Director of Marketing and Communications, NC Sustainable Energy Association
As NCSEA's Director of Marketing and Communications, Matt Abele helps to drive the strategies designed to enhance the brand and scope of NCSEA. This role collaborates with teams across the organization to oversee external communications efforts, media strategy, marketing tactics, and education initiatives. Additionally, Matt serves as the Host of the Squeaky Clean Energy podcast. Prior to joining NCSEA, Matt specialized in marketing and communications for environmental/cleantech organizations at the national and local levels. Matt holds a Master's degree in Communication from North Carolina State University and a Bachelor's degree in Sustainable Technology from Appalachian State University. Additionally, Matt holds a Certificate in Renewable Energy Management along with a NABCEP Entry Level PV Installer Certification.
Principal, Evolution SE, LLC.
Anita R. Bahe, PhD, has over 30 years of professional experience in disciplines specific to agriculture, environmental science, ecology, and public policy concerns. She has been at the forefront of sustainability and systems thinking throughout her career. Having worked for government, corporations, small businesses, non-profits, and academic institutions she developed a breadth of practical knowledge and insights into diverse decision frameworks. This has informed a consulting practice focused on creating strategies and solutions to pressing challenges leading to positive change.
Early career experiences as a field researcher for the U.S. Forest Service then followed by work in R&D and marketing for a global chemical company, she saw first-hand the importance of well executed scientific research to inform public policy. This inspired a return to graduate school followed by time spent as Interim Director of the NC Environmental Technologies Consortium and Front Royal Environmental Services. and the eventual establishment of her own advisory practice Evolution SE, LLC. Anita has worked extensively in real estate development with a recent emphasis on revitalizing contaminated property and simultaneously retained relationships with many researchers from academia, NGOs, and private companies providing contract research support on topics such as Antibiotic Resistance from Environmental Exposure; Emerging Contaminates and Climate Change; Biosolids and Waste Management Alternatives; Wastewater Re-use and Policy; Economic and Taxation Analysis (influence on land-use planning). She conducted seminars related to ecosystem services and environmental markets, water and waste reuse practices, and resource management. During this time she also served as a technical advisor to several D.C. based Risk Communications firms.
Over the past decade Anita has been advising leadership from Southern Research and the RAPID Manufacturing Institute at the intersection of risk mitigation, finance, and technology innovation with an emphasis on decarbonization and industrial transition needs. Anita has a B.S. in Wildlife Biology and Natural Resource Management from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; a Masters from North Carolina State University (NCSU) in Crop Science, Ecology and Natural Resources; and a PhD administered jointly by NCSU and UNC-Chapel Hill in Environmental Science and Public Policy.
Executive Managing Director, Energetic Capital
James Bowen is the Co-founder & Managing Director of Energetic Capital, a finance and insurance company developing innovative financial products for the renewable energy industry. Energetic created the EneRate Credit Cover insurance product, a first-of-its-kind policy which covers electricity payment default risk on long term corporate energy contracts in order to enable more financing for unrated and below-investment grade businesses. They also offer tax insurance to cover risk of IRS action on ITC and PTC transactions. Prior to Energetic, James was the co-founder of a solar project development firm and was the Director of Business Development at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.
Partner, WayBright, LLC
Josh Brooks is a partner with WayBright, LLC, with offices in Jacksonville, FL, Asheville, NC, and Torreon, Mexico. WayBright is a project development, finance, and management platform designed to accelerate the deployment of clean energy, clean water, and infrastructure services across the U.S. and Mexico.
Prior to WayBright, Josh served as Chief of Staff to Amory Lovins, founder, and former Chief Scientist of RMI, a world-leading energy and economy think tank. There, Josh focused on implementing integrative design across the energy-intensive sectors: transportation, industry, buildings, and electricity generation as well as utility business model innovation and energy regulatory reform.
Prior to RMI, Josh served as Project Developer for NTE Energy, a private sector energy production company, where he directed the company’s renewables development and related wholesale customer programs in multiple national markets.
Today, along with his work at WayBright, Josh services as an advisor to multiple non-profits, energy groups, and climate tech start-ups.
Chief of Staff, Kimbro Companies | Executive Director, Southeast Hydrogen Energy Alliance
Senior Consultant, Dept. of Energy Loan Programs Office
Ms. Davidson has a long career in financial services including banking, both origination and underwriting, capital markets, investment banking, and structured finance with several major financial institutions, including Wachovia/Wells Fargo, SunTrust/Truist, and First Horizon. She also helped start a community bank in NC, and has provided strategic growth advisory and capital-raising services in various sectors via a consulting partnership.
