Andy Berg

Andy Berg has worked for Connexus Energy for the past 5 years and currently serves as the
cooperative’s GIS Analyst. He has been in the electric utility industry since 2006, working in GIS, field mapping and spatial data collection roles. At Connexus Energy, he is very interested in and involved in ways that GIS can improve processes and reveal hidden data for making better business decisions. In the fall of 2019, he received his FAA Part 107 sUAS (small unmanned aircraft system) license to initiate the drone program at Connexus Energy. Andy received a Bachelor of Science in Geography from the University of Minnesota with a focus on Environmental Studies. In his free time, he is either venturing into the western mountains on long road trips or working on his house!

Ben DeRemer

Soon after graduating high school, Ben left his home in the Pacific Northwest to serve ten years of active duty in The United States Coast Guard. 

As an aircrew member, he flew on countless search and rescue missions, aiding many mariners in distress in some of the worst weather conditions imaginable.  While stationed in Oregon, Ben met his wife Maggie (of over twenty years).  They were restationed to Alaska, welcoming two beautiful daughters to their family, now 15 and 16.  

Seeking change and a new adventure, Ben took a job as an Apprentice Lineman for a Dallas area utility contractor, then by CoServ for the same position, and achieved the status of Journeyman Lineman in 2013 before being promoted to Crew Supervisor.  

He was soon allowed to serve in a capacity few can, traveling to Bolivia, South America, on a rural electrification project with the NRECA.  One hundred fifty homes across three villages were given the gift of electricity, just as many of the farms and ranches in CoServ’s community did in the 1930s – this mission changed his life.  

In 2018, Ben proudly accepted the Director of Job Training and Safety role, where he oversees safety for nearly 500 dedicated employees and the technical training of CoServ’s skilled trades.  His most recent accomplishment is completing the requirements for becoming a Certified Loss Control Professional, becoming one of the elite, growing number of safety professionals who have earned this designation.

Bill Conway

Bill Conway is a Managing Director at CC Capital Advisors and has advised clients on 100+ mergers & acquisitions, capital raising and strategic advisory transactions totaling over $2.5 billion. Bill leads CC Capital’s efforts in the Healthcare and Energy, Power & Infrastructure industries and has advised clients on transactions in the technology, media and telecommunications, and the general industrial and business service market segments.

Past experience includes being a shareholder and principal at Christenberry Collet & Co. Inc., a Kansas City based independent investment banking firm and commercial lending at Commerce Bank.

Bill has presented at numerous industry seminars and forums and is an adjunct professor at Rockhurst University Helzberg School of Management. Bill was included in Ingram’s magazine’s 40 Under Forty class, which recognizes high achievers in the Kansas City community and is a graduate of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program.

EDUCATION & AFFILIATIONS

Bill earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance/Economics and Marketing and a Master of Business Administration from Rockhurst University’s Helzberg School of Management.

Bill is a Board member of the Kansas City Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, Chair of the Cure of Ars Finance Council and past chairman of the Rockhurst University Leaders Council. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with family, baseball, running, skiing and reading.

Carl Thomas

Carl is an Information Technology Executive with over 25 years of Enterprise Business Management experience. Recent efforts center on Strategic Execution, Data Science and Business Analytics development, Enterprise Project Management, Robotic Process Automation, and Cyber Security Program maturity. 

Carol Bogacz

Carol is a principal consultant with 1898 & Co, part of Burns and McDonnell. She has over 27 years of analytical experience providing clients with data driven decisions while mitigating risk. Carol’s proficiency of work includes applying advanced analytics techniques to a variety of business problems such as investment planning, load forecasting, operational efficiency, and outage management. In 2020, Carol was named a Top 25 Thought Leader in Utility Analytics by the Utility Analytics Institute.

David Johnson

David Johnson has been the Director of Member Services at REC’s Fredericksburg office for just over three years. In that role, he is responsible for oversight of the Cooperative’s contact center, billing and payments department, debt-recovery services, the advanced metering infrastructure, member information system, and member service training.

