drake Becksted
Contracts administrator, Interconnection Systems, Inc.

As a graduate of Virginia Tech, Drake began working for ISI in 2016 in the role of Office Administrator and quickly developed to fulfill the critical role of Director of Operations in 2017. As DO Drake oversaw all internal operations, logistics, customer service, sales, business development, advertising, and contracts administration during critical years of development for the organization. Drake currently serves as the organization’s Contracts Administrator with a focus on contracts management, negotiation, internal processing, business development, and internal special projects.  

Jeff berggren
nebraska program manager, genpro energy solutions

Jeff has worked in the renewable energy field since 2008 when he founded Husker Wind Power. With his construction and agricultural background, Jeff has managed multi-million-dollar energy efficiency projects for counties, school districts, and municipalities across Nebraska while working as Project Manager for a large-scale Energy Service Organization.

Jeff currently manages GenPro Energy Solutions projects in Nebraska from their office in Central City, Nebraska.  Jeff oversees the turn-key development of projects from design through construction and commissioning.  Projects in residential, commercial, and community sectors that include include Lexington, Gothenburg, Aurora, Central City, and Fremont. 

Jeff holds a Bachelor of Arts from Hastings College, and an MBA from Marylhurst University in Marylhurst, Oregon.  His MBA included concentrations in Renewable Energy and Sustainability. Jeff is a Nebraska native and a lifelong Husker fan.   

eliot bostar
senator, district 29

Eliot Bostar is a Nebraska State Senator, representing Legislative District 29. He is also the Executive Director of Conservation Nebraska, a non-profit organization that protects our natural legacy by educating the public, mobilizing a diverse network of people to engage in public policy, and empowering Nebraskans to protect their natural resources through locally-led community organizing. Prior to his election to the State Legislature, Eliot served as an appointed member of the Lincoln Electric System Board of Directors and the Lincoln Climate Resiliency Task Force. Earlier in his career, Eliot was a special advisor to the Governor of New York, where he maintained a diverse issue portfolio including homeland security, economic development, and infrastructure policy. 

David L. Bracht
Of Counsel, Kutak Rock , Past Director, nebraska energy office

David has more than 30 years' experience in business, government and law, including private legal practice and senior executive experience in private industry and federal and state government agencies. He advises clients involved in renewable energy development including biofuels, biomass and wind energy, as well as agribusinesses and businesses involved in production and processing of agriculture products.

Previously David was appointed Director of the Nebraska Energy Office by Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts in January 2015. He was a member of the Governor's Cabinet and principal advisor on energy policy, managing agency operations including administration of annual grants of $5 million, a revolving loan energy loan program with $48 million in assets, and State Energy Program activities and various energy efficiency and renewable energy grant programs. He served as Director until August 1, 2018, and then re-joined Kutak Rock after having practiced with the firm from 1997 to 2000.

stephen bruckner
Partner, fraser stryker

Stephen Bruckner concentrates his practice in the field of energy, environmental, and natural resources law. His work includes complex environmental cleanup, enforcement, and citizen suit litigation.

Bruckner serves as lead counsel for a major Midwestern electric utility and also represents natural gas pipeline and distribution companies. He has litigated rate cases at the commission, trial, and appellate court levels. In addition to his litigation practice, Bruckner handles complex construction and development projects, including power plant construction, renewable energy facilities, and purchased power contracts. He earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts from Creighton University.

ben busboom
senior associate, husch blackwell

Ben helps corporate clients, privately held companies and public entities accomplish large-scale energy and environmental projects. Ben counsels clients on energy and environmental legal matters. From pipelines to wind farms, and from oil and gas transactions to environmental permitting/enforcement, Ben obtains positive outcomes for clients operating within industrial, manufacturing, chemical, agricultural, mining, telecom and energy sectors. Ben also regularly assists clients with large-scale real property transactions and assists clients with utilizing contaminated property for beneficial use. Before turning his attention to the law, Ben served as a biologist and an environmental scientist with an international engineering firm and he also assisted the government relations team of a Fortune 500 energy company with understanding and adapting to regulatory changes. Ben understands the science and engineering behind clients’ work, and he is as comfortable discussing project technicalities as he is legal regulations. His industry experience with deadlines and operational demands helps him streamline legal solutions for projects while mitigating risk, thus ensuring his client’s projects move from blueprints to reality.

Jon cannon
executive director & legal counsel, nebraska association of county officials

Jon Cannon serves as Executive Director of the Nebraska Association of County Officials. He assumed the role in February 2021.  