Since May of 2021, Ms. Davidson has served as a Senior Advisor/Contractor in the Outreach and Business Development division of the Loan Programs Office of the Department of Energy. She works directly with numerous applicants in several sectors through all stages of the LPO process, and also leads the strong engagement and partnership with many financial institutions and their clean energy sector clients.
A native North Carolinian, she worked in Boston and Chicago for 12 years, prior to returning to the Research Triangle area to live and work since 1992.
Account Executive, Power and Renewables, Aon
Mike is an account executive in Aon’s Global Power & Renewables practice. Since 2021, he has provided risk and insurance advisory services to power and renewable energy clients, which include in-depth contract review, balancing of risk transfer, and specialized insurance solutions for the renewables industry. Mike has nine years’ experience advising clients in the operations, construction, power, and infrastructure space.
Previously, Mike led Aon’s Brokerage Analytics and Risk Strategies team for the Construction & Infrastructure practice, which focused on data and analytics initiatives around market placements, carrier & client performance, and providing industry insight and market trends to construction contractors and insurance carriers. In addition, Mike led the development of Aon’s weather risk management team, helping contractors mitigate weather-related perils during construction and operations.
Mike joined Aon in 2014. He has been involved in risk advisory for several power, utility, independent power producers, construction contractors, infrastructure developers, and P3 entities.
Mike’s expertise includes renewables energy assets, insuretech solutions, public private partnerships, and parametric based insurance products.
Senior Director of Operations at Renu Energy Solutions
Hannah Elliott is a seasoned professional in the renewable energy sector, serving as the Senior Director of Operations at Renu Energy Solutions. With over seven years of dedicated service to the company, Hannah has played an instrumental role in shaping and enhancing operational efficiency across residential, commercial, and service departments.
Under her leadership, Renu Energy Solutions has flourished as a leading turnkey provider of solar and battery installation solutions for both residential and commercial clients. Hannah's strategic vision and meticulous attention to detail have enabled the company to streamline processes, optimize resource allocation, adapt to market and policy changes along with consistently exceeding customer expectations.
Hannah comes to the Carolina’s with previous years industry knowledge working for a national solar company in New England. Hannah started her renewable energy and sustainability journey at Keene State College in New Hampshire where she majored in Geography and Environmental Studies, with a concentration in Sustainability.
Executive Director of Economic Development, NC Dept. of Commerce
Susan Fleetwood serves as Executive Director of Economic Development in the Office of the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce. In this role, she provides strategic leadership on complex economic development projects and issues; leads the Department’s efforts in defining processes for working with the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina; helps to develop competitive proposals for the Department’s active economic development projects; and serves as liaison to the Governor’s Office to prepare for his active engagement with prospective and existing companies.
With more than 18 years of experience in economic development, she has served in various, increasingly responsible capacities. Prior to her current role she served as Director of Business & Industry Development and provided leadership for 25 economic development professionals working to recruit new domestic and international companies to the state and helping existing companies grow and expand.
She also served as Director of Strategic Projects in the Business & Industry Division and served as a senior project advisor on major economic development projects; oversaw the development of high-impact content for marketing and collateral materials prepared for clients and consultants; managed the selection and implementation of the Department’s client relationship management system; and led a redesign of the state’s buildings and sites database.
She also worked as an International Development Representative and worked directly with a number of companies throughout their site selection process, worked as an International Trade Specialist with the Department’s International Trade Division, and as International Trade Coordinator and Marketing and Development Coordinator with the City of Birmingham, AL Office of Economic Development.
Fleetwood is a graduate of Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics, and NC State University with a Master’s degree in Public Administration. She is also a graduate of the Economic Development Institute and a member of the North Carolina Economic Developers Association.
Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Pine Gate Renewables
Blan Holman is VP for Regulatory Affairs at Pine Gate Renewables, a developer and owner-operator of solar and storage facilities across the nation. At Pine Gate, Blan leads engagement with state energy regulatory commissions and on policy matters with a focus on the Southeast and Texas. He is on the boards of the Carolinas Clean Energy Association, the Southern Energy Renewables Association, and the Texas Solar Power Association. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia School of Law, he lives in Asheville, North Carolina with his spouse and two daughters.
