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Speakers
Sustainably Energizing New York's Creative Core
July 17-18, 2008
There is growth in central New York of renewable energy technologies, policy solutions, business attraction and research around carbon and climate issues. Don't miss out on the insights our extraordinary speakers will bring to the table.
Tom King, President, National Grid
Tom King joined National Grid on August 13 as President of Electricity Distribution and Generation
Tom was President of PG&E Corporation and Chairman and CEO of Pacific Gas and Electric Company from 2003-07. Before that, he served as Senior Vice President of PG&E Corporation, and as President of PG&E National Energy Group; having joined PG&E Gas Transmission as President in 1998.
Patrick H. Brennan, New York State Director, United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development
Patrick H. Brennan was re-appointed State Director of USDA Rural Development in New York on January 10, 2007. As State Director, Mr. Brennan guides the office’s economic development and quality of life programs and oversees a $250 million program budget and approximately 115 full- time employees.
Prior to his re-appointment with the Bush administration, Mr. Brennan served as New York State Agriculture Commissioner under Governor George E. Pataki from January 2006 to January 2007. Mr. Brennan previously served as State Director from June 2001 to January 2006.
Mr. Brennan grew up in the Town of Paris (Oneida County) on his family's dairy farm operation. He is most proud of his practical experience in agriculture – that of a working dairy farmer. The dairy is still in operation, and Mr. Brennan remains active on a part- time basis.
Mr. Brennan currently resides in Waterville, NY (Oneida County) with his wife, Sheri, and their two sons, Joshua Patrick and Edwin Daniel.
Robert Callender
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
Vice President for Programs
Bob Callender was appointed Vice President for Programs of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) by Chairman Vincent A. DeIorio in January 2004, after serving as the Acting Vice President for a year. In this capacity, Bob oversees delivery of the Authority's energy efficiency, energy analysis, economic development, research and development, residential, nuclear waste, and bond financing programs.
In February 2001, Bob was named Director of the newly created Economic Development Program at NYSERDA. Among his responsibilities is the development of the Saratoga Technology + Energy Park (STEP), a knowledge-based clean-energy technology park in Malta, New York. Since January 1990, prior to leading NYSERDA's economic development effort, Bob served as the Director of Contract Management for NYSERDA.
Before joining NYSERDA, Bob was employed by the General Electric Company in Schenectady, New York. Bob holds a Masters degree from the State University of New York at Albany, and a Bachelors degree from American University in Washington, D.C. Bob and his wife Susan reside in Voorheesville, New York.
Raymond Orbach, Director, Office of Science, DOE
Raymond Lee Orbach was sworn in as the 14th Director of the Office of Science (SC) at the Department of Energy (DOE) on March 14, 2002. In this capacity, Dr. Orbach manages an organization that is the third largest Federal sponsor of basic research in the United States, the primary supporter of the physical sciences in the U.S., and one of the premier science organizations in the world.
Cornelius B. Murphy Jr., Ph.D., President State University of New York College of Environmental Science & Forestry
President, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry since May 2000. (Honorary) Doctor of Science, Clarkson University, 1997; School of Management, Syracuse University, 1972-74; Ph.D., Chemistry, 1970, Syracuse University (NASA Fellow); B.A., Chemistry, 1966, St. Michael’s College, Magna cum laude; NSF Trainee, 1964, Clark University.
Prior to being President of SUNY-ESF, Neil held various positions at O’Brien & Gere Engineers, Inc. starting out as a Laboratory Technician in June 1970, and working his way up to President in 1993 and Chairman of the Board in 1998.
Neil is director of several boards including: O’Brien & Gere Ltd., OP-TECH Environmental Services and Bergmann Associates. He is an advisor to or board member of the following: Upstate Medical University Foundation; BSA Hiawatha Council; Metropolitan Development Association; Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce; New York State Environmental Technology Institute; Syracuse University, College of Engineering and Computer Science Advisory Board; University Hill Corporation; New York Indoor Environmental Quality Center; Success by Six; Syracuse City School District, Syracuse 20/20, Community General Hospital, CNY MedTech Foundation and the CNY Regional Board of Advisors for the American Cancer Society. Neil serves as Vice Chair of University Hill Corporation, Co-Chair of Syracuse 20/20 and Vice President of CNY MedTech Foundation.
His technical expertise lies in the areas of environmental science and engineering management, hazardous waste management, environmental assessment, renewable energy systems, limnology, urban runoff planning, and industrial wastewater treatment.
Mel Jones, Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Office, Sterling Planet
Sterling Planet caps a 33-year career focused on utilities solutions, with over twenty-one in the deregulated marketplace for Mr. Jones. Mel Jones is one of two seasoned utility executives who in 2000 founded Sterling Planet, the first company to provide renewable energy certificates to the retail market on a nationwide basis. As president and chief executive officer of Sterling Planet, Mr. Jones now guides the pioneering company into new territory, with the nation's first White Tags™ Energy Efficiency Certificates and plans to enter international markets.