As Executive Director, he is responsible for coordinating and administering all association activities as directed by the NACO Executive Committee and Board of Directors. This includes serving as principal state and national lobbyist for the association.

The role of Executive Director also involves: planning, establishing and supervising office procedures; preparing and proposing the annual association budget; administering the adopted budget; hiring, supervising and annually evaluating association staff members; and developing and providing training and continuing education programs for Nebraska county officials.

The position of Executive Director is appointed by the NACO Board of Directors.

Jon was previously NACO’s Deputy Director.  Prior to that, Jon served as an attorney in the Property Assessment Division of the Nebraska Department of Revenue, where he served as counsel to the Property Tax Administrator. 

Jon is the son of two career Air Force officers who met at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. Jon was born at Beale Air Force Base, California, and his family was also stationed in Colorado, Hawaii, and Nebraska. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and the University of Nebraska College of Law. After receiving his law degree, he spent nearly twenty years as an attorney for the Department of Revenue. He became Deputy Director for NACO in 2018.

Jon and his wife April married in June 2020. Jon has a daughter, Miranda, and two step-sons, Grant and Luke.

casey cathey
director - system planning, Southwest Power Pool

Casey is a 19-year veteran of the power industry and a subject matter expert for energy markets, grid operations, and transmission planning. He was a leader in the Integrated Marketplace ‘Day 2’ energy market implementation from cost-benefit study through go-live. He has also operated and supported the Balancing Authority, Reliability Coordination, Tariff and Scheduling, & Transmission Operations functions. Casey and his team are currently responsible for Transmission Planning, Modeling, Reliability Assurance, Resource Adequacy and Research & Development.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Louisiana State University, has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and has held a Professional Engineering license for fourteen years. 

Rick Clark
Senior director of new product innovation, nextera

Rick Clark is the Senior Director of New Product Innovation at NextEra Energy with responsibility to identify emerging opportunities related to the electrification and decarbonization of the US economy.  In his previous role, Mr. Clark was responsible for the engineering design of new large-scale wind, solar, storage, transmission, and gas generation projects installed by NextEra, completing 24,000 MW’s of projects from 2015-2020.  Mr. Clark completed undergraduate and master’s degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University, and he currently resides in Juno Beach, Florida.

ken curry
vice president, nebraska public power district

Ken graduated from the University of Nebraska with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska. Mr. Curry was appointed to the position of Vice President of Customer Services in August 2011, and in March 2016 his role was expanded to include Corporate Services: safety, human resources and diversity & inclusion. In November 2020, Ken was appointed to Vice President, Customer Services and Chief Customer Officer. Ken is currently responsible for leading and overseeing NPPD in the areas of customer relations (Wholesale and Retail), account management, economic development, contracts, and sustainable energy.

Ken is a registered Professional Engineer, a Certified Energy Manager, a Certified Key Account Executive, LEED Accredited Professional, Palladium Kaplan-Norton Balanced Scorecard Certified Graduate, and was previously certified as a Six Sigma Black Belt and Lean Leader through BD Medical.

Ken is involved in community events and is, or has, served on the Columbus area Chamber of Commerce Board (Board Chair 2020), Boy Scouts of America Mid-America Council Board (Eagle Scout), United Way Board, Habitat for Humanity Board, YMCA Board, supports the Columbus Area Future Fund, and is a long time Rotarian. He served on the Columbus Public School Board for over ten years, served on many church committees and is a three-time mentor with the Teammates program. Ken is an Eagle Scout and strong supporter of the Boy Scouts of America program and currently serves as the District Chair

Wendy deboer
senator, district 10

Wendy DeBoer was born in Omaha and raised in District 10, the district she represents in the Legislature. She graduated from Hastings College, the Nebraska College of Law and practiced law in Kansas City. She then got masters degrees from UNO, The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and Syracuse University. She was just short of finishing her PhD in Religion specializing in 20th Century Christian Theology when she was elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 2018. Wendy taught for 16 years at colleges and universities including Wells College, DePaul University, UNO, and Syracuse University. Since she was sworn in to the Legislature, Wendy has served on the Judiciary Committee, the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, and the Legislature’s Planning Committee, for which she now serves as Vice-Chair. In 2021 she was elected Vice-Chair of the Rules committee. Wendy focuses much of her legislative efforts In the areas of Education Finance, Criminal Justice, and Broadband.

javier fernandez
ceo, omaha public power district

Javier Fernandez joined OPPD in June 2017 as vice president and chief financial officer.

He was selected by the OPPD Board of Directors to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer starting in July 2021.

