2024 Federal Market Workshop

Room: The Madison Hotel - Hamilton Room 

(Second Floor)

Time: 3:30 - 5:00 PM

Location: 1177 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20005

Room: The Madison Hotel - Constitution Room

(Second Floor)

Time: 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Location: 1177 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20005

7:45 - 8:45 AM

Room A/B

8:00 - 9:00 AM

9:00 - 9:05 AM

Speaker 

Wes Walker is CEO of Veregy, a national energy services company focused on accelerating the energy transition in the United States. He has over twenty years of experience in the energy and sustainability industry, including executive leadership roles at a multi-national ESCO, an electrical and water contracting company and one of the nation’s largest electrical utility companies. Wes holds a Master of Business Administration with a focus on finance from Illinois State University and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University. Additionally, he is the Board Chair with NAESCO and a former Board member with the Alliance to Save Energy.

9:05 - 9:30 AM

Speaker 

Kathleen Hogan - Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Infrastructure, Department of Energy

Kathleen Hogan is a distinguished national leader in clean energy with a more than twenty-year career as a federal executive spanning the US EPA and DOE. She currently serves as the Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Infrastructure at DOE. Prior positions include the Acting Under Secretary for Science and Energy where she helped the Agency launch its Energy Earthshot program and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency at the DOE.  There she oversaw a more than $600 million annual energy efficiency policy, program, and research portfolio and helped pursue national goals in advanced manufacturing, building energy technologies, low-income weatherization, appliance and equipment minimum standards, federal energy management, and building energy codes.

Earlier, she led an EPA division for more than ten years in the development and implementation of a suite of clean energy policies and programs to cost-effectively address global climate change. There she established a strong track record of addressing complex challenges in the energy and climate arena using voluntary partnership approaches, including leading the ENERGY STAR program to national prominence.

Kathleen has been recognized throughout her career for her leadership in public service, most recently with a Presidential Rank Award (2015), The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals Career Achievement Award (2016), and a Secretary of Energy Exceptional Service Award (2018). She holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering of the Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in Chemistry from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania.

9:30 - 10:30 AM

Speakers 

Gopal Shiddapur - Vice President of Federal Project Development, NORESCO (moderator)

As Vice-President for Federal Project Development, Mr. Shiddapur ensures development of customer-centric projects that maximize resiliency and progress toward federal mandates. He is a senior level point-of-contact and trusted advisor for federal clients and agencies, accountable for overall project delivery and customer satisfaction. Mr. Shiddapur has overseen the award of over $1 billion in resilient, renewable and conservation solutions for various federal agencies such as DOD, GSA, DOE, VA, DHS, DHHS, BOP, DOT, LOC, EPA, U.S. Mint, and Smithsonian. Over his 30-year career, Mr. Shiddapur has led teams performing energy analysis, design, commissioning, sales, program management, contract compliance, financial structuring, and project development. Mr. Shiddapur holds an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Texas at Austin and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Government College of Engineering, Pune, India. He has authored technical papers for ASHRAE and AEE and presented at various trade associations.

Kurmit Rockwell - ESPC Program Manager, Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), Office of Infrastructure, Department of Energy (DOE)

Kurmit serves as the Performance Contracting team lead and the contracting officer's representative for the four generations of DOE ESPC IDIQ contracts. He helps FEMP's performance contracting team coordinate services, tools, and resources needed to assist agencies with implementing successful performance contracts to achieve the requirements and goals of EA2020, EO14057, and the Climate Smart Building Initiative. Over a career spanning more than 30 years, Kurmit's work has included many aspects of ESPC and UESC project development, implementation, and performance for federal, state, and local governments.

