Sep

26-28

Annual Meeting (Sep 26-28)

Energy company leaders are constantly facing challenges to adapt in uncharted territories, drive innovation, and collaborate toward shared solutions in the industry. This three-day event brings together the gas and electric utility executive community to encourage discussion and foster new opportunities. Attendees will learn from subject matter experts on a variety of topics such as: customer relations, global economic insights, new business models for utilities in a carbon constrained world, opportunities and challenges of big data, energy supply and demand forecasting, and visions for the utility of the future. This meeting coincides with the semi-annual WEI Board Meeting and the Business Acumen for Emerging Leaders team capstone presentations.

Register Now

General Details

  • Program Chair(s)
  • Aidan McSheffrey, Chief Financial Executive & Associate General Manager, Salt River Project

    • Program Location
    • Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines
    • 10950 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037
    • Who Should Attend
      • Energy industry executives
      • WEI Board of Directors
      • Executive Planning Committees
      • Service company providers
      • Senior management professionals
  • Registration Options
  • Member: $1,099 USD

    Registration price increases $150 after September 2, 2022. Registration includes digital program materials, 1 reception, 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, all presentations and panel discussions, and reception and dinner on Tuesday (Annual Service Company Dinner) and Wednesday. Guest tickets are available for $150 and allow for a personal guest (a spouse or partner who does not work in the energy industry) to accompany a registered attendee at the event. Guest registration includes all meals and receptions.

    Current participants in the Business Acumen for Emerging Leaders and Women in Leadership + Development programs can attend the 2022 Annual Meeting at no charge. The ticket option will be available for participants to select when they register.

  • General Cancellation Policy
  • Due to contractual obligations, cancellations received 15 business days prior to the program will receive a full refund. Cancellations received 6 to 14 business days prior to the event will receive a refund, less a $100 administrative fee. No shows and last minute cancellations, 5 business days prior to the event or less, will be responsible for the full registration fee. Substitutions from your organization for the same event are always welcome.
  • Participation Policy
  • Western Energy Institute programs and events are open to energy companies (including gas production and electric generation, gas and electric transmission and gas and electric distribution utilities). Select programs and events are open to energy industry product and service suppliers. Programs and events are closed to all media representatives and to the general public. Recording is not permitted for any portion of the event.
  • For more information contact Amy Nye, Program Manager at (971) 303-2119.

Agenda

Monday, September 26, 2022

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Women in Leadership

Open only to current Women in Leadership mentors and mentees.

12:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Hike

Pre-Registration and Payment Required. Spend the afternoon on the trails of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve with its natural beauty and peace in the midst of metropolitan San Diego. Explore this haven from the mesa top through groves of rare Torrey pine trees, wildflowers, and rugged sandstone cliffs, and down to the unspoiled beach. Discover how we need to protect and preserve this biogeographical island. This two hour hiking tour will be guided by the Torrey Pines Docent Society.  Wear comfortable shoes, bring your camera and sunscreen.  No food or drink will be allowed on hike. Transportation from and back to the hotel is included.

3:15 PM - 4:15 PM

WEI Board Executive Committee Meeting

Open only to executive committee members.

4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Registration Open

Visit the registration desk beginning at 4:00 PM to check in and pick up your name badge.

4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

WEI Board of Directors Meeting

Open only to board members.

5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Welcome Reception

​​​​​​​Sponsored by Henkels & McCoy

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Board of Directors Dinner

Invitation only. Open to board members and invited guests.
Sponsored by Burns & McDonnell

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

7:30 AM - 8:45 AM

Registration Open

8:00 AM - 8:45 AM

Networking Breakfast

8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

Welcome + Opening Remarks
Speaker(s): Aidan McSheffrey, Associate General Manager & Chief Financial Executive, Salt River Project

Sponsored by Black & Veatch

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

The Future Economy: Growth Opportunities
Speaker(s): Andrew Busch, Former Chief Market Intelligence Officer, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, U.S. Government

The coming year will be transformational as trends super-charged by the pandemic fully exert themselves on the economy. AI, robots, Zoom, and bitcoin are just a few of the extraordinary tools being leveraged right now to help business overcome, adapt, and thrive. As a futurist and economist, Andy dives deep into exploring how innovation, policy changes and societal shifts (war) drive opportunities. How are you challenging yourself with new ideas, new concepts, and innovation? Can you understand the economic forces driving change to lead you in transforming your business and adapting your strategy to take control of the future? Andy says, “Let’s explore the economic future by getting you the tools you need to be successful.”

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Networking Break

Sponsored by Guidehouse

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Emerging Stronger as Champions of Technology and Innovation
Moderator(s): Jana Mosley, President, ENMAX Power, ENMAX Corporation
Panelist(s): Chris Rogers, Partner, Guidehouse, Kim Sorensen, Partner, CIO Advisory, KPMG LLP, Brian Ryan, VP of Innovation, National Grid, Steve Westly, Founder & Managing Partner, The Westly Group

Building off our keynote, this panel of industry experts dives into how people, processes, technology, and innovation are driving change in our industry. Hear tangible examples of how our industry is moving forward in being a leader of innovation.

11:45 AM - 12:30 PM

Networking Lunch

Sponsored by PAR Western Line Contractors

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

A New Conversation: Actively Transforming a Company, Culture and Community
Speaker(s): Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour, America’s First Black Female Combat Pilot, Former Marine & Cop; Author, Zero to Breakthrough; and Consultant to Business

It’s time! This is about coming together – working to create an equitable culture for employees, stakeholders, and customers. A place where ALL can feel like they belong and are part of the team. It starts by establishing rules of engagement for civil, productive conversations that find solutions – not fault. Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour was a diversity officer for U.S. Marine Corps HQ; its liaison to the Pentagon. As a gay Black woman she brought valuable personal experience to her work. She learned: When you bring people together, their differences can result in tension…this is normal! How you manage that diversity is the key!

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Networking Break

Sponsored by Guidehouse

2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Turning Goals into Actions: Energy Leadership Discussion
Moderator(s): Caroline Winn, Chief Executive Officer, San Diego Gas & Electric Company
Panelist(s): Steve Powell, President and Chief Executive Officer, Southern California Edison, Mike Hummel, General Manager & Chief Executive Officer, Salt River Project, Jason Sharpe, President, ATCO Natural Gas, Jimmie Cho, Chief Operating Officer, Southern California Gas Company

Join our members for a dynamic conversation on issues and opportunities facing our industry. This panel of senior executives truly represents WEI’s diverse membership as we explore different viewpoints, synergies, and opportunities for collaboration towards a clean energy future.

