Speakers for VX2022

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.

Uduak-Joe Ntuk
State Oil and Gas Supervisor
CA Geologic Energy Management Division
Biography

Uduak-Joe Ntuk

State Oil and Gas Supervisor
CA Geologic Energy Management Division

Uduak-Joe Ntuk is the 17th California ​State Oil and Gas Supervisor, responsible for managing the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM). He was appointed by Governor Newsom in October 2019.​​​

Ntuk directs a statewide regulatory, technical, and field operations organization designed to emphasize the safe development of oil and natural gas, which includes: protecting public health and safety, environmental quality, and the reduction and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the development of hydrocarbon and geothermal resources in a manner that meets the energy needs of the state. He also serves as a Governor's representative to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission and as a governing board member of the Baldwin Hills Conservancy. 

Prior to joining the State of California, the Supervisor served as the Director of Petroleum Administration for the City of Los Angeles. As Director, he provided technical advice to the Mayor, City Council, and various city departments on energy and environmental policy for the second largest city in America. He completed a citywide audit of oil and gas production, modernized pipeline franchise agreements, monitored compliance at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility, converted former drilling sites into housing developments, and published a comprehensive public health report on urban oil & gas operations. Ntuk also represented the City of Los Angeles on the South Coast Air Quality Management District's Multiple Air Toxic Exposure Study (MATES V) Technical Advisory Group, AB 617 Community Air Monitoring Steering Committee and on the Baldwin Hills Community Standards District Advisory Panel for the Inglewood Oil Field. 

Before his work at the City of Los Angeles, Ntuk worked in both government and industry for more than a decade with the City of Long Beach and Chevron Corporation​. Ntuk is a former Green for All Fellow, Alliance for Climate Protection Ambassador, and Startingbloc Fellow for the Institute for Social Innovation at the London Business School. He also worked as an adjunct faculty member in the Chemical Engineering Department and as academic advisor at the California State University, Long Beach. 

Ntuk earned his Master of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering with an emphasis in Smart Oilfield Technologies from the University of Southern California, Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from California State University, Long Beach, and Associate of Arts degree from Long Beach City College.

Hiroaki Ishizuka
Chair
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
Biography

Hiroaki Ishizuka

Chair
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)

Mr. Hiroaki Ishizuka was appointed chairman of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) effective as of April 1, 2018.

 Mr. Ishizuka held a series of senior executive management level positions within Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Japan's largest chemical company, between 2009 and 2018. From June 2009 to March 2011 he served as Managing Executive Officer and Executive Officer. Following this, he served as Senior Managing Executive Officer from April 2011 to March 2012. He then served as President and Chief Executive Officer from April 2012 to March 2017. He also served as Senior Corporate Advisor from April 2017 to March 2018.

Mr. Ishizuka graduated from the Faculty of Chemical Science of the University of Tokyo in March 1972.

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.

Harout Chitilian
VP, Corporate Affairs, Development & Strategy
CDPQ Infra
Biography

Harout Chitilian

VP, Corporate Affairs, Development & Strategy
CDPQ Infra

Harout Chitilian holds the position of Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Development and Strategy at CDPQ Infra. In this role, he directly supports the CEO in positioning, developing and executing CDPQ Infra's business strategy. He is also responsible for leading the corporate and REM project teams for public affairs, communications and media relations. 

Before joining CDPQ Infra, Harout was twice elected (2013 and 2009) a municipal councillor for Montréal's Bordeaux-Cartierville borough. From 2013 to 2017, he was Vice-President of Montréal's Executive Committee, while also sitting on the Executive Committee of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal. 

M. Chitilian was appointed as Presidentof the Municipal Council for the City of Montreal from 2011 to November 2013. During the same period, he was Presidentof Montréal's Commission de la présidence du conseil. From 2009 to 2011, Harout was head of youth program development for the city. Prior to his political career, Haroutwas a consultant for various information technology and telecommunications companies. He is a graduate of École polytechnique de Montréal in computer engineering with a specialization in telecommunications.

Making community involvement a priority, Harout Chitilian acts as a member of the Board of Directors for two organizations whose missions are close to his heart: the Fondation et alumni de Polytechnique Montréal and the Orchestre symphonique des Jeunes de Montréal. 

Ben Stapleton
Executive Director
US Green Building Council-LA
Biography

Ben Stapleton

Executive Director
US Green Building Council-LA

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 - Los Angeles. 

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.

Eiji Ohira
Strategy Architect, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Office
Japan New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
Biography

Eiji Ohira

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

Eiji Ohira is the Strategy Architect of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)’s Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technology Office.
In this capacity, he is responsible for the overall strategy, execution and coordination of NEDO’s research, development and demonstration project on fuel cell and hydrogen.

He has also coordinated fuel cell and hydrogen activities with international stakeholders, through International Energy Agency’s Technology Collaboration Program (IEA TCP: Advanced Fuel Cell & Hydrogen), and International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE).

He joined NEDO in 1992, just after graduation from the Tokyo University of Science. He served as a visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1997-1998.
Before taking up the current position in April 2013, he served in several positions, including Representative at NEDO Asian Representative Office, Director of the Energy Storage Technology Division.

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.

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.

 

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.

Eric Garcetti
Mayor
City of Los Angeles
Biography

Eric Garcetti

Mayor
City of Los Angeles

Eric Garcetti is the 42nd Mayor of Los Angeles. His "back to basics" agenda is focused on job creation and solving everyday problems for L.A. residents.

Garcetti was elected four times by his peers to serve as President of the Los Angeles City Council from 2006 to 2012. From 2001 until taking office as Mayor, he served as the Councilmember representing the 13th District which includes Hollywood, Echo Park, Silver Lake, and Atwater Village -- all of which were dramatically revitalized under Garcetti's leadership.

Garcetti was raised in the San Fernando Valley and earned his B.A. and M.A. from Columbia University. He studied as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and the London School of Economics and taught at Occidental College and USC. A fourth generation Angeleno, he and his wife, Amy Elaine Wakeland, have a young daughter. He is a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy reserve and is an avid jazz pianist and photographer.

Tyson Eckerle
Deputy Director of Zero Emission Vehicle Market Development
Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development
Biography

Tyson Eckerle

Deputy Director of Zero Emission Vehicle Market Development
Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development

Tyson Eckerle serves as the Deputy Director of Zero Emission Vehicle Market Development in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (Go Biz). In this role, he leads a team focused on scaling the zero emission vehicle market by organizing stakeholder efforts to remove market barriers, create opportunities, and streamline development. Prior to joining Go Biz, Tyson served as Executive Director of Energy Independence Now, a non-profit dedicated to action-oriented solutions to petroleum dependence and climate change.

Tyson holds a B.A. in Biology from the University of California, Davis and a Master of Environmental Science and Management (MESM) from the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara. 

James T. Butts
Mayor
Inglewood, CA
Biography

James T. Butts

Mayor
Inglewood, CA

On February 1, 2011, James T. Butts, Jr. was sworn in as Inglewood’s 12th mayor. James Butts has  50 years of public safety and municipal government experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from California State University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from California Polytechnic University. Mayor Butts has held the rank of CEO, general manager or assistant general manager of three large municipal organizations. He served 19 years in the Inglewood Police Department, rising to the rank of Deputy Chief, 15 years as the Chief of Police for the City of Santa Monica, and five years as an assistant general manager for Los Angeles World Airports in charge of Public Safety and Counterterrorism, taking LAX to a NUMBER 1 ranking nationwide by the TSA in 2009. He is a 7-year Board member and past Chairman of the Los Angeles METRO Board of Directors.

In 2011, Mayor Butts negotiated with Madison Square Garden to renovate the Forum. In 2016, the Forum became the #1 concert venue in California. Mayor Butts secured the reinstatement of the then federally defunded Residential Sound Insulation Program by obtaining over $100 million in grant funding. Inglewood now operates the #1 Residential Sound Insulation Program in the country. On November 4, 2014, James T. Butts was re-elected Mayor of Inglewood with over 83% of the votes cast—the highest margin of victory in Inglewood electoral history.  He was again re-elected in 2018.

In 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, Mayor Butts was named one of the 500 most influential leaders in LA County by the Los Angeles Business Journal. His business expertise prevented bankruptcy in a city that Bond Rating agencies had ceased to rate for bond worthiness as late as 2010. Mayor Butts negotiated the return of the NFL to Southern California.  Both the Rams and Chargers played home games in Inglewood commencing the 2020 season.

In June of 2017, Mayor Butts led the City to open negotiations with the Los Angeles Clippers with the mutual intent of relocating the Clippers to Inglewood into a cutting edge NBA arena.  The Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles relocated to Inglewood from Marina Del Rey in 2019.

In 2021, the LA Philharmonic relocated its Youth Orchestra Program (YOLA) to Inglewood; YouTube opened a 6,000 seat theater in Inglewood. and the NFL Network relocated from Culver City to Inglewood; in 2022 Showtime opened 115,000 Square Feet Production Studio in the north end industrial area of the City.  In February of 2022, Super Bowl LVI was held in Inglewood and the Rams were victorious; in 2023, the NCAA Championship Bowl game will take place in Inglewood and WrestleMania will be held here as well.  By 2024, the Clippers will open a state of the art NBA arena – The Intuit Dome – in Inglewood. Finally, in 2028, the Olympic Games will open in Inglewood, California and Olympic Basketball and Swimming competitions will occur in the resurrected City of Champions. 

 

 

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.   

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.

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.

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.

Akira Muto
Former Consul General
Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles
Biography

Akira Muto

Former Consul General
Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles

Akira Muto was appointed Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles in August 2019.

With over 25 years of experience in the Foreign Ministry of Japan with background in Russia and policy planning, Muto has served as director of the Russian division, deputy director general (Ambassador) in charge of former Soviet Union states, as well as director of policy coordination division.  Additionally, Muto served as director of free trade agreement and economic partnership division and the director of the fourth division of Intelligence Service. As a diplomat, his previous assignments included Washington D.C., Moscow and Boston (Consul General).  In recent years, he served as Cabinet Councillor at National Security Secretariat and was engaged in various international security affairs.  His research interest covers strategic relations among US-Japan Alliance, Russia and China in the Asia-Pacific region.
 
Dennis McGinn
Admiral (ret) & Fmr. U.S. Assistant Secretary/Boardmember
US Navy/EPRI
Biography

Dennis McGinn

Admiral (ret) & Fmr. U.S. Assistant Secretary/Boardmember
US Navy/EPRI

Admiral Dennis McGinn served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment from September 2013 until January 2017.  In this role, he led the transformation of naval installations toward greater mission resiliency though energy efficiency, renewable energy, microgrids, and other technologies.  

Previously, Admiral McGinn served on active duty in the United States Navy for 35 years attaining the rank of Vice Admiral.  He served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Requirements and Programs, overseeing the development of future Navy capabilities, and previously commanded the United States Third Fleet.  While in the Navy, he served as a naval aviator, test pilot, aircraft carrier commanding officer, and national security strategist.  

Admiral McGinn is a former President of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) where he led efforts to communicate the economic, security and environmental benefits of renewable energy.  Admiral McGinn is also a past member of the Steering Committee of the Energy Future Coalition, the United States Energy Security Council, the Bipartisan Center Energy Board, the past Co-Chairman of the CNA Military Advisory Board, and has been an International Senior Fellow at the Rocky Mountain Institute.

Admiral McGinn holds a BS in Naval Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and was a Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Fellow at the U.S. Naval War College. He also participated in the National Security Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

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.

Erika Pham
Senior Manager, Strategy
Mote Hydrogen
Biography

Erika Pham

Senior Manager, Strategy
Mote Hydrogen

Ms. Pham holds a degree in mechanical engineering and has six years’ experience as a project engineer on natural gas pipeline projects.  She was most recently a Senior Project Manager at Trillium, managing alternative fueling station design build projects and a team of project managers.  During her time at Trillium, she managed the hydrogen refueling station project for Orange County Transit Authority and the electrolysis production and fueling facility for Champaign Urbana Mass Transit District.  She recently joined Mote as the Senior Manager of Strategy and is part of a team that will create a first of a kind biomass to Hydrogen production and carbon removal facility.

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.   

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.

Christopher Cannon
Director of Environmental Management
Port of Los Angeles
Biography

Christopher Cannon

Director of Environmental Management
Port of Los Angeles

Christopher Cannon is the director of environmental management for the Port of Los Angeles, a position he has held since October 2010. In 2015, he was named chief sustainability officer of the Port.

In this role, Cannon is responsible for balancing commerce and growth with ecological sustainability and social responsibility at the nation’s busiest container port. The Environmental Management Division provides full environmental services related to water, soils and sediments, air and biological resources, and is responsible for preparation of environmental impact assessments mandated by state and federal law; special studies involving dredging, noise abatement, water quality and air quality; site restoration, remediation and contamination characterizations; wildlife management; and establishment of policies regarding environmental quality issues.

Cannon first worked at the Port of Los Angeles as a consultant, starting in 2004, where he worked with the Port Environmental Management Division’s Air Quality and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) groups, supporting the development of key air projects such as the Clean Air Action Plan as well as the Harbor Department’s efforts to complete critical environmental impact reports for Port-related projects. In 2008, he helped to develop and served as the Project Manager of the Port’s highly successful Clean Truck Program.
Cannon has 21 years of experience in the environmental services industry, working on a range of projects while employed by ENVIRON International Corporation and TRC Environmental Solutions.

Cannon also spent two years as a legislative assistant for environmental policy on the Washington, D.C. staff of U.S. Representative Martin Sabo of Minnesota.

Cannon received a bachelor’s degree in Government from Dartmouth College and a law degree from University of California at Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

Logan Goldie-Scot
Head of Clean Power Research
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Biography

Logan Goldie-Scot

Head of Clean Power Research
Bloomberg New Energy Finance

Logan Goldie-Scot is global head of Clean Power research at BloombergNEF. He oversees BNEF’s solar, wind, storage, and decentralized energy research divisions. Prior to this, he was manager of the Energy Storage insight team at BloombergNEF. He also ran BNEF’s Supply Chain focus area, a cross-company effort to provide insights on the battery supply chain, manufacturing, sustainability and advanced materials.

He advises utilities, technology companies, investors and policymakers across these fields. He has authored numerous research papers and regularly speaks at international conferences and in the mainstream media.

Cynthia McClain-Hill
Board President
LADWP
Biography

Cynthia McClain-Hill

Board President
LADWP

Cynthia McClain-Hill is an active attorney. She was elected President of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners on July 28, 2020 after serving as Board Vice President since September 5, 2018. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti appointed Ms. McClain-Hill to a four-year term on the Board of Water and Power Commissioners. On August 15, 2018, her appointment was confirmed by the Los Angeles City Council. Ms. McClain-Hill’s term expires on June 30, 2022.

In her work as a highly regarded and widely respected attorney, Ms. McClain-Hill oversees and manages complex legal and public policy issues for clients as managing director of Strategic Counsel PLC. She is lauded as an astute and skillful public policy strategist with an outstanding record of service and accomplishment on a significant array of public-sector and non-profit boards and commissions.

Ms. McClain-Hill previously served for two years as a mayoral appointee on the City of Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners beginning in August 2016. Over the past three decades, she was appointed to serve on the City’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), California Coastal Commission, California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), CalEPA Environmental Justice Advisory Working Group, and Los Angeles City Small and Local Business Advisory Commission.

From 2008-2009, she served as president of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). She was past president of NAWBO’s Los Angeles Chapter. Ms. McClain-Hill served as Vice Chair of the Luskin UCLA School of Public Affairs Advisory Board. She served as a member of the founding board preceding the Luskin School’s establishment.

Ms. McClain-Hill has been consistently named one of Southern California’s “Super Lawyers” based on surveys of 65,000 Los Angeles area attorneys. She ranks among the top five percent of California’s practicing attorneys. As an opinion leader, her analysis on public affairs issues has been featured regularly in a wide range of print and online publications. She has made numerous TV and radio appearances to discuss public policy, law and politics.

She has also been honored repeatedly by business and civic organizations for her leadership. She received the "Women in Business Advocate Award" from the U.S. Small Business Administration, “2005 Chapter Public Policy Advocate of the Year Award" from NAWBO, the inaugural "Ruth Standish Baldwin Award" from the Greater Sacramento Urban League, and the "Thurgood Marshall Award" from Minorities in Business Magazine. In September 2007, she was featured in ESSENCE. Ms. McClain-Hill has long been a trusted senior advisor to California’s powerful political figures and leading policy makers. Former California Governor Gray Davis appointed her to serve as one of his Gubernatorial Transition Team’s co-chairs. She served as a transition team member for Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas as he prepared to assume office in 2008. She counts being among the five speakers at his history-making inaugural as among the most cherished events of her professional life.

Ms. McClain-Hill earned her Juris Doctorate from UCLA School of Law in 1981. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UCLA in 1978. She is the proud product of California’s public-school system. She is married and the mother of two adults.

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.

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.

Andrew McAllister
Commissioner
California Energy Commission
Biography

Andrew McAllister

Commissioner
California Energy Commission

Commissioner Andrew McAllister is serving his third term on the California Energy Commission.

At the Energy Commission, he leads the policy area of energy efficiency, including the Building Energy Efficiency Standards, appliance efficiency, and load management and flexibility. More broadly, he is focused on enabling modern, data-rich analytical tools to support strong clean energy policy development and program implementation.

Commissioner McAllister has worked on energy deployment and policy since the early 1990s. He has worked across the world to deploy clean, cost-effective energy solutions with counterparts ranging from tiny remote communities to the largest of utilities. He administered two of California’s signature renewable energy programs, developed and operated energy efficiency programs for utilities, and conducted a broad range of policy-related research for California and the federal government.

He is a board member and immediate past board chair of the National Association of State Energy Officials, and a board member of the Alliance to Save Energy. His deep grounding in technology, policy, and the marketplace provides him with uncommon insight on the accelerating changes taking place in California’s energy sector.

Before joining the Energy Commission, he was managing director at the California Center for Sustainable Energy. He worked with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association International, Ltd. in Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa on renewable generation, load management, utility planning, and remote power projects. He was a project manager at an energy-consulting firm and an energy efficiency analyst at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Commissioner McAllister holds a master of science and a Ph.D. from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley and a bachelor of arts from Dartmouth College. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Karly Katona
Managing Director
Trifiletti Consulting
Biography

Karly Katona

Managing Director
Trifiletti Consulting

As Managing Director at Trifiletti Consulting, Karly is focused on utilizing her extensive experience in the public sector to support catalytic community development and infrastructure improvements that will benefit the region at-large.

Prior to joining Trifiletti Consulting, Karly served as the Caretaker for the 10th Council District of the City of Los Angeles and Chief of Staff to Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas. Prior to her service at the City of Los Angeles, Karly spent over 14 years working for the Second District of the County of Los Angeles overseeing transportation, land use, housing, community development and environmental issues.  

Karly holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master in Public Health from the University of California, Los Angeles. She proudly served as a Coro Fellow in Los Angeles in 2005-2006. Karly also serves on the board of the MLK Health and Wellness Community Development Corporation. 

 
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.

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.
 

Mario Cordero
Executive Director
Port of Long Beach
Biography

Mario Cordero

Executive Director
Port of Long Beach

Mario Cordero, an international maritime industry leader, Long Beach resident and attorney, is Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach, California, named to the post by the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners in May 2017.

Beginning in 2003, Mr. Cordero served as a member, vice president and president of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners for eight years, before resigning to accept President Barack Obama’s appointment to the Federal Maritime Commission in 2011. He served on the FMC until May 2017 and was FMC Chairman from April 2013 to January 2017.

