Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Assemblymember , District 4

In November 2016, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry was elected to the California Assembly to represent the 4th District that includes all or parts of Napa, Lake, Yolo, Sonoma, Colusa and Solano counties.

After going to school and working in the Bay Area for several years, she moved back to her hometown of Winters where she first served as planning commissioner and then was elected to the city council, eventually serving as the first female mayor of Winters. As mayor of Winters, Cecilia oversaw improvements in the downtown area and worked to improve local schools, including securing computers for every sixth grader in the city. She also brought broadband internet to rural communities, built senior housing and helped the area to become an agricultural and food innovation hub for the region. With the understanding that employment is central to any successful community, Cecilia helped bring a PG&E training facility to Winters that provided hundreds of jobs for local residents.

After earning a degree in business administration from San Jose State University, the Assemblymember launched a consulting firm that specialized in public outreach with government agencies.

Nancy Skinner, Senator, Senate District 9

A social justice advocate and sustainability trailblazer, State Senator Nancy Skinner coauthored last year’s SB 100 to get California to 100% renewable electricity by 2045. In the State Assembly and Senate she’s also authored bills to accelerate the uptake of electric & zero-emission vehicles, expand solar net metering, mandate energy storage so renewable electricity can be deployed when needed, and increase the energy efficiency of buildings built pre-Title 24. In 1990, Skinner co-founded ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability and directed ICLEI’s Cities for Climate Protection program, the first effort to engage local governments in climate awareness and carbon reduction efforts.

Clifford Rechtschaffen, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission

Clifford Rechtschaffen was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission by Governor Jerry Brown in January 2017. At the CPUC his key areas of interest include decarbonization, safety, environmental justice, and enforcement. Commissioner Rechtschaffen is the assigned Commissioner on several safety and emergency response proceedings, the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) proceeding, several proceedings involving biomethane, and the Energy Savings Assistance program that provides efficiency programs for low income consumers.

Commissioner Rechtschaffen also has been spearheading several internal agency initiatives, including the development of an Environmental and Social Justice Action Plan with Commissioner Guzman Aceves; the development of a more uniform and formal CPUC enforcement policy with President Picker, and with Commissioner Randolph on the Policy and Governance Committee, an effort to make CPUC proceedings more accessible to the public.

Commissioner Rechtschaffen serves as the CPUC representative on the Low Income Oversight Board and one of two Commissioners on the Senate Bill 350 Disadvantaged Communities Advisory Group. Commissioner Rechtschaffen is a graduate of Yale Law School and Princeton University.

Jena Price, Partner, TrattenPrice Consulting

Jena Price is a partner at TrattenPrice Consulting, a firm focused on representing environmental, consumer protection and social justice focused clientele. Prior to opening up a firm with her partner, Price served as the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) legislative affairs manager where she advocated for a broad suite of environmental and environmental justice issues.

Prior to coming on board at CLCV, she was the Legislative Director at California’s longest running environmental non-profit, the Planning and Conservation League. During her time there, she worked closely with the Executive Director and members of the legislature to protect one of California’s keystone environmental laws, CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) as well as working on legislation pertaining to water, land use, and environmental health.

Before moving back to Sacramento, Price worked with Local Governments for Sustainability, helping local governments to reach the 2020 reduction targets mandated under the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32). Price attended San Francisco State University, receiving a degree in political science and a minor in environmental studies with an emphasis in California environmental policy.

Floyd Vergara, Chief of Industrial Strategies Division, California Air Resources Board

Floyd Vergara is chief of the industrial strategies division at the California Air Resources Board (ARB). Vergara oversees several of ARB’s key climate change and air quality regulatory programs, including Cap-and-Trade, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, conventional fuels regulations, energy sector programs, and oil and gas production measures.

Vergara has been at ARB for over 27 years developing regulations on transportation fuels, advanced clean cars, oceangoing vessels, and other mobile or stationary sources. Vergara received his Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from U.C. Berkeley, his Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and is licensed to practice in California as a professional engineer and lawyer.

