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Join us for another exciting Power Up Energy Expo in 2022. This year we return to the beautiful white-sand beaches of Panama City Beach at Bluegreen’s Bayside Resort & Spa, 4114 Jan Cooley Drive, Panama City Beach, Florida.
Bluegreen’s Bayside Resort & Spa
4114 Jan Cooley Drive
Panama City Beach, FL 32408
All times listed as Central Time. Participation by government agencies does not imply an endorsement of any kind.
Charity Golf Tournament & Beach Bonfire
Golf Registration Contact: Stevie at StevieG@sgc-foundation.org
Mr. Dave Robau, Gulf Coast Energy Network
Colonel Robert L. Bartlow Jr, Division Chief, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Natural Disaster Recovery Division, U.S. Air Force
Dr. Matthew Schwartz, Professor and Associate Vice President of Research Administration, Research Administration and Engagement, University of West Florida
Ms. Kelley Smith Burk, Director, Florida Energy Office, Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services (FDACS)
Moderator: Mr. Dave Robau, Gulf Coast Energy Network
Ms. Michelle Moore, Groundswell, Inc
Ms. Ornella Nicolacci, Deputy Director, Beyond the Megawatt, Clean Energy Buyers’ Association (CEBA)
Moderator: Ms. Erin Spadavecchia, Program Manager, ASSA ABLOY
Mr. Dan Glover, Product Manager- ASSA ABLOY Door Group
Mr. Brian Yallaly, DoD STED Program, Senior Engineer, Noblis
Moderator: Mr. Dave Robau, Gulf Coast Energy Network
Mr. Daniel Bakke, Vice President, EVCS Solutions
Mr. Eric Christianson, Planner, Emerald Coast Regional Council (ECRC)
Mr. Jacob Larourse, Project Manager, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, US Air Force
Moderator: Mr. Chad Baker, Schneider Electric
Mr. Mike Dwyer, PE, Deputy Chief, Natural Disaster Recovery Office, Tyndall Air Force Base, U.S Air Force
Mr. Lowell Usrey, Integration Branch Chief, Natural Disaster Recovery Division, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Tyndall Air Force Base, U.S. Air Force Army Future’s Command Representative
Mr. Josh Human, Partnership Coordinator, Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Ms. Elizabeth Wolfe, Senior Advisor, Loan Programs Office, U.S. Department of Energy
Moderator: Mr. Michael Wymant, Director of Building Innovation, National Ready Mix Concrete Association
Mr. Nicolas Fernandez, Construction Supervisor, Concrewall USA
Mr. Lance Marrano, Science and Technology Advisor for Tyndall AFB Reconstruction Engineer Research & Development Center, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Other Speakers TBD
Moderator: Mr. Steve Ganzer, BGE Federal Account Manager, ICF
Mr. Allan Federman, Deputy Chief, Atlanta Medical Center, Department of Veteran’s Affairs
Mr. Jim Holton, Senior Project Developer, Southern Company
Moderator: Mr. Dave Robau, Gulf Coast Energy Network
Mr. Steve Loken, PE, F. SAME, Deputy Base Civil Engineer, 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron, Hurlburt Field, U.S. Air Force
Mr. Daniel Nocher, 96th Civil Engineer Group, Eglin Air Force Base, U.S. Air Force
Mr. Dan Soto,Deputy Director, Office of Energy Assurance, U.S. Air Force
Mr. Dave Robau, Gulf Coast Energy Network
Commissioner Tim Echols, Georgia Public Service Commission
Mr. Robert Hughes, Executive Director, Office of Energy Initiatives, U.S. Army
Climate Security Across the Defense Enterprise: Challenges and Opportunities
Ms. Jessica Olcott Yllemo, Director, Climate Security Program, American Security Project
Moderator: Mr. Dave Robau, Gulf Coast Energy Network
Mr. Brad Chedister, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer, DEFENSEWERX
Mr. David Leinberger, Army Partnerships Program Manager, US Army
Commissioner Tim Echols, Georgia Public Service Commission
Moderator: Mr. Dave Robau, Gulf Coast Energy Network
Ms. Meredith Pringle, Principal, Converge Strategies
Dr. Bret Strogen, PE, Director, Strategic Marketing Innovations
Ms. Nina Khan, Energy Portfolio Program Manager, Defense Innovation Unit
Moderator: Mr. Dave Robau, Gulf Coast Energy Network
Mr. Lowell Usrey, Integration Branch Chief, Natural Disaster Recovery Division, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Tyndall Air Force Base, U.S. Air Force
Army Future’s Command Representative
Other Speakers TBD
Mr. Dave Robau, Gulf Coast Energy Network
Chief of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center Natural Disaster Recovery Division
Colonel Robert L Bartlow Jr. is the Chief of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center Natural Disaster Recovery Division located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. He leads an organization supporting a $6 billion, multi- year planning, programming, design, and construction effort to rebuild Tyndall following Hurricane Michael in 2018 and Offutt Air Force Base following a March 2019 flood.