Fernandez came to OPPD from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), U.S. Department of Energy, in Portland, Oregon. He had been with the federal power marketing organization since 2012, most recently serving as executive vice president and chief financial officer. He previously served as senior vice president of Fixed Income Capital Markets for D.A. Davidson & Company and vice president of Public Finance for Seattle-Northwest Securities Corporation.

Before joining BPA, Fernandez served for three years as senior vice president with D.A. Davidson & Co., a financial services firm, and seven years with Seattle-Northwest Securities, where he performed public finance banking and financial advisory services to municipal jurisdictions, primarily in Oregon.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) in Mexico City, a master’s degree in Business Administration from Yale University, a Utility Management Certificate from Willamette University, and a Utility Executive Certificate from the University of Idaho.

He currently serves as Board Member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Omaha Branch, Bellevue University and Habitat for Humanity Omaha.

joe francis
former Associate Director, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy

At the end of the very memorable 2020 Joe retired after 45 with the Department of Environment and Energy. Joe was active in the merger of the Nebraska Energy Office and the Department of Environmental Quality and participated in the operations of the energy side of the new Department. Joe is involved in a number of environmental and energy efforts including participating on the Wind and Solar Conference Planning Committee. Joe is active in the Nebraska Land Trust, and serves as Treasurer, and is a member of the Finance Committee of Wachiska Audubon, the local chapter of the National Audubon Society. Joe’s grand children (and “children”) along with visits to his Father-in-law’s farm along with gravel biking and golf have come in handy in delaying many long delayed, waiting for retirement, household projects.

lakin garth
Senior Manager - Research and Industry Strategy, sepa

Lakin joined SEPA in August 2021 to manage the Utility Transformation Challenge and to provide utility sector decarbonization advisory services for SEPA’s member organizations. 

Prior to joining SEPA, Lakin spent almost 9 years with The Cadmus Group, most recently as Principal of its Energy Services’ Planning and Assessment team where he specialized in demand side management (DSM) analyses for integrated resource planning for a wide range of utility clients, including public utilities such as Colorado Springs Utilities, Missouri River Energy Services, Bonneville Power Administration, and Seattle City Light. Before Cadmus, Lakin served as a Senior Planning Project Manager at the Energy Trust of Oregon.

Lakin has a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business from the University of Georgia and a Master of Science in Economics from Portland State University. Lakin lives in Athens, Georgia with his wife and two sons. 

leirion gaylor baird
mayor, city of lincoln

Leirion Gaylor Baird was elected Mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska in 2019, after serving two terms on the City Council. The mayor’s vision of leading Lincoln toward a more successful, secure, and shared future drives her administration’s agenda. That agenda prioritizes public health and safety and maintaining the capital city’s low crime rate; enhancing traditional and tech infrastructure to support economic growth and community resilience; increasing access to high-quality, affordable housing; and building a vibrant quality of life for all Lincoln residents. Upon taking office, she launched the Resilient Lincoln initiative and commissioned the development of a Climate Action Plan – a first of its kind in the state of Nebraska. Mayor Gaylor Baird began her professional career as a management consultant, helping Fortune 500 companies become more efficient. She has worked as a city budget and policy analyst and as the director of an innovative after-school and summer enrichment program designed to improve educational outcomes for children from low-income families. She currently serves on the Advisory Board of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and as Chair of their Mayors and Metro Universities Task Force. Mayor Gaylor Baird has been recognized locally and nationally for her work, including  the InSpire Award for Excellence in Government Service and a Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership from the Aspen Institute.   

lee greenwald
attorney, baird holm

Lee E. Greenwald’s practice focuses on commercial real estate and renewable energy. Lee represents clients in the development, financing, leasing, acquisition, and sale of real property. He also represents developers, investors, and lenders in various phases of renewable wind and solar energy projects. Prior to joining the firm, Lee practiced in civil litigation, where he represented clients in trial courts across the State of Nebraska and in front of the Nebraska Court of Appeals. A native of Kearney, Nebraska, Lee has volunteered as a member of the City’s Park and Recreation Advisory Board, as a committee member for the YMCA, and as a high school mock trial coach. Lee received his Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2012, where he completed the intellectual property law program of concentrated study. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Finance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

JOHN HANSEN, COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
PRESIDENT, NEBRASKA FARMERS UNION

John Hansen has served as the elected President of the Nebraska Farmers Union since 1990. In his 16th two-year elected term, Hansen also serves as Secretary for the NeFU Foundation and NEBFARMPAC.