3:15 PM - 3:30 PM

Networking Break

3:30 PM - 4:45 PM

Concurrent Meetings

Invitation-only leader committee meetings to design and inform WEI programs.

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

WEI Service Company Networking Event

It’s been a long three years since the last in person Annual Meeting. Reconnect with your colleagues this evening at an event hosted by our service company members. This reception style occasion is designed to promote interaction, networking, and reconnection. There will be heavy hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and a photo booth in a casual environment with options to sit or stand. Come join the fun!

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

7:45 AM - 8:45 AM

Breakfast and 2023 Western Energy Institute Theme
Speaker(s): Roger Dall'Antonia, President and CEO, FortisBC

Sponsored by Charge

8:45 AM - 9:30 AM

Networking Break

9:30 AM - 10:15 AM

A Little Nudge; The Customers Role in Accelerating the Energy Transition
Speaker(s): Don Bailey, General Manager, Pipeline Division, Michels Pacific Energy, Mike Bakke, Accounting and Finance Manager, Montana-Dakota Utilities, Sharat Batra, Power Engineering Manager, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, Megan Davis, Senior IT Project Manager, Tacoma Public Utilities, Pamela Hardy, Credit and Collections Supervisor, ENSTAR Natural Gas Company, Michael Leyland, Manager, Innovative Initiatives, FortisBC

Efficiency programs are a pillar of the energy transition, and utilities must rely on customers to increasingly use energy more efficiently to help meet emission reduction targets. How can utilities both improve the customer experience and more effectively nudge customers to participate in these programs?

9:30 AM - 10:15 AM

Paradigm Shift to 2050: From Natural Competitors To Collaborative Allies
Speaker(s): Ashley Fenwick, Manager – Forestry Work Management, Hydro One Inc., Anna Wade, Business Line Manager, Eugene Water & Electric Board, Essen Otu, Manager of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Salt River Project, Laura Morgan, Operations Supervisor, FortisBC, Marquez Gonzales, Sr. Strategic Account Manager, Altec, Inc., Miguel Moncada, SMS Program Manager, Southern California Gas Company

What happens if energy providers shift from natural competitors to collaborative allies to achieve the common goal of carbon neutrality by 2050? Our capstone team seeks to explore, forecast and create a compelling vision for what this could mean for future generations and our industry by exploring the cooperative opportunities that exist between electric and gas providers to deliver a reliable, equitable, and affordable energy mix that meets customer expectations.

To arrive at our destination, we must first look at where we are today and how we got here. We must utilize existing infrastructure, markets, and industry interdependencies to maximize these collaborative opportunities that exist both behind and in front of the meter.

10:15 AM - 10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:30 AM - 11:15 AM

Rate Concepts for the Energy Transition
Speaker(s): Nick Carter, Manager, Operations & Planning Engineering, Portland General Electric, Andrea Furman, Program Manager, ATCO Natural Gas, Kira Hutchens, Workforce Services Manager, Eugene Water & Electric Board, Monica Mogg, Environmental Specialist III, Williams Northwest Pipeline, Raquel D Onsurez, Plant Chemistry Supervisor, El Paso Electric Company, Joshua Rasin, Supervisor, Emerging Technologies, Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Utilities are faced with an unprecedented and accelerated energy transition that has a material impact on business optimization and customer requirements. We will explore the challenges and evaluate how utilities can evolve rate designs to meet changing business requirements and customer expectations.

10:30 AM - 11:15 AM

Building Partnerships That Last Through Customer Engagement
Speaker(s): Amanuel Moges, Manager, ENMAX Power IT, ENMAX Corporation, Jenni DeGreeff, Director, Engineering Services, New Mexico Gas Company, Paul Kiss, Operations Superintendent, Snohomish County PUD, Shawn Nieuwsma, Gas Supply Manager, MDU Utilities Group, Stephen Tao, Manager, Asset Management, ATCO Electric

There’s never been a time when customer engagement has mattered more. Our utility customers are expecting us to provide the same level of experience and capabilities as banks, telecommunications providers and ride hailing companies whose strategies, including customer choice, are driving and supporting Customer Engagement in what were once utilitarian sectors. Customer Engagement drives loyalty, retention, and highlights the relevance of the Utility in our customers’ lives. 

In an era of decarbonization, electrification, energy transition, sustainability, and a challenging regulatory environment, we, the utilities, cannot go at it alone. This group will facilitate a panel discussion that will explore opportunities to strengthen and leverage Customer Engagement to propel the utilities into our uncertain future through innovation, customer partnership and advocacy.

11:15 AM - 11:30 AM

Networking Break

11:30 AM - 12:15 PM

Innovate or Die
Speaker(s): Kat Bridwell, Department Manager / Sr. Project Engineer, POWER Engineers, Inc., Toni Hoang, Enterprise Risk Manager, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Nathan Hoffart, Manager, Customer Solutions, SaskPower, Greg Sancewich, Manager, Real Estate Services, Seattle City Light, Sunny Shokar, Manager, Capital Reporting, Apex Utilities Inc., Erin Henlin, Manager, Talent Development, Southwest Gas Corporation

Traditional utilities are faced with complex issues and dramatic changes in innovation and technology, driven by clean, reliable, and affordable energy solutions. As customers have come to embrace these changes; the challenge for traditional utilities is to continue the status quo or reimagine what’s possible.

Keeping the status quo assumes the world will remain unchanging and that others aren’t using this transitionary time to find a way to disrupt the traditional utility model.  

The story of UtilityX explores areas of service that are otherwise untouched and focused on a particular customer need.  The need for customer-centric approach is especially true in the era of personalization.  UtilityX breaks the traditional utility model and redefines how energy and energy solutions are delivered to customers.  

Join us for a brand-new talk show called The Disruptors! In this series, we are talking about the disruption of the traditional utility business model. Our guests will be the leadership team of UtilityX, who is taking the utility industry by storm and illustrating the art of the possible.  