Tanya Peacock, Manager, Public Policy and Planning, SoCal Gas

Tanya Peacock has extensive experience in energy and environmental policy development and implementation. In her current role managing the Public Policy and Planning team for Southern California Gas Company, Peacock is responsible for federal, state, and local legislative analysis, local and regional planning, development of outreach and communications strategies, and climate and renewable gas policy development.

In previous roles at SoCalGas, Peacock has managed policy development and implementation of California’s carbon market (Cap and Trade), led the rate design group, managed participation in interstate pipeline rate cases at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and developed energy efficiency programs.

Peacock is on the Board of the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, the California Hydrogen Business Council and MoveLA. Peacock is a member of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee for the LA regional chapter of the State’s Assessment of Climate Change Impacts. Peacock holds a Bachelor of Arts in english literature from Mills College and a Master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Cornell University.

Mary Solecki, Partner, AJW

Mary Solecki leads AJW’s California office, and represents client interests across the West Coast. Solecki’s client portfolio is focused on transportation and climate regulations, but also encompasses legislative engagement and strategic planning. Solecki has spent the last decade successfully leading major campaign efforts to establish carbon programs and refine regulatory measures through strategic business engagement.

Prior to joining AJW, Solecki spent eight years with Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), a partner of Natural Resources Defense Council. There Solecki ran E2’s presence in California, Oregon and Washington. Solecki has worked in-depth on the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and carbon programs in both California and Oregon. Solecki has been consulting on energy policy since 2008, and has a background in sales and communications. Solecki received her Bachelor of Science in business from Indiana University and a Master’s in business administration from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco.

Ryan McCarthy, Science and Technology Policy Advisor, California Air Resources Board

Ryan McCarthy is the science and technology policy advisor to the Chair at the California Air Resources Board (CARB), a position he was appointed to by Governor Jerry Brown in 2011.  McCarthy is a leader in shaping California’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by further reducing greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating transitions to zero emission vehicles, slashing emissions of methane and other short-lived climate pollutants, and demonstrating and scaling carbon dioxide removal strategies.  McCarthy received his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in civil and environmental engineering from UC Davis and Bachelor’s degree in structural engineering from UC San Diego.

Jack Brouwer, Director, National Fuel Cell Research Center

Through Dr. Jack Brouwer’s leadership, the National Fuel Cell Research Center (NFCRC) and the Advanced Power and Energy Program are focusing research, education, beta testing, and outreach on high-efficiency, environmentally preferred energy conversion and power generation technology advancement with fuel cell and gas turbine systems as the principal targets.  Current research projects address ultra-high efficiency and ultra-low emissions high temperature fuel cell systems, integrated hybrid fuel cell gas turbine systems, renewable power intermittency and integration, battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle evaluation and infrastructure development, advanced fuel cell and gas turbine dynamic operations, hydrogen and electricity infrastructure development, and power electronics and energy conversion devices for the smart grid.  Prior to joining UCI, Dr. Brouwer was on the faculty at the University of Utah, a senior engineer at Reaction Engineering International, and a staff scientist at Sandia National Laboratories.

Bill Edmonds, Director, Environmental Policy & Sustainability, NW Natural

Bill is the Director of Environmental Management & Sustainability at NW Natural, the local distribution company headquartered in Portland, Oregon. In his current position, he oversees a team that manages customer programs that touch the environment and assists a network of employees driving the company towards increasingly sustainable practices. He’s recently taken on the challenge of helping the company add renewable natural gas to the gas system from sources like waste water treatment plants, food waste and dairy farms.

Prior to joining NW Natural, Bill held a similar position at an electric utility and prior to that worked at the California Public Utilities Commission. Bill has served on Boards including Earth Advantage, The Climate Trust and the Oregon Environmental Council and he currently serves on the boards of PECI and the Community Cycling Center.

Bill has a BA from Williams College and a Master’s in Public Policy from UC Berkeley.