General Counsel, Blue Ridge Power
Clint Lloyd is the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Blue Ridge Power. Blue Ridge Power is currently ranked as a Top 10 Solar EPC in the United States by Solar Power World and is the largest solar construction company in North Carolina. Clint has helped build, negotiate and finance scores of utility scale solar projects and gigawatts of installed capacity in North Carolina and across the Southeast for both investor-owned utilities and independent power producers. He is an active proponent of the solar industry in North Carolina and previously served on the board of the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association. Clint grew up in North Carolina, attended business and law school at UNC and lives with his wife and kids in Chapel Hill.
Vice President of Large Generator Product Line and head of the Siemens Energy Charlotte Hub
Brian Maragno is the VP Large Generator Product Line with global design and manufacturing responsibility for Siemens Energy and is currently located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mr. Maragno has more than 30 years of experience in the power generation industry and has held various management roles of increasing responsibility within Westinghouse and Siemens. Mr. Maragno's experience encompasses all facets of operations covering manufacturing, industrial and manufacturing engineering, process management, supply chain management and new product introduction.
In 2011 he was a key component in the transfer of Siemens' former Gas Turbine facility in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, to the Siemens Energy Charlotte Hub. His valuable knowledge and best practice sharing from his leadership role in Hamilton facilitated a smooth transfer to the new facility in Charlotte. In addition to his global leadership role for Generators, Mr. Maragno serves as the executive in charge of the Charlotte site.
Mr. Maragno completed his studies in Industrial Management in Canada prior to joining Westinghouse Electric Corp. He and his wife Iole have two children and reside in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Managing Director, Kairos Government Affairs
Betsy McCorkle leads the Kairos Government Affairs team and has over a decade of lobbying success with a focus on developing and executing successful government affairs strategies for a diverse set of clients. Betsy has accepted speaking and consulting invitations from across the country to share her strategies and the outcomes of her work. Before co-founding Kairos Government Affairs, Betsy directed the government affairs work for the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, a non-profit membership organization, where she gained extensive experience in leading diverse coalitions of businesses and other non-profits toward legislative goals. Betsy also has experience in workforce development, economic development, agricultural policy, and has been responsible for managing Republican political campaigns across the southeastern United States. As a military spouse, Betsy leads efforts as a Board Director for the Susan M. Tillis Foundation, which has a mission to support junior enlisted military members and their families. In 2021, Betsy was recognized as a member of the Triangle Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 class. The Triangle Business Journal recognized Betsy a second time in 2023 as a “Women in Business” Honoree. In 2022, The North Carolina Leukemia and Lymphoma Society recognized Betsy with their Outstanding Citizenship Award for her community leadership to raise over $85,000 in the fight against cancer.
Betsy received a Master Degree in Environmental Management from Duke University, and she holds a Bachelor Degree in Environmental Economics from the University of Georgia (UGA), where she graduated magna cum laude. Betsy was a 2013 Recipient of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Young Alumni Achievement Award and the 2012 Recipient of the J.W. Fanning Distinguished Young Professional Award.
Managing Director, TotalEnergies
Sylvain has more than 20 years of international experience within the energy industry as a Business Unit leader. Sylvain is the Managing Director for TotalEnergies Carolina Long Bay Offshore Wind project, delivering approximately 1.2GW of renewable energy offshore Carolinas.
In his most recent role, Sylvain was the head of strategy for Exploration in the Americas, managing investments in Suriname, Brazil, Gulf of Mexico and Guyana. As a Business Development Director, he was a Board Member of Total E&P Congo. He led negotiations of operatorship and Production Sharing Contract with public authorities and private partners, leading to Haute Mer PSC. He defined and implemented sustainable marketing solutions by VLGC vessels for propane and butane to serve the national market of the Congo as alternative to coal.
Prior to this role, he negotiated midstream agreements for Utica (Ohio) 1.5Bcfd gas processing, NGL fractionation and condensate stabilization. He was a Senior Financial Analyst for Acquisition and Divestiture of upstream, midstream, and downstream assets worldwide and evaluated financials and business plans for affiliates (USA and Latin America) strategy plans. During the early stages of his career, Sylvain held several geosciences roles in the Middle East, Africa, and North America.
Sylvain has an Executive MBA from Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, TX (2023). Sylvain has a Msc from IFP School, France (Major in geosciences) and a Master’s degree from School of Mines, Nancy (Major in engineering).