As Executive Director, Mr. Cordero reports to the Board and leads the Port’s Harbor Department staff of more than 500 with a budget of $622 million for the 2022 fiscal year.

He is the Port’s representative to the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority Governing Board and the Governing Board of the Intermodal Container Transfer FacilityJoint Powers Authority. Mr. Cordero was elected to a two-year term as Chairman of the Board for the American Association of Port Authorities in 2020 following a term as Vice Chairman, and previously served as an Executive Board member on AAPA’s Latin American delegation. He sits on the L.A. County Economic Resiliency Task Force – charged with helping guide the County’s approach to reopening as the region emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic – as chair of the Commodities and Goods Movement sector working group.

In 2021, Mr. Cordero was appointed by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco to serve on the bank’s Los Angeles branch seven-member board of directors and, for the third consecutive year, was named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “LA500” list of the city’s most influential civic leaders.

Mr. Cordero has practiced law for more than 30 years, specializing in workers’ compensation cases. He holds a law degree from the University of Santa Clara and a Bachelor of Science in political science from California State University, Long Beach.

He has taught Political Science at Long Beach City College, focusing on California politics, and served on the City of Long Beach Community Development Commission. He also was Vice Chair of the City-commissioned Long Beach Ethics Task Force that developed a Code of Ethics for Long Beach City employees, as well as elected and appointed City officials.

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.

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.

 

 

 

 

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.

Traci Minamide, PE, BCEE
Chief Operating Officer
City of Los Angeles, LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN)
Biography

Traci Minamide, PE, BCEE

Chief Operating Officer
City of Los Angeles, LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN)

Traci serves as Chief Operating Officer for City of Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment (LASAN), a department of over 3,500 employees with an annual revenue of over $1billion. She has been with the City for over 30 years serving in many capacities, including wastewater treatment, water reclamation, biosolids, water planning, environmental regulations, stormwater management, and solid resources.

Traci holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from California State Polytechnic University at Pomona, a Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from Loyola Marymount University, and certification in Executive Management for State and Local Government from Harvard University. She is also a licensed professional Civil Engineer in the State of California and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer through the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. She is past President of the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) and currently serves on the Board of the Southern California Alliance of POTWs (SCAP). Traci also served as a member of the State of California’s Advisory Panel on Direct Potable Reuse.

Jules Radcliff
Partner
Radcliff Mayes LLP
Biography

Jules Radcliff

Partner
Radcliff Mayes 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 UniversityNorthridge.

Bill Allen
President and CEO
LAEDC
Biography

Bill Allen

President and CEO
LAEDC

Bill Allen is the Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation and its subsidiary, the World Trade Center Los Angeles. Mr. Allen is also Co-Chair of the California Stewardship Network, a Vice Chair of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley and a member of the Board of Directors of the Weingart Foundation, Regional Economic Association Leaders of California Coalition, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy and Jobs, FilmL.A., Unite L.A., and Sister Cities of Los Angeles.

Active in regional economic development for more than twenty years, Mr. Allen was the first CEO of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley from 1996-2000, and in 2000 was named California’s Civic Entrepreneur of the Year by the California Center for Regional Leadership.

Mr. Allen has served as a trustee of the University of Southern California, chair of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Chair of Film LA, and cochair of the “Shaping Tomorrow” capital campaign for the Valley Presbyterian Hospital, on whose board he served for fifteen years.

Mr. Allen was previously a television network and studio executive with nearly twenty years experience in entertainment production and management, where he supervised the development and production of hundreds of episodes of network, syndicated and cable television, as well as several highly rated TV movies and specials.

A cum laude graduate of the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California in 1979, Mr. Allen also received his Masters Degree in Business Administration from Pepperdine University in 1983.

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, a trade organization including leading recycling and waste management companies.

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. The region is home to more than 17 million people.
Previously, Mr. Kracov served as a Deputy Los Angeles City Attorney where he counseled the Departments of Planning and Sanitation. Before his public sector work, Mr. Kracov practiced at Rose, Klein & Marias LLP, a trial law firm. There he handled toxic tort and environmental matters that helped shape these areas of the law. Mr. Kracov started his legal career at the prominent Los Angeles firm Weston, Benshoof LLP (now Alston & Bird LLP), where his practice involved environmental tort defense for Fortune 500 clients.

Mr. Kracov is the former Chair of the State Bar of California Environmental Law Section Executive Committee. Elected by his peers, he led education and program activities on behalf of the Section's 2,500+ environmental lawyer members. From 2015 to 2018, he served as a Governor's appointee and Chair of the California Mining and Geology Board that oversees the state's interests in seismic hazards, mineral resources and mine reclamation. He also chaired the California Department of Toxic Substances Control Independent Review Panel tasked with recommending improvements to the agency's permitting, enforcement, outreach and fiscal management. From 2007 to 2011, Mr. Kracov served as Vice-Chair of the Los Angeles Proposition O Bond Committee administering $500 million to protect the city’s rivers and beaches.

Mr. Kracov teaches land use law and regulation at Loyola Law School. In 2019, he coached the Loyola Law School team to first place in the 20th Annual California Lawyers Association Environmental Law Student Negotiation Competition.

He received his Juris Doctorate and Environmental Law Certificate from the University of California Berkeley Law School in 1995 and graduated from the University of California Berkeley with high honors in 1992.

In 2001, Mr. Kracov was one of the "emerging leaders from the United States" selected for a German Marshall Fund Memorial Fellowship to foster transatlantic relationships among "those capable of affecting real and lasting change.”

Sandy Kerl
General Manager
San Diego County Water Authority
Biography

Sandy Kerl

General Manager
San Diego County Water Authority
Sandra L. Kerl is general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, which provides wholesale water supplies to serve 24 member agencies, 3.3 million people and a $240 billion regional economy. Kerl joined the Water Authority as deputy general manager in 2009 before being appointed by the Board of Directors to her current post in 2019.
Kerl’s priorities include enhancing relations with the Water Authority’s member agencies, minimizing rate increases, concluding litigation with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and ensuring long-term water supplies for the semi-arid San Diego region.
Kerl’s career highlights in the water industry include leading the effort to secure financing for the nation’s largest seawater desalination plant, a public-private partnership that is protecting the San Diego region from drought.
Kerl currently sits on the board of the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank and the California Urban Water Agencies, which represents the water suppliers that serve more than two-thirds of California’s population. Throughout her career, she has been active in the International City Management Association.
Kerl received her Bachelor of Political Science from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Redlands.
 
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

Greg Spotts
Director
Seattle Department of Transportation
Biography

Greg Spotts

Director
Seattle Department of Transportation

Greg Spotts serves as Executive Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer for the Los Angeles Bureau of Streer Services, (“StreetsLA”), shaping policies supporting active transportation, climate change adaptation, vehicle emissions reductions, and the adoption of sustainable construction practices. Greg is an internationally recognized leader in the emerging field of urban heat island mitigation, and oversees a growing program of cool pavement, tree planting and shade structure installation in underserved communities. As Executive Officer, Greg oversees three constituent-facing divisions that responds to more than 135,000 service requests annually. The 600 staff under his oversight handle pothole repair, motor sweeping, tree trimming, and the enforcement of laws pertaining to use of streets and sidewalks. Passionate about technology and innovation, Greg received a Mayoral Innovation Fund grant to equip pothole inspectors with tablets, enabling same-day inspection of service requests from the public. Greg has obtained a BA in Political Science from Yale University, and a Masters of Public Policy from UCLA, including a Leadership in Sustainability Certificate.

 
 
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.

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.

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.
 
Jane Oates
President
WorkingNation
Biography

Jane Oates

President
WorkingNation

Jane Oates has served as President at WorkingNation since 2018. Prior to her time at WorkingNation, Jane was appointed by President Barack Obama as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Labor for Employment and Training in June 2009. Jane led the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) in its mission to design and deliver high-quality training and employment programs for our nation’s workers.

Prior to her appointment, Jane served as Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and Senior Advisor to Governor Jon S. Corzine. For a decade before, Jane served as Senior Policy Advisor to Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

Jane began her career as a teacher in the Boston and Philadelphia public schools and later as a field researcher at Temple University’s Center for Research in Human Development and Education. She received her BA in Education from Boston College and an M.Ed in Reading from Arcadia University.

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.

Mia Lehrer
President/Commissioner
Studio MLA/LADWP Board
Biography

Mia Lehrer

President/Commissioner
Studio MLA/LADWP Board

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. 

Hector De La Torre
Board Member
California Air Resources Board
Biography

Hector De La Torre

Board Member
California Air Resources Board

Hector De La Torre is the Executive Director of Gasol Foundation US, a national nonprofit dedicated to children’s health and wellness. He is also Chair of the board at LA Care, the largest public nonprofit health plan in the United States, and a trustee at his alma mater Occidental College in Los Angeles.

De La Torre served in the California State Assembly from 2004 to 2010, representing the largely Latino 50th District in Southeast Los Angeles County. He chaired the Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, the Rules Committee and helped create and chaired the Accountability and Administrative Review Committee during his tenure.

De La Torre was the Executive Director of the national non-profit Transamerica Center for Health Studies.

Prior to his service in the Assembly, he served as Mayor and as a member of the South Gate City Council, Judicial Administrator in the Los Angeles Superior Court, chief of staff to the Deputy Secretary of Labor in the Clinton Administration, and a teacher at Edison Junior High in South Los Angeles.

De La Torre graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Diplomacy and World Affairs from Occidental College and attended the Elliot School of International Affairs at The George Washington University. He lives in South Gate.

Ted Bardacke
Executive Director
Clean Power Alliance
Biography

Ted Bardacke

Executive Director
Clean Power Alliance

Ted Bardacke is Chief Executive Officer of Clean Power Alliance, the not-for-profit electricity provider for 32 communities and approximately one million customers across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties and the largest supplier of 100% renewable energy in the nation. Ted works with CPA’s elected Board of Directors and the organization’s experienced staff to implement CPA’s mission to rapidly decarbonize Southern California’s electricity system, provide customer choice and competitive rates, and deliver customer programs that benefit the CPA community. Ted has led CPA since it began serving customers in 2018, growing annual revenue to over $1 billion in CPA’s fifth year of operations.

Prior to CPA, Ted served Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as Director of Infrastructure for the City of Los Angeles and Deputy Director of the Mayor’s Sustainability Office. Ted has also worked in the Green Urbanism Program at Global Green USA, and in the 1990s served as a foreign correspondent for the Financial Times of London, based in Mexico City and Bangkok. Ted holds degrees from Wesleyan University and the Graduate School of Architecture at Columbia University and taught at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs for 10 years. He currently serves as Vice President of the California Community Choice Association, where he actively works on energy market issues and decarbonization efforts across California.

Jean-Francois Gauthier
Chief Financial Officer
GHGSat
Biography

Jean-Francois Gauthier

Chief Financial Officer
GHGSat

Jean-Francois Gauthier is a mechanical engineer and lifelong space geek with over 15 years of experience in the commercial space industry in various capacities at COM DEV before joining GHGSat, including design and test, project management and sales and marketing. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Dalhousie University and an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is also a graduate of the International Space University’s Summer Session Program (2006). He joined GHGSat shortly after the launch of the company’s first satellite in October 2016 to help commercialize the products and services from their breakthrough satellites around the world. After leading the Sales and Marketing team for the company, Jean-Francois now manages the delivery and growth of the satellite and aircraft measurement product lines. He also manages government relations and drives strategic initiatives for the company.

 

Anselmo Collins
Sr. Assistant General Manager- Water System
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
Biography

Anselmo Collins

Sr. Assistant General Manager- Water System
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power

Anselmo G. Collins is the Senior Assistant General Manager of the Water System for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). As one of the largest and most complex municipal water systems in the world, the Los Angeles Water System has an annual operating budget of $1.5 billion and serves high quality drinking water to over 4 million people in a 472 square-mile area. Mr. Collins leads an organization of more than 2,400 employees.

Mr. Collins has over 28 years of experience with LADWP. His experience has been both in engineering and managerial capacities involving planning, designing, construction, project management, construction management, procurement, operations, and maintenance.

Mr. Collins most recently served as Director of the Water Operations Division where he was responsible for Water System operations and maintenance activities of water transmission and treatment facilities in the Metropolitan-Los Angeles Area, as well as those of the Los Angeles Aqueduct system. Mr. Collins also oversaw the Owens Lake Dust Mitigation Program and managed Water System's property issues and real estate holdings.

Previously, Mr. Collins served as Assistant Director of Water Operations Division. Before joining Water Operations Division, he was the Assistant Director of Water Engineering and Technical Services Division, and Acting Director of Supply Chain Services.

Mr. Collins received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from California State University Northridge and a Master of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University. Mr. Collins is a registered Civil Engineer in the State of California.

As Senior Assistant General Manager of the Water System, Mr. Collins follows in a long line of successful and accomplished professionals, including Mr. William Mullholland and others who built the water system that reliably delivers water today to over four million Angelenos. He has the responsibility for serving as leader and steward of the vast system that LADWP operates to provide water service to our City.

Steve Sullivan
Former Managing Director
Southern California Edison
Biography

Steve Sullivan

Former Managing Director
Southern California Edison

Steve Sullivan retired from Edison International (EIX) on October 1, 2013, after 35 years with the company. Edison is the parent company of Southern California Edison, a regulated electric utility.

As an executive of SCE, Mr. Sullivan led two of its largest organizations dedicated to serving government customers: first as Director of Local Public Affairs, and second as Director of Government & Institutions within the Customer Service organization.

After retiring from SCE, Mr. Sullivan has remained active in the utility space by providing consultative services to companies, and in some instances has taken a “hands-on” role with start-up companies, especially with those that provide cutting-edge technologies and/or play a role in shaping public policy issues affecting the electric industry in California. Some of his recent business ventures include:

Advanced Rail Energy Storage (2014 to 2019)

Sullivan served as COO of ARES, a firm pioneering the use of electric locomotive technology for large-scale energy storage. By providing a completely non-polluting and low-cost solution the need for grid scale storage and grid stability, ARES will allow America and the world to successfully and reliably integrate unprecedented amounts of clean energy. ARES anticipates bringing its first large-scale project (50 megawatts) on-line in 2020.

ICE ENERGY (2014 to 2017)

Sullivan served as an advisor to the Ice Energy Board. Ice Energy is the leading provider of smart grid-enabled, distributed energy storage to the utility industry. It delivers cost-effective solutions at grid-scale to reduce peak demand, improve energy system efficiency and reliability, and transform the way the utility system operates.

BUSINESS RADAR (2014 to 2015)

Sullivan served as a board member of iRestore, Business Radar. IRestore provides first responders (e.g. police and fire) with an intelligent mobile service that can instantly connect and communicate with local utilities – the iRestores product and protocols helps utility workers assess damage to the electric grid and respond more effectively to emergencies.  

EMPIRE WATER (2014 to 2018)

Sullivan, a former minority owner of Empire Water Corporation (EWC). EWC formed in 2008 to purchase assets of the West Riverside Canal Company (WRCC) and the 350” Mutual Water Company, located in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Both Companies were formed in 1888, and have operated more or less continuously since that time. EWC owns and manages the only private canal in the region, in addition to owning and/or controlling significant water resources. For over 100 years, the WRCC transported roughly 10,000 acre-feet/year of water from San Bernardino to Riverside County.

 

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.

Martin Howell
Associate Principal
ARUP
Biography

Martin Howell

Associate Principal
ARUP

Martin Howell is an Associate Principal in Arup’s Los Angeles office with over 30 years of experience, working and consulting on projects around the globe. For the past 22 years, he has been based in Los Angeles and working with clients in Southern California on renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy storage projects. His clients value his broad knowledge base in the field of energy and sustainability, and his drive to find simple solutions to complex issues. Some of Martin’s key projects include leading a multi-user microgrid project with the City of Santa Monica and helping develop and implement an Energy Assurance program with the County of Santa Barbara, leveraging clusters of microgrids. Within the firm, Martin is the Global Energy Skills Leader. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring Arup’s energy sector skills remain at the cutting edge of the industry and that global best practice knowledge is shared and disseminated throughout the firm.
 

 

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.

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 managerwith $495 billion in assets under management. Previously, Terry led North American strategy for innogy e-MobilityUSa 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 EntrepreneursCoalition for Clean Airand the Metropolitan Water DistrictTerry has an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and BA with honors from Stanford University.

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. 

Keith Lilley
Deputy Director
Los Angeles County Public Works
Biography

Keith Lilley

Deputy Director
Los Angeles County Public Works
Keith Lilley is the Deputy Director of Los Angeles County Public Works Water Resources core service area.  Keith is responsible for managing the Los Angeles County Flood Control District and the Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts.  He also oversees the County’s Safe, Clean Water Program and stormwater quality compliance efforts within the County unincorporated 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. 
Keith has over 30 years of Public Works experience in developing and implementing programs and civil infrastructure projects to enhance the communities of Los Angeles County. 
Keith is a licensed Civil Engineer in the State of California.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State University and a Certificate in Engineering Management for Construction from the University of California, Los Angeles
Renata Simril
President and CEO
LA84 Foundation
Biography

Renata Simril

President and CEO
LA84 Foundation

Renata Simril is President and CEO of the LA84 Foundation (www.LA84.org).  Formed in 1985, originally as the Amateur Athletic Foundation, the LA84 Foundation (“LA84” or the “Foundation”) is a legacy of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Summer Games.  The LA84 Foundation transforms lives through its investment in youth sport programs, infrastructure, research, and education across eight Counties of Southern California, and is a national leader in elevating the role that sports play in positive youth development.

Ms. Simril is an accomplished civic and private sector trailblazer with more than 20 years of diversified experience with a commitment to leadership and service.  She most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff to the Publisher of the Los Angeles Times, where she oversaw staff operations and special projects.  Her earlier career included three seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where she served as Senior Vice President of External Affairs overseeing the restoration of the Dodgers brand and the Dodgers Foundation; and over a decade in real estate development with Jones Lang LaSalle, Forest City Development and LCOR, Inc.  Her public service included stints as Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Housing in the Hahn Administration, where she worked to expand rental and affordable housing in Los Angeles, and as a Development Deputy to Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, where she worked to help rebuild communities in South Los Angeles after the 1992 civil unrest.  Ms. Simril began her career in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Officer in the U.S. and Germany. 

Ms. Simril is active in the community outside of LA84 Foundation, currently serving on the Boards of the LA2024 Olympic Bid Committee; Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce;  United Way of Greater Los Angeles; Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission; and Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation; and as a member of the Board of Regents of Loyola Marymount University (LMU).  In 2016, she was named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s inaugural list of The Los Angeles 500 Most Influential People. 

Ms. Simril is a third generation Angeleno.  She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from Loyola Marymount University and a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Development from USC.  Ms. Simril resides in Studio City with her husband and two sons.

Emily Desai
Deputy Director of International Affairs and Trade
Governor's Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz)
Biography

Emily Desai

Deputy Director of International Affairs and Trade
Governor's Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz)

The International Affairs and Trade unit within GO-Biz is the state’s primary point of contact for trade, foreign direct investment, and international affairs. The unit works to create jobs and increase revenues for California enterprises by implementing a comprehensive export and investment strategy in coordination with key regional partners.

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.

Warner Chabot
Executive Director
San Francisco Estuary Institute
Biography

Warner Chabot

Executive Director
San Francisco Estuary Institute

Warner Chabot has served as the Executive Director of the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) since 2014.  Warner brings 45 years of executive experience in the private, public and non-profit sector, focused on science-based, environmental planning and policy issues.   He has specialized in CA coastal, ocean, water, land use and energy issues at the local state and federal level. In prior lives, he managed his own environmental planning and policy firm.  He also served as the CEO of the CA Environmental Voters and as Vice President of Ocean Conservancy, a national ocean policy organization. He has a B.A. in Environmental Planning from U.C. Santa Cruz.

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.

 

Dean Wiberg
VP of Strategy and Partnerships
Gemini Motor
Biography

Dean Wiberg

VP of Strategy and Partnerships
Gemini Motor

Dean Wiberg is the COO of Balboa Geolocation, Inc (https://balboageolocation.com), a business entity focused on the commercialization of technology developed at JPL for the precision geolocation of personnel and other assets in GPS denied environments.Previously, Dean spent nearly 25 years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), an operating division of Caltech, developing technology and sponsored research. Prior to leaving JPL, Dean was the manager of the Commercial Technology Partnerships Office with responsibilities to develop and execute technology development opportunities at JPL with non-NASA, commercial sponsors. Before assuming this role, Dean was a project lead in JPL’s Microdevices laboratory for over 10 years, in which he was named in about 15 patents and new technology disclosures around the theme of MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS). Before joining JPL, Dean held technical, management and business development positions at the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), IBM, Westinghouse, Northrop Grumman (TRW), Sarcos Research/University of Utah and was a co-founder of Vaporfab, a venture funded, high tech materials company.

Dean is on or has served on the board of directors for a number of companies and organizations including Gemini Motor (https://geminimotor.com), Empire Magnetics, the Foothill Municipal Water District, one of the 26 regional Southern California water districts, the Bernard Schriever chapter of the Air Force Association (AFA), the Board of Advisors for the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), the City’s business incubator for early stage cleantech companies and the advisory board for the California Technology Council. He has also been active in local government having served as the Chairman of a municipal planning commission and an elected City Councilman.

Dean holds a BS in Chemistry from Weber State University, an MS in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University, and an Executive MBA from the Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah.

Andy Lipkis
Founder & Fmr. President/Project Executive
TreePeople/Accelerate Resilience LA
Biography

Andy Lipkis

Founder & Fmr. President/Project Executive
TreePeople/Accelerate Resilience LA

Andy Lipkis has spent his life crowdsourcing climate disaster relief for emergency and long-term issues. At age 18, he founded TreePeople, and served as its president from 1974 to 2019. Lipkis is a pioneer of Urban and Community Forestry and Urban Watershed Management, the principles of which have spread across the world. He has consulted for Los Angeles, Seattle, Melbourne, Hong Kong, London and other megacities, helping plan for climate resilience and adaptation. With climate change impacts already creating a chronic emergency for cities around the world, Andy's work has demonstrated promising new ways for individuals, communities and government agencies to collaboratively reshape urban tree canopy and water infrastructure to save lives and grow a more livable future.

After retiring from TreePeople in 2019, Andy launched Accelerate Resilience L.A. (ARLA), a fiscally sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors) to inspire and enable people and local governments to equitably accelerate climate resilience in Los Angeles.

Jenna Hornstock
Deputy Director of Planning for Landuse
Southern California Association of Governments
Biography

Jenna Hornstock

Deputy Director of Planning for Landuse
Southern California Association of Governments

Jenna Hornstock joined SCAG in 2020 to lead special initiatives in housing and economic empowerment as well as the sustainable and resilient development departments.

Prior to joining SCAG, Jenna served as LA Metro’s Executive Officer for Transit Oriented Communities where she oversaw 15 active real estate development projects, station area urban design and first/last mile planning. Jenna also spent nearly 7 years at the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA), most recently as Chief of Strategic Planning and Economic Development. 

Jenna holds a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a BA in Rhetoric from UC Berkeley.

In her spare time, Jenna is a Planning Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles, and serves a Board member for the non-profit Community Health Councils and the ULI/LA Advisory Board.  She lives in Silverlake with her teenage son and her partner, and practices yoga and the Lindy Hop whenever possible.

Lauren Faber O'Connor
Fmr. Chief Sustainability Officer
City of Los Angeles
Biography

Lauren Faber O'Connor

Fmr. Chief Sustainability Officer
City of Los Angeles

In her role as Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Los Angeles, Lauren Faber O’Connor is driving the implementation of LA’s Green New Deal, a global model for local action to confront the climate crisis and build an inclusive green economy that prioritizes equity. Lauren has spent her career working on environmental issues from serving as West Coast Political Director for the Environmental Defense Fund to being appointed Assistant Secretary for Climate Change Programs at the California Environmental Protection Agency to addressing climate change and energy as the Senior Policy Advisor at the British Embassy.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Earth Systems and Economics from Stanford University, and Master’s degree in Climate and Society from Columbia University.

Rossana D'Antonio
Deputy Director
LA County Public Works
Biography

Rossana D'Antonio

Deputy Director
LA County Public Works

Rossana D’Antonio serves as Deputy Director for Los Angeles County Public Works.  She provides executive leadership for the development of sustainable communities, resilient housing, private sector commercial marketplaces and jobs, and emergency management. 

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.

A 30-year veteran of Public Works, Ms. D’Antonio has extensive background in many disciplines of engineering, management, operations, and business processes. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Fresno State University and a Master’s in Business Administration with emphasis in leadership and organizational development from Pepperdine University. She holds dual registrations in the State of California in Civil and Geotechnical Engineering. She is also credentialed as an Envision Sustainability Professional with the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. 

In 2020, Ms. D’Antonio was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the California Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. She is a Fellow with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and served a three-year term as ASCE Governor for Region 9 (California). She is an active member of the Society of Women Engineers and the American Public Works Association (APWA).

Hillel Newman
Consul General
Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Southwest
Biography

Hillel Newman

Consul General
Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Southwest
Dr. Hillel Newman assumed the post of Consul General of Israel in July 2019, where he serves as the senior representative of the State of Israel to the Pacific Southwest.
 
During his twenty-year diplomatic service, Consul General Newman accumulated vast experience in policy formulation and decision-making at the highest levels of Israel's foreign policy establishment. He has served in several influential and critical positions including Policy Advisor to three Foreign Ministers of Israel and Ambassador of Israel to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
 
Before he joined the diplomatic service, he attained a Ph.D. in Jewish History, and served as a professor of Jewish history, teaching graduate courses at Bar Ilan University and Boston University. He has authored and published a book on Jewish sectarianism during the Hellenistic and Roman period. For the past five years, he has also served as a key lecturer on Judaism in the NATO Defense College.
 
Most recently, Consul General Newman served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as both Special Policy Advisor to the Director General and as Director of the World Jewish Affairs Department. He has been intimately involved in the most current and pressing issues confronting global Jewry.
Previously, Consul General Newman served also in the Strategic Division of the Ministry, playing a key role in coordinating efforts related to strategic threats facing the State of Israel.
As Ambassador to the Republics of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, both Muslim countries, he promoted political, business and security ties with these countries. He also initiated several projects and agreements in the fields of medicine, education, agriculture and humanitarian aid.
 
Consul General Newman first became familiar with the United States while serving as Deputy Consul General in Boston, to the New England Region between 2001-2005. He engaged in diverse public diplomacy efforts, conducted briefings on political and security issues and took a special interest in building inter-faith and inter-ethnic relations.
Consul General Newman made Aliyah with his family from South Africa, served as a medic in the IDF and is married to Ayala. The couple have a ten-year-old son, Ram.
 
His favorite hobbies are reading, nature tours, sporting events and scuba diving.
V. John White
Executive Director
CEERT
Biography

V. John White

Executive Director
CEERT

V. John White has been a writer, commentator, advocate, and leader of the green energy movement in California for 35 years. He is executive director of CEERT, the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies in Sacramento, and principal of the environmental and energy lobbying practice, V. John White Associates, representing public interest environmental and local government organizations, and new energy technology companies.

White's career has been devoted to air quality improvement and clean energy development. As chief consultant to the California Assembly Subcommittee on Air Quality, he became the leading legislative expert on air quality technology and regulation, helping to draft the California Clean Air Act and subsequent clean air and energy statutes.

 In 1990 he co-founded CEERT, which has become the premier energy advocacy voice for key environmental public interest groups and clean energy technology companies.  He played a central role in the passage of the Pavley Clean Car bill, AB 32, and many of California’s renewable energy incentive and regulatory programs. 

He serves on a number of nonprofit boards and organizations.

John is a graduate of U.C. Riverside – Political Science

Kristen Torres Pawling
Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy & Planning
Office of LA City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky
Biography

Kristen Torres Pawling

Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy & Planning
Office of LA City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky

Kristen Torres Pawling is Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy & Planning for LA City Council District 5. Formerly, Kristen served as Sustainability Program Director at Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office focused on realizing an equitable, climate-resilient Los Angeles. There she serves as senior staff leading the effort to implement the nation’s most ambitious regional sustainability plan. Prior to joining the County, she advocated on climate and urban planning issues at the Natural Resources Defense Council. While at the Southern California Association of Governments, Kristen crafted the 2016 Sustainable Community Strategy.  Kristen began her career serving at California Air Resources Board as the Executive Fellow for Mary D. Nichols and later returned to the Air Board to work on regional planning issues. She was recently awarded the 2022 UCLA Young Alumnus of the Year for her public service to Los Angeles and the UCLA community.  Kristen serves as an appointee for various boards and committees, including the California Climate Insurance Working Group and the UCLA Institute for Transportation Studies Advisory Board. Kristen earned a Bachelor of Art degree in geography/environmental studies and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from UCLA.

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.

Charles Wilson
Executive Director and CEO
Southern California Water Coalition
Biography

Charles Wilson

Executive Director and CEO
Southern California Water Coalition

Charles Wilson serves as principal owner of PC Consulting Services Inc. A consulting firm dedicated to providing strategic counsel, public affairs, government relations and communications to public agencies, private sector business clients and non-profits.

Wilson has been a leading public affairs professional in California for more than 30 years and is a recognized leader in the industry. Wilson has spent the past 25 years in the electric utility industry with Southern California Edison, where he led the development and implementation of third-party strategic planning and communication efforts and aligned company interests with local, state and federal government officials and agencies.

Wilson is recognized as an organizational leader, consensus builder and strategic communications specialist who can develop high performance teams, which produce results. Wilson also serves as Executive Director and CEO of the Southern California Water Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public education partnership between cities, counties, business, industry, agriculture and water agencies dedicated to securing reliable, affordable, quality water for Southern California.

In addition, Wilson also served as an elected board member of the Santa Margarita Water District for over 19 years and as a member of the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission until 2018 where he was an active and dynamic force in providing leadership to the second largest and fastest growing retail water agency in Orange County. 

Through his Santa Margarita Water District affiliation, Wilson also currently serves as the Chairman of the Association of California Water Agencies, Energy Committee, the statewide professional association of public water agencies.

Prior to his tenure in the utility industry, Wilson served as director of community and media affairs for State and U.S. Senator John Seymour.  He has also worked in sports radio and television with ABC, ESPN, and the Netherlands Broadcast Company. 

A frequent lecturer and university level instructor, Wilson was invited to provide advanced political campaign and communications seminars to train candidates and political parties in Novosibirsk, Russia. Wilson has also hosted and produced “Orange County Outlook,” a locally produced television show highlighting current events, political debate and economic development activities in Orange County.

A graduate of UCLA, Charles earned his BA degree in political science with an emphasis in international relations and public administration. He also completed his post graduate studies in Organizational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University.

Charles and his wife, Pam, live in Orange County.  
 

 

John Shegerian
Co-Founder & Executive Chairman
ERI
Biography

John Shegerian

Co-Founder & Executive Chairman
ERI

John Shegerian creates profitable impact companies that make the world a better place. A serial entrepreneur responsible for co-founding Homeboy Industries, FinancialAid.com, Engage, and many other impactful organizations – Shegerian currently serves as co-founder, Chairman and CEO of ERI, the largest cybersecurity-focused hardware destruction and electronic waste recycling company in the United States. 

Goldman Sachs recently named Shegerian one of the “100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs of 2021” at its annual Builders + Innovators Summit. He was also named one of the planet’s “Top 100 Recycling Stars” by Recycling International Magazine in back-to-back years (2021 and 2022).
 

 
Marta Segura
Climate Emergency Mobilization Director
LA City Climate Emergency Mobilization Office
Biography

Marta Segura

Climate Emergency Mobilization Director
LA City Climate Emergency Mobilization Office

Segura is a strategic, resourceful environmental and health and justice advocate with a focus on social equity, appointed as the first-ever Climate Emergency Mobilization Director (CEMD). She is also a leading expert in community health and engagement and has worked directly with public, philanthropic, private, institutional and non-profit sectors to design, implement, and drive community and policy-driven programs that promote healthier and more engaged communities. Ms. Segura holds a Master’s of Public Health (MPH) from UCLA. She previously served as Program Officer for the California Endowment and the first Latina Program Director for UCLA-LOSH and Labor Center. She was the first Statewide Organizing Director in Los Angeles, for Communities for a Better Environment during its nascent years in Southern California, and was ultimately promoted to the role of Statewide Associate Director. She also worked in creating parks and open space in the early years of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust. Marta served on the L.A. City Planning Commission, and as the Chair of the Equity and Inclusion Board Committee at the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, as well as on the Board of the Southern California Leadership Network. Marta has broken many glass ceilings for her community, and served as a mentor to many, while consistently committing to building and connecting the voices that lead to healthier, thriving communities.

Marta is the daughter of cannery workers and knows all too well what it is like to grow up with childhood asthma, excessive air pollution living next to freeways, and segregated substandard schools, not unlike many frontline communities she collaborates with today. Segura also experienced housing displacement as a result of a project that demolished her entire neighborhood in San Jose.

Jonathan Weisgall
Vice President, Government Relations
Berkshire Hathaway Energy
Biography

Jonathan Weisgall

Vice President, Government Relations
Berkshire Hathaway Energy

Jonathan Weisgall is Vice President for Government Relations for Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. He joined CalEnergy (Berkshire Hathaway Energy’s predecessor company) in 1993 as Vice President for Legislative and Regulatory Affairs. 

Weisgall also serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies and vice chairman of the Geothermal Rising’s Policy Committee. He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he has taught a seminar on energy issues since 1990 and recently received the Charles Fahy Distinguished Adjunct Professor Award as outstanding adjunct professor of the year. He has also guest lectured on energy issues at Stanford Law School, Haverford, and the Johns Hopkins Environmental Science and Policy Program and its School of Advanced International Studies. He was a member of the Lithium Valley Commission and has been named one of the top Washington, DC corporate lobbyists by The Hill since 2004.

Weisgall graduated from Columbia College and from Stanford Law School. He previously practiced law in Washington, D.C. at Covington & Burling, has written several law review articles, and has published articles in Legal Times, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Foreign Policy, Johns Hopkins SAIS Review, and The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

Weisgall is also the author of Operation Crossroads:  The Atomic Tests at Bikini Atoll (U.S. Naval Institute Press, 1994) and the executive producer of “Radio Bikini,” which was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary in 1988.
 

Shmel Graham
Counsel
Ashurst Law Firm
Biography

Shmel Graham

Counsel
Ashurst Law Firm
Shmel is Counsel at Ashurst law firm where she advises clients on the procurement, structuring, financing and development of infrastructure projects. She is a native of Los Angeles and is experienced working in both the public and private sectors.
 
She previously served in the City of Los Angeles Mayor's Office under both Mayor Villaraigosa and Mayor Garcetti. During her tenure at the Mayor's Office, Shmel focused on driving complex technology and social infrastructure investments and operational reform efforts.
 
She earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan and Juris Doctorate from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. She serves on the Board of the Urban Land Institute Los Angeles, Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation and Community Health Councils and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Martin Luther King Community Health Foundation Dream Council.
 
Shmel is passionate about health and wellness, commercial development and wealth building in communities of color. More importantly, she is a mother of an amazing young boy and enjoys traveling and spending time with her family. 

 

Dr. Nate Lewis
George L. Argyros Professor of Chemistry
California Institute of Technology
Biography

Dr. Nate Lewis

George L. Argyros Professor of Chemistry
California Institute of Technology

Dr. Nathan S. Lewis is the George L. Argyros Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology.  Professor Lewis is Principal Investigator of the Beckman Institute Molecular Materials Resource Center. His research interests include artificial photosynthesis and electronic noses. Nate continues to study ways to harness sunlight and generate chemical fuel by splitting water to generate hydrogen. He is developing the electronic nose, which consists of chemically sensitive conducting polymer film capable of detecting and quantifying a broad variety of analytes. Technical details focus on light-induced electron transfer reactions, both at surfaces and in transition metal complexes, surface chemistry and photochemistry of semiconductor/liquid interfaces, novel uses of conducting organic polymers and polymer/conductor composites, and development of sensor arrays that use pattern recognition algorithms to identify odorants, mimicking the mammalian olfaction process.

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.

 

Mick Dalrymple
Chief Sustainability Officer
University of Southern California
Biography

Mick Dalrymple

Chief Sustainability Officer
University of Southern California

As Chief Sustainability Officer, Mick Dalrymple helps the University of Southern California reach its ambitious Assignment Earth sustainability goals. With 21 years of accomplishment in the sustainability field, he helped Arizona State University earn the #1 ranking in Sierra Magazine’s Coolest Schools list and carbon neutrality six years early. Dalrymple is also a produced feature film screenwriter and an author of more than fifty published green building and sustainability articles. He earned his Masters of International Management from Thunderbird, an MBA from ASU, and a Bachelor of Arts with High Distinction in Electrical Engineering, Engineering Math, and International Relations from the University of Arizona.

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.

Eric Guter
Vice President, Hydrogen for Mobility Solutions
Air Products
Biography

Eric Guter

Vice President, Hydrogen for Mobility Solutions
Air Products

Eric Guter became vice president, Hydrogen for Mobility Solutions in 2020. In this role, he has regional responsibility for the Company’s Hydrogen for Mobility business in the Americas and the global Hydrogen for Mobility activities and team, driving growth, profitability, and operational excellence.

Mr. Guter joined Air Products in 1995 in California and commissioned the Company’s Wilmington hydrogen facility, helping develop its regional franchise serving national and global refining partners. In 2004, Mr. Guter transitioned to the commercial business area, taking on roles of increasing responsibility, including accountability for the P&L, customer contracts and supply relationships in California. In 2015, he became general manager for the HyCO Western Region and transitioned to executive director – Americas Growth Platforms in 2019. Prior to joining Air Products, Mr. Guter served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Albuquerque nuclear submarine.

Mr. Guter holds a degree in Business Management and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

John Onderdonk
Chief Sustainability Officer
California Institute of Technology
Biography

John Onderdonk

Chief Sustainability Officer
California Institute of Technology

John Onderdonk serves as the Senior Director of Facilities Services and Integrated Planning as well as the Chief Sustainability Officer at the California Institute of Technology. In this capacity, he is responsible for the executive leadership of campus planning, energy and utility services, procurement and material management, critical research logistics and sustainability programs.

At Caltech, John has led efforts to de-carbonize campus utilities, plan for infrastructure resilience and adaptive capacity, and integrate 17MW of distributed generation. He has supervised the execution of a $15M energy efficiency fund, served as the lead sustainability advisor for 12 capital projects and coordinated the deployment of a work management and asset tracking system. John also leads the Institute’s regulatory affairs with regard to energy, water, carbon and regional planning.

Prior to joining Caltech, John served as the Southwest Regional Manager for AIG Environmental where he managed environmental risk on behalf of corporate and brownfield redevelopment clients.

John holds a Masters in Corporate Environmental Management from the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science and Economics from the University of Oregon. John is a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design + Construction and a Certified Carbon Reduction Manager.

John is the chair of the Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Officer’s Taskforce and serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management.

Kate White
Associate Principal & Highways Leader
Arup
Biography

Kate White

Associate Principal & Highways Leader
Arup

Kate White, EcoDistrict AP, MPA, is Restorative Communities Leader in Arup’s San Francisco office, where she works with public and private sectors in delivering on ambitious mobility, climate and sustainable development goals. Arup is a global independent firm of engineers, planners, and technical specialists working across the built environment. Kate leads an Arup Americas cross-disciplinary team focused on reconnecting communities historically harmed by urban roadways. In Kate’s 25 years in the sustainable mobility and development fields, she has championed innovative public policy and programs. As a California Governor Jerry Brown appointee, Kate served as Deputy Secretary for Environmental Policy at the California State Transportation Agency, where she worked with state, regional, and local agencies to advance sustainable growth and climate policies.  Kate is a social entrepreneur, launching mission-driven initiatives, including serving as the first director of the ULI Bay Area chapter and founding San Francisco’s first car-sharing service. Kate received her BA in Politics from Oberlin, and her MA in Public Administration from San Francisco State University.

David Libatique
Deputy Executive Director, Stakeholder Engagement
The Port of Los Angeles
Biography

David Libatique

Deputy Executive Director, Stakeholder Engagement
The Port of Los Angeles

David Libatique is the Deputy Executive Director of Stakeholder Engagement for the Port of Los Angeles, a position that oversees and manages all communications on behalf of America’s Port® via the Community Relations, Media Relations, Government Affairs, Trade Development, and Labor Relations and Workforce Development Divisions.

In this role, Libatique works with diverse stakeholders, including local communities, organized labor, beneficial cargo owners, terminal operators, international customers, shipping and cruise lines, railroads, the trucking industry, media, and regulatory agencies to advance the Port’s goals and initiatives. He also interacts on a broader scale with an array of local, regional, statewide, and national elected officials and stakeholders.

Working alongside Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka, Libatique helped to spearhead the Logistics Victory Los Angeles (LoVLA) COVID-19 response effort in March 2020 to assist in getting critical personal protective equipment (PPE) into the hands of healthcare workers. Throughout the pandemic, Libatique has worked to build relationships with public and private sector partners and further guide the initiative’s efforts.

Libatique first joined the Port in January 2011 as Senior Director of Government Affairs, where he led the Port’s intergovernmental advocacy at a critical time of increasing engagement with local, regional, state, federal, and even transnational and international levels of government.

Prior to joining the Port, Libatique served as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Director of Energy Policy, where he was responsible for advancing the Mayor’s environmental policies at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Before assuming that role, he served as the Mayor’s Senior Policy Analyst and acted as a liaison with the Port of Los Angeles, where he advanced priority initiatives, including the Clean Air Action Plan and Clean Truck Program.

Before joining the Villaraigosa Administration, Libatique served as Senior Deputy for Los Angeles City Councilmember Martin Ludlow, where he led policy development and legislative strategies to reform the City’s gang prevention and intervention efforts.

Libatique has conducted extensive experience in economic research, including working as a Research Analyst at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. There, he was a part of Working Group VI of the Commission on Macroeconomics and Health that analyzed the economic impact of investment in improved health outcomes for poor and middle-income countries.

Libatique holds a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of California, Berkeley and a master of public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Dr. Joshua Schank
Managing Principal
InfraStrategies
Biography

Dr. Joshua Schank

Managing Principal
InfraStrategies

Dr. Joshua Schank is a Managing Principal at InfraStrategies, a transportation and financial advisory firm, where he leads a practice focused on innovation, strategic planning, and technology. He is also a Senior Fellow in the Institute for Transportation Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Prior to joining InfraStrategies and UCLA, Dr. Schank was the first-ever Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). Dr. Schank joined Metro in 2015 to establish the agency’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation (OEI), which is responsible for fostering innovations that improve mobility, equity and environmental outcomes across LA County. Dr. Schank led an office that shapes Metro’s high-level strategic vision, serving as a liaison to the academic community, designing, piloting and implementing innovative programs and policies, and engaging entrepreneurs and businesses to develop public-private-partnerships. Dr. Schank helped create and lead numerous transformative Metro projects including the Vision 2028 Strategic Plan, Metro Micro, Mobility on Demand, Metro’s Traffic Reduction Study, Better Bus, two Pre-Development Agreements for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor, a Public-Private-Partnership for the West Santa Ana Branch, and an aerial tram from Union Station to Dodger Stadium.

Dr. Schank previously served as President and CEO of the Eno Center for Transportation, a leading national transportation policy think-tank based in Washington, D.C. Prior to that he led the National Transportation Policy Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center and has worked as a consultant for Parsons Brinkerhoff (now WSP) and ICF International. Dr. Schank served as Transportation Policy Advisor to Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) during the authorization of SAFETEA-LU and is the co-author of All Roads Lead to Congress: The $300 Billion Fight Over Highway Funding. Dr. Schank holds a Ph.D in Urban Planning from Columbia University, and a Master of City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He began his career working on behalf of the riders of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City and has never lost that spirit. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons.

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.

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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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.
 
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.

Ingrid Merriwether
President & CEO / Client Advisor
Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services
Biography

Ingrid Merriwether

President & CEO / Client Advisor
Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services

President and Chief Executive Officer Ingrid Merriwether enjoys applying over 25 years of insurance brokerage experience to overseeing production, marketing and corporate operations. She serves as client executive on several of the firm’s large accounts including the City of Los Angeles, City and County of San Francisco, and San Diego Regional Airport Authority, and takes an active role in initial risk exposure analyses and insurance/risk management program design. Ingrid is the chief architect of the firm’s Contractor Development and Bonding Programs, administered on behalf of major public entities and jurisdictions, and enjoys collaborating with clients, contractors and community members to create mutually beneficial outcomes. Collectively, these programs have enabled small and minority contractors to bid on over $874 Million in public works construction projects to-date, establishing strong bonding credit and building the foundation for ongoing business success.

Ingrid has earned her Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation, is a past member of the Board of Directors of Insurance Brokers & Agents of the West, is a member of Risk Management Forum and teaches insurance courses for business entrepreneurs. Her expertise and achievement in insurance and bonding, risk management and supplier diversity and inclusion has earned her numerous awards and honors, including Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs (S.F. Business Times), Fastest Growing Businesses in the U.S. (ICIC), Minority Advocate of the Year, Minority Business of the Year. She is an eloquent speaker and is frequently asked to present at conferences and events nationwide. Merriwether and Williams’ business practices reflect Ingrid’s philosophy of Aligned Risk Management, which is an approach to risk management that manages and reduces risk, while creating opportunity and inclusion for small, minority, women, disabled and veteran-owned businesses. She was born and raised in California and is passionate about supporting and serving the diverse communities which contribute to making the state unique, successful, and forward thinking.

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.

Tim Romer
Chief Financial Officer & Head of Strategy
Project Canary
Biography

Tim Romer

Chief Financial Officer & Head of Strategy
Project Canary

Tim Romer is Project Canary's Chief Financial Officer and Head of Strategy. He brings over 35 years of experience working in US infrastructure markets to help build critical assets that promote economic growth with a long-standing focus on technology, ESG, and sustainability. Working at the intersection of the private and public sectors, Tim has been an early market leader developing innovative solutions to complex problems with a proven track record of executing a variety of deals and partnerships. Tim brings critical expertise to the Project Canary team with over $75 billion of M&A advisory and financing transactions covering a broad range of assets in transportation, water, power, renewables, social, sustainable, digital, and other sustainable infrastructure sectors.

Before joining Project Canary, Tim worked as a Goldman Sachs Investment Banker and a software company CFO. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from The Wharton School.

Shayne Petkiewicz
Business Development Manager
Anaergia
Biography

Shayne Petkiewicz

Business Development Manager
Anaergia

Shayne Petkiewicz has held the position of Business Development Manager in Anaegia Inc. since July 2020. Before working with Anaegia, Petkiewicz was the Sales and Marketing Advisor with PowerTech Water in 2019-2020. Prior to PowerTech Water, he was the Business Development Manager at Puraffinity in 2016-2019.

Before heading into the business and marketing side of development, he was a research assistant in Joint BioEnergy Institute in 2015, analytical chemist with Amyris Inc in 2014, research assistant in Berkeley Lab in 2013, and a laboratory technician with Sirona Fuels in 2011.  

Shayne Petkiewicz graduated from Imperial College London with a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in University of California, Berkeley beforehand. 

Jean Lachance
VP Deployment and Operations
EVLO Energy Storage
Biography

Jean Lachance

VP Deployment and Operations
EVLO Energy Storage

Jean Lachance is Vice President Deployment and Operations 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 is responsible for the management of customer projects, including commissioning, project engineering, operations and maintenance.  He is also responsible for health and safety.

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. In particular, he successfully led the integration and deployment of the Helix brand within the operations overseen by the Vice President of Networks at Videotron. 

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.

Alex Rafiee
CEO and Co-Founder
Gemini Motor
Biography

Alex Rafiee

CEO and Co-Founder
Gemini Motor

Alex Rafiee is the CEO and co-founder of Gemini Motor, an autonomous truck company based in Los Angeles, CA. He was previously an investment manager at Equinor Ventures active in early stage investments in energy, AI, and mobility startups for three years. In this role, Alex observed the emergence of intelligent mobility and clean energy as the de facto reality of the future of transportation and ceased the opportunity to be a part of this transition. Alex also served as a technologist at Equinor Technology for five years where he developed and commercialized several key technologies rooted in AI and energy. Alex holds M.Sc and Ph.D degrees in Petroleum Engineering from Texas Tech University.  

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.

 

Douglas Carstens
Managing Partner
Chatten-Brown Carstens Minteer LLP
Biography

Douglas Carstens

Managing Partner
Chatten-Brown Carstens Minteer LLP

Douglas Carstens is the Managing Partner of Carstens, Black & Minteer LLP, a small law firm in Hermosa Beach that practices environmental and land use law throughout the state.  He graduated from Cornell University, served as an officer in the Navy for five years, then attended law school at UCLA.  After that, he joined the Law Office of Jan Chatten-Brown, which has evolved into Carstens, Black, and Minteer LLP.  His law firm has represented petitioners who enforced environmental laws to protect people against proposed oil drilling, preserved important historic and cultural resources, promoted affordable housing, resulted in modifications to sprawl development projects in various parts of the state. He has helped community based organizations create two urban parks in poor communities of color:  the State Historic Park of Los Angeles and the Rio De Los Angeles State Park. Mr. Carstens has written various articles about environmental law and co-chaired over a dozen annual Law Seminars International’s CEQA Seminars.  He is a past President of the Sierra Nevada Alliance and currently the President of the Board of the Planning and Conservation League.

Eli Lipmen
Director of Development and Programming
Move LA
Biography

Eli Lipmen

Director of Development and Programming
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.

Nate Baguio
Senior VP of Commercial Development
The Lion Electric Co.
Biography

Nate Baguio

Senior VP of Commercial Development
The Lion Electric Co.

Nate Baguio has been working in the transportation industry for over 30 years. His career has taken him from behind the wheel of a school bus to launching the largest deployment of heavy-duty electric vehicles in North America.

Currently, he is working to electrify the transportation industry as Senior Vice President of Commercial Development for one of the nation’s leading EV manufacturers, The Lion Electric Co. Since joining Lion in 2018, he has helped position Lion as the leader in electric school bus deployments across North America. Baguio is leading the Commercial Development team in warming markets in target states across the United States, advocating stakeholders and policy makers to fund more money into the EV industry, and helping Lion attain more of the available funding for both Lion’s bus and truck lines. His work has contributed to Lion’s exponential growth in the market and position as a policy leader in the EV industry.

In 1990, he started in the student transportation industry managing operations for Ryder Student Transportation Services. In this position, he had overall responsibility for the startup and deployment of school bus operations across the State of California. His time in operations was highlighted by the management of over 330 employees and the management of over 300 school bus routes for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Baguio spent time working on various transit projects in Los Angeles County. He was part of the team that opened segment three of the Redline subway to 500,000 riders on opening weekend and worked to complete an $800-Million, 14-mile segment of light rail from Los Angeles to Pasadena (first segment of the Metro Gold Line). He was part of the team that designed and implemented a comprehensive safety project along the Metro Blue Line corridor in response to 16 fatalities in a single year. The first year of project implementation had an immediate impact with zero fatalities that year.

He returned to school transportation in 2005 as Senior Director of Business Development for First Student, Inc., the largest school bus operator in North America. In this role, he worked with school districts across the country to renew their contracted service or start new contracted school bus service. He led efforts that resulted in new contracted service across the U.S. and placed over 1,000 new school buses in service of various types and from most of the major OEMs for these new contracts. 

Baguio is proud to not only provide a healthy breathing environment to students, drivers, technicians, and communities, but to also help educate the industry on the favorable economics of operating zero emission, electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles. He is determined to impact as many people across North America as possible to join in the fight for environmental justice and help create a cleaner, safer world.

Ann Sewill
General Manager
City of Los Angeles Housing Department
Biography

Ann Sewill

General Manager
City of Los Angeles Housing Department

Ann Sewill is the General Manager of the City of Los Angeles’ Housing Department, responsible for direction and oversight of the City’s programs for housing preservation development, accessible housing production, community investment, rent stabilization and code compliance. Prior to joining LAHD in July 2020, Ms. Sewill was the Vice President, Health & Housing, at the California Community Foundation, overseeing grant making, lending, public policy and advocacy portfolios, working to develop affordable housing to stabilize communities and end homelessness, and to address root causes affecting the health of Angelenos.

Before joining the foundation in June 2006, Sewill was Vice President and California Director of Enterprise Community Partners; Assistant General Manager of the Los Angeles Housing Department; CEO of the Los Angeles Community Design Center (now Abode Communities), and Housing Director for the City of Santa Monica. She also worked with the Los Angeles offices of the California Department of Housing and Community Development, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In the past Sewill has served as a director of the Los Angeles branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, the Affordable Housing Advisory Council of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, the Loan and Grant Committee of the California Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing, and of Mercy Housing California. She currently serves on the boards of the California Housing Corporation and the Los Angeles Development Fund. 

Samantha Bricker
Chief Sustainability and Revenue Management Officer
Los Angeles World Airports
Biography

Samantha Bricker

Chief Sustainability and Revenue Management Officer
Los Angeles World Airports

Samantha Bricker was named the Chief Sustainability and Revenue Management Officer for Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) in September 2020. She is responsible for overseeing Commercial Development, Mobility Strategy, Sustainability and Environmental Programs, as well as a new Procurement Center of Excellence. Commercial Development will consolidate and manage all key revenue-generating activities, including real estate, concessions and Non-Exclusive License Agreements, or NELAs, as well as all parking and ground transportation. Mobility Strategy will include the Rideshare group and will focus on developing and directing the implementation of new initiatives and policies designed to improve airport access for employees and passengers. The Procurement Center of Excellence Team will develop and implement a consolidated and consistent procurement process for the entire organization. Ms. Bricker will continue to oversee Environmental Sustainability and Compliance Programs, including all noise initiatives.

Ms. Bricker was named Chief Environmental and Sustainability Officer in August 2019 with responsibility for overseeing environmental and sustainability programs for LAWA including air quality and conservation initiatives, noise programs, environmental planning, regulatory compliance as well as transportation and mobility strategy. Ms. Bricker also oversaw the third party coordination with external agencies and stakeholders in support of LAWA’s Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) and Capital Improvement Program. Ms. Bricker joined LAWA in July 2016 as Deputy Executive Director for Project Management and Coordination and in November 2016 was named Deputy Executive Director for the Environmental Programs Group.

Prior to joining LAWA, she was the Chief Operating Officer of the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority. In that role, she coordinated the design and construction of Metro’s Expo rail line, where she managed a budget of $2.5 billion and directed the Authority’s environmental planning, third party and external agency coordination, procurement, contract compliance, real estate program, as well as community and government relations.

Before her position with the Expo Construction Authority, Bricker served as a senior legislative deputy to former Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky from 1994 to 2006. In this role, she developed policy and worked on environmental and transportation projects including the Orange Line busway in the San Fernando Valley and the Red Line subway to Hollywood and North Hollywood.

Bricker earned a Master of Arts in Political Science from UCLA and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Northwestern University.

Bernie Kotlier
Executive Director
Sustainable Energy Solutions, IBEW-NECA Labor Management Cooperation Committee, California and Nevada
Biography

Bernie Kotlier

Executive Director
Sustainable Energy Solutions, IBEW-NECA Labor Management Cooperation Committee, California and Nevada

Bernie Kotlier directs the development, promotion, and delivery of sustainable energy business development programs, education, and training for NECA contractors and IBEW electricians in California and Nevada including energy efficiency, photovoltaics, zero net energy buildings, energy storage + micro-grids, electric vehicles, and cyber-electric hard wired security. Bernie also works with regulatory agencies in California and Nevada: The Public Utilities Commission, the Air Resources Board, and the Energy Commission including membership on numerous advisory boards, panels, and advocacy coalitions. Most recently Bernie served as a member of the Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Advisory Group to CalEPA, and is currently chair of the Workforce and Communities Committee of Li-Bridge, a U.S. DoE initiative to scale up the American battery industry. He is a member of the board of directors of CalCharge, New Energy Nexus, NAATBatt, and the California Energy Alliance.

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. 
 

Allan Emkin
Managing Principal
Meketa Investment Group
Biography

Allan Emkin

Managing Principal
Meketa Investment Group

Long a member of the consulting community, Mr. Emkin has 35 years of general consulting experience, emphasizing public plan administration and investment policy as well as international, global, and real estate investments. Mr. Emkin serves as the lead consultant to large state and municipal funds and works with some of the largest state pension funds in the United States. Mr. Emkin joined the firm in 2019 as part of the merger between Meketa and Pension Consulting Alliance (PCA) and is a member of the firm’s Board of Directors and Investment Policy Committee.

Prior to founding PCA in 1988, Mr. Emkin was a Vice President at Wilshire Associates. Prior to his work in the consulting field, Mr. Emkin worked in the California Governor’s office in the Pension Investment Unit. Before joining the Brown administration, he was a registered lobbyist for 10 years, specializing in affordable housing and other matters affecting low-income families.

Mr. Emkin earned a Bachelor of Arts in Community Law from Antioch College West

 

Jennifer Hernandez
Partner
Holland & Knight
Biography

Jennifer Hernandez

Partner
Holland & Knight

Jennifer Hernandez has practiced land use and environmental law for more than 30 years, and leads Holland & Knight's West Coast Land Use and Environmental Group. Ms. Hernandez divides her time between the firm's San Francisco and Los Angeles offices.

Ms. Hernandez is the only California lawyer ranked by her clients and peers in Chambers USA in the top tier of both land use/zoning and environmental lawyers. In addition, she was recognized as the top environmental litigator of the year in the San Francisco Bay Area by Best Lawyers, and received a California Lawyer of the Year award from the State Bar of California for her work on California's largest and most innovative land use and conservation agreement between her private landowner client and five major environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council. She also has received numerous civil rights awards for her work on overcoming environmentalist opposition to housing and other projects needed and supported by minority communities.