11:30 AM - 12:15 PM

Putting the V Back In EVP
Speaker(s): Eric Montag, Assistant Director, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, Meghna Khatri, Sr. Manager, California ISO, Michelle Heskett, Gas Operations Manager, Avista Utilities, Ravi K Parhar, Director, Legal Services, ENMAX Corporation, Seth Bandurraga, Supervisor Operations, Williams Northwest Pipeline, Sully Flores, Operations Superintendent, El Paso Electric Company

Our Capstone Project is about redesigning the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) to address concerns with employee retention and talent attraction. An EVP is the sum of all offerings and benefits employees receive in exchange for the time, services, skills, experiences, and capabilities they provide, but also signals the values of the company. The EVP is unique to each company, and it details the benefits an employee receives, including specific offerings such as salary, vacation time, pension, wellness, training, etc. Recent events have caused a large shift in the workplace and in the mentality of prospective as well as current employees. This shift is mainly related to the flexibility and optionality in the performance of employment and resultingly, expectations have changed. Industry is experiencing an employee market with what many are calling the ‘great resignation’, and in order to attract and retain top talent, employers are needing to become more creative in their EVP offerings, or they are simply going to be stagnant or regress. The needs or interests of employees and their respective values, individually and generationally, vary greatly and in many cases, there is a greater employee focus on physical and mental well-being and social responsibility, in addition to financial well-being. A comprehensive EVP can be created to accommodate these needs and wants, giving everyone the ability to tailor their benefits as they see fit to meet their personal/professional goals and needs.

12:15 PM - 1:15 PM

Networking Lunch

Sponsored by Groebner

1:15 PM - 2:00 PM

Building a Resilient Workforce Ready to Embrace Change
Speaker(s): Tanya Bouchie, Director, System Performance & Standards, ENMAX Corporation, Habibou Maiga, Grid Planning and Optimization Manager, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, Diana Rushfeldt, Program Change Management and Business Transformation Manager, CIS Replacement Program, ATCO Natural Gas, John Wilcox, Director of Accounting, Avista Corp.

Changes are coming at us in every direction – expectations from customers, employees, regulators, evolving technology, decarbonization – the list goes on. The sheer volume and pace of change required and desired in the utility industry today is staggering. How quickly our organizations can adapt to the necessary changes will ultimately determine our success. While we may not know exactly what the future holds and what each specific change may look like, we do know that resilient teams are better equipped to adapt to changes.

While individuals have a baseline level of resilience there are opportunities to continue to develop resilient behaviors and skills that will serve to increase capacity in an organization. Leaders play a crucial role in setting up their teams to build and develop these skills. This presentation will explore how leaders can intentionally build an agile and resilient workforce through developing those skills in our existing employees and attracting future employees with the mindset needed to adapt and overcome in the face of transformational change.

1:15 PM - 2:00 PM

Reality Check – Is There a Future for Extended Reality in the Utility Industry?
Speaker(s): Austin Antillon, Project Manager, Ferreira Power, Cynthia Hodges, HR Strategy and Operations, Portland General Electric, Erica Jacalone, Environmental Field Services Managers, Southern California Gas Company, Hina Arai, Senior Policy and Project Manager, Seattle City Light, Kayla Klassen, Manager, Environmental Performance & Reporting, SaskPower, Tyler Hansen, Stations Senior Manager, Idaho Power Company

There’s a potential for virtual, augmented and mixed reality to have wide applications across the energy industry. These technologies have the potential to support workers and save costs with real-time imaging and scanning that can be overlayed with virtual objects integrating layers of information in one visual frame. Our presentation aims to discuss why or why not a utility might pursue these technologies. We’ll explore the benefits and drawbacks of current and future applications of mixed reality through an engaging debate. The audience can expect insights on how mixed reality can add value to some of today’s emerging issues including safety, training and knowledge transfer, environmental stewardship, productivity, stakeholder engagement and remote work space. We aim to inform our audience through a thought provoking discussion on how mixed reality could be applied at their organizations. Can mixed reality add sufficient value, or do we need a reality check to move on?

2:00 PM - 2:15 PM

Networking Break

2:15 PM - 3:00 PM

Disruptive Innovation: Reinventing Utility Supply Chains
Speaker(s): Sarah Allen, Manger Customer Interactions, NorthWestern Energy, Lance Hughes, Safety Program Manager, Eugene Water & Electric Board, Erin Potter, Manager, Operations Inventory SW & Logistics Support, SaskPower, Ryan Shin, Pipeline Safety Manager, Southern California Gas Company, Mitchell Wagner, Senior Distribution Engineering Technician, Central Lincoln PUD

Supply chain disruptions have hit utilities exceptionally hard, and the full scale of these impacts are finally starting to take shape. Material shortages and long delivery lead times are challenging all aspects of utility operations. The severity of the problem is being exacerbated by an inrush of orders from utilities attempting to stockpile as much material as possible and alleviate problematic inventory shortages. The resulting feedback-loop is causing manufacturers to further delay timelines for new orders. This is not a sustainable supply chain model, so the question becomes – what type of innovative solutions are possible for utilities to regain some control of their inventory?  Taking inspiration from mutual aid agreements came forth the idea for Utility Supply Exchange Network or USENet. Similar to third party software apps like Uber, eBay or Craigslist, USENet would facilitate a platform that would connect utilities looking to buy, sell or exchange materials. Examples may include matching a company in need of materials with another company looking to shed excess inventory or one that has no plans for immediate usage. USENet would allow utilities to bypass manufacturers, potentially eliminate new orders, and help distribute material in a mutually beneficial fashion. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented solutions, and USENet is just that.

2:15 PM - 3:00 PM

Navigating Equitable Energy
Speaker(s): Angela Long, Strategy & Planning Manager of Distributed Energy Planning (DRP), Portland General Electric, Christina Arndt, Manager, Water Utility, Snohomish County PUD, Richard Kiser, Supervisor Integrity Management Program, Dominion Energy Utah, Ted Burrell, General Manager EEDO, EPCOR Distribution and Transmission Inc.

What does equitable energy mean to your communities? Why is it an important part of the transition to a net zero carbon industry? Regulators are asking for and requiring community engagement, but only you know and can connect with your community! Proactively focus on how new partnerships can and will be formed and leveraged to benefit energy initiatives and plans, while building goodwill with communities, partners, and regulators.

3:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Networking Break

3:15 PM - 4:00 PM

The Utility Connection
Speaker(s): Brian Booth, Sr. Mgr: Rates, Economics, & Energy Risk Management, Snohomish County PUD, Barbara Cenalmor Bruquetas, Manager, Market Strategies and Engagement, Salt River Project, Adam Plonsky, Manager, Environmental, Dominion Energy, Doug Rivard, Superintendent – Distribution Lines, Hydro One Inc., Sabi Valdez, Manager of Operator Training Center and Policies & Procedures, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, Jesse Wilson, Manager - Advanced Metering Infrastructure, EPCOR Distribution and Transmission Inc.

Tired of traditional utility monopolies? Sick of the same old same old, always putting their priorities ahead of yours? Join us for another exciting episode of “The Utility Connection,” where the utilities compete for your business! One very eligible customer will have a chance to interview four utilities, all of which will put their best foot forward in the hopes of being the utility of choice. Who will get the customer and who will lose out? Find out on “The Utility Connection!”