Outside of work, Sylvain is a PADI Divemaster and enjoys diving around the globe with his family.
Decarbonization Senior Manager, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Shelley Hudson Robbins is the Decarbonization Senior Manager at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Prior to joining SACE, Shelley was a Project Director at Clean Energy Group, a national nonprofit that provides innovative technical, economic, and policy solutions to enable communities to participate equitably in the clean energy transition. She supported coalition-building in New York City (PEAK Coalition) and Massachusetts (MA Clean Peak Coalition), and she advised communities and organizations fighting fossil peaker plants across the country. She also worked to advance policy in the Southeast that promotes the equitable deployment of solar and battery storage, and during her tenure at CEG, she shepherded the Applied Economics Clinic report Distributed Energy Storage: The Missing Piece in North Carolina's Decarbonization Efforts. Shelley has more than twenty-two years of experience in the regulatory, environmental policy, and clean energy space. Prior to joining CEG, she worked at Upstate Forever in South Carolina for more than 13 years. At UF, she created the organization’s energy program, fought natural gas pipeline expansion, supported clean energy in both the statehouse and at the Public Service Commission, and worked on energy burden and just transition issues. Shelley has also worked for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the Florida Governor’s Office (defending the state from offshore drilling), and the Florida Public Service Commission. She has an economics degree from Duke University and an MBA from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
Vice President of Products and Markets, Kempower North America
Jed Routh is Kempower’s Vice President of Markets and Products for North America. Routh has been in this leadership position at the Durham, NC site since May 2023. In this role, he heads Kempower’s product management, engineering, marketing, and communications functions.
The bulk of Jed’s career has been spent in the commercial vehicle segment where he has a varied background with past roles in functions including supply chain, product management and sales and marketing. As both leader and team member on early EV development projects in the commercial vehicle space, Jed found a new passion for electric vehicles, and he transitioned his career to this new segment.
Routh holds an MBA from UNCG, as well as a Masters of Engineering Management from Arizona State University.
He lives in Franklinville NC with his wife, Lisa. The two have 4 adult children and two grandchildren.
General Manager and Commercial Director, Nucor Plate Group
Caleb Strother holds the position of Commercial Director of Plate and Structural products at Nucor Steel, where he plays a key role in shaping and implementing the strategies for these product groups as part of Nucor’s Enterprise Commercial Strategy. Leveraging Nucor's significant strategic advantage as one of the world's most sustainable steel producers, Caleb and his team emphasize developing solutions that support customers and partners in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Sr. Manager, Southeast Region, Solar Energy Industries Association
Caitlin Vincent is the Southeast Senior Manager at SEIA, managing and supporting policy and advocacy efforts primarily in the Carolinas, FL, GA, KY, TN, and gulf coast states as needed.
Prior to joining SEIA, Caitlin worked at Apex Clean Energy as a Public Engagement Manager in the Southeast Region as well, working on utility scale projects and educating local communities on the benefits of solar. Caitlin has worked on multiple sides of the energy sector and in other national associations doing external mobilization at the local, state, and federal levels prior to her role at SEIA. She also worked on state and local campaigns in Utah. She started her career as a multi-client lobbyist in Michigan, where she grew up.
Caitlin earned her Bachelor’s in Political Science from Michigan State University, and her Master of Public Administration from Western Michigan University. When she isn’t working to advance clean energy, Caitlin loves to cook and bake, and then eat, travel, and spend time with her dog.
Chief Consulting Engineer, Advanced Plant Technology, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
John Zino is the Chief Consulting Engineer for Advanced Plant Technology at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. In this role he is responsible for technical leadership for all GEH high-temperature advanced reactor technologies including Natrium, PRISM, and ARC-100.
John has worked for GE’s nuclear business since 1999 in a variety of engineering and technical leadership roles including Manager of the BWR and Gen. IV Nuclear Systems Engineering teams, Manager of Methods & Software Development, Manager of Stability & Radiological Analysis and Manager of Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection for the Global Nuclear Fuel joint venture. Before joining GE, John worked for Westinghouse for 10 years at the Savannah River Laboratory as a reactor physics and criticality safety engineer. He started his career in 1986 as a shield design engineer for General Dynamics.
John received his B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from N.C. State University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Nuclear & Radiological Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. John also holds a faculty appointment in the Nuclear Engineering department at N.C. State as an Associate Teaching Professor.