William Zobel, Vice President, Business Development & Marketing, Trillium

William (Bill) Zobel is vice president of business development and marketing for Trillium.  Trillium designs, builds, owns and operates a network of alternative refueling stations across the US serving the CNG/RNG, EV and the Hydrogen vehicle markets. Zobel has nearly 30 years of experience in the energy sector covering a wide range of issues and responsibilities.  Before Trillium joined the Love’s family of companies in 2016, Zobel managed market development and strategy for Trillium as part of the Wisconsin Energy Corporation (WEC) and the Integrys Energy Group. Zobel currently serves on the Board of Directors for the California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition (CNGVC), and the California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership.  Previously, Zobel served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for CalStart, and has served on the Board of Directors for Natural Gas Vehicles America (NGVA), the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA), the California Electric Transportation Coalition (CalETC), the California Manufacturers and Technology Association (CMTA), the Conservation Corps of Long Beach, and the Moonlight Cultural Foundation. Zobel is a graduate of Columbia University’s executive business program and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from California State University Long Beach.

George Minter, Regional Vice President, External Affairs and Environmental Strategy, Southern California Gas Company

George Minter is regional vice president of external affairs and environmental strategy for SoCalGas. He leads the company’s public affairs, environmental and energy policy, community relations, and media and employee communications efforts.

Mr. Minter is a long-time public policy professional specializing in energy and environmental affairs, policy development, communications and political advocacy. Before re-joining SoCalGas in 2013, Mr. Minter was managing principal for L.A.-based public affairs firms Greer/Dailey/Minter and GM/Public Affairs. There he managed strategic communications programs and public policy initiatives to approve large land use and energy projects. Prior to that, he was the director of public affairs for SoCalGas.

Mr. Minter has served as a board member of numerous civic associations and community organizations, including the Central City Assoc., Valley Industry and Commerce Assoc., L.A. Family Housing Corp. (as board chair), Coro Foundation, Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal-State L.A., Center for the Study of L.A. at Loyola Marymount University, Campaign to Clear the Air and the California League of Conservation Voters. He was one of the founders of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, a federal energy trade association and of the California CCS Coalition, a statewide energy advocacy organization.

Michael Silva, Project Manager & Civil Engineer, CR&R

Michael Silva is a project manager and civil engineer for CR&R. Silva has more than thirty years of senior-level solid waste management experience with responsibility for increasing revenues, efficiencies, and profits while maximizing customer service, safety, and employee morale. Silva’s expertise is in technology development and construction management.  Silva’s team developed the three-cart fully automated collection system for the City of Temecula, which has since become the “gold standard.” Silva also helped design and construct the first solid waste processing facility in the country in 1992, and has since built several transfer stations and material recovery facilities. Currently in charge of CR&R’s anaerobic digestion projects, he is overseeing the building of the largest anaerobic digestion plant in the country, which will handle some 335,000 tons per year and generate in excess of 4 million gallons of renewable carbon-negative fuel. Silva earned Bachelor of Science degrees (cum laude) in both civil engineering and engineering management from the University of the Pacific, and earned a Master of Science in civil engineering (construction management / geotechnical) from Stanford University.

Michael Boccadoro, President, West Coast Advisors

Michael Boccadoro, executive director of Dairy Cares and president of West Coast Advisors, has worked for more than 30 years in the public affairs arena. As president of West Coast Advisors, Boccadoro is responsible for overseeing the firm’s public affairs and government relations practices. Boccadoro also serves as executive director of the Agricultural Energy Consumers Association.

Boccadoro also specializes in public affairs consulting and media relations. Boccadoro has distinctive expertise in the areas of environmental regulation and sustainability, developing positive working relationships with key regulatory officials, staff, and media representatives involved in these arenas.

Boccadoro received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and political science from the University of California, Davis.

Aaron Ratner, Managing Director, Ultra Capital

Aaron Ratner has over 20 years of international investment, advisory and development experience focusing on technology, energy, waste and agriculture. Ratner received his MsM at Stanford University and his Bachelor of Arts at the University of Pennsylvania.

Sam Wade, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Coalition of Renewable Natural Gas

Sam Wade serves as the director of regulatory affairs at the Coalition of Renewable Natural Gas. Previously, Wade was the Chief of the Transportation Fuels Branch at the Air Resources Board where he oversaw rule development and implementation of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. His private sector experience includes work in energy policy at a major Californian utility and time with a bioenergy start‐up. Wade holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from U.C. Davis, a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Hawaii, and a Master’s of Public Administration in environmental science and policy from Columbia University.