 At the national level, Hansen serves on the NFU Budget and Audit Committee; Vice Chair of the NFU Legislative Committee; and NFU Regenerative Agriculture/Local Foods Committee; and Chairs the NFU Meritorious Service Committee.

He also serves on the NFU Service Association Board, the NFU Political Action Board, and the NFU Foundation Board.

He is the longest ever serving president of Nebraska Farmers Union and the longest ever serving member of the NFU Board of Directors.

Hansen serves as Chair or Co-Chair of the Nebraska Wind Working Group that organizes and sponsors the annual Wind and Solar Power Conference since 2008.

Hansen currently serves on USDA’s Nebraska State Technical Committee; Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Farm Crisis Council; and the Coalition for a Prosperous America Board. 

Rob hanson
ceo, monolith

Rob Hanson is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Monolith, where he leads the development of next-generation technology for producing low cost, low emission hydrogen and carbon black, an important raw material used in the manufacture of rubber and plastic. Prior to Monolith, Hanson served as the global director of product management for AREVA Solar, the solar division of the world’s largest nuclear company. 

He has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford, and has been a guest lecturer at Stanford, UNL, Foothill College and the University of Saskatchewan on topics ranging from thermodynamics to entrepreneurship. Hanson also co-founded uforia studios, a 65-employee health and fitness company with locations in San Francisco and Palo Alto.

Sean harris
VP of Development, Ranger Power

Sean Harris is a Vice President of Development and manages development in several key states for Ranger Power. In his role, Sean supports development teams in all phases of a solar project's development lifecycle from greenfield through construction start. He specialized in late stage development and bringing contracted projects to NTP.  Prior to joining Ranger, Sean worked for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in their sustainable agriculture laboratory where he supported the farm industry and implemented USDA community stakeholder engagement initiatives. Sean has also worked as an Environmental Scientist at an engineering firm where his responsibilities included Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessments, site remediation, and stormwater management plans. Sean holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Maryland.

James hartsig
vegetation manager, invenergy

James Hartsig is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist with more than 10 years of experience developing and managing large-scale restoration projects to promote the reestablishment of native vegetative landscapes. He has provided reclamation and remediation assistance to clients in both the private and public sectors. His technical strengths are in vegetation management, sustainability implementation, soil science strategies, and stormwater management. James has conducted restoration projects across the United States with a heavy focus on interstate pipelines and utility-scale solar facilities. James is currently the Vegetation Manager at Invenergy, LLC and is based out of Denver, Colorado.

duane highley
ceo, tri-state generation and transmission association, inc.

Duane Highley serves as CEO of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a not-for-profit power supply cooperative of 45 members. Tri-State’s 42 electric distribution cooperative and public power district members in four states together deliver reliable, affordable and responsible power to more than a million electricity consumers across nearly 200,000 square miles of the West. Duane has served the electric cooperative movement for nearly four decades, and currently serves as co-chair of the Electric Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC), coordinating security efforts between electric utility CEOs and cabinet-level officials of the U.S. Government. For more information about Tri-State and its Responsible Energy Plan, visit www.tristate.coop.

courtney kennedy
Manager - Alternative Energy Program, Omaha Public Power District

Courtney Kennedy is the Manager, Alternative Energy Program at Omaha Public Power District (OPPD). Her team is responsible for the research, development, and execution of grid-scale renewable energy projects in support of OPPD’s resource planning and strategic directives. Courtney has over 6 years of experience at OPPD, including projects focused on operations analysis, process improvement, and strategy. Courtney holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering & Spanish from Iowa State University, an MBA from Creighton University, and is a professional engineer.

tom kent
ceo, nebraska public power district

Mr. Kent was appointed President & Chief Executive Officer in May 2020. Tom graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering in 1985 and a master’s degree in Business Administration in 2005. He has also completed the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (“INPO”) reactor technology course for utility executives at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Leadership at the Peak, and holds certification as a Situational Leadership® trainer. Mr. Kent is a registered professional electrical engineer in the State of Nebraska. He joined the District in May 1990 as Environmental Qualification Coordinator at Cooper Nuclear Station. Mr. Kent also has held the positions of Retail District Manager, Retail Regional Manager, Retail Customer Care Manager, Chief Information Officer, Corporate Planning and Risk Manager, and Transmission and Distribution Manager. He was appointed a Vice President in May 2011, and an Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in January 2020. Mr. Kent is very active in the industry and his community serving as a Board member of the Nebraska Power Association, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, Nuclear Energy Institute, The Energy Authority, Large Public Power Council, and the Mid-America Council, Boy Scouts of America. He currently serves on the Southwest Power Pool Members Committee and is the Chair of the Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO) Board of Directors and is the past President of the RMEL Board of Directors. Mr. Kent is a veteran of the United States Navy, and he and his wife, Dacia, live in rural Lancaster County, Nebraska.