Sharon is the Program Manager for Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the DOE FEMP programs. The ORNL team includes the Federal Project Executives and supports FEMP in its mission to enable federal agencies to meet their energy related goals. Prior to this position, Sharon had over 30 years’ experience working for the General Services Administration (GSA), including her position as Program Manager for GSA’s Energy Performance Contracts. She managed a near $2B program and was responsible for creation of the GSA National Deep Energy Retrofit program. Sharon received her B.S in Business Management and her B.S. in Psychology from Colorado State University. She is married and has 2 daughters.

Bridgette supports the Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). As a Federal Project Executive, she assists federal agencies in the Northeast part of the country with launching successful third party financed projects. She provides guidance to assist with acquisition planning tasks such as determining project feasibility, providing site and agency training, coordinating FEMP-qualified project facilitators, and determining project support services. Prior to joining the FEMP support team, she spent 16 years developing over $300M of Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC) and Utility Energy Savings Contracts (UESC). She received her B.S in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Virginia and is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) and Certified Energy Manager (CEM).

Scott supports the Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program. He assists federal agencies in the western part of the country with launching successful third party financed projects and has worked with most federal agencies in the field. Scott has 30 years of energy technology and engineering experience, including performing technical analysis and energy program development in the government sector. He is responsible for assisting a variety of Federal agencies implement alternatively financed energy projects. In this capacity, Scott provides expert advice and guidance to all levels of an organization that are responsible for completing multi-million-dollar energy project deals through ESPC and other mechanisms. He has a Bachelor of Science Solar Engineering degree from Colorado Technical University.

10:30 - 10:45 AM

10:45 AM - 12:15 PM

Speakers 

Mark Fowler - Senior Director of Government Relations, Ameresco (moderator)

Mark Fowler is the Senior Director of Government Relations for Ameresco (NYSE:AMRC), a leading cleantech integrator and renewable energy asset developer, owner, and operator. In this capacity, Mark is responsible for Ameresco’s policy and regulatory strategy and helps facilitate new market development. Prior to joining Ameresco, Mark served as a legislative assistant in both the U.S Senate and U.S. House of Representatives where he led energy, environment, and agriculture policy development. Mark is a Kansas City, Missouri native and graduate of the University of Missouri.

Anna Siefken - Deputy Director, Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), Office of Infrastructure, Department of Energy (DOE)

Anna J. Siefken, LEED AP BD+C, has spent her career making the business case for industrial efficiency, climatetech innovation, and building performance as a means to address the world’s energy challenges and the global urgency of climate change. She is Deputy Director for the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Infrastructure. She concurrently serves as Delegate to represent the United States on Mission Innovation’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) with oversight on Zero Emission Shipping, Industrial Decarbonization, and the Green Powered Future. Previously, Siefken was Senior Advisor to the Department’s Office of Technology Transitions, where she championed long duration energy storage (LDES) commercialization through public-private partnerships. Since 2020, she has been an appointed U.S. DOE Ambassador for Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) by the U.S. Secretary of Energy.

Bayla Gewirtz - Program Manager for Energy Performance Contracting Program, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Bayla Gewirtz works at the Department of Veterans Affairs within the Energy, Environment and Fleet Program Service. She serves as program manager for VA’s Energy Performance Contracting program. In this role, Bayla leads a program team that plans, supports, and tracks VA’s portfolio of over $1.1 billion of awarded contracts and approximately $300 million of projects in various stages of development, and works closely with VA’s centralized team of contracting officers and specialists to continually improve VA’s program.

Tyler Harris - Energy Management Officer and Director of Energy, General Services Administration

Tyler Harris is the Energy Management Officer and Director of Energy for GSA. Throughout his career, he has led GSA in some of its most innovative programs and projects including helping to organize GSA's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) approach which will include over $1.4B in performance contracts, installation of microgrid and grid-interactive efficient building technologies and leading a push to purchase 100% renewable energy in over 100 federal buildings in Texas. Tyler oversees GSA's Energy Service Contracting Division and has nearly $2B of ESPCs in performance and another $2B in development.

