt the week after the 123 Civil Nuclear Energy was signed between India and the USA; Amritt also took smaller nuclear ecosystem suppliers such as Structural Integrity and Underwater Construction to meet India’s nuclear energy utility. Amritt was also hired by the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries to plan and guide a trade mission to India.

Gunjan has been quoted about business with India in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Washington Post, and New York Times and has appeared on Bloomberg TV, BBC TV and Fox Business in addition to NPR station KCRW. Gunjan writes about business with India for the Harvard Business Review and many trade publications and often speaks at local and global events about India.

Gunjan earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and an MBA with honors from Southern Illinois University.  He is the Past President of IIT Alumni and co-founder of India International Impact. Find him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/gunjan/ and @bagla on Twitter.

Gail Goldberg
Boardmember
Metropolitan Water District Board
Biography

Gail Goldberg

Boardmember
Metropolitan Water District Board

S. Gail Goldberg, FAICP, served as Executive Director of the Urban Land Institute - Los Angeles from June of 2011 until February 2017.  Ms. Goldberg brought to the table not only her many years leading the planning departments of two of the world’s most significant cities, but also many years of service to ULI.

Goldberg was Director of Los Angeles City Planning Department from February 2006 through August 2010. She was responsible for organizing and directing the policies and activities of the City’s Planning Department, including the development, maintenance and implementation of all elements of the City’s General Plan as well as a range of other special zoning plans.

Prior to joining the Los Angeles Planning Department, Goldberg worked for 17 years in the City of San Diego Planning Department, serving as Planning Director from 2000 through 2005. She oversaw a planning process to update the city’s 20-year-old General Plan. The result – which became an international model for urban revitalization – was a 20-year vision for the San Diego and a long-term strategy for achieving that vision known as the “City of Villages.”

Goldberg is a native Californian and holds a degree in Urban Studies and Planning from the University of California San Diego and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Goldberg currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the USC Center for Sustainable Cities and the USC Price School Masters of Planning Program.  She also serves on the Advisory Board for the University of California’s District 9 Transportation Center.  Beginning in March 2019, Goldberg serves on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Water District representing San Diego.

Goldberg has formerly served as an Urban Land Institute Trustee, one of two public members on the State Strategic Growth Council, Chair of the San Diego/Tijuana ULI District Council and on the Statewide Coordinating Committee for the Urban Land Institute’s California Smart Growth Initiative. She is a past President of the San Diego Chapter of the Lambda Alpha Honorary Land Economics Society.

 

 

 

 
Rita Kampalath
Acting Chief Sustainability Officer
LA County Chief Sustainability Office
Biography

Rita Kampalath

Acting Chief Sustainability Officer
LA County Chief Sustainability Office

Rita joined the County of Los Angeles’s Chief Sustainability Office in June 2017 as a Sustainability Program Director for the office. She supports development and implementation of the County’s first sustainability plan, in addition to providing policy support for other County sustainability-related initiatives. In May 2022, she was appointed Acting Chief Sustainability Officer.  Prior to joining the County, Rita was the Science and Policy Director of the non-profit Heal the Bay where she oversaw advocacy and research projects related to water quality and water resources, and guided the development of Heal the Bay’s positions on a wide range of policy issues. Before joining Heal the Bay, Rita worked for Geosyntec Consultants on a range of water quality projects, primarily focusing on stormwater. Rita received a B.S. in chemical engineering from Columbia University, and an M.S. in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. in civil/environmental engineering from UCLA. 
 
 
Dr. Jimmy Chen
Managing Director
SECA - Stanford Energy Corporate Affiliates, Precourt Institute for Energy
Biography

Dr. Jimmy Chen

Managing Director
SECA - Stanford Energy Corporate Affiliates, Precourt Institute for Energy

Jim Chen leads a number of energy programs at Stanford Energy, including Stanford’s new Hydrogen Initiative; Stanford’s energy storage initiative, StorageX; and Stanford’s integrated energy program, Stanford Energy Corporate Affiliates (SECA). Dr. Chen was also the founding Managing Director of Bits & Watts, Stanford’s initiative focusing on the grid of the 21st century, launched in 2016.

Dr. Chen is enthusiastic about the global energy transformation and building a more sustainable society through innovation. At Stanford, Dr. Chen creates and expands impactful global communities of practice that enable industrial-academic-government collaboration in energy research and scale-up. Dr. Chen is also a leader in Stanford Energy’s global events including its regional roundtables and Global Energy Forum. Finally, Dr. Chen is deeply involved in Stanford’s innovation ecosystem, advising student groups, start-up companies, and accelerators. Dr. Chen’s research interests include hydrogen, energy storage, the circular economy, decarbonizing transportation, and integrated energy systems. Dr. Chen’s teaching roles include lecturing for Stanford’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and for Stanford Energy’s Hydrogen Economy Seminar.
Dr. Chen is passionate about global energy entrepreneurship and innovation. He works with energy agencies around the world promoting global collaboration, accelerating innovation, and sparking entrepreneurship. He also serves on a number of advisory councils, including on EPRI and GTI’s Low Carbon Research Initiative’s (LCRI) technical advisory board.

Dr. Chen came to Stanford University after 25 years in industry, bringing a broad background in energy and technology, with a specialization in technology and product development. He has held technical positions at Lawrence Berkeley Labs, GTE Labs, IBM, and AT&T Bell Labs, as well as technology executive positions at both starts-ups and Fortune 500 companies, including FormFactor and Eaton.

Dr. Chen received a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and MS from the University of California, Berkeley — both in materials science and engineering — and holds a BS from the University of California, Berkeley in electrical engineering.
Brian Jordan
Vice President
Tetra Tech
Biography

Brian Jordan

Vice President
Tetra Tech

Brian is a Vice President at Tetra Tech, a leading provider of consulting and engineering services, and an active leader in the environmental, water, and infrastructure sectors. He has over two and a half decades of experience and holds a variety of executive management responsibilities for the firm’s Water and Infrastructure business in the United States. Brian also serves on the strategy and leadership team for several of Tetra Tech’s strategic investments, including their One Water and Digital Water initiatives. 

Tetra Tech’s Digital Water initiative focuses on technology and IT/OT-enabled investments to differentiate the company through pioneering services centered on data, analytics, hardware, and software solutions. Tetra Tech’s One Water solutions provide access to safe, abundant water supplies; effective treatment of stormwater and wastewater; flood control and restoration tools; and state-of-the-art watershed protection approaches to assess, protect, and restore our water bodies. 

Brian is a licensed Professional Engineer in California and his technical experience spans a wide range of water, environment, and infrastructure projects throughout North America including planning, design, and construction activities. He has served in leadership roles on program management assignments involving capital facilities of over ten billion dollars. 

Brian has been active in professional associations his entire career. He has served on the Board of Directors of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and has been elected or appointed to the role of President, Chair, or Vice Chair for over a half-dozen different industry associations. This provides him with unique knowledge of regulatory and policy issues that utilities are facing and detailed insights into the latest industry trends.
Thomas Aujero Small
President & CEO
Culver City Forward
Biography

Thomas Aujero Small

President & CEO
Culver City Forward
 
Thomas Aujero Small served as Mayor of Culver City from 2018-2019, during his four-year term as a Culver City Council Member (2016-2020). He is also Chair of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (LA METRO) Sustainability Council, and on the Transportation Policy Committee of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). On the Culver City Council, he served on several Subcommittees, including: the General Plan Update; Economic Development; Mobility, Traffic and Parking; Financial Planning and Budget; and the Ballona Creek Revitalization Task Force.

Small’s work with the city focused on excellence in urban planning, sustainable design and mobility, including initiating and leading the Transit Oriented District Visioning process. He led efforts to win grants from the Mayor’s Innovation Project, the Harvard Behavioral Insight Group, and the National Institute for Civil Discourse, for programs to enhance public outreach for neighborhood planning and alternative modes of transportation. He represented the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus of the League of California Cities on their Housing and Economic Development Policy Committee. At a national level, he has participated in the US Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, the New American Leaders and Local Progress, all based in Washington, D.C.

He has been featured in the New York Times, the LA Times, NPR and the Washington Post, and on CNBC. He is often invited to speak internationally, including recent keynotes at the International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure with the American Society of Civil Engineers, and for the RAND Corporation at the international conference on Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty. As an architectural writer and consultant, he worked on projects in urban and sustainable design and planning, development and historic preservation in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. He moderated design award juries in New York and Copenhagen, and taught Sustainability for Organizational Change at UCLA. He studied at Yale, the University of Paris, and the Columbia School of Journalism, and speaks four languages. He lives with his wife Joanna Brody, and their two children and two giant sheep dogs, in the sustainably designed, often published Culver City home that they built in 2007.

 
Janet-Marie Smith
SVP Planning and Development
Los Angeles Dodgers
Biography

Janet-Marie Smith

SVP Planning and Development
Los Angeles Dodgers

Smith is a renowned architect and urban planner who was named the Dodgers’ senior vice president of planning and development on Aug. 6, 2012. In that role, Smith oversees upgrades and enhancements to Dodger Stadium. 

In 2023, Smith along with Fran Weld formed Baltimore-based “Canopy”, a woman-led company devoted to the design and management of sports projects and their surrounding developments.  Dedicated to urban revitalization and community enrichment, Canopy specializes in large-scale projects that seamlessly blend sports, design, and urban planning as well as intimate scales within museums, retail, and public parks.  

Smith is well known in baseball for her work on Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which set the standard for a new wave of ballparks after its opening in 1992. Before joining the Dodgers, Smith worked for the Baltimore Orioles as vice president of planning and development from September 2009 to August 2012. In that role, Smith directed renovations and expansion of the Orioles’ new spring training facility in Sarasota, Florida as well as upgrades and enhancements to Oriole Park at Camden Yards to celebrate the park’s 20th anniversary.

From 2002 to 2009, Smith served as senior vice president of planning and development for the Boston Red Sox, overseeing the preservation of historic Fenway Park and leading the program that placed this significant ballpark on the National Historic Register. 

From 1994-2000, Smith held the position of president of Turner Sports and Entertainment Development, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, and was the vice president of Planning and Development for the Atlanta Braves. Her work in Atlanta helped transform the 1996 Olympic Stadium into Turner Field, home of the Braves, and she also oversaw the development of the Philips Arena, home of the NBA Atlanta Hawks and NHL Atlanta Thrashers.

Smith holds a Master’s in Urban Planning from City College of New York and a Bachelor of Architecture from Mississippi State University. She is an associate member of the Urban Land Institute, the American Institute of Architects, and the American Planning Association. 
Kenko Sone
Consul General
Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles
Biography

Kenko Sone

Consul General
Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles

1989 　  Graduated from Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, Japan
1989.4   Entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA)
2008.8   Director, OECD Division, Economic Affairs Bureau, MOFA
2010.3   Director, International Economy Division, Economic Affairs Bureau, MOFA
2011.7   Economic Counselor, Embassy of Japan, USA
2013.9   Director, First North America Division, North American Affairs Bureau, MOFA
2014.7   Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Public Affairs, Cabinet Secretariat
              Director, Office of Global Communications, Prime Minister's Office
2016.7   Minister (Economic & Development), Embassy of Japan in India
2019.9   Deputy Director-General, Economic Affairs Bureau
2020.7   Deputy Director-General, Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau
2021.6   Assistant Minister, Director-General for Cultural Affairs
2021.7   Ambassador in charge of Sport and Budo
2022.9   Consul General, Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles
Katy Yaroslavsky
Chair, Energy & Environment Committee
LA City Council
Biography

Katy Yaroslavsky

Chair, Energy & Environment Committee
LA City Council

Katy Yaroslavsky serves as Councilwoman for Los Angeles’ Fifth City Council District, representing neighborhoods and communities she has been a part of nearly her entire life. Elected in 2022, CM Yaroslavsky, currently serves as Chair of the City Council’s Energy & Environment committee, Vice-Chair of the Ad Hoc Olympics committee, and is a member of the Budget & Finance, Planning & Land Use Management, and Transportation committees.

Advocating for a sustainable and liveable Los Angeles has been at the center of Councilwoman Yaroslavsky’s career. Prior to her election, she served as a senior policy advisor to LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, where she created LA County’s first Office of Sustainability, and led the development, negotiation, and adoption by voters of Measure W, one of the largest infrastructure and jobs programs in our region’s history. She helped create the Clean Power Alliance — a coalition of thirty-two local cities and counties that serves over 3 million ratepayers and is the largest provider of green power in the nation. Councilwoman Yaroslavsky previously served as General Counsel to the Climate Action Reserve, a leading environmental non-profit focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Councilwoman Yaroslavsky is guided by the belief that the biggest challenges our City is facing – homelessness, generational poverty, racial injustice, climate change, a declining quality of life, and an economy that doesn’t work for most Angelenos – are all intersectional. She believes that these issues will only be solved by doing the hard work of building coalitions, fighting for equity in city services, and initiating authentic, inclusive, and thorough community engagement.

A graduate of public schools, including UC Berkeley and UCLA Law School, Councilwoman Yaroslavsky currently resides in Mid City with her husband Dave, their three children, and their cats.

 
Mark Pestrella
Director
Los Angeles County Public Works
Biography

Mark Pestrella

Director
Los Angeles County Public Works
Mark Pestrella is the Director of Los Angeles County Public Works. In this capacity, he serves as the County Engineer, the County Road Commissioner, and the Chief Engineer of the  Los Angeles County Flood Control District. With an annual budget of more than $2.7 billion and  a workforce of 4,000 employees, Los Angeles County Public Works is the largest municipal public  works agency in the United States, providing vital public infrastructure and civic services to more  than 10 million people across a 4,000-square-mile service area. Public Works’ diverse operations are defined within six core service areas: Water Resources, Transportation, Environmental Services, Construction Management, Developmental Services, and Emergency Management.  
 
Mr. Pestrella is a licensed civil engineer and a 34-year veteran of Public Works and has held a variety of management positions. He is a native of Southern California and attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in civil engineering with concentrations in structural engineering and water resource management.
 
Simon Bluestone, PG, BCES
Vice President
Stantec
Biography

Simon Bluestone, PG, BCES

Vice President
Stantec

Simon Bluestone is a Vice President, Account Manager and Growth Leader for Stantec’s Environmental Services business in the Western US.  He collaborates with Stantec’s business leaders in the Water, Buildings, Infrastructure, Energy and Resources business lines to help clients create sustainable, resilient, and equitable communities, while achieving their project objectives.  Simon has over 3 decades of experience delivering large scale, multi-disciplinary projects, and major programs for clients across sectors and geographies. Simon’s expertise is in delivering solutions throughout the project lifecycle, from acquisition due diligence, to integration, permitting/planning, design, construction, and operational excellence. He’s an American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists Board Certified Environmental Scientist, a Coro Executive Fellow and a California Professional Geologist with dual bachelor’s degrees from UCSB in Aquatic Biology and Geology (1986) and a master’s degree in environmental management from the University of San Francisco (1992).

Simon has practiced as a consulting environmental scientist, hydrogeologist and engineering geologist and held increasingly complex project and program management, and operational leadership roles.  He spent 9 years working in Europe, Africa the Middle East and India, in project delivery, regional client service management and then corporate strategy and operational leadership functions, before repatriating to California in 2005, where he led the energy and industry business operations in the Western US.  Simon also serves as an inaugural Director and Treasurer for the non-profit Infrastructure Funding Alliance.  Simon is committed to growing Stantec’s professional services business by delivering outcomes for his clients that make them successful.  He believes in building partnerships and alliances across sectors to benefit our communities.

Simon resides in Pasadena, California with his wife and is the proud father of two college aged daughters.
 
Martin Adams
General Manager & Chief Engineer
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Biography

Martin Adams

General Manager & Chief Engineer
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

Martin Adams is the General Manager and Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation’s largest publicly-owned utility.  He took over the leadership role in July 2019 after three years as the agency’s Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the City’s water and power systems.     

He leads an organization of more than 10,000 employees delivering water and power to the 4 million residents of Los Angeles.  Mr. Adams has more than 35 years of experience with at LADWP, where he started in 1984 as an entry level engineer in the Water System, eventually leading that organization as the Senior Assistant General Manager of Water.  During the course of his career, Mr. Adams worked throughout the Water System and was directly involved with the planning and implementation of major changes to water storage, conveyance, and treatment facilities to meet new water quality regulations.  He has spent almost half of his career in system operations, including ten years as the Director of Water Operations in charge of the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the Los Angeles water delivery system, including the Los Angeles Aqueduct and other supply sources, pump stations, reservoirs, water treatment, and management of Water System properties. 

Mr. Adams is a native of the greater Los Angeles area and lives with his family in Burbank, where he served for nine years on that city’s Water and Power board.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
Lorraine Paskett
Executive Director, Advanced Clean Hydrogen
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Biography

Lorraine Paskett

Executive Director, Advanced Clean Hydrogen
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Lorraine Paskett has more than 25 years of experience in the energy, water, and environmental sectors, with 15 years of focused experience in the energy sector. Ms. Paskett has served as a director for a California investor-owned utility, leading a team through the California energy crisis and sponsoring a suite of initiatives including energy market reform, climate change policy, renewable energy market development, and corporate tax reforms. Ms. Paskett later served as a senior executive for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, leading a comprehensive approach for sustainable utility practices. The focus of her service included revamping utility programs to support accelerated adoption of alternative vehicle fuel sources in Southern California, overseeing electric system transmission permitting, new wind and solar electric generation project permitting, and managing greenhouse gas emissions programs across the utility operations.

Currently, Ms. Paskett serves as Executive Director, Advanced Clean Hydrogen, for Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Ted Bardacke
Executive Director
Clean Power Alliance
Biography

Ted Bardacke

Executive Director
Clean Power Alliance

Ted Bardacke is Executive Director for Clean Power Alliance, California’s new, locally-operated, electricity provider for 31 communities and approximately one million eligible customers across Los Angeles and

Ventura Counties. Ted brings a unique background to the organization that includes experience in the public sector, journalism, education, and non-profit leadership. During his career, Ted has developed expertise in renewable energy planning and project development, electricity and water rate setting, customer service, and sustainability program design and implementation.

Ted comes to Clean Power Alliance from the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, where he was Director of Infrastructure and Deputy Director of the Mayor’s Sustainability Office. In those positions he was the Mayor’s chief policy liaison to the Department of Water and Power and the Department of Public Works and was instrumental in crafting the city’s first-ever Sustainability Plan, with an emphasis on pursuing distributed systems in the electricity and water sectors, and utilizing mobility infrastructure to pursue low- carbon and ecologically-beneficial outcomes.

Ted’s accomplishments at the Office of Mayor Garcetti include securing a 5-year water and power rate increase to fund a transition of 75% of the city’s energy mix to low carbon resources and reducing purchases of imported water by 50%. Ted also supervised major energy planning initiatives, including the 2016 Integrated Resources Plan and a multi-year study to define pathways to reach 100% renewables. Ted led major policy initiatives in energy efficiency, including an ordinance requiring annual building energy and water use disclosure and expansion of residential and commercial PACE financing availability.

From 2003 to 2013, Ted worked in the Green Urbanism Program at Global Green USA, a nationally-leading organization advancing smart solutions to climate change. Prior to that, Ted served as a foreign correspondent for the Financial Times of London, based in Mexico City and Bangkok and was a commentator for the BBC World Service and Deutsche Welle. Ted has taught at Pomona College, universities in Mexico City and Southeast Asia, and is a permanent Lecturer at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs. He is co-author with his teaching colleague Walker Wells of Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing (Island Press, 2007) and holds degrees from Wesleyan University and the Graduate School of Architecture at Columbia University.

 
Brian Goldstein
Executive Director
Energy Independence Now
Biography

Brian Goldstein

Executive Director
Energy Independence Now

Brian Goldstein is the Executive Director of Energy Independence Now, an environmental nonprofit whose mission is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollution by advancing clean hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and renewable hydrogen infrastructure for transportation, renewable energy storage and deep industrial decarbonization. With a background in finance, Brian has professional experience in the alternative fuels, renewable energy, energy efficiency, transportation technology and financial services sectors. He has served as CFO of a motorcycle design and manufacturing firm as well as CFO of a hydrogen transportation technology company, where he focused on public and private financing initiatives, infrastructure acquisitions, automotive technology development and fleet adoption of hydrogen technology.

Brian has worked to develop alternative fuel distribution networks in California and Colorado. He is an Eagle Scout and has also served as a technical and financial consultant to the US Department of Energy, as well as a judge for the Clean Tech Open business plan competition and the DOE National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition.

Brian graduated with a B.S. in International Business from the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado, and earned his MBA with a focus on Finance and International Business at the Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business Management, where he received a Merit Scholarship.
Terry Tamminen
CEO
AltaSea
Biography

Terry Tamminen

CEO
AltaSea

Terry Tamminen is Chief Executive Officer of AltaSea. From his youth in Australia to career experiences in Europe, Africa, China and across the United States, Terry has developed expertise in business, farming, education, non-profit, the environment, the arts, and government. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and later Cabinet Secretary, the Chief Policy Advisor to the Governor, where Terry was the architect of many groundbreaking sustainability policies, including California’s landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, the Hydrogen Highway Network, and the Million Solar Roofs initiative. In 2010 Terry cofounded the R20 Regions of Climate Action, a new public-private partnership, bringing together sub national governments; businesses; financial markets; NGOs; and academia to implement measurable, large-scale, low-carbon and climate resilient economic development projects that can simultaneously solve the climate crisis and build a sustainable global economy. He also provides advice through 7th Generation Advisors to Pegasus Capital Advisors, the Green Climate Fund and numerous global businesses on sustainability and “green” investing, as well as assisting governments and philanthropists with climate solutions, including Fiji, India, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. An accomplished author, Terry’s books include “Cracking the Carbon Code: The Keys to Sustainable Profits in the New Economy” (Palgrave Macmillan). In 2011, Terry was one of six finalists for the Zayed Future Energy Prize and The Guardian ranked Terry No. 1 in its “Top 50 People Who Can Save the Planet.
Marty Borko
Executive Director
ULI Los Angeles
Biography

Marty Borko

Executive Director
ULI Los Angeles

Marty Borko is the Executive Director of the Urban Land Institute Los Angeles.  Borko left his post as Principal at Gensler in Los Angeles to command the day-to-day workings and long-range planning of one of ULI’s largest and most active regional chapters. As Executive Director Borko pilots the organization as it confronts the most critical land-use challenges in the city, including the homeless and housing affordability crisis, as well as city planning, infrastructure, transportation, open-space and historic districts.

In his tenure at Gensler’s Los Angeles office, Borko grew the firm’s Planning and Urban Design, Entertainment, and Mixed Use practices and had been principal-in-charge on numerous international and Los Angeles projects.

In addition to being a Sustaining Member of ULI’s Entertainment Development Council and member of the USC Price School Planning Program Advisory Board, Borko is: Associate Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA); Member, American Planning Association (APA); Member, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC); Member, International Association of Amusement Parks (IAAPA); Dean’s Council, University of Oregon College of Design; Board Member, Los Angeles Downtown Breakfast Club; Member, Southern California Development Forum; and Member, Central City Association.
 
Arnab Pal
Sr. Advisor & Consultant
US Department of Energy
Biography

Arnab Pal

Sr. Advisor & Consultant
US Department of Energy

Focused on the intersection of grid decarbonization, analytics, and economic development, I develop strategies and models for designing markets where societal benefits are accounted for alongside economic benefits, and where public funds are leveraged with private ones.

I use these strategies to facilitate sustainable infrastructure project deal flow by building stakeholder consensus, providing thought leadership, and influencing policy makers.

I passionately believe that projects that take advantage of these new market designs and deploy energy infrastructure projects will provide economic and environmental benefits to local communities around the world.
Sumreen Rattan
Co-founder & COO
Moment Energy
Biography

Sumreen Rattan

Co-founder & COO
Moment Energy

Sumreen is the COO and co-founder of Moment Energy, North America's leading EV battery repurposing company creating clean, affordable, and reliable battery energy storage systems (BESS) by repurposing EV batteries. Moment Energy is the first facility in North America and second facility in the world to have earned UL 1974: the Standard for EV Battery Repurposing Facilities.