He has nearly 13 years of experience in the utility industry, all with REC, and previously served as the Cooperative’s key accounts executive where he helped existing businesses with energy management and worked to attract new economic development into the REC service territory. Prior to that role, Johnson was the demand response administrator and early in his career at REC, he served as the research analyst compiling, analyzing, and maintaining research data for the Cooperative.

He received a master’s degree in business administration from Liberty University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from James Madison University. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Essex County, Virginia.

David Smith

David is the V.P. of Group Operations for Hubbell Utility Solutions and has served in this position for the past three years.  David is responsible for the strategic direction and execution with respect to Hubbell’s manufacturing assets.  David has more than 15 years leadership within Hubbell beginning with Hubbell Lighting (HLI), where his roles included brand V.P. for the Columbia and Alera businesses and V.P. of Operations, HLI. Then 4 years as the V.P. General Manager of Burndy LLC in Manchester, New Hampshire.  Prior to joining Hubbell, he spent 8 years at General Electric and 8 years at Westinghouse Electric Corporation in a variety of operational, Six Sigma (Master Black Belt) and product management roles. 

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Manufacturing Engineering from Western Carolina University and an MBA from Queens University of Charlotte. David has multi-functional industry experience in operations and brand management (P&L) with increasing responsibility across three different companies.  David is based in Columbia, South Carolina.

DeOndra “Dee” Jackson

Deondra “Dee” is the Talent Acquisition Specialist at Rappahannock Electric Cooperative.  In 3 short but challenging years, Dee has helped to provide consistency in the new virtual recruiting process as well as expand and build more diverse partnership. In 2021, Dee presented at NRECA’s Interact Conference to share the changes and enhancements within REC’s recruitment strategy.

Dee received her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Randolph-Macon College and a Masters of Management in Human Resources from the University of Phoenix.  Dee’s professional HR experience spans across various business sectors to include healthcare and financial services over the last 12 years.  She has a true passion for HR/recruitment and looks forward to ALDC as a presenter/participant.

Dr. Ian Roberts

Co-author of The Power of Seven-Second Chances (with Lively Paradox founder Nicole Price), Dr. Ian Roberts is a sought-after keynote speaker in the U.S. and internationally. 

Integral to his people performance perspective is Ian’s experience as an Olympic track and field star. He knows how to take a team from ‘good enough’ to exceptional, and he exemplifies empathetic and compassionate leadership.

Dr. Nicole Price

Originally trained as an engineer, Dr. Nicole Price later found her true calling in leadership development as a keynote speaker, training leader, and CEO of Lively Paradox.

She believes that leadership is personal. Her goal is to always balance courage with caring as she helps clients face and overcome the most challenging leadership development obstacles.

Nicole’s technical background enhances her objective approach to solving process problems, flipping dilemmas, and helping people focus on solutions. She prides herself on helping leaders lead well — while honoring who they are as individuals.

Ed Nagy

Ed Nagy is an Information Technology Executive and Business Leader with more than 35 years of technology and cyber security experience.  Ed is currently the Director of IT and CIO for Lee County Electric Cooperative, Inc. (LCEC) and has been the ALDC IT Working Group Chair since 2018.

Eugene Hamrick

Eugene Hamrickis Rappahannock Electric Cooperative’s (REC) Director ofEnterprise Analytics and Innovation. Eugene’s primary responsibility is to promote data driven decision-making and analytic solutions, ensuring the Cooperative receives maximum benefits from the use of its data and analytics through the integration of secure and validated data from as many aspects of the Cooperative’s daily operations as possible.

Beginning his career at REC as a Member Service Representative in 2012, Eugene has served asResearch Analyst, Data Analyst and Analytics Solutions Architect for the six years prior to becoming Director. From his two previous roles,Eugene brings years of data science, business intelligence, and member insights experience to his new role where he will provide leadership and oversight to the Analytics Center of Excellence and Innovation Department.

He earned a Bachelor’s in History from the University of Mary Washington in 2012 and hisMaster’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix in 2015. Eugene is a Dell Technologies Certified Data Scientist and completed the Executive Data Science Specialization from John Hopkins University in 2021.

Eugene resides in Bowling Green, Va. with his wife, Morgan.

