Agenda

Alexa Voytek

Energy Programs Administrator, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Office of Energy Programs (TDEC OEP)

Alexa serves as the Principal Investigator for the U.S. DOE State Energy Program (SEP) in Tennessee, oversees TDEC OEP’s energy in transportation programming, and administers the State’s initial allocation under the VW Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust. Alexa also serves as the Coordinator for U.S. DOE’s Clean Cities Middle-West Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition, through which she acts as a technical resource for fleets and individuals evaluating alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies. Alexa serves on the leadership team for the National Association of State Energy Officials' Transportation Committee and is an Advisory Group member for the National Association of State Energy Officials' Energy Technology Innovation Project. She serves as the Governor’s designee to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Regional Energy Resource Council, which provides guidance on how TVA manages its energy resources against competing objectives and values. Prior to joining TDEC, Alexa interned with the UN Division for Sustainable Development and the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia. Most recently, Alexa served as Asst. Account Executive for the public relations firm Ketchum, Inc., where she was assigned to energy and technology related projects. Alexa holds an M.A. from Columbia University in Russian, Eastern European, Balkan, and Eurasian Studies and graduated summa cum laude from Duke University, with a B.A. in History and Russian Language / Area Studies.

Michael Berube

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Michael lead’s DOE’s transportation RDD&D team focused decarbonizing the transportation sector, from cars to heavy trucks to airplanes.  This includes vehicles, batteries, hydrogen fuel cells and bioenergy as well as how EVs and Hydrogen can help support the transition to a clean energy grid.  He created DOE’s Mobility research program (EEMS) focused on new mobility solutions, including connected & automated vehicles, transit, ecommerce and ride-sharing. He has over 20 years of experience as a senior executive in the automobile industry.  He has worked closely across the government with US DOT and EPA over his career.

I left the private sector and joined government because I believe in public service and I also believe that we will not achieve our ambitious goals without harnessing the power of the private sector, guided by smart public policy.
 

Jeffrey W. Springer

Manager, Innovation and Efficient Electrification, Dairyland Power Cooperative

Jeff Springer is a Certified Energy Manager with over 32 years of experience in the commercial and industrial energy sector.  His responsibilities include power quality, energy auditing, and recent work on Dairyland’s transportation electrification efforts.

Michael Breish

Senior Energy Policy Specialist, Energy Division, Washington State Department of Commerce

Michael Breish is a Senior Energy Policy Specialist within the Energy Division in the Washington State Department of Commerce, where he is responsible for clean transportation policy. Specifically, he focuses on transportation alternative fuels, electrification, and planning with overarching goals of making transportation more affordable, accessible, diverse and cleaner for Washingtonians. With a background in utility planning and regulation, Michael is working closely with the state’s utilities, transportation planning organizations, and related agencies to support widespread electrification of on-road, off-road and marine modalities. Michael is building equity as the foundation for all future transportation programs and policies at Commerce and is partnering with environmental justice and racial equity groups across Washington and the region. In developing comprehensive plans and implementation strategies, Michael aims to help Washington public agencies and businesses maximize the benefits of zero-emission transportation transitions while also ensuring local communities and economies benefit.

Andrew Wishnia

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, U.S. Department of Transportation

Andrew Wishnia serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate Policy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy in the U.S. Department of Transportation.  Wishnia previously served at the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, including as Senior Policy Advisor, and also served at the Federal Highway Administration as Special Assistant for Policy to the FHWA Administrator, and as a Senior Program Manager at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Wishnia previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a legislative assistant to Congressman John Yarmuth, now Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on the Budget. 

Kelly Speakes-Backman

Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Kelly Speakes-Backman is the Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at the U.S. Department of Energy. In her role, Speakes-Backman leads and directs EERE, focused on creating and sustaining American leadership in the transition to a global clean energy economy.  She oversees the planning and execution of the organization’s $2.8B portfolio of research, development, demonstration, and deployment activities in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable transportation.

Speakes-Backman most recently served as the first CEO of the Energy Storage Association, the national trade organization for the energy storage industry. She has spent more than 20 years working in energy and environmental issues in the public, NGO, and private sectors. In 2019, Speakes-Backman was honored by The Cleanie Awards as Woman of the Year.

David Terry

Executive Director, National Association of State Energy Officials

David Terry is the Executive Director of the National Association of State Energy Officials and has worked with NASEO in a variety of capacities since 1996. Mr. Terry leads NASEO's policy actions and programs in support of the 56 governor-designated state and territory energy directors and their offices. NASEO communicates the states' views on virtually all national energy issues. Mr. Terry has participated in governor-led policy meetings, testified before U.S. Congressional Committees and presented at White House and international energy forums.  Mr. Terry has 25 years of experience working on a range of energy issues for such organizations as the Governors’ Wind and Solar Energy and Coalition and Energy Services Coalition. Prior to working in the energy area, Mr. Terry was researcher at the National Academy of Sciences and a statistical analyst for a consumer products market research firm. He received a BA degree from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, and he has completed graduate coursework in statistics and marketing at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.