3:15 PM - 4:00 PM

Back to the Future: Creating a Culture of Innovation to Move Forward
Speaker(s): Crystal M Allen, Innovation Program Manager, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Lynn Ranf, Internal Audit Manager, NorthWestern Energy, David Stratichuk, Manager Operation Technology, FortisAlberta Inc., Ramanathan Veeraraghavan, Project Delivery and Support Services Manager, Tacoma Public Utilities, Robert Lindsay, General Manger, Inuvik Gas, ATCO Natural Gas, Wilhelmina Proby, Customer Contact Center Manager, NW Natural

Our current utility model is losing relevance, and our industry its identity. We must create a culture of innovation and creative thinking to address issues around workforce and climate change to ensure that we survive our rapidly changing world. Using history to explore lessons learned we will “travel through time” to develop a strategic plan for our future. 

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Break

5:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Reception, Dinner and Graduation Ceremony for Business Acumen

All Annual Meeting attendees encouraged to attend.
Sponsored by SENSIT Technologies

Hotel + Travel

  • Reservation Instructions
  • Please contact the hotel directly at (858) 558-1500 to reserve your room. Identify yourself as being with Western Energy Institute (WEI)and use the discount code ‘WEI922’ to receive a special rate of $235 USD/night. This rate is guaranteed until September 2, 2022 or until the WEI room block is full.

    If you have any reservations questions or changes, please reach out to Kristin Walker, Senior Event Manager at the Hilton Ja Jolla Torrey Pines at 858-450-4538.

Women in Leadership

Monday, September 26, 2022

11:00 AM – 11:15 AM
Registration + Check In
Catch up with your mentor or mentee and plan to sit together for lunch. If your mentor or mentee can’t attend, Diana will help pair you up with another mentor or mentee.

11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
Lunch + Networking

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Leadership Journey
Speaker: Mahvash Yazdi, President, Feasible Management Consulting
We have an opportunity to learn best practices from Mahvash’s firsthand experiences as she navigated the energy industry. She will high-light challenges women face in the industry, how she promotes diversity, promoting women in the industry, leadership styles and conflict strategies.

1:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Reflection and Wrap Up
Speaker: Christy Fanous, Southern California Edison

5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Welcome Reception

Onsite Safety + Health Info

Effective August 18, 2022, proof of vaccination status or results of a negative COVID-19 test will not be required for admittance into most WEI-hosted programs.

WEI continues to monitor all federal level CDC, Canadian government and public health agency recommendations, as well as local ordinances, as a policy baseline for in-person programs. We encourage all attendees to review the current guidelines related to isolation and precautions prior to traveling to a WEI event, as well as guidance for traveling to and from Canada, which may differ from guidance for traveling to or from the United States.

Some WEI-hosted programs may require proof of vaccination status, if essential for participation, in which case WEI will communicate this requirement in advance of the program start date.

Please refer to WEI’s Safety + Health Code of Conduct for other important considerations.

Program Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors
Black + Veatch-01Burns + McDonnell-01Copperleaf-01  HDR-01Henkels + McCoy-01Honeywell-01KPMG-01Rokstad-01-01SAP-01

Gold Sponsors
ActiveTelesource-01Acros-01 Barnard-01
     TDW-03-01Wilson Construction-01

Session + Event Services Sponsors

Copperleaf-01Burns + McDonnell-01Henkels + McCoy-01Black + Veatch-01

Meet The Speakers

Aidan McSheffrey

Salt River Project

Associate General Manager & Chief Financial Executive

Andrew Busch

Commodity Futures Trading Commission, U.S. Government

Former Chief Market Intelligence Officer
Learn More

Andrew Busch is the former 1st Chief Market Intelligence Officer for the US government and economic futurist at AndrewBusch.com. For the CFTC, he was charged with improving and enhancing the government’s understanding of the markets and the economy. His job was to take all the news, information and data on the economy and markets; and filter it into condensed, easily understood research; then communicate it to the government and public.

Andy provided economic and market briefings to White House, US House, US Senate, the SEC, the Federal Reserve Board and the US Treasury staff on a wide range of issues including interest rates, inflation, China’s influence on trade, and the impact of technology on the economy.

Prior to joining the CFTC, Mr. Busch was CEO and founder of a boutique financial markets and policy research firm, Bering Productions, Inc (BPI). Before BPI, he was the Global Currency and Public Policy Strategist for Bank of Montreal (BMO) in Chicago. He is author of the book World Event Trading covering large crises, like infectious disease outbreaks and war, and their impact on the economy and markets.

Today, he’s a consultant and keynote speaker with a wide range of clients including chemicals, financial services, energy, real estate, manufacturing, construction and agriculture.

Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour

Former Marine & Cop; Author, Zero to Breakthrough; and Consultant to Business

America’s First Black Female Combat Pilot
Learn More

Combat tests you. Being a beat cop tests you. Life tests you. Three brothers and being the only girl…tests you. Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour has been tested her whole life. A gutsy trailblazer, her resume is an impressive collection of “firsts” including America’s first Black femalecombat pilot. She served two tours of duty in Iraq as a Marine. She was also a diversity liaison officer to the Pentagon for Headquarters Marine Corps. After her military service, FlyGirlrevved up her careerin the private sector as an entrepreneur, consultant to business, and author ofZero to Breakthrough, The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter.As a speaker, FlyGirl unleashes hard-hitting advice and amazing anecdotes from her adventures on the battlefield and in business. She helps individuals and organizations Get Gutsy and build a sustainable inner force and conviction, that results in accomplishing significant goals. In 2007, FlyGirl launched VAI Consulting & Training, LLC. Through that work, she helps individuals and organizations make gutsy moves and create breakthrough results by applying her “Zero to BreakthroughTM” Success Model –a mindset that helped to propel her career and kept her safe in air combat. FlyGirl regularly takes her message to premier meetings and conferences worldwide and is a Gutsy Confidence Mentor for elite senior executive Women in Tech. As her newest business venture, in 2020 FlyGirl started FlyGirl Construction, a General Contracting Firm in the Atlanta, GA area. As a Black gay woman and single mom, FlyGirl brings vital experience to her role as a member of the Forbes School of Business & Technology Board of Advisors and COMCAST/NBCUniversal Joint Diversity Council. FlyGirl has two honorary doctorates and has received numerous awards as a pioneering pilot, including honors for her commanding role in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour’s story has been featured in the media including on CNN, MSNBC, The View, FOX News, Oprah Winfrey and many more, along with being a running back for the San Diego Sunfire professional women’s football team and two-time title holder of Camp Pendleton’s Strongest Warrior Competition.