Greg Ford

Greg Ford is president and chief executive officer of Atlanta-based Georgia System Operations Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation owned by 38 of Georgia’s distribution electric membership corporations, OglethorpePower Corporation and Georgia Transmission Corporation.

He has been with the company since its inception in 1997, and was elected president and CEO in 2007. Prior to joining GSOC, he worked for nearly 11 years atFlorida Power & Light.

In addition to his role at GSOC,Mr.Ford serves on a variety of industry association boards.He is the immediate past chairman of the SERC Reliability Corporation Board of Directors, and served on SERC’s Board Compliance Committee. Mr. Ford is a member and past chairman of the North American Electric ReliabilityCorporation, or NERC, Member Representative Committee, and represents the cooperative electrical sector. He has participated on several additional NERC committees including the current chair of the Reliability Security and Technical Committee. He is a member of Homeland Security’s Electric Subsector Coordination Council (ESCC).

Mr. Ford is also active in the community. He had been a member of theAmerican Red Cross Blood for nearly a decade. He is also a member and past chairman of the Life Board committee for the Atlanta chapter of the American Red Cross. Mr. Ford currently serves as a board member for Go Energy Financial Credit Union.

An Alabama native, Mr.Ford is a graduate of Auburn University.

Jackson Ward

Ward is the VP of Marketing and Sales for Howard Power Solutions Division, he has served in this position for the past three years. Ward is responsible for all U.S. Electrical Utilities Sales. Prior to being selected for the VP position, Ward served as Regional Marketing Manager for 30 years; during this time, Ward covered most of the domestic Electrical Utilities.

Prior to moving into Marketing and Sales, Ward was the Single Phase Padmounted Transformer Production Manager for several years. Prior to his production role, Ward was the Single Phase Pole-mounted Transformer Quality Engineer. 

Ward is member of the Mississippi State Engineering Advisory Committee working with the Industrial Engineering School on curriculum and accreditations.

Ward is past President of the USMA (Utility Supply Management Alliance) and was a board member for 20 years. The USMA is an educational organization that produces an annual meeting to review and disseminate supply chain management best practices. Participants come from the majority of domestic electrical utilities, generally about 450 attendees.  

Ward is past member of the Advisory Committee for the UPMG (Utility Purchasing Managers Group) and served a Committee Chair for two years. The UPMG is an education organization made up of domestic utilities’ purchasing managers. 

Ward received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Mississippi State University.

Ward is a Navy veteran serving as a Corpsman and Deep Sea Diver for four years, earning the rank of Second Class Petty Officer. 

James Wright

James Wright joined GreyStone Power Corporation in December of 2013 as the Vice President of Corporate Services, which is comprised of approximately fifty individuals and includes Member Services, Human Resources, Safety, Training, Loss Control, Corporate Security, and Investigations.  Prior to GreyStone’s organizational restructure, Information Systems and Fleet Services were under the Corporate Services umbrella.  During his tenure, GreyStone has attained the highest safety accreditation score ever awarded by Georgia EMC, and, in 2019, GreyStone won the J.D. Power Award for highest customer satisfaction among cooperatives, setting the record for the highest score ever received by any electric utility.

Believing that the best leaders are often the most well-rounded, in addition to his Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration Degrees, James is a graduate of the NRECA’s Management Internship Program, as well as and the Cooperative Financial Professional Certificate Program, and James holds a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma.  James is the immediate past President of the Georgia Electric Cooperatives HR and Administrative Association, currently serves as the Chair of the Association of Large Distribution Cooperatives’ HR Workgroup and is a member of the NRECA’s Benefit Product Advisory Group.  James also serves on the Board of EMC Security and is an active member of the Electric Cooperative Bar Association.  James is very engaged in the community, currently serving on the Paulding Chamber of Commerce Board, as well as chairing the Paulding Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee.

GreyStone Power Corporation is on the west side of Atlanta, serving approximately 125,000 members in portions of eight metropolitan counties.  