Kelley Smith Burk

Director, Office of Energy, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Kelley Smith Burk has been with the Florida Office of Energy since 2008 and oversaw the development and administration of over $176 million of federal and state grants to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy.  Kelley serves as the director for the Office of Energy.  Kelley is responsible for leading the Office of Energy as it develops energy policy and implements programs as well as promotes the use of renewable energy, energy efficient technologies, and alternative transportation technologies for the state of Florida.

Prior to joining the department, Kelley worked with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Strategic Projects and Planning as a policy analyst for the Governor’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change. Kelley has also served as the director of Scheduling in the Executive Office of the Governor. Kelley received her bachelor’s degree in history from Florida State University and her master’s degree in public policy from Pepperdine University.

Jeff Allen

Executive Director, Forth Mobility

Jeff Allen has served as Executive Director of Forth since its founding in 2011, and of the closely affiliated Forth Mobility Fund since its founding in 2012. Forth is a nonprofit industry organization working to accelerate the use of smart transportation to move people and goods in a more efficient, cleaner and equitable way. Through innovation and industry development, demonstration projects, advocacy and engagement, Forth is transforming the way we get around. Mr. Allen previously served as Executive Director or organizational development consultant to several nonprofit organizations, including the Oregon Environmental Council, where he served as Executive Director from 1996-2006. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan.    

Fabiola Lao

Senior Equity Policy Manager, Center for Sustainable Energy

Fabiola (Fabi) Lao is the Senior Equity Policy Manager at the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE). She is CSE’s lead expert and advisor on climate equity principles and strategies in legislative and regulatory policies related to electric vehicles (EVs) and clean energy. Fabi partners and collaborates with various stakeholders, including elected officials, government staff, nonprofit and community-based organizations, and equity advocates. Prior to her current role, Fabi was CSE’s Senior Transportation Policy Manager, where she led the organization’s statewide policy efforts in California related to EV adoption and charging infrastructure. She has over 14 years of environmental justice and equity experience across a variety of issues, including community engagement, air quality and access to green spaces. Before joining CSE, Fabi was Deputy Policy Director at the Coalition for Clean Air, where she was responsible for the organization’s climate justice and equity work in the Los Angeles region. She was also the lead organizer for the Sierra Club where she led a campaign’s organizing and outreach efforts that were instrumental in the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. Fabi earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Public Health concentration) and Spanish from UC Berkeley.

Robert Jackson

Director, Energy Office, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

Robert Jackson is a chemical engineer with over 20 years of industrial energy efficiency and environmental engineering experience.  Mr. Jackson is currently the Director of the Michigan Energy Office.  He is directly responsible for the state of Michigan’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Revolving Loan Program, and the State Energy Program’s Clean Energy Advanced Manufacturing, Technology Demonstration and Deployment Programs, and Agricultural Energy Programs.

Christain Williss

Senior Director, Transportation Fuels and Technology, Colorado Energy Office

Christian Williss is Senior Director of Transportation Fuels and Technology at the Colorado Energy Office. Christian leads office efforts to accelerate adoption of zero emission vehicles through policy, planning, and research, management of statewide infrastructure grant programs, and education and outreach. He previously served as Director of Programs and Initiatives where he oversaw a team of program managers and engineers responsible for managing existing programs and launching new initiatives in the energy efficiency and alternative fuels markets.  Prior to coming to the Energy Office he worked as Sustainability Program Administrator at the City and County of Denver where he led a number of citywide sustainability initiatives including the City’s energy efficiency program. Christian holds a BA in Political Science and an MS in Construction Management.

Michael King

Assistant Director of Electrification and Energy, Colorado Department of Transportation

Brianna Benson

Supervisor, Air Quality Office, Tennessee Department of Transportation

Tonia Buell

Project Development Manager, Innovative Partnerships, Washington State Department of Transportation

David Bobzien

Director, Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy

David Bobzien serves as the Director of the Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy for Governor Steve Sisolak. Mr. Bobzien holds a B.A. in Government and Politics from George Mason University, and a Masters of Public Administration, natural resources and public lands policy emphasis, from Boise State University. He is currently the chair of the Western Interstate Energy Board.

David Bobzien served as the At-Large Council Member for the City of Reno City from 2014 to 2019 where he worked on climate planning and energy efficiency. Previously, Mr. Bobzien served four terms (2006-2014) as an Assemblyman representing District 24 in the Nevada Legislature and worked on clean energy policy including net metering, renewable incentives programs, energy efficiency, the renewable portfolio standard and coal generation retirement.

Mr. Bobzien lives in northwest Reno with his wife Julie, twin sons Luca and Finnegan, daughter Carly, and son David. David enjoys just about anything involving time spent outdoors, including running, backpacking, hunting and fly fishing.

