Alison Hoagland | Principal Architect, Mackenzie, 2025 GBI Board Chair

Alison Hoagland, an Architect and Principal at Mackenzie, has designed and delivered projects in a variety of markets, including retail, commercial, hospitality, educational, industrial, and public safety facilities. Alison is passionate about sustainable architecture, and has led many of Mackenzie’s LEED projects, and worked to develop Mackenzie’s Building Science Committee. She is a Green Globes Professional as well as a Green Globes Assessor; LEED accredited; and trained in thermographic analysis. As a leader, Alison fosters a strong team atmosphere that extends across consultant and client teams. Her attention to detail and grasp of the “big picture” of every project enables her to lead her team to success.

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Megan Baker | VP of Engagement, Green Building Initiative

“As Vice President of Engagement, Megan Baker is responsible for development and implementation of GBI’s global marketing and communications strategies. She joined GBI in 2017 and held roles in client services, business development, and education before rising to her current role in 2023.

Megan is a passionate advocate for increasing accessibility of sustainable, healthy, and resilient buildings through education and assessment. She creates strategic partnerships, identifies recognition opportunities, and opens markets to increase the visibility of GBI’s flagship offering: Green Globes certification. Her outreach efforts helped GBI reach 500 million certified square feet in 2022 and more than quadruple membership in three years.

Megan serves on ASAE’s Marketing Professionals Advisory Committee and was a subcommittee chair in 2022. She also held the position of Membership Chair for the SAME Pikes Peak Post in Colorado in 2022-2022. Megan serves as an Ambassador for Nomad Futurist, to promote access and opportunities for workforce development in the digital infrastructure industry and is a recipient of the 2024 IM100 Award.

Megan has significant experience in content creation, event management, public speaking, stakeholder relations, and strategic planning, and has worked in luxury hospitality and environmental consulting. She holds an MBA from Regis University with a specialty in Operations Management and a BA in Geography from the University of Mary Washington. She resides in Colorado with her family and two dogs.”

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Vicki Worden | CEO, Green Building Initiative

“Entrepreneur, sustainability professional, and now as President & CEO of the Green Building Initiative (GBI), an international nonprofit dedicated to improving the impact of buildings on climate and society, Vicki Worden has supported a myriad of industries, corporations, government agencies, and international nonprofits progress sustainability goals while increasing ROI.

In an age of great change in the commercial real estate industry, Worden spearheaded creation of a decarbonization rating system for commercial buildings that launched in late 2023 with early participation from 170 buildings, across various verticals. GBI’s Green Globes Journey to Net Zero is accessible to all building owners, providing third-party assessed progress reports containing recommendations for further reduction in site energy and emissions towards a goal of net zero certification.

With Worden at the helm, GBI continues its efforts towards global expansion. Known in North America as one of only two nationally recognized commercial building certification programs, GBI’s Green Globes certification now celebrates certification of nearly 650 million square feet of commercial space and expanding into several global markets, including Central and South America, as well as the Middle East.

In her previous role as President of Worden Associates, Inc., Worden provided sustainability consulting and strategic planning expertise for a diverse range of industries including solar, wind, parking, furniture, mattress, composites, wood products, and rainwater harvesting. She is a member of Women Executives in Building and a former Chair of the National Institute of Building Sciences Consultative Council.
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Phill Lawson-Shanks | Chief Innovation Officer, Aligned Data Centers

Phill has more than 25 years of experience identifying new opportunities for further growth of leading data center infrastructure, network architecture, and cloud solutions in the U.S. and abroad.

As Chief Innovation Officer at Aligned, Phill is responsible for the management of revenue generation and profitability objectives, as well as championing key innovation, technology, and sustainability strategies aimed at maximizing new business development.

Prior to joining Aligned, Phill served as Chief Innovation Officer at EdgeConneX, where he was instrumental in driving strategies focused on creating the next generation of network edge-based data centers for the digital content ecosystem. Throughout his career, Phill has also served in numerous senior executive-level positions at Virtacore, Alcatel-Lucent, Savvis (now CenturyLink Technology Solutions), and MCI (now Verizon Digital Media Services). He currently holds eight active technology patents and serves on the Board of Directors for Netrality Data Centers as well as the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) Advisory Board.