In his previous role as Deputy Director for GSA's Center for Emerging Building Technologies, Tyler managed the Green Proving Ground, a program designed to leverage GSA’s real estate portfolio to evaluate innovative emerging technologies. Tyler led evaluations that include carbon capture, state of the art heat pumps and renewable energy advancements. When Tyler is not sustainably transforming the federal portfolio, he loves going on adventures with his two sons who are 11 and 13.

Crystall Merlino - Director, Resilience, Energy, and Sustainability Management, US Department of Homeland Security

As the Director for the Resilience, Energy, and Sustainability, Crystall is responsible for strategy, oversight, and delivery of the program for the Department of Homeland Security.  She is responsible for implementing policy and guidance for the Department on climate change adaptation and mitigation, resilience, sustainability, and energy/water related matters. She led the development of the DHS Resilience Framework in 2018, which provides a roadmap for the Department in operational resilience and readiness and led the development of the Departments’ Climate Action Plan, signed by the Secretary in September 2020. 

Over the past 20 years she has led and supported large-scale government, sustainability, energy, and environmental programs and projects providing leadership, mentorship, contract management, research, and technical support to government and private clients.

12:15 - 1:15 PM

Keynote 2

Jeff Marootian is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. He previously served as a Senior Advisor to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and as Special Assistant to the President in the Biden-Harris White House. He was also a member of the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition Team. 

Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Jeff was the Director of the District Department of Transportation, where he led the adoption of sustainable transportation technologies and oversaw more than $4 billion of critical infrastructure and utility projects including the reconstruction of the historic Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. 

Mr. Marootian previously served in the Obama-Biden Administration as the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Chief Sustainability Officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation. He is an alumnus of The George Washington University where he has also taught as an adjunct faculty member in the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Administration.

1:30 - 3:00 PM

Speakers

Jennifer Schafer - President, Cascade Associates (moderator)

Cascade Associates is a governmental affairs consulting firm located in Washington, DC that primarily represents the energy efficiency community, companies and organizations. The firm advocates policies that advance the position of energy efficiency and clean energy technology in an environmentally-friendly manner, and works to ensure adequate research, development, and demonstration funding for such technologies.

Ms. Schafer has more than 25 years of public policy experience in energy and environmental issues. She began her work in governmental affairs for private clients in 1992 and has worked extensively with several Congressional Committees and Offices. Ms. Schafer began her Washington tenure at the office of Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, later serving as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Energy.

In her capacity as President of Cascade Associates, Ms. Schafer serves as the Executive Director of the Federal Performance Contracting Coalition (FPCC) representing companies involved in Energy Savings Performance Contracting with the Federal government. She also coordinates both energy efficiency businesses and advocacy organizations around Federal policy, working regularly with representatives of the Executive and Legislative branches of government to advance policy.

Greg Caplan - Vice President, Federal Business Development, Ameresco

As Vice President for Business Development, Greg Caplan is responsible for supporting the growth of the Federal Solutions business unit at Ameresco, a leading independent provider of energy efficiency, power generation, energy storage, and resiliency solutions. Since he joined Ameresco Federal Solutions in 2014, the organization has expanded its service offerings to deliver conservation, generation, storage, and resilience solutions through design-build acquisitions and enhanced use leases in addition to performance contracting and broadened its client base to include utilities, privatized military housing providers, and commercial and industrial entities along with Federal agencies. Prior to joining Ameresco, Mr. Caplan spent 10 years in federal business development at Lockheed Martin, where he stood up the energy services practice in both the federal and commercial sectors. Mr. Caplan has a Ph.D. and Master of Arts from Georgetown University, and he received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Georgia.

Chris Mills - Business Segment Leader, Southland Industries

As the Federal Business Segment Leader for Southland, Chris Mills is responsible for the overall performance of Southland’s federal portfolio, from building customer relationships to project development through construction completion and ongoing operations and maintenance services. 