His commitment to sustainability is also evident beyond Sterling Planet. Mr. Jones serves on the advisory board of the Frederick A. and Barbara M. Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan, which supports a broad societal transition to sustainability through education, outreach and scholarship. Mr. Jones also participates on the advisory board of the Apollo Alliance, which works to build a broad constituency in support of a sustainable and clean energy economy that creates jobs, reduces dependence on foreign oil, and strengthens communities.
Mr. Jones also serves on the boards of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) and the Environmental Business Association of New York State. He has advised and/or testified before the public utility commissions in the states of New York, Florida, California, Connecticut, Hawaii and Nevada on renewable energy and energy conservation policy.
James T. Walsh, Congressman
Especially important to the region, the Congressman has been an ardent supporter of environmental and clean water initiatives, agriculture concerns and farmland conservation, projects to expand the region's reputation for renewable energy R&D, activities to strengthen the area's economy, and efforts to preserve and enhance the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor.
Walsh’s work in Washington created the Finger Lakes Agricultural and Open Space Land Project to safeguard water quality, preserve vistas, and protect open space from unplanned sprawl. His work on the Onondaga Lake cleanup has resulted in $150 million in federal resources for program projects and the active involvement of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Matt DeLuca, Manager of EMS and Social Compliance for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Matt DeLuca is the Manager of EMS and Social Compliance for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. He coordinates the GMCR’s efforts to identify and manage its environmental impacts; and develops programs to facilitate transparency in the social and environmental performance of its supply chain.
Prior to joining GMCR in 2006, he worked as an attorney in St. Albans, Vermont. Before that, he was Manager of Environmental Programs at Green Mountain Energy Company – the nation’s leading provider of cleaner electricity generated from renewable sources. In that position he was responsible for claims substantiation, environmental reporting, and environmental management.
Matt holds a Juris Doctorate from Vermont Law School and Bachelor of Science in environmental science from St. Michael’s College.
Fil L. Fina, III, PE Aztech Technologies, Inc., Vice President
As Vice President of Aztech Technologies, Inc., Mr. Fina has successfully designed in excess of one hundred remediation systems. Remediation system design and construction expertise include technologies such as soil vapor extraction, groundwater pump and treatment, free product removal, high vacuum extraction, total fluids extraction and oxygenation of groundwater. He also directs a research & development program that has invented and/or refined several products and technologies involved in the measurement and treatment of environmentally impacted materials.
Mr. Fina was instrumental in the conceptual planning and oversaw the design of Aztech’s new headquarters in Ballston Spa, NY. A combination office, shop, and warehouse, the facility boasts state of the art energy efficiency, utilizing ground-source geothermal heating and cooling, advanced lighting and other energy saving measures. During the construction phase, Aztech participated in several programs offered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s New Construction Rebate Program. The efficiency of the building results in approximately a 35 percent energy savings annually due to the energy efficient features. It is Aztech’s way of reducing their footprint on the environment as they help their clients reduce theirs.
Mr. Fina holds a Masters of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson College. His area of specialization included tribology and researching the mechanical properties of synthetic lubricants. Prior to co-founding Aztech Technologies, Mr. Fina has worked as an engineer for a petrochemical pump and seal company, a consultant at an engineering firm, a manager of a regional office of a medical waste transportation company, and an engineer with a petroleum product distributor/retailer.
Daniel B. O'Connell, Director, Global Fuel Cell Service, Support and Hydrogen Infrastructure
General Motors, Fuel Cell Activities
Daniel B. O'Connell is the Director responsible for Global Fuel Cell Fleet Service, Support and Infrastructure for the General Motors Fuel Cell Activities Commercial Team. He is currently leading the deployment of the Chevrolet Fuel Cell Equinox "Project Driveway". He had previously been responsible for Advanced Product Engineering including Operations and Process, and held positions of leadership in: Research, Fuel Processing, Program Management, and System Development activity at the Fuel Cell Activities Center in Honeoye Falls, New York.
Daniel began his career with General Motors in 1977 in the vehicle development group at the Cadillac Motor Car Division. Since 1996, Daniel has been working on fuel cell technology for General Motors. Daniel was responsible for the Fuel Cell System utilized in the world's first gasoline powered fuel cell vehicle demonstrated in 2001 as well as the Distributed Generation activity for Dow Chemical. He was Staff Engineer in charge of Advanced Product Engineering for the latest Fuel Cell Power Module for the Sequel and Equinox programs. He has generated multiple patents and research disclosures during his career and has spoken at various Fuel Cell conferences/seminars as well as at a recent SAE TopTech conference.