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Angela Tovar | Chief Sustainability Officer and Commissioner, City of Chicago

Angela Tovar is the City of Chicago’s Chief Sustainability Officer and Commissioner of the Department of Environment. In her dual role, Angela is committed to centering the City’s climate and sustainability agenda on equity and mitigating environmental harm in Chicago’s most overburdened and underserved communities. Under Angela’s leadership, the City of Chicago released the 2022 Climate Action Plan, an equitable decarbonization strategy for buildings and transportation, allocated $188m for climate and environmental justice priorities as part of the Chicago Recovery Plan, and successfully restored the Department of Environment in 2024. With over 15 years of experience in the non-profit and public sector, Angela traces her passion for social and environmental justice to her experience growing up on the industrial waterfront of Lake Michigan on Chicago’s Southeast side.

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Miranda Gardiner | Executive Director, iMasons Climate Accord

“Miranda Gardiner, a LEED Fellow with over 16 years of dedicated experience in sustainability, is a formidable guardian of green building initiatives and sustainable practices. As the Executive Director for the iMasons Climate Accord, Miranda is at the forefront of leading industry-wide efforts to achieve carbon neutrality in digital infrastructures. Her illustrious career includes roles as Global Manager for Data Center Sustainability at Meta and VP, Sustainable Design Leader at HKS, where she contributed to sustainable building certifications, master plans and policies.

Miranda is a passionate champion of informed decisions that drive significant advancements in sustainability. An accomplished author and speaker, she effectively communicates complex issues to peers, clients, and corporate leaders, fostering comprehensive environmental stewardship. She currently serves on the Open Compute Project (OCP) Future Technologies Symposium (FTS) program committee and previously served on the Board of Directors and as the chair of the Committee on the Environment (COTE) for AIA-Los Angeles.

Additionally, Miranda is an avid outdoor enthusiast and athlete, embodying her belief that personal well-being resonates with caring for the planet. She has completed numerous half-, full- and ultramarathons, as well as the Ride to Conquer Cancer – a two-day road cycling event, from Vancouver to Seattle –and serves as a Sustainability merit badge counselor for the Scouts of America Troop 2 in Santa Monica.”

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Courtney Popp | Director of Education Programs, iMasons

Courtney Popp is the Director of Education Programs for the Infrastructure Masons (iMasons), a global industry association for the digital infrastructure industry where she works to expand awareness and interest in the industry via education and workforce development initiatives. Prior to joining iMasons, she spent seven years with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, focusing on Dislocated Worker Programs and Sector Partnership Development. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Lynchburg College, and a Master of Arts in Political Science and Labor Union Leadership from the University of Colorado, as well as a Project Management Professional certification.

Courtney is passionate about expanding opportunities for underrepresented populations, community and economic development, and embracing servant leadership in every project she tackles. When she’s not working, you will not find her, because she is probably backwoods camping with her dog.

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Karen Cooper | Mission Critical Client Leader|Senior Associate, DLR Group

Karen is an accomplished client leader with an exceptional ability to establish and nurture client relationships through strategic business development and effective day-to-day communication. As a licensed architect, she brings a wealth of experience in leading complex architecture projects and overseeing construction from concept to completion, offering a clear and visionary approach that benefits both the client and consultant.

In her role managing mission critical and advanced manufacturing projects, Karen excels in delivering technology-intensive solutions that safeguard vital infrastructure while consistently maximizing client value. Her demonstrated background in directing architecture design processes, construction program management, and monitoring project milestones has been instrumental in the successful delivery of numerous projects.

Karen is committed to community engagement. She has served as a Board Member for the Global x-Site Board for Women at Intel (WIN) for two years and is a founding Board Member of Intel’s Employee Resource Group, People for Inclusion and Equity (PIE), which focuses on anti-racism discussions and initiatives.

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Sara Neff | Partner/GM for Sustainability, Cloud Operations + Innovation, Microsoft

Previously the head of Sustainability for Lendlease Americas, Sara is now a Partner/General Manager for Sustainability, Cloud Operations + Innovation at Microsoft. Before that, she took Kilroy Realty Corporation’s sustainability program to being named the #1 public real estate company across all asset classes on sustainability in the Americas by GRESB.

Sara serves on Urban Land Institute Americas Executive Committee and is a member of the FIBRA Macquarie Technical Committee. Previously, she served on the GBCI Board of Directors, the CLEEN Project Advisory Board, the GRID Alternatives Board of Directors, the USGBC Advisory Council and as Chair of the Board of Directors of USGBC Los Angeles, in addition to the Board of Directors of Young Professionals in Energy Los Angeles, Advisory Council of the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, and the BOMA Los Angeles Sustainability Committee.