At Moment Energy, Sumreen works with major automotive companies, including Mercedes Benz Energy, to support circular economy goals and ensure EV batteries are safely used in second-life applications before they are recycled. BESS solutions by Moment can be used in a variety of applications, including powering EV charging stations, improving grid reliability, and reducing demand charges. Sumreen has been recognized by Forbes as one of their 30 Under 30 in 2023, and by The Globe and Mail, where she was recognized as a Business Changemakers.
Daniel Weiss
Managing Partner & Co-Founder
Angeleno Group
Biography

Daniel Weiss

Managing Partner & Co-Founder
Angeleno Group
Daniel G. Weiss is co-founder and Managing Partner of Angeleno Group LLC (“AG”), a Los Angeles-based venture capital firm with a global platform focused on high growth investments in next-generation clean energy and climate solutions companies. In addition to his firm management responsibilities, Mr. Weiss leads investments and serves on boards of multiple AG portfolio companies. Prior to the formation of AG in 2001, Mr. Weiss was an attorney at O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles, working in the firm’s mergers and acquisitions and international and high technology practice groups. He represented multiple Global 1000 clients, including utilities and energy-related companies, in a wide array of private equity and corporate finance transactions. Currently, Mr. Weiss serves on boards or public commissions for a number of non-profit and government organizations, including the California Community Foundation, World Resources Institute, the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (where he serves as co-Chair), and the Federal Reserve Bank’s 12th District Economic Advisory Council. In addition, Mr. Weiss has taught, lectured, and published articles on the topics of law, business, and public policy. Mr. Weiss holds a JD from Stanford Law School, an MA from Stanford University, and a BA with High Honors from UC Berkeley. 
Michael Schneider
Founder
Streets For All
Biography

Michael Schneider

Founder
Streets For All

A native Angeleno, it was built into Michael’s brain from birth that the only way to get around Los Angeles is by driving a car. And starting on his 16th birthday at 8am at the DMV, that’s how he got around. Until the financial crisis in 2008. With his day job as a tech entrepreneur getting rocky along with the economy, Michael had to make some lifestyle changes – including getting rid of his expensive car lease. After a couple years of borrowing his Grandfather’s classic car – which was in the shop more than it was usable – Michael started to experiment with getting around town using a bicycle, something that seemed “crazy” and “impossible” to his native LA brain. For the past ten years, Michael has gone all in, just getting around town on his bicycle – even to and from LAX, including with his wife and 3 kids. And despite his ability to now afford a car, he thinks it would be crazy to get one. From never being late to look for parking to never having to worry about traffic to eating whatever you want and staying in shape to doing your part to not contribute to climate change – Michael truly believes that more people riding bicycles can save the planet and make our cities a more enjoyable place to live. Michael founded Streets For All (streetsforall.org) in 2019 as Los Angeles’ only transportation-focused PAC, a highly political organization that supports candidates and laws to promote freedom of choice around transportation in Southern California. Over the past three years, Streets For All has been successful in helping to unseat three regressive incumbents at Los Angeles City Council, and has successfully written, sponsored, or supported more than a dozen pieces of legislation at the state level, and has qualified a ballot measure called Healthy Streets LA. Michael is also an elected member of the Mid City West Neighborhood Council, where he chairs the Transportation and Sustainability Committee, is a board member of the Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee, and sits on Metro’s Sustainability Council.
David Nahai
President
David Nahai Consulting Services, Inc.
Biography

David Nahai

President
David Nahai Consulting Services, Inc.

David Nahai is the President of David Nahai Consulting Services, the President of David Nahai Associates, and a Managing Partner at AQORA Capital Management Company.  Nahai Consulting Services advises and assists private and public entities involved in the real estate, renewable energy, water, and environmental sectors. David Nahai Associates is a law firm specializing in transactional real estate, energy, water, and environmental matters.  Aqora Capital is a growth capital firm focused on investment in “growth” stage companies active in the sustainability arena.  

Nahai is the former General Manager and Commission President of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (“LADWP”), former Chairman of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (“Regional Water Board”), and former Senior Advisor to the Clinton Climate Initiative. In January 2021, Nahai was reappointed to the Regional Board by Governor Gavin Newsom, the fourth California Governor to appoint Nahai to this post.
Mike Wallace
Chief Decarbonization Officer
Persefoni
Biography

Mike Wallace

Chief Decarbonization Officer
Persefoni

Mike Wallace is an internationally recognized expert with nearly 30 years of experience in sustainability, ESG reporting/compliance, and managing social and human capital issues. He currently serves as the Chief Decarbonization Officer at Persefoni, a carbon accounting technology company, where he oversees strategic partnerships to help with the integration and application of Persefoni’s climate accounting and management platform (CMAP). Prior to joining Persefoni, Wallace was a partner at the global sustainability consultancy, ERM where he counseled clients on corporate responsibility and sustainability solutions and helped shape several strategic partnerships for ERM. In that role, Wallace also served as the Interim Executive Director for the Social & Human Capital Coalition, a multi-stakeholder project of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). His work included overseeing the establishment of the overall governance structure, technical council and global network that drove the creation of the Social & Human Capital Protocol, which was officially launched at GreenBiz 2019 by the founders WBCSD, Nasdaq, and Microsoft. Prior to ERM, Wallace was a director for the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), where he worked on foundational initiatives such as the International Integrated Reporting Council (IRRC), the European Commission proposal on corporate ESG reporting, and the UN Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative (SSEi) on ESG listing guidance.
Eliot Abel
Senior Vice President, Corporate Clean Energy Solutions
Pivot Energy
Biography

Eliot Abel

Senior Vice President, Corporate Clean Energy Solutions
Pivot Energy
Eliot is the current Senior Vice President, Corporate Clean Energy Solutions for Pivot Energy. He previously lead commercial sales & project development at Namaste Solar, guiding the development of solar projects ranging from 50kW to 10MW. Prior to joining Namaste Solar, Eliot was the Founder and Principal of Abel Clean Energy Advisors, a consulting firm that helps commercial property owners and developers utilize innovative financing, such as C-PACE, to implement renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions that increase value, reduce operating costs, and enhance the sustainability of their properties. Earlier in his career, Eliot worked in business development roles at a UK-based thin film solar startup, GE’s global Renewable Energy business, and San Diego-based Renovate America. Eliot serves on the Boards of the Colorado Solar and Storage Association and Namaste Solar, and holds a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.
 
Kathleen Brown
Treasurer (former)
State of California
Biography

Kathleen Brown

Treasurer (former)
State of California
A former California State Treasurer with nearly two decades of experience as a senior bank executive, Kathleen Brown concentrates on business counseling, government and regulatory affairs in connection with the health care, energy, real estate and financial services industries. 

Before joining Manatt, Kathleen served in senior executive positions at Goldman Sachs Inc. and Bank of America. At Goldman Sachs, where her roles included chairman of Midwest investment banking and head of the Western region public-sector and infrastructure group, Kathleen participated in over $4.2 billion of water and power bond financings and counseled municipal utilities in California in their efforts to meet the state’s renewable energy standards. She also helped healthcare institutions navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by healthcare reform. 

A former Democratic Party gubernatorial nominee, Kathleen has extensive experience in the public sector. As California State treasurer, she managed a $25 billion bond portfolio, oversaw a $32 billion cash management fund and served as a trustee on the boards of CalPERS and CalSTRS, two of the largest pension funds in the nation. 

Kathleen served as co-chair of the Council of Institutional Investors; co-chair of the Presidential Commission on Capital Budgeting; a commissioner of the Los Angeles Board of Public Works; and a two-term member of the Los Angeles Board of Education. 

Before she campaigned for treasurer, Kathleen was an attorney at a global law firm, where she was a member of the capital markets group working in public and corporate finance. 

Ms. Brown serves on the Board of Directors of Sustainable Development Acquisition Corp (SDAC), FivePoint Communities, Stifel Financial Corp, Bill Lane Center for the American West, the Annenberg Foundation, the Mayor’s Fund Los Angeles, the Advisory Board of the Stanford Center on Longevity, and The Trusteeship.
Tak Yokoo
Founder and Chair
Japan Hydrogen Forum
Biography

Tak Yokoo

Founder and Chair
Japan Hydrogen Forum

Served Toyota Motor North America R&D for more than 40 years. His background includes managing suitability testing of advanced powertrain configurations in North America, coordinating the development of new or improved alternate powertrain system controls for Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles (FCHV), Gasoline Hybrid Vehicles (HEV), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV). Also includes strategic planning focusing on technologies that enable sustainable transportation systems.

Starting in 2015, his responsibilities have been extended to large-scale Fuel Cell powertrain feasibility in North America. He built the world's first OEM Fuel Cell heavy-duty truck. From 2017 to 2022, the truck was placed in the Port of Los Angeles drayage operation. It served around 20,000 ZERO EMISSION miles before completing its proof-of-concept program.

He became the 1st chairperson of the Japan Hydrogen Forum (JH2F) founded in 2021. He leads many Japanese affiliate Hydrogen business expert companies that promote US decarbonization business. The forum is supported by the Japanese government, such as the Japan External Trade Organization and the Consulate-general of Japan.

 

He also serves Stanford University's Precourt Institute for Energy (part of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability) Hydrogen Initiative as an Advisory Council.

Mr. Yokoo earned a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Hosei University, Japan, then began his career at Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in 1981. He moved to Toyota Technical Center USA (TTC) in 1990 to begin his new career in the US, where he was responsible for managing suitability testing and development of gasoline powertrain control systems in North America.
Jacob Lipa
Founder and Principal
Lipa Consulting
Biography

Jacob Lipa

Founder and Principal
Lipa Consulting

Jacob provides consulting services to CEOs and Board of Directors of growing real estate development companies as well as international start-up companies and others wanting to enter the US market. Developed and founded the Back Home Initiative (BHI) program supported by City of Los Angeles, Councilman Blumenfield and others.  BHI combines support for homeowners in lower income areas of the County, housing for low acuity homeless individuals and families who need long-term high-quality housing that are less expensive and that can be built and occupied within less than 6 months. 
Presently, supporting an Israeli company that has joint a US company to build a plant in Arizona to produce and sell green hydrogen.

From 2012 to 2019, Jacob was the CEO of Micropolitan, a Residential Real Estate Company developing, owning, and operating multifamily housing projects. Micropolitan has developed successfully residential apartment buildings combining market rate and low-income units in TOD areas in Los Angeles. The company prides itself in constructing its buildings at high architectural standards, excellent interiors, plenty amenities and all of them permitted, constructed and occupied on an accelerated schedules.

In 2002, Jacob became the President of Psomas, a leading consulting and engineering and environmental firm serving public and private clients throughout the Western United States with its headquarters office in downtown Los Angeles.  The firm specialized in land planning, design of all infrastructure needs, transportation, natural resources management, survey and construction services for the land development, water and wastewater, gas, transportation, and energy markets.  Psomas was rated nationally as one of the top engineering companies with offices throughout California, Utah, Arizona and Colorado.  Under Mr. Lipa’s direction, Psomas established a reputation as an expert in sustainable design, transit-oriented development programs and efficient construction methods. 

In 2009, Jacob, as the President of Psomas, in partnership with FMG, founded PsomasFMG to provide turn-key solar solutions to commercial clients such as municipalities, school, hospitals and any other tax-exempt clients. The idea was to design, finance, construct and maintain solar systems for clients at virtually no upfront cost to them under Power Purchase Agreements (PPA).  Within less than 3 years, PsomasFMG became the largest Distributed Generation company in Southern California providing services to schools, public facilities and industrial sites. During that time, Jacob, as the Chairman of LABC, lead together with the Mayor of Los Angeles the introduction and successful implementation of the Feed and Tariff (FIT) in Los Angeles.          
Tom Soto
Founder
Latimer Partners, LLC
Biography

Tom Soto

Founder
Latimer Partners, LLC

I am a long-time investor in the impact sector. I was born & raised in East LA County & Pomona, California to two of the state’s most well-respected Latino Civil Rights leaders. My father was Assemblyman Phil Soto, the first Latino elected to the state legislature in 1962. My late mother was Nell Soto, my dad’s campaign manager & the mother to their six children. She was a long-time advocate supporting farm worker rights, the environment and labor. She too served the last ten years of her life as a member and leader in the California State Senate.
 

I have owned four PE funds, and now manage our family investment office, Latimer Partners, LLC with my husband of 18 years, Todd Soto. I’ve stood at the dovetail of energy, tech, cloud-based and IoT platforms, renewable energy, and over many Fourth Industrial Revolution-driven platforms where technology contributes to improving the human condition using AI, fintech, and blockchain, all while challenging LP’s and tech platforms to embrace diversity, equity and inclusion. Between contributing to climate change initiatives; Clean Air Act Standards and forcing the removal of diesel from municipal procurement processes across the country and the need to decarbonize our economy, this all to promote a political process and regulatory framework needed to establish a clean economy driving the planet into a future of prosperity and abundance.

I am the former Chairman of the New America Alliance, the national Latino business initiative seeking to increase access to capital for diverse fund managers; I am a founder and Vice Chair of the LA Clean Tech Incubator and Trustee of the California Science Center and Trustee of the NRDC. I'm also an appointee to the California Lithium Valley Commission. After selling my fund, Craton Equity Partners to TCW in 2013, I was the Managing Director of Alternatives at the $198b fund and was an Investment Committee Member of TCW Alternatives. Under mine and my colleagues’ leadership, the TCW alternatives platform grew from $300m in AUM to $10.3b in three years. I am a former member of the board of trustees of the Redwood Mutual Fund, owned by Aspiration where I am a former Sr. Advisor, the country’s fastest-growing online bank and financial services platform.

I am a two-time appointee of President Clinton and was the Team Lead for The Executive Office of the President’s Transition Team for the White House Council on Environmental Quality for President-Elect Obama and a founding member of the Executive Council for Clean Energy for Biden. We live in Los Angeles, with our thirteen year old son.
Cecilia Estolano
CEO & Founder
Estolano Advisors and CEO of Better World Group
Biography

Cecilia Estolano

CEO & Founder
Estolano Advisors and CEO of Better World Group

Cecilia V. Estolano is a leading expert on contemporary urban planning issues, with experience in economic and workforce development, land use, environmental policy, and urban revitalization. She has worked directly with public, private, institutional, and non-profit clients to plan, finance, design, implement, and operate policy-driven programs and projects that promote sustainable solutions tailored for each community.

Cecilia is a former Chair of the Regents of the University of California and has served as President of the California Community College Board of Governors. She received an A.B. from Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges, an M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA, and a J.D. from UC Berkeley. Prior to founding Estolano Advisors in 2011, Cecilia served as CEO of CRA/LA, practiced land use and environmental law while Of Counsel and an Associate at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, served as Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. EPA during the Clinton Administration, and served as Environmental Policy Advisor to former L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley. In addition to her work at Estolano Advisors, she became the CEO of Better World Group, an environmental strategy firm, in 2018. 
Stephen Cheung
President/CEO
LA County Economic Development Council/World Trade Center-Los Angeles
Biography

Stephen Cheung

President/CEO
LA County Economic Development Council/World Trade Center-Los Angeles

Stephen Cheung is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) and its subsidiary, the World Trade Center Los Angeles (WTCLA).  As CEO of the LAEDC, Mr. Cheung brings together the capabilities of LAEDC’s mission-delivery department areas, including the Institute for Applied Economics, Business Assistance, Industry Cluster Development, Workforce Development, World Trade Center Los Angeles, Strategic Relations, Communications & Marketing, and Public Policy, into a single team that delivers the LAEDC’s critically important, public-benefit mission - Reinventing our economy to collaboratively advance growth and prosperity for all.

In 2023, Cheung was elevated to President and CEO after serving as Chief Operating Office and Executive Vice President of LAEDC, and continues in his concurrent role as President of World Trade Center Los Angeles, a title he has held since coming to the organization in 2014.  Prior to that, Cheung was the Secretary General and Managing Director of International Trade and Foreign Affairs for Los Angeles Mayors Eric Garcetti and Antonio Villaraigosa, and was responsible for managing policies and programs related to the Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports, International Affairs,  Global Trade and Clean Technology. In these roles, he was the lead organizer for the Mayors’ previous international trade missions to Mexico, China, Korea, Japan, Colombia, Chile and Brazil.  Furthermore, Cheung implemented the city’s strategic plan to make Los Angeles a global capital of clean technology by building the infrastructure to support research, development and manufacturing with key partners.

Concurrently, Cheung was the Director of International Trade for the Port of Los Angeles – the busiest container port in North America, and was responsible for developing programs to increase trade through the Port of Los Angeles, and facilitate goods movement through the Southern California region.

Cheung currently sits on the Board of Advisors of UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs, UCLA Extension, Coro Southern California and Sister Cities of Los Angeles, while also serving on LA Metro’s Sustainability Council and Biz-Fed’s International Trade Committee. He also serves on the Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board.
Rick Cole
Councilmember
City of Pasadena
Biography

Rick Cole

Councilmember
City of Pasadena

Rick Cole is Chief Deputy Controller, responsible for overseeing the accounting, payroll and auditing functions for the City of Los Angeles. His public service includes serving as Mayor of Pasadena, City Manager in three Southern California communities (Santa Monica, Ventura and Azusa) and as Deputy Mayor for Budget and Innovation in the City of LA. He is an adjunct professor of urban policy at Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy and Occidental College’s Urban and Environmental Studies Institute.

Heather Repenning
Executive Officer of Sustainability Policy
LA Metro
Biography

Heather Repenning

Executive Officer of Sustainability Policy
LA Metro

Heather Repenning is the Executive Officer for Sustainability Policy at LA Metro. In this role, Heather advises on and oversees policies and programs focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector and improving air and water quality through LA Metro’s operations.  Heather also serves as the Board Vice Chair for Climate Action of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  Repenning previously held the role of Vice President of the City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Swarthmore College and has a Master’s Degree from the University of California, Irvine in Comparative Literature.   
Effie Turnbull Sanders
Vice President
Civic Engagement & Economic Partnerships
Biography

Effie Turnbull Sanders

Vice President
Civic Engagement & Economic Partnerships

Effie Turnbull Sanders is a passionate and dedicated advocate for economic, environmental, and social change. She brings over two decades of experience advancing the rights of underserved Los Angeles communities to lead the South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone (SLATE-Z) as its Executive Director.  As Executive director, Sanders leads SLATE-Z’s efforts to promote neighborhood revitalization, educational excellence, and economic empowerment to help realize the tremendous promise and potential of South Los Angeles.

Prior to joining SLATE-Z, Sanders worked in service of the children of Los Angeles as Assistant General Counsel to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) on real estate development, facilities management, and employment law. Through her legal career, she has worked as counsel to public and private organizations such as the City of Los Angeles and Richards, Watson & Gershon.

As a social justice leader, Sanders has served as an appointee to state and federal entities. Currently, she is the Environmental Justice Commissioner with the California Coastal Commission. She is also member of Representative Karen Bass’ Congressional Council. Sanders was a Presidential Appointee for Vice Chair Cruz Reynoso with the United States Commission on Civil Rights.

Throughout her career, Sanders has led a number of non-profit organizations as an active board member for Social Action Partners and the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters. She also served as an advisory board member to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and Mark Ridley Thomas’ African American Voter Registration, Education, and Participation Project.

Sanders received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications from the University of California, Los Angeles, her Juris Doctorate from UCLA School of Law and is a graduate of the University of Southern California Ross Program in Real Estate.  She and her husband live with their two children in Los Angeles.

 

 

 
Ron Frierson*
Director of Economic Development
Amazon
Biography

Ron Frierson*

Director of Economic Development
Amazon

Ron Frierson serves as Director of Economic Development of the U.S. West Region at Amazon. In his role, Ron leads the team that supports and champions Amazon investment projects across various Amazon business lines in areas of market-entry, strategy, site selection, entitlements, operations, and partnerships. Before joining Amazon, Ron served as Director of Economic Policy for former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Ron led the Business Team for the Mayor’s Office, which developed business policy affecting the world’s 3rd largest metropolitan economy. Ron’s portfolio included Commercial Real Estate Development, Technology, Sports & Entertainment, Manufacturing, Taxation, Healthcare, and Tourism & Hospitality. He also oversaw the Convention & Tourism Department, Department of Cannabis Regulation and the Economic Workforce & Development Department on behalf of the Mayor’s Office.

Significant projects include Gucci’s 100-year anniversary, COVID-19 microloan program, the L.A. Regional COVID Relief Fund, Commercial Eviction Moratorium, Covid-19 vaccine logistics/strategy, and film studio capacity strategy, among others. Ron’s team was instrumental in developing programs to help the Los Angeles economy stabilize and recover from damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Andrea Sasse
German Consul General
German Consulate, Los Angeles
Biography

Andrea Sasse

German Consul General
German Consulate, Los Angeles
Jim Kelly
Director
S&C Electric
Biography

Jim Kelly

Director
S&C Electric

Jim Kelly retired from Edison International (EIX) on July 1, 2011, after almost 38 years of service with the Company.

Prior to his retirement, Mr. Kelly was the senior vice president of Transmission & Distribution for Southern California Edison, responsible for the operation and maintenance of an electrical grid comprised of over 12,000 miles of transmission and 100,000 miles of distribution lines spread across a 50,000-square-mile service area.

Mr. Kelly was also president of Edison ESI, a subsidiary company that operates one of the largest electrical and mechanical repair facilities in the U.S..

Kelly was previously the vice president of Engineering & Technical Services, responsible for planning, engineering, and designing SCE’s electrical grid, as well as research and development, safety and training. Mr. Kelly was one of the early pioneers of the Smart Grid, developing a roadmap for a smarter, safer, more reliable and more environmentally responsible electric grid. Among many other awards and honors, Jim was selected as the IEEE’s “Leader in Power” in 2009.

Kelly also previously served as the vice president of Regulatory Compliance and Environmental Affairs, and has in-depth experience with environmental regulation, permitting and licensing.

Since his retirement, Jim has advised or directed a number of firms in the energy space. 

Jim earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach, and a master’s degree from California State Polytechnic University.  He holds teaching credentials in several subjects and has taught at a number of colleges and universities throughout his career.
Joe Edmiston
Executive Director
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
Biography

Joe Edmiston

Executive Director
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy

Joseph Edmiston was appointed Executive Director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy by Governor Jerry Brown in 1979. Under his leadership, the Conservancy has preserved over 60,000 acres of public parkland within and surrounding the Los Angeles Metropolitan region, in a zone extending from the edge of the Mojave Desert to the Pacific Ocean. From north to south, these areas drain into the Santa Clara River, Calleguas Creek, numerous smaller coastal watersheds in the Santa Monica Mountains, and the Los Angeles River and Rio Hondo. Joe has lectured extensively on environmental planning, park development, and urban land use. He and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, have been the recipient of numerous national awards including, most recently, the highest honor of the National Planning Association, the Daniel Burnham Award.
Sunita Satyapal*
Director, Fuel Cell Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
U.S. Department of Energy
Biography

Sunita Satyapal*

Director, Fuel Cell Technologies Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
U.S. Department of Energy

Director for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office and coordinates activities across offices for the U.S. DOE Hydrogen Program, Sunita Satyapal is responsible for more than $1.6 billion in hydrogen and fuel cell research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) activities within the office and for coordinating more than $9.5 billion in hydrogen activities across DOE.  In addition, she led the development of the national clean hydrogen strategy and roadmap and serves as the Director for the Hydrogen Interagency Taskforce, which includes a dozen agencies and is co-chaired by the Deputy Secretary of Energy and the White House Deputy National Climate Advisor. She has more than two and a half decades of experience across industry, academia, and government, including at United Technologies managing RDD&D and business development, and as a visiting professor. 

Dr. Satyapal also coordinates international hydrogen activities as Vice-Chair of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy, a partnership among over 25 countries to accelerate progress in hydrogen, and is the U.S. co-lead for hydrogen efforts within the Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation.  She received her Ph.D. from Columbia University and did postdoctoral work in Applied and Engineering Physics at Cornell University.  She has numerous publications, including in Scientific American, 10 patents, and several recognitions including a Meritorious Presidential Rank Award in 2015, a Distinguished Presidential Rank Award in 2022, and selected as an Ambassador for C3E, the Clean Energy Education & Empowerment Initiative, to advance the leadership of women in clean energy. 
Paul Nelson
Managing Partner
Saoradh Enterprise Partners (SEP)
Biography

Paul Nelson

Managing Partner
Saoradh Enterprise Partners (SEP)

Paul Nelson founded Saoradh Enterprise Partners (SEP, formerly Saoradh Energy Partners) in 2010 and now serves as Managing Partner. Paul has over 30 years of energy, advanced materials, entrepreneurial, finance, management, and research experience. Before forming SEP, Paul was a key participant in developing Colorado’s cleantech ecosystem. He held roles at the Colorado Energy Research Collaboratory, the Center for Revolutionary Photoconversion (CRSP), CU Boulder’s Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI), and the Colorado Cleantech Industries Association (CCIA). Paul was also a top fundraiser for these organizations. Paul began his career in the energy sector, first working at Julander Energy Company and then joining the team that launched the Natural Fuels Company, an unregulated joint venture led by Xcel Energy. Paul’s first experience with venture capital was as an entrepreneur when he founded Blue Energy & Technologies LLC in 2000, raised $12 million of strategic and venture capital, and acquired Natural Fuels and the Alternative Fuels Division from TXU Energy. He sold Blue Energy to ENRG Fuels in 2003 – the combined company is now Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE).