He has 40 years of experience in the building services and energy industry — with the last 12 years dedicated solely to federal energy efficiency and resilience. Chris has an intimate knowledge of the federal acquisition process for energy services, having been personally involved with over $500M in Energy Savings Performance Contracts and Utility Energy Service Contracts. His extensive expertise in business development, acquisition, project management, and execution, have added value to numerous clients in both the federal space and the Municipal & State Government, Universities, Schools, and Hospitals (MUSH) market.

Alison Rucker - Director of Federal Performance Contracting, Schneider Electric

Alison Rucker is a Director for the Federal Performance Contracting division of Schneider Electric. In this role, Alison leads a team that works with government agencies to implement energy-related projects that achieve resiliency, sustainability, conservation, and infrastructure improvement goals. She has been with Schneider Electric since 2005 managing performance contracting projects in a wide range of facility types and of varying levels of complexity.

As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions to make energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive, and green across multiple market segments. Schneider Electric has leadership positions in energy and infrastructure, industrial processes, building automation, and data centers/networks.

Jeff Rud - Director of Federal Sales, Trane

Jeff Rud is the Federal Sales Leader for the business development and sales of Trane’s wide range of federal offerings. He is a CEM (Certified Energy Manager) with over 25 years of experience in energy and the federal market space. Jeff has been contributing to the knowledge base of Trane, helping government customers optimize their buildings and save considerable energy by helping to acquire and apply Trane’s master contracts with the federal (and also state and local) government. He has been involved with or led more than $750M of ESPC sales and development and over $350M in GSA Schedule contracting and sales.

Jeff has served in many leadership positions, most recently as the Federal Sales Director for North America and overseas as well. He understands contracting with the federal government and the energy and resiliency related objectives of various agencies and military branches. Jeff is also involved in various industry leadership groups, including the FPCC (Federal Performance Contracting Coalition) with other federal ESCOs to help steer and promote the industry.  He can also provide counsel on specific marketing strategies and the contracts and programs that target federal energy managers, installation leadership, business and financial managers, purchasing managers, construction decision-makers, facilities managers, and other government leaders.  Some of the programs and contracts that Trane holds can also be applied to state and local government.

3:00 - 3:15 PM

3:15 - 4:45 PM

Speakers

Steve Smith - Vice President, Federal Business Unit, Energy Systems Group (moderator)

Steve has over 20 years of experience in the energy performance contracting industry and has background expertise in industrial building science, energy management, and project financing. As a Vice President for ESG’s Federal Business Unit (FBU), Steve oversees all business activity for the Federal Business. Steve administers over a team of business development professionals, engineering professionals, construction management professionals, administrative staff, and other personnel. He is also responsible for all of the ESG’s enduring service projects. He and his team of managers supervise the development of energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) and utility energy service contracts (UESCs) in support of the federal government’s energy conservation, electrification, carbon reduction and infrastructure modernization needs. Steve received his MBA from Baldwin Wallace University and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Dayton.

Mary Sotos - Director, Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), Office of Infrastructure, Department of Energy (DOE) 

Mary Sotos is the Director of the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). She leads a team dedicated to helping federal agencies achieve sustainable facilities and fleets by assisting with federal-wide data collection and aggregation, developing reporting tools and technical assistance, and offering training and project funding.

Sotos previously served as a senior policy advisor with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, where she launched a revamped "Lead By Example" program to create new strategies to track and manage greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and water use across all state agencies. She also served as the agency's deputy commissioner for energy, directing the state's energy policies and programs. Sotos also worked at the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Program at the World Resources Institute, an international think tank where she developed new global carbon accounting standards and tools used by thousands of organizations worldwide. Additionally, she partnered with corporate leaders to develop and advance new renewable energy strategies, tools, and policies to decarbonize the grid.