She has deep expertise in the procurement of low carbon materials and both onsite and offsite renewable energy, energy efficiency, green construction practices, innovative technologies, effective energy transition strategies, waste reduction, greenhouse gas emissions management, biodiversity, human health and occupant satisfaction, investor relations, and reporting and data management frameworks.

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Reine Rambert | Manager of Global Public Affairs, Invenergy

Reine Rambert is manager of global public affairs at Invenergy, the largest privately held clean energy developer and operator in North America with a portfolio spanning the Americas, Asia, and Europe. She works at the intersection of government affairs and corporate citizenship/ESG. Prior to Invenergy, she was a Policy Manager at the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, a research consultant for UN Climate Change’s Adaptation Secretariat, and a consultant for Deloitte’s Federal Consulting practice, where she focused on clean energy deployment in emerging markets. She holds a BA in Government from Georgetown University and a Master in Public Policy focused on energy and natural resources from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

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Bill Kleyman | CEO, Co-Founder, Apolo

Bill Kleyman is an award-winning data center, cloud, and digital infrastructure leader with a 20-year career at the forefront of technology. Ranked globally by Onalytica as one of the leading executives in cloud computing and data security, Bill is focused on advising organizations, training young talent, and educating global audiences about AI, machine learning, sustainable data center design, cybersecurity, and more.

Today, Bill is the CEO of Apolo, an AI platform and infrastructure company. He is the Chair of the Education Committee at Infrastructure Masons and the AFCOM Data Center World Program Chair. Bill is also a regular guest lecturer at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering for graduate and undergraduate courses.

Uniquely comfortable in technical and business leadership roles, Bill worked with sustainable hyperscale data center environments while driving brand awareness as EVP of Digital Solutions for Switch. Bill has also served as Director of Technology Solutions for EPAM Systems, CTO for MTM Technologies, and Director of Technology for World Wide Fittings.

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Ken Moreano | Co-Founder, President & CEO, Scott Data Center

Ken Moreano: President & CEO, Scott Data Center / Scott Managed Services; Executive Director, Scott Technology Center joined the Center in May 2002. He has led the efforts to develop the 20-acre campus into approximately 250,000 square feet of Research, Office, Data Center and Incubator facilities. As the President of the 80,000 square foot Scott Data Center, Mr. Moreano was responsible for the 2006 construction of the facility meeting the requirements of the Department of Defense. After five years, a change in the mission initiated the departure of the Department of Defense and a repurposing effort of the facility. In 2011, Ken oversaw the data center renovation, addition of a 20-Megawatt Central Plant and achievement of the Uptime Institute Tier III certification in both Design and Construction. In 2021, Ken led the effort of conducting 60+ customer interviews, developing a catalog of technical services, and validating the opportunity to launch Scott Managed Services in 2022. Successful business development has resulted in additional critical infrastructure projects to include an 8,000 square foot highly classified space build-out within Scott Data. In February 2024, Ken is leading the launch of a Scott Data high density, high-capacity Artificial Intelligence (AI) GPU as a Service offering in partnership with World Wide Technology (WWT), NVIDIA, VAST data, Motivair, IP Infusion Apolo, and Prolego among other key partners.

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Dan Moore | Senior Director Operations Business, CyrusOne

“As Senior Director Operations Business, Dan Moore is responsible for all of CyrusOne’s operations contracts and vendor relationships in the United States, including the company’s Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) relationship that encompasses all aspects of facility management. He has almost 15 years of mission-critical data center operations and facilities management experience.

Since joining CyrusOne in 2015 as Senior Operations Manager – Northeast Region, Dan was elevated to Operations Business Director prior to his current responsibility. Previously, Dan served as Facilities Manager at Cervalis, purchased by CyrusOne, and he held several positions of increasing responsibilities with IBM for almost 15 years.

Supporting the data center industry, Dan serves as president of 7×24 Exchange Empire State Chapter, a not-for-profit organization that provides an educational forum focusing on challenges faced by mission critical industry professionals.

Dan is a military veteran, having served his country in the United States Navy, after which he earned his Bachelor of Applied Science and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees from Marist College – School of Management in New York.”