Jason Blake

Mr. Blake is President and CEO for SERC and serves on its Board of Directors. As President and CEO, Mr. Blake leads SERC in its essential mission to reduce risks and ensure a reliable and secure electric grid across 16 southeastern and central states. This area covers approximately 630,000 square miles, a growing population in excess of 91 million, and a broad and diverse range of more than 275 electric utilities and power companies. Mr. Blake leads SERC’s essential mission with a commitment to operational excellence, innovation, inclusivity, and deploying resources in manner that makes a positive difference.

Before being named President and CEO in 2018, Mr. Blake spent almost nine years serving as Vice President and General Counsel for SERC’s northern neighbor and sister region, ReliabilityFirst Corporation. During that time, he helped lead RF through its start-up phase and into a sustainable risk-based organization focused on ensuring a reliable and secure electric grid across the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions of the U.S. Prior to this, Mr. Blake developed broad business and regulatory experience through his private practice with large, corporate law firms located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and then in Cleveland, Ohio.

Mr. Blake is a graduate of Ohio State University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Heart Association for the Cleveland Metropolitan Area. He also enjoys the outdoors, a wide variety of music, and spending time with his wife, son, and daughter.

Jennifer Foery

Jennifer D. Foery is the Human Resources Manager for Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative in Bastrop, Texas.  A 20 year veteran of cooperative HR, in both the Statewide Association and Distribution arenas, Jen has played a leadership role touching every part of her organization. Serving members and employees with her boots on the ground during fires and floods, to C-suite strategy, Jen is passionate about taking care of “her people”.  A graduate of Centre College in Danville, KY, this transplanted child of the Bluegrass makes her home in Austin, TX with her two children, Max and Ella, and dogs Luke and Cora Blue. 

Jerome Monaco

Joseph Brannan

Mr. Brannan serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the statewide organizations in Raleigh, serving North Carolina’s electric cooperatives. These organizations include North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, a generation and transmission cooperative; North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, a trade association; The Tarheel Electric Membership Association, a central publishing and materials supply cooperative; and GreenCo Solutions, Inc., a service company to assist the state’s electric cooperatives in the development and implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

Mr. Brannan joined NCEMC in January 2006 where he previously served as Senior Vice President, Power Supply and Chief Operating Officer, NCEMC. Mr. Brannan has been in the electric utility and energy industry throughout his career and has experience in various areas of utility operations and management, risk management, energy trading and marketing operations. Prior to joining NCEMC, Mr. Brannan held various management positions at ACES Power Marketing (APM), PPL Corporation and its Energy Marketing affiliates. Additionally, Mr. Brannan served a critical management role in the development and start-up of the company’s unregulated retail service business.

In addition to his diverse years of experience within the energy industry, Mr. Brannan holds a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Business Administration from Lehigh University.

Mr. Brannan and his family reside in Morrisville, NC.

Katie Grubb

Katie Grubb, who serves as G&T’s Vice President of Client Services, joined G&T 12 years ago after serving as vice president of client services for an ad agency in Hilton Head, S.C.  In addition to overseeing project management, Katie handles more than $2.0 million in media placement for G&T’s clients. 

Kris Sieber

S. Kris Sieber has been manager of member services since 2018. Sieber corporately manages member connections and account programs across the service territory, energy use information and advice, and supports the success of businesses served by REC.

Sieber has 30 years of experience in the electric industry, including the past 20 at REC, where she served as director of member services. Before joining REC, Sieber worked as the director of major gift contributions at the United Way of Richmond, as a design technician in the engineering department at Northern Neck Electric Cooperative and in various engineering, marketing and customer-service roles at Dominion Virginia Power.

Sieber earned a bachelor of science in business administration from Old Dominion University and a master of business administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.

An active volunteer in her community, Sieber has served on the United Way Leadership Team and is the past chairman of the Fredericksburg SPCA board.  Sieber serves as member service chairman of the Association of Large Distribution Cooperatives. She lives in Spotsylvania County. 

Libby James

Linda Maegi

Linda has more than 25 years of experience in all areas of human resources. She has been with Connexus Energy for 8 years and moved into her current role as Vice President of Employee Services in 2021 where she leads the Human Resources, Safety, Environmental, and Facilities teams.  In addition to her 8 years at Connexus Energy, her background includes tenures at Medtronic, Honeywell, and Federal Ammunition/ATK. Linda believes that ensuring the cooperative has the right environment will help with employee retention. Focusing on compensation and culture are important, including fostering an inclusive environment, supportive leaders, connections with co-workers, and flexibility.