Roger Dall’Antonia

FortisBC

President and CEO
Learn More

Mr. Dall’Antonia is President and Chief Executive Officer for FortisBC Inc. and FortisBC Energy Inc., overseeing electricity and natural gas business operations. With more than 25 years of experience in the energy industry, he has been trusted in numerous leadership roles throughout the organization, including executive oversight of customer service and technology, regulatory affairs, strategic planning and corporate development, finance and treasury. Mr. Dall’Antonia serves on the board of directors of the Canadian Gas Association, Electricity Canada, and Western Energy Institute, as well as the Board of Governors for the BC Business Council. He is also a board member for the FortisBC group of companies and Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. and has previously served on the board of the Down Syndrome Research Foundation and Resource Centre. Mr. Dall’Antonia holds a BBA from Simon Fraser University and an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Don Bailey

Michels Pacific Energy

General Manager, Pipeline Division

Mike Bakke

Montana-Dakota Utilities

Accounting and Finance Manager

Sharat Batra

Los Angeles Department of Water & Power

Power Engineering Manager

Megan Davis

Tacoma Public Utilities

Senior IT Project Manager

Pamela Hardy

ENSTAR Natural Gas Company

Credit and Collections Supervisor

Michael Leyland

FortisBC

Manager, Innovative Initiatives

Nick Carter

Portland General Electric

Manager, Operations & Planning Engineering

Andrea Furman

ATCO Natural Gas

Program Manager
Learn More

Andrea is currently the Manager, Project Services at ATCO and has over 15 years of natural gas pipeline design, inspection and project management experience. In the role of Manager within the Project Services team Andrea provides leadership to a team that is responsible for implementing solutions, leveraging common processes and technology to improve how ATCO manages its capital projects and programs. In addition, Andrea is responsible for managing the project and program plans, budgets and forecasts and supports the strategic initiatives of the business through project implementations.
Andrea received her BSc in Chemical Engineering in 2004 from the University of Alberta and is a registered Professional Engineer with APEGA. When she is not working Andrea enjoys spending time with her husband, two kids (ages 11 and 14) and their Golden Retriever Sam.

Kira Hutchens

Eugene Water & Electric Board

Workforce Services Manager

Monica Mogg

Williams Northwest Pipeline

Environmental Specialist III

Raquel D Onsurez

El Paso Electric Company

Plant Chemistry Supervisor

Joshua Rasin

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Supervisor, Emerging Technologies
Learn More

Josh Rasin is the Supervisor of Emerging Technologies on the R&D team at SMUD. This followed 7 years at TRC (formerly HMG) as an energy consultant working with Utility clients to manage energy efficiency and demand response pilots, as well as representing the IOUs working on Codes and Standards with the California Energy Commission. At SMUD, Josh managed the Demand Response Potential Study, and has been active as a contributor to the 2030 Zero Carbon Plan, and Planning and Evaluating Technology demonstrations and customer pilots for technologies straddling the energy efficiency, building electrification, and load flexibility spheres. He also represents SMUD in numerous industry-facing groups at the state and national levels, including the statewide Codes and Standards team, EPRI, and various other entities. In his free time, Joshua enjoys snowboarding, hiking and generally being outdoors with his wife and two young sons.

Kat Bridwell

POWER Engineers, Inc.

Department Manager / Sr. Project Engineer

Toni Hoang

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Enterprise Risk Manager

Nathan Hoffart

SaskPower

Manager, Customer Solutions

Greg Sancewich

Seattle City Light

Manager, Real Estate Services

Sunny Shokar

Apex Utilities Inc.

Manager, Capital Reporting
Learn More

Sunny Shokar has extensive experience in the utilities sector and developed skills in financial reporting and analytics, budget development and management, financial policy and procedure development, and business process improvements. She has been employed with Apex Utilities Inc. (formerly AltaGas Utilities Inc.) since 2007, and her current role is Manager, Regulatory. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, and is a CMA, CPA.

Erin Henlin

Southwest Gas Corporation

Manager, Talent Development

Tanya Bouchie

ENMAX Corporation

Director, System Performance & Standards

Habibou Maiga

San Diego Gas & Electric Company

Grid Planning and Optimization Manager

Diana Rushfeldt

ATCO Natural Gas

Program Change Management and Business Transformation Manager, CIS Replacement Program
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Di has been with ATCO for just over 15 years and has held a variety of diverse roles in the Natural Gas division during that time. Starting her career in Engineering she held roles within Electronics and Instrumentation, Distribution Design Engineering, Mains Replacement and Integrity. In 2015, Di transitioned to a Project Management role within a Business Led IT Project and has been primarily working in technology implementations ever since. Di’s current role is Program Change Management and Business Transformation Manager, for ATCO’s Natural Gas Customer Information System (CIS) Replacement Program. Di’s responsibilities on the program include leading the organizational change management and target operating model (business operations and technology support functions) development workstreams.

John Wilcox

Avista Corp.

Director of Accounting

Sarah Allen

NorthWestern Energy

Manger Customer Interactions

Lance Hughes

Eugene Water & Electric Board

Safety Program Manager

Erin Potter

SaskPower

Manager, Operations Inventory SW & Logistics Support

Ryan Shin

Southern California Gas Company

Pipeline Safety Manager

Mitchell Wagner

Central Lincoln PUD

Senior Distribution Engineering Technician

Brian Booth

Snohomish County PUD

Sr. Mgr: Rates, Economics, & Energy Risk Management

Barbara Cenalmor Bruquetas

Salt River Project

Manager, Market Strategies and Engagement

Adam Plonsky

Dominion Energy

Manager, Environmental

Doug Rivard

Hydro One Inc.

Superintendent – Distribution Lines

Sabi Valdez

Los Angeles Department of Water & Power

Manager of Operator Training Center and Policies & Procedures

Jesse Wilson

EPCOR Distribution and Transmission Inc.

Manager - Advanced Metering Infrastructure

Ashley Fenwick

Hydro One Inc.

Manager – Forestry Work Management

Anna Wade

Eugene Water & Electric Board

Business Line Manager

Essen Otu

Salt River Project

Manager of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Laura Morgan

FortisBC

Operations Supervisor

Marquez Gonzales

Altec, Inc.