Paul holds a BS in Business-Finance, a BA in Chemistry with a minor in Biochemistry, and a research MS in Chemistry (thesis: evaluation of tris(tetrachlorosemiquinonate)iron(III) as a water oxidation catalyst) – all from CU Boulder. Paul has received several awards, including the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Cleantech Leadership from CCIA, Advisor of the Year from the CU Technology Transfer Office, and a lifetime achievement award from NGVAmerica. Paul has served on numerous boards such as the American Lung Association in Colorado and Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at CU Boulder, is a member of the American Chemical Society, and has co-authored professional papers. Paul is active in cleantech communities in Boulder and Sarasota (SEP’s satellite location). He has served as a judge for Lab Venture Challenge and Destination Startup events, sourced R&D funding for the Mote Marine Research Lab, and organized events with the Good Food Institute at Colorado universities. Paul is also a member of the investment selection committee for iSelect Fund based in St. Louis and the Colorado School of Mines technology transfer advisory board.
Nancy Sutley
Deputy Mayor of Energy & Sustainability
City of Los Angeles
Biography

Nancy Sutley

Deputy Mayor of Energy & Sustainability
City of Los Angeles

Prior to her role as Deputy Mayor of Energy and Sustainability, Nancy Sutley  served LADWP’s Senior Assistant General Manager of External and Regulatory Affairs, and the Chief Sustainability Officer. In this role, Ms. Sutley oversaw the Department’s customer service operations, energy efficiency and water conservation programs, environmental regulation, public affairs and legislative teams. Over the course of her tenure with the Department, Ms. Sutley initiated LADWP’s corporate sustainability programs, spearheaded LADWP’s La Kretz Innovation Campus, promoted the electrification of the transportation network and coordinated the Clean Grid L.A. plan.

Prior to joining LADWP in 2014, Ms. Sutley served as Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Under her leadership, the Council played a central role in shepherding the Obama Administration’s signature environmental projects and was one of the chief architects of President Obama’s 2013 Climate Action Plan.

Ms. Sutley has an extensive background in public service that includes posts as Deputy Mayor for Energy and Environment for the City of Los Angeles, Board Member of the Metropolitan Water District, Member of the California State Water Resources Control Board, Energy Advisor for California Governor Gray Davis, Deputy Secretary for Policy and Intergovernmental Relations at the California Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Senior Policy Advisor for the US EPA during the Clinton Administration.

Ms. Sutley holds a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard University.
Gideon Kracov
Governor's Appointee
California Air Resources Board/South Coast AQMD
Biography

Gideon Kracov

Governor's Appointee
California Air Resources Board/South Coast AQMD

Gideon Kracov is a lawyer in Los Angeles, where he represents clients in environmental and land use cases. His practice includes high-stakes litigation and complex regulatory matters. Mr. Kracov has worked for diverse business, labor and non-profit clients, and as a government lawyer. He served for more than fifteen years as General Counsel of the California Waste and Recycling Association. Mr. Kracov was appointed to the California Air Resources Board by Governor Gavin Newsom in December 2020. He also serves as the Governor’s appointee to the South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board responsible for improving air quality in Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Mr. Kracov’s career includes roles as a Deputy Los Angeles City Attorney, and practice at law firms such as Rose, Klein & Marias LLP and Weston, Benshoof LLP (now Alston & Bird LLP). He is also the former Chair of the State Bar of California Environmental Law Section Executive Committee, former Governor's appointee and Chair of the California Mining and Geology Board, former Chair of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control Independent Review Panel, and former Vice-Chair of the Los Angeles Proposition O Bond Committee. Mr. Kracov teaches land use law and regulation at Loyola Law School, where he led a winning team in the 20th Annual California Lawyers Association Environmental Law Student Negotiation Competition in 2019.
Erin Bromaghim
Deputy Mayor of International Affairs
City of Los Angeles
Biography

Erin Bromaghim

Deputy Mayor of International Affairs
City of Los Angeles
Bob Hertzberg
Sr. Advisor
Mission Possible Partnership
Biography

Bob Hertzberg

Sr. Advisor
Mission Possible Partnership

Prior to his time with Mission Possible Partnership, Senate Majority Leader Emeritus Robert Hertzberg was first elected to the California State Assembly in 1996. He served as the 64th Speaker of the California State Assembly, unanimously elected by both parties in 2000 and 2002. After his tenure as Speaker, Hertzberg set out to the private sector as a clean energy entrepreneur, where he helped create one of the first solar companies in Los Angeles, and co-launched a company that produced inexpensive, lightweight solar panels. In 2014, he returned to state government when he was elected to represent nearly 1 million people in the San Fernando Valley in the California State Senate.
Coby Skye
Former Deputy Director
Los Angeles County Public Works; Blue Skye Environmental Consulting
Biography

Coby Skye

Former Deputy Director
Los Angeles County Public Works; Blue Skye Environmental Consulting

Coby Skye is Deputy Director of the Los Angeles Public Works Environmental Services Core Service Area. Coby has responsibility for the Environmental Programs, Sewer Maintenance and Fleet Management business areas.

With an annual budget of more than $3.6 billion and a workforce of 4,000 employees, Los Angeles County Public Works is the largest municipal public works agency in the United States, providing vital public infrastructure and civic services to more than 10 million people across a 4,000-square-mile service area. 

Coby has 24 years of experience with Public Works in the field of environmental programs, including environmental policy, solid waste management and recycling programs.

Coby is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of California. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Polytechnic University in New York and a Master of Public Administration degree from California State University, Long Beach.
Roman Bilak
President
CleanTech Geomechanics Inc
Biography

Roman Bilak

President
CleanTech Geomechanics Inc

Mr. Roman Bilak is President of CleanTech Geomechanics Inc. (CTG). CTG is a startup company developing innovative technologies for Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES). Mr. Bilak holds a B.Sc. (Honours, Geology) from the University of Western Ontario and a M.Sc. (Earth Sciences – Geomechanics) from the University of Waterloo, in Canada. His areas of expertise include geo-Energy Storage Systems (geoESS), NORM waste management, deep well disposal-injection, geomechanics, and project
management. With over 25 years of industry experience in sustainable energy resource development globally, he is a recognized industry expert in clean
energy geomechanics. Mr. Bilak also provides technical support and advice to government regulatory departments and inter-governmental agencies worldwide.
R. Rex Parris
Mayor
City of Lancaster
Biography

R. Rex Parris

Mayor
City of Lancaster

Since becoming Mayor of Lancaster in 2008, R. Rex Parris has championed many initiatives to improve his hometown, driven by a can-do attitude that has redefined community development. His leadership has enhanced public safety, economic growth, and environmental stewardship. Parris's efforts in reducing crime have fostered a safer, more inviting community, encouraging residents and businesses to thrive.


Economic development has been a focal point, with Parris leveraging his background as a distinguished lawyer to forge significant international partnerships, like the one with BYD, stimulating job creation and investment in Lancaster. His commitment to environmental sustainability is evident in initiatives such as Lancaster Energy, positioning Lancaster as a leader in green energy and one of the world's first Zero-Net Energy Cities. Additionally, his advocacy for hydrogen energy has established Lancaster as the “First Hydrogen City,” reflecting his innovative approach to sustainable development.


Beyond his role in municipal governance, Parris's legal acumen has been instrumental in his work with CarthroniX, a biotech firm aiming to tackle degenerative diseases. This blend of legal expertise and civic leadership underscores a comprehensive strategy to enhance Lancaster's community life, economic vitality, and sustainable living.

 
Jack Brouwer
Director, National Fuel Cell Research Center
UC Irvine
Biography

Jack Brouwer

Director, National Fuel Cell Research Center
UC Irvine

Jack Brouwer is Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Associate Director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center (NFCRC) and Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP) at the University of California, Irvine (UCI).

Science and engineering of energy conversion with coupled mass, energy and momentum conservation, chemical and electrochemical reaction and heat transfer; steady-state and dynamic modeling of fundamental processes that govern energy conversion devices such as fuel cells, electrolyzers, and gas turbine engines; solid-state ionics and electrochemistry; fuel processing; synthesis and experimental investigation of novel fuel cell materials sets; analyses of integrated energy systems comprising fuel cells, photovoltaics, fuel processing, gas turbines, and wind turbines; experimental analyses and model validation; renewable energy; life cycle analyses of energy conversion technologies.

Through Dr. Brouwer’s leadership, NFCRC and APEP are focusing research, education, beta testing, and outreach on high-efficiency, environmentally preferred energy conversion and power generation technology advancement with fuel cell and gas turbine systems as the principal targets.  Current research projects address ultra-high efficiency and ultra-low emissions high-temperature fuel cell systems, integrated hybrid fuel cell gas turbine systems, renewable power intermittency and integration, battery electric, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle evaluation and infrastructure development, advanced fuel cell and gas turbine dynamic operations, hydrogen and electricity infrastructure development, and power electronics and energy conversion devices for the smart grid.  Before joining UCI, Dr. Brouwer was on the faculty at the University of Utah, a senior engineer at Reaction Engineering International, and a staff scientist at Sandia National Laboratories.

Jack Brouwer obtained his M.S. and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UCI and his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Post-Doc in Chemical Engineering at MIT.
Mark Gold
Director of Water Scarcity Solutions
NRDC
Biography

Mark Gold

Director of Water Scarcity Solutions
NRDC

Prior to his time at NRDC, Mark Gold served as Executive Director of OPC and the Deputy Secretary for Ocean and Coastal Policy for the California Natural Resources Agency, Mark serves as a key advisor to Governor and the Secretary of Natural Resources and directs policy, scientific research, and critical partnerships to increase protection of coastal and ocean resources in California. Prior to his appointment, he was the UCLA Associate Vice Chancellor for Environment and Sustainability where he led their Sustainable Los Angeles Grand Challenge effort. Prior to UCLA, Mark was the first hire at Heal the Bay, where he served as their President for 18 years. During that time, he worked on ocean and coastal legislation and policy, stormwater, watershed management, and marine conservation and coastal restoration issues, projects and programs. Over the course of his career, his research focused on beach water quality and health risks, as well as sustainable water resources management. Mark received his bachelor’s and master’s in Biology as well as his doctorate in Environmental Science and Engineering, all from UCLA.
Keisuke Oku
Chief Technology Officer
AZUL Energy
Biography

Keisuke Oku

Chief Technology Officer
AZUL Energy

AZUL Energy provides solutions for achieving a sustainable society using a non-precious metal organic catalyst (AZUL Catalyst) as a key material. Keisuke Oku has been leading the overall technology, including the mass production processes for the societal implementation of the AZUL Catalyst, development of 'ready to use' electrode sheet technology, and projects related to the integration of energy devices. He leverages more than ten years of knowledge and experience in chemical process development.


After obtaining a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Keisuke Oku worked for seven years as a process engineer at Fujifilm, and later at Fujifilm Holdings America Corporation Lifescience Strategic Business Office in Boston, where he was involved in business development for bioprocess equipment and promoted joint projects with MIT/Harvard and Fujifilm. He joined AZUL Energy as Chief Technology Officer in January 2024. In April 2024, he became a Project Associate Professor at the Co-Creation Center established by AZUL Energy and Tohoku University, conducting basic research on green transformation using AZUL Catalyst and biomimetic materials, as well as educating future talent.
Felicia Marcus
William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow
Stanford University Water in the West
Biography

Felicia Marcus

William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow
Stanford University Water in the West

Felicia Marcus is an attorney who has served in leadership and management positions in the government and non-profit sectors. She is currently the Landreth Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Water in the West Program and is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. Felicia was most recently Chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board (working on issues of drought, groundwater management, water supply, drinking water, water quality and a host of other issues) after having served as Regional Administrator of the U.S. EPA Region IX and as head of the Los Angeles Department of Public Works in addition to senior leadership in national non-governmental organizations (NRDC and TPL).  She has experience as a private and public interest sector attorney and has worked on issues across the West spanning water supply, water rights, and water quality in addition to experience in other sectors like energy, toxics, and land use. She is also a member of the Water Policy Group, an international network of former and current high level water officials dedicated to assisting developing nations, a Board Member of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council, which oversees the bulk electricity transmission grid for the Western US and parts of Canada and Mexico, and is also one of the three US members of the Joint Public Advisory Committee of the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation in addition to serving of many boards and advisory committees.
Erin Cooke
Sustainability + Environmental Policy Director
San Francisco International Airport
Biography

Erin Cooke

Sustainability + Environmental Policy Director
San Francisco International Airport

Erin is a skilled tinkerer and systems thinker, leveraging nearly twenty years of professional experience to build organizational capacity and civic engagement through policy and programmatic structures that address environmental challenges across all sectors.

As San Francisco International Airport's Sustainability Director, Erin is responsible for partnering with the Airport community to co-design, manage, and administer sustainability policies, projects and programs that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, maximize net positive outcomes, and magnify the SFO's environmental leadership. To that end, Erin oversees sustainability investments in capital improvement projects; cultivates the Airport's Sustainability and Environmental Management Plans and Climate Action Plan and aligned annual reporting; and performs forecasting and sustainability return on investment analyses to help Airport stakeholders make informed decisions that optimize social, environmental, and resilience outcomes, while balancing the Airport's strategic initiatives and ensuring its continued economic vitality.

In her former role, serving as the City of Cupertino’s Sustainability Manager, Erin worked inside the City Manager’s Office to bring environmental awareness across departments and engage staff, students, residents and businesses in developing collective approaches to traditionally costly renewable and alternative energy, transportation, waste management, and long-term planning projects that pool demand, concentrate labor, save taxpayer dollars, and facilitate economic development opportunities.

Erin earned a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and has supported the diverse sustainability-focused initiatives through her employment with the Conservation Law Foundation, Goddard Institute of Space Studies, National Park Service, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, the Nature Conservancy, and the Canyon’s Ski Resort.
Leslie Moulton-Post
President and CEO
Environmental Science Associates
Biography

Leslie Moulton-Post

President and CEO
Environmental Science Associates

As president and CEO, and a member of ESA’s board of directors, Leslie works in tandem with internal and external leadership to allocate resources, monitor company performance, and oversee contract compliance while charting the future. Guiding the firm’s strategic direction, she’s committed to using our core values as the touchstone for business decisions, and working daily to achieve our vision as a leading employee-owned, solutions-oriented environmental science and planning firm.

In her 35 years with ESA, she has managed dozens of complex environmental impact documents, including those for the California Department of Water Resources, Orange County Sanitation District, Orange County Water District, City of Stockton, Contra Costa Water District, Los Angeles County Sanitation District, and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

Recognized as one of the Most Influential Women in Business in 2019 by the San Francisco Business Times, Leslie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology with an emphasis in Environmental Planning and Marine/Estuarine Science from Stanford University. She is a board member for the Water Education Foundation and is also a member of the Association of California Water Agencies, Association of Environmental Professionals, Water Environment Federation, California Water Environment Association, California Association of Sanitation Agencies, CalDesal, and the WateReuse Association.
Erika Pham
VP of Strategy
Mote Hydrogen
Biography

Erika Pham

VP of Strategy
Mote Hydrogen

Ms. Pham holds a degree in mechanical engineering and has 13 years of experience in the oil & gas and alternative fuels industry. She has successfully managed 30+ alternative energy projects through all phases, from contract execution to commissioning, most notably for hydrogen fueling projects for Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) and the electrolysis production and fueling facility for Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (CUMTD).  At Mote see manages commercial negotiations, community outreach activities, communications and their grant/DOE LPO applications.
Mirei Isaka
Director Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technology Office
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan
Biography

Mirei Isaka

Director Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technology Office
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan

Mirei Isaka has been working for NEDO more than 20 years in different roles, mainly in promoting international collaboration projects in clean energy technology field. She has taken up the current position since October 2023 and is responsible for international cooperation activities in promoting hydrogen technologies. In the past, she worked for IRENA from 2010 to 2013 analyzing technology innovation for promoting renewable energy as well as renewable energy opportunities and challenges in island countries. She graduated from Kyoto University, Japan with a master's in environmental engineering, and from Bucknell University, USA with a BS in environmental studies.
Erin McConahey
Principal
ARUP
Biography

Erin McConahey

Principal
ARUP

Erin has degrees in both mechanical and structural engineering and has experiencing working on projects ranging from museums to airports, schools to laboratories. As a Principal in Arup’s Los Angeles office, she has been responsible for the design leadership of many of the firm’s most significant projects.

Erin’s extensive technical knowledge of innovative and energy saving solutions is coupled with her commitment to sustainable designs that address the whole life cycle of buildings. She brings a sophisticated understanding of balancing mechanical system and façade options in order to predict and maximize energy savings at early phases in a project. Erin recently attained the rare distinction of ASHRAE Fellow in recognition of her significant contributions to the industry.

Erin is an Arup Fellow.
Virgil Welch
Partner
Caliber Strategies
Biography

Virgil Welch

Partner
Caliber Strategies

Mr. Welch has worked at the forefront of California’s climate, air quality and clean energy programs for nearly two decades, serving under three California Governors and as Chief Advisor to the California Air Resources Board Chair.  He served as a California Gubernatorial appointee under the Schwarzenegger, Brown and Newsom Administrations as Special Counsel and Chief Advisor to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Chair Mary Nichols.  He also briefly held this role for CARB Chair Liane Randolph.  In his role at CARB, Mr. Welch helped lead the creation of multiple globally recognized programs to cut pollution and greenhouse gas emissions through the deployment of clean technologies, including multiple sets of standards for cleaner light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles; an economy-wide cap-and-trade program; a Low Carbon Fuel Standard; and a comprehensive set of programs to slash short-lived climate pollutants, among other policies. Mr. Welch worked extensively with the thousands of professional scientists, engineers, lawyers and regulatory experts at CARB to devise and successfully implement policies and regulations grounded in data, science and economics. He also led CARB efforts to engage with a broad range of stakeholders, businesses and state, local, federal and international governments on a wide spectrum of issues. Prior to his service at CARB, Mr. Welch helped lead the Environmental Defense Fund’s successful sponsorship of Assembly Bill 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. He also previously served as a Partner at AJW, Inc., where he worked with innovative companies to develop regulatory, policy and market solutions for clean energy, air and transportation technologies. Mr. Welch holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Texas and a Master of Public Affairs and Juris Doctor from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a member of the California State Bar.
Ava Bromberg
President and CEO
Creative Urban Solutions, Inc.
Biography

Ava Bromberg

President and CEO
Creative Urban Solutions, Inc.

Ava Bromberg is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Creative Urban Solutions, Inc., a strategic advisory and development firm helping property owners, public agencies and communities plan and deliver places people love since 2010.  A forward-thinking real estate executive, Ava brings two decades of experience adding value to real estate and neighborhoods through a deep understanding of the creative economy, community building, and cultural trends.  She leads complex, multi-stakeholder projects from pre-concept through entitlement, delivery and operations. Her major projects in Los Angeles include Atwater Crossing, a 100K SF Arts & Innovation Complex in Atwater Village and The Reef: A Creative Habitat, an 860K SF creative habitat near Downtown Los Angeles, both developed for private equity group Kanon Ventures.  Ava also led the strategy and execution of the place, community and social infrastructure components of Downtown West, Google’s 80-acre mixed-use entitlement surrounding San José’s Diridon Station where she delivered a community engagement and benefits strategy that resulted in unanimous City Council approval in May 2021. Current clients include Metro, the County of Los Angeles and Inclusive Action for the City. Ava has a Masters in Urban Planning from UCLA where she is also a PhD candidate. She received her B.A. in Asian Studies and Studio Art from Hamilton College. She is a Senior Fellow at the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab.
Paige E. Samblanet
Associate
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Biography

Paige E. Samblanet

Associate
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Paige Samblanet uses her technical background to add depth her natural resources practice and provide strategic legal advice to clients. A passionate environmental justice advocate, she has particular experience in clean energy, water law and land use law.

Prior to joining Brownstein, she was an associate at the Sohagi Law Group in Brentwood, California, where she advised public agency clients on environmental and land use matters. She also clerked at a variety of environmental law firms, including EarthJustice, and was a legal intern for the California Energy Commission’s Chief Counsel’s Office. Prior to law school, Paige worked as a environmental scientist focused on water resources.
Jason Caudle
City Manager
City of Lancaster
Biography

Jason Caudle

City Manager
City of Lancaster

Jason Caudle has been with the City of Lancaster since 2008, and was appointed City Manager in December 2018. Having served as the City’s Deputy City Manager for more than ten years, Mr. Caudle has championed many key initiatives, most notably the City’s groundbreaking alternative energy efforts, playing an integral role in the creation of Lancaster Choice Energy, the Lancaster Power Authority, and the California Choice Energy Authority.

As City Manager, Mr. Caudle has set his sights on leading City staff to implement a number of innovative projects, from Smart City initiatives to public improvements. He aims to strategically incorporate new technology and innovation throughout the City’s foundation to keep Lancaster on the cutting edge, continuing its legacy as a “City of firsts.”

Mr. Caudle’s successes have been predicated on his wealth of knowledge forged by previous roles, including being the Vice President of Public Finance for an investment banking firm and serving as the City Manager of the City of Tehachapi for nearly a decade. The latter merited him as one of the youngest city managers in the State of California.

Mr. Caudle holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration, both from California State University Bakersfield.

A family man, Mr. Caudle values spending time with his wife Leslie and their two children, Jackson and Kennedy. He also enjoys fishing, skiing, golf, and anything outdoors.
Okko-Pekka Salmimies
Finnish Consul General
Consulate of Finland, Los Angeles
Biography

Okko-Pekka Salmimies

Finnish Consul General
Consulate of Finland, Los Angeles
Okko-Pekka Salmimies took up his duties as Consul General of Finland in Los Angeles in September 2021. Ambassador Okko-Pekka Salmimies represents Finland in thirteen Western US states as Consul General of Finland. Salmimies is an expert in international trade and economy-related questions, and he joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland in 1997.
Prior to his current positioning in Los Angeles as a Consul General of Finland, Ambassador Salmimies worked as a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs in Helsinki. His research focused on foreign policy issues related to international trade, technology, transatlantic relations, and sustainable development. Salmimies’s most current publications cover topics related to strategic autonomy, the EU’s new trade policy, and green transition.
Rachel Paterson
Director, Government Relations
Ekona Power
Biography

Rachel Paterson

Director, Government Relations
Ekona Power

Rachel is a seasoned business professional with over 20 years of expertise in the dynamic Cleantech sector, specializing in clean energy, hydrogen and fuel cell technology, and solar power. Her extensive background includes diverse roles in market development, sales, marketing, and senior management. Currently, is the Director, Government Relations at Ekona Power.
Ambassador Dr. Srikar Reddy
Consul General
Consulate of India in San Francisco
Biography

Ambassador Dr. Srikar Reddy

Consul General
Consulate of India in San Francisco

Dr. K. Srikar Reddy before taking over as the Consul General of India at San Francisco, served at the Department of Commerce, Government of India as Joint Secretary where he oversaw India’s commercial relations with countries in Africa and the Middle-East. He was the Chief Negotiator of India for the India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) and India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that entered into force on 01 April 2021 and 01 May 2022 respectively.

He joined the Indian Foreign Service in the year 2001 and served in various positions at Indian Missions including Germany and Switzerland. Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of India to the World Trade Organization (WTO) from August 2014 to October 2017. He was India's Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from October 2017 to March 2020.

He also served at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), New Delhi and handled India’s relations with Pakistan and East and Southern Africa (E&SA). He served as Regional Passport Officer, Hyderabad (July 2011 – August 2014) where he transformed the delivery of passport services in then undivided state of Andhra Pradesh, India for which he was awarded the “Passport Seva Puraskar (Best Passport Officer)” in June 2013.

Dr. Reddy was born in the district of Warangal, Telangana. He studied Medicine (MBBS) at Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal India. He speaks Telugu, Hindi, English and German.

He is married to Prathima Koppula, an IT professional and has one son.
David Brulotte
Delegate General of Los Angeles
Québec
Biography

David Brulotte

Delegate General of Los Angeles
Québec

David Brulotte was appointed Delegate General of Québec in Los Angeles on April 4, 2022. Previously, he represented the government of Québec in Japan for three years as Delegate General of Québec in Tokyo.
 
In June 2018, Mr. Brulotte was appointed Director for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East for Invest Québec (IQ), the province of Québec’s financing corporation and economic development agency. Based in Japan, Mr. Brulotte managed the operations of IQ’s offices in Japan, Korea, China, and India, as well as business development in the wider region.
 
Before his posting in Tokyo, he was based in Paris from 2014 to 2018 as the business development director for France, Italy, and Benelux in IQ’s Paris office. Prior to his role in Paris, Mr. Brulotte worked as a trade commissioner for over two years at the Québec Government Office in London.
 
Before joining the Québec civil service, he worked in disarmament affairs for the United Nations in Kathmandu, Nepal.
 