Colonel Bartlow graduated from Midwest City High School, Midwest City, Oklahoma, attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma and was commissioned upon graduation through the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1999. He is a command Civil Engineer and has served a variety of operational and staff assignments at the Squadron, Numbered Air Force, Field Operating Agency and Headquarters Air Force levels.
Prior to this assignment, Colonel Bartlow served as Commander, 8th Mission Support Group, Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea where he was responsible for the leadership and management of five diverse squadrons providing base support functions for over 2,700 active duty Airmen and Soldiers. Colonel Bartlow and his wife Miriam have 2 children; their daughter Maggie is 15 and son William is 13.
Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, DEFENSEWERX
From 2013-2016, Brad Chedister was the Lead Engineer / Subject Matter Expert supporting USSOCOM HQ Commander’s Science and Technology Initiative, the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) Joint Task Force. Before that, he spent 2004-2016 as a Technology Scout / Subject Matter Expert supporting multiple Special Operations Command (SOCOM) priorities. Chedister is a Biomedical Engineer by training and holds a double Masters in Engineering Management and Technology Management. From 2005 to 2017, he supported several R&D SOCOM programs including Sensitive Site Exploitation (SSE), Human Performance Program (HPP), TALOS, Biomedical Initiatives Steering Committee (BISC), Identity Dominance and Identity Superiority Programs, and Village Stability Operations Task Force for Credibility Assessment. Additionally, Chedister was picked to lead a brainstorming group for the Ebola crisis dealing with key technologies in collaboration with the World Health Organization and White House R&D leadership. Chedister held the position of Warfighter Systems Architect Director at MIT affiliated Draper Laboratories from 2016-2018.
He is currently serving as the Chief Technology and Innovation Officer of DEFENSEWERX – leading technology development and facilitation at multiple Facility locations and teams across the United States.
CEO,
Groundswell
Michelle Moore is CEO of Groundswell, a non-profit whose mission is building community power. A social entrepreneur and former White House official with roots in rural Georgia, Michelle is a relentless agent for change with a passion for connecting clean energy with economic growth. Her accomplishments range from building the global green building movement to leading the sustainability team for the Obama Administration as Federal Chief Sustainability Officer. Since joining Groundswell in 2015, Michelle has led the organization to deploy a market-based project finance and subscriber management model for community solar that shares power and savings with low-income families. Michelle’s work is rooted in her faith and the charge to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
Commissioner, Georgia Public Service Commission
A younger Tim Echols was selected by the Atlanta Airport Rotary Club as “Student of the Year” from his high school in 1978. While at the luncheon, he met Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-a, a member of the Atlanta Airport Rotary Club. After the meeting, Truett invited Tim to come by his Hapeville office and gave him a set of motivational tapes and a challenge. Echols said the tapes changed his life and as a result of listening to Zig Ziglar and his teaching, Echols set a goal to be a statewide elected official. After building a national non-profit organization, Echols ran for and was elected to statewide office in 2010, serving as Public Service Commissioner. His primary job is energy regulation. When Echols took office, Georgia was 34th in solar power. Now, 7 years later, the state is 5th in the nation in approved solar.
Executive Director, U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives
Mr. Robert B. Hughes is the Executive Director of the U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives and is responsible for the development of large-scale renewable and alternative energy projects which enhance energy security and resiliency for Army installations by leveraging private sector financing. Mr. Hughes’ responsibilities include the development of projects for onsite energy generation and control systems to ensure the availability of power for Army installations’ energy requirements.