Sr. Strategic Account Manager
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Marquez Gonzales Sr. Strategic Account manager for Altec Industries, Inc. Marq’s responsibilities includes managing the Pacific Gas and Electric and Sacramento Municipal Utility District accounts.
Marquez started as an engineering intern in 2005. In 2016, he transitioned to a role as the production supervisor over the small aerial final assembly line at Western Operations. One year later, Marquez rejoined the final assembly engineering teams, where he did systems design, FEA, and structural design. He was on the Green Fleet cross functional engineering team and worked on serval RCI events to improve the application engineering processes. In 2009, Marquez was given the opportunity to lead the Western Operation team as the Quality Manager. He focused on customer satisfaction, data collection and analysis, and process improvements. Marquez then accepted his current role as the PG&E Sr. Account Manager in 2013. In this role, he has helped to facilitate the expansion of PG&E’s equipment portfolio to include gas services bodies, mechanic’s trucks and line pulling equipment, compliance vehicles and dump trucks. Marquez is a member of the Society of Automotive engineers and the American welding society. He earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State University Sacramento. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Jenny and has two children, Isla and Gunnar. He enjoys mountain biking, hunting, camping, water/snow skiing and spending time with his family on the lake.

Miguel Moncada

Southern California Gas Company

SMS Program Manager

Amanuel Moges

ENMAX Corporation

Manager, ENMAX Power IT
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Amanuel Moges is Manager of Business Technology Services with focus on Software Applications and Integrations for ENMAX Power Corporation. Amanuel has held various leadership roles within Information Technology, leading in areas of application and integration development, reporting, third party/vendor application and mobile+field focused support. He currently leads a department of multidisciplinary staff responsible for the delivery and reliable operations of systems in support of ENMAX Power’s critical functions. This includes systems in areas of Billing, GIS, AMI, Engineering, System Operations and Customer Experience. Amanuel graduated with a BSc in Computer Science with focus on Software Engineering from the University of Victoria. When not working, Amanuel enjoys [spontaneous] travel and pursues creative outlets.

Jenni DeGreeff

New Mexico Gas Company

Director, Engineering Services

Paul Kiss

Snohomish County PUD

Operations Superintendent

Shawn Nieuwsma

MDU Utilities Group

Gas Supply Manager

Stephen Tao

ATCO Electric

Manager, Asset Management

Eric Montag

Los Angeles Department of Water & Power

Assistant Director
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22 years with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Currently manage LADWP’s Project Management of Major Capital Projects Section

Managed for two years LADWP’s Power Distribution and Engineering Support Section

Managed for 2 1/2 years LADWP’s Power System Strategic Planning
* Included Integrated Resource Planning (IRP), Energy Imbalance Market, LA100 Study with NREL, Utility and Customer Solar, EV program, Large PPA group

15 years managing working in the Major Projects group on building new
– High voltage transmission line and new switching statino
– Wind Farm (DWP’s only self built)
– Distributing Station
– Gas Generating Station repowering
– Oversight over large solar PPA

Meghna Khatri

California ISO

Sr. Manager

Michelle Heskett

Avista Utilities

Gas Operations Manager

Ravi K Parhar

ENMAX Corporation

Director, Legal Services
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I joined ENMAX Corporation in 2015 as legal counsel and just recently took on the role of Vice President, Legal and Compliance. I I’ve been involved in providing legal and business advice for a number of transactions, procurement and construction projects for both the wires and generation business among other things and am always on a journey to develop my leadership qualities. I received my BSc in Electrical Engineering in 2009 and then a Juris Doctorate of Law in 2013 and was called to the Alberta bar in 2014. In my free time I enjoy travelling and trying out new restaurants.

Seth Bandurraga

Williams Northwest Pipeline

Supervisor Operations

Sully Flores

El Paso Electric Company

Operations Superintendent

Austin Antillon

Ferreira Power

Project Manager

Cynthia Hodges

Portland General Electric

HR Strategy and Operations

Erica Jacalone

Southern California Gas Company

Environmental Field Services Managers

Hina Arai

Seattle City Light

Senior Policy and Project Manager

Kayla Klassen

SaskPower

Manager, Environmental Performance & Reporting
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Hello! I’m Kayla Klassen and I have worked for SaskPower since 2014. I’m an Environmental Engineer and I currently manage the Environmental Performance and Reporting team. I’m fortunate to be able to manage a diverse portfolio of environmental initiatives and programs. An interesting part of my work is that I manage a greenhouse owned and operated by SaskPower that annually distributes tree seedlings across the province of Saskatchewan. With SaskPower’s historical reliance on fossil fuels, I’m passionate and eager to participate in the clean energy transition and am excited to apply the experience I gain from this program to assist SaskPower through this challenging and exciting time. I live in Regina, Saskatchewan with my husband and our two children (ages 7 and 5).

Tyler Hansen

Idaho Power Company

Stations Senior Manager

Angela Long

Portland General Electric

Strategy & Planning Manager of Distributed Energy Planning (DRP)

Christina Arndt

Snohomish County PUD

Manager, Water Utility

Richard Kiser

Dominion Energy Utah

Supervisor Integrity Management Program
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Richard Kiser is the Integrity Management supervisor for Dominion Energy’s DEUWI gas distribution company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has 15 years of experience in the industry and nine years of experience in integrity management. He was selected in 2013 to lead the development of the distribution integrity management program, which lead to supervising both the transmission and distribution integrity programs. While in this role some of his accomplishments included leading the development of a new subject matter expert risk process, expanding program performance metrics, adding intelligence to the leak reporting process for improved data quality, expansion of Management of Change process, and tripling the number of piggable miles in the inline inspection program. He earned his Master of Mechanical Engineering and MBA from the University of Utah. Richard is also licensed as a professional engineer in the state of Utah. He adores his beautiful wife and 5 kids and loves spend time with them.

Ted Burrell

EPCOR Distribution and Transmission Inc.

General Manager EEDO

Crystal M Allen

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Innovation Program Manager

Lynn Ranf

NorthWestern Energy

Internal Audit Manager

David Stratichuk

FortisAlberta Inc.

Manager Operation Technology
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Dave Stratichuk is the Manager of Operation Technology at FortisAlberta. He has been with FortisAlberta for 18 years. In his current role, Mr. Stratichuk is responsible to execute project initiatives within FortisAlberta’s Grid Modernization Program focusing on Mobile Workforce Management and delivering innovative tools and technology to end-users. Mr. Stratichuk began his career at FortisAlberta in 2005 as a Temporary Laborer on a distribution construction crew and progressively held a variety of positions at the field level until becoming Area Manager Field Operations in 2018. Prior to becoming Manager Operation Technology, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of leading operational and construction crews to provide safe and reliable service to FortisAlberta’s customers.

