10th Annual AESP-NEEC Conference
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
 Speaker Biographies
State Perspectives on Supporting Energy Efficiency Markets
Frank Gorke is the Director of the Division of Energy
Efficiency at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER). He
is currently responsible for the Commonwealth’s energy efficiency policies
and programs, including implementing the efficiency provisions of the Green
Communities Act of 2008, a landmark energy policy reform passed unanimously
by the Massachusetts legislature, and managing the Department’s oversight
of utility efficiency programs.
Since the end of 2008 he has chaired, on behalf of DOER Commissioner Phil
Giudice, the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council, an 11 member stakeholder
board consisting of business, industry, environmental and consumer representatives. The
Council in October 2009 voted unanimously to approve the state’s aggressive
three year, $2 billion energy efficiency investment plans, which are now
being implemented across the state.
Before coming to state government, Mr. Gorke was a community organizer,
an advocate for environmental and clean energy programs, and the founding
director of a membership-based environmental advocacy organization focused
on energy and climate policy, and state parks and forests.
Mr. Gorke graduated with honors from Harvard College in 1999 with a degree
in Social Anthropology.
Joanne O. Morin is the Director of the NH Office
of Energy and Planning (OEP). Its mission is to support planning
that enhances the State’s economic growth while preserving its unique
character and natural beauty, and to advocate sound energy policies that
encourage the use of renewable resources, reduce energy demand and constrain
energy price increase.
Previously, Ms. Morin was the manager of Climate and Energy Programs for
the Air Division of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
where she was responsible for many initiatives to promote cleaner energy
sources, energy efficiency, and energy conservation. She facilitated
the development of the New Hampshire Climate Action Plan involving a 29-member
Task Force and over 125 stakeholders. She has also served as the
New Hampshire representative on the staff working group for the Regional
Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a “cap and trade” program for limiting
carbon dioxide emissions from major electric power plants in 10 eastern states.
Her previous experience includes twelve years as an environmental consultant
and four years as a Corporate Environmental Manager for The Timberland Company. Her
previous environmental work ranged from Superfund litigation to monitoring
overseas labor and environmental conditions.
DSM Program Design and Investment: Are We Doing All We Can
Robert Rio in 2007 became the Senior Vice President for
Government Affairs for Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) – the
state’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan association of Massachusetts’ employers. With
more than 7,000 members who employ nearly one out of every five workers in
Massachusetts, AIM’s mission is to promote the well-being of its members
and the prosperity of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by improving the
economic climate, proactively advocating fair and equitable public policy,
and providing relevant, reliable information and excellent services.
Since 1997, Mr. Rio’s advocacy work on behalf of the organization’s
7,000 member companies includes environmental, health and safety issues,
as well as issues pertaining to public safety (steam boilers, hoisting, forklifts,
above-ground storage tanks). Mr. Rio’s work includes both regulatory
and legislative efforts.
Mr. Rio has appeared on behalf of AIM in regulatory matters concerning
the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, the Department of Public Safety, and the Massachusetts
Water Resources Authority. He also represents AIM as a member of several
ongoing advisory groups within the Department of Environmental Protection
and other agencies, including regulatory reform committees that have made
regulations easier to comply with and less burdensome to industry.
Mr. Rio received an undergraduate degree from Boston University, a master’s
degree from Northeastern University, and his law degree from Suffolk University
in 1994.
Carol White, Director of Policy & Evaluation, plans
and supervises National Grid’s electric and natural gas energy efficiency
program evaluation, market assessment, and energy efficiency
program planning activities. She is responsible for regulatory
issues related to energy efficiency efforts in MA, RI, NH, and
NY.
Prior to joining National Grid, Ms. White was the Manager of C&LM Services
at Eastern Utilities. She has 30 years of experience in the energy
business.
She is actively involved in many professional and trade associations including
the Association of Energy Services Professionals where she serves on the
Board of Directors as Chairman of the Board, the International Energy Program
Evaluation Conference (IEPEC) where she serves on the Board of Directors
and the Conference Planning Committee, and the Consortium for Energy Efficiency
(CEE) where she serves as Co-Chair of the Evaluation Committee.
Ms. White has a B.A., Economics and Mathematics from
Boston University, an M.A. in Economics from Boston University and an MBA
from Northeastern University.
Vin Graziano has been the chief executive officer
of RISE Engineering, a division of Thielsch Engineering, Inc. since 1980. In
this capacity, he has worked in conjunction with program administrators,
energy companies, and government officials on the design and implementation
of efficiency programs throughout the United States and Canada. He
currently directs a staff of 200 professionals who offer turnkey services
to residential, commercial, and industrial energy users throughout New England
and New York. RISE is a pioneer in the delivery of "one-stop" program
services, and over $400 million in energy improvements have been arranged
by RISE under his direction.
Prior to joining RISE, he was the Principal Planner for Conservation and
Renewable Energy Programs for the Rhode Island Governor's Energy Office. Mr.
Graziano holds a B.A. from Clark University in government and resource economics
and an M.B.A. in accounting from Bryant College.
Dan Zaweski is the Assistant Vice President of Energy
Efficiency and Distributed Generation for the Long Island Power Authority. In
this role Mr. Zaweski maintains primary responsibility for LIPA's Efficiency
Long Island initiative - a ten year, $924 Million Initiative consisting of
a mix of energy efficiency programs. He also maintains responsibility
for LIPA’s customer sited Renewable generation programs and serves
as the internal technical lead on LIPA’s offshore wind efforts.