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Noah Wilson-Rich | CEO & Chief Scientific Officer, The Best Bees Company

Dr. Noah Wilson-Rich, a leading bee scientist and the Founder, CEO, and Chief Scientific Officer of The Best Bees Company, a leading science-driven beekeeping service at residential, corporate, and industrial grounds and roofs in 25 U.S. cities. Known for integrating cutting-edge technology into environmental research, Noah is at the forefront of using AI, robotics, and blockchain to revolutionize bee health monitoring and preservation. With a PhD in biology, Noah has authored over 20 scientific publications, including The Bee: A Natural History (Princeton/Oxford University Press), which has sold over 50,000 copies and been translated into 15 languages.

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Steve Truebner | Business Development Director, Mission Critical Environments, Legence

Steve Truebner is a seasoned leader in the field of digital infrastructure and energy solutions, currently serving as the Mission Critical Business Development Director for Legence. Legence companies have successfully executed over $1.3 billion in data center projects, serving more than 100 clients with services ranging from MEP design and installation, custom prefabrication, in-plant services, and sustainability consulting. Steve collaborates with clients and partners to deliver scalable solutions, ensuring the highest standards in mission-critical environments.

With over 25 years of experience across 30 states, Steve has developed a deep expertise in complex project delivery and critical human infrastructure. A LEED Accredited Professional, Steve also serves as a commissioner on the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority in Kansas City, Missouri.

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Karen Petersburg | VP, Data Center Development & Construction, PowerHouse Data Centers

Karen oversees the planning and execution large scale data center projects for the firms PowerHouse Data Center platform.
Karen brings almost two decades of design, sustainability, and project management experience in the mission-critical sector, having successfully managed complex sustainable data center design and engineering projects, including campus developments, hyperscale built-to-suits, and major infrastructure renovations. As a sustainability SME, Karen was recently honored by the Green Building Initiative (GBI) as its 2024 Member of the Year for her exceptional dedication to improving the built environment.

Before joining AREP, Karen served as director of design for Digital Realty Trust, where she was responsible for the quality of the organization’s designs and processes. Prior to this, Karen held project management positions for DPR Construction, Iconicx Critical Solutions, and Brothers Concrete. Karen actively contributes to the data center industry as the president of the local 7×24 DC Chapter, with board and committee positions for GBI, the Data Center Coalition, and the Nomad Futurist Foundation. She supports and champions nonprofits aiming to increase STEM participation among local youth.

Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & Government and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Virginia Tech, along with a LEED AP designation and several industry certifications from CNet Training/Uptime Institute and Data Center Dynamics.

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Sherin Sameh | Project Coordinator, Associate, HKS

Dr. Sherin Sameh is a seasoned architect and interior designer with over 19 years of international experience. As a Project Coordinator with HKS Architects’ Mission Critical Team in Washington, DC, she focuses on designing high-performance, resilient environments that support critical operations with sustainability at the core.
She holds a PhD in Environmental Design and an MPhil in Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge. Her global portfolio includes mission-critical facilities, carbon-neutral cities, and award-winning interior spaces. A former professor and department chair, she also brings a deep commitment to education and environmentally responsible design innovation.

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Elizabeth Larsen | Senior Sustainability Engineer, Bala Consulting Engineers

Elizabeth is a Senior Sustainability Engineer at Bala. She completed her Master’s in Sustainable Engineering from Villanova University and has worked with Bala through the Villanova RISE Program as a student. Elizabeth leads Bala’s Sustainability Operations Team; a team of engineers who conduct sustainability studies for clients and research sustainability strategies and initiatives to help reduce the built environment’s impact on climate change. She is passionate about designing projects that prioritize well-being, give back to the planet, and better serve our communities.

Elizabeth has a Civil and Environmental Engineering degree from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and studied abroad at Novia University of Applied Sciences in Vaasa, Finland. Elizabeth is a well-known speaker in the sustainability and built environment space, speaking at events with as many as 5,000 participants.

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Steven Anson | Sr. Director, Global Marketing, Leviton

“Steve Anson is the Senior Director of Marketing at Leviton, responsible for Vertical Markets, Digital, and Brand Marketing, where his expertise and leadership are instrumental in driving the company’s success. With a career spanning over three decades, and encompassing diverse business roles in APAC, EMEA and North America, Steve has cultivated a deep understanding of consumer behavior and market dynamics across various sectors, with a particular focus on residential, commercial, and industrial infrastructure.
During his time at Anixter and now at Leviton, Steve has excelled in driving customer-centric initiatives and fostering cross-functional collaboration. He hosts and moderates thought leadership sessions on infrastructure for the built environment related to healthcare, retail, hospitality, higher education, data center and multi-family environments.