travis kepler
Director of Engineering, GRNE

Travis has been a part of the GRNE Solar team since 2012. Travis has extensive construction background as well as the technical design experience to launch GRNE Solar’s projects forward. Travis uses drone technology along with CAD design to navigate project development. He primarily operates in the design and procurement space but he also plays a dynamic role as he remains involved in projects as a lead installer & project manager when needed. He also heads up our Operations & Maintenance group assisting with internal projects as well as offering third-party support for customers.

dave levy
Partner, baird holm

David Levy represents clients in zoning, land use, energy, environmental and general real estate matters. He regularly appears before various elected and appointed bodies. David’s expertise includes land use and development, real estate finance and incentives, and renewable energy development and permitting. David is a registered lobbyist in the State of Nebraska. In 2014, David successfully concluded a multi-year effort to pass a 20-percent state tax credit for rehabilitation of historic buildings in Nebraska. In 2016, David played a central role in legislation that significantly streamlined the regulatory process for wind and solar energy generation facilities. In 2018, David helped lead a successful effort to overhaul and improve the tax-increment financing statutes in Nebraska. David has taught Land Use Law at the University of San Francisco School of Law and legal writing at Creighton University School of Law. Since 2011, David’s peers have selected him for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in Land Use & Zoning Law. He is civically active, and he serves on numerous boards and committees, frequently in a leadership role. David is an alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley. He is a native of Lincoln, Nebraska.

jim macy
director, nebraska department of environment and energy

During the last 7 years at NDEE, Jim has implemented an on-line application process for Construction Storm-Water permits and 9 categories of on-line Air Construction permits, a rapid response team to work on new permit applications with Department of Economic Development and many other projects that focus on compliance assistance and quality environmental reviews in a timely manner.  These process improvements have reduced the applications and approval processing time from months to 1-day turnaround for the general permit applications and for more complicated Air permits to an average of 88 days.  He also has implemented a short-form compliance determination notice that is reviewed at the conclusion of each inspection and has introduced Permit Assistance Visits for new, modified or facilities that have new personnel.

In October of 2020, the Agency reorganized from traditional Air, Land, Waste, Drinking Water and Energy divisions to Inspection/Compliance, Monitoring/Remediation, Planning/Aid, Engineering/Permits/404, Drinking Water/Well Standards/Groundwater, and Management services.  In July of 2021, LB148 brought the Drinking Water, Well Standards & Contractors and Environmental Safety Programs.  These actions are designed to be proactive and to “Make it Easy to be in Compliance”.  Since his appointment Macy has been engaging Nebraska leadership in all sectors to open a dialogue with the department.

Additionally, Jim is past president of the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS).ECOS is a non-partisan, non-political, group of State environmental leaders.Jim was also a career Missouri Department of Natural Resources employee who served for 28 years in various leadership capacities, retiring as Director of Financial Assistance Center, administering the Missouri State Revolving Loan Programs.During his tenure Missouri past the 3 Billion dollar mark in revolved loans for infrastructure servicing.

melissa marinovich
Assistant Division Administrator, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

Melissa Marinovich works for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission as the Assistant Division Administrator in the Planning and Programming Division responsible for managing the Environmental Review Team. Her team reviews all projects across the state for impacts to listed endangered or threatened species, coordinates with federal agencies under NEPA and other environmental laws, and provides conservation measures and recommendations to project proponents for minimizing and mitigating impacts to state trust natural resources. One of her main duties is coordination with renewable energy projects and development of guidance documents to help bring more predictability and efficiency to the environmental review process. While she has been with the State of Nebraska for 10 years, her background includes time in both the private sector as an environmental consultant and the public sector as a threatened & endangered species biologist and wetland scientist for the Department of Transportation.

john mccollister
senator, district 20

John McCollister grew up in Omaha and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Business Administration.

He then embarked on a 35 year career with McCollister & Co, a three generation family business that manufactured lubricants for large commercial, industrial and private label customers in fourteen Midwestern states.

From 1979 to 2008, McCollister served as a publically-elected member of the Metropolitan Utilities District Board of Directors, which provides natural gas and water to the Omaha area. In early 2009 McCollister was named executive director of the Platte Institute for Economic Research – a nonprofit free market think tank.