Prior to joining LIPA in September 1999, Mr. Zaweski spent the previous
decade with the Empire State Electric Energy Research Corporation - the former
R&D arm of the New York State electric utilities, leaving there as the
Director of Administration.
In addition to his duties at LIPA, Mr. Zaweski, is a member of the Northeast
Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc., is a member of the Board of the Consortium
for Energy Efficiency, serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Adirondack
Lakes Survey Corporation in Raybrook, NY and is a former member of the U.S.
Department of Energy’s State Energy Advisory Board.
Mr. Zaweski holds a BA and MBA with concentrations in Management.
Local Energy Initiatives
Mikaela Engert is a city planner with the City of Keene,
NH, where she guides the city’s implementation of its Climate Action
Plan and is also the project manager for the community’s master plan
update process, which is currently underway. Much of Ms. Engert’s
professional experience and education in the field of planning focuses on
community sustainability issues. Specifically, her interests are in
food security, climate change and energy, and devising creative, collaborative
community participation processes.
Ms. Engert has a Master of Urban Planning from the State University of
New York at Buffalo and obtained her Bachelor’s from Green Mountain
College in Vermont. She was also part of a team of graduate students
which earned the "Outstanding Student Project" awards from the
APA Western New York Section, the APA New York Upstate Chapter, and the American
Institute of Certified Planners for the plan: Food for Growth: A Community
Food System Plan for Buffalo’s West Side. Most recently,
she was awarded the 2009 Distinguished Young Alumni Award from the Green
Mountain College Alumni Board of Directors, which recognizes those young
alumni who have distinguished themselves in the first ten years after graduation
through exceptional contributions of leadership in career and charitable
activities.
Jennifer Manierre is an Assistant Project Manager in the
commercial New Construction Program at the New York State Energy
Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). She also manages the
contract held with Malcolm Pirnie for NYSERDA’s Focus on Local
Government Program. Ms. Manierre is currently in the process
of putting together a solicitation to secure consulting services in support
of the Climate Smart Communities program and will be managing that
contract as well. Prior to her current position in the New Construction
Program, she was an intern for the Buildings and Industry group on the Research
and Development side of NYSERDA.
Ms. Manierre received her B.A. from Hamilton College with a concentration
in geology and a minor in economics. She went on to receive a Master’s
degree in Education from Elmira College as well as a Master’s degree
in Ecological Economics, Values, and Policy from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Ellen Pfeiffer is a senior analyst in
National Grid's Energy Products group. Ms. Pfieffer led the company's
first community initiative, Energy Action: Aquidneck & Jamestown, and
is now working with a team to expand community initiatives across National
Grid's territory. Previously, she worked as a program manager at the
U.S. Department of Energy and in various community organizing roles for political
and non-profit groups.
Ms. Pfeiffer is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard University.
Smart Grid
Scott Durham is Vice President
of Utility Solutions for Tendril. Mr. Durham has spent the past decade
in the energy industry and has more than 25 years of sales executive experience. At
Tendril, he is charged with building and managing the sales team and executing
on the company’s revenue goals and objectives.
Previously, he served as Vice President of Strategic Accounts at Elster
Integrated Solutions, a smart metering and Smart Grid systems and solutions
provider, where he led the company’s large utility Smart Grid solution
sales team.
Mr. Durham holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University
of California
Doug Horton is Project Manager of the AMR-based Dynamic
Pricing project at NSTAR Electric and Gas Corporation. NSTAR is an
electric and gas utility servicing 1.4 million customers in Massachusetts,
including the City of Boston. As Project Manager, Mr. Horton is responsible
for day-to-day project execution, U.S.Department of Energy (DOE) tracking
and reporting, and regulatory reporting for the MA Department of Public Utilities
(DPU). He has been closely involved with all three of NSTAR’s
Smart Grid projects from their inceptions, from filing the plan with the
MA DPU in response to the Massachusetts Green Communities Act, and then filing
for grant awards with the DOE as part of the ARRA Smart Grid Investment Grant
and Smart Grid Demonstration Grant process.
Mr. Horton has a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Bentley
College with High Distinction honors and a Bachelors Degree in Economics
and Finance, also from Bentley College.
Bill Pratt is a marketing, sales and business development
professional with extensive experience in the energy, banking and insurance
sectors. Mr. Pratt is currently Smart Grid Customer Program Director
for National Grid. In this capacity, he is part of a team responsible
for developing and executing a business and regulatory plan to introduce
smart metering and grid technology into National Grid’s U.S. footprint.
Before assuming this role, Mr. Pratt held a variety of senior marketing
positions in National Grid and was responsible for profitably growing the
Company’s regulated and non-regulated revenue base by adding new residential
and commercial natural gas customers. He was also in charge of the
Company’s Fleet Services, Facility Maintenance and Security departments.
Prior to joining National Grid, he worked in a variety of marketing and
strategy positions nationally and internationally at Fleet Financial Group
(now Bank of America) and AIG Insurance.
Mr. Pratt holds a BA in Economics from Trinity College in Hartford, CT
and a MBA with a concentration in Marketing and International
Business from Columbia University in New York, NY.
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