Beyond his professional achievements, Steve’s advocacy for community engagement and sustainability reflects his commitment to making a positive impact beyond the business realm. Steve is an active member of the Leviton CN2030 Sustainability team and is currently collaborating with GBI and other ecosystem partners to build what’s next, to light, power and connect everyday spaces.”

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Kennedy Miller | Global Programme Manager, Leviton

Kennedy Miller has been with Leviton for over 26 years, currently serving as the Global Programme Manager for Sustainability at Leviton. Kennedy has made significant contributions to environmental sustainability, innovation, technical compliance and materials technology in his various roles. He was responsible for an industry leading, award winning, program to achieve Carbon Neutrality for the European operations since 2011; launched the first carbon neutral cabling product in 2012 and led a program for a fully Carbon Neutral datacentre network cabling infrastructure in 2018. In his current role, Kennedy leads the Leviton program to achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2023 and Net Zero by 2050.
He graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry at The University of Edinburgh and a MSc in Materials Technology from Napier University.

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Mark Bacon | Practice Lead – Energy Incentives, Leyton

Mark Bacon is a Professional Engineer with over 17 years of diverse experience spanning energy efficiency, team leadership, sales, and operational excellence. Mark serves as the Practice Lead for Energy Incentives at Leyton, an international consulting firm known for its expertise in financial incentives. In this role, he leads the commercial real estate service lines, striving to develop and execute energy efficiency strategies that benefit Leyton’s clients.

Before Leyton, Mark held positions at top CPA and consulting firms, where he had the opportunity to refine his skills in energy engineering and quality control. He evaluates complex technical projects for building energy efficiency and establishes best practices to ensure compliance with industry standards.

Mark holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick and a Bachelor of Science in Biology/Chemistry from Acadia University.

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Namrata Gupta | Sustainability Engineer, Vantage Data Centers

As a Sustainability Engineer for Vantage Data Centers, Namrata leads the strategic execution of the company’s sustainability initiatives, with a core focus on decarbonizing their North America data center portfolio. In addition to her role at Vantage Data Centers, she sits on the Board of Directors for Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, a local non-profit championing environmental stewardship projects. In addition, she chairs the Emerging Professionals group for USGBC and sits on their Market Leadership Advisory Board, contributing to industry-wide efforts on climate action. An Architect by education, her expertise encompasses sustainable design, green building certifications, embodied carbon reduction and greenhouse gas reduction planning for portfolios. Throughout her career, she has influenced more than 45 million square feet of global real estate, spanning Industrial CRE, commercial office, multi-family residential and manufacturing asset types.

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Amy Marks | SVP, Innovation, Compass Datacenters

“As SVP of Innovation at Compass Datacenters, Amy is transforming the built environment by pioneering industrialized methods, digital innovation, and sustainable practices. She leads Compass’ innovation strategies, aligning them with the company’s Strategic Anchors to drive change in construction and design while fostering collaboration across industries. Amy is a strong advocate for advancing the industry through diverse talent and cutting-edge solutions, positioning Compass at the forefront of innovation.

With more than 20 years of experience, Amy has held key leadership roles, including EVP of Global Strategy and Growth at Symetri, VP of Enterprise Transformation and VP of Industrialized Construction at Autodesk, and CEO of XSite Modular. In these roles, she spearheaded strategic initiatives for the largest global companies, led digital transformation and sustainability efforts, and set industry standards in industrialized construction, earning the nickname “Queen of Prefab.”

In addition to her role at Compass, Amy is a sought-after keynote speaker and chairperson at conferences around the world, focusing on business transformation, prefabrication, and sustainability. She is the chairman and ambassador of the Advancing Prefabrication show, and in 2024, she was named the National Institute of Building Sciences’ Construction Woman of the Year.

Amy holds a B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Florida and is an alumna of Harvard Business School. She is also on the board of the U.S. Women’s Rugby Foundation.”

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Matt Pfile | CEO, Crane Data Centers

As CEO of Crane, Matt drives the company’s mission to develop and operate data centers in a smarter, more sustainable way. Before founding Crane, Matt spent over 12 years at Google, where he played a pivotal role in scaling the company’s global data center and network infrastructure. He led acquisitions of over $5 billion in infrastructure investments, securing mission-critical sites and network capacity across North America, South America, and Asia. His leadership in site selection, strategic acquisitions, and telecommunications infrastructure enabled Google’s rapid expansion and supported the scaling of products like YouTube, Search, and Maps.