Xuping Li, Senior Analyst Energy Systems and Technologies (Power-to-Gas), Hitachi Zosen Inova ETOGAS GmbH

Xuping Li is the senior analyst for energy systems and technologies at Hitachi Zosen Inova ETOGAS GmbH. Li has over 14 years of experience in process modeling of energy technologies, and system modeling and scenario analysis of energy and related infrastructure systems, climate issues and policies, and energy and environmental economics. She is currently responsible for project technical and economic assessment, business case analysis and project development in North America.

Li holds a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering, and a Masters of Science in agricultural resources economics, both from the University of California, Davis.

Mittal Monani, Senior Trader for North American Emissions, Direct Energy

Mittal Monani is senior trader for North American Emissions with Direct Energy based in Calgary AB. Direct Energy is a leading North American energy retailer supplying electricity and natural gas to over 5 million residential, and 250,000 business customers including over 70% of the Fortune 100.

Mittal is responsible for trading and origination in RNG, RIN, LCFS, Carbon Cap-and-Trade and REC markets in the US and Canada. Previously, Mittal ran the US Carbon portfolio for Capital Power (TSE:CPX) where he grew the business to become a leader in the California and North-Eastern US (RGGI) carbon markets. Mittal started his career in the energy industry at BP Canada and acquired extensive trading and analytical background working in coal, natural gas, and carbon markets at leading energy merchants over the years.

Tim Carmichael, State Agency Relations Manager , Sempra Energy Utilities

Tim Carmichael is the state agency relations manager for SDG&E and SoCalGas, Sempra Energy’s two California regulated utilities. Carmichael is the primary liaison to the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission.  He also covers legislation related to climate change, renewable fuels, and clean vehicle incentives.

Prior to joining Sempra, Carmichael served as president of the California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition, a membership-based trade association supporting the natural gas vehicle industry.  Before that Carmichael served as executive director of the Coalition for Clean Air, a California environmental non-profit advocacy organization focused on improving air quality.

Carmichael serves on the Boards of the Bioenergy Association of California, Comstock’s Business Magazine, and the Sacramento Waldorf School.  Carmichael is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in economics and history.

Dan LeFevers, Director of State and Consumer Programs, Gas Technology Institute

Dan LeFevers is currently GTI’s director of state and consumer programs and was previously the vice president of federal public affairs for Waste Management and director of Washington operations for GTI.  LeFevers has over 20 years’ experience with energy policy and projects including extensive collaboration with scientists and engineers to develop, deploy and demonstrate new energy technologies. LeFevers has been engaged with a variety of renewable energy and RNG projects at GTI and recently led the development of a site-specific engineering design for an RNG production facility fueled by California wood wastes. LeFevers has a Bachelor of Arts in speech communications and a Master’s degree in organizational leadership.

Rachael Terada, Director, Technical Projects, Center for Resource Solutions

Rachael Terada is the director of technical projects for the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), a nonprofit organization that promotes policy and market solutions to advance sustainable energy. Terada leads technical projects and initiatives for the organization and oversees operations for the Green-e Energy certification and consumer protection program, which certifies the majority of the voluntary market for retail renewable electricity and renewable energy certificate (REC) sales in the United States. Terada began as a consultant with CRS in 2006, and joined CRS as a project manager in 2008. Prior to CRS, she worked in planning, engineering design, and construction management for government projects. Terada earned her Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in civil and environmental engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Cliff Gladstein, President, Gladstein Neandross & Associates

Mr. Cliff Gladstein is the founder and president of Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA). For over twenty-two years, he has been local, state, and national leader in the effort to develop cost-effective policies, programs, and products to reduce pollution from transportation, relieve the nation’s dependence on petroleum, and create innovative public-private partnerships to pursue market-based solutions for environmental problems.

Mr. Gladstein is the founder of the Interstate Clean Transportation Corridor (ICTC), the nation’s first and most successful public-private partnership to accelerate the commercialization of clean alternative fuel vehicles in the interstate movement of goods. He has used his knowledge and experience to develop and implement clean transportation and power generation technology deployment programs and incentive programs.