During his tenure as mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown named October 9, 2002, as "Jennifer Hernandez Day" in San Francisco in honor of her work as a "warrior on the Brownfields" to restore and redevelop former industrial lands. Ms. Hernandez is the longest-serving minority board member (23 years) of the California League of Conservation voters, was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a trustee for the Presidio National Park in San Francisco, and serves on the board of directors for California Forward and Sustainable Conservation.

Ms. Hernandez works for private sector, public agency and nonprofit clients on a broad range of projects in Bay Area, Southern California and Central Valley communities, including infill and master-planned mixed-use housing and commercial projects, university and research facilities, transportation and infrastructure projects, renewable and other energy projects, and local agency plan and ordinance updates. She has written three books, and more than 50 articles, on environmental and land use topics, and regularly teaches land use, environmental and climate law in lawand business schools, colleges and seminars. She also serves on the firm's Directors Committee and received the firm's highest honor – the Chesterfield Smith Award – for her community service.

Ms. Hernandez graduated with honors from Harvard University and Stanford Law School, and clerked for Region 20 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) before beginning her land use and environmental law career. Ms. Hernandez is the daughter and granddaughter of steelworkers and was raised in Pittsburg, California. She and her husband live in Berkeley and Los Angeles.

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. 
Henan Li
Trade and Investment Representative – Asia
Governor's Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz)
Biography

Henan Li

Trade and Investment Representative – Asia
Governor's Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz)

The International Affairs and Trade unit within GO-Biz is the state’s primary point of contact for trade, foreign direct investment, and international affairs. The unit works to create jobs and increase revenues for California enterprises by implementing a comprehensive export and investment strategy in coordination with key regional partners.

Sue Minter
Executive Director
Capstone Community Action
Biography

Sue Minter

Executive Director
Capstone Community Action

Sue Minter is the Executive Director of Capstone Community Action, a regional anti-poverty non-profit in Vermont dedicated to creating resilient communities and advancing social, economic and environmental justice. In 2021 she was appointed to serve on the Vermont Climate Council, established to create the state’s climate action plan, where she co-chair of the Just Transitions Committee.

Minter has served the state of Vermont as the Secretary of the Agency of Transportation (2015), Deputy Secretary (2011-2014) and as the state’s Chief Recovery Officer (2011-2013) following the devastation from Tropical Storm Irene. Sue also served on President Obama’s White House Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience (2015) as a sub-committee co-chair and also led a Vermont disaster response team to support Colorado DOT after 2013 flooding. Minter was the Democratic candidate for Vermont Governor in 2016.

Minter’s public service included elected office as State Representative in the Vermont legislature from 2004–2010, serving as a member of the House Appropriations Committee and House Transportation Committees, when she was selected to be an Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership (2009-11) and was designated as a 2008 Emerging Political Leader by the State Legislative Leadership Foundation.

A graduate of Harvard University (BA) and M.I.T. (MA in City Planning), Sue and her husband, David Goodman, live in Waterbury Center and have two adult children.

Jeff Mindlin
VP & Chief Investment Officer
ASU Enterprise Partners
Biography

Jeff Mindlin

VP & Chief Investment Officer
ASU Enterprise Partners

Jeff Mindlin serves as Chief Investment Officer at ASU Enterprise Partners. In this capacity, Jeff is responsible for managing the Arizona State University Foundation’s investment assets to maximize risk adjusted returns. This includes the long-term endowment, SRI, and short-term investment pools. Increasingly, he is relied on to implement a mission-aligned investment framework without sacrificing returns. He provides critical support of the Investment Committee and oversight of the Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) while also helping drive synergies within the other affiliates engaged in real estate and venture activities.

Jeff serves on the boards of the university’s education technology accelerator (ASU ScaleU) and angel investor network (InvestU). He acts as a trustee to the retirement plan and advises on the investment management of ASU’s operating funds. To support ASU’s emphasis on experiential learning and sustainability, Jeff helps with a student managed fund program where students are allocated endowment dollars to build a sustainable investment strategy. In addition, Jeff chairs the TIAA-Nuveen Investment Council and serves on the Intentional Endowment Network’s Executive and Steering Committees.

Jeff previously served as Tower Square Investment Management’s Executive Director and Co-Chief Investment Officer where he was responsible for the portfolio management team and its efforts, including portfolio selection, trading, proprietary money management and product development. He co-chaired the investment committee, which oversaw more than $5billion in client assets. He served as Chief Investment Officer at First Allied Asset Management. Prior to joining First Allied, Mr. Mindlin was the Director of Research and Co-Portfolio Manager of Greenbook Investment Management, Inc., where he was instrumental in the design of sophisticated, proprietary investment strategies. Before that, he worked as the Assistant Portfolio Manager and Senior Financial Engineer for Pinnacle Investment Advisors, LLC, which operated a hedge fund and a series of managed accounts for institutional and high-net-worth clients, and sub-advised a publicly traded mutual fund. Previously, Mr. Mindlin was the Manager of Financial Engineering at Camelback Research, leading the development of several successful institutional-grade quantitative products, including the popular MSN Money StockScouter system.

Mr. Mindlin earned the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) designation. He obtained bachelor’s degrees in economics and in finance from the College of Business Honor’s Program at Arizona State University, where he also received the prestigious Moeur Award.

 

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.

Ryan E. Kelley
Imperial County Supervisor, District 4
Imperial County California
Biography

Ryan E. Kelley

Imperial County Supervisor, District 4
Imperial County California

Ryan E. Kelley was elected to represent District #4 (Brawley, Bombay Beach, Calipatria, Desert Shores, Niland, Salton City, Salton Sea Beach, Vista Del Mar, and Westmorland) in 2012. He is a lifelong and third generation resident of Imperial Valley. His civic commitment began as an Eagle Scout with Troop 22, Boy Scouts of America, and continued as Exalted Ruler of the Brawley Elk’s Lodge #1420. It was his desire to make a positive change that prompted him to become involved in local government; and today, he strives to make decisions that benefit our communities.

As an Imperial County and Brawley Firefighter, he fought fires across Imperial County. As a Paramedic, he treated and cared for patients from Bombay Beach to Salton City. As an Imperial Valley College Instructor, he taught fire science and emergency medical services to the next generation of firefighters and EMTs. As the Imperial County Emergency Medical Services Administrator, he developed and enhanced the Emergency Medical Services system and capabilities.

Beyond attending Brawley Union High School, Ryan holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Long Beach State University and an Associate’s of Science degree from Miramar College, as well as, a Paramedic Certificate from Imperial Valley College. Education and educational opportunities are important to Ryan, as he wants to build upon the options available to our youth.

Supervisor Ryan E. Kelley lives in Brawley with his wife Robyn, their daughter, Bridget and son, Conor.

Jessica Ku Kim
Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
Biography

Jessica Ku Kim

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

In her role as Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development, Jessica Ku Kim provides strategic direction and leads LAEDC’s collaborative efforts with business, education, and the workforce ecosystem to support a growing, equitable, sustainable and resilient economy. Leveraging her expertise in convening and engaging businesses leaders to understand and meet their operations and labor needs, Jessica leads one of the most effective small business assistance programs in the nation that has attracted, retained or helped create more than 250,000 direct jobs for LA County residents in firms directly assisted by LAEDC. Aligned with her passion for and experience in providing direct community services for over 15 years, she also directs LAEDC’s Together for LA Small Business Program including an online information and referral resource and technical assistance team created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and dedicated to aggressively outreach to small businesses, nonprofits, and micro-enterprises and provide resources and assistance. Jessica also leads LAEDC’s strategic initiatives that includes industry cluster development in aerospace, advanced transportation, digital media and entertainment and bioscience. Lastly, Jessica oversees LAEDC’s workforce initiatives, including the Center for a Competitive Workforce partnership with our region’s 19 community colleges, to strengthen the alignment of LA County’s workforce and education ecosystem to meet our changing labor market demands and strengthen pathways for all communities into family-sustaining and in-demand careers. 

Jessica has intimate knowledge of programs funded on state and national levels including WIOA, California State Workforce Development Board, U.S. Department of Labor, and California Employment Training Panel. She has demonstrated success in developing, implementing, and managing workforce development programs for target populations including incumbent workers, new hires, disadvantaged youth, veterans, homeless, individuals with disabilities, and re-entry. In addition, she is experienced in developing innovative job training programs, pre-apprenticeships, and/or apprenticeships in partnership with businesses in the construction trades, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, utility and other in-demand industries.  

Jessica is a proud Angeleno and honored to be a Commissioner on the Los Angeles City Workforce Development Board and Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board. Prior to LAEDC, Jessica served as the Special Projects Manager at the South Bay Workforce Investment Board.  In this capacity, she provided sound, innovative and strategic leadership through program development and administration for one of the most innovative workforce development boards in the nation. Jessica has also served as the Director of Operations for ACCORD Community First that provided workforce development services across seven counties in Southern California where she led the Green Skills=Green Jobs initiative in partnership with the Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO. She received her Master of Public Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills and her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, Law and Society from the University of California, Irvine.

John P. Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone Management Inc.
Biography

John P. Keisler

CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone Management Inc.

John P. Keisler is currently the CEO & Managing Partner for Sunstone Management Inc., a venture capital firm located in Southern California that invests in diverse early-stage technology startups through innovative public-private-partnerships that blend unique expertise across government, education, and private sectors.

Previous to Sunstone Management, Mr. Keisler spent over 20 years in public service, most recently as the Economic Development Director for the City of Long Beach.  With approximately 500,000 residents, the City of Long Beach is the 7th largest city in California and a major engine of economic development for the region and the nation through its university, history of aerospace manufacturing, and its international seaport.  Under his leadership, the organization created an innovative Blueprint for Economic Development, and helped to facilitate an historic increase of private sector investment in the city.  The mission of the award-winning organization, and John’s personal passion, is to increase equitable economic opportunities for workers, investors, and entrepreneurs in Long Beach and throughout California.

After completing bachelors degrees in Philosophy and Religion at St. Olaf College, John committed his life to public service, joining Teach For America and becoming a middle school teacher in Newark, New Jersey. Having first-hand experience with the economic and social challenges facing his students, John turned to a career in city management, completing his Masters of Public Administration at the nationally ranked USC Price School of Public Policy and leading transformational public-private-partnerships across several sectors including public health, safety, finance, and economic development.

John continues to live in Long Beach with his beautiful wife Laura and his two sons Christopher (12) and Benjamin (15), where he serves on a number of non-profit boards and coaches youth sports.

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. 
 
 

Cory Bullis
Senior Public Affairs Manager
FLO
Biography

Cory Bullis

Senior Public Affairs Manager
FLO

Cory has worked extensively on environmental and clean tech policy in multiple states, advising all levels of government and multiple industry associations on progressive climate, EV and EV charging policies, among others. Cory leads FLO’s west coast and national policy work to reduce barriers to and increase consumer confidence in EVs and charging station technology. Cory currently serves as a board member of the EV Charging Association.

 
Hanif Montazeri
CEO & Co-Founder
Enersion Inc.
Biography

Hanif Montazeri

CEO & Co-Founder
Enersion Inc.

Dr. Hanif Montazeri is a CEO and co-founder of Enersion inc, a company that he co-founded in 2016 with a group of engineers and scientists from the University of Toronto and MIT to develop a financially viable green cooling technology. He received his PhD from the University of Toronto where he is an adjunct member of the faculty of engineering.   

Naeem Farooqi
Director of Sustainable Transit and Transport Asset Management Solutions
Wood PLC
Biography

Naeem Farooqi

Director of Sustainable Transit and Transport Asset Management Solutions
Wood PLC

Identifying industry interest in alternative fuel propulsion technologies for transit fleets, Naeem pioneered a Canadian advisory practice group which expanded globally to Europe, South America, Africa and Asia. He co-developed the Battery Optimization Lifecycle Tool, a one-of-a-kind tool that evaluates the triple-bottom-line impact of implementing battery electric buses (BEBs). Additionally, Naeem has been leading the expansion and implementation of BEBs in European, North and South American markets in which the tool now predicts over 30 models and 100 battery configurations. Naeem led the first-of-its-kind low emissions pilot of inter-city coaches using CNG. This two-month pilot across various northern Ontario inter-city routes enabled an agency to participate in exploring carbon reduction research.

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. 

Bryce Conacher
Head of Corporate Development Organization
Hydrogen Optimized
Biography

Bryce Conacher

Head of Corporate Development Organization
Hydrogen Optimized

Bryce leads our carbon market strategy. Bryce is a serial entrepreneur who has spent 20 years developing renewable energy carbon management programs. Bryce developed the cleanairpass, a voluntary carbon emissions offset program that was acquired by investors back in 2008. Most recently, Bryce was Director of Business Development for the performance optimization of existing buildings at one of Canada’s leading construction firms. Bryce is an invited member of the ISO Climate Finance Working Group (TC207/SC7/WG10) for the new Carbon Finance standard 14097.

Vince Bertoni
Director of Planning
City of Los Angeles
Biography

Vince Bertoni

Director of Planning
City of Los Angeles

Vince Bertoni is the Director of Planning for the City of Los Angeles.  With over 30 years of professional planning experience, Vince leads the largest city planning department in the nation.  He is charged with developing policies that shape the future of the City and guide development decisions for a diverse and dynamic metropolis of over 4 million people.  Prior to arriving in Los Angeles, Vince was the Director of Planning and Community Development for the City of Pasadena where he successfully managed Pasadena’s city planning program through a General Plan update, a comprehensive visioning process that happens just once every 20 years.  He has also served as Deputy Director for the City of Los Angeles and held lead planning posts for the cities of Beverly Hills, Santa Clarita, and Malibu.

Vince is a member of the California Planning Roundtable and has held several leadership positions with the California Chapter of the American Planning Association including President, Vice President for Policy & Legislation, Director of the Los Angeles Section, and Co-Chair of the American Planning Association’s 2012 National Planning Conference.  In addition, he has served on the Board of Directors of the League of California Cities and as President of the League’s Planning & Community Development Department.  Vince has been active on statewide legislation, having served on the Housing Element Reform Working Group formed by the State Assembly and Senate and testified before the State Senate on infill real estate development strategies.

Vince has a Bachelor’s Degree in Transportation and Urban Geography from San Diego State University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Winnie Lee
Associate
Arup
Biography

Winnie Lee

Associate
Arup

For 25 years, Winnie has delivered a wide range of civil engineering projects and contributed to designing and managing multidisciplinary projects of all sizes in the United States, Hong Kong, Macau, and Chongqing. Winnie has led diverse teams to successfully deliver various types of infrastructure (including aviation projects), and buildings, for governments, public agencies, and private entities.

Leveraging her engineering degree and MBA with her diversified background, Winnie has experience in the engineering design of water, sewer, stormwater, and roadway projects in the US with experience in Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, Texas, and California. Winnie’s experience in the water sector is diverse and includes reviewing and approving the water services connection applications and industrial wastewater permit applications for the Long Beach Water Department; drainage and alignment design for roadway projects in Texas; water diversion, sewer systems, and storm drain system design in California; and the Peak Tram lower terminus renovation project in Hong Kong.  

In addition to actively emerging herself in civil engineering, Winnie is an advocate of smart cities, green infrastructure, and sustainable & resilient design. She has co-hosted numerous innovative events and helped organized annual training courses for engineers at all grades in Arup’s East Asia Region between 2012 and 2021, and she is currently the Civil Engineering and Utilities Skills Network Leader in Arup’s Americas Region.

Robert Kay
Americas Climate and Sustainability Services Leader
Arup
Biography

Robert Kay

Americas Climate and Sustainability Services Leader
Arup

Dr. Robert Kay offers 33 years of experience in climate change, sustainability, and resilience planning. Robert has worked in a variety of roles in the government, consulting, and academic sectors providing advice on sustainability for various energy resilience projects throughout California. Since the late 1980s, he has either led or participated in climate change projects globally, ranging from local-scale projects worldwide (including for local, state, national, and multilateral agencies) to global analysis for the United Nations. He specializes in topics such as greenhouse gas emissions, sea level rise adaptation, and sustainable facilities management. Since 2009 he has provided expert support to Pacific Island delegations to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (CoP). He has lived in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia. Since 2014 he has lived and worked in Los Angeles California. 

Stefan Tongur
VP of Business Development
Electreon
Biography

Stefan Tongur

VP of Business Development
Electreon

Stefan defined the concept of Electric Road Systems (ERS), and it is no surprise that he is well rehearsed in the opportunities and challenges of commercializing ERS in Europe and the US. Stefan also holds expertise on business models, sustainable transition, policy, and systemic innovation and has previously worked as a Senior Researcher at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden.

Stefan holds an M.Sc in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Industrial Economics and Management, both from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. His doctoral thesis is one of the world’s first to research the topic of ERS and is titled “Preparing for takeoff – Analyzing the development of electric road system from a business model perspective”.

Gordon Feller
Board Member; Global Fellow: The Smithsonian
IP KEYS Corp/The Smithsonian
Biography

Gordon Feller

Board Member; Global Fellow: The Smithsonian
IP KEYS Corp/The Smithsonian
Gordon Feller has worked for more than four decades at the intersection of environmental change, global security, and technology innovation. His aim has always been to accelerate the emergence of tools and systems that strengthen our communities and enhance their sustainability.
 
Upon arriving in Silicon Valley in 1983 he began to work inside the executive suite, developing projects for corporate giants which aimed to solve some of the world’s most complex problems. Current and past clients include World Bank, EY, S&P, Deloitte, McGraw-Hill, HP, IHS Markit, Parsons, MIT, Gannett, World Economic Forum, Ford Motor Co. Toyota, Stanford University, Univ. of Calif., IBM, The Financial Times of London, The Economist Group, Apple, International Telecommunications Union, International Standards Organization, Chevron, Bechtel, Lockheed, The Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, UN, numerous national governments (Germany, Canada, US), ThomsonReuters, and many others.
 
From 2010 to 2017, he served as Director of Urban Innovation at Cisco Systems HQ. He founded Meeting of the Minds in the 1990s, stitching together a global leadership network which focused on transitions and transformations, and during its first 8 years it was based inside World Bank headquarters. Gordon was appointed by the Obama/Biden White House to serve on the US Federal Comm. established by The US Congress, reporting to the US Sect. of Energy.
 
Gordon’s first published article was published in 1979. Since then he’s published more than 450 articles. While completing multiple degrees at Columbia University Gordon served as a Wallach Fellow of World Order Studies, a Dean’s Fellow, and a Gov. Lehman Fellow. He was later awarded the Prime Minister Abe Fellowship by Japan.
Eric Coene
RD&D Group Manager
SoCalGas
Biography

Eric Coene

RD&D Group Manager
SoCalGas

Eric Coene is the Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D) group manager for SoCalGas. In this role, Eric is responsible for managing the portfolio and activities of the RD&D group within the Clean Energy Innovations organization of Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas).

Previously, Eric was manager of commercial development for Sempra LNG where he was responsible for the successful execution of natural gas infrastructure needed to support the commercialization of Sempra’s ECA LNG project. Prior to that, Eric was the manager of power origination at Sempra US Gas and Power and has held several corporate finance roles of increasing responsibility within Sempra Energy.

Eric received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in business administration-finance from San Diego State University.

Ben Stapleton
Executive Director
U.S. Green Building Council - Los Angeles
Biography

Ben Stapleton

Executive Director
U.S. Green Building Council - Los Angeles

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 - Los Angeles.

In his time at USGBC-LA, he has strengthened the foundation of this leading, membership based sustainability organization while creating a team culture and developing a portfolio of community engagement and education focused programming centered on climate justice, high performance buildings, occupant health, corporate sustainability and regional resilience; establishing talent development and a people first philosophy as the pillars of the brand.

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. During his time at LACI, the team worked with 80+ companies to raise $225M+ in funding, create 1,800+ jobs, and deliver $400M+ in long-term economic value for the City of LA.

His other 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. He serves on a number of boards where his talents and insight have proven invaluable in managing, negotiating, and executing on complex real estate projects while delivering technology startups and community engagement programs that exceed expectations.

He is a recipient of JLL's distinctive Da Vinci Award for Innovation, the Los Angeles Business Council's Community Impact Award, Stratiscope's Impact Maker to Watch Award, and CoStar’s Power Broker designation in the Los Angeles market.

Patrick F Dobson
Geothermal Systems Program Lead
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Biography

Patrick F Dobson

Geothermal Systems Program Lead
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Pat Dobson pent three years as a postdoctoral fellow at Caltech, where he was introduced into the world of experimental petrology. After a brief stint as a postdoc at UC Santa Barbara, he then moved to Unocal’s Hartley Research Center, where he ran the stable isotope laboratory. Pat then transferred to Unocal’s Geothermal Division, where he was involved in the exploration of geothermal systems in Indonesia, Central America, and South America.

Dobson joined the former Earth Sciences Division of LBNL in 2000, and has been involved in a variety of geologic and geochemical research projects. He led LBNL’s efforts in the study of the Peña Blanca uranium deposits, a natural analogue for flow and transport processes at Yucca Mountain. From 2007 to 2009, he served as a detailee for the Geosciences Research Program of DOE’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences. Pat became the lead for LBNL’s Geothermal Systems Program in 2016.

N. Jonathan Peress
Senior Director of Business Strategy and Energy Policy
SoCalGas
Biography

N. Jonathan Peress

Senior Director of Business Strategy and Energy Policy
SoCalGas

Jonathan Peress serves as Senior Director of Business Strategy & Energy Policy for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas).  Mr. Peress leads SoCalGas’ Energy & Environmental Strategy to encourage and support sensible energy policies and regulations to advance SoCalGas’ efforts to decarbonize the gas system as California moves towards carbon neutrality. Mr. Peress has extensive experience and understanding of electricity and natural gas markets, state and federal utility regulation of those markets, and environmental and climate change policy. He has worked collaboratively with utilities to advance climate solutions that are commercially and technically feasible, without putting a financial burden on customers.

Prior to joining SoCalGas, Mr. Peress served as Senior Director of Energy Markets and Utility Regulation for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).  During that time, he worked closely with federal agencies and state public utility commissions on issues related to wholesale and retail energy regulation. In that role, Mr. Peress focused particularly on natural gas and electric system coordination issues. Mr. Peress has a bachelor’s degree in management from C.W. Post College, Long Island University and a JD from Brooklyn Law School.

Dan Rosenfeld
Fmr. Sr. Deputy for Economic Development
LA County Board of Supervisors
Biography

Dan Rosenfeld

Fmr. Sr. Deputy for Economic Development
LA County Board of Supervisors
Dan Rosenfeld is a real estate investor who alternates between private and public-sector service. 

In the private-sector, Mr. Rosenfeld served as a senior officer with The Cadillac Fairview Corporation, Tishman-Speyer Properties, and Jones Lang LaSalle. He was a founding member of Urban Partners, LLC, a nationally recognized developer of urban infill, mixed-use and transit-oriented real estate. Among the firm’s major projects are Del Mar Station, Wilshire/Vermont Station and the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters. Mr. Rosenfeld is currently developing and managing real estate in Los Angeles and Seattle. 

In the public sector, Mr. Rosenfeld served as Director of Real Estate for the State of California and City of Los Angeles, and as a Senior Deputy for Economic Development with Los Angeles County. 

Mr. Rosenfeld is a graduate of Stanford University and the Harvard Business School. He is married to noted choreographer Heidi Duckler and lives in Los Angeles. The couple have three grown children Anya, Austen and Ellery. 

 

Yuri Freedman
Senior Director, Business Development
Southern California Gas Company
Biography

Yuri Freedman

Senior Director, Business Development
Southern California Gas Company

Yuri has broad experience in development and acquisition of energy infrastructure assets. In his current role of Senior Director of Business Development, he manages the portfolio of low carbon growth projects and R&D activities of Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), the largest North American gas utility. Prior to his current role he held the position of Director of Commercial Development for Sempra LNG, and previously held the positions of Director of Infrastructure Investments at Sempra Renewables and Director of Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions at Sempra Energy.

Prior to joining Sempra Energy, Yuri held the positions of Managing Director at Fortress Investment Group and Vice President at GE Energy Financial Services.

Yuri serves on the board of CALSTART. He holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a PhD in Environmental Science and Energy Research from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.

Jawaad Malik
Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer
SoCalGas
Biography

Jawaad Malik

Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer
SoCalGas

Jawaad Malik is Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), a Sempra regulated California utility. Malik is responsible for the development of a comprehensive strategy and sustainability plan to position SoCalGas as a long-term leader enabling California’s clean energy future. The comprehensive strategy focuses on the vital role the gas grid provides to support California’s energy system objectives.

Previously, Malik was vice president of gas acquisition and vice president of accounting and finance for SoCalGas. Since joining SoCalGas in 2007, Malik has served in a number of increasingly responsible management positions, including director of financial and operations planning, financial planning manager and General Rate Case program manager. Prior to this, he held various finance and auditing related roles at the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power and the California Department of Insurance.

Malik holds a master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance from Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from California State University, Los Angeles and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. He currently serves on the board of directors for LA’s BEST, a nationally recognized after school program serving more than 20,000 children in neighborhoods of Los Angeles.  Malik also sits on the Dean’s advisory council of Cal Poly Pomona’s college of business administration and the UC Davis Energy & Efficiency Institute board of advisors.

Jean-Christophe Lambert
Director Growth and Business Development
Lithion Recycling
Biography

Jean-Christophe Lambert

Director Growth and Business Development
Lithion Recycling

Jean-Christophe holds a bachelor’s degree in international business from Laval University in Quebec City, Canada. Prior to joining Lithion in December 2019, he was an advisor for International Market Development for the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal where he led multiple international delegations, consulting mandates and export projects. In his role at Lithion as Director for Growth and Business Development, he oversees key account management, international development, as well as communications and marketing. In the past two years, he has given talks on battery recycling in numerous conferences in North America, Europe and Asia. 

Jean-Christophe détient un baccalauréat en administration des affaires avec une spécialisation en commerce international de l’Université Laval. Avant de se joindre à Lithion en décembre 2019, il était conseiller en développement de marchés internationaux à la Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain où il a dirigé plusieurs délégations internationales, des mandats de consultation et des projets d’exportation. Dans son rôle chez Lithion à titre de Directeur croissance et développement des affaires, il est responsable des comptes majeurs, du développement international et des communications externes de l’entreprise. Dans les deux dernières années, il a donné de multiples conférences sur le recyclage des batteries en Amérique du Nord, en Europe et en Asie.

 
Miguel Santana
CEO
Weingart Foundation
Biography

Miguel Santana

CEO
Weingart Foundation

Miguel A. Santana has over 30 years of experience leading numerous fiscal, legislative, political, and community issues. He served as President and C.E.O. of Fairplex since 2016, a nonprofit community benefit regional organization based in Pomona, CA. Previously, Miguel was the City Administrative Officer for the City of Los Angeles, where he oversaw the City’s $9 billion budget and designed the City’s first comprehensive homeless strategy, resulting in a $1.2 billion voter-approved housing bond and a doubling of the City’s general fund investment on programs to end homelessness. Prior to joining the City, Miguel served as one of five Deputy Chief Executive Officers for Los Angeles County, overseeing all social service programs supporting children, families, veterans and persons experiencing homelessness.

Miguel was appointed President & C.E.O. of the Weingart Foundation in 2021. He engages in numerous civic efforts to create a more equitable Southern California region, including serving as Chair of the Committee for Greater L.A. He also serves on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Whittier College Board of Trustees.

Miguel has a B.A. in Sociology and Latin American Studies from Whittier College and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.

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.
 

Steve Burger
Deputy Director, Transportation
LA County Department of Public Works
Biography

Steve Burger

Deputy Director, Transportation
LA County Department of Public Works

Steve Burger is Deputy Director of the Los Angeles Public Works Transportation core service area. Steve is responsible for traffic safety and mobility, transportation project planning and road maintenance in County unincorporated areas, as well as the County’s five general aviation airports.

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.

Steve has more than 30 years of Public Works experience in developing and implementing programs and civil infrastructure projects to enhance the communities of Los Angeles County.

Steve is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of California and a Licensed Surveyor. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the Ohio State University.

Tim Dafeta, P.E.
Assistant General Manager
City of Los Angeles Hyperion Treatment Plant
Biography

Tim Dafeta, P.E.

Assistant General Manager
City of Los Angeles Hyperion Treatment Plant

Tim Dafeta is a registered civil engineer with the State of California.  Tim is currently the Plant Manager of the City of Los Angeles Hyperion Treatment Plant. Hyperion Treatment Plant is one of the largest plants in the world, with a 450 million gallon per day (MGD) average dry weather capacity and highly technical operations, including full secondary treatment with pure oxygen activated sludge, Class A anaerobic digestion, cryogenic oxygen generation, air emission controls and odor management facilities, biogas power generation, and a variety of offsite biosolids reuse alternatives. Approximately 35 MGD of secondary effluent is transported to a neighboring water district for further treatment and reuse by other local users.

Maria Meleandez
Executive Officer, Talent Development
LA Metro
Biography

Maria Meleandez

Executive Officer, Talent Development
LA Metro

Maria G. Meleandez joined LA Metro in 2014 and is committed to transforming the world through transportation infrastructure investment & innovation.  As the head of Talent Development for LA Metro, she leads a pioneering team, who is dedicated to advancing synergy within cross-functional business units to develop the next generation of workers within Transportation Infrastructure.  Maria is most passionate about impacting the emerging workforce by creating opportunities for improvement and professional growth.

She held other roles at Metro where she was instrumental in developing the agency’s employees through nationally recognized workforce development programs such as Metro’s Career Pathways Program, Leadership Academy and leads the SEED LA partnership for the agency. Her commitment to the cultivation of an inclusive learning environment — in which all employees have an opportunity for improvement and professional growth — has made an impact throughout all levels of the organization. 

Prior to joining Metro, Maria led large scale programs for various educational institutions with a focus on leadership development, employee engagement and inclusion. With more than 15 years of experience, Maria has excelled in numerous capacities within the education, healthcare and transportation infrastructure industries. She holds a master’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources Management and is also a Licensed Registered Nurse.

Michael Lord
Executive Engineer - Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs
Toyota Motor North America
Biography

Michael Lord

Executive Engineer - Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs
Toyota Motor North America

Mike Lord is an Executive Engineer for Toyota Motor North America.  He started his career with Toyota over 35 years ago and is currently responsible for California regulation and policy related to zero emission vehicles (ZEV), greenhouse gas (GHG) and criteria emissions reduction.   He works closely with product planning and engineering on developing Toyota’s technology roll-out strategy and acts as the interface with regulatory authorities on implementation, policy, infrastructure and incentive issues related to advanced powertrains, such as Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV), Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV).

Mr. Lord has a B.A. in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania and studied Japanese language at Sophia University in Japan.

Brenda A. Levin, FAIA
President and Principal
Levin and Associates Architects
Biography

Brenda A. Levin, FAIA

President and Principal
Levin and Associates Architects

Architect Brenda A. Levin, FAIA, has touched the historic and cultural spirit and complexity of Los Angeles, significantly shaping the city we know.  For over 20 years her architecture and urban planning firm, Levin & Associates Architects, has pioneered, in collaboration with innovative developers, the process of preserving and re-defining the riches of the city.  The success of this effort helped to catalyze the preservation movement in Los Angeles.  Among the landmarks she has helped to preserve and revitalize are Grand Central and Chapman markets; the Oviatt, Fine Arts and Bradbury buildings; the Wiltern Theater, and City Hall.   In process are Griffith Observatory, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings at Barnsdall Art Park, and the Japanese American National Museum’s National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, among others.

In addition to her work in preservation, some of her most significant projects have been the adaptive re-use and design of new buildings on school campuses and in the cultural and social realms.  Ms. Levin believes that her work is obligated to both inform—and be informed—by the context—and by the audience.  On the campus, Levin has created Johnson Student Center and Samuelson Pavilion at Occidental College; Malott Commons at Scripps CollegeSt. James’ Elementary School; and, a campus master plan, the Math-Science, and the Music, Dance and Athletic Center buildings at Oakwood School, a private secondary school.

In the spring 2000, the Boone Gallery designed by Levin opened at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino and an art museum at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  Levin’s housing projects include the nationally-recognized Downtown Women’s Center for mentally-ill, homeless women in downtown Los Angeles, and the Adams Congress affordable apartments in the city’s South-Central neighborhood.

Born in the New York metropolitan area, Levin studied design and painting at Carnegie-Mellon University, and graduated with a degree in graphic design from New York University in 1968.  She earned a Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design in 1976.  Moving to Los Angeles in 1976, she first worked with the legendary architect John Lautner. 

Brenda Levin was elevated to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1997.  She and the firm have been honored by a number of organizations, including the Urban Land Institute, American Institute of Architects, Los Angeles Conservancy, City of Los Angeles, State of California, the National Association of Women Business Owners, and NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund.  A 256-page monograph presenting Ms Levin’s ideas and work and entitled Brenda Levin, Levin & Associates Architects: Los Angeles was published in the spring, 2001.

Mark McGough
President and CEO
H2U Technologies
Biography

Mark McGough

President and CEO
H2U Technologies

Mr. McGough is an internationally recognized expert at commercializing new energy technology. Strong leader with excellent communications, decision-making and negotiating skills; creative and inspiring team builder. 

Negotiated successful partnering and CM deals with major OEMs in China, Japan, Germany. The World Economic Forum honored Mr. McGough a technology pioneer, and Red Herring Magazine identified him as a top executive in the energy tech space. Mr. McGough completed his MS in Mechanical Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology and earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

Yamen Nanne
Manager of Power Distribution System Development
LADWP
Biography

Yamen Nanne

Manager of Power Distribution System Development
LADWP

Yamen Nanne is the Manager of Power Distribution System Development at the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. He is currently leading LADWP’s efforts to expand and modernize its distribution system to enable accelerated vehicle and building electrification and achieve increased levels of Distributed Energy Resource Adoption on its grid.  
 
During his tenure, LADWP and the City of Los Angeles were able to increase EV charging infrastructure 10-fold in three years from about 1,800 multi-family, workplace, and public charging stations in 2019 to 18,000 today. He led the rollout of vehicle incentive programs that helped EV adoption increase from 35,000 EVs to over 100,000 EVs in the City of Los Angeles today. 
 
His passion about electric vehicles stems from his desire to play a role in improving air quality for all of Angelinos and to help LADWP customers learn about how they can save money and fight climate change by driving and EV.  His motto is: Live life…Drive Electric! 

Michael Kelly
Executive Director
Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy & Jobs
Biography

Michael Kelly

Executive Director
Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy & Jobs

Michael H. Kelly currently serves as the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy & Jobs, a non-profit organization comprised of leaders in the business, labor, academia and non-profit sectors dedicated to ensuring a path for economic growth and the creation and retention of quality jobs in the greater Los Angeles region.

Prior to working with the Los Angeles Coalition, Mr. Kelly has worked in a number of high-level positions, both in the private sector and with California State government. He recently served as the Manager of California Government Relations for the Boeing Company, a multi-billion dollar publicly traded company in charge of managing Federal, State and Local government relations and political activities throughout California. Additionally he helped coordinate government relations support at each of the company’s site operations.

In the public sector Mr. Kelly had the distinction of being appointed by both Governors Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California Film Commission, where he served as Deputy Director, successfully spearheading both Governors’ policies and initiatives to retain and attract motion picture production to California.

Prior to his appointment to the Film Commission, Mr. Kelly served in a variety of capacities for Governor Davis, first as an aide to then Lt. Governor Davis, a Special Assistant for Internal and External Affairs throughout the 1997-1998 gubernatorial campaign, transition to office, and first year and a half of the new administration. Mr. Kelly was a trusted advisor to the Governor and the primary contact for the Governor and his staff, elected officials and business leaders on numerous administration and political issues.

In 1999, Mr. Kelly was appointed Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Cabinet Affairs to work as a liaison between the Governor’s Office and the assigned Governmental Agencies and Departments, responsible for the Department of Industrial Relations; Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency; Department of Food and Agriculture; Environmental Protection Agency; Business, Transportation and Housing Agency; Resources Agency, and the Secretary of State and Consumer Services Agency.

He currently serves on the board of directors of the Center for Sustainable Energy, chair of the FUSE Corps L.A. Advisory Committee, the chair of the Philanthropic Foundation for California State University, Dominguez Hills, and a member of the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator’s Diversity in Entrepreneurship Committee, the Pacific Council on International Relations, a partner at Saving The West, advisory board member for WorkingNation, as well as an adviser to Transmosis. He was also the recipient of the EnCorps Teachers Program 2010 “Torchbearer of the Year” Award.

Michael received an Economics Degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. He was a Dean’s Merit Scholar at USC.

Janet Clayton
Senior Strategist
Vectis DC
Biography

Janet Clayton

Senior Strategist
Vectis DC

Janet Clayton is senior strategist at VectisDC, a public relations and public affairs agency headquartered in El Segundo. She also was senior vice president of communications for Edison International/Southern California Edison. Previously she held key positions at the Los Angeles Times, including editor of the editorial pages.

Prior to joining Edison International, Clayton was president of ThinkCure, a community-based nonprofit that raises funds for cancer research and was the official charity of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Prior to ThinkCure, Clayton had a distinguished career at the Los Angeles Times as a key member of its leadership team. She represented the largest media organization in the West during live television presidential and gubernatorial debates and public affairs news programs. She held numerous positions, including editor of the editorial pages, where she determined the Times’ official opinions, and California section editor, where she managed the largest news staff at the Times. She also was a vice president of the Times Mirror Corporation, the original parent company of the Times. She started her career as a general assignment and politics reporter.

Clayton has received many accolades for excellence in her profession, including recognition as the editor of two Pulitzer Prize-winning series. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. She is a member of the boards of Town Hall, United Way Los Angeles and the Lincoln Club, a nonpartisan organization that honors the legacy of President Lincoln.

Alex Fisch
City Council Member
Culver City City Council
Biography

Alex Fisch

City Council Member
Culver City City Council

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.

Naoki Hara
President & CEO
JFE Engineering America, Inc.
Biography

Naoki Hara

President & CEO
JFE Engineering America, Inc.

Naoki Hara was appointed President & CEO of JFE Engineering America in 2017 after serving over two decades as a marketing and business development specialist. His objectives included implementing JFE Engineering’s cutting-edge technologies in the energy utilization business fields in both Southeast Asian countries and the United States. Naoki has high aspirations towards the realization of a decarbonized society, and for JFE’s technological capabilities to contribute and play a leading role in the business arena. In order to achieve those missions, he is committed to bringing together the collective strength of the JFE Group, one of the largest steel conglomerates in Japan, which consists of comprehensive engineering, steel manufacturing, trading, as well as a large shipbuilding firm. JFE Engineering has recently announced their investment of over four million US dollars in monopile transition materials factory of offshore wind turbines in Japan which is geared towards making JFE one of the leading carbon-neutral companies. He graduated from Keio University and holds a degree in Master of Business Administration, as well as a degree from Syracuse University (Maxwell School), New York. His office is located in Long Beach, which is one of the largest harbors on the west coast USA. 

Felicia Williams
Chair, Municipal Services Committee/Boardmember
City of Pasadena/Foothill Transit Board
Biography

Felicia Williams

Chair, Municipal Services Committee/Boardmember
City of Pasadena/Foothill Transit Board
Felicia Williams was born and raised in Pasadena and elected to the City Council in 2020. She represents District 2 which is the central part of the City. She currently represents the City as the Vice President of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority and on the Executive Board of Foothill Transit.  Prior to joining the Council, Felicia served on several City Commissions, including Chair of the Planning Commission Chair, Treasurer of the Pasadena Center Operating Company (Convention Center), Environmental Commission Chair, and Transportation Advisory Commission member. Her community involvement also includes serving on the Boards of Planned Parenthood Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley, Pasadena Educational Foundation, and Pasadena Police Foundation and Citizens Police Academy graduate, as well as being the Captain of her Neighborhood Watch.
 
Felicia has a 20+ year career in public policy and finance. She began her career at Kosmont & Associates in Los Angeles structuring financial redevelopment transactions for cities and processing land use approvals for large projects. After receiving her MBA, Felicia worked as an investment banker structuring corporate bonds/syndicated bank loans at Goldman Sachs, and municipal bonds at First Albany Capital, RBC Capital Markets, and PFM Financial Advisors. Felicia’s municipal finance work focused on property tax/assessment districts and environmental projects (water, sewer, solid waste, clean energy). Currently, Felicia owns a consulting firm working with municipal clients, mainly in Los Angeles County and San Gabriel Valley, on financing infrastructure projects and economic development.
Felicia received the 2021 NAACP Pasadena Branch 2021 Women of Distinction Community Award and was a 2022 Business Life Magazine Women Achievers Honoree. She attended Polytechnic School in Pasadena and received her B.A. from Stanford University in Public Policy, M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA, and M.B.A. from The University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
 

 

Doran Barnes
Executive Director
Foothill Transit
Biography

Doran Barnes

Executive Director
Foothill Transit

Doran Barnes serves as executive director of Foothill Transit. He oversees Foothill Transit's 38-route system, manages the private contractors who operate and maintain the agency’s 360 buses, and leads the delivery of service to 12 million customers annually. Doran became Foothill Transit’s executive director in August 2003.

Doran also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Access Services, the regional paratransit operator for all of Los Angeles County. Previously, he served two years as chief executive officer and general manager of Tulsa Transit in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Doran was no stranger to Foothill Transit, having spent four years as the agency’s deputy executive director from 1997 to 2001. Prior to that, Doran worked as the planning manager at Monterey-Salinas Transit and as a private transportation consultant at Ernst & Young. Doran began his transit career as a coach operator at Unitrans, the transit system at the University of California-Davis, where he worked his way up to assistant general manager. 

Doran earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of California-Davis. Doran is very active in the transit industry and has previously served as Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary-Treasurer of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. Doran is a proud graduate of Leadership APTA.

Doran serves as Vice Chair of the Transit Cooperative Research Program’s Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee and he is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Eno Transportation Center. In addition, he served for ten years as a member of the Executive Committee of the California Transit Association including two years as Chair. Doran is also active in the community serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the East Valley Community Health Clinic, member of the Tennant Foundation Board of Directors, and member and Past President of the West Covina Rotary Club.

Marqueece Harris-Dawson
City Councilmember
City of Los Angeles
Biography

Marqueece Harris-Dawson

City Councilmember
City of Los Angeles

Beginning his teens, Marqueece has been active in the community for more than twenty years. Currently he is Executive Director of the Community Coalition, a community-based organization in South Los Angeles. Marqueece is the organization’s second Executive Director, following it’s founder, current US Rep. Karen Bass.

The organization is best known for leading grassroots campaigns to close 200 liquor stores in South Los Angeles and to win College Prep courses for all LAUSD students. For 5 years, Marqueece directed Community Coalition's youth project, South Central Youth Empowered thru Action. During that time, Marqueece led a campaign to expose poor conditions at South LA schools. Members of South Central Youth Empowered thru Action were armed with disposable cameras to document the conditions at their schools, and trained to advocate for badly needed repairs at their campuses. Students won $153 million in repairs for their schools. Following up on his work to improve conditions at South LA High Schools. Marqueece and the Community Coalition spearheaded a movement to guarantee universal access to college prep courses at every high school in Los Angeles.

In addition to his work at the Community Coalition Marqueece has extensive experience in electoral politics, and is a key participant in the progressive movement in Los Angeles. During his time completing a Bachelor’s degree at Morehouse College, Marqueece cut his activist teeth on several important community issues including ending South African Apartheid, police brutality and youth and family services. Along with a host of Board and Committee posts, Marqueece boasts several community commendations, recognitions and awards including the coveted Do Something “BRICK” Award and Liberty Hill Foundation’s Upton Sinclair Award. Marqueece recently received a certificate in non profit management from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and is a currently an Aspen Institute Fellow for New Leaders.

Specialties: nonprofit management, public policy, community advocacy, grant writing, public speaking, electoral campaigns

Susumu Okamoto
President and Representative Director
Choshu Industry Co., LTD.
Biography

Susumu Okamoto

President and Representative Director
Choshu Industry Co., LTD.

Choshu Industry Co., LTD.                                                       July 2012-present

  • President and Representative Director                 (January 2016- present)
  • Senior managing Director                        (June 2014 - January 2016)
  • President’s Office Manager                                  (January 2013 - June 2014)
  • President’s Office                                     (July 2012 - January 2013)

Choshu Sake Brewery Co., LTD.                                               March 2018-present

  • President and Representative Director                             (March 2018- present)

Daini Electric Power Co., LTD.                                     November 2019-present

  • President and Representative Director                             (November 2019- present)

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry                                 April 1996- July 2012

  • Responsible for intergovernmental negotiation, climate change policy/negotiation, industrial policy, economic analysis, trade policy/regulation, etc.

EDUCATION

  • Graduated from School of International and Public Affairs, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, New York(May 2003)
  • Master of Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, WASEDA UNIVERSITY, Tokyo(March 1996)
  • Bachelor of Science and Engineering, WASEDA UNIVERSITY, Tokyo (March 1994)

INTERESTS & HOBBY

Reading, Jogging, Cycling, Hiking and Traveling

Carolina Romo
Assistant Director of Community Development
Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA)
Biography

Carolina Romo

Assistant Director of Community Development
Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA)

With 20+ years as a LACDA team member, Carolina Romo is a seasoned professional with direct experience in community and affordable housing development.  She is currently the Assistant Director of Community Development at the LACDA. Carolina provides day-to-day management and operations expertise to the Community Development Division (CDD).  The CDD consists of four units with approximately 90 full-time staff members. Community Development Block Grant Planning & Administration, Construction Management, Collaborative of American Rescue Plan, Permanent Local Housing Allocation, and special projects and the Community Resource Center in South Whittier.  She also manages capital development projects from procurement through lease up.   Additionally, Carolina is the Administrator of the Los Angeles County Housing Development Corporation, a nonprofit affordable housing developer.

Carolina is a graduate of California State University Los Angeles and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an option in Finance and a minor in Economics. She is also a graduate of USC’s Ross Minority Program in Real Estate.  She is a California licensed Real Estate Broker and has an NMLS endorsement. She also holds a number of certifications on affordable housing programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She is the Board Chair of Canopy Communities, a nonprofit affordable housing developer.

Timeyin Dafeta, P.E.
Executive Hyperion Plant Manager
LA Sanitation & Environment
Biography

Timeyin Dafeta, P.E.

Executive Hyperion Plant Manager
LA Sanitation & Environment

Tim is the Plant Manager of the City of Los Angeles Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant
Hyperion is one of the largest plants in the world with an annual operating budget of over $80 million, annual capital budget of over $40 million, and staff of 372 employees of all trades and professional classes.

During his 29 years with the City of Los Angeles, he has worked in process engineering, capital projects planning, industrial pretreatment, environmental regulations, wastewater treatment, and biosolids management. Tim is a licensed civil engineer with the State of California and has a Master’s degree in Applied Math.

Dr. Yasuhiro Matsui
Project Manager, Research & Development
Yokogawa
Biography

Dr. Yasuhiro Matsui

Project Manager, Research & Development
Yokogawa

Dr. Yasuhiro Matsui, he received his doctorate in the urban engineering from The University of Tokyo (Engineering, 2007) and Japanese professional engineering license (Water Supply & Industrial Water Supply, 2004). He was involving in global water environment businesses (water supply, desalination, water reuse, and groundwater) for 20 years. He is a director of Japanese Desalination Association. He has been employed by Yokogawa since April 2019 in the Research & Development, Innovation Center of Market Division. He was Vice President of METAWATER USA, INC, in charge of R&D department for business development and International Business Division since 2014. While affiliated to METAWATER, engaged in desalination projects in the Middle East and The South Asia. Focused on ceramic membrane (Microfiltration) integrated in a pretreatment of reverse osmosis in the desalination process. Being in head of collaboration research works with Saline Water Conversion Corporation in the Kingdom of Saudi.

Claudia Gutierrez
Senior Deputy for Legal Affairs
LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell's Office
Biography

Claudia Gutierrez

Senior Deputy for Legal Affairs
LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell's Office

Claudia Gutierrez is currently serving as Senior Deputy for Legal Affairs with County-Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. Previously, Gutierrez served in the same position for former Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas in 2017-2020. 

Before working for the County of Los Angeles, she was a Senior Associate with Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP.

Anita Landecker
President & CEO
ExED
Biography

Anita Landecker

President & CEO
ExED

Anita Landecker brings decades of experience in community development to her role as President & CEO. Prior to joining ExED in 1999, Ms. Landecker was Regional Vice President for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the nation’s largest community development organization. While at LISC, Ms. Landecker was also the Managing Director of the California Equity Fund (CEF), a LISC subsidiary, which syndicated the benefits of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit. In these roles, she raised over $750 million for investment in affordable housing in inner city neighborhoods, producing over 10,000 units of housing developed by community-based organizations.

Previously, Ms. Landecker served as the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Community Design Center. She has served as Chair of the Los Angeles Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and taught graduate courses at UCLA and USC. She was awarded a Stanton Fellowship from the Durfee Foundation and a Pahara Fellowship from the Aspen Institute.She holds a master’s degree in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

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.

 

Rafael Villegas
Program Manager - Operation NEXT
LADWP
Biography

Rafael Villegas

Program Manager - Operation NEXT
LADWP

Rafael Villegas is a Civil Engineer with 20 years of experience in public infrastructure and water utilities. He is the Program Manager for the Operation NEXT Water Supply Program for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. This program, LADWP’s largest since construction of the original aqueduct, will recycled 100% of wastewater from the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant and provide up to a third of the City’s water supply.

Mr. Villegas actively engages in water resource policy development, strategic planning, inter-agency coordination, water rights issues and program development relating to regional water storage.

His experience includes development of Operation NEXT; direct engagement in the Measure W Watershed Area Steering Committees, countywide Integrated Regional Water Management Program (IRWMP), Los Angeles River issues and development of the LA’s Stormwater Capture Master Plan.

Through his experience, Mr. Villegas has developed a strong background in project delivery that includes strategic planning, program management and most importantly, consensus building. He actively seeks and forges partnerships with outside entities with the shared goals of water conservation, local water supply development and sustainability.

Leandro Tyberg
President/Co-Founder
Primestor Development
Biography

Leandro Tyberg

President/Co-Founder
Primestor Development

Three decades as co-founder in Primestor Development.

Tyler Studds
CEO/Managing Director
Golden State Wind
Biography

Tyler Studds

CEO/Managing Director
Golden State Wind

Tyler Studds is Head of Offshore Wind Business Development for Ocean Winds on the US West Coast and CEO of Redwood Coast Offshore Wind LLC, a joint venture of Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind, in coordination with the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, to develop a commercial scale floating offshore wind project in federal waters off Humboldt County, California. Prior to joining Ocean Winds, Tyler worked at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center where he led strategic initiatives in offshore wind transmission, baseline wildlife surveys, metocean data collection, supply chain, and workforce development, that together have played a critical role in accelerating the responsible development of offshore wind in Massachusetts.

Norihiko Saeki
Executive Director
JETRO Los Angeles
Biography

Norihiko Saeki

Executive Director
JETRO Los Angeles

Mr. Saeki serves as the Executive Director of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Los Angeles and coordinates the collaborations between the U.S. and Japanese Industries in the area of innovation, entertainment and investment.

He extensively tries to contribute to solve the social, environmental and energy issues in California and the U.S. by forefront and user-oriented technology with Japanese industries. In this capacity, he is responsible for the overall strategy and execution on innovation policy and the industries collaboration especially in hydrogen energy, water, smart cities, vehicle, aerospace defense and health care.

Mr. Saeki also serves as a Special Advisor to Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan and his task is to recommend the policy options as well as promote collaboration at the governmental level and directly coordinate Japanese governmental support to the specific project.

Mr. Saeki supported to establish Japan Hydrogen Forum (JH2F) in December, 2022 to support the US decarbonization efforts.  He reaches many leaders of hydrogen energy in California and other regions across the United States.

He joined the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan in 2001 and has been in charge of various high-tech areas, such as aerospace and defense, metals & materials, bio, health care and information technology.

He received his law bachelor’s degree from University of Tokyo in 2000 and served as a visiting scholar at the Johns Hopkins University SAIS in 2009-2010 and completed Management Acceleration Program in the Anderson School of Management, UCLA in 2022.

He lives and enjoys his life with his wife, daughter and son in Playa Vista, L.A.

Stephanie Klasky-Gamer
President & CEO
LA Family Housing
Biography

Stephanie Klasky-Gamer

President & CEO
LA Family Housing

Stephanie Klasky-Gamer leads LA Family Housing with nearly 30 years of experience in social and economic justice work and an in-depth knowledge of housing policy, finance, and development. Stephanie leads this nationally recognized and award-winning organization with oversight of its real estate development and comprehensive homeless services departments. Under her leadership, LA Family Housing has transformed into one of the region’s largest homeless service providers and a premier developer of environmentally sustainable affordable housing in Southern California.

Stephanie is a passionate advocate and is considered an expert in the field of community development, serving in many leadership roles that shape and promote housing and homelessness policy. She currently sits on the Governor’s Council of Regional Homelessness Advisors, the UCLA Ziman Center Affordable Housing Advisory Council, and US Bank’s Advisory Board. Stephanie is active with Women Presidents Organization and was an Affordable Housing Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles for four years. She is the proud graduate of the University of Michigan and earned a Masters in Urban Planning from UCLA. 

Matthew H. Langer
Chief Operating Officer
Clean Power Alliance
Biography

Matthew H. Langer

Chief Operating Officer
Clean Power Alliance

Matthew Langer is Chief Operating Officer for Clean Power Alliance, California’s new, locally-operated, electricity provider serving 32 communities and approximately one million customers across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.  As Chief Operating Officer, Matthew’s responsibilities include power supply, regulatory affairs, customer programs, strategic accounts, non-energy contracting and rates.  He has broad renewable energy and utility experience, including deep expertise in renewable energy project development, contracting, and operations. His experience includes nine years at Southern California Edison where he held roles in energy procurement, corporate strategy, transmission and distribution, and customer service.  Matthew earned an MBA from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and bachelor of science in management from Tulane University.

Kohei Masaki
Hydrogen Strategy Consultant - Business Development
Toyota Motor North America
Biography

Kohei Masaki

Hydrogen Strategy Consultant - Business Development
Toyota Motor North America

Kohei Masaki is a Hydrogen Strategy Consultant in Business Development group in Toyota Motor North America (TMNA).

After 10-year experience for business consulting at Deloitte, Mr. Masaki started to work for Toyota to support hydrogen ecosystem development and Fuel Cell business development/expansion in the North America.

Currently his responsibility in Toyota is business planning and new business development of Fuel Cell Electric Heavy-duty Truck and other broader applications such as Bus, Cargo Handling Equipment, Stationary, etc., including communication/negotiation with external parties.

When he was Deloitte, he provided business consulting service mostly in automotive industry and has expertise in Strategy & Operation area such as new business entering strategy, business structure change strategy, mid-term plan development. Also, he had several projects relates to Fuel cell and Hydrogen industry in both US and Japan.

Brian Prusnek
Director of Customer Programs and Assistance
SoCalGas
Biography

Brian Prusnek

Director of Customer Programs and Assistance
SoCalGas

Brian Prusnek has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry across both the private and public sectors. As a leader in the nation’s largest natural gas distribution company, Brian uses his rich energy policy expertise to advance the vision of SoCalGas to become the cleanest, safest and most innovative natural gas utility in the country. He is currently the Director of Customer Programs and Assistance for SoCalGas, a Sempra Energy utility. He is responsible for leading the development, administration and implementation of energy efficiency and low income assistance policy and programs for over 22 million consumers in Southern California.

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.

Toru Sugiura
Senior Manager, Corporate Strategy & Sustainable Business Development
Toyota Tsusho America, Inc.
Biography

Toru Sugiura

Senior Manager, Corporate Strategy & Sustainable Business Development
Toyota Tsusho America, Inc.

Toru Sugiura is a senior manager in Corporate Strategy & Sustainable Business Development Division at Toyota Tsusho America, Inc. (TAI)

His work focuses on hydrogen value chain eco system projects in mobility industry trying to create supply and demand synergy to accelerate its market expansion.  He and his team are bringing Toyota Tsusho’s experience of several environmental demonstration projects in Japan  to the U.S to support establish a sustainable clean energy society.

He is currently involving a demonstration project on technology transition for fuel cell port equipment and hydrogen supply solution at Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach.  His team and partner companies plan to develop sustainable green hydrogen supply scheme for the ports with biogas from dairy farm digesters from Central Valley in California.

 
Lee Smith
VP Strategic Marketing, Advocacy & Application Development
Daikin
Biography

Lee Smith

VP Strategic Marketing, Advocacy & Application Development
Daikin
•Worked in the HVAC industry for 27 years
•Extensive experience in all global markets with specialization in U.K., Europe and North America.
•A wide background in this field
•R&D Engineer for 7 years
•Sales Engineer for 3 years
•Product and Strategy Management for 8 years
•B2B and B2C Marketing for 7 years
•Technical Lobbying and Advocacy for 2 year
Travis Morgan
Culver City Forward
Biography

Travis Morgan

Culver City Forward
Erin Larson
Investor - Mobility & Transportation
Generate
Biography

Erin Larson

Investor - Mobility & Transportation
Generate

Sustainable infrastructure investor @ Generate Capital , investing (project finance, private equity, growth equity) to solve the climate crisis. Scaling climate tech and climate solutions in clean energy, electrification, electric vehicles (EV), mobility, fleet electrification, energy resilience, microgrids and smart cities.

I am an experienced investor across the capital stack (sr debt down to common equity) in clean energy and sustainability. This has taken the form of over $1B in deployed capital, and transactions that span sustainable infrastructure, development platforms and IPPS. 

Ryan Harty
Senior Manager, Sustainability & Business Development
American Honda Motor Co., Inc
Biography

Ryan Harty

Senior Manager, Sustainability & Business Development
American Honda Motor Co., Inc

Ryan Harty is a senior manager 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. 

Harty joined Honda R&D in 2001 as a body design engineer responsible for designing automotive body parts for Honda and Acura vehicles. He later joined the Zero Emission Vehicle testing team in Los Angeles where he helped develop hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric vehicles, solving technical, business, and policy barriers towards success of zero emission vehicles in the market. In 2011, he joined the newly formed American Honda Environmental Business Development Office, where he oversaw the development of energy and sustainability business initiatives. 

In 2021, he became senior manager of the Connected, Automated, Shared, Electrified (CASE) & Energy Division. In this role, he was responsible for Honda’s North American Telematics and Connected Businesses, Hondalink and AcuraLink app development, and the development of product proposals, business models, and policy proposals in support of Honda's “Triple Zero” environmental initiatives. 
Harty holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (Co-op) from the University of Alberta. In his spare time, he enjoys the sport of curling at the Orange County Curling Club. 

Troy Collard
General Manager, Sales
PACECO Corp.
Biography

Troy Collard

General Manager, Sales
PACECO Corp.

Troy Collard is the General Manager of Sales with seven years of experience working with PACECO Corp., a Mitsui E&S Machinery subsidiary company, and has previously held sales and executive roles in other Mitsui E&S subsidiary companies in the US and Japan from 1998. PACECO Corp. is the founding company of the specialized ship-to-shore container crane that catapulted the container shipping industry; Mr. Collard oversees sales of container cranes in the Americas, concentrating on ship-to-shore (STS) Portainer cranes and rubber-tired-gantry (RTG) Transtainer cranes, and for several years has been working with customers in the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach to develop and introduce new model RTGs powered by smaller engines and eventually hydrogen fuel cells to meet the Ports goal of zero emissions by 2030. 

Lesley Poole
Chief Executive Officer
The SEED Foundation
Biography

Lesley Poole

Chief Executive Officer
The SEED Foundation

Lesley Poole serves as the chief executive officer for The SEED Foundation. She is responsible for the overall health and vitality of SEED’s network of three public, college-preparatory boarding schools and SEED’s mission-critical college success programming.

Lesley was one of the founding faculty at The SEED School of Washington, D.C., and held a number of positions during her tenure. At The SEED Foundation, Lesley’s expertise in government relations and philanthropy was instrumental in securing the public-private partnerships necessary in Annapolis, MD, and Tallahassee, FL, to make The SEED School of Maryland and The SEED School of Miami possible.

Lesley began her career in education as a mathematics instructor and later served as the service area director for the school division of San Francisco Educational Services (SFED), where she oversaw five programs for children with special needs. She holds two bachelor’s degrees – one from San Francisco State University in chemistry and one from Patten College in organizational management.

Lesley is a member of the spring 2017 cohort of Pahara-Aspen Fellows, which seeks to strengthen and sustain diverse, high-potential leaders who are reimagining public education. She is also a fellow with Seeding Disruption, a fellowship that brings together a diverse group of Washington, D.C.’s,  senior leaders to generate, seed, and catalyze disruptive practices for the purpose of dismantling systems of racial inequity. Lesley serves on the board of Educare, an early childhood education school and community center in Washington, D.C.’s, Ward 7, as well as Excellence Christian School, located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Chris Worley
Director, Public Policy
Sunrun
Biography

Chris Worley

Director, Public Policy
Sunrun

Christopher Worley is Director of Public Policy with Sunrun, overseeing policy and government affairs in the Mountain West region. Prior to joining Sunrun, Chris was Director of Rate Design for Vivint Solar, working on rate cases and value-of-solar regulatory proceedings throughout the country. Between 2011 and 2017, Chris worked at the Colorado Energy Office, where he oversaw the Office’s legislative and regulatory activities. Additionally, Chris worked on energy analysis at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and he earned his Ph.D. in Mineral and Energy Economics from the Colorado School of Mines.

Lilian Coral
Director/National Strategy + Technology Innovation
Knight Foundation
Biography

Lilian Coral

Director/National Strategy + Technology Innovation
Knight Foundation

Lilian Coral joined Knight Foundation in September 2017. 

Coral is Knight Foundation’s director of national strategy + technology innovation, where she manages the national portfolio and focuses on the development of the foundation’s citizen-centered Smart Cities strategy. The portfolio’s investments include a focus on data accessibility and trust, urban mobility, and technology in public spaces. Coral came to Knight from the City of Los Angeles, where she served as chief data officer for Mayor Eric Garcetti. In this role, she led the mayor’s directive on open data beyond the lens of transparency and towards his vision of a data-driven Los Angeles. She managed the growth of Los Angeles’ open data program to 1,100 public datasets, the expansion of the use of data science and analytics, and the development of more than 15 user-centered digital services. Of note, was her development of the GeoHub, a first-of-its kind data management solution for integrating geospatial information across the City of Los Angeles’ 41 departments.

Prior to joining Mayor Garcetti, Coral spent 15 years working on a wide range of policy and technology issues and has experience working with labor unions, NGOs, foundations and local, state and federal government to transform the way government uses data and technology to serve its citizens.

Coral has a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of California, Irvine and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a native of Colombia, a place from where much of her inspiration for innovation and social justice emerged.

 

Jairo Criollo
Co-founder & Director - Business Development
Noria Energy
Biography

Jairo Criollo

Co-founder & Director - Business Development
Noria Energy

Strategic, results-driven professional with over 17 years of experience in sales, marketing and new business development in technology industries. 15 years building and managing cross cultural teams and selling at C-level in multi-cultural environments across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Passionate about renewable energy and the convergence of solar, storage, and smart energy management solutions toward a sustainable future. He is very interested in disruptive technologies - IoT, Big Data, Blockchain and their impact on business models and society in general. 

Gloria Gray
Chair
Metropolitan Water District
Biography

Gloria Gray

Chair
Metropolitan Water District

Gloria D. Gray is chairwoman of the Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors, the first African-American to lead the board and only the second woman to do so in the district’s 90-year history. She is currently the secretary of the West Basin's Board of Directors, where she has served since 2006.

Gray began her career in water in 2006, when she was elected to the West Basin board. She was the first African-American woman elected to the board in its 65 years and served as board president in 2010.  She represents the Division II cities of Inglewood, South Ladera Heights, Lennox and the areas of Athens, Howard and Ross-Sexton.  In 2009, Gray was appointed to Metropolitan's Board of Directors to serve as one of two West Basin representatives. She was the first African-American woman to serve as vice chair of the Metropolitan board, was the first African-American woman to chair a board meeting in the agency's history and served on the Executive Committee, Organization, Personnel and Technology Committee, Bay-Delta Committee, and was Vice Chair of the Communication and Legislative Committee. In 2017, Gray was appointed chair of Water Planning and Stewardship Committee, making her the first African-American woman to chair this important committee which focuses on Metropolitan water projects and programs.

In March 2009, she was appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to serve on a water quality Community Task Force, which is part of the county's Clean Water, Clean Beaches Initiative to address pollution in our local waterways that include rivers, lakes, bays, beaches, and coastal waters. (Gray, an Inglewood resident, was elected to the Inglewood Unified School District Board of Education in 1995 and served as president for two terms.) In April 2010, Gray was appointed to the Delta Stewardship Council by former Assembly Speaker Karen Bass. She served through July 2014 and was the first African- American and African-American woman to serve on the council. In 2011, she met with stakeholders from up and down the state and suggested the Delta Council hold public forums to gain broader knowledge in order to develop a comprehensive Delta Plan. 

In May 2012, Gray was confirmed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors as a member of the Oversight Commission for the dissolution of the City of Carson Redevelopment Agency. In 2013, she was recruited by the Obama administration to interview for a cabinet position in the Department of the Interior.

In 2014, the West Basin board appointed Gray as their representative to the Association of California Water Agencies, where she currently serves as Region 8 vice chair and as a member of the ACWA Joint Powers Insurance Authority. She was appointed to represent West Basin as a voting board member on the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission, where she was elected to serve on the Executive Committee and the commission's Authority. 

During her first term, Gray initiated West Basin's Local Business Enterprise Program and Local Banking Program, which allow local businesses to better compete for work and enhances the local community within West Basin's service area.

In recognition of her many years of community service, Gray received a proclamation from Metropolitan’s board for her service and outstanding leadership on the Delta Stewardship Council; she received the 2014 African Legacy Award as the first African-American woman to be elected to Metropolitan's board; received the Outstanding Community Honoree award from The A-Man, Inc. STEM International on June 7, 2013. In March 2013 she was inducted into the National Association of University Women's Hall of Fame for exceptional leadership; was honored in October 2012 by the Southern California Water Committee with the "Honorable Harriett Wieder" award for leadership in water; Friends of the Sisters at the Well for her leadership in civic and public engagement; and the Friends of Ballona Wetlands for her leadership on current and future water supply issues.

Underscoring her commitment mentoring the next generation of water leaders, Gray is a founding board member of the California African-American Water Education Foundation representing Metropolitan and is a strong supporter of its many education and training outreach activities, including the district's highly successful apprenticeship program.

In the past, she has received commendations from former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor Eric Garcetti and numerous elected officials. Gray is a union member of SEIU Local 721 for over 30 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Redlands, a health services management certificate from the University of California, Los Angeles, and has a master’s degree in governance from Special District. She retired as a health care administrator from the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

Erica Bowman
Director, Office of the CEO
Edison International
Biography

Erica Bowman

Director, Office of the CEO
Edison International

Erica currently serves as the director of the Office of the CEO.  Previously, Erica was the director of Resource and Environmental Planning and Strategy at Southern California Edison where she led SCE’s climate and electrification strategies, and integrated resource planning activities. Prior to SCE, Erica was Chief Economist of the American Petroleum Institute and Vice President of Research and Policy Analysis and Chief Economist at America’s Natural Gas Alliance. In these roles, Erica led all research and policy analysis activities while also actively engaging with utilities, regulators, legislators and other business-to-business stakeholders to aid in the understanding of the complex dynamics between energy markets, economy and public policy.  

Erica received her masters of science degree from Northeastern University in Boston, MA and her bachelors of Science and Engineering degree from Princeton University in Princeton, NJ. 

Barry Gluck
Head of Business Development in North America
Triple Plus
Biography

Barry Gluck

Head of Business Development in North America
Triple Plus

Barry Gluck is the Head of Business Development in North America for Triple Plus, where he is responsible for promoting the company’s brand and establishing partnerships.

Gluck and his family moved to Israel in June 2021 and then joined Triple Plus. Before his move, Gluck served as Senior Marketing Associate for Sysco Food Service, the largest food distribution company in the world. He earned many awards including the Chairman’s Club Award for being one of the top 1% performers. 

On a mission to save water, he is focused on exporting a unique Israeli High-Tech solution to solve current environmental issues such as water shortages, by providing solutions to detect and prevent water waste and leaks. Gluck believes that Triple Plus technology can save millions of gallons of water per year. As a hockey player, who had a chance to play on a line with Wayne Gretzky who said “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been” Gluck holds that success lies in anticipation. 

When Gluck is not in the Company office, he is in his home office working American hours, otherwise you can find him learning, running and skiing.

Mike Levin
Congressman, California's 49th District
US House of Representatives
Biography

Mike Levin

Congressman, California's 49th District
US House of Representatives

Congressman Mike Levin is proud to represent California's 49th Congressional District, which includes North County San Diego and South Orange County.

Currently serving his third term in the House of Representatives, Levin sits on the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, where he serves as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

Levin was raised in South Orange County and attended local elementary and junior high schools. He spent his high school years at Loyola High in Los Angeles, and went on to study at Stanford University, where he served as the student body president. Upon graduation from Stanford, Levin served as a Coro Fellow and then attended Duke University School of Law.

Prior to being elected to Congress in 2018, Levin fought for climate action while working as an environmental attorney. He also served on the board of the Center for Sustainable Energy, and co-founded Sustain OC, helping accelerate the transition toward more sustainable power generation and transportation alternatives.

As a member of Congress, some of Levin's top priorities are combating climate change, protecting our natural resources, and capitalizing on the economic benefits of a sustainable energy future. He has led legislation to transition America to zero emission vehicles, ban new offshore drilling leases along the coast of Southern California, responsibly develop renewable energy on public lands, and much more.

Another priority for Rep. Levin is increasing oversight and accountability at the decommissioning San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), and moving the spent nuclear fuel out of the region as quickly and safely as possible. Levin stood up a local task force upon arriving to Congress to formulate policy recommendations to address the hazardous waste. He is the founder and Co-Chair of the Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus, a bipartisan group to drive progress on the safe storage, transportation, and disposal of nuclear fuel across the country. He has also led legislation to prioritize the removal of spent nuclear fuel from environmentally sensitive sites like San Onofre, mandate resident inspectors at decommissioning nuclear power plants during sensitive activities, and fund a research and development program at the Department of Energy to find innovative solutions to spent nuclear fuel management.

Rep. Levin is also a leader on legislation to support veterans. As the grandson of a World War II veteran and the representative of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Levin is an advocate for the servicemembers and veterans who have sacrificed for our freedom. He has spoken out about the importance of protecting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from privatization efforts, improving veterans’ health care and services, and expanding job opportunities for those who have served.

Levin is proud to lead the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. Since he became Chair, his subcommittee has become one of the most productive in Congress, with more than 50 bills to serve veterans passing into law. Levin sponsored one of the most consequential pieces of legislation signed into law for veterans in recent years, the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020, which strengthened and expanded a wide range of veterans’ benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. 

Levin has also championed efforts to expand access to affordable health care, lower the cost of higher education, preserve Social Security and Medicare, prevent gun violence, enact comprehensive immigration reform, and protect a woman's right to choose. He is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and, as the grandson of immigrants from Mexico, a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Levin holds town halls regularly to keep his constituents informed and answer their questions, and he has also made those town halls available as part of his podcast, Listening with Levin.

Levin lives in San Juan Capistrano with his wife, Chrissy, and their two children.
 

Brad Coffey
Group Manager, Water Resource Management
Metropolitan Water District
Biography

Brad Coffey

Group Manager, Water Resource Management
Metropolitan Water District

Brad Coffey leads Water Resource Management at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  In this role, his team plans for the region’s water supply, manages imported and local water supply programs, advances conservation, and prepares for drought and a changing climate.  Brad has more than 30 years of experience in improving the quality and reliability of the Southern California’s water supply.

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.

Tim DeMoss
Environmental Affairs Officer
POLA
Biography

Tim DeMoss

Environmental Affairs Officer
POLA

Tim DeMoss has served at the Port of Los Angeles for 15 years. Currently, DeMoss serves as the Environmental Affairs Officer. Previously, he held positions as Marine Environmental Supervisor, Clean Truck Program Manager, and Environmental Specialist III spanning from 2007 to 2019. 

He acquired his Civil Engineering degrees of Master of Environmental Science and Bachelor of Science in Loyola Marymount University. 

Tanya Peacock
Managing Director
EcoEngineers
Biography

Tanya Peacock

Managing Director
EcoEngineers

Tanya Peacock is Managing Director at EcoEngineers, an international clean energy consulting firm with deep expertise in carbon life-cycle analysis. Based in Los Angeles, Tanya is responsible for expanding EcoEngineers’ energy transition practice in California. She is simultaneously leading the fast-growing hydrogen sector. 
 
A well-known clean energy champion, Tanya currently serves as chairperson of the California Hydrogen Business Council. She has held board and leadership roles at the American Biogas Council, Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas, California Stationary Fuel Cell Collaborative, among others. Additionally, she is an expert in California’s cap-and-trade program and played a key role in the development of policies to support the production and use of clean energy in California.
 
Prior to joining EcoEngineers, Tanya led the California Policy and Government Affairs team at Bloom Energy focusing on decarbonization pathways, clean hydrogen opportunities, and distributed energy policy priorities. Before that, she led rates and policy teams at Sempra Energy and its subsidiary, SoCalGas.
 
Tanya earned a Master of Regional Planning degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and a Bachelor of Arts from Mills College in Oakland, California. She is a current board member at the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters.
 

Matt Abularach-Macias
Deputy Campaigns Director
California Environmental Voters
Biography

Matt Abularach-Macias

Deputy Campaigns Director
California Environmental Voters

Matt Abularach-Macias is California Environmental Voters’ Deputy Campaigns Director. Originally focused in San Bernardino and Riverside, Matt has expanded to also work on our statewide organizing and electoral efforts. In this role, Matt has been able to grow a team of organizers who build partnerships and amplify community concerns about the impacts of climate change, the local benefits from investments in clean energy, and the critical need to conserve and protect our environment. He also runs EnviroVoters’ endorsements and coordinated campaigns. Outside of EnviroVoters, he chairs the Board of the Inland Region Equality Network an Inland Empire based LGBTQ Advocacy & Education Org. His work with EnviroVoters(EF) and IREN is an extension of his previous organizing on educational access, LGBT rights, and anti-racism issues. He got his start in the professional organizing and political world as a regional field director on the successful campaign to elect Pete Aguilar to US Congress. Prior, Matt graduated from UCLA with a degree in Chicana/o Studies.

Takashi Yano
General Manager, Energy Systems Division
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
Biography

Takashi Yano

General Manager, Energy Systems Division
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.

Mr. YANO is the General Manager of Energy Systems Div. in Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. He is engaged in the Smart Energy Systems Business, incl. Redox Flow Battery Systems. Prior to his current role, he was the R&D manager for Network Systems products, where he successfully led the launch of Connected-home Services for telecom carriers and Vehicle-to-Grid (VGI) systems for OEMs. He received the B.E. and M.E. degrees from Kyoto University and joined Sumitomo Electric in 1985.

Ernesto Chaves
Director, Highway Program
LA Metro
Biography

Ernesto Chaves

Director, Highway Program
LA Metro

During his 14 years at Metro, Ernesto has been responsible for the delivery of multiple highway improvement projects across LA County. Working with multiple stakeholders, Ernesto oversaw the initiation and development of the Measure R and M highway programs, as well the “modernization” of these programs in support of Metro’s sustainability and equity goals. Most recently, Ernesto led Metro’s 2028 Games Task Force in their development of a Mobility Concept Plan for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games.  Prior to joining Metro, Ernesto worked in the private sector as a transportation planner on various highway and transit improvement projects. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Cal Poly Pomona and a Master Degree in Transportation Management from San Jose State University and is a graduate of Metro’s Leadership Academy. 

Matt Miyasato
Deputy Executive Director for Science & Technology Advancement
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Biography

Matt Miyasato

Deputy Executive Director for Science & Technology Advancement
South Coast Air Quality Management District

Dr. Matt Miyasato is the Deputy Executive Officer for Science & Technology Advancement at the South Coast Air Quality Management District. He is responsible for the SCAQMD's Technology Advancement Office, Mobile Source Division, and Monitoring and Laboratory Analysis Division. Dr. Miyasato’s principal charges are to identify, evaluate and stimulate development and commercialization of clean air technologies, develop and coordinate mobile source regulations, and to conduct ambient monitoring, source testing and laboratory analysis. Dr. Miyasato received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, and his Masters and Ph.D. in Engineering, specializing in combustion technologies and air pollution control – all from the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Miyasato has worked at Southern California Edison in the Nuclear Engineering Department and at General Electric, where he designed burners and combustion modifications for utility boilers. He was also a research scientist at UCI, where he managed the industrial burner research program and has publications on combustion phenomena, active control, and laser diagnostics. Dr. Miyasato has also been a lecturer at UCI for the undergraduate air pollution control course.

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.