Mr. Brulotte speaks French, English, and Japanese. He studied in France and Singapore, holds a B.A. in political science from Université Laval, an M.A. in international studies and diplomacy from the University of London, and a certificate in management from the University of Oxford. He has been involved in cultural philanthropy in Québec and has represented Canada at the Triathlon World Championships in 2017. He was also an Ironman All World Athlete the same year. He received the Université Laval Foundation’s Raymond Blais distinction in 2015 and Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellowship in 2018.
David Jacot
Director of Efficiency Solutions
LADWP
Biography

David Jacot

Director of Efficiency Solutions
LADWP

David Jacot, P.E., is the Director of Efficiency Solutions for the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP). LADWP operates the largest public power portfolio of energy efficiency programs in the nation, comprised of a broad array of energy resource acquisition and market transformation programs serving LADWP’s customers and trade ally networks. 

In this role, David oversees all aspects of LADWP’s offerings and strategies designed to overcome market barriers to the comprehensive adoption of energy efficiency by LADWP’s customers, as well as the integration of energy efficiency with other distributed energy resources to facilitate LADWP’s transition to 100% renewables. David also oversees the integration of electric, gas, and water efficiency programs through a nation-leading joint program partnership with the natural gas utility serving Los Angeles, the Southern California Gas Company. Finally, David manages LADWP’s energy and water efficiency labs, hand-on demonstration facilities, and emerging technology assessment and commercialization efforts at the La Kretz Innovation Campus, home of the world-renowned Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator.

David has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma, and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from California State Polytechnic University - Pomona, as well as 20+ years of experience designing high performance building systems, modeling building energy usage, and managing cost-effective and investment-grade energy efficiency programs.
Ben Stapleton
Executive Director
U.S. Green Building Council California
Biography

Ben Stapleton

Executive Director
U.S. Green Building Council California

Ben Stapleton is an LA native who brings a creative mind and consultative approach to a wide range of projects with a focus on building teams and designing programs to deliver impactful results. His current work is based on coordinating an ecosystem leveraging the built environment as the entry point and connective fabric to help create a more sustainable society for all as Executive Director for the U.S. Green Building Council California

He launched and then managed the La Kretz Innovation Campus in Downtown LA while leading operations, finance, and major program initiatives for the LA Cleantech Incubator (LACI). The Campus has become an epicenter for sustainability in the region and an iconic green building for the LADWP and the City of LA, featuring events with prominent thought leaders, while being home to a community of cutting-edge businesses and nonprofits. 

His other past work has included real estate advisory, energy efficiency consulting, facilities operations, site selection, and project management as well as business and strategy development for a wide range of companies and real estate investors. His talents and insight have proven invaluable in managing, negotiating, and executing on complex real estate projects while delivering technology startups and community programs that exceed expectations.

In 2008, he founded JLL's global Cleantech Practice Group, which focused on representing renewable energy and clean technology companies in addressing their real estate needs. This only fueled his passion to explore the nexus of energy and real estate, coming to the belief that increasing the efficiency of our buildings is one of the most powerful tools to create a truly sustainable society. 

He is a recipient of JLL's distinctive Da Vinci Award for Innovation and CoStar’s Power Broker designation in the Los Angeles market, and served as the Managing Director for the LA Better Buildings Challenge, launching the program in 2011 and growing participation to over 60M square feet of commercial buildings.
Seiichiro (Ichiro) Tanigaki
Country Manager / GM Global BD
ASUENE
Biography

Seiichiro (Ichiro) Tanigaki

Country Manager / GM Global BD
ASUENE

Ichiro is US Country Manager at ASUENE, Japanese Climate Tech/Carbon Accounting Startup, spearheading the company’s initiatives in the United States. After starting the career in Financial/Consulting field with EY, Ichiro transitioned to Energy/Sustainability field. Prior to joining ASUENE in 2023, he held the position of VP Business Development/Asset Management at the Japanese major conglomerate Marubeni, worked in both New York and Tokyo.
Michael Galvin
Director, Waterfront and Commercial Real Estate
Port of Los Angeles
Biography

Michael Galvin

Director, Waterfront and Commercial Real Estate
Port of Los Angeles

Michael Galvin is the Director of Waterfront and Commercial Real Estate at the Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s leading container port. The Port of Los Angeles is a landlord seaport, covering 7500 acres of land and water, with more than 300 leaseholders including the Port’s visitor serving LA Waterfront which comprises over 400 acres and 8 miles of waterfront spanning the communities of San Pedro and Wilmington. The Port of Los Angeles is committed to creating and improving public access to the water’s edge through continual investment in word class infrastructure that will activate the LA Waterfront and attract private investment on port property and in the adjacent communities of San Pedro and Wilmington.

In this role, Mr. Galvin is responsible for development and management of the Port’s LA Waterfront including commercial development opportunities, cruise passengers, hotels, restaurants, recreational marinas and commercial fueling. Mr. Galvin oversees a team of Real Estate and Planning professionals that manage the LA Waterfront properties, plan for future public access investment, market new development opportunities and engage with stakeholders to ensure maximum linkage with local communities and regional visitor serving interests. 

Mr. Galvin also oversees the Port’s $200 million redevelopment program for marine oil terminals under the State of California Marine Oil Terminal Engineering and Maintenance Standards (MOTEMS).  The MOTEMS redevelopment program will provide support to regional refinery operations, LAX aviation fuel logistics and the San Pedro Bay shipping fuel market.

Mr. Galvin first joined the Port in 2004 and promoted to Director of Real Estate in 2007. He began his City career in 2000 in real estate for the Bureau of Engineering.

Mr. Galvin holds a bachelor of arts in U.S. History from the University of California, San Diego and a Juris Doctorate degree from Western State College of Law. Mr. Galvin is a licensed attorney and real estate broker in the State of California.
Nurit Katz
Chief Sustainability Officer
UCLA
Biography

Nurit Katz

Chief Sustainability Officer
UCLA

UCLA's first Chief Sustainability Officer, Nurit Katz is working to foster partnerships among academic, research, and operational departments to facilitate creating a world class living laboratory for sustainability at UCLA. She also currently serves as Commissioner on the Board of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Nurit also served as Executive Officer for UCLA Facilities Management for six years and is an Instructor for UCLA Extension's Sustainability Certificate Program. Nurit is passionate about urban ecology and serves as the Outreach Coordinator for the LA Raptor Study. Nurit holds an MBA and a Masters in Public Policy from UCLA and a BA in Environmental Education from Humboldt State University, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. 
Marybel Batjer
Partner
California Strategies
Biography

Marybel Batjer

Partner
California Strategies

At California Strategies, LLC, Marybel Batjer helps clients develop solutions and strategies that solve problems and make public policy work more effectively for the private and public sectors.

She assists clients with needs in a myriad of government departments and agencies focused on policy areas such as water, transportation, internet technology, taxation, energy, gaming, procurement, digital access, real estate, retirement and climate change, including decarbonizing the economy and wildfire mitigation. Her extensive budget experience includes overseeing several entities with multi-billion-dollar budgets and provides key insights throughout government structures from legislation to implementation. Often, clients look to Batjer for strategic counsel by tapping her ever expanding network of close relationships with government leaders and executives that she has nurtured throughout her many decades of public service.

Her career of interesting positions has spanned through the private and public sectors: from the Pentagon to the White House to state houses in two states. She has deep knowledge in highly regulated industries including gaming and has served as chief regulator of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) overseeing privately held utilities in California.

Prior to joining California Strategies, LLC, Batjer served as President of the CPUC and led the organization through multiple unprecedented statewide emergencies related to the acceleration of climate change and the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic. She worked to improve wildfire mitigation and Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events and accelerated and improved critical customer protections such as banning utility disconnections during the COVID-19 pandemic. She advanced key internal and external social justices initiatives and oversaw changes to Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s governance structure as a requirement for approving their Reorganization Plan to exit bankruptcy.

Before her time at the CPUC, Batjer was the inaugural Secretary of the California Government Operations Agency, which supervised the reformation of the state’s civil service system; modernized the IT procurement process and restructured the Board of Equalization by creating two new state entities: the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration and the Office of Tax Appeals. Further, she oversaw the planning and secured funding for three new state office buildings; and restructured the Department of Motor Vehicles.

As the Vice President of Public Policy and Corporate Social Responsibility at Caesars Entertainment Corporation she developed corporate strategy during a leveraged buyout, the industry’s largest merger and acquisition at the time. Additionally, she developed and implemented corporate social responsibility programs to promote corporate social investments, and managed legislative priorities, strategy, and relations.

Batjer is committed to ESG (Environmental Social and Governance) efforts as demonstrated by her roles managing corporate social responsibility, green energy initiatives, and fair labor practices. She has deep expertise in restructuring organizations, managing human capital and DEI, and navigating regulatory processes. Batjer has overseen business entities related to utilities, taxation, retirement, information technology, data management, real estate, and procurement.
Laura Friedman
Assemblymember, 44th District; Chair, Transportation Committee, Candidate for Congress
California State Legislature
Biography

Laura Friedman

Assemblymember, 44th District; Chair, Transportation Committee, Candidate for Congress
California State Legislature
Laura Friedman was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2016 to represent the now 44th Assembly District, which encompasses the cities of Burbank, Glendale, and La Cañada Flintridge, as well as the communities of La Crescenta and Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, Beachwood Canyon, Los Feliz, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, and Silver Lake.   
 
Laura’s legislative work is focused in three primary areas: addressing the housing affordability and homelessness crisis, combating climate change, and protecting vulnerable communities.  During her time in the Assembly, Laura has secured $20 million in funding for the completion of the Glendale Riverwalk Project, and authored a package of bills to create new avenues for communities to tackle the affordable housing crisis, encourage water conservation, strengthen environmental sustainability, protect communities against devastating wildfires, improve access to higher education and health care, and ensure that California’s foster youth have the support that they need as they transition to adulthood. 
 
Laura has been tapped for several leadership roles in the legislature, including the Chair of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, Assistant Speaker pro Tempore for the Assembly, the Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and the Chair of the Joint Rules Subcommittee on Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response where she’s led a historic bicameral and bipartisan reform of the legislature’s response to sexual harassment that’s become a model for other states and local governments to follow.   
 
Long recognized as a steadfast advocate for the environment, sustainable communities, and active transportation, in 2020 she was appointed to serve as the Chair for the Assembly Committee on Transportation.  The Committee’s broad scope covers high-speed rail, California’s thousands of miles of roadways and transportation infrastructure, freight and regional transportation agencies, mobile sources of air pollution, fuels, mass transit, vehicles, aircraft, bicycles and pedestrian facilities, and vessels, as well as the California Department of Transportation and the Department of Motor Vehicles.  Laura’s appointment as Chair marks a shift towards forward-thinking policies such as investing in mass transit, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, zero-emission vehicles, road safety, and sustainability. 
 
In addition to her role at the helm of the Assembly Transportation Committee, Laura also serves as Chair of the bicameral Environmental Caucus, and as a member of the Assembly Committees on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media; Natural Resources; and Water, Parks, and Wildlife. 
Laura got her start in the private sector working as a film and television executive and producer after receiving her B.A. from the University of Rochester, New York.  In 2001, she launched her own web-based small business.  Building on her years of community service, she was elected to the Glendale City Council in 2009, served as Mayor from 2011 through 2012 and was re-elected in 2013.  
Timothy McOsker
15th District
LA City Council
Biography

Timothy McOsker

15th District
LA City Council

Timothy B. McOsker is a lifelong San Pedro resident and an attorney with over three decades of experience in government, regulatory and land development matters. Tim has had a long history of serving San Pedro, the city of Los Angeles and the State of California in numerous leadership roles, including as chief of staff for former Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn and as Hahn’s Chief Deputy City Attorney. Before serving in the City of Los Angeles, Tim served as City Attorney to various jurisdictions in Southern California.

Prior to being appointed CEO on Feb. 1, 2018, Tim represented AltaSea in critical legal matters

including the 2017 lease renegotiations with the Port of Los Angeles. His deep experience in land development, environmental issues, permitting, municipal law, and contracts will be crucial as AltaSea embarks on an ambitious next stage

of expansion and development of its 35 acre campus.

Tim is currently the chairman of the board of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce and a board member of Harbor Interfaith Services. McOsker is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and UCLA School of Law.

 
Tetsuo Moriyama
CEO
Carbon Xtract
Biography

Tetsuo Moriyama

CEO
Carbon Xtract

Moriyama is the CEO of Carbon Xtract Corporation, a developer of direct air capture technology and solutions based on separation membranes. Before joining Carbon Xtract, he spent 15 years at Sojitz Corporation, one of the major Japanese trading and investment houses. There, he was responsible for sales and investment management in its metal resources business division, and for new business development related to nanomaterials and climate tech solutions. In 2023, Sojitz and Kyushu University, which has advanced R&D in direct air capture technology that captures and condenses CO2 simply by passing air through a membrane system, jointly established Carbon Xtract. At that time, he was appointed as CEO.
Mike Lombardo
Head of ESG Strategy
Kayne Anderson
Biography

Mike Lombardo

Head of ESG Strategy
Kayne Anderson

Mike Lombardo is the head of ESG strategy at Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies, where he is responsible for the firm’s overall ESG strategy and consideration of ESG issues in the investment process.

Lombardo brings over 15 years of ESG investing experience to Kayne Anderson. Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2018, Mike was a vice president of ESG Research at Calvert Research and Management, where he helped lead the ESG research team, developed best practices for integrating ESG into the investment process, and engaged dozens of portfolio companies on material ESG risks. Throughout his career, Lombardo has taught at George Washington University School of Business, where he developed a course on ESG investing. His previous experience also includes international development and policy work across multiple organizations domestically and internationally. Lombardo is currently a member of the advisory committee of ECPAT-USA and has served on a number of advisory committees of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment.

Lombardo earned a B.A. in Psychology from Boston College and an M.A. in International Relations from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
William Funderburk
Board Member and Senior Advisor
PermaCity Foundation
Biography

William Funderburk

Board Member and Senior Advisor
PermaCity Foundation

William Funderburk is Senior Advisor with PermaCity Foundation, a group spun out of acquisition by commercial industrial solar developer Catalyze Corporation of Permacity Corporation in 2021.   He develops renewable energy projects for PermaCity and advises development teams on legal, political, policy and finance issues

From 2013 to 2018 Mr. Funderburk served as the Vice President of the Board of Commissioners for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and he retired from litigation as managing partner in the Los Angeles office of a California business litigation and counseling firm, Castellon & Funderburk LLP, which he co founded in 1999.  Based in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, Mr. Funderburk is known for being a visionary when it comes to everything from sustainability to renewables to clean tech to water quality. Mr. Funderburk has been a key force in handling the water crisis in Los Angeles, California and around the Country including playing a lead negotiating role in the historic multiagency settlement of the Owens Lake PM-10 dust control dispute.  He also played a key role as LADWP liaison in finalizing agreements to expand the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, negotiating the cleanup of the San Fernando Valley aquifer and lead authoring of the landmark Equity Metrics Data Initiative.

Mr. Funderburk attended the Paris Climate Accords with the Los Angeles delegation to the United Nations 21st Conference of Parties (COP).  He later became the first LADWP Commissioner in history to attend a COP as a delegate in 2017 in Bonn (COP 23) and spoke in Madrid (COP 25 in 2019), Glasgow (COP 26 in 2021) and Sharm El Sheik (COP 27 in 2022) on subjects ranging from Global Youth Empowerment, LA as a blueprint for global decarbonization, neurodiversity, global youth empowerment and equity metrics.

He has advised clients on drafting environmental legislation and regulations on groundbreaking issues such as reducing lead drinking water in California, establishing net metering for stationary, hydrogen powered fuel cells and counseling early stage companies on renewables, water, air and soil remediation technologies. 

On a national level, William has counseled clients on appearances before Congress and a number of federal councils under the jurisdiction of the White House.  The agencies range from the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Departments of Energy, Interior, State, and Defense to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Mr. Funderburk has published various articles regarding California storm water regulations, clean power and distributed generation, Superfund reform and insurance recovery for environmental liabilities. He also speaks as an expert in environmental compliance, having given over 150 speeches in Washington, D.C. and California for the past three decades.

Mr. Funderburk is a member of the California State Bar and District of Columbia Bar.  He graduated from Yale University (B.A. in Engineering and Applied Science) and Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.).
 
Robert Lempert
Director
RAND Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition
Biography

Robert Lempert

Director
RAND Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition

Robert Lempert is a principal researcher at the RAND Corporation and Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition. His research focuses on climate risk management and decision-making under conditions of deep uncertainty. Dr. Lempert is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a coordinating lead author for Working Group II of the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, a chapter lead for the Fourth US National Climate Assessment, chair of the peer review panel for California’s Fourth Climate Assessment, a member of California’s Climate-Safe Infrastructure Working Group,  and has been a member of numerous study panels for the U.S. National Academies, including America’s Climate Choices and Informing Decisions in a Changing Climate. Dr. Lempert was the Inaugural EADS Distinguished Visitor in Energy and Environment at the American Academy in Berlin and the inaugural president of the Society for Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty (http://www.deepuncertainty.org). A Professor of Policy Analysis in the Pardee RAND Graduate School, Dr. Lempert is an author of the book Shaping the Next One Hundred Years: New Methods for Quantitative, Longer-Term Policy Analysis.
Myrna Bittner
CEO and Co-Founder
RUNWITHIT Synthetics
Biography

Myrna Bittner

CEO and Co-Founder
RUNWITHIT Synthetics

Myrna Bittner is the CEO and Co-Founder of RUNWITHIT Synthetics, an advanced data modelling and visualization company helping to answer some of the most challenging questions about decarbonization, sustainability, equity, resilience, and growth initiatives globally.   Myrna is passionate about connecting today's technology, policy, and infrastructure choices to data about the impacts and outcomes for people and our planet.  

Last year, 7 years after incorporation, the growing RUNWITHIT team celebrated numerous international awards, including the United Nation’s Global Call for Decarbonization, Taiwan’s Top Technology Gold Medal, Toyota Mobility Foundation’s City Architecture of Tomorrow Challenge, NATO’s Space Awareness, USAF’s AFWERX Showcase, Airbus Defence “Beyond Net-Zero," along with the “Most Edmonton” YEG Startup Company.  RUNWITHIT is a women-led, Certified Aboriginal Business, with a GBA+ Certified team of diverse and talented 3D animators, designers, and scientists in social, data, computing, and engineering disciplines. 
Anil Tammineedi
Principal
Angeleno Group
Biography

Anil Tammineedi

Principal
Angeleno Group

Anil Tammineedi is an investor at Angeleno Group (“AG”), a Los Angeles-based venture capital firm with a global platform focused on high growth investments in next-generation clean energy and climate solutions companies. Since 2008, Mr. Tammineedi has been a member of the investment team, currently serving on the Investment Committee and actively involved on the Boards of several AG portfolio companies including Stem, Locana, Patriot Environmental Services and mPrest.  Previously, he gained several years of operating experience at Broadcom, where he worked in product development and management roles related to semiconductors for communications, mobile and power management applications. His prior investing experience includes his work at Applied Ventures, the corporate venture group of Applied Materials. Mr. Tammineedi is a Kauffman Fellow and serves as a Senior Faculty Advisor to the Business Creation Program at UCLA Anderson School of Management, where he has taught and lectured on the topics of entrepreneurship, clean energy, and impact investing. Mr. Tammineedi holds an M.S. from Iowa State University and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

 
Shun Sakaguchi
Director, Business Development - US West Coast
Bloomberg NEF
Biography

Shun Sakaguchi

Director, Business Development - US West Coast
Bloomberg NEF

Shun leads all West Coast Sales efforts and growth strategy for the full BloombergNEF service portfolio, with a focus on Enterprise Business Development and Event Sponsorship.

BloombergNEF (BNEF) is a strategic research provider covering global commodity markets and the disruptive technologies driving the transition to a low-carbon economy. Our expert coverage assesses pathways for the power, transport, industry, buildings and agriculture sectors to adapt to the energy transition and sustainability. We help commodity trading, corporate strategy, finance and policy professionals navigate change and generate opportunities.
Terry O'Day
Chief Operating Officer
In-Charge Energy
Biography

Terry O'Day

Chief Operating Officer
In-Charge Energy

Terry cofounded In Charge Energy in 2019. It is the infrastructure leader in electrification of transportation fleets in the United States, and the preferred infrastructure partner of Ryder TruckRental, which serves over 65,000 customers in the U.S. Terry currently advises Macquarie Capital, a division of theAustralian multinational independent investment bank and financial services company that is the world's largest infrastructure asset manager, with $495 billion in assets under management. Previously, Terry led North American strategy for innogy e-MobilityUS, a division of the $40 billion per year German energy company.There, he participated in acquiring the leading U.S. electricvehicle fast charging hardware company and a customer-facing software application with over 700,000 regularusers. 

Previously, Terry led the Western region forEVgo, the nation’s largest public fast charging company for electricvehicles (EVs), taking that company from its first public fast charging installation in 2011 to more than 1,000 chargers nationwide and overseeing an investment program of over $140 million. He led partnerships with major automakers, energy companies and state governments, including a $122.5 million agreement with the California Public Utilities Commission. 

Earlier in his career,Terry founded four companies with Edison International in energy, security services, and electric vehicle charging and the first car rental company in the United States to offer only electric vehicles to the general public, serving fifteen airports in six states and more than 500,000 customers withover 850 cars.Terry also served as Executive Director of Environment Now foundation, a strategic, entrepreneurial, activist leader in California. The organization founded dozens of activist environmental organizations protecting air, land andwater quality in California and Mexico. In 2007, Terry cofounded Move LA and developed LA County’s Measure R, which over 67% of voters approved in 2008 and is contributing over $40 billion to transit investment countywide.

Terry currently serves as Mayor Pro Tempore for the City of Santa Monica and was first elected in November 2010. The city of 95,000 residents hasa daytime population of over 300,000, with 2,300 employees and a $700 million annual budget. Terry led a six-year process to update the City’s General Plan, which became the leading example ofenvironmental land use planning in the state, reducing projected per capita greenhouse gas emissions from land use by 31 percent in 25 years. He led the city’s policy to transition away from imported water, relying instead on sustainable, local water supply and the conversion of over 200 transit buses from natural gas to electric fuel. He has served in community leadership positions in California and Mexico; including Waterkeeper Alliance, Coro Southern California; The USC Center for Sustainable Cities, Environmental Entrepreneurs, Coalition for Clean Air, and the Metropolitan Water District. Terry has an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and BA with honors from Stanford University.
Dan Adler
Deputy Director for Climate Finance
California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank)
Biography

Dan Adler

Deputy Director for Climate Finance
California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank)

Dan Adler is Managing Director of the California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF), a nonprofit, evergreen investment fund created to advance the clean energy economy. Mr. Adler is responsible for CalCEF's investments across six funds in venture capital and project finance, and leads the firm's efforts to identify catalytic new investment theses. Prior to joining CalCEF, Mr. Adler was a senior analyst in the Division of Strategic Planning at the California Public Utilities Commission, where he was responsible for the design and implementation of California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard and was senior staff for climate change policy. He serves as Board co-chair of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), on the Board of Directors of the Coalition for Green Capital, and on the Board of Advisors of the Clean Tech Open.
Mia Lehrer
President
Studio MLA Urban Design Landscape Architecture
Biography

Mia Lehrer

President
Studio MLA Urban Design Landscape Architecture

Mia Lehrer is the founder and president of Studio-MLA, an L.A. urban design and landscape architecture firm. Her firm specializes in the design and implementation of public and private sector projects, such as urban waterway programs, local and regional parks, and mixed-use developments. Mia has a breadth of experience in the public sector, including service as a member of Los Angeles’ Cultural Affairs Commission, Zoning Advisory committee, and the Mayor’s Design Advisory Panel.

Mia is also known as a long-time champion for the Los Angeles River, notably through her work as a member of the team that delivered the City’s River Revitalization Master Plan and the 2020 Upper LA River and Tributaries Revitalization Plan.

A native of El Salvador, Lehrer earned a B.A. from Tufts University and a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. She was named a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2010. If confirmed, she would replace former Commissioner Mel Levine.

Mia was appointed to the LADWP Board of Commissioners, making it the first ever all-female board, but LA Mayor Eric Garcetti in September 2020. 
Joe Sullivan
Director of Energy Solutions
Los Angeles IBEW & NECA
Biography

Joe Sullivan

Director of Energy Solutions
Los Angeles IBEW & NECA

Joe Sullivan is the Director of Energy Solutions and Workforce Engagement for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 11 and the National Electrical Contractors Association of Greater Los Angeles. In this role, he advances clean energy solutions paired with workforce standards that create high-road careers. Prior to joining IBEW/NECA, Joe worked in the consulting and training industry. Joe is a graduate of the University of Southern California and received his MBA from the University of Texas in Austin.