Lorrie Gallego

Lorrie was born and raised on Long Island, New York.

She has over 20 years’ experience in the fields of statistics and teaching math and statistics.  Lorrie is a Senior Analyst for Cooperative Insights, part of North Carolina Electric Cooperatives. 

Prior to joining North Carolina Electric Cooperatives in 2019, she worked as an analyst with SAS, RTI International and the Environmental Protection Agency. She has also worked at Shepherd’s Soup Kitchen in downtown Raleigh. 

Lorrie received a BS from Manhattan College, NY and a Master of Statistics from NCState, where her oldest son attends school. Lorrie also served in the Peace Corps in the mid-1990’s in Guinea, West Africa.

Lorrie lives in Cary, NC with her 3 children and will be getting married in May. 

Maggie Tilley

With more than 30 years of experience in working with electric cooperatives in communication, public relations, advertising and marketing, Maggie is accredited in public relations (APR) and is a certified cooperative communicator, (CCC). She worked with NRECA’s Council of Rural Electric Communicators for seven years, and currently serves on the board of Public Relations Society of America – Western N.C. chapter.

In business for more than 25 years, G&T’s work on behalf of their clients has received national recognition, including more than 50 Spotlight on Excellence awards, 15 Telly awards for TV commercials, a 2021 Public Relations Society of America’s Silver Anvil award, as well as four Edgar F. Chesnutt awards, the highest honor in electric cooperative communication. 

As the agency for multiple ALDC members, G&T  has helped them achieve the highest scores in communication in J.D. Power’s survey and their work with GreyStone Power helped that cooperative rank #1 by J. D. Power in 2019 Customer Satisfaction Among Cooperatives (and #1 among all utilities).

Nick Loehlein

Nick Loehlein has worked for Connexus Energy full-time for 17 years in various engineering, operational, and leadership roles, and currently serves as Vice President – Electric Operations.  He is very interested in ways to deploy technology to improve operational effectiveness, member service, and worker and public safety.  Nick received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University and an MBA from St. Cloud State University.  He is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Minnesota.  He is married and has a 7-year-old son who keeps him busy.  In his spare time, you can find Nick and his family pulling their camper around the upper Midwest during the region’s too-short camping season.

Pam Britt

Pam Britt has served as the VP of EnergyUnited since December, 2016. EnergyUnited is headquartered in Statesville, North Carolina with 220 employees and is located across 19 counties.  EnergyUnited serves as the largest Electric Membership Cooperative in North Carolina. Currently, Pam leads a team of 4 HR professionals who serve to support all EnergyUnited leaders and employees in the cooperative.   

Pam has over 18 years of experience in the utility space. Prior to working for EnergyUnited, Pam worked at Southern Company and Georgia Power both located in Georgia.  Pam supported key C-Suite leaders within Southern Company and provided HR consultant support for their needs and and strategic people issues. Pam also supported key regions in Georgia, the Georgia Power Customer Call center with over 600 employees and various Shared Services groups.  

Pam holds her Masters of Business Administration degree and her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Human Resource Management.

Paul Ackerman

Globally, Paul Ackerman is among only a few hundred to hold the credential of GIAC Security Expert (GSE): considered the most respected and challenging examination and vetting protocol for the information security industry since 2003.

Paul currently serves as the IT Operations Manager and Information Security Officer for Lee County Electric Cooperative, Inc. Drawing from a confluent background in information technology, deep technical skill in information security, business acumen, and strategic thinking he leverages technology to achieve business objectives and minimize enterprise risk for the cooperative and the community they serve. He previously founded and managed VacciNet LLC, a cybersecurity firm serving municipal, legal, healthcare, law enforcement, and public safety organizations and has served in IT leadership roles in the government and healthcare sectors for more than 15 years altogether. He believes IT and business partnerships are patently critical to success in today’s technology-driven organizations. Paul holds a CISSP and numerous certifications from GIAC, Cisco, and Microsoft as well as a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Florida State University and a Master of Science in Information Security Engineering from SANS Technology Institute.