Previously, Mr. Hughes served as the Director,
Air Force Office of Energy Assurance (OEA), where he led the implementation of projects to meet the top Air Force energy challenges and support mission-ready installations. As the first director of the OEA, he established a central management office dedicated to providing a comprehensive, enterprise-wide approach to energy projects, including the development and execution of strategic energy assurance initiatives.
Prior to his assignment with OEA, Mr. Hughes served as Director of the 6th Civil Engineer Squadron, 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, where he oversaw the plans, programs, designs, construction, operation and maintenance of 600 base facilities totaling over 5.1 MSF. Throughout his career, Mr. Hughes has held various engineering positions both within and outside of the Department of Defense.
CSI, CDT, Program Manager – Sustainability, Door Security Solutions
Erin Spadavecchia is the Program Manager for Sustainability at ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions (DSS) in New Haven, CT. ASSA ABLOY DSS is a division of ASSA ABLOY (Stockholm, Sweden), the global leader in door opening solutions, dedicated to satisfying end-user needs for security, safety and convenience. Professionally, Erin’s goals include increasing awareness and creating transparency of sustainable building solutions such as doors, frames, hardware, and access control.
She has 13 years of experience in the building materials industry and is an active member of the Construction Specification Institute (CSI), Metro New York Chapter. Through CSI, Erin has earned the CDT (Construction Document Technologist) credential and serves on their board as President. Her background includes a Bachelor of Science in Biology/Biotechnology with a concentration in Ecology and Environmental Biology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA.
In her spare time, Erin enjoys reading and kayaking trips with her family. She is based in the Hudson Valley area of New York.
Energy Director, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Tyndall AFB
Daniel Soto is the Energy Director for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Mr. Soto leads over one hundred energy professionals that support warfighters worldwide by providing cost-effective energy assurance solutions. They do this by providing expertise in Energy Savings Performance Contracts, Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program, Power Purchase Agreements, Automated Meter Reading System, Data Analysis and Reporting, Utility Rates Optimization, and Energy Manager Training.
Prior to his current position, Mr. Soto has held various leadership positions at AFCEC to include the Energy Rates and Resilience Division, Measurement & Analysis Division, Utilities Privatization Division, and Airfield and Horizontal Construction Branch. He attended the University of Alabama on an Air Force ROTC Scholarship, and was commissioned into the USAF in May 1989. He spent almost four years on active duty before transferring to the Air Force reserve and civil service ranks in 1993.
Mr. Soto has held staff and leadership roles at multiple installations, major commands, and Forward Operating Agencies. Highlights include serving as SABER Flight Chief, Luke AFB, AZ, Aviano 2000 MILCON Program Manager, and the Deputy Base Civil Engineer at RAF Mildenhall, UK.
Mr. Soto is a registered Civil engineer in the state of Texas, and a certified Project Management Professional. He was recently inducted as a Fellow of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). He serves on the SAME National Energy and Sustainability Community of Interest and on his local Panama City Post Board of Direction. Prior to assuming his/her current position, Mr. Soto was the Energy Rates and Resilience Division Chief at AFCEC – Tyndall.
325th Civil Engineer Squadron, Tyndall AFB, US Air Force
Brian Stahl, 325th Civil Engineer Squadron deputy base civil engineer and Tyndall Air Force Base Program Management Office deputy director, has played a major role in the base’s recovery efforts.
The 325th CES is responsible for maintaining the operations, maintenance, repair and construction of property to effectively sustain Tyndall’s land and facilities. Stahl’s roles include advising the director of the PMO and advising the commander of the 325th CES. Stahl was one of the 93 personnel who stayed on base during Hurricane Michael and weathered the storm.
Natural Disaster Recovery, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Tyndall Air Force Base
Lowell Usrey is the Integration Branch Chief for the Natural Disaster Recovery (NDR) Program Management Office (PMO) at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. He is responsible for driving innovation for the $4.95 billion, effort to rebuild Tyndall as the Installation of the Future.
As chief of the Integration Branch he identifies opportunities to leverage commercial technology, research, and prototypes to enhance operational effectiveness, security, resilience, and digital integration for Tyndal AFB.
Mr. Usrey has supported the Department of Defense as a uniformed member, contractor and a government civilian. Prior to assuming his current position, Mr. Usrey led a wide variety of programs to include facility operations; facility planning, programming, and budgeting; construction management; energy management; space management; and environmental management. Other career highlights include coordinating acquisition programs for 14 major Air Force weapons systems and leading the construction efforts for entry gates at 10 Air Mobility Command bases.
Director, Office of Energy, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Kelley Smith Burk serves as the Acting Director for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Office of Energy. The office is responsible for the development of energy policy and programs for the state as well as promoting the use of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies. Mrs. Burk’s responsibilities include supervision and oversight of policy development, program and grant design, and legislative tracking.
Prior to her work with the Office of Energy, Mrs. Burk worked with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Strategic Projects and Planning. In this role, Mrs. Burk staffed the Governor’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change, providing a range of services including managing the transportation and land use technical working group, developing reports and helping draft the Team’s Phase I and Phase II reports.
Mrs. Burk holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Florida State University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Pepperdine University
Direct Technical Assistance initiative, Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA)
Josh Human is the FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Partnership Coordinator, and currently serving in a Leadership role for FEMA’s Direct Technical Assistance initiative, where he uses his vast network and knowledge to promote and enhance resiliency across the nation.
Josh has over twenty years of experience within the resilience, hazard mitigation and disaster management fields. During his career he has led academic institutions and consulting firms in developing resilience and hazard mitigation practices. Mr. Human has
facilitated hundreds of hazard mitigation and resilience-based plans for communities, and
helped communities apply for and implement billions of dollars of resilience-based projects and programs. He has presented around the world on the topic of hazard mitigation, disaster management, floodplain management and resilience, and has been published several times within the hazard research field. He currently serves as a Senior Fellow with Tulane’s Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy (DRLA) and is involved in promoting resilience through his participation on several associations and boards.
Deputy Chief for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Natural Disaster Recovery Division
Mike Dwyer is the Deputy Chief for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Natural Disaster Recovery Division. He assists the Division Chief with leading an organization which oversees the rebuild of Tyndall Air Force Base following catastrophic damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018. This complex multi-year planning, programming, design, and reconstruction effort is valued at approximately five billion dollars. In addition to the beddown of the new F-35 Lightning II mission at Tyndall, the Division also oversees a major recovery effort for Offutt Air Force Base from a catastrophic 2019 flood, and relocating the F-22 Raptor Formal Training Unit from Tyndall AFB to Joint Base Langley-Eustis. The Natural Disaster Recovery team is a new Air Force Civil Engineer Center Division with a forward operating capability which executes major disaster recovery efforts that exceed installation capabilities.
Mr. Dwyer is an experienced Civil Engineer and Built Infrastructure Manager. He has diverse experience in both the private and public sectors. In the private sector he worked for prominent national and regional construction companies executing heavy civil, building, and specialty concrete construction. He has also been a consulting engineer in private practice, with specialized experience conducting complex special inspections required prior to occupying new facilities.
Prior to his current assignment, he served at Headquarters Air Force as a military construction program manager overseeing natural disaster recovery and new weapons systems beddowns. He has also served in a variety of positions at the installation-level and the Air Force Civil Engineer Center. Mr. Dwyer served in the United States Navy Reserve as a Civil Engineer Corps Officer where he deployed twice in support of the International Security Assistance Force and United States Forces in Afghanistan.
Executive Director, Gulf Coast Energy Network
Dave Robau is one of the sustainability movement’s most sought-after thought leaders. As an advocate for resource conservation and sustainable design solutions, Dave has extensive experience at all levels of business and government. In 2011, he was honored at a White House ceremony as one of President Obama’s “Champions of Change” for his work and dedication to sustainability.
ESPC Program Manager, U.S. Air Force, Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC)
Michael Ringenberg is the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) Third Party Finance Program Subject Matter Expert and Program Manager for the ESPC and UESC program. Mike is a graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and is a member of ASHRAE, the Association of Energy Engineers and is registered as a Certified Energy Manager. Mike also served as the Energy Program Manager for US Army Garrison – Fort Wainwright, Alaska, was the Air Force Advanced Meter Reading System Program Manager, and has over 15 years’ experience working in multiple energy programs within the Air Force Civil Engineer Center at Tyndall AFB, Florida.
International Developer, ConcreWall USA
Mr. Fernandez received a Civil Engineer Degree and MBA at INTEC. He is Senior Director of Esfera Verde Corp. located in the Dominican Republic. Mr. Fernandez has more than 15 years of experience in the design, fabrication and construction with EPS (Expanded Polystyrene Systems) and more than 20 in the construction industry. He served as a consultant to construction projects in the Caribbean and in several countries around the world using EPS Systems. For years Mr. Fernandez has taught classes to students of Architecture, Civil Engineers and Professionals of this area in different seminars, courses and workshops about alternative and lightweight construction., He has been featured in articles of construction and science magazines, newspapers and academic writings about Green and Sustainable Construction. His experience goes into the construction of Low Income Housing, Commercial, Industrial and Residential Projects using several construction systems.
Schneider Electric
Mr. Baker is the US Air Force and US Space Force Global Account Manager for Schneider Electric Federal, managing all Schneider/USAF business. He has over 25-years of diverse experience supporting federal programs from both the private sector and as a technical subject matter expert supporting multiple Department of Defense service branches, with the past 15-years being centered on implementation of federal energy programs. Mr. Baker’s experience primarily includes development and delivery of complex solutions and facilities for all branches of the DoD, as well as other federal agencies both within traditional acquisition programs as well as through Other Transaction Authorities (OTA’s). In direct support to the US Air Force, Mr. Baker worked for two-years to establish of a portfolio of third-party financed energy and real-estate program projects aligned with private-sector financial and development investment. Based upon innovation and success as a developer of energy and real estate projects supporting DoD installations, Mr. Baker has also been procured as a subject matter expert in consultation to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives, and the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineering Center for refinement of acquisition policy and procedures within third-party financed programs supporting energy modernization, sustainability, and resiliency programs.
Senior Engineer, DoD Sustainable Technology Evaluation and Demonstration Program Noblis
Mr. Brian Yallaly is the Senior Engineer for the Department of Defense (DoD) Sustainable Technology Evaluation and Demonstration (STED) Program, managed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations & Environment (OASD(EI&E)). Mr. Yallaly has over 20 years of experience in evaluating, testing, demonstrating, and transitioning sustainable technologies for the DoD and Federal Agencies including the Military Services, Defense Logistics Agency, NASA, DHS, and the FBI. Mr. Yallaly is employed by Noblis, a non-profit applied science, engineering, and technology company and federal contractor. Mr. Yallaly received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineer and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from the University of Florida and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
Product Manager, ASSA ABLOY Door Group
Dan Glover is a Product Manager, ASSA ABLOY Door Group, responsible for coordinating New Product Development of commercial door opening solutions from Concept to Customer. Dan maintains a Sustainability focus by supporting communications, innovation, prioritization, promotion, documentation, and execution throughout the product lifecycle, supporting ASSA ABLOY and Science Based Target initiatives, driving compliance, certification, and End of Life programs. Dan has 2 U.S. Patents, 8 U.S. Patent Applications, and 4 Swedish Patent and Registrations.
Prior to joining ASSA ABLOY in 2004, Dan spent 20 years in the Automotive Industry as Manager- Program Management, leading program management efforts at the Division level for Ford Motor Company, Meritor, and Dura.
Dan worked on vehicle launch teams for Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, Volkswagen, and BMW. Dan received a Bachelor of Science- Business Administration- Industrial Management, the University of Tennessee.
Dan is a Kentucky Colonel and a Charter Member of the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG). Dan and his wife Jennifer run each year in the St. Jude Memphis Marathon in honor of their daughter Abby.
Consulting and Funding
Craig has a BS and MS in Computer Science with a minor in pure and applied mathematics. He worked as a rocket scientist in systems/software guidance and control, Infrared target tracking, satellite communications, tactical communication systems, and rugged military computer systems. Craig founded G5 engineering solutions that developed numerous customer products in the military, medical, industrial, transportation, and commercial markets space. Craig was a founder of Trulieve Cannabis Corporation and built it to the largest cannabis company in the market.
Contact us for special pricing on current Military/Government Personnel and Students.
Government and standard room block rates are available. Click the links below to visit the Bluegreen’s Bayside Resort & Spa registration page.
Bluegreen’s Bayside Resort & Spa
4114 Jan Cooley Drive
Panama City Beach, FL 32408
Power Up Energy Expo is the largest industry training event for design, construction, and sustainable energy professionals along the Gulf Coast.
Contact: Emily DeVore at emily@gulfcoastenergynetwork.org
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