Mr. Gladstein is on the board of the Bioenergy Association of California, chairs the Education Fund of the California League of Conservation Voters, and teaches air quality policy at the UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability. He has been an advisor to the University of Southern California’s Sustainable Cities Program and Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. He is a graduate of Duke University and holds three graduate degrees from the University of Texas, Austin, and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Ken Nelson, President, Blue Delta

Ken Nelson brings a uniquely broad perspective to the REC market. He has traded the North American energy markets since 1989 in biofuels, propane, natural gas and power and has been active in RECs as a supplier, aggregator and compliance buyer. Nelson has experience in a number of compliance and voluntary environmental credit markets, including Energy Efficiency Credits, RINs and LCFS Credits, Greenhouse Gas Credits and Offsets, and Federal Emission Reduction Credits.

Nelson also has worked at Sempra Energy Solutions, where he was a regional pricing director, and at Citigroup, TransAlta, Dynegy, PG&E Energy Trading, Enron, and Texaco. Nelson holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana and a Master’s in business administration in finance and business from the University of Houston.

Nick Mark, Manager, Conservation & Renewable Energy Policy, CenterPoint Energy

Nick Mark is the manager for Conservation and Renewable Energy Policy at CenterPoint Energy, Minnesota’s largest natural gas utility. Mark has regulatory responsibility for the company’s Conservation Improvement Program, one of the foremost natural gas energy efficiency programs in the country. His activities include setting strategic and policy priorities for the program, ensuring the program complies with all state requirements and leading the development and submission of program plans and annual status reports. Mark also represents CenterPoint on policy matters related to conservation and renewable energy in Minnesota. Mark holds a Master’s in public policy from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor’s from Carleton College.

Jeffrey Reed, Advanced Power and Energy Program Chief Scientist, Renewable Fuels and Energy Storage, UCI

Jeffrey Reed is the Chief Scientist – Renewable Fuels and Energy Storage for the Advanced Power and Energy Program at the University of California, Irvine. In this role, Dr. Reed is focused on advancing the deployment of renewable gaseous fuels and related storage technologies that support the integration of high quantities of renewables on the electric grid, reduce toxic emissions and reduce greenhouse emissions in the energy and transportation sectors.

Jeffrey is board president for the California Hydrogen Business Council and has served on the boards of numerous clean technology organizations. Prior to joining UCI, Jeff was the Director of Business Strategy and Advanced Technology for Southern California Gas Company. In earlier roles, Dr. Reed was a senior strategy consultant, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development with ABB Power Generation and held various positions in product design, development and research in the defense industry. He holds a doctorate in engineering from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree in management from Stanford University.

Harrison Clay, VP Strategic Development, Global Environmental Products, BP

Harrison Clay works within BP’s Global Environmental Products Group with a particular focus on BP’s efforts to produce and sell renewable natural gas (or biomethane) that is derived from the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste. BP’s joint-venture with Aria Energy owns three operational biomethane production plants located outside of Detroit, Memphis and Oklahoma City. The joint-venture has three additional biomethane production facilities under development. BP is the one of the largest biomethane suppliers and marketers in North America.

Harrison served as the President of Clean Energy Renewable Fuels, the largest RNG vehicle fuel seller in North America, until the acquisition of a majority of Clean Energy Renewable Fuels assets by BP in March of 2017.

Julia Levin, Executive Director, Bioenergy Association of California

The Bioenergy Association of California’s executive director is Julia Levin, who served until recently as the deputy secretary for climate change and energy at the California Resources Agency. In that position, she chaired the Governor’s Inter-Agency Bioenergy Working Group and led development of California’s 2012 Bioenergy Action Plan.

Levin has also served as a commissioner on the California Energy Commission, where she was the presiding commissioner on renewable energy and the associate commissioner on energy efficiency. She presided over the adoption of RPS eligibility rules, power plant siting cases and other issues. Previously, she was the global warming director of the National Audubon Society, where she coordinated its policy advocacy and public education on global warming and energy issues.

Levin received a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1991 and a Bachelor of Arts in international relations from Brown University in 1985.