In 2014 Senator McCollister was elected to the Nebraska Legislature. He is currently a member of the Legislature’s Executive Board, and the Revenue, and Government,Military and Veterans Affairs. He is also the Vice Chair of the Planning Committee. During his tenure in the Legislature, McCollister has promoted criminal justice reform, accessibility of public benefits, climate change and renewable energy legislation.

aaron miller
energy division chief, nebraska department of environment and energy

Aaron has worked at the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (formerly the Nebraska Energy Office) since 2014.  Aaron is responsible for several State financing and grant programs that promote energy efficiency and renewable energy projects including solar and wind energy. Aaron is also involved with providing key statistics and maps for wind and solar projects across the State.

josh moenning
mayor, city of norfolk

Josh Moenning was elected to the Norfolk City Council in 2012 and Mayor of Norfolk in 2016. He was re-elected as Mayor in 2020. Moenning earned a journalism degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has completed the Harvard Kennedy School's Climate Change Policy: Economics and Politics executive program.  In 2020, he was elected to serve on the board of directors of the National League of Cities. He's worked in the Nebraska Legislature, as spokesman for U.S. Congressman Jeff Fortenberry and director of his Nebraska offices, and as executive director of the infrastructure development group 4 Lanes 4 Nebraska.  He owns and operates a small business in the field of renewable energy development. He also assists his family's natural beef business and has two children, Molly and Henry.

bill moore
editor in chief, ev world

Bill Moore has spent nearly twenty-five years covering the world of electric vehicles for EVWorld.com. Prior to that he was the Internet evangelist working with the AIM Institute, introducing the technology to business leaders include Nebraska’s current governor. He is a two-time recipient of the Nebraska chapter of the Sierra Club’s Environmental Innovation Leadership Award.   In 2020, he organized a special series of flights to commemorate the centennial of the start of transcontinental airmail service, retracing the original 2560 mile air route from Long Island to San Francisco Bay. He is now directing a cutting edge project called the "CAMP1872 Xperience" to merge Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence and cryptocurrency blockchain to recreate the "Royal Buffalo Hunt” of 1872 that brought together in southwest Nebraska William F. “Buffalo Bill' Cody, George A. Custer, General Phil Sheridan, the US 2nd Cavalry Regiment, the Sichangu band of Lakota, and a party of Russian nobility led by Grand Duke Alexis, the 22 year-old son of Tsar Alexander II. 

He continues to daily monitor and share EV technology and policy developments through various social media accounts including Twitter, Reddit and Instagram. He owns several electric assist bicycles which he rides regularly and drives a Fiat 500e electric car, as well as a Prius.

tim o’brien
Director - Economic Develop. & External Relations, Omaha Public Power District

Tim O'Brien is the Director of Economic Development and External Relations for the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD).  He oversees the economic development, government relations (local, state and federal) and stakeholder outreach. 

Prior to his role at OPPD, he was the Business Development Manager for the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (NEDED). At NEDED, he oversaw statewide business development efforts with a personal focus on information technology and data center development. 

Tim holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Management Information Systems and a master’s degree from Doane College.

Tim is married with three children.  He currently serves as the Nebraska Diplomats President and board member of the Ashland Area Economic Development Corporation and Grow Sarpy.  He can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyrobrien

susan opperman
environmental scientist, olsson

Susan is a biologist at Olsson, performing a wide range of services related to wetlands and water resources, threatened and endangered species, and habitat assessment. Her responsibilities focus on environmental permitting for energy, transportation, utilities, and government markets. In providing these services, Susan works with regulatory agencies to avoid, minimize, and mitigate environmental impacts. Susan has become Olsson’s leader in solar vegetation management, helping to establish habitat that benefits both pollinators and solar facilities. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Biodiversity and Conservation and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Natural Resource Management.

Amy Ostermeyer
Vice President of Development, Monolith

Amy Ostermeyer is the executive vice president of development for Monolith and is responsible for identifying, planning and implementing the organization’s growth strategies. She began her career at Talent Plus before taking on roles as the director of human resources at Bryan Health and the chief operating officer at Tabitha Healthcare. Her passion for growing organizations through people caught the interest of Monolith, and she joined the organization as vice president of human resources in 2017. 

Since joining Monolith, Ostermeyer led the transition of the company’s headquarters from California to Nebraska, executed successful strategies around meeting Monolith’s extensive yet specific staffing needs, provided clear guidance for Monolith’s continued growth through the COVID pandemic, and forged strong partnerships with local communities and regulatory entities. In doing so, she created the blueprint for which she is now taking Monolith’s environmentally advantaged technologies to market. 