Simon Horton

Senior Project Manager, Transportation Electricfication, Southern California Edison

Karl Popham

Manager, Electric Vehicles and Emerging Technologies, Austin Energy

Karl co-founded and has led the Electric Vehicles & Emerging Technologies Team since 2011 at Austin Energy, the 3rd largest city-owned electric utility in the country whose EV programs were recognized as “Drive Electric Utility of the Year” by Plugin America. Karl serves on several boards, a published author, and the Principal Investigator on ten innovation grants advancing transportation electrification. Previous roles include the utility’s interim Chief Information Officer & Division Manager, a Managing Director at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, and a Captain in the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Dr. Will Toor

Executive Director, Colorado Energy Office

In January 2019, Will Toor joined the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) as its Executive Director appointed by Governor Jared Polis. Will’s background spans transportation electrification, sustainable transportation, smart growth, electric vehicle policy, clean energy finance, green building policy, local government policy and regional planning. Prior to CEO, Will was Transportation Program Director at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP). Before SWEEP, Will served as Boulder County Commissioner for eight years where he led the effort to create and adopt a countywide Sustainable Energy Plan, the BuildSmart green building code, the EnergySmart program, and the ClimateSmart Loan Program. Prior to being elected Boulder County Commissioner, Will served as Mayor of Boulder for six years where he developed Boulder's community transit network, EcoPass unlimited access transit pass programs, and policies for denser, mixed-use urban infill development as an alternative to sprawl. Will previously served on and chaired the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG). He was appointed by Governor Ritter to the state Transportation Funding and Implementation blue ribbon panel, the Governor's Climate Action Panel, and the Regional Air Quality Council. He was appointed by Governor Hickenlooper to the Air Quality Control Commission and the state oil and gas taskforce. Will spent 12 years as Director of the University of Colorado Environmental Center, where he developed campus sustainability programs in the areas of solid waste, building energy use, and transportation planning. Will holds a BS in Physics from Carnegie Mellon University and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Chicago.

Alejandra Nunez

Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Alejandra joins EPA from the Sierra Club, where she served as a senior attorney at the Environmental Law Program. Her work focused on litigation and regulatory advocacy on federal greenhouse gas and corporate average fuel economy standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, carbon dioxide standards for new and existing power plants, state transportation and clean energy policies, and the integration of environmental justice in climate policy. Before Sierra Club, Ale worked as associate counsel at the World Bank’s Legal Vice Presidency, where she advised on public-private partnerships in the energy and water infrastructure sectors, and was also an associate at Morrison & Foerster, where she represented clients on public trust issues, carbon sequestration projects, and conservation easements. Ale holds Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) and Masters of Law (LL.M.) degrees from Harvard Law School, and a law degree (LL.B.) from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México. 

Anne Smart

Vice President, ChargePoint

Anne Smart is the Vice President of Public Policy for North America for ChargePoint, one of the world’s largest network of electric vehicle charging stations. In this role, Anne leads federal, state and local policy teams in US and Canada, utility partnerships and regulatory policy, and the development and execution of grants, incentives and public-private partnerships. Before coming to ChargePoint, Anne was the Executive Director of The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC), a rooftop solar advocacy group founded by SolarCity and Sunrun. She also served as Director of Energy at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a public policy trade association representing Silicon Valley employers. Anne has a Master of Energy and Environmental Policy from the University of Delaware and Bachelor degrees in Public Administration and Environmental Studies from Miami University in Ohio. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Sara Rafalson

Vice President, Market Development and Public Policy, EVgo

Sara Rafalson is a Vice President of Market Development and Public Policy at EVgo, where she leads public policy efforts to support the expansion of EVgo’s fleet electrification work as well as the company’s nation-leading public EV fast charging network with over 800 locations across the U.S. Prior to joining the EVgo team, Ms. Rafalson led public policy and market strategy efforts for Sol Systems, a national solar energy development firm based in Washington, D.C. 

Stacy Noblet

Senior Director, Transportation Electrification, ICF

With more than 15 years of experience, Stacy is a transportation electrification specialist helping federal agencies, state and local governments, and utilities plan, design, and implement clean transportation strategies and programs. She has contributed to nationwide and local efforts to increase EV adoption through supportive infrastructure and policy development since modern-day EVs hit the roads in 2010. Stacy leads EV readiness plans, utility EV charging program design and execution, regulatory and policy tracking, and outreach and engagement.

Matthew Nelson

Director of Government Affairs, Electrify America

Matthew Nelson is the Director of Government Affairs for Electrify America LLC. He previously served as the Chief of Staff in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Matthew also served as U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Senior Policy Advisor for Energy, Transportation, and Climate Change for seven years.

Roman Partida-Lopez

Environmental Equity Legal Counsel, Greenlining Institute

Doreen Harris

President and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

Doreen M. Harris is the president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), a public benefit corporation that advances innovative energy solutions to improve New York State’s economy and environment.

Ms. Harris has held public and private sector leadership roles advancing clean energy projects and engineering companies for more than 20 years.

During her 10 years of public service, she has held executive, technical, and policy positions at NYSERDA. Most recently, as Vice President of Large-Scale Renewables, she oversaw the State’s nation-leading advancement of renewable resources under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, including the development of offshore wind. Before embarking on a career in public service, Ms. Harris spent more than a decade in the energy sector, serving in management and engineering roles.

Ms. Harris earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Rochester and a Master of Business Administration from the University at Albany.

Will Lauwers

Director, Emerging Technology Division, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources