Summit Speakers
Paul Albertus
Associate Director, Maryland Energy Innovation Institute &
Assistant Professor, UMD Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Paul Albertus has been appointed the new associate director of the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute (MEI²), an institute housed within the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering created by the state to turn research breakthroughs by Maryland academic institutions into commercial, clean energy solutions that meet the needs of the state and its people. Albertus comes to the Clark School from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), where he was program director and helped initiate $100 million of funding towards new research projects, most of them electrochemical technologies.
Albertus completed his B.S.E. at the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, both in chemical engineering.
Prior to ARPA-E, he worked at Bosch Research where, along with carrying out battery research, he helped set up the Bosch Energy Research Network, which provides energy-related research grants to universities and internships to students. His research interests include energy storage for transportation and stationary applications, energy conversion, and energy materials, with applications including lithium metal batteries, flow batteries, and electrolysis of water to form hydrogen and oxygen.
Sharon Allan
Chief Innovation Officer
Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA)
Ms. Allan's extensive background in technology, innovation, and information technology provides boards with invaluable expertise. She is currently the Chief Innovation Officer at the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) where she advises industry on unlocking value streams through innovation, technology, and strategy execution. In her more than 30-year career, she has advised and coached Fortune 100 companies, private equity companies, venture-backed companies as well as worked closely with U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. National Institute of Standards & Technology, and many of the U.S. National Laboratories to address the transformation of the energy sector.
Ms. Allan is on the Advisory Board of Enertech Capital.
Eli Allen
Director of the Center for Sustainable Careers
Civic Works
Eli Allen is the Director of the Center for Sustainable Careers (CSC) at Civic Works. CSC expands access to family-sustaining careers for Baltimore residents from historically marginalized communities. It supports residents in building the skills needed to secure quality employment, and employers around investing in their workers and advancing equity across their practices. He leads CSC’s sector-based career training programs in brownfields remediation, residential energy efficiency, stormwater management, and solar energy installation, as well as its clean energy social enterprise that creates on-the-job training opportunities for program participants. Eli also helped create CSC’s Good Business Works job quality initiative, which provides consumer marketing support and generates procurement opportunities for companies that meet standards around job quality and racial equity and inclusion, incentivizing employers to strengthen their workplace practices. The program also supports companies in meeting their job quality and equity goals by providing technical assistance, coaching, and linking employers with workforce development programs to facilitate hiring partnerships. Eli is committed to creating a thriving, inclusive and equitable clean energy economy.
Katie Bergfeld
Branch Chief
D.C. Department of Energy & Environment
Katie Bergfeld is the Branch Chief for Building Performance and Enforcement at the Department of Energy & Environment in Washington, DC. Coming to the agency with 10 years of experience in green building, she currently oversees all facets of the District’s benchmarking program, as well as the development of the District’s new building energy performance standards that were set forth in the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018. Prior to joining DOEE, Katie worked as a Program Specialist with the U.S. Green Building Council, where she worked in the LEED Certification Department. Katie has an M.A. in Natural Resources & Sustainable Development from American University and B.S. in Environmental Studies from Emory University. She is both a LEED Accredited Professional (BD+C) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
Pam Bloch Mendelson
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, United States Department of Energy
Cherie Brooks
CEO & Co-Founder
Power52 Foundation
Cherie Brooks is a Co-Founder and a Principal in Power52 Foundation (Power52, Inc). Under Cherie’s guidance, Power52 Foundation has launched its first training facility in Baltimore City, Maryland which is in the candidate phase of the NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) accreditation process. Cherie has obtained her Master Trainer credentials from NCCER as well. Future training programs are being developed in the Ivory Coast (Cote D'Ivoire), Lakeland Florida, and Hawaii Islands. Prior to Power52, Cherie served as the Executive Director of Prosperity Pail Ministry works. Under Cherie’s leadership, Prosperity Pail worked to provided STEM centers for local schools to introduce youth to renewable and clean technologies.
Before launching into the 501C3 world, Cherie worked in the wireless industry with direct negotiation of contracts, project management, and site acquisition services for fortune 500 companies, including Verizon and AT&T. She has sited and managed over 100 telecom sites and negotiated and oversaw each site through leasing to construction milestones. Cherie managed subcontractors/site acquisition specialists on all project phases (leasing, zoning, compliance, A&E, and Regulatory) on AT&T’s LTE Project as well as Verizon's New Site /Raw Land Builds. In 2003, Cherie received her Maryland real estate license. Since being licensed, she has been recognized with several club level awards for outstanding sales achievements. Cherie’s greatest strengths are her creativity, drive and leadership. She thrives on challenges, particularly those that expand the company’s reach.
Ali Chaudhry
SVP & Chief Development Officer
AECOM
Tony Clifford
Chief Marketing Officer
Standard Solar
Musa Collidge-Asad
Vice President
Quantified Ventures
Mr. Asad is a Vice President with Quantified Ventures, a leading outcomes-based capital firm driving transformative environmental, health, and social impact. He overseas teams focusing on urban and coastal resilience, forestry and land use, and agricultural systems.
Prior to joining Quantified Ventures, Musa co-founded and led BGB Investment Partners, a venture development and investment firm focusing on technology solutions resolving global challenges in energy, water, transport, land use, and access to finance. He also held leadership team roles focusing on Opportunity Zone investments, public-private partnerships, and integrated economic and climate resilience, including with Corvias Group and the EPA Region III Environmental Finance Center. Previously, Musa was a Senior Officer with the World Bank Group, where he led a multi-billion dollar portfolio of complex investments involving integrated infrastructure and land use development, climate related investment funds, renewable energy and biodiversity programs, and microfinance.
Musa holds a JD and MBA from the University of Maryland Carey Law School and Smith B-School, and has completed a Harvard Executive Development Program. He and his family are long-time residents of Montgomery and Howard Counties.
Hon. Brian Feldman
Maryland State Senator
Legislative District 15
Maryland State Senator Brian J. Feldman, both an Attorney and a CPA, is the Vice Chair of the prestigious Senate Finance Committee and chairs its Energy and Public Utilities Subcommittee. Additionally, Brian is the Senate Chair of the Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission and serves as a member of the Executive Nominations Committee and the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics. He is also a member of the Maryland Economic Development Commission. Nationally, as a member of the National Conferences of State Legislators, he serves on the Task Force on Energy Supply and as a member of the Council of State Governments, he serves on the Energy and Environment Committee. Also, he is a member of the Southern States Energy Board.
Numerous honors and awards have been conferred on Senator Feldman for his work in the Maryland Legislature. Most recently, he was recognized for his exceptional efforts on behalf of municipalities during the 2019 Maryland General Assembly Session by the Maryland Municipal League. Currently, Brian sits on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and Montgomery Hospice. Senator Feldman and his wife, Janice, have two children who graduated from Montgomery County public schools.
Brian Fratus
Director of Solar Development
PPL Solar
Josh Greene
Vice President, A.O. Smith Corporation
Board Member, Maryland Clean Energy Center
Josh currently serves as Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs for the A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS). AOS is a global water technology manufacturing company that specializes in products that heat and treat water. In this role, Josh’s primary function is to advocate the company’s business goals and objectives in front of federal, state, and local policy makers and regulators, as well as in front of industry organizations. He represents the company and actively participates on its behalf in the company’s main trade association in Washington D.C. the Air-conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) as well as a wide array of other manufacturers associations and non-governmental organizations. In addition to his duties as head of Government and Industry Affairs, Josh also is part of the Legal Department at A. O. Smith and works closely with our Corporate Development department and Corporate Technology Center on business strategy issues and early stage technology company diligence. Josh is also working on sustainability issues for the company.
Prior to Josh joining AOS, he was a Partner at the international law firm of Squire Patton Boggs LLP. While at the law firm he used his two decades of experience as a former Congressional staff member and entrepreneur in assisting his clients to achieve their business goals and objectives. His legal practice focused on energy and environmental regulation, compliance, project development and finance. In addition to his energy and environmental policy and regulatory practice, he also counseled emerging technology companies within the energy, natural resources, and information technology sectors.
Early in his career, Josh served as a senior legislative assistant and aide in the U.S. House of Representatives he provided advice and counsel on federal legislation and agency regulations that came before the Congress. It was during his service on Capitol Hill that he began to hone his environmental policy and regulatory knowledge and its intersection with the private marketplace. Finally, Josh’s professional experience off Capitol Hill also includes serving as chairman of a privately-held holding company involved in the commercial building services industry as well as retail food services.
Josh lives in Maryland and is extremely active in his local community, where he sits on the boards of both civic and charitable organizations as well as a number of public service appointments in the State of Maryland including to the Board of Directors of the Maryland Clean Energy Center and his service as a Commissioner on the Maryland Economic Development Commission.
In his spare time Josh loves spending time with his family, which includes his wife Monya Phillip, and children (Jacob, Sophia, and Jonathan), as well as cycling, running, playing all kinds of sports, reading biographies, and spending time at the beach.
Ben Grumbles
Secretary
Maryland Department of the Environment
Ben Grumbles is Maryland's Secretary of the Environment. He was appointed by Governor Larry Hogan and confirmed by the Maryland Senate in 2015. His duties also include serving as Chair of the Governor’s Chesapeake Bay Cabinet and Chair of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and member of the Ozone Transport Commission and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission.
Ben has served as President of the U.S. Water Alliance, Director of Arizona’s Department of Environmental Quality, EPA Assistant Administrator for Water, and senior staffer and counsel for the Transportation and Infrastructure and Science Committees in the U.S Congress. He’s lived, worked, and played in the Chesapeake Bay watershed since 1985.
Charles Hernick
Director of Policy and Advocacy
Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions
Joshua Kurtz
Director of Policy Development
The Nature Conservancy
Josh works on policy and funding initiatives in the Maryland General Assembly and DC City Council that focus on climate resilience, clean water, and land conservation. He also supports advocacy with Maryland’s Federal Delegation.
Julie Lenzer
Chief Innovation Officer
University of Maryland
As Chief Innovation Officer, Julie Lenzer is charged with fostering and deploying innovation to drive greater economic and social impact from the University. To accomplish this, she promotes and facilitates a culture of innovation and collaboration, working to connect and promote innovation assets across the university and with the external ecosystem including expanding industry partnerships and supporting the Greater College Park Initiative and Discovery District. She is also charged with maximizing synergies between UMD and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB).
She currently oversees the Office of Technology Commercialization, the Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Maryland International Incubator (MI2), TechPort (a UAS incubator in Southern Maryland), the Mixed/Augmented/Virtual Reality Innovation Center (MAVRIC), as well as university engagement with the Discovery District (UMD's research park).
Obi Linton
Commissioner
Maryland Public Service Commission
Odogwu Obi Linton was appointed to the Maryland Public Service Commission in August 2017 after serving for almost nine years as the Commission’s Director of External Relations and Retail Market Development. Commissioner Linton began his career in 1991 as a meter reader and engineering intern at Public Service Electric and Gas in New Jersey. After law school, Commissioner Linton clerked for the Hon. Evelyn Omega Cannon in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City.
Commissioner Linton worked as a regulatory attorney at Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, where he worked on the deregulation of the electric industry and consumer disputes. Five years later, he rejoined the Commission as Deputy Staff Counsel. Commissioner Linton then left the Commission to start his own law firm, where he represented consumers, small businesses and deregulated suppliers in litigation and transactional matters. He eventually closed his firm to return to the Commission to serve as Director of the Office of External Relations. Commissioner Linton is currently the Vice Chair for the Consumers and the Public Interest Committee and is the Founding Chair of the Utility Marketplace Access (now Supplier and Workforce Diversity) Staff Subcommittee for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).
Chris MacLarion
Director- Maryland Apprenticeship & Training
Maryland Department of Labor
Chris MacLarion began his career by serving for three years in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. After leaving the Army, Chris spent 16 years working at the RG Steel plant in Sparrows Point, Maryland as a steelworker and the Vice President of the local union. When the RG Steel Corporation closed Chris attended the University of Baltimore, initially as a participant in the USDOL funded RG Steel National Emergency Grant, earning his Bachelor’s Degree and becoming an employee of the Maryland Department of Labor.
In the six years Chris has been with Maryland’s Department of Labor he has managed numerous grants, including two USDOL National Dislocated Worker Grants and three State Apprenticeship Expansion Grants. Chris is currently the Director of the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Program.
I. Katherine Magruder
Executive Director
Maryland Clean Energy Center
Kathy Magruder is the Executive Director of the Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC), a corporate instrumentality of the state created to advance the adoption of clean energy products, services, and technologies. In addition to administrative and budget management for MCEC she in engaged in government and industry stakeholder relations, event production and innovation advancement.
Magruder led efforts to launch programs designed to provide access to capital for energy projects including the Maryland Home Energy Loan Program, Maryland Clean Energy Capital Program and MDPACE; a statewide initiative enabling commercial property assessed clean energy lending to occur in Maryland.
In her prior position Ms. Magruder served as Chief of Staff at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute; known for performing cutting edge research and transfer of newly discovered technologies to commercial applications; when it existed as part of the University System of Maryland.
As Director of Resource Based Industries, for the Maryland Department of Commerce, she initiated and managed a program focused on sustaining agriculture, forestry, mining, fisheries and maritime industry sectors. Working in collaboration with multiple agencies and in partnership with the Maryland Energy Administration, she helped develop a statewide approach to implement evolving energy policies and technologies.
Ms. Magruder previously served at the regional and county level in tourism, community and economic development as Director of the Department of Economic Development & Tourism for Queen Anne’s County, Maryland. Emphasizing sustainability In that capacity, she led numerous agribusiness and ecotourism initiatives focused on environment, economy, and cultural character. Related efforts include creation of an interactive exhibit for visitors at the Chesapeake Heritage Center, state designation of the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area, and national designation for the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway.
Kathy holds a professional Certificate in Destination Marketing & Management from George Washington University School of Business & Public Management, and is recognized as a Certified Economic Developer by the International Economic Development Council. She earned her BFA in Fine Art from Maryland Institute College of Art in 1982, and looks forward to every opportunity to use her creative skills.
Arjun Makhijani
President
Institute for Energy and Environmental Research
Arjun Makhijani is President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER) in Takoma Park, Maryland. He earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley in 1972, specializing in nuclear fusion.
A recognized authority on energy issues, Dr. Makhijani is the author and co-author of numerous reports and books on energy, climate, and other environmental and economic issues. Most recently, he has authored Prosperous Renewable Maryland, which is a comprehensive roadmap for a clean, renewable energy sector in Maryland that is technically sound, resilient, and affordable for low-income households. He has published widely; he has testified before Congress, and has appeared on ABC World News Tonight, the CBS Evening News, CBS 60 Minutes, NPR, CNN, and BBC, among others. He has served as a consultant on energy issues to utilities, including the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Edison Electric Institute, the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and several agencies of the United Nations.
Ben Margolis
Commercialization Program Manager
Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator
Ben Margolis is a the Commercialization for MCEC's Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator. Ben focuses on making teams successful by acting as project manager. He manages the teams' interactions with MEIA's resources including Executives-In-Residence, In-Kind Sponsors, and Strategic Partners.
Mr. Margolis is an experienced renewable energy executive with over a decade of experience in both entrepreneurial ventures and large, publicly traded companies. As a commercialization consultants, Ben advises companies in the areas of go-to market strategies, technology commercialization, and corporate finance. Ben has worked on a wide variety of technologies including EVs, grid technologies, storage, and renewable energy. Prior to Ben's commercialization work, He was a Director at Sol Systems, a renewable energy development and finance firm. There, he focused on managing strategic partnerships to deliver renewable energy projects.
Before Sol Systems, Mr. Margolis founded and led Pentricity, a company that worked with publicly-owned utilities to implement residential energy efficiency solutions. Mr. Margolis holds an M.B.A. from University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Maryland.
Robert Matthews
Director of Talent Management and Acquisition
BGE
Jim McGee
Senior Litigation Attorney
Alexander & Cleaver
Jonas Monast
Jonas Monast is the inaugural C. Boyden Gray Distinguished Fellow at Carolina Law and directs the Center on Climate, Energy, Environment & Economics (CE3). Monast’s work focuses on the interaction of federal and state energy policies, aligning energy and environmental policy goals, and regulatory options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Prior to joining the Carolina Law faculty, he directed the Climate and Energy Program at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and taught courses on energy and environmental issues at Duke University’s School of Law and Nicholas School of the Environment. Monast has also worked as an attorney in the Corporate Social Responsibility Practice at Foley Hoag LLP, as a congressional fellow for the late Senator Paul Wellstone, and as legislative counsel for the Center for Responsible Lending. Monast earned his law degree from Georgetown University and his B.A. from Appalachian State University.
Geoff Oxnam
Geoff is the founder and CEO of American Microgrid Solutions, an advanced energy ecosystem company dedicated to helping clients reduce expense and increase resilience. American Microgrid Solutions works with a broad range of clients including municipalities, senior housing facilities and commercial property owners. A veteran utility executive, Geoff has executed strategic planning, operations, marketing and communications for utility, telecommunications and environmental non-profit organizations. Prior to founding American Microgrid Solutions, Geoff was Vice President of Operations for Easton Utilities, a nationally recognized municipal utility that provides electric, natural gas, water, wastewater, broadband Internet, cable television and utility management software solutions. Geoff managed the effort to diversify Easton Utilities’ generation portfolio by adding solar PV generation and integrating landfill gas generation. Geoff serves on the board of directors of the Maryland Clean Energy Center, previously chaired the American Public Power Association’s Customer Connections Conference and presents at national events. Geoff is a member of the Leadership Maryland Class of 2010 and was awarded the William Donald Schaefer People Helping People Award in 2016 for his work to improve financial literacy through Junior Achievement. Geoff currently serves of the University of Maryland Medical System Shore Regional Health board of directors and has served several other organizations including the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and the Maryland Broadband Cooperative. Geoff earned his Bachelors of Arts from Williams College and a Masters of Business Administration from The Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School.
Bill Parsons
Bill Parsons is the Chief Operating Officer of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), a national nonprofit organization that unites finance, policy and technology to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy. In that capacity, he oversees ACORE’s day-to-day operations, including policy, communications and programs.
Prior to joining ACORE, Bill served as Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to Congressman Chris Van Hollen, where his portfolio included climate, energy, finance and the environment. Bill ran the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus for eight years and was also a founding Board Member of the Montgomery County Green Bank.
He graduated Cum Laude from Harvard University.
Hon. Paul Pinsky
Senator Paul G. Pinsky, elected to the Maryland Senate in 1994 after two terms in the House, serves as the Chair of the Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee. He is also a member of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change.
Senator Pinsky has long been a champion in the fight to reduce greenhouse gases, address climate change and clean up the Chesapeake Bay. He is the principal author of dozens of environmental laws that have helped shape most major state environmental policies in Maryland over the last decade. His achievements include the landmark 2009 Healthy Air Act, legislation codifying the Climate Commission, and the 2009 and 2016 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Acts, the latter of which requires a 40% reduction by 2030. This year, he co-sponsored the Clean Energy Jobs Act to require Maryland to obtain at least 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
James Rzepkowski
Assistant Secretary of Workforce Development and Adult Learning
Maryland Department of Labor
James E. Rzepkowski serves the state in his current role as assistant secretary for the Department of Labor’s Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning. Leading the Department of Labor in protecting and empowering Marylanders by safeguarding workers, protecting consumers, and cultivating a thriving workforce that meets the demands of Maryland’s dynamic economy.
In his role as assistant secretary of workforce development, Rzepkowski works to develop and implement important workforce development programs throughout the state, in adult education and literacy services, correctional education, fiscal administration, and workforce information and performance.
Kelly Schulz
Secretary
Maryland Department of Commerce
Kelly M. Schulz brings a wealth of knowledge to the Maryland Department of Commerce from her years of experience working in the government, in the private sector and as a small business owner. She had previously served as the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) since her confirmation in February 2015 and is also a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates.
A former member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing Frederick County, she served on the Economic Matters Committee from 2011- 2015. In addition to local issues, then Delegate Schulz took special interest in legislation relating to banks and other financial institutions, business, occupations and professions, economic development, labor and employment, unemployment insurance and workers' compensation.
Prior to embarking on a career of public service, Secretary Schulz sold real estate, worked as a program manager for a defense contractor and was a part-owner of a cyber security firm.
Secretary Schulz obtained her Associates degree from Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York and later obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland.
Jason Stanek
Chairman
Maryland Public Service Commission
Jason M. Stanek was appointed Chairman of the Maryland Public Service Commission by Governor Larry Hogan for a five-year term beginning on July 1, 2018. He most recently served as Senior Counsel to the Energy Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce where he advised on matters involving national energy policy, with specific focus on electricity issues and the operations of the regional power markets. Before that, he served in senior positions at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, advising both a FERC Chairman and Commissioner during his 16-year tenure. Prior to arriving in Washington D.C., he held legal positions with the National Fuel Gas Company in Buffalo, New York, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in New York City. Chairman Stanek is a member of the Committee on Electricity and the Committee on International Relations for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Chairman Stanek earned his law degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University. He also completed studies at American University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Zolaikha Strong
Director - Energy Policy and Electrical Markets
Copper Development Association
Brian Toll
Director
Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator
Brian focuses on the Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator's administration, sponsorship and partnership development, recruiting founders, executives, and partners, and event planning.
Colleen Turner
Assistant Director, Office of Planning & Capital Programming
Maryland Department of Transportation
Hon. Chris Van Hollen
U.S. Senator for Maryland
Elected to the United States Senate by the people of Maryland in November 2016, Chris Van Hollen is committed to fighting every day to ensure that our state and our country live up to their full promise of equal rights, equal justice, and equal opportunity.
Senator Van Hollen believes that every child deserves the opportunity to pursue their dreams and benefit from a quality education, and that anyone willing to work hard should be able to find a good job. That's why his top priorities include creating more and better jobs, strengthening small businesses, and increasing educational and job training opportunities for individuals of all ages and in every community.
Senator Van Hollen started his time in public service as a member of the Maryland State Legislature, where he became known as a tenacious advocate for everyday Marylanders and someone who was unafraid to take on powerful special interests on behalf of working people. In 2002, he was elected to represent Maryland's 8th Congressional District. In the House of Representatives, he served as a member of the Democratic leadership and was elected by his colleagues to be the Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee and protect vital interests like Social Security and Medicare.
A tireless fighter for the people of Maryland, Senator Van Hollen has also become known for working hard to find common sense solutions to difficult national issues. In January 2015, he released a comprehensive plan to address the problem of growing inequality in America and provide a blueprint for building an economy that works for everyone, a goal that he will continue to fight for in the U.S. Senate.
Senator Van Hollen is proud to have worked successfully with members of both parties to pass bipartisan legislation whenever possible on issues of common concern, including expanding medical research, protecting the Chesapeake Bay, fighting childhood cancer, and passing the ABLE Act to assist families with children with disabilities.
Chris Van Hollen is a graduate of Swarthmore College, the John F. Kennedy School of Public Policy at Harvard University, and Georgetown University Law Center where he attended night school. He and his wife, Katherine Wilkens, are the proud parents of three children—Anna, Nicholas, and Alexander.
Mathew Ware
Vice President of Operations
Veolia
Joy Weber
Development Manager
Orsted
Joy is the Development Manager for the Skipjack Wind Farm. Weber will lead the project’s local development efforts, including building relationships with Maryland communities and companies.
Weber brings extensive experience in energy policy, advocacy and community affairs to Deepwater Wind. Most recently, she worked as a lawyer for the Maryland firm Rifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLC, where she represented renewable energy firms, public utilities and others in the energy industry. In that role, she advocated at the Maryland General Assembly for the ultimate passage of state legislation encouraging the development of offshore wind. She also served on the legislative policy committee for the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and the board of the Maryland Government Relations Association.
Joy earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and studio art from Pennsylvania State University and a law degree from Regent University.
Ellen D. Williams
Distinguished University Professor, Department of Physics and IPST - University of Maryland
Vice Chair Advisory Board and Chair of the Investment Committee, Maryland Energy Innovation Institute
Ellen Williams is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, where she works at the interface of energy technology and policy. Before returning to the University in January of 2017, she was the Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, ARPA-E, which advances high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private-sector investment.
Prior to Senate confirmation for her role in ARPA-E, Dr. Williams had been the Chief Scientist at BP (2010-2014), and a Distinguished University Professor in the Institute of Physical Science and Technology and the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland. At Maryland she established an internationally recognized research program in experimental surface science, exploring fundamental issues in statistical mechanics and nanotechnology. She founded and led the University’s interdisciplinary Materials Research Science and Engineering Center from 1996 through 2009.
Dr. Williams has a distinguished history of professional service, including chairing the development of the NAS report on Technical Issues for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and extensive work in providing technical advice to the U.S. government, primarily through the Departments of Energy and Defense. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a foreign member of the Royal Society (London), a fellow of the American Physical Society, American Vacuum Society and American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has been recognized by awards from the American Physical Society and the Materials Research Society.