Paul’s community involvement includes service in the following: 

• Cybersecurity Advisory Board member for Keiser University
• Mentor with the Cyber Aces Foundation
• Vice President of the SWFL Chapter of ISC2
• Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity
• United Way Allocations Team

Rusty Batch

Batch has been at Tri-State Utility Products for 13 years, the last 12 of those serving as the company’s CEO.  Before Tri-State, Batch was employed by Southwire Company in various engineering, sales and management roles over 21 years.  He serves on the Board and is a past President of the North American Association of Utility Distributors and is an officer for the Utility Supply Management Alliance conference.  

Batch received his Bachelors degree in Industrial Engineering from Auburn University.

Ryan Serote

Ryan Serote has more than 20 years of experience in state and federal government affairs, with a focus on natural resources, energy, and water advocacy on behalf of public power utilities.  Prior to joining Meguire Whitney, he was the Senior Manager of Federal Affairs in the Washington, D.C. office of Salt River Project, a water and power utility based in Phoenix, Arizona.  Prior to that, he handled the natural resources, public lands and hydropower portfolio on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) federal advocacy team.  Ryan came to NRECA after a 15-year career in government service, which included serving as the Director of Federal Relations for Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Deputy Commissioner for External and Intergovernmental Affairs as well as Chief of Congressional Affairs for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and Senior Legislative Aide & District Director for U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ).

Ryan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Brigham Young University, and a Master of Business Administration from George Washington University.  

Sandy Thompson

Sandy Thompson, SPHR is a certified Human Resources professional with over two decades of experience.  Sandy joined the team in 2019 and is currently the Director of Human Resources and works out of the North Fort Myers, FL office.  Sandy is a human resources generalist and has worked in all areas of HR.  She has a proven track record managing employee and labor relations.  She also has broad knowledge of compensation and benefit plans, regulatory compliance, process improvement and succession planning, recruitment, talent/performance management and training programs.  Sandy has also lead HR teams in the utility industry during transitions and start up for contracts/new business and through acquisition.  Currently manages all HR activities for LCEC. Sandy has worked in both manufacturing and service environments.  Sandy holds an MBA from Lewis University. 

Scott Peal

Scott Peal is the Senior Enterprise Architect for LCEC located in Southwest Florida. His philosophy is ‘keep it simple’ and is passionate about helping others to build a successful future by ‘passing it along’ to the next generation through mentoring, internship sponsorships, and holding several advisory board seats in higher education. He founded and designed the first internet backbone in South America with over 1,000 km of fiber optics and 500+ microwave towers. The Atlanta area is where Scott grew up before serving in the Navy and attending Clemson University.  Hobbies include artificial intelligence and designing virtual reality experiences.​

Stan Feuerberg

Stan Feuerberg recently retired after 46 years in the energy industry, most recently serving 30 years as the President and CEO of NOVEC, the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative.  NOVEC is the electric energy provider to 178,000 customers in six counties in Northern Virginia, and for 23 consecutive years was the DC Metro area’s most reliable electric utility company.  In addition to his position as NOVEC CEO, Stan was also the chairman of the board of NOVEC’s subsidiaries, NOVEC Energy Solutions, a natural gas marketer in six states, NOVEC Solutions, a fiber optic company holding four US patents for simultaneous bi-directional transmission of data over a single optical fiber, NOVEC Energy Production, owner of a 50,000 kilowatt renewable energy biomass generation plant fueled by waste wood located in Halifax County, Virginia, and NOVEC Holdings.

Prior to moving to Virginia in 1992, Stan was the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Vermont Electric Power Company and before that he was the General Counsel for the Western Area Power Administration in the US Department of Energy.  Stan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) and a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  He has been a member of the Nebraska bar since 1979.  Stan has served ALDC as the chairman for the past 14 years.

Teri Viswanath

Teri Viswanath is a lead economist in CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division, where she focuses on the energy industry, including the electric distribution, generation and transmission sectors, as well as the rural water industry. She develops market intelligence, strategic guidance and policy assessments on these key industries to inform CoBank and customer leadership decisions.