 

 
Philip Recht
Partner
Mayer Brown
Biography

Philip Recht

Partner
Mayer Brown

Partner in charge of Mayer Brown’s Los Angeles office and leader of the firm’s California Government Relations & Public Law practice, Phil Recht represents clients in legislative, regulatory, enforcement and litigation matters before and involving federal, state and local governments. He also handles grants, approvals, permits and other government transactions. He has particular expertise in transportation, tribal gaming, health care, trade association, government contracts, and election law matters.

Phil also has extensive government experience. Prior to joining the firm, he served as Chief Counsel (1994-95) and Deputy Administrator (1995-99) for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US Department of Transportation. He also worked as a Legislative Assistant in the Office of US Rep. David L. Cornwell (Ind.) (1976-78), as a consultant with the Joint Center for Political Studies in Washington, DC (1975) and as a Legislative Aide with the Office of US Rep. John Moakley (Mass.) (1975).
Derek Chernow
Western US Regional Director
Coalition for Community Solar Access
Biography

Derek Chernow

Western US Regional Director
Coalition for Community Solar Access

Derek Chernow is the Western Regional Director for the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA). Chernow previously served as Executive Director of the California Alternative Energy & Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA), where he led all operations for the California agency charged with financing clean energy projects to spur economic development. Before CAEATFA, he spent many years working in the California State Legislature, including in the CA Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection, Energy & Transportation and as a Chief of Staff for multiple members. He also held leadership positions advocating for clean energy and environmental protection including Acting Director at the California Department of Conservation. In his spare time, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Sacramento Tree Foundation.
Neil Navin
Chief Clean Fuels Officer
SoCalGas
Biography

Neil Navin

Chief Clean Fuels Officer
SoCalGas

Neil Navin is chief clean fuels officer for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), a Sempra regulated California utility. He oversees SoCalGas’ comprehensive portfolio of clean energy strategies, innovations and projects to support the utility’s role as a long-term leader enabling California’s clean energy future. Navin’s focus is on delivering tangible innovations and projects in new and growing markets, including renewable natural gas, hydrogen and fuel cells, all of which are aligned to SoCalGas’ mission, strategy and sustainability plan.

Previously, Navin was vice president of construction for SoCalGas and SDG&E.

Since joining SoCalGas in 2014, Navin has served in a number of increasingly responsible management positions, including vice president of gas transmission and storage for SoCalGas and SDG&E. Prior to that, Navin held project management positions with the Fluor and Parsons companies. His previous experience included work on sulfur recovery, gas compression processing, oil and gas production, refining, pipeline engineering, chemical weapons destruction, biogas treatment, fuel cell power generation, and petrochemical plant projects throughout the United States, Middle East and Europe.

Navin sits on the boards of Operations Technology Development, NFP, Housing Works and Friends of Ballona Wetlands. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from McGill University in Montréal, Québec, Canada. 
Paul Williams
President
Electric Infrastructure Security (EIS) Council
Biography

Paul Williams

President
Electric Infrastructure Security (EIS) Council

Paul Williams is President of the Electric Infrastructure Security (EIS) Council. Mr. Williams is a Globally recognised leader in technology and operational resilience, with exceptional experience, insight, and expertise in developing operationally robust and regulatorily compliant resilience strategies, operations, and organisations. He has leadership experience in technology and technology risk, within international banking. As well as regulatory experience including leadership of UK domestic regulation development, specialist supervision of non-financial risks, and coordination of several international initiatives. Mr. Williams has participated in NATO, RUSI, and various other domestic and international conferences, and is a Commissioner on the UK’s National Preparedness Commission.
Ean Mulligan
Vice President Of Development
Birch Creek Energy
Biography

Ean Mulligan

Vice President Of Development
Birch Creek Energy

Developing solar and battery storage projects in the US. As a team, we're developing, financing and constructing utility scale projects from 20 - 250 MW with and without battery energy storage.
Marca Hagenstad
Principal, ESG Consultant
Stantec
Biography

Marca Hagenstad

Principal, ESG Consultant
Stantec

Playing a key role in growing our global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) advisory services, Marca helps our clients put their ESG goals into action. Partnering with practitioners across our service lines, Marca’s role as principal ESG consultant supports our clients with innovative solutions, green finance, and strategic advice, facilitating resilience and long-term value creation.   

A global economist for over 30 years, Marca has conducted research for international agencies such as the International Energy Agency and the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. An advisor to governments on environmental policy and utilities on decarbonization, she continues to support private companies as they measure their environmental footprints and disclose their ESG risks. 

Marca is an avid outdoor enthusiast—often on her splitboard exploring snow-covered mountains. She enjoys volunteering with global organizations to support refugees, Indigenous, and tribal peoples.
Jean Lachance
Chief Assets Officer
EVLO Energy Storage
Biography

Jean Lachance

Chief Assets Officer
EVLO Energy Storage

Jean Lachance is Chief Assets Officer at EVLO Energy Storage Inc.

A seasoned executive, Jean has a strong background in operations, large-scale project management and engineering. In his role, he oversees the strategic activities, including supply chain and quality assurance, operations, IT and cybersecurity, as well as program management and manufacturing. Recognized for his customer focus and leadership, his pragmatic spirit, and his team-oriented approach to achieving results, Jean is steering the integration of these activities with our experts who contribute every day to reinforcing the support to our strategic suppliers to ensure the success of our industrialization phase.

Prior to joining EVLO, Jean has accumulated 30 years of operations management & development experience in the Advanced Technology and Telecommunications sectors with leading companies such as Videotron, Solvision Inc, MindReady Solutions Inc, CAE Inc and ATS Aerospatiale Inc. 

Jean has a proven track record in high growth markets, an important asset given the rapid growth expected in the energy storage systems sector. Throughout his career, he has been involved in more than 9 M&As, one IPO and several dozen product launches.

Jean studied mechanical engineering at Université de Laval and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. Based in Montreal, he has served on several boards of directors - including Microtech-10 and the Product Development Institute.

 
Raghav Murali
Head of Policy & Government Affairs
PowerFlex
Biography

Raghav Murali

Head of Policy & Government Affairs
PowerFlex

Raghav Murali is the Head of Policy & Government Affairs at PowerFlex, a leading provider of intelligent solar, storage, and electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions for commercial and industrial customers. In this role, Raghav oversees the company's regulatory and legislative affairs, shaping policy that helps to expand the distributed generation market throughout the United States. Before PowerFlex, Raghav held senior roles in the public, private, and non-profit sector, including Director of Policy & Government Affairs at Enphase Energy, a global solar, storage, and EV charging technology company, Senior Director of Policy and General Counsel at the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) overseeing administration of the largest solar, storage, and EV incentive programs in the United States, head of policy and strategy for San Diego Gas & Electric’s clean energy customer programs, energy and environmental attorney at Schiff Hardin LLP, and Chief of Energy and Environmental Policy for Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Raghav earned his BA in Political Science from the University of Michigan and his JD with a Certificate in Public Interest Law from Chicago-Kent College of Law
Ambassador Sadayuki Tsuchiya
Executive Director
Science and Technology in Society Forum (STS Forum)
Biography

Ambassador Sadayuki Tsuchiya

Executive Director
Science and Technology in Society Forum (STS Forum)

Sadayuki Tsuchiya is Executive Director of STS forum.

Before that, he has completed his assignment as the Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Peru (2018-2020). He is also former Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan. He had served 37 years (1979-2016) extensive administrative experience on handling various field such as Higher Education and Science &Technology including Information Technology, Space Development and Biotechnology. He had particularly focused on creating innovative industry-university collaborating research system and fostering human resource.
Ken Chawkins
Senior Advisor
JCI Worldwide
Biography

Ken Chawkins

Senior Advisor
JCI Worldwide

Ken Chawkins has spent 25 years working in the Energy field. Having worked on both operational and staff assignments, Chawkins is well-versed on the issues that frame the broad Energy policy debate. He has spent the bulk of his professional career advocating on behalf of reasonable and responsible Energy policies that can bring safe, reliable, affordable and clean energy to California residents. Ken has worked in many different external-facing posts, interacting with business, labor, non-profit and government organizations on behalf of both Electric and Natural Gas companies. He has his own consulting firm that specializes in designing and deploying strategic communications efforts. With a focus on individual and team dynamics, Chawkins' work aligns internal and external activities to meet broad policy priorities. In addition to his professional work, Chawkins has maintained a very active civic life. His two most prominent areas of interest are Youth/Public Education and Civic Engagement. He currently serves as Chair of The Children’s Partnership, CA’s premier child-advocacy agency and has served for many years on Coro Southern California’s Board of Directors. Previous posts include board membership on the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, Los Angeles Business Federation, Sustain Southern California, Environmental Policy Institute, Pasadena Media Corporation and a host of other local efforts. Chawkins served on the City of Pasadena’s Charter Reform Task Force that brought a citywide elected Mayor to Pasadena, and Chaired the Pasadena Unified School District’s Districting Task Force which moved the School District from an at-large governance model to one with elected sub-districts. Chawkins holds a BA in Political Science from UCLA, an MA in Public Policy from Claremont Graduate School and was a Coro Fellow in New York City. He currently lives in Pasadena with his wife, Dr. Lan Nguyen Chawkins, and has 2 college-aged daughters.
Michelle Demers
Founder and CEO
Boundless Impact Research & Analytics
Biography

Michelle Demers

Founder and CEO
Boundless Impact Research & Analytics

Michele has 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur and business executive. She is Founder and CEO of Boundless Impact Research & Analytics, an industry research and environmental data and analytics firm that provides objective and actionable analysis that moves investment dollars more quickly toward clean technologies and companies driving positive environmental change. The Boundless method uses a science-based, data-driven approach, grounded in the proven methodology of Life Cycle Assessment, and serves a growing universe of investors, companies, and funds. 

From 2010-2013, she was Vice President at Foundation Source where she built a knowledge platform that was used by a network of 1200 family offices.  From 2007-2008, Michele helped found and was Director of Communications for Humanity United, a philanthropic entity created by Pam Omidyar and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. She has been involved in the successful development of more than two-dozen startups and is regularly called upon for her innovative thinking about impact measurement.  Michele advises and mentors emerging clean tech companies and projects through Heritage Group Accelerator and TechStars. She is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and has a Master’s in International Relations and Communications from Boston University.

 
Brian Goldman
Principal Compliance Analyst
Sonoma Clean Power
Biography

Brian Goldman

Principal Compliance Analyst
Sonoma Clean Power

Brian Goldman has over a decade of experience across multiple sectors of the energy industry. At Sonoma Clean Power, one of California’s Community Choice Aggregator (CCAs), his responsibilities include leading compliance obligations, contributing to regulatory practices, and developing risk oversight practices.

Prior to his role at Sonoma Clean Power, Brian was a Public Utilities Regulatory Analyst with the Public Advocates Office within the California Public Utilities Commission. At Cal Advocates, he was the lead analyst on the Distribution Resources Plan proceeding, the investor-owned utility Data Access Plan proceeding, and the SmartMeter deployment opt-out policy proceeding in PacifiCorp’s service territory. Brian also worked on Long Term Procurement Planning, Rule 21 Interconnection, SmartGrid development, and Electric Vehicle Integration matters. Prior to Cal Advocates, Brian was a regulatory and policy consultant for CleanPath Ventures, where he researched once-through cooling plant retirement impacts.

Brian holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Southern California, and a J.D. from UC Davis School of Law. His Law Review Note “Demarcation and the Smart Grid: An Analysis of California Public Utilities Commission Decision 10-06-047” examined early SmartGrid development plans through the historical lens of Federal telecommunications deregulation.
Alex Hall
CEO
Concrete AI
Biography

Alex Hall

CEO
Concrete AI

Concrete.ai is the world’s leading artificial Intelligence company focused on using machine learning to optimize the most consumed product after water – Concrete Alex has 25 years experience in the building materials, construction & ESG sectors He has held executive leadership roles for Holcim, the world’s largest cement producer, and Suffolk, the U.S.’s Largest private construction and technology company.
Paul A. Rosen
Project Scientist
NASA-ISRO SAR Mission
Biography

Paul A. Rosen

Project Scientist
NASA-ISRO SAR Mission

Paul A Rosen is currently Project Scientist for NASA-ISRO synthetic aperture radar mission (NISAR) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and is a JPL Fellow and Senior Research Scientist. He is also the study coordinator for NASA’s Surface Deformation and Change Decadal Survey Architecture Study. Until 2012, he was the manager of the Radar Science and Engineering Section and Project Scientist for the DESDynI Mission concept at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He has been particularly active in understanding the phenomenology and scientific potentials of interferometric SAR and has led a number of research initiatives in data analysis and the development of software tools and techniques. Dr. Rosen was the team leader for Algorithm Development and Verification on the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, for which he received NASA's Exceptional Service Medal (2001) and NASA's Exceptional Achievement Medal (2002).
Ricky Sakai
SVP Investment and Business Development
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc.
Biography

Ricky Sakai

SVP Investment and Business Development
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc.

Ryosuke “Ricky” Saki is Senior Vice President of New Business Development at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America(MHIA), where he focuses on decarbonization of the energy sector. Ricky is currently leading MHIA's corporate venturing investment initiative for climate technology start-up sector such as clean energy (like Hydrogen, Ammonia and Sustainable Fuel), energy storage, carbon management and so on. More than 10 portfolio start-up companies and its partnership have been built since the investment initiative started in 2020. Since joining MHI Japan in 2006, Ricky has held a number of roles across MHI and one of its Group Companies, Mitsubishi Power, including as a project engineer and as a leader on the Oil & Gas business development team. Ricky graduated from Kyoto University with a degree in urban environmental engineering and from Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business with a Master of Business Administration.
Ryo Sasamoto
Head of Corporate Strategy
Thermalytica
Biography

Ryo Sasamoto

Head of Corporate Strategy
Thermalytica

Brief bio：Ryo is the Head of Corporate Strategy at Thermalytica, offering a revolutionary product for insulation. He is responsible for business development to fundraising. Prior to joining Thermalytica, he worked at a Japanese consulting firm on projects including new business development, business process reengineering, and cost reduction initiatives.
Sal DiCostanzo
Port Liaison / Labor Relations Representative
International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 13
Biography

Sal DiCostanzo

Port Liaison / Labor Relations Representative
International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 13

Sal DiCostanzo is currently serving as Port Liaison / Labor Relations Representative of International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 13. He has been a registered member of Local 13 since 2006 and has worked in the maritime industry since he began his career, as a casual longshoreman, in 1998. During his time in the Union, Sal has filled many different jobs, from driving equipment, to working aboard ships, rails cars, in warehouses as well as a variety of other positions. Prior to his full-time employment on the docks, Sal was a math teacher at Richard Henry Dana Middle School, in his home town of San Pedro. He earned his teaching credential by taking night classes from California State University, Dominguez Hills while concurrently working in the classroom during the day. Prior to his career as a teacher, Sal worked in banking and insurance after graduating from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. Outside of his employment, Sal volunteers his time and abilities for the betterment of the local community, the maritime industry, and was also a Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles. Sal is married and has two children. The son of Italian immigrants, from the island of Ischia, Sal is grateful for the examples of courage, hard work and faith that guided his family in their pursuit of the American Dream.
Jonathan Leung
Assistant Director, Water Quality Division
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)
Biography

Jonathan Leung

Assistant Director, Water Quality Division
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)

Mr. Jonathan Leung is the Assistant Director of the Water Quality Division at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). Jonathan has nearly 30 years of experience at the LADWP in a variety of roles for the Water System, Power System, and General Manager’s Office. Currently, Jonathan oversees the broad activities of the Water Quality operations staff. Jonathan is a champion of numerous innovation and customer service initiatives at LADWP, and has participated in several international collaborations to develop innovative technology. Jonathan has a B.S. Civil Engineering from Stanford University (’91) and an M.B.A from the University of Southern California (‘00).
Josh Newman
Senator, 29th District
California State Senate
Biography

Josh Newman

Senator, 29th District
California State Senate

I grew up on the East Coast, in New York State, in a little city called Poughkeepsie, about an hour and half north up the Hudson River from New York City.  My dad was a general surgeon who did emergency room work in two local hospitals in addition to his practice, specializing in veins and arteries.  My mom was active in community affairs and served as the President of our local school district when I was in middle school, and eventually as mayor of my little home town after my sister and I had graduated from college and moved away.

After graduation from Yale University, where I majored in History with a focus on 20th Century politics and government, I served as an artillery officer in the United States Army, with duty assignments with a nuclear weapons unit in South Korea and a conventional artillery battalion in the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii. 

I relocated to California from Hawaii following the completion of my active duty military service obligation.  My professional experience since then has included work in local government, public affairs and marketing, film and television production, and Internet media technology.

In 2012, I founded an initiative, ArmedForce2Workforce,to assist young military veterans in the pursuit of rewarding, career-oriented employment following the completion of their own military service and return to the Greater Los Angeles/Orange County area.  That work, and my frustration with the lack of progress and support from various levels of government in doing right by the young men and women who had bravely served us during a time of true national need, led to my decision to run for public office.

In 2016, I ran a successful grassroots campaign for the California State Senate, focused on a message of service, common sense, and accountability on behalf of the residents of the 16 cities across three counties in California’s 29th Senate District.

As their representative to the State Senate, I successfully guided more than 20 pieces of legislation that supported veteran services and mental health resources, improved local schools, helped businesses create jobs, and protected open space. 

As a public servant, I pride myself on being active, accessible, and accountable, unafraid to put constituents over politics and working families ahead of special interests. 

My wife Darcy and I live in Fullerton with our young daughter and four weird but lovable rescue Chihuahuas.
Andrew Fisher
Director of the U.S. West
Government of Alberta, Canada
Biography

Andrew Fisher

Director of the U.S. West
Government of Alberta, Canada

Andrew Fisher has dedicated more than a decade to public service with the Government of Alberta and is leading its efforts to engage across the U.S. West since September 2022. Based out of Seattle, his region includes the states of California, Washington, Colorado, Montana, Alaska, Nevada, Oregon, Wyoming, Hawaii, Utah, and Idaho. 

Mr. Fisher joined the Alberta-U.S. network team from Invest Alberta where he contributed to the start up of the Crown corporation that helped attract billions in investment into Alberta in a variety of sectors, including hydrogen, clean technology, energy, and agri-business. Prior to that, his experience includes supporting the development and start-up of the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation, advancing technology and innovation developments, and helping Alberta companies export into new markets. 

Born and raised in the Edmonton area, he has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Alberta and a master's degree in communications from Royal Roads University.

 
Alfred Fraijo Jr
Founder and Partner, Land Use Attorney and Urbanist
Somos Group
Biography

Alfred Fraijo Jr

Founder and Partner, Land Use Attorney and Urbanist
Somos Group

Alfred Fraijo secures and negotiates land use entitlements for complex housing, infrastructure and mixed use development projects throughout California. He provides legal advice to clients pursuing innovative, urban renewal projects in the inner-city and other sectors with emerging markets. Alfred's real estate and land use expertise and problem solving extends to structuring and overseeing public-private partnerships and permitting multi-family housing, commercial, mixed use, green energy facilities and college/university master plan developments.

With extensive experience in the public and private sectors, Alfred advises clients on state and federal land use and environmental laws, including the Subdivision Map Act, California Community Redevelopment Law, California Environmental Quality Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, CERCLA, RCRA, California Superfund Law and the Polanco Redevelopment Act.

Alfred works closely with clients and consultants on due diligence review of land use issues, which includes local zoning ordinances, general plans, redevelopment plans and related land use restrictions.
Riley Saito
Energy Specialist and the Deputy Director
County of Hawaii
Biography

Riley Saito

Energy Specialist and the Deputy Director
County of Hawaii

Riley is currently with the County of Hawai’i, Research and Development Department, in the couple of roles, as the Energy Specialist and the Deputy Director in the last  4 years.   This is his first time in his multi-faceted career working in a public service organization.     Began a 16-year career with Hyatt Hotels following graduation from the University of Hawaii, Manoa with a business degree from the School of Travel Industry Management in 1978.  In 1994 began 10 years with Mauna Lani Resort as a Vice President and Corporate Controller.  Spearheaded Mauna Lani Resort’s project for the first commercially finance PV system in 1998.  By 2003 the resort had ~1 MW of PV systems in operation.  In 2004 joined SunPower Corporation and worked for over a decade to shape Hawai‘i ‘s clean energy future through legislative, policy, and business development initiatives.  He started a renewable energy consulting business prior to joining the County.   
Tanya Bennett
Australian Consul-General
Los Angeles at Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Biography

Tanya Bennett

Australian Consul-General
Los Angeles at Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Ms Bennett is a senior career officer with Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Assistant Secretary, First Nations Taskforce.

She has previously served overseas in Japan and at Australia's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.

Ms Bennett speaks French and Japanese and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Queensland and a Masters of Foreign Affairs and Trade from Monash University.
Caroline Choi
Senior VP, Regulatory Affairs
Southern California Edison
Biography

Caroline Choi

Senior VP, Regulatory Affairs
Southern California Edison

Caroline Choi is senior vice president of Regulatory Affairs for Southern California Edison (SCE).  In this role, she is responsible for the Company’s regulatory strategy and policy at the national and state levels, including regulatory affairs, regulatory operations and environmental affairs.

Choi previously served as vice president of Energy and Environmental Policy. Prior to joining SCE in 2012, Choi was executive director of Environmental Services & Strategy at Progress Energy; she served the company in various roles, including director, Energy Policy & Strategy, and manager, Federal Public Affairs.

Choi is active in national policy and community engagement, where she serves as Chairman of the Board of the Smart Electric Power Alliance, a nationwide organization that supports utilities in the implementation and deployment of clean energy and distributed resources. She also serves as a board member of the Asian Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund and the National Forest Foundation. Choi holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Dartmouth College.
Adrienne C. Lindgren
Senior Vice President,
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
Biography

Adrienne C. Lindgren

Senior Vice President,
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator

Passionate about building and leading teams, commercializing advanced technologies in the built environment, and managing P&L responsibility. Dynamic professional with a mix of skills and expertise spanning program management, project finance, partnerships, and GTM strategies + business development. Demonstrable success in industries including zero-emissions transportation, sustainable aviation tech, consulting, banking, and municipal government. Proven ability to plan and execute value creation strategies in the context of complex multi-disciplinary projects, while gaining consensus and alignment across diverse stakeholders, and navigating the ambiguity of new financing strategies, roles, and technologies.

Adrienne gravitates toward complex problems, partnerships and initiatives marked by even more complicated stakeholder relationships. Having had a seat at multiple sides of the table, her career has been driven by a commitment to innovative cross-sectoral collaboration. She holds a B.A. from Scripps College, where she graduated cum laude, and a master's degree in planning and economic development from the University of Southern California, where she earned high honors in her cohort. Most recently, Adrienne participated in an executive-education program in project finance at London Business School.
Alex Nazarchuck
City Engineer
City of Santa Monica
Biography

Alex Nazarchuck

City Engineer
City of Santa Monica

Alex Nazarchuk manages the Engineering and Street Services Division, overseeing design and construction of capital projects, reviewing plans for private development and public right-of-way improvements, and managing street maintenance including roadway, sidewalk and alley repairs. Nazarchuk was appointed as City Engineer in 2019. He has over 20 years of engineering experience, 18 with the City of Santa Monica. During his time with Public Works, Nazarchuk has overseen major construction projects including the Charnock Wellfield Restoration Project and expansion of the Expo Light Rail into Santa Monica. He also served for nearly two years as Interim Water Resources Manager where he led efforts to update the Sustainable Water Master Plan, a blueprint for reducing the City’s reliance on imported water. Before joining the City, Nazarchuk worked for an engineering consulting firm and a local building contractor. Nazarchuk is a SAMOHI graduate and earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Engineering, civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He is the father of two boys, both born in Santa Monica. Nazarchuk enjoys trying new food and traveling to new destinations with his family.
Praful M Kulkarni
Principal, Integrated Services Director
Cannon Design
Biography

Praful M Kulkarni

Principal, Integrated Services Director
Cannon Design

Praful [prūh-full] has dedicated his career to sparking change within the AEC industry. As a young architect, he recognized the fragmented nature of traditional design and construction and the inefficiencies that came with it. He founded his own integrated firm in response—gkkworks—to unite design excellence and construction innovation. In 2018, gkkworks merged with CannonDesign, strengthening one of the most progressive integrated design firms in the world.

Praful is a champion for single-source collaborative design and delivery methods that help ensure certainty in project cost, schedule and quality outcomes. He has a pulse on the latest innovations within the industry— specifically, he is a tireless advocate for progressive design-build and its ability to foster heightened levels of collaboration across owners, designers and builders.
Lauren Faber O'Connor*
Operating Partner
Lowercarbon Capital
Biography

Lauren Faber O'Connor*

Operating Partner
Lowercarbon Capital

Lauren is a 18+ year veteran in the climate and clean energy community. She has a proven track record of delivering multi-disciplinary strategies and solutions on climate initiatives for the public, private, and non-profit sectors at every scale of government.