A native Nebraskan, Ostermeyer holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a juris doctorate from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

justin pickar
Senior Director, Origination, National Grid Renewables

Justin E. Pickar (Pick*car) joined National Grid Renewables (fka Geronimo Energy) in 2008 after consulting with farmers in his hometown about the benefits of wind energy in 2007 and initiated the development of what is now known as the Courtenay Wind Farm, now (200 MW), owned by Xcel Energy. His current role is Senior Director, Origination, and is responsible for sales across most of SPP and MISO. Prior to renewables, Justin provided corporate development support to businesses ranging in size from Fortunate 500 to five employees, eventually starting and managing his own consulting firm, EHFAR, LLC, assisting small business in the areas of development, marketing, and public relations. Justin’s pride is in his hometown, Wimbledon, North Dakota and in his rural, agricultural, roots. He believes he's in renewable energy for a reason and is the right thing to do right now and the economic benefits it can transfer to farmers, ranchers and rural America.

chad pinkelman
Sustainable Strategies Consultant, Nebraska Public Power District

Chad Pinkelman has been with Nebraska Public Power District for over 13 years. His current position is a Sustainable Strategies Consultant. In this position, he manages NPPD’s Electric Vehicle and charging station incentive program. He also processes electric efficiency upgrade incentives for industrial customers. His first position with NPPD was as a Distribution and Sub-Transmission Planning Engineer. Chad has an M.S.E.E. from University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

david d. rich
Sustainable Energy Manager, Nebraska Public Power District

Mr. Rich has been employed with Nebraska Public Power District for the past 39 years, currently serving as NPPD’s Sustainable Energy Manager. In this position, Dave is responsible for the development and implementation of NPPD's sustainable energy (renewable energy sources and energy efficiency) strategies. These strategies support NPPD's vision and mission by providing safe, cost-effective, and efficient sustainable energy in a manner that provides renewable energy to NPPD’s resource mix and promotes economic development in an environmentally sound manner.  

shelby ridenour
Associate Scientist, Olsson

Shelby is a biologist for Olsson with a focus on renewable energy and power delivery projects. Since her time at Olsson, Shelby has worked on over 50 wind and solar energy projects across the Great Plains and Midwest regions. She specializes in pre- and post-construction biological surveys and analyses for various flora and fauna including threatened and endangered species. Shelby is also experienced in construction compliance monitoring and inspections. She has a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies and Biological Sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

carter scott
director - energy strategy, ranger power

Carter Scott is currently the Vice President of Transmission and supports the Ranger Power team in all aspects of renewable development. In her role, Carter oversees interconnection and transmission. She has over twelve years of experience developing renewable energy projects and related transmission assets across the United States. She specializes in navigating the transmission and interconnection processes, negotiating interconnection agreements, and developing and managing regulatory compliance programs. Carter has experience in all phases of a renewable project’s lifecycle from development through to operations. Carter has a Juris Doctor degree from Vermont Law School, where she specialized in energy and environmental law and was a research assistant with the Institute for Energy and the Environment. Her education and experience in the renewable energy industry give her a broad perspective on project development, regulatory and compliance matters, and the business of renewable energy.

martha shulski
State Climatologist of Nebraska, UNL School of Natural Resources

Dr. Martha Shulski is a Professor of Applied Climate Science in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. She serves as State Climatologist and is Director of the Nebraska State Climate Office. Dr. Shulski’s work focuses on environmental monitoring through the Nebraska Mesonet, stakeholder engagement, and applied research. She has been faculty at UNL since 2009 and has 20 years of applied climate experience, taking her from remote Alaska villages to the windswept Nebraska Sandhills. She was co-author on the 2018 U.S. National Climate Assessment, has published a book, 48 journal articles and you can find her regular column on weather in NEBRASKAland magazine.