During his tenure at Google, Matt led the entry of Google Cloud Platform (GCP) into Japan and Australia, securing the critical infrastructure necessary for expansion into these key markets. He also spearheaded the acquisition of large-scale data center campuses for the company’s self-build data centers across three continents, totaling more than 1,600 MW of capacity. His efforts expanded Google’s global data center footprint into Northeast Asia, where he led site selection and acquisitions in Japan, Taiwan, and Australia. He led the acquisition of Google’s largest data center site in Asia (now the primary data center campus serving all of Northeast Asia) and led the acquisition of Google’s largest data center site in South America.

Matt founded Crane with a bold vision to rethink how data centers are designed, built, and operated. Leveraging his deep expertise in infrastructure development, he is building Crane into a next-generation data center platform that prioritizes efficiency, sustainability, and innovation. Under his leadership, Crane is redefining digital infrastructure, ensuring that mission-critical facilities meet the evolving needs of hyperscalers and enterprises while reducing environmental impact.

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John DeLacio | Principal, AVAIO Capital

John is a Principal at AVAIO with 13 years of experience across private equity, investment banking, and energy engineering. As a leader within AVAIO Digital Partners, John ensures each project aligns with AVAIO’s vision for a more sustainable future. He also leads AVAIO’s new business initiatives, including within energy and environmental transition.

Prior to joining AVAIO in 2018, John was an associate at Goldman Sachs in their Investment Banking Division, advising on over $80 billion of debt underwriting and merger advisory. John began his career at CJL Engineering, an energy consulting and engineering firm where he focused on commercial building and data center projects as a LEED Accredited Professional.

John graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a double major in Economics.

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Mikael Svanfeldt | Chief Technology Officer, EcoData Centers

Mikael is CTO at EcoDataCenter, a Nordic wholesale colocation operator focused on sustainable HPC and AI customer segments. He joined the company early 2019 as the second employee and has since then been responsible for the design and supported the execution teams with constructing the data centers. EcoDataCenter do all design, execution and operations inhouse and work directly with manufacturers of capacity components, while employing local entrepreneurs to integrate the systems into operational data centers. The primary focus is sustainable design and operation, throughout the lifespan of the facilities. One example of this is to build entire data centers out of cross laminated timber.

Mikael has more than 10 years dedicated design and construction experience in the data center industry and another 5 years in mission critical facilities such as hospitals and oil & gas. He joined Schneider Electric in 2009 where he held different positions as project manager and department manager for cross business units technical presales and execution teams across Nordics, Baltics, UK & Ireland and Middle East.

Mikael holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management, focused on energy systems, from the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden and is an Accredited Tier Designer. He currently lives in Sweden.

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Patrick Hughes | Senior Vice President, Technical & Industry Affairs, NEMA

Patrick E. Hughes is Senior Vice President of Strategy, Technical, and Industry Affairs at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), the industry-leading trade association and ANSI-accredited standards developing organization. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) represents over 300 electrical equipment and medical imaging manufacturers that make safe, reliable, and efficient products and systems. Together, our members contribute 1% of U.S. GDP and directly provide nearly 460,000 American jobs, contributing more than $250 billion to the U.S. economy. Learn more at makeitelectric.org.

Patrick leads a team of technical experts working together to drive adoption of electrical technologies used in renewable energy generation, power transmission and distribution, energy storage, high-performance buildings, electric and connected transportation, and industrial systems. Patrick applies his expertise in energy technology and policy to position NEMA and electrical equipment manufacturers for long-term success and sustainability.

Patrick serves on the Board of Directors of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), as well as President of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid (ACEG), a public interest advocacy coalition focused on the need to expand, integrate, and modernize the North American high-voltage grid. Patrick holds an M.S. degree in Energy Policy and Climate Science from Johns Hopkins University and dual B.A. degrees in Political Science and Spanish from the University of Rochester.

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Brian Jabeck | VP, Buisness Development, Bennett & Pless, Inc.

Brian Jabeck is an experienced Business and Sales Leader with a demonstrated history of working in the energy and power generation industry. He’s a strong account professional skilled in Sales, Electric Power, Management, Continuous Improvement, and Product introduction and development. Brian has deep knowledge of the power generation market in North America and Europe with a focus on mission-critical and demand response applications utilizing diesel and natural gas solutions.