Nancy Balkus - Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Environment, Safety, and Infrastructure, Department of Defense

Nancy J. Balkus, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Environment, Safety and Infrastructure, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia. She provides executive leadership on all matters pertaining to formulation, review and execution of plans, policies, programs and budgets for Air Force built and natural infrastructure, environmental, installation energy, safety and occupational health programs. These include facility management, military construction, utilities privatization, energy security, contingency energy, environmental compliance and restoration, occupational safety and workplace health.

Ms. Balkus graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1988. She has served in a variety of positions at the squadron, base, forward operating agency, major command and headquarters level in the contiguous United States and overseas. She is a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas. Her joint experience includes the Joint Staff Strategic Plans and Policy Assistant Deputy Director for Strategic Stability where she formulated Joint Staff positions and recommendations regarding strategic deterrence, nuclear policy, combating weapons of mass destruction and international arms control agreements. As the Assistant Deputy Director for Global Security Affairs/Partnership Strategy, she provided leadership for building national security partnerships and partner capacity for U.S. missions in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya; reviewed and oversaw all Department of Defense security cooperation plans, authorities and budgets; directed Joint Staff engagement for all international security assistance programs; and provided oversight for the Chairman’s mission to the United Nations in New York.

Prior to her current assignment, Ms. Balkus served as the Deputy Director for Civil Engineers, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. As a civil engineer she has served as the Programs Division Deputy Chief in the Office of the Civil Engineer at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Deputy Base Civil Engineer at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, Deputy Chief of Readiness at Headquarters Air Combat Command, Project Management Branch Chief for the Aviano 2000 Program Management Office, and multiple positions at the Air Force Center for Engineering and Environment, Brooks AFB, Texas.

Walter "Wally" Ludwig - Deputy and Chief of Staff to Deputy Assistant Secretary of Navy (Energy), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, Department of Defense

Mr. Ludwig is the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy. In this role he is responsible for the development of policy and execution of initiatives governing naval shore installation energy, operational energy, and expeditionary energy programs. Through leadership of multiple integrated ashore and afloat programs, Mr. Ludwig helps ensure that the Navy and Marine Corps warfighters have the ability to effectively and efficiently operate worldwide.

Mr. Walter Ludwig previously served as the Director for Public Works at the Marine Corps Installations Command where he was responsible for an infrastructure portfolio valued at over $95 billion and comprised of over 33,000 facilities located worldwide. Prior to this role, Mr. Ludwig served as the Director of Energy Performance in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Environment and Energy Resilience where he led an organization responsible for strategy and policy development for DoD installation energy resilience, efficiency, and third-party financing activities.

Mr. Ludwig holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Business Administration from the Naval Postgraduate School. He is a registered professional engineer in Georgia and a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps.

Christine Ploschke - Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Energy and Environment), Department of Defense

Ms. Christine Ploschke is currently the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy and Sustainability (ADASA(E&S)), leading the program development and oversight of installation energy and water security, resilience, and conservation; sustainability; and operational energy. When not the Acting DASA, she serves within the DASA(E&S) Office as the Water Resilience Program Manager and facilitates the oversight of Army Energy and Water resource planning, and programming, and budget. She previously served as the Acting DASA (E&S) from March 24, 2021, through April 2, 2022.

From 2016 through July 2020, Ms. Ploschke was the Sustainability Branch Chief for the Office of the Chief of the Army Reserve, managing the Reserve’s Installation Energy, Water, Sustainability, and Environmental Programs. While there, she championed the creation of the Army Reserve Asset Management Policy and Process Integration Manual, providing a detailed, procedures-based roadmap for reliably incorporating sustainability planning and environmental compliance requirements into installation and facility master planning, military construction, and real estate processes. Her efforts improved the environmental compliance of the more than 70 real estate acquisitions, disposals, ingrants, and outgrants in execution by the Army Reserve during her tenure. On the energy front, she led the implementation of the USAR’s Enterprise Building Control System and initiated a utility meter sustainment program which significantly improved meter access and reliability.

4:45 - 6:00 PM

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