As the sustainability & climate chief for the second largest city in America, Lauren developed a city-wide and beyond integrated approach to climate action grounded in equity, science-based ambition, clear and measurable metrics, and roles, accountability, and opportunity for leadership for every player on the team (e.g. 35 city departments, in-house issue experts, civil society partners). Her portfolio linked together wide ranging issues in clean energy, clean transportation, clean water, healthy food, urban ecosystems, resilience, built environment, and green economy.

Lauren is a trusted and respected partner to local and national business, philanthropic, and community-based organizations, as well as to a wide network of counterparts in cities globally. She has built national networks such as Climate Mayors and an international platform at C40. She also brings an important blend of DC experience, understanding, and connections, with deep and successful on-the-ground experience in both coalition building, advocacy and strategy, as well as policy development and implementation at the state, local, and international levels.

Lauren has been recognized as 40 under 40 Public Utilities Fortnightly 2021, 2019 LA Power Woman by Bisnow, and 2018 Climate Leader to Watch by E&E News. Her work to spearhead the unprecedented LA100 study of a 100% renewable energy grid between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has been awarded for Municipal Innovation by the US Green Buildings Council of Los Angeles, Renewable Energy Leader by the Los Angeles Business Council, and Clean Power Champion by the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies. LA's Green New Deal, of which she is the chief architect, has been awarded the UN Future Policy Award and the United States Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Award.
Jonah Bliss
Founder and Curb Whisperer
Curbivore
Biography

Jonah Bliss

Founder and Curb Whisperer
Curbivore

Jonah Bliss founded and runs Curbivore, the only media and event group focused on delivery, mobility and curb management. Prior, he held senior positions at organizations that include CoMotion, EVELO, Turo and more. He also advises and invests in the new mobility industry, as a Venture Partner at the MobilityFund consortium.
Bharat Patel
Head of Sustainablity
Build Los Angeles Community College District
Biography

Bharat Patel

Head of Sustainablity
Build Los Angeles Community College District

Bharat Patel, Director Energy & Sustainability at Jacobs, over 30 years in Design and Construction in sustainable development. Past chair of the US Green Building Council – LA chapter, registered engineer.Worked in Europe, Asia and America with world- renowned: Sir Norman Foster, Sir Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano. His unique experience allows him to examine and provide unique solutions balances energy, environmental sensitivities, security, and costs.

Past adjunct professor at UCLA for 18 years and at USC where he taught sustainable development. Presented at numerous conferences, including UN climate change conference Bali Indonesia,World conference on Advanced Building Skins in Bern Switzerland.
Doane Liu
Executive Director
Los Angeles City Tourism Department
Biography

Doane Liu

Executive Director
Los Angeles City Tourism Department

In March 2017, Doane Liu was appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti as the Executive Director of the Los Angeles City Tourism Department (CTD), formerly the Department of Convention and Tourism Development, with the goal to further enhance and increase Los Angeles’ prominence and attraction as a world class tourist and convention destination. 

Liu joined the CTD after serving as Deputy Executive Director and Chief of Staff at the Port of Los Angeles, where he was the second in command at the busiest container port in North America and head of the Port’s External Affairs Bureau.

Before the Port, Liu was Deputy Mayor for the City of Los Angeles. He managed the Mayor's Office of City Services and helped the Mayor oversee 15 City Departments, including the Los Angeles Department Water and Power, Public Works, Transportation, Recreation and Parks, Public Library, and LA Zoo. He also established the Great Streets Studio and LA RiverWorks in the Mayor’s Office. A first-generation Korean-American, Liu also was a liaison in the Mayor’s Office to the Korean-American community in Los Angeles.

Liu was previously Chief of Staff for Councilman Joe Buscaino and served as Chief of Staff for Councilwoman Janice Hahn, Deputy Mayor for Mayor James K. Hahn and District Director for Congresswoman Jane Harman. He was also Senior Vice President of Government Banking at JP Morgan Chase and Vice President in the Real Estate Industries Group at Security Pacific National Bank.

Liu currently serves on the boards of AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Fleet Week Foundation, and Sister Cities of Los Angeles. He has previously served on the boards of the LA24 Olympic Bid Committee, LA County Business Federation, Harbor Interfaith Shelter, Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Mary Star of the Sea High School, and Holy Trinity School.

Liu graduated from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and received an MBA from University of Southern California. He and his wife have four grown children and have lived in San Pedro for nearly 30 years.
David Reich
Deputy Executive Director Mobility Planning and Strategy
Los Angeles World Airports, LAWA
Biography

David Reich

Deputy Executive Director Mobility Planning and Strategy
Los Angeles World Airports, LAWA

David Reich was appointed Deputy Executive Director in December 2020 to oversee LAWA’s new Mobility Unit. LAX has the highest number of trips that start and end at its doorstep of any airport worldwide, meaning connections to and from the surrounding region are a crucial element of the passenger experience. The Mobility Unit is charged with taking a holistic approach to mobility policy, programs, and initiatives to reinforce landside access investments and enable a paradigm shift in mobility that ensures LAX can serve its passengers and employees – and support the surrounding community – in a sustainable manner.  

Prior to joining LAWA, Mr. Reich served as Director of Economic Infrastructure for Mayor Eric Garcetti. In that role, Mr. Reich led Port and Airport policy and acted as a liaison to the executive teams at the Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Airports.  

Between 2013 and 2016, Mr. Reich was a Business Development Manager at Sylmar, CA-based Quallion, a manufacturer of lithium ion batteries for aerospace and medical applications. From 2010 to 2013, he worked in the administration of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, on port, airport, and other economic development issues. From 2002-2007, Mr. Reich served on active duty as an officer in the U.S. Navy. 

Mr. Reich holds a B.A. in History from the University of California at Berkeley and an M.B.A from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA. 
Justin Ward
General Manager – Powertrain System Control
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc.
Biography

Justin Ward

General Manager – Powertrain System Control
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc.

Justin Ward joined Toyota in 2001 as the automaker opened its fuel cell development center in California. He moved into the position of advanced powertrain program manager-advanced technology vehicles in 2008. Ward’s team of engineers was involved with cold-weather testing for the auto maker’s latest-generation fuel-cell vehicle, the FCHV-adv. Ward acknowledged the need for adaptation as vehicle-manufacturers in the US, as opposed to Toyota’s team in Japan, especially when considering the vast environmental differences and traffic patterns. Justin Ward has also served as Chairman of the California Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP).
Larissa De La Cruz
Director of Community Development
City of Lancaster
Biography

Larissa De La Cruz

Director of Community Development
City of Lancaster

Larissa De La Cruz, an esteemed leader in urban development and community revitalization, currently serves as the Director of Community Development for the vibrant city of Lancaster. With a rich history of dedicated service to the city, she has been recently elevated to this pivotal role, acknowledging her invaluable contributions to Lancaster's economic prosperity and sustainable development.

As Director of Community Development, De La Cruz spearheads a dynamic team of traffic engineers, city planners, and economic development, orchestrating the successful execution of numerous transformative projects. Her leadership has been instrumental in realizing several pivotal initiatives, ranging from essential zoning text amendments to the meticulous planning of master-planned developments. She has also been at the forefront of crafting specific plans tailored to Lancaster's unique needs, ensuring a harmonious balance between growth and preservation.

Notably, De La Cruz has played a pivotal role in implementing Lancaster's progressive cannabis ordinance, alongside other innovative measures to modernize the city's regulatory framework. Her astute guidance has facilitated the seamless integration of these initiatives, fostering an environment conducive to sustainable urban development and economic vitality.

With an unwavering commitment to community engagement and collaboration, De La Cruz has forged enduring partnerships with stakeholders across diverse sectors. Her profound insights into the local economy and keen strategic acumen have enabled her to navigate complex challenges with finesse. By fostering dialogue and cooperation with the development community, she has championed initiatives that promote smart growth while safeguarding Lancaster's unique character and heritage.

As she continues to shape the future trajectory of Lancaster's development, Larissa De La Cruz remains steadfast in her commitment to fostering inclusive, sustainable, and vibrant communities. Her visionary leadership is a beacon of inspiration, illuminating the path toward a more equitable and resilient future for all.
Katherine Perez
Principal & Los Angeles Office Leader
Arup
Biography

Katherine Perez

Principal & Los Angeles Office Leader
Arup

Katharine Aguilar Perez is the Los Angeles Cities Leader and  Principal with Arup. She is an expert in urban planning, transportation, and stakeholder engagement. In the planning and land use field, she is highly regarded for developing complex public participation strategies that require collaboration among multi-cultural communities. With her background in community development, private real estate development, transportation policy and urban planning, she is recognized as a leader in the planning and development fields and speaks at conferences throughout the country.
Yukio Gotoh
President and CEO
GeoSeach Inc
Biography

Yukio Gotoh

President and CEO
GeoSeach Inc

Yukio Gotoh is the President and CEO of GEO SEARCH Inc., a California headquartered subsidiary of a global industry leader in non-destructive testing and underground location using proprietary microwave Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). The GEO SEARCH mission is to enhance public safety by detecting underground and under-pavement hazards, such as cavitations, before they collapse and form dangerous sinkholes or destructive potholes.  GEO SEARCH is similarly a global leader in the detection and mapping of underground utilities with GPR technology. 

Prior to establishing GEO SEARCH Inc. in 2022, Gotoh enjoyed a long career at SECOM, one of the world's largest private security services firms with 71,000 employees, directly supporting the founder and executive management team.  Gotoh played strategic roles in the expansion of the company's business in safety and security services, as well as leading a large international tender for 3D modeling by aerial survey by SECOM affiliate, PASCO. 

Gotoh holds a Bachelor's Degree in Law from Keio University in Tokyo, and a Master's Degree in Public Policy from the University of Southern California.
Takaki Sakai
Managing Director, Project Finance- Americas
Global Corporate & Investment Banking MUFG Bank, Ltd.
Biography

Takaki Sakai

Managing Director, Project Finance- Americas
Global Corporate & Investment Banking MUFG Bank, Ltd.
Takaki Sakai has over 20 years of experience in project finance and is currently responsible for deal origination primarily in renewable and power spaces at MUFG’s Project Finance Team in the Americas, which was ranked #1 in bank loan for 14 years in a row and #1 in the bond in 2023 by the PFI League Table.  He started his career in Tokyo and moved to the team in New York in 2004. He has wide range of experience in debt arrangement and advisory utilizing various sources such as bank loan (senior and mezzanine), institutional loan, project bond and export credit/multilateral agencies.
His team was awarded multiple Deal of the Year recognition over the years including, most recently, 2023 Renewable Power Deal of the Year (Eiffel and Orion project financing).   
Takaki holds an LLB from The University of Tokyo and a MPP in International Finance and Economics from Harvard University.
Jade Clemons
BlueSEA Director
AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles
Biography

Jade Clemons

BlueSEA Director
AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles
Jade Clemons is a recovering lawyer and budding economist. She held various legal roles, predominantly in the tech sector, before pursuing a Master of Economics degree to steer her career in the direction of public policy. At AltaSea, she leads the Blue Sustainable Economy Alliance, which engages in public advocacy and connects innovators in ocean industries to the resources they need to scale.
 
She comes to AltaSea after serving as the Sr. Program Manager of the Planetary program at the Berggruen Institute, where she promoted equitable and sustainable economic systems with an eye towards human and non-human flourishing. Prior to her time at the Berggruen Institute, she served as the Associate Director of the Center for Regional Economics at the Milken Institute focusing on small business and sustainability initiatives.
 
Having grown up in California, she earned her B.A. in Business Administration from Pepperdine University, her J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and her M.A. in Economics from the University of Southern California.
Barbara Romero
Executive Director
LA Sanitation & Environment
Biography

Barbara Romero

Executive Director
LA Sanitation & Environment

Barbara Romero is Executive Director of LA City Sanitation & Environment having served as Deputy Mayor of City Services in the office of Mayor Eric Garcetti since March 2015 after serving as a Board of Public Works Commissioner. 

Romero spent a decade working for the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, where she was Chief of Urban Projects and the Watershed Planning Division. As the liaison to local, state, and federal legislators on park planning issues, Romero handled legislative policies and project funding strategies, and managed millions of dollars for urban park projects. She also focused on identifying, developing and implementing multiple park development, restoration, and acquisition projects primarily in urban areas along the Upper Los Angeles River and tributaries.

She currently serves as a Board Member for the Valley Presbyterian Hospital and has previously served on the boards of the Baldwin Hills Conservancy the L.A. River Revitalization Corporation. In addition, she was a member of the Los Angeles Planning Commission and previously worked for the L.A. Conservation Corps and Building Up Los Angeles, where she led an AmeriCorps program to develop school and community gardens and mural projects with high school and college students in East L.A.

Romero grew up in the East L.A. community of Boyle Heights. She holds a B.A. from UCLA.
Tyler Starrine
Associate Director of Creative Consulting
Designworks, A BMW Group Company
Biography

Tyler Starrine

Associate Director of Creative Consulting
Designworks, A BMW Group Company

Tyler Starrine joined the Designworks team in 2018 with a desire to leverage over a decade of consulting expertise to help brands realize their ambitions for the future. Tyler brings an incredible passion for identifying user needs and uncovering compelling brand truths to every project she’s a part of. From trend identification to developing new creative strategies, Tyler’s ability to surface insights and transform these into meaningful brand experiences has afforded her the opportunity to work with the most sought after brands in the world.  In her 15 year career, Tyler has worked with category leaders such as Apple, Nike, Google and Netflix – and has had the opportunity to partner with some of the brightest minds in the business.
Leah Goold-Haws
President CEO
Long Beach Economic Partnership (LBEP)
Biography

Leah Goold-Haws

President CEO
Long Beach Economic Partnership (LBEP)

Leah Goold-Haws is currently the President/CEO of the Long Beach Economic Partnership (aka LBEP) an economic development cooperation operating on behalf of business attraction, retention, economic growth and workforce readiness in the City of Long Beach. Previously, Leah served on the City of Long Beach Economic Commission as the Commissioner for International Trade and has collaborated with the Port of Long Beach to relaunch the World Trade Center Long Beach under LBEP. Leah’s career in international business spans over fifteen years, and her work in economic development encompasses two decades of experience working with both the Small Business Development Centers, Centers for International Trade and Development and on behalf of the California Community Colleges Office of Economic and Workforce Development. Having most recently served as the Statewide Director for the California International Trade Center (CITC aka CITD) funded under the State of California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, Leah led a statewide team in assisting companies across California in preparing for export readiness. Simultaneously, Leah served as the Sector Navigator for Global Trade, providing guidance and support on international trade programming to the 114 colleges in the California Community College system. Prior to that, Leah was a Regional Deputy Sector Navigator of Global Trade, serving rural and urban communities in Northern and Southern California.

Under her direction, the CITC transformed from traditional business counseling and training to online services and virtual trade mission readiness while supporting broader business entry to trade through cross-border ecommerce. Her innovative programming included new ways to access trade services and employment through programs such as the Global VIP (virtual internship) with training focused on digital marketing across global consumer social media platforms and digital badge deployment to recognize key skills acquisition.

Prior to her work in the public sector, Leah is also the creator of Know Opportunity, a board game that teaches global commerce and entrepreneurship, as featured in both Forbes and Inc online magazines and selling to customers around the world. Leah founded a boutique marketing firm, LGH Marketing/Strategy, focused on client needs both domestically and globally. Her company, Mindevices, developed and sold educational content on global entrepreneurship, integrating the board game with kinetic learning models for high school and college students. Leah also launched and served as the executive director for Working Strategies for Women, an initiative built on her curriculum, teaching women business owners global entrepreneurship through a partnership with the United Way Northern California. As she indicates in her TEDx talk “You Are Here”, Leah is a passionate entrepreneur and global business advocate.
Ellie Dean
Senior Engineer, C40 Green Shipping Corridors
ARUP
Biography

Ellie Dean

Senior Engineer, C40 Green Shipping Corridors
ARUP

Ellie is a Senior Civil Engineer who has worked with Arup since 2016 in Sydney, Australia and moved to Los Angeles in 2022. She has a strong technical civil engineering and project and design management experience, having worked on multi-disciplinary maritime, highway, rail, aviation and site development projects in both Australia and the USA. She has extensive client facing experience with major government, contractor, and private clients, from feasibility and business case assessments through to detailed design and construction stages. She also spent 2 years working as a project engineer managing the day-to-day on-site construction activities with a rail contractor in Australia.

Since moving to LA, Ellie has acquired a niche experience working in the decarbonization of Ports and Shipping industry. From January 2023, Ellie has been seconded part-time to C40 Cities, as Senior Manager of the Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach and Port of Shanghai Green Shipping Corridor. This corridor aims to accelerate the achievement of decarbonization targets aligned with the 2023 IMO Greenhouse Gas Strategy for international shipping for the Ports, shipping carriers and cargo owners who use this shipping route.

Ellie is also a very strong communicator and team leader, with a passion for project delivery, sustainability, partnerships, mentorship, and multi-disciplinary collaboration.
Heather Rosenberg
Los Angeles Resilience Lead
Arup
Biography

Heather Rosenberg

Los Angeles Resilience Lead
Arup

Heather Rosenberg leads Arup’s Resilience Skills Network in the Americas. An ecologist by training, Heather brings 20 years of experience leading sustainability and resilience projects in the built environment. Her systemic approach integrates interdisciplinary teams to bring together technical expertise with stakeholder engagement and a commitment to social equity. Her current work focuses on decarbonization and energy transition through a resilience lens. She works extensively with local governments, utilities, community choice aggregators and non-profits to better understand the resilience of the energy system, how buildings can play a role in local and grid-level resilience, and how to leverage investments to support those most vulnerable to power outages.

She has worked closely with the affordable housing community to innovate policy and financial tools that can spur decarbonization projects without triggering displacement. Before joining Arup, Heather was the founder and president of her own successful resilience strategy consulting practice, Fifth Road. She created the Building Resilience Network, a multi-stakeholder initiative designed to help public, private, and non-profit organizations weave physical, social and economic resilience into core operations. She is a USGBC Ginsberg Fellow and has served on multiple boards and committees. Heather has formal training in facilitation and integrated design processes and extensive experience leading workshops, training sessions and charrettes to address complex challenges related to sustainability and resilience
Ryan Harty
Director of Sustainability and Business Development
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Biography

Ryan Harty

Director of Sustainability and Business Development
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Ryan Harty is the Director of the Sustainability & Business Development business unit at American Honda Motor Co., Inc., (AHM). He is responsible for the strategy and business execution for Honda’s Triple Zero initiatives of 100% carbon neutral products and operations, 100% clean energy use throughout the value chain, and 100% use of recycled and sustainable materials by 2050. Ryan is applying his passion to the business and technology of vehicle electrification. In his spare time, he enjoys playing and coaching the sport of curling at the Orange County Curling Club.
Emilien Marchand
Director Ecosystem Partnerships
Wisk
Biography

Emilien Marchand

Director Ecosystem Partnerships
Wisk

Emilien leads Wisk's Ecosystem Partnerships efforts, including State and City Engagement. Previously, Emilien led the US Public Policy strategy for the Airbus Urban Mobility Division, after holding partnerships and scouting roles at Airbus A^3. He started his career as a rocket propulsion engineer after graduating with a Masters of Engineering in Aerospace from ISAE-Supaero and and a Master of Science in Space Systems Engineering from TU Delft.
Raj Prasad
Vice President Transformation
Stantec
Biography

Raj Prasad

Vice President Transformation
Stantec

My career of 20+ years along with my education and training has allowed me to successfully support and lead organizational transformation large and small, globally in multiple industries. It’s been not only to transform but to ride and lead in todays Technological Revolution but also to adopt a collaboration and innovation culture that ensures the organization is part of or responsible for launching the next revolution.

An intrapreneur who successfully leverages people, process and technology in developing, planning and executing strategies that generate positive experience for people, planet and profit.

While maintaining sound risk management strategies, I believe in presenting end customer-focused business opportunities powered by technology.

Dedicated to maintaining a reputation built on trust, quality, service, and uncompromising ethics.

Industry experience in: Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Water, Renewables & Energy, Mining, Professional Services, Government, Development services, Financial, Hi-tech, Manufacturing & Distribution and Healthcare.
John Withers
Board of Directors Member
Irvine Ranch Water District
Biography

John Withers

Board of Directors Member
Irvine Ranch Water District

John Withers was appointed to the IRWD Board of Directors in 1989 to fill a board vacancy and has been elected to subsequent terms, including 2020 when he was elected to represent Division 1 under a new division-based election process.  He served as board president in 2004 and vice president in 2012 and 2021. He serves on the Water Resources Policy & Communications, and Engineering & Operations committees, as well as various ad hoc representations and assignments.

Withers is a partner with California Strategies, LLC, in Irvine, a statewide, strategic government-relations firm. In past positions, Withers has served as vice president of community development for Lewis Operating Corp. and as director of water resources for Psomas & Associates, a civil engineering and planning firm. He was also the director of governmental affairs for the Building Industry Association Orange County Chapter, and a legislative advocate for Crocker Bank and a major trade association in Sacramento.

Withers is chairman of the Orange County Sanitation District Board of Directors, where he has served since 2009. He is chairman and board member of the National Water Research Institute, a former chair and commissioner of the Local Agency Formation Commission, and former chair and member of the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board. 

A native Southern Californian, Withers earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from UCLA with a specialization in urban studies. He was then selected as a CORO Foundation Fellow and earned a master’s degree in urban studies from Occidental College.

Community activities include membership in the UCLA Alumni Association, youth sports and Mariners Church.

A resident of Irvine since 1984, Withers lives in Northwood with his wife, Katie. They have three grown children, Carolyn, Gordon, and Peter.
Kunihito Yamamoto
Deputy Mayor
Namie Town, Fukushima, Japan
Biography

Kunihito Yamamoto

Deputy Mayor
Namie Town, Fukushima, Japan

Yamamoto served as an employee of Namie Town Hall for 35 years from 1984 to 2019, an
d served as Namie Town Auditor for approximately two years from 2021 to 2022.
In December 2022, he was appointed as Deputy Mayor, and now in his position as Deputy 
Mayor, he is bringing his ability to continued to support Namie Town during the difficult envi
ronment of the Great East Japan Earthquake to bear.
Yasmin Abraham
Co-Founder & President
Kambo Energy Group
Biography

Yasmin Abraham

Co-Founder & President
Kambo Energy Group

Yasmin Abraham is President and Co-Founder of Kambo Energy Group, a social enterprise that reduces energy poverty and improves housing in communities that have historically been underprioritized across the pacific northwest. For over 14 years Kambo has supported communities through it’s three flagship programs each designed to address a unique gap in the market: Empower Me, an education and awareness program designed to support environmental justice communities; the Home Upgrades Program, a deep energy retrofit program to reduce energy poverty, and Community Power which works with Tribal and First Nations to take action on housing.

Yasmin is a leading expert in equity based energy and climate programming, working with governments and utilities across North America to design and deliver inclusive solutions. Yasmin holds an MBA from the Sauder School of Business, a certificate of Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University, is a member of the Efficiency Canada Governing Council, a founding member of the National Affordability Action Council, a member of the Faculty Advisory Board for the Sauder School of Business at UBC, and a member of the Zero Emissions Building Task Force at the City of Burnaby.

Yasmin has assembled an employee roster representative of the communities they serve – 83% identify as visible minority, immigrant and/or multilingual, and 59% of employees are female.
Juan Campos
VP of HSE & Sustainability
California Resources Corporation
Biography

Juan Campos

VP of HSE & Sustainability
California Resources Corporation

Environmental, Health, Safety and Sustainability professional with a passion to coach, mentor, and lead.

Specialties: EHS Strategies, EHS Value Driven Performance, Communication, Coaching and Mentoring, Advocacy with all levels of Government, Change Acceleration Process, Sustainability Implementation of Air, GHG, Waste, and Material elements, Air Compliance and Permitting, Environmental Compliance and Reporting, Waste Minimization, Hazardous Materials and Waste Management, Change Management, Incident Investigation - Taproot Certified, Internal/External Auditing, Metric Development, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001
Luke Klipp
Senior Transportation Deputy
to LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn
Biography

Luke Klipp

Senior Transportation Deputy
to LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn

Currently Senior Transportation Deputy to LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn. Previously served as Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia's LA Metro Board Deputy, and prior to that at LA Metro as a Principal Transportation Planner in the Office of Management and Budget.

As an elected member of the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council (LFNC), served as the council's President and Treasurer. Volunteer as Abundant Housing LA's Education Director. Co-founded and produce "A Little New Music," an LA-based quarterly concert of new musical theatre tunes. Co-founded Out@Metro, an LGBT and allies employee affinity group at LA Metro, and served on the leadership team of Metro Emerging Professionals Association, or MEPA.
Ryan Tinus
Vice President, ESG
LivCor
Biography

Ryan Tinus

Vice President, ESG
LivCor

Ryan Tinus is an established sustainability leader in the built environment with over 13 years of experience building Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) programs in commercial real estate.