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Buddy Rizer | Executive Director, Loudoun Virginia Economic Development

Buddy Rizer serves as the Executive Director for economic development in Loudoun County, Virginia, which was named the 2021 Economic Development Organization of the Year by the International Economic Development Council. He leads the agency responsible for encouraging growth and developing relationships with Loudoun’s business community in both the commercial and agricultural-based business sectors. During his tenure, Rizer and his team have attracted more than $50 billion in new commercial investment and more than 50 thousand new jobs. During this time, the growth in the commercial based has help lower the tax rate in Loudoun by more than 41 cents on the dollar, saving residents thousands of dollars annually on their tax bill.

In 2007, Mr. Rizer joined Loudoun County and helped build “Data Center Alley” into the largest concentration of data centers in the world. He also has extensive international business development experience in China, France, Germany, Russia, Ireland, United Kingdom, Finland, Taiwan, Japan, India, Korea, Ghana, Uruguay, and the United Arab Emirates.

Mr. Rizer serves as the Chair of the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance (NOVA EDA), is a member of the Board of Trustees for Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), Past-Chair of the Northern Virginia Community College Foundation Board, Secretary of the Go Virginia Region 7 Council. He is on the Board of Directors for the Northern Virginia Technology Council, the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and the Washington Airports Task Force (WATF). He is also the Chair of the Rivana at Innovation Station Community Development Authority.

Mr. Rizer is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), a certified Entrepreneurship Development Professional (EDP) and a graduate of Virginia Tech’s Local Government Management Graduate Certificate Program.

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Spencer Stanton | Director, Business Development, Jupiter Power

Spencer Stanton is the Director of Business Development for Jupiter Power, a developer and operator of grid-scale Battery Storage technology. He focuses on offtake strategy and contract structuring with a variety of counterparties including hedge funds, banks, utilities, and corporate energy buyers. Prior to Jupiter, Spencer worked as a Power Trader for Ørsted where he assisted in hedging and optimization of a large portfolio of wind, solar, and battery storage assets across the country. Spencer received an MS in Energy & Sustainability from the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University and has Finance and History degrees from Southern Methodist University.

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Grace Power | General Counsel, EVP of Government Affairs, Solar Landscape

As General Counsel and EVP of Government Affairs, Grace guides Solar Landscape’s legal and lobbying efforts nationally. Most recently Grace was a Partner at McCarter & English. Previously she served as Chief of Staff at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU), where she chaired the 2019 State Energy Master Plan Committee. Grace is a graduate of Rutgers University School of Law – Newark. She holds a master’s degree from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers and an undergraduate degree from Rutgers College. She also served as a graduate fellow and undergraduate associate at the Eagleton Institute of Politics.

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Ben Hoffman | Head of Commercial Sales, Data Centers, Last Energy

Ben Hoffman is the Head of Commercial Sales, Data Centers at Last Energy, where he leads lead generation and commercial structuring for Data Center and heavy industrial clients. In this role, Ben collaborates with Last Energy’s data center clients to facilitate over-the-grid and behind-the-meter solutions that ensure carbon-free power delivery.
Ben has extensive experience in business development in the energy industry, with a focus on energy storage and nuclear technologies. In previous positions, he led business and partnership development at THEMES, a long-duration energy storage developer. During his tenure at THEMES, Ben worked across the private and public sectors to develop early-stage thermal and mechanical energy storage technologies.
Prior to that, Ben was responsible for program management at EIC, an energy storage company serving data centers, specializing in hydrogen and compressed air storage.

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Phillip Koblence | COO & Co-Founder, Nomad Futurist

Phillip Koblence co-founded NYI (www.nyi.net) in 1996. Since then, he has successfully navigated through an ever-shifting infrastructure landscape and grown the company from a single data center in Lower Manhattan to a robust network with executional capabilities in key national and international markets. His leadership over a span of more than twenty years has positioned NYI as a leader in hybrid infrastructure solutions. Part of NYI’s success is due to the strong emphasis placed on building lasting relationships with clients. Through this focus on customer experience, and an ability to cut through complexity and hype, NYI has set the bar in the industry for high-touch infrastructure solutions. Phillip is a frequent speaker at industry events and has been profiled by Data Center Knowledge, TheWHIR, MSPMentor, and NJ BIZ. He has also contributed to CRN and NJ Business Magazine. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, with an engineering degree.

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