Mr. O'Connell has earned AS, BS, and MS degrees and is nearing completion of his PhD. He received the Excellence in Management award as the top graduate student in his class at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY. He currently serves on the Nazareth Alumni Board as well as the Management curriculum Advisory Board. Daniel was the key technical contributor to the 2004 fuel cell education program available on GMability.com thru the Weekly Reader that won the 2004 SAE Environmental Excellence in Transportation award. He also received the 2004 Chairman's Honors for his leadership role in the Dow Chemical fuel cell project. He and his family live in the Rochester, NY area.
Michael Loth, Director, Solutions Marketing, Johnson Controls, Inc.
Michael Loth is the Director of Solutions Marketing for Johnson Controls, Inc., Milwaukee, WI. Mike joined the company in November, 2000 and has held several different positions within the Building Efficiency Group leading up to his current role. As Director for Solutions Marketing, Mike is responsible for strategy, market research, acquisition and strategic alliance assessment and offering development and deployment for Solutions North America, which delivers infrastructure renewal solutions to customers in the public and private sectors. Under his leadership, Solutions marketing has helped incorporate new elements to Johnson Controls’ solution bundle, from renewable energy solutions to water efficiency to wireless infrastructure, all which help customers improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs.
Prior to joining Johnson Controls, Mike spent over 11 years at AT&T in Hoffmann Estates, IL and Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL in a variety of Finance and Marketing Management roles. He holds a B.S. in Finance from Indiana University and an M.B.A. in Marketing and Finance from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. He currently resides in Menomonee Falls, WI with his wife, Julie and their two boys, Andrew and Justin.
Warren G. Brower, Product Marketing Manager, GenDrive, Plug Power
Warren Brower joined Plug Power as Product Marketing Manager, GenDrive™ in September 2007. Mr. Brower is responsible for the development of and enhancement to the new and existing products and services for the company’s material handling business. He oversees market research, monitors competitive activity and identifies customer needs in order to develop customer solutions.
Prior to joining Plug Power, Mr. Brower served as Marketing Director at Raymond Corporation, where he was responsible for planning and administering marketing operations for 13 models of pallet trucks sold and distributed throughout North America. He also formulated long-term marketing strategies to reflect changing technologies and market trends relating to product development and marketing initiatives. He helped lead Raymond to significant growth in the class 3 lift truck markets by reaching significant increases in unit sales and market share each year.
Mr. Brower holds a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from the State University of New York at Brockport and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
Jeff Holmes, Principal Engineer, Genzyme Corporation
Jeff Holmes is a corporate environmental engineer for Genzyme Corporation located in Cambridge Massachusetts. Jeff is involved with environmental programs such as green building construction, greenhouse gas reduction, environmental management systems, pollution prevention, environmental performance metrics, as well as environmental compliance and permitting. Jeff is currently working on LEED green building projects in Ridgefield New Jersey, Boston Massachusetts, and Beijing China. Prior to working at Genzyme, Jeff worked as an air quality engineer with ENSR Consulting and Engineering.
Jeff has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Maine, an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University, and an MBA from Boston University. He is a licensed chemical engineer in Maine and Massachusetts.
About Genzyme: One of the world's leading biotechnology companies, Genzyme is dedicated to making a major positive impact on the lives of people with serious diseases. Since 1981, the company has grown from a small start-up to a diversified enterprise with more than 10,000 employees in locations spanning the globe and 2007 revenues of $3.8 billion. In 2007, Genzyme was chosen to receive the National Medal of Technology, the highest honor awarded by the President of the United States for technological innovation.
Stelios E. Vogiatzis, Associate Member, Chartered Management Institute;
Certified Practitioner, PRINCE2® Project Management Methodology
Stelios Vogiatzis is the Managing Director of Enolia Ventus SA (www.enoliaventus.com), a Greek Wind Energy Company active in the South-Eastern Europe, member of the Enolia Energy Group. Enolia Energy (www.enoliaenergy.com) is a newly established group of companies which already plays a significant role in developing renewable energy in Greece.
Stelios has been a Management Consultant for the last fifteen years. He worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young in large scale projects all over E.M.E.A., focusing on Change Management and Business Process Improvement. Prior to his current position, he successfully founded & established an energy consulting service provider in Greece.
Mr. Vogiatzis earned his Ptychion Degree in Applied Information Systems from the Economic University of Athens. He is Associate Member of the Chartered Management Institute, U.K. and Certified Practioner of the British standard Project Management methodology PRINCE2®. He is a regular speaker to the Executive MBA Course of the Economic University of Athens and course instructor for The American College of Greece, School for Continuing and Professional Studies. He is also the author of a very successful book published in Greece named “The Art of War for Project Managers: From Thucydides and Napoleon to the modern management field “ ISBN: 960-218-353-5, which is an effort to relate the classical strategic thought with the field of modern management and leadership.