Ryan supports an incredible team of humans at LivCor, Blackstone’s market multi-family housing platform, with the responsibility of advancing performance of all ESG criteria across the portfolio.  The most inspiring part of Ryan’s job is breathing life into LivCor’s purpose, leaving our people and places better than when we found them.  He strives to make each day better than the last, and to help others around him win. 

A Midwesterner now living in Los Angeles, Ryan is a proud graduate of The Ohio State University and the Kellogg School of Management.  He loves to ride is bike along the ocean and play tennis with his son, Jefferson.

 

 
Kameale C. Terry
CEO
ChargerHelp!
Biography

Kameale C. Terry

CEO
ChargerHelp!

CEO of ChargerHelp Kameale Terry was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. The daughter of Belizean immigrants Kameale has always had a focus on environmental sustainability and community engagement.

With over a decade of experience in CleanTech, Kameale formed ChargerHelp! with her co-founder Evette Ellis to create a reliable Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure. The CleanTech company, powered by technology, uses data to identify and provide maintenance and repair services for electric vehicle charging stations.

Previously Kameale worked at EV Connect where she was the Director of Programs for the electric vehicle charging station network provider. In that role, she structured and led teams to execute infrastructure projects in the United States, Australia, and Canada for both commercial and government entities. Her notable projects include Electrify America - Phase One program, the Southern California Edison Charge Ready Pilot, and the New York Power Authority portfolio.

Prior to that role, Kameale established the Customer Experience Department at EV Connect by partnering with the South Bay Workforce Investment Board employing candidates from the local community. She believes that an equitable green economy can be achieved through impactful development and realignment of existing workforces in conjunction with clean technology.

Kameale is an advisor for Edge Energy and a Co-creator of Culture and Climate, an annual gathering
in Los Angeles of Investors, Founders, Industry Experts, Venture Capitalists, and Speakers in Cleantech. Kameale has a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University and sits on several boards in entrepreneurial and environmental industries.
Hillary Hebert
Clean Energy Regulatory/Policy Consultant
HMH Energy Consulting Inc
Biography

Hillary Hebert

Clean Energy Regulatory/Policy Consultant
HMH Energy Consulting Inc

Hilary Hebert is a California energy industry expert specializing in resource planning, clean energy procurement, energy efficiency and demand response. Effective navigator of California regulatory and legislative issues. Known for ability to clearly frame the issues, facilitate, problem-solve and influence stakeholders with diverse perspectives to find common ground. Extensive experience in managing and interpreting technical analysis. Believes that preparation and giving people the benefit of the doubt are the keys to solving problems. Recognized by executives, direct reports and colleagues as effective listener, collaborator, communicator, and advocator, earning high levels of trust and respect.
Joaquin Silva
Managing Partner
Energy Innovation Capital
Biography

Joaquin Silva

Managing Partner
Energy Innovation Capital

Joaquin Silva has a diverse work experience in various leadership roles. Joaquin currently works at Energy Innovation Capital as the Managing Partner since January 2022 and previously served as a Venture Partner from May 2021 to February 2022. Prior to that, Joaquin was a Partner at Emerging Infrastructure Capital Partners LLC from October 2013 to December 2023. Joaquin has also worked as the EVP Corporate Business Development at On-Ramp Wireless, Inc. from November 2012 to August 2013, where they later became the CEO & Co-founder from February 2008 to November 2012. Joaquin also worked as the President & COO at Ostendo Technologies Inc. from December 2005 to February 2008. Earlier in their career, Joaquin held the role of VP at Mongtomery & Co from February 2001 to December 2005, where they specialized in technology investment banking. Joaquin also served as the VP of Business Development at AccelerateTV/RespondTV from January 2000 to January 2001.

Joaquin Silva completed their Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 1994. Subsequently, from 1995 to 1998, they pursued an MBA with a focus on Entrepreneurship & Strategy from the UCLA Anderson School of Management
Namrita Merino
Chief Operating Officer
GreenWealth Energy
Biography

Namrita Merino

Chief Operating Officer
GreenWealth Energy

Namrita Merino is the Chief Operating Officer at GreenWealth Energy, where she leverages over two decades of utility experience, including 22 years at Southern California Edison. While at Edison, she led the Charge Ready program for 12 years, significantly advancing solutions in the clean transportation industry and setting new industry standards. She was responsible for successfully implementing the nation's most extensive electric vehicle charging station utility infrastructure and investment programs, managing a budget of over $1 billion over five years.

As COO of GreenWealth, Namrita oversees operations, collaborates directly with clients and team leaders to enhance performance, and expands EV charging infrastructure across California and nationwide. She also spent two years running the business segment of an electrical construction company, leading all EV make-ready installations in both the public and private sectors.

Namrita is dedicated to launching programs that significantly reduce California's carbon footprint. Her commitment to sustainability, strategic vision, and proven track record of delivering innovative solutions across diverse environments underscore her extensive knowledge and passion for the clean transportation industry.
Gerhard Mayer
Owner Principal Architect
Mayer Architects
Biography

Gerhard Mayer

Owner Principal Architect
Mayer Architects

Gerhard is an architect and urbanist who embraces a paradigm shift towards the walkable, multimodal, equitable, sustainable high-quality urban living of the future. Originally from Vienna (Austria), he emigrated to the US on a Fulbright Scholarship in Sustainable Design and Architecture. 

He has practiced architecture on four continents, with valuable lessons learned in many cultural environments. His experiences include work with the father of tropical modernism - Geoffrey Bawa - in Sri Lanka, where projects were designed more in full scale mock-ups than in careful drawings; with Frank Gehry on a variety of projects, where the firm explored the possibilities of digital modeling towards unique non-linear design solutions; work on semiconductor factories in Germany and work with his own firm in Southern California. He led many teams large and small toward designing authentic places that create beauty in ways that are intrinsically local and urban.

Gerhard is currently focused on quality urban design; he is convinced that it is the medium through which one can address many of the shortcomings of our built environment and solve intractable urban problems. He has been pursuing urban change through a variety of organizations he helped found or been part of. Gerhard served as chair of the AIA L.A.’s Urban Design Committee and takes pride in finding new opportunities for each project, for all stakeholders.

Gerhard is a prolific writer and has started several local initiatives and non-profits that attempt to create a better Southern California. 
 
Wendell Vaughn
Principal, Educational Planning + Design
Stantec
Biography

Wendell Vaughn

Principal, Educational Planning + Design
Stantec

Throughout more than three decades leading planning and design for education projects, Wendell has been recognized for creating environments that inspire and support the learning experience. He leads his teams to respond diligently to the goals of each client, maintaining a sincere dedication to listen, collaborate, inform, and influence the lives of those they serve.

Wendell is committed to enhancing the communities where he works. Many of his clients’ projects have received recognition for responsive designs and environmental contributions, beyond sustainability. These projects have received recognition from the American Institute of Architects, Architectural Institute of British Columbia, the U.S. Green Building Council. and several educational organizations.

Driven by a desire to teach and continue to learn, Wendell speaks to audiences throughout the United States and Canada, sharing his knowledge of the planning and design of responsive experiences, engagement, and exploration that support the learning process.
Michelle Kinman
SVP Market Transformation
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)
Biography

Michelle Kinman

SVP Market Transformation
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)

Michelle Kinman is the SVP of Market Transformation at the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, leading LACI’s work to accelerate system change through public-private partnerships, forward-thinking policies, and innovative pilots in the zero emission transportation, clean energy, and sustainable cities sectors. She has managed LACI’s Transportation Electrification Partnership, which is focused on accelerating transportation electrification in the greater Los Angeles region and which was the genesis for the nation’s first zero emission delivery zone in Santa Monica. She has twenty-five years experience working to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, first working internationally, and now focusing on California.
Judith Taylor
Partner
HR&A
Biography

Judith Taylor

Partner
HR&A
Judith Taylor is a Partner with HR&A Advisors in their Los Angeles office and brings 20 years of experience in public policy and inclusive economic development strategy. Judith’s work merges forward-looking economic analyses with the ability to effectively communicate with, and empower, communities to shape equitable and impactful outcomes.
 
Judith is an expert in economic impact analysis and has a focus in the role of green jobs in economic development. She led the LACI Green Jobs Study, Green Jobs in Los Angeles: Opportunities For Economic Recovery Through Equitable Workforce Training, analyzing the opportunities in the sector for diverse communities and offering recommendations on how to more inclusively grow the green sector, and led a study the green-blue economy in Richmond, California. Judith is currently working with LACI to support the development of a Green Jobs Regional Partnership to support the workforce pipeline for green jobs in Los Angeles.
 
Yuval Bar-Zemer
Principal
Linear City Development LLC
Biography

Yuval Bar-Zemer

Principal
Linear City Development LLC

Mr. Bar-Zemer is the principal with Linear City Development LLC, a real estate development company that focuses on the revitalization of Downtown Los Angeles. Bar-Zemer developed the initial properties that touched off the Arts District and have since led a transformative urban and social process that contributed to a unique urban success story. As a result of his development efforts, the Arts District is considered one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Los Angeles for residential, commercial, culinary and retail uses alike. In addition, Mr. Bar-Zemer is the landlord partner of several notable restaurants including Bestia, Bon Temps and Pour Haus.

Mr. Bar-Zemer was born and raised in Jerusalem. He attended the Music Academy of Jerusalem (1984-86) and continues to be an avid supporter of the arts here in Los Angeles, particularly jazz and opera, as well as dance and the fine arts.

Mr. Bar-Zemer is a board member of the following organizations: LARABA, ADCCLA, Arts District BID, Historic Cultural Neighborhood Council,  The Institute of Field Research,  The Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (formally the Santa Monica Museum of Art, the Toy Factory Lofts HOA, the Biscuit Company Lofts HOA, New City Foundation, the Design Advisory Committee for the Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project.

Mr. Bar-Zemer is also the co-founder of the app Kitchen Table, which brings people together to share dining experiences, make memorable meals accessible and easy, and redefine what it means to eat local.
Tony Zavanelli
Principal, Energy
Stantec
Biography

Tony Zavanelli

Principal, Energy
Stantec

s part of our Power group in Walnut Creek, California, Tony’s currently responsible for client development, proposal preparation, direct project management, and technical work. He has over 30 years of engineering and project management experience in the fields of cogeneration, solar energy, alternative energy, energy conservation, demand side management, and HVAC.

An experienced engineering consultant for a wide variety of clients, Tony has worked on everything from nuclear power plants to biomass buildings and natural gas power stations. For the past 20 years he has focused on smaller scale cogeneration power systems and demand side management projects.

Tony was a prime consultant to the California Energy Commission's Energy Technology Export Program for four years, providing technical expertise in identification and analysis of energy projects in Thailand, Malaysia, China, the Philippines, Mexico, and South America.

When Tony isn’t working, he takes the time to go running, biking, or hiking. He’s also the Scoutmaster of a local Boy Scout troop—the team set the world record for largest water bottle rocket! 
Ana Moro
Sustainable Finance Market Specialist
Bloomberg
Biography

Ana Moro

Sustainable Finance Market Specialist
Bloomberg

Ana Moro is a Sustainable Finance Market Specialist at Bloomberg supporting the adoption of ESG factors in the investment process. She has over 15 years of experience experience in portfolio management, sustainable investing, product content development and strategy from the major data providers in the market: Bloomberg, S&P and MSCI. Her experienced has focused on the innovation, development, commercialization, and increased adoption of Factor Models as a Vice President of Analytics Production Services team serving institutional investors in MSCI Inc. She also served as an ESG Senior Product Manager at S&P Global focused on financial physical risk solutions.

She holds a Master in Finance from Universidad de Alcala in Spain, Bachelor of Accounting from Universidad Veracruzana in Mexico and a Advanced certificate in Management, Innovation and Technology (MIT ACE) from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Pete Perciavalle
Senior Vice President, Water Innovation Leader
Stantec
Biography

Pete Perciavalle

Senior Vice President, Water Innovation Leader
Stantec

Pete’s goal is to improve the efficiency of municipal infrastructure and utility operations. This is something he has done for the past 30 years through the development and application of digital Operational Technologies, operations and management optimization, and program and business strategy development for water and wastewater facilities and power generation.

Responsible for our global water digital group, Pete’s extensive experience in systems hardware, software data platforms, and analytics help drive business and compliance outcomes, generate capital efficiency, and optimize operations and maintenance—he’s successfully developed and delivered some of the world’s largest, most complex digital technology solutions in the market. Pete has also developed strong business and commercial models that make digital-based programmatic solutions and digital transformations for utilities economically feasible in both the short and long-term.

As a frequent contributor to industry panels and thought leadership forums, Pete is focused on furthering the dialogue and application of smart water/digital solutions. He has received several awards for outstanding performance, including an outstanding academic achievement award, the George Westinghouse award, and awards from the City of Los Angeles for his commercial and technical innovations.

Pete is an innovation leader at Stantec, encouraging and supporting creativity to launch innovation initiatives across the Water practice.
George Kivork
Head of U.S. State & Local Policy
Joby Aviation
Biography

George Kivork

Head of U.S. State & Local Policy
Joby Aviation
George Kivork is Head of State and Local Policy at Joby Aviation. He is an attorney with extensive experience in legislative affairs and communications, having advised public advocacy campaigns, business executives, and officials at the local and the highest levels of the U.S government. George has a proven track record of shaping and implementing strategies to achieve policy objectives in highly demanding environments. Most recently, he was Senior Policy Manager at Lyft overseeing CA and the Southwest. Previously he served the City of Los Angeles in numerous capacities on behalf of Mayor Eric Garcetti. First, managing the City of L.A.'s federal affairs office in Washington DC, then as press secretary, and ultimately as associate counsel advancing the City's strategic initiatives. Prior to that, George worked in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and as an attorney at O'Melveny & Myers. He is a graduate of University of Southern California and Georgetown Law School.
Larry Chung
Vice President, Local Public Affairs
Southern California Edison
Biography

Larry Chung

Vice President, Local Public Affairs
Southern California Edison

Larry Chung is vice president, Local Public Affairs, at Southern California Edison, one of the nation’s largest electric utilities. He leads the company’s organizational unit responsible for representing SCE before local and regional government officials and their staffs, including district offices of state and federal officials as well as local and regional business organizations.

 

Most recently, Chung served as director of Global External Affairs and Government Relations for the Walt Disney Company, where he oversaw domestic and international policy and stakeholder engagement strategy across Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. He previously led philanthropic efforts and local strategic initiatives for Disneyland Resort, focusing on community engagement in Orange County, California.

Chung formerly held senior agency roles and specialized in large-scale corporate legislative and public affairs campaigns. Earlier in his career, Chung worked in local and state government in California, focusing on energy policy and promoting electric vehicle infrastructure installations statewide.

Chung maintains his commitment to building strong communities through service on several local nonprofit boards, including Public Media Group of Southern California (PBS SoCal, KCET, Link TV) and APIs Mobilize. He is also a trustee for the University of California, Riverside. He is a native of Southern California, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Riverside and is a graduate of the Coro Fellows Program in public affairs.
Daniel E. Ingram
Partner, Head of Responsible Investing
AON
Biography

Daniel E. Ingram

Partner, Head of Responsible Investing
AON

Senior strategist with 18 years of consulting, research and investment experience improving performance and outcomes in both the financial and government sectors.

Some of my career achievements include:
• Award-winning producer of educational video series, "From Climate Taker to Climate Maker"
• #1 ranked US-based ESG investment consultant - IRRI survey
• Chief Investment Officer magazine recognized “40 under 40 rising star”
• Devised award-winning strategy for UK's largest defined-benefit retirement plan ($65bn+)
• Improved corporate governance practices at over 20 global large cap companies
• Advised Lord Nick Stern on landmark Review of the Economics of Climate Change

Qualifications:
• SASB, Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) Credential Holder
• Post-graduate in Sustainable Business, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership
• UK CFA Institute Certificates: Investment Management; and Impact Investing Certificate
Riley Duren
Chief Executive Officer
Carbon Mapper
Biography

Riley Duren

Chief Executive Officer
Carbon Mapper

 

Riley Duren is Chief Executive Officer and founder of Carbon Mapper, a non-profit organization focused on delivering precise and transparent methane and carbon dioxide data to guide mitigation action. Additionally, he is a Research Scientist at the University of Arizona. Previously he served as a lab Fellow and Chief Systems Engineer for JPL’s Earth Science Directorate spanning multiple NASA science and technology programs. Since 2010 he has led research efforts to develop and test multi-scale monitoring systems that support mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions including serving as principal investigator for multiple projects funded by NASA, NIST and California agencies. One offshoot of that research is the Carbon Mapper public-private partnership to launch a constellation of satellites designed to monitor 90% of the world’s high emission methane and carbon dioxide point sources at facility scale.
Kevin Maggay
Sr. Manager of Public Policy
Navistar
Biography

Kevin Maggay

Sr. Manager of Public Policy
Navistar

Kevin is currently Sr. Manager of eMobility Policy at Navistar. He leads all electrification policy efforts for the company including education and advocacy at the utility, local, state, and federal levels. Kevin is also an instructor in the Global Logistics Program at CalState Long Beach. Prior to Navistar he held similar roles at Sempra, BNSF Railway, and the Port of Los Angeles. He graduated from the University of Southern California and is based out of the Los Angeles Area. 
Dino E, Barajas
Global Chair of Project Finance
Baker Botts
Biography

Dino E, Barajas

Global Chair of Project Finance
Baker Botts

Dino E. Barajas is a partner and the firmwide Practice Group Chair of Project Finance. Mr. Barajas focuses his practice on domestic and international project development and finance, with particular emphasis on Latin American infrastructure projects, debt financings and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Barajas regularly represents lenders, investors and developers in a wide range of domestic and international project financings in the energy, power, infrastructure and commercial sectors, as well as in traditional banking, structured finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, asset finance, joint ventures and venture capital transactions.

His clients include commercial lenders, institutional investors, investment funds, project sponsors, and public and private companies. Mr. Barajas has worked on transactions in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Yemen and elsewhere.
Ryan Harty
Director of Sustainability and Business Development
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Biography

Ryan Harty

Director of Sustainability and Business Development
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Ryan Harty is the Director of the Sustainability & Business Development business unit at American Honda Motor Co., Inc., (AHM). He is responsible for the strategy and business execution for Honda’s Triple Zero initiatives of 100% carbon neutral products and operations, 100% clean energy use throughout the value chain, and 100% use of recycled and sustainable materials by 2050. Ryan is applying his passion to the business and technology of vehicle electrification. In his spare time, he enjoys playing and coaching the sport of curling at the Orange County Curling Club.
Mark Nechodom, PhD
Senior Director for Science and Technology
Western States Petroleum Association
Biography

Mark Nechodom, PhD

Senior Director for Science and Technology
Western States Petroleum Association

Mark Nechodom joined WSPA in August 2020, and serves as Senior Director for Science & Technology.  In this role, Mark helps to integrate advocacy and regulatory response on production issues for the organization. His duties also include staff lead on research, scientific studies, and tracking emerging energy technologies as the industry transitions to a lower-carbon future. As a former regulator of the oil and gas industry, Mark served as the Director of the California Department of Conservation under Governor Jerry Brown, and oversaw the activities of the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, now named the California Geologic Energy Management division (CalGEM). His familiarity with oil and gas operations, as well as his experiences as a senior official in both state and federal government, bring a practical and policy-rich perspective to the energy industry.

Prior to joining WSPA, Mark was the Deputy Director of Montana’s state Department of Agriculture, overseeing four bureaus and laboratories, and more than two dozen regulatory and science programs. His previous experience working for the US Department of Agriculture in the Bush and Obama administrations gave him opportunities to work across the globe on cutting-edge issues in energy, climate and environmental markets, such as cap-and-trade and other market solutions to environmental challenges.

Mark holds a doctorate degree in political science from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He has an amateur’s passion for geology and earth sciences, and is an avid skier, kayak racer, backpacker, and motorcycle traveler.
Marta Segura
Chief Heat Officer
LA City Climate Emergency Mobilization Office
Biography

Marta Segura

Chief Heat Officer
LA City Climate Emergency Mobilization Office

Marta Segura is the city of Los Angeles's first Chief Heat Officer and Director of the Office of Climate Emergencies. In these roles, Segura aligns Equity, Health, and Climate as they are central to reshaping the city's approach to creating resilient, equitable communities from the dangers of Extreme Heat and Climate Change. To that end, she has launched the Heat Relief 4 LA campaign, the City's first Heat Action Road map, and the Cool Spots LA app through collaborative efforts and to align with various City Plans and community voices. Most recently, Segura was a Program Officer for The California Endowment, a Los Angeles City planning commissioner, and a senior advisor to Mayor Garcetti. Her passion for co-creating livable healthy, resilient communities and the complex challenges of navigating multiple climate and human rights crises is more a mission quest, than a series of jobs.
Garrett Rapsilber
Director
HR&A
Biography

Garrett Rapsilber

Director
HR&A

Garrett supports the development of sustainable, context-specific real estate and economic development strategies.

Garrett brings an understanding of urban planning, sustainable economic development, and land value capture. Prior to joining HR&A, Garrett worked for the City of West Hollywood where he focused on enhancing the public realm. At the city he researched, designed, and administered the city’s first parklet program and collaborated with Gehl for a study on public space and public life at the Sunset Strip. Previously at Strategic Development Solutions, Garrett supported applications for New Market Tax Credits, with awards totaling $270M for economic development projects in distressed communities.

Garrett received a Master of Planning degree from the University of Southern California with a concentration on economic development. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature from the University of Connecticut.
Dan Mapes
Founder/President
VERSES AI
Biography

Dan Mapes

Founder/President
VERSES AI

Dan Mapes is Founder and President of VERSES AI (www.verses.ai)(CBOE NEO exchange: VERS).

VERSES is commercializing a new type of AI called "Active Inference" AI. This AI provides a direct path to a SAFE form of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Active Inference is a form of Natural Intelligence because it is founded on the "Free Energy Principle" which is how sentience emerges in all living things. It is based on the breakthrough research of the world's leading neuroscientist, Dr. Karl Friston, who is now Chief Scientist of VERSES. Search under "Active Inference", "Free Energy Principle", "Dr. Karl Friston"

VIDEO SUMMARY
(https://www.verses.ai/year-in-ai-2023-video)

Dan is also Founder and Director of THE SPATIAL WEB FOUNDATION enabling a new Spatial Internet based on the HyperSpace Transaction Protocol - HSTP (Spatialwebfoundation.org) (IEEE Standard P2874).

The Spatial Web enables Active Inference AGI to be networked and decentralized globally. This global network functions as an AI ecosystem leading to an ever-evolving "Collective Intelligence".
Applications can range from the very general (Climate Management, etc,) to the very specific (individual health and education applications, etc.) which can be developed by individuals, businesses or governments anywhere.

"Collective Intelligence" Summary
(https://www.verses.ai/rd-blog/executive-summary-designing-ecosystems-of-...)

Dan co-authored the best-selling book - The Spatial Web - and is often a keynote speaker on the impact of AI, Metaverse and Blockchains on business and society.

Dan was awarded the Flood Fellowship for his PhD studies at UC Berkeley with C.West Churchman (Applied Systems Theory) and Erich Jantsch (Evolutionary Systems Design). He left after two years to start his first company. He is an avid sailor, diver and mountain biker who is also committed to a sustainable environment.
Erik Rodriguez
Gas Emissions R&D Team Lead
SoCalGas
Biography

Erik Rodriguez

Gas Emissions R&D Team Lead
SoCalGas

Experienced Product Development Engineer with a demonstrated history of working in the oil & energy industry. A highly organized and hard-working individual that enjoys challenging projects where he can utilize his skills and educational background to bring significant growth and value to organizations.
Alex Fisch
Special Assistant Attorney General for Housing
California Department of Justice
Biography

Alex Fisch

Special Assistant Attorney General for Housing
California Department of Justice

Council Member Alex Fisch was elected to the City Council in April 2018.  Alex previously served as the Chair of the City’s Committee on Homelessness, and he now sits on various Ad Hoc and standing Subcommittees of the City Council, including the Regional Oil Operations Subcommittee, Housing and Homelessness Subcommittee, and the Mobility, Traffic and Parking Subcommittee.  He represents the City on the Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG) as a Board Member. On December 17, 2020, the WSCCOG Board appointed Council Member Fisch to serve as the WSCCOG Representative to the Southern California Association of Governments, Regional Council District #41.

Alex is also an attorney for the California Department of Justice, in the Natural Resource Law Section of the Attorney General’s Office.  He was previously a shareholder at a Century City law firm and was a founding Director of the Institute for Field Research - an independent, nonprofit academic organization that delivers rigorous archaeology field schools to students around the world. 

Alex is a graduate of UC Berkeley and the UCLA School of Law.  His particular interests include making Culver City an even better place for families, ending neighborhood oil drilling, and increasing housing opportunities and transportation options so that Culver City can maintain its diversity, create safe streets for all, transition to environmental and fiscal sustainability, and demonstrate leadership in the fight to prevent climate breakdown.
Zakir Hirani
Vice President, Water Reuse Practice Leader
Stantec
Biography

Zakir Hirani

Vice President, Water Reuse Practice Leader
Stantec

Zakir leads Stantecs advanced water treatment projects, primarily focused on membrane-based treatment. His main responsibilities include mentoring our water reuse process teams, pursuing and winning water treatment projects across North America, and presenting and publishing papers and articles on leading-edge advanced treatment topics (more than 70 to date).

Always passionate about emerging technologies—and as an expert in physiochemical and biological treatment—Zakir worked on membrane bioreactors (MBR) during his masters at the University of Southern California. At the time, the MBR process was viewed with a lot of skepticism by wastewater practitioners, but today, Zakir is leading two of the largest water reuse programs in the world that will use MBRs to enhance water sustainability.

Later in his career, Zakir hopes to apply his expertise to improving water quality in underdeveloped countries. He’s also interested in wine tasting, particularly red wines—Merlot, Cabernet, and Malbec in that order. 
Vijai Atavane
Manager, Hydrogen Strategy and Partnerships
SoCalGas
Biography

Vijai Atavane

Manager, Hydrogen Strategy and Partnerships
SoCalGas

Hydrogen infrastructure development professional specializing in low and zero-carbon hydrogen technologies/pathways. Focus areas include infrastructure planning and development of hydrogen production, transport, storage, and delivery infrastructure. Identifying and leveraging strategic partnerships to scale hydrogen infrastructure initiatives including hydrogen hubs and large hydrogen pipeline infrastructure solutions. Strategic planning and project development to help scale hydrogen infrastructure in California as part of clean energy transition initiatives. Development of strategic business plans, project options and alternative assessment, cost-effectiveness of infrastructure choices, energy market insights, and development roadmaps to advance clean energy transformation.
Miguel Sangalang
Executive Director & General Manager
City of Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting
Biography

Miguel Sangalang

Executive Director & General Manager
City of Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting

Miguel Sangalang serves as the Executive Director and General Manager for the Bureau of Street Lighting of the City of Los Angeles (LA LIGHTS). As the head of the agency his role is shaped by two major responsibilities: The upkeep and improvement of the city's 220,000 street lighting infrastructure assets; and the adoption of new tools and practices to ensure the city meets the needs of its residents well into the future. To that end, he is working to make street lighting a true neighborhood asset that reflects the culture of the communities it illuminates, improves public safety, and helps bridge the digital divide. Miguel previously served as Deputy Mayor for Budget & Innovation for LA Mayor Eric Garcetti. He directly oversaw the annual city budget, performance management, personnel, risk management, procurement reform, technology infrastructure, as well as sustainability, equity in service, gender equity, data, and emerging technologies.
Jermaine Hampton
Vice President of Workforce Development and Special Projects
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
Biography

Jermaine Hampton

Vice President of Workforce Development and Special Projects
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation

Jermaine Hampton is an accomplished professional boasting a diverse and robust 14-year career in leadership across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors, particularly in the field of Workforce Development. Presently, Hampton excels as the Vice President of Workforce Development and Special Projects at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), where he has been for nearly three years. Throughout his career, Hampton has accumulated a wealth of experience and insights, with a strong foundation in the nonprofit sector in Washington D.C., where he first sharpened his expertise in workforce development. Hampton's journey in public service saw him taking on significant roles in the Department of Employment Services during the Bowser administration in Washington D.C., where he led several transformative programs, effectively showcasing his prowess in public governance and program management. His career also extended to Atlanta, Georgia, where he significantly contributed to overseeing WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) funded programs in DeKalb County, further demonstrating his dedication to career development and workforce readiness. In his current role at the LAEDC, Hampton continues to use his comprehensive experience to advocate for change, innovation, and empowerment within the community. He is recognized for his broad expertise in Economic Development, Staffing Services, Business Management, and crucial human-centric services, including support for individuals experiencing homelessness, veterans, youth, and returning citizens. Hampton's leadership is marked by a visionary approach to systemic reform and a philosophy rooted in inspiration and perseverance. This approach has not only led his programs to be recognized as best practice models but also earned him the prestigious National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) Leadership Award in 2015. As a genuine changemaker, Hampton's dynamic efforts have significantly impacted the lives of thousands, including at-risk youth and adults, veterans, and others, ensuring lasting positive effects and championing a culture of opportunity and empowerment across various demographics.
Salim Youssefzadeh
CEO
WattEV
Biography

Salim Youssefzadeh

CEO
WattEV

I am CEO and Co-Founder of WattEV with a mission to speed up the transition of US trucking transport into zero emission faster than anyone could expect. We use a combination of business and technology innovation to create infrastructure and data driven workflow that provides truckers and fleet operators the lowest total cost of ownership.

Outside of WattEV, I founded Smarter Home and designed a device from the ground up to connect to a Vantage Legrand system with Siri and Alexa capability. The custom javascript runs on a Node JS server and reads the loads on a users vantage system. From there, commands over Siri or Alexa are translated into a TCP/IP command sent over the network. The iOS and Android app adds a simple plug and play setup for the user to add the device to their home network and get running. The project has been a great learning experience not just in the technical sense of learning new iOS and Android protocols over bluetooth and wifi but as well as on the management side and bringing up a startup from nothing to launch in a few months.

I spend my free time writing apps for iOS and Android and am an active private pilot with an instrument rating and over 300 hours of aeronautical experience in single engine aircrafts.

I graduated from UCLA (2011) with a BS in Electrical Engineering with emphasis on Computer Science and a BS in Applied Mathematics and graduated Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2014) with a MS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA. I am an avid skier, rock climber, and pilot, which has continuously pushed my limits and facilitated my problem-solving abilities. I look forward to the many new challenges and opportunities that each day presents.
Maressa Brennan
US Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations
Biography

Maressa Brennan

US Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations
Heather Tomley
Managing Director of Planning and Environmental Affairs
Port of Long Beach
Biography

Heather Tomley

Managing Director of Planning and Environmental Affairs
Port of Long Beach

Heather Tomley is Managing Director of Planning and Environmental Affairs for the Port of Long Beach, California, leading the Port’s Environmental Planning, Master Planning and Transportation Planning Divisions.

Ms. Tomley was named to the post in 2019 by the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, governing body for the Long Beach Harbor Department and the Port, having served for a year as Acting Managing Director.

She joined the Port in 2005 as an Environmental Planning Associate, was promoted to Environmental Specialist, then Senior Environmental Specialist in 2006 and Assistant Director of the Environmental Planning Division in 2008 before being named Director in 2014.

The Planning Bureau’s portfolio includes efforts to implement Green Port Policy, protect habitat, improve air and water quality, manage stormwater, adapt to climate change, implement the Port’s energy initiatives, manage the Community Grants Program, find transportation efficiencies, seek and manage grants for transportation infrastructure and environmental projects, analyze traffic patterns and identify rail improvements, plan for future land uses, and facilitate strategic planning.

During her tenure with Environmental Planning, Ms. Tomley led the division most directly responsible for the Port’s signature environmental programs, the landmark Green Port Policy – now a bellwether for the industry – and the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP). Under the 2005 Green Port Policy, the the division coordinates programs to improve air, water and soil quality, preserve wildlife habitat and integrate sustainability into Port practices.

She co-wrote the 2006 CAAP – a collaboration of the San Pedro Bay ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles – and its 2010 and 2017 updates. Under Ms. Tomley’s leadership, efforts will intensify in the coming years to carry out the bold objectives of the 2017 update, committing to putting the ports on the road to reach zero emissions for cargo-handling by 2030 and trucking by 2035.

Programs already addressed by Ms. Tomley and her team include developing and implementing the Technology Advancement Program, developing the Vessel Main Engine Fuel Incentive Program, and designing the Port’s Air Quality Monitoring Program. In addition, she assisted with development of the Clean Trucks Program, the annual Port-wide Emissions Inventory, and provided oversight and development for the Water Resources Action Plan for the San Pedro Bay ports.

Due to the effectiveness of these programs, total diesel emissions at the Port have dropped dramatically by 88 percent since 2005, and native wildlife is making a comeback.

Before coming to Long Beach, Ms. Tomley served as a Project Scientist with SCS Engineers (2004-2005) following five years (1999 to 2004) as an Air Quality Specialist for the San Luis Obispo County (Calif.) Air Pollution Control District, where she received two staff recognition awards for her work.

Ms. Tomley earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (1994) from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and her Master of Science (1999) in Environmental Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Mark Pisano
Chairman of the Board
Infrastructure Funding Alliance
Biography

Mark Pisano

Chairman of the Board
Infrastructure Funding Alliance

Mark Pisano is Chairman of the Infrastructure Funding Alliance, a non-profit focused on creating approaches to funding and implementing infrastructure for the 21st century. He was a Professor of Practice at the Sol Price School of Policy at the University of Southern California.  He is on the National Academy of Public Administration Board and Co-chairman of the Standing Panel on Intergovernmental Relations.  He is co-chairman of the Infrastructure Working Group of California Forward. He recently published a book called The Puzzle of the American Economy: How Demography is Changing America’s Economy and Politics.  He participated in the legislative process of drafting and enacting SB 375 Sustainable Communities and Climate Change Act and SB 628 Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts. 

Mark Pisano directed the activities of the Southern California Association of Governments from 1976 to 2008, the nation’s largest regional planning agency.  The counties of Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura, and cities within these counties are members of the Association.  This voluntary association of local governments aims to provide an open forum where region-wide problems can be explored, and comprehensive plans dealing with air and water quality, transportation, regional growth and development, housing, and other areas critical to the region can be developed.

Before joining SCAG in November 1976, Mr. Pisano was director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Quality Planning Division.  For several years, Mr. Pisano was responsible for developing policies on implementing the nation’s water quality management process, including basin and facility planning and wastewater management programs.  He previously served as an economist with the Environmental Protection Agency.

 

 

 
Danielle Squires
Sales Director
Alstom Transportation
Biography

Danielle Squires

Sales Director
Alstom Transportation

Danielle Squires serves as a Sales Director for Alstom Transportation in North America based in Los Angeles. With over 10 years’ experience in the rail industry within the fields of sales, strategy, operations, marketing, and business development. Danielle is responsible for new business rolling stock opportunities within the rail transportation industry on the west coast.

Alstom is pioneering sustainable rail operation across the region with alternative rail vehicles replacing diesel on non-electrified lines. Offering an entire range of zero and reduced emission rail technologies: hydrogen, battery, and battery-electric train solutions, whether newbuild or retrofit.  Danielle is driving the implementation of Alstom’s green mobility solutions across North America that are helping enable transit authorities to transition towards a sustainable transportation system built for their future needs.

Danielle holds a master’s degree in business administration from Warwick University in the United Kingdom.

 

 

 
Rod Hamilton
Regional Program Manager
Los Angeles Community College District
Biography

Rod Hamilton

Regional Program Manager
Los Angeles Community College District
Michael Wadden
Chief Commercial Officer
Verses.ai
Biography

Michael Wadden

Chief Commercial Officer
Verses.ai

For over three decades I have helped build and scale global businesses that deliver positive human, financial and planetary impact. For almost 20 years I was a leader at Accenture helping build and scale both Accenture's global outsourcing business and the new businesses / acquisitions (M&A) business that eventually became Accenture Digital. I have owned and helped scale a portfolio of businesses that focus on revenue growth and global expansion with a unique focus on conscious leadership and culture.

Currently I am the Chief Commercial Officer for Verses AI and responsible for the Go-To-Market, Sales and Marketing capabilities of the company. I provide strategies to maximize overall revenue in collaboration with the executive leadership team and serve as both an internal and market facing leader working closely with key customers and partners.
 
Benjamin Bodecke
Business Development Lead
GP JOULE Hydrogen
Biography

Benjamin Bodecke

Business Development Lead
GP JOULE Hydrogen

Benjamin is leading the mobility related business development and strategies team for GP JOULE Hydrogen, a hydrogen-focused subsidiary of the GP JOULE Group. GP JOULE Group is a pioneering integrated energy supplier active in all parts of the renewable energy value chain in Germany and greater Europe - from generation to use.

Before joining the GP JOULE in 2022, he served as a Business Development and Automotive Relations Manager at H2 MOBILITY GmbH & Co. KG, to date the biggest operator of hydrogen refuelling stations worldwide.

He holds a Master of Science in industrial engineering from the University of Technology Dresden (Germany) in partnership with Keio University Tokyo (Japan). He lives in Stuttgart (Germany) and is married to a Californian wife.
Ada Peng
Director
HR&A
Biography

Ada Peng

Director
HR&A

Ada Peng provides implementation and financing strategies in the realm of public-private partnership, housing and real estate development.
Ada brings her background and experiences in housing and real estate development to HR&A’s real estate advisory practice. She assists public agencies, non-profits, and private developers to achieve their long-term vision with a practical approach suitable for the market condition.

Prior to joining HR&A, Ada contributed to three large-scale mixed-use developments in Southern California with residential, hotel, office, retail, and entertainment components. Her role included financial analysis and project management throughout the full development cycle— from master entitlement, to project positioning, construction, lease-up, and disposition. Ada was previously a graduate student researcher at UCLA, focusing on Asian-American asset building and housing disparity issues.

Ada received her Master of Public Policy from University of California, Los Angeles, and holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Policy and Public Administration with a minor in Economics from the City University of Hong Kong. Ada is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, championing the Diversity Committee and Women’s Leadership Initiative at the Los Angeles chapter.

Member, Urban Land Institute, Young Leaders Group
Julian Parsley
Partner
Buro Happold
Biography

Julian Parsley

Partner
Buro Happold

Julian Parsley is a Partner in Buro Happold’s West Coast business, where he leads teams of consultants and engineers to deliver decarbonization across buildings and portfolios.
A licensed mechanical engineer with 19 years of experience, Julian has delivered complex projects with ambitious goals across a range of sectors and scales. This work spans from individual high-performance buildings to sustainable master planning and strategic consultancy in portfolio climate action planning and decarbonization.

Julian’s technical expertise includes renovations, deep energy retrofits, micro-grid implementation, EV transition planning and supply chain decarbonization. His recent work includes the groundbreaking net zero energy Santa Monica City Hall East project – a $60M all-electric net zero public building that has achieved the Living Building Challenge Ready certification.

Other notable projects include the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center which uses ETFE to reduce embodied carbon and energy consumption; a portfolio Operational Carbon Reduction Plan for UC San Diego; campus sustainable design guidelines for the University of Southern California; and consultation with the City of Los Angeles on their electrification code. Embodied carbon work includes building scale Life Cycle Analysis and portfolio embodied carbon strategy and policy development for corporate clients pursuing Science Based Target- aligned reduction goals.
Martin Francisco
Associate Director, Design Strategy
DesignWorks
Biography

Martin Francisco

Associate Director, Design Strategy
DesignWorks
Chris Neider
Vice President, Business Development
Starship Technologies
Biography

Chris Neider

Vice President, Business Development
Starship Technologies
Mark Pisano
Chairman
Infrastructure Funding Alliance
Biography

Mark Pisano

Chairman
Infrastructure Funding Alliance

Chairman of a national non-profit Infrastructure Funding Alliance. Mark Pisano is Professor of Practice at the Sol Price School of Policy at University of Southern California. He is on the Board of the National Academy of Public Administration and Co-chairman of the Standing Panel on Intergovernmental Systems. Mark Pisano directed the activities of the Southern California Association of Governments from 1976 to 2008.
Sebastian Garza
Senior Associate, Program Manager
Stantec
Biography

Sebastian Garza

Senior Associate, Program Manager
Stantec

Sebastian works in the clean, renewable hydrogen space and draws on more than a decade of experience in policy, regulatory, and environmental management. Prior to joining us, he managed multiple pre-feasibility early studies on a proposed large clean hydrogen infrastructure project that would transport hydrogen from central California producers to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from hard-to-electrify sectors in the Los Angeles Basin.

In his role as our California hydrogen program manager, Sebastian works to streamline and coordinate our multidiscipline practice to provide the best possible action plans to clients, all in support of the state’s hydrogen economy and decarbonization goals. Whether clients come to him as a producer, transporter, or off-taker, he helps them discover solutions in the state’s energy transition.

Driven by a passion for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Sebastian believes clean, renewable hydrogen is directly correlated with DEI—adopting hydrogen solutions across the state will help clean the air where pollution is the worst and where underserved communities are located. 
Jarvis Murray
Commercial Rideshare & Mobility Administrator
City of Los Angeles
Biography

Jarvis Murray

Commercial Rideshare & Mobility Administrator
City of Los Angeles
Since 2016, Jarvis has been the Commercial Rideshare & Mobility Administrator for the City of Los Angeles which includes regulating taxicabs, non-emergency medical transportation, shuttles, carshare, bikeshare, dockless scooters, delivery robots and other commercial private vehicle modes for the City. As part of his role, he is tasked with directing policy for these industries and working with stakeholders to develop partnerships, improve technology, and manage the regulatory environment in a way that protects the public, while still allowing sustainability for good operators.
Jarvis is a licensed California Attorney and prior to joining the public sector practiced general litigation in the private sector which included representation of Taxicab Companies in personal injury and contractual disputes.
Kevin Harbison
Senior Vice President
Ravello Holdings
Biography

Kevin Harbison

Senior Vice President
Ravello Holdings

With over 25 years of direct construction and real estate development experience, Kevin Harbison has worked on large development projects throughout Southern California for both public and privately held home building and real estate development companies. A graduate of the U.S.

Naval Academy, Kevin served as an Engineer Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps before transitioning into the real estate development industry. He is active with both the Los Angeles/ Ventura Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California and with HomeAid Los Angeles, having previously served as Board President for both organizations.
Maya Kitei
Undergraduate Business Student, 2023 Presidential Environmental Youth Award Recipient (PEYA)
Washington University in St. Louis
Biography

Maya Kitei

Undergraduate Business Student, 2023 Presidential Environmental Youth Award Recipient (PEYA)
Washington University in St. Louis

Maya is an Olin Business Student at Washington University in St. Louis, where she studies Marketing and Entrepreneurship with a minor in Environmental Studies. She is the Vice President of the Student Environmental Council, the governing body for all green groups on campus.

Involved in climate work from an early age, Maya worked to pass climate legislation in the largest school district in Colorado, Denver Public Schools. She was also a Board Member of the student-run nonprofit, Light CO2, where she assisted in the development and launch of a sustainable habit-tracking app, Change Carbon. She was recently recognized as a Presidential Environmental Youth Award Recipient in 2023.
Traci Park
Los Angeles City Council Member District 11, Chair of Los Angeles Committee on the 2028 Olympics
Los Angeles City Council
Biography

Traci Park

Los Angeles City Council Member District 11, Chair of Los Angeles Committee on the 2028 Olympics
Los Angeles City Council

Councilwoman Traci Park is already hard at work for the residents of  Council District 11!

The values of family and hard work were instilled in the Councilwoman at a young age. Her mother was a school secretary and president of the California School Employees Association. Her late father was a US Army veteran and longtime member of the Communication Workers of America Union. 

Park was the first person in her family to attend college, earning degrees at Johns Hopkins University and Loyola Law School.  She worked two jobs and borrowed heavily to finance her education.

Park had a successful 20-year legal career as a municipal attorney before being elected to the LA City Council. She doesn’t come from a political background, but knew that she had to step up when she saw what was happening on the Westside.

As a Councilwoman, Park is committed to being a voice for all CD11 residents at City Hall.  She has promised that her office will be responsive to everyone in the district. In her role on the Council, she knows it’s essential to think critically, ask hard questions, evaluate data, and do what is best for the community.

Driven to achieve results, Park champions what’s important and never takes no for an answer.  She is working to implement urgent and compassionate solutions that get people off the streets and into safe settings. Park has also pledged to keep CD11 communities safe.  She’s fighting to ensure that kids can safely walk to school, seniors can safely visit senior centers, and families can safely visit local parks, beaches, and libraries.

Park is an advocate for the Westside business community and its vital workforce, including the need to increase affordable housing for employees.  She has built a strong partnership between the City of Los Angeles and local businesses to revitalize communities and ensure that the Westside retains its appeal as the number one tourist destination in the city.

Across the board, Park supports innovative, data-driven practices linked to measurable and successful outcomes. She prioritizes sustainable policies that mitigate climate change, protect our natural surroundings, and improve our economy. She is a champion of investment in workforce development that supports careers in green and clean-tech industries.

Council District 11 has many competing priorities and its residents have many opinions about how to improve life on the Westside. Park is committed to hearing from, and learning from, all residents and business owners in the district so that together we can build a sustainable, resilient, and vibrant future.
Simon Zewdu
Senior Assistant General Manager, Power System
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)
Biography

Simon Zewdu

Senior Assistant General Manager, Power System
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)

Simon Zewdu oversees the planning, engineering, construction, and operations of the largest municipal power utility in the nation that is undergoing a transition towards a clean energy future while providing a safe and reliable electrical service to all Angelenos. 

Mr.  Zewdu assumed the position of Senior Assistant General Manager of Power System in April 2023. Mr. Zewdu previously served as the Director of Power Regulatory and Innovation Division and LADWP’s Chief Compliance Officer where he was responsible for LADWP’s compliance with mandatory federal North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) reliability standards including LADWP’s regulatory obligations to State regulatory agencies. He also led the LA100 Equity Strategies Study in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and UCLA. Over the years, Mr. Zewdu oversaw LADWP’s transmission planning and asset management efforts and also managed the transmission engineering team responsible for the design of LADWP’s extra-high voltage overhead and underground transmission projects to support the reliability and resiliency of the LADWP’s bulk electric system. 

Mr. Zewdu has over 25 years of experience with LADWP and the City of Los Angeles with duties spanning from substation design, project management, strategic planning, contracts, operations, and special projects. Mr. Zewdu holds an undergraduate degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and an MBA in Finance.

 

 
Jose Torres
California Director
Building Decarbonization Coalition
Biography

Jose Torres

California Director
Building Decarbonization Coalition
Jose Torres is the Building Decarbonization Coalition’s California Director. Before BDC, Jose worked as the California Environmental Justice Alliance's Energy Equity Program Manager, where he oversaw their energy legislative, regulatory, and implementation work. Before venturing into the non-profit space, Jose worked at the California Energy Commission’s Office of Governmental Affairs and both at the California State Assembly and Senate. His career in public service started as a California Senate Fellow in the Office of Senator Alex Padilla. 
Jose is proud to come from a working ­class family that continues to drive his passion for a clean and equitable future. In his free time, he likes to screenwrite social and political dramas, hike, and listen to live music.
Eli Lipmen
Executive Director
Move LA
Biography

Eli Lipmen

Executive Director
Move LA

Prior to working at Move LA, Eli served on the Leadership Board of Move LA for over six years, working to bring new stakeholder groups into the coalition and working on the Measure M campaign. He joined Move LA in August 2017 to lead on fundraising, advocacy, and organizing strategy. He serves on the ClimatePlan Policy Advisory Board and as the co-chair of the South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone (SLATE-Z) Transit Work Group alongside LA Metro. The TransitCenter presented Eli with their "Think Globally, Act Locally" award in 2021 for his work on the National Campaign for Transit Justice, organizing advocates across the state to meet with legislators to ask for more funding for public transit in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Eli's efforts on student transit passes won a competitive grant from the 11th Hour Project that piloted an 'any line, any time' transit card for high school students in LAUSD, which led to the countywide 'GoPass' for 1.3 million K-12 and community college students in LA County. Eli has worked with nonprofits large and small to improve donor engagement and outreach efforts, including the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, AJC, Homeless Health Care Los Angeles. Eli graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communications and the London School of Economics. He serves as President of the Los Angeles City Commission overseeing local Neighborhood Councils, the largest system to integrate grassroots democracy into local governance in the United States and is a graduate of the Coro Lead SoCal program. Eli's family of five lives in the West Adams neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles where they regularly walk, bike, and ride Metro around LA.
Marcel Porras
Deputy Chief Innovation Officer
LA Metro
Biography

Marcel Porras

Deputy Chief Innovation Officer
LA Metro

Marcel Porras is the Deputy Chief Innovation Officer at LA Metro working on the Olympics, Universal Basic Mobility, and transportation technology. Prior to joining Metro, Marcel worked for the City of Los Angeles in a variety of leadership roles including Chief Sustainability Officer at Los Angeles Department of Transportation where he led the Bureau of Transportation Technology and as Associate Director of Transportation for Mayor Eric Garcetti. Marcel has a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from UCLA and has over fifteen years of experience in transportation, planning, and economic development.