Ramanathan Veeraraghavan

Tacoma Public Utilities

Project Delivery and Support Services Manager

Robert Lindsay

ATCO Natural Gas

General Manger, Inuvik Gas
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I have been working in the natural gas industry for ATCO since 2002, starting at an entry level position in Edmonton. In 2004, I moved into a Distribution Operator Field role. This role consisted of responding to emergency calls and general operations and maintenance of a gas distribution system. In 2013 I took on a new challenge and moved into ATCO’s Workforce Development Group. This new role entailed the development and delivery of all training materials for field staff. It also included the development and implementation of an in-house program that mirrors a regulated apprenticeship for field staff. In 2015, I moved into a supervisor leadership role in one of ATCO’s Operations groups. My primary function was to oversee the operations and maintenance budget, planning of critical inspections, and managing staff within the team. This was done with a team of 15 field staff and 30 part time inspectors. I was then moved into a secondment role in 2017 managing all three Operation teams in the Edmonton/Capital Region. In 2018, the business restructured the leadership team to meet business needs. I was placed back into the Workforce Development group to develop leadership training. In 2019, I moved into leading one of three construction groups in Edmonton. This role was about overseeing and leading the safe execution of large distribution projects throughout the city and capital region. I went back to school in 2020 and completed a Business Management/Digital Marketing program through CDI college. I have currently relocated to Inuvik, NWT as the General Manager for Inuvik Gas Ltd. This role is about managing the assets and managing the interests of the company. I am a family-oriented person, and a proud father of two children. I also enjoy meeting new people as a fishing guide on Alberta’s northern lakes.

Wilhelmina Proby

NW Natural

Customer Contact Center Manager
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Wilhelmina Proby is the Manager of the Customer Contact Center at NW Natural in Portland, Oregon. Wilhelmina has 20 years of customer service experience, 15 of which working in a contact center environment. In her time with NW Natural, Wilhelmina has worked in many capacities including Contact Center Supervisor, and most recently the Emergency Contact Center Supervisor, before moving into the CCC Manager role in October of 2021.

A native of Portland, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Colorado State University. Wilhelmina considers herself a servant leader who strives to better any team in which she is apart. An advocate for diversity and inclusion, she served on the NW Natural DE&I Council from 2015 – 2018, two of which as co-Chair. In 2020 she became one of the inaugural co-Chairs of the African American ERG.

Steven Powell

Southern California Edison

President and Chief Executive Officer
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Steven Powell is president and chief executive officer of Southern California Edison, one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric utilities, safely delivering reliable, clean and affordable power to more than 15 million people in a 50,000-square-mile service area spanning Central, Coastal and Southern California. He is a member of SCE’s board of directors.
Previously, Powell served as executive vice president, Operations, where he led many of SCE’s operations groups — including Transmission & Distribution, Customer Service, Safety, Security, and Business Resiliency, and Operational Services. Powell has held a variety of positions of progressing responsibility since joining the company in 2000, including senior vice president of Strategy, Planning and Operational Performance, where he developed SCE’s long-term strategy, identifying and executing strategic projects, prioritizing technology development, integrated resource planning and driving operational improvements.
He has also held leadership positions in resource planning and strategy, gas and power procurement and SCE’s plug-in electric vehicle readiness efforts.
Powell serves as chair of the Research Advisory Committee for the Electric Power Research Institute and is on the California Science Center Foundation board of trustees.
He has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles and received his MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Michael Hummel

Salt River Project

General Manager & Chief Executive Officer
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Mike Hummel was named as SRP’s General Manager and Chief Executive Officer in March 2018. Mike has 40 years at Salt River Project and has served in several executive level positions. Prior to his selection as GM/CEO, he was SRP’s Deputy General Manager, Resources & Finance and responsible for activities associated with Financial & Corporate Services; Strategy, Resource Planning & Acquisitions; Environmental Management, Policy & Compliance; Power Generation, and Power Delivery. He was named Associate General Manager & Chief Power System Executive in July 2011. In that role, he was responsible for activities associated with electric system planning, engineering, and operations, and electrical generation, including coal, nuclear, natural gas and renewable resources, such as hydroelectric, solar, wind and geothermal.
He holds a M.B.A. from Arizona State University and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arizona. Hummel is a registered Professional Engineer in Arizona and Nevada; and he also successfully completed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Nuclear Reactor Technology Program. As an active leader on professional, technical and community boards, Hummel currently serves on Board of Directors for Teach for America; Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI); Greater Phoenix Leadership (GPL); Large Public Power Council (LPPC), and Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (NEIL).

Chris Rogers

Guidehouse

Partner
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Chris Rogers is a Partner at Guidehouse serving as the West Market Leader for our Energy Provider Practice. In this role, Chris is responsible for the overall general management of the West-area practice, ensuring our teams are bringing the best of Guidehouse to our clientele and delivering with delight. An accomplished leader with 25 years+ in management and technology consulting across multiple industries, for the past 7 years, Chris has been focused on solving the most complex challenges and opportunities brought by the triple transformation afoot within the energy industry: business and regulatory model change, the clean energy transition, and digitalization.
Imbued with an entrepreneurial spirit, Chris’s leadership style and ability to execute has led to a number of leadership positions prior to Guidehouse including leader of the Utility and Energy Vertical for WWT, CEO of Delphiis, a SaaS company for healthcare and financial services, and General Manager for FusionStorm’s Cloud Services Group. Mr. Rogers has started, built, led, and sold technology solutions companies including Netway, Inc. where he was the founder and CEO, and SSI, Inc. where he served as President. Mr. Rogers attended Washington University in St. Louis where he studied Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and French.
Combining his years of leadership experience and a vision for the future, Chris works every day to ensure we leave the world better than we found it by enabling our clients to achieve the reality of a sustainable, decarbonized, economically viable world.

Jana Mosley

ENMAX Corporation

President, ENMAX Power
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Jana Mosley is the President at ENMAX Power, responsible for ENMAX’s regulated transmission and distribution (wires) business in Calgary. She also directs ENMAX’s power infrastructure engineering and maintenance services.
With over two decades of industry experience, Jana has worked for various utilities, industrial consumers, generators and the Alberta Electric System Operator. Prior to joining ENMAX in 2015, Jana served as President for Similan Consulting Inc. and advised companies across North America on electricity policy application, connection to the transmission grid, utility operations and project management.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manitoba, is a Registered Professional Engineer with APEGA, has a Project Management Professional designation and an ICD.D designation, and completed the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School. In addition to her role at ENMAX, she serves on the board of the Western Energy Institute, Women+Power, and Women in Communication and Technology and is a 2022 Calgary Influential Women in Business award winner.

Kim Sorensen

KPMG LLP

Partner, CIO Advisory
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Kimberly is a Partner in KPMG’s Technology Advisory practice, primarily focused on the Energy industry. With more than 20 years of experience delivering technology and consulting in the energy industry, she has developed a passion for helping clients set and achieve realistic goals while stretching their thinking about what is possible and how technology can be harnessed by both the business and IT. She leads both solutioning and delivery on the Future of IT, modern operating models, and optimized operations as part of a broader effort to enable digital transformation for her clients. Outside of work, Kimberly spends her time with her husband Jon and their two boys, Porter and Tucker, traveling and going all-in on their extracurriculars.

Brian Ryan

National Grid

VP of Innovation
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Brian leads the Innovation team at National Grid Partners. Previously, Brian spent four years leading innovation efforts at New Zealand’s largest distributor of gas and electricity and helped transform the culture of a traditional electricity distribution company to be recognized internationally, as leader in energy, environmental, social and commercial innovation. Reporting to the CEO Brian led the Emerging Technology team that focused on the company’s growth and development, through the implementation of disruptive customer solutions and new technologies. Brian also managed Solar, Battery storage and the Vector Communications businesses, across New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Brian holds an Engineering degree and an Honours MBA from the University of Cork, Ireland.

Caroline Winn

San Diego Gas & Electric Company

Chief Executive Officer
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Caroline Winn is chief executive officer for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), one of Sempra’s regulated California utilities. Sempra is a San Diego-based energy services holding company whose subsidiaries provide electricity, natural gas and value-added products and services.

SDG&E provides service to 3.6 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more than 873,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties.

Winn became CEO of SDG&E in August 2020. Previously, she served as the chief operating officer of SDG&E, overseeing operations of the utility’s gas and electric infrastructure assets, and customer services. In that role, Winn is widely recognized for SDG&E’s national leadership in sustainability, technology and innovation, including the company’s significant safety and wildfire mitigation efforts.

Winn also served as chief energy delivery officer, managing all energy delivery activities for SDG&E, including electric distribution operations and gas services, customer services, and external and state legislative affairs.

Since joining the company in 1986 as an associate engineer, Winn has held several leadership positions with SDG&E and Southern California Gas (SoCalGas).

Winn currently serves on the board of directors for Father Joe’s Villages and Monarch School; the executive council for Western Energy Institute; and the director’s council of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She also serves on the board as an independent director for both Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. and Kayne Anderson NextGen Energy & Infrastructure, Inc.

Previously, Winn has served as the board chair for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and continues to currently serve as a board member. She has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from California State University Sacramento and is a registered professional engineer in the State of California.

Steve Westly

The Westly Group

Founder & Managing Partner
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Mr. Westly is the Founder & Managing Partner of The Westly Group. He and his partners have built one of the larger sustainability venture firms in the US, with over $600 million under management. The Westly Group focuses on capital-efficient, high-growth companies in the energy, mobility, and smart building sectors. The firm has 22 of the larger, global energy, transportation, building, insurance, water, and mobility companies as investors. The firm has invested in 35+ portfolio companies, 9 of which have gone public on NASDAQ, including Tesla Motors, where Mr. Westly served on the board.
Prior to founding The Westly Group, Steve Westly served as the Controller and Chief Fiscal Officer of the state of California – the world’s fifth largest economy. As Controller, he chaired the State Lands Commission. He served on 63 other boards and commissions, including CalPERS and CalSTRS, the nation’s two largest public pension funds, which invest more than $700 billion together.
In the 2008 election cycle, Steve served as a California co-chair for the Obama for America campaign. He also served on the Secretary of Energy’s Advisory Board as a representative for the venture capital industry.
Before running for office, Steve helped guide the online auction company eBay through its period of most rapid growth, serving as the Senior Vice President of Marketing, Business Development, M&A, and International. Steve helped bring eBay to Europe and Asia and developed the marketing and acquisition strategies that paved the path for the firm’s exponential growth. Steve helped take eBay public in 1998. Steve also served as an executive at several other technology firms, including Netcom, WhoWhere?, Bridgemere Capital, and SPRINT.
Steve began his career in Washington, DC, where he worked first on Capitol Hill and later in the Office of Conservation and Solar at the US Department of Energy. Steve returned to California to become special assistant to the President of the California Public Utilities Commission. While there, he published two books on alternative energy and utilities.
Steve holds a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, where he served as a lecturer for eight years. He currently lectures a course called “The Technology, Politics, and Finance for Solving Global Warming.”
Steve and his wife, Anita, run the Westly Foundation, which provides education and health care services for children and underserved communities throughout California. They have two children.

Jason Sharpe

ATCO Natural Gas

President
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Jason Sharpe leads ATCO’s Gas & Pipelines division, bringing extensive experience in energy management and sustainability, standards, pipeline design and integrity, operations, and major project management oversight. He is accountable for the strategic and operational direction of the company’s natural gas transmission and distribution business in Alberta.
Mr. Sharpe joined ATCO in 2002, bringing his Civil Engineering expertise to lead key pipeline projects and engineering groups. In 2014, he was appointed Vice President of Engineering & Construction, then Senior Vice President & General Manager in 2015 of ATCO’s natural gas pipelines division. Following the 2018 incorporation of the Gas Distribution & Transmission businesses into a single management team, Mr. Sharpe was appointed as the Senior Vice President & General Manager, responsible for leading the new integrated structure. He was promoted to his current role in 2021.
Mr. Sharpe is the Chair of the Canadian Gas Association’s Board of Directors and sits on the board of the Western Energy Institute. In previous governance roles, he was also a Director with the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, Pipeline Research Council International board member, and Director with the Van Horne Institute. In 2022, he was a featured panelist at the inaugural Canadian Hydrogen Convention, and at the Calgary Energy Dialogues alongside key industry and government representatives. He’s also been a strategic speaker at the Global Energy Show (previously the Global Petroleum Show).
Mr. Sharpe holds a degree in Engineering and a Master of Business Administration in Global Energy Management & Sustainability from the University of Calgary and is a member of APEGA. Before starting his career, he was a member of the Canadian Freestyle Ski team and shares his continued love of skiing with his wife and five children.

Jimmie Cho

Southern California Gas Company

Chief Operating Officer
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Jimmie Cho is chief operating officer (COO) for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), a Sempra regulated California utility.

Previously, he was senior vice president of customer service for SoCalGas and gas distribution operations for SoCalGas and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). Before that, Cho held increasingly responsible management roles in the areas of gas transmission and storage operations; engineering and major projects; human resources, diversity and inclusion; customer communications, research and web strategy; safety and emergency services; and customer service field operations.

In addition to his tenure with SoCalGas, he formerly served as director of resource conservation and public outreach at the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District.

Cho serves on the board of directors of the National Utilities Diversity Council. He holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from Brown University and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Stanford University.