Before joining CoBank, Ms. Viswanath was director of corporate strategy for First Solar, where she led the market and competitive intelligence research for the organization including initiating long-term scenario planning to identify evolving market risks in order to manage future uncertainties. She previously held energy economist positions with S&P Global, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank and began her work in energy with Dynegy, as a power plant asset manager. In all, Ms. Viswanath has more than 20 years of expertise in energy economics, in addition to her early career experience in finance and the law.

Ms. Viswanath earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Central Michigan University and a juris doctorate from Fordham University; she also studied at the University of Texas School of Law.

Thomas Golden

Thomas Golden is the Chief Operating Officer at EnergyUnited EMC.  Thomas provides the day-to-day leadership, management, and strategic implementation to achieve EnergyUnited’s vision of transitioning to a best-in-class Energy Services Cooperative. He has direct oversight and responsibility for creating and driving engagement across the organization in alignment with the strategic plan along with partnering with the rest of the senior leadership team to identify and develop growth opportunities, improve member value, enhance operations, and maintain superior safety and reliability performance.

 Thomas has held a variety of other roles in his career, including Program Manager, Technology Innovation at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). At EPRI Thomas and his team were responsible for managing a large portfolio of research focused on emerging technology and thought leadership.

Prior to EPRI, he was as the Manager of Energy Market Design at the New York Independent System Operator, where he and his team were responsible for the evolution of the NYISO wholesale energy electricity market design. The team was closely focused on improving pricing signals and incentives that closely align with reliability needs and/or policy objectives. 

 Before leading Energy Market Design, Thomas was the Manager of Technology Management at Duke Energy, where he helped shape the company’s strategy and policy regarding energy storage and emerging technologies. Thomas was a speaker at numerous National conferences and Universities where he delivered a message of thought leadership and change management related to emerging technologies. He was honored as one of the fifty Smart Grid Pioneers of 2015. 

Finally, he led the Senior Reactor Operator Initial Licensing Program at Duke Energy’s Catawba Nuclear Station. In this role, Thomas developed future licensed reactor and senior reactor operators who are tasked with operating a two-unit commercial nuclear reactor facility. 

Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as well as a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University. 

Thomas is a military veteran, serving 12 years on active duty in the US Navy where responsibilities included operating submarine nuclear reactors and land-based prototype nuclear reactors.  Thomas continues to serve today in the Navy Reserve as a Supply Corps Officer.

Todd Hilman

Todd Hillman is senior vice president and chief customer officer for MISO, leading all aspects of the regional transmission organization’s customer and external affairs activities. Hillman and his team are responsible for delivering MISO’s commitment to a quality experience for members, stakeholders and employees. Hillman’s team also guides stakeholder affairs, corporate communications and media relations.

Hillman is a veteran customer and business development and origination executive with proven leadership in corporate strategy, project coordination, customer management, product origination, and marketing and development. Most recently, Hillman oversaw the successful integration of the Ml SO South region, serving as vice president and South region executive for MISO, based in Little Rock. With the introduction of the Entergy system across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, the integration was the largest in RTO history.

Hillman joined MISO in 2004 from Houston-based Reliant Energy, where he worked in both Houston and abroad leading contract management and corporate development. Hillman has also worked for DuPont/Conoco and the New York Mercantile Exchange in contract development, and electricity and natural gas trading and origination.

Hillman is chairman of the Southeast Reliability Corp. (SERC) and on Boards of the National and Indianapolis FBl Citizens Academy Alumni Associations.

Hillman earned Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of the Pacific and is an Executive Institute graduate from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Wayne Wilkins

H. WAYNE WILKINS is the chief executive officer of EnergyUnited and served as its chief operating officer for nine years before becoming the CEO. Wilkins has worked with Davidson EMC since 1971, serving for 16 years as the executive vice president. He serves on the board of directors of the Davidson County Economic Development Commission, recently co-chaired Davidson Directions, serves on the North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation board, is a board member of the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, serves on the Rural Electric Action Program Executive Committee, and was a two-term president of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce. He received his degree, a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1976.