Maggie tallmadge
Business development manager, ranger power

Maggie Tallmadge manages Ranger Power's energy marketing efforts and development of solar power projects. Prior to joining Ranger, Maggie worked at the Coalition of Communities of Color, an Oregon alliance of culturally specific community-based organizations. Maggie developed its Community and Economic Development program while designing and leading legislative, electoral, and Public Utility Commission policies and campaigns, including carbon pricing, utility grid modernization, housing, and tax policy. Maggie also gained experience in development, power marketing, and energy trading while interning at Avangrid Renewables. Outside of work, Maggie has served on the Board of Governors for the Oregon Citizens' Utility Board, as a Commissioner on the City of Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission, in leadership roles for the City Club of Portland, and in numerous volunteer roles for local organizations. Maggie is a Citizen of the Cherokee Nation, which drives her passions. Maggie holds a Masters of Environmental Management from Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College.

david terry
Executive Director, NASEO

David Terry is the Executive Director of the National Association of State Energy Officials and has worked with NASEO in a variety of capacities since 1996. Mr. Terry leads NASEO's policy actions and programs in support of the 56 governor-designated state and territory energy directors and their offices. NASEO communicates the states' views on virtually all national energy issues. Mr. Terry has participated in governor-led policy meetings, testified before U.S. Congressional Committees and presented at White House and international energy forums.  Mr. Terry has 25 years of experience working on a range of energy issues for such organizations as the Governors’ Wind and Solar Energy and Coalition and Energy Services Coalition. Prior to working in the energy area, Mr. Terry was researcher at the National Academy of Sciences and a statistical analyst for a consumer products market research firm. He received a BA degree from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, and he has completed graduate coursework in statistics and marketing at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.

kevin wailes
CEO, Lincoln Electric System

Kevin Wailes has served as the CEO of the Lincoln Electric System (LES) in Lincoln Nebraska since July 2010.  Prior to joining LES, he spent 23 years at Your Own Utilities, the municipal electric utility serving Tallahassee, Florida…the last 15 years as General Manager.  Mr. Wailes also served as the Superintendent of the Lamar Utilities Board in Lamar Colorado for 6 years in the early 1980’s and holds a BSEE from Colorado State University.  Among many utility-related positions, he has served on the Boards of the Colorado Association of Municipal Utilities, the Florida Electric Power Coordinating Group, the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council, the Southern/Florida Reliability Agreement Executive Council, the Florida Municipal Electric Association and the American Public Power Association.  Mr. Wailes currently serves as a member and co-chair of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council and on the Boards of Directors of the Nebraska Power Association, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County.

billy wilkins
Project Developer, NextEra

Billy Wilkins is a development project director for NextEra Energy Resources. As project director, he is responsible for the development of a portfolio of the company's renewable energy projects in the states of Kansas and Nebraska. Prior to joining NextEra Energy Resources in 2019, Billy served for 21 years in the U.S. Army as a civil affairs officer. After retiring in 2017, he attended the University of Notre Dame earning a Master of Business Administration. He is originally from Atlanta, Georgia and earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Georgia in 1996.

keith wipke
Laboratory Program Mgr for the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technologies, NREL

Mr. Wipke has been the Laboratory Program Manager for the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technologies program at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for the last 9 years, where he has worked since 1993.  The program covers all aspects of hydrogen and fuel cells, from hydrogen production with renewables to end-use applications envisioned in the H2@Scale “bubble-chart.”  Prior to this role, Mr. Wipke worked in the area of advanced vehicles for almost 20 years.   For 9 years he led NREL’s participation in the Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project (aka the Learning Demo).  This technology validation activity was later expanded to evaluate fuel cell technology in other applications.  He received his masters degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, is NREL’s senior representative at the California Fuel Cell Partnership, sat on the Board of Directors of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) for 6 years, and actively participates in the Colorado Hydrogen Network.

mark yates
VP, Advanced Power Alliance, Principal, Cornerstone Government Affairs

Mark Yates joined Cornerstone in July 2021 as a principal in the firm’s Oklahoma City office. His experience in public policy includes working with various industries through statewide campaigns, legislative engagement, media relations, and public speaking. Mark has been successful navigating complex and challenging initiatives on behalf of the clean energy and agriculture industries.

michael zakrzewski
landowner

Mike is a third-generation farmer/rancher in Holt County, Nebraska. He was chairman of the landowners’ group for the Grande Prairie Wind Energy Project, a 400MW wind farm northeast of O’Neill.  With his wife Shelly, they raised their two boys, Marc and Kevin, on the same farm he grew up on with eight siblings.  They are surrounded by two hundred beautiful turbines and could not be happier about it!

ryan zimmerman
Chairman, Pierce County Planning Commission

Ryan Zimmerman is a 4th generation farmer in southwest Pierce County. He farms with his brother and 4 years ago, they transitioned the farm to organic production. In 2018, they signed an agreement with NextEra to develop the 2500-acre farm into a solar farm. In 2017, Ryan was elected chairman of the Pierce County Planning Commission. Ryan, his wife, and their 3 children reside in Pierce County. Ryan has an associate degree in Agri-Business from Northeast Community College.