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Frank Afranji
President, Northwest Power Pool
Speaking topic: Scaling Up: What it Takes to Get to 100% Clean Energy
Frank Afranji is President of the Northwest Power Pool where he is responsible for the management and coordination of various programs and services provided by the Power Pool. Prior to joining NWPP Afranji served as Director of Transmission and Reliability Services for Portland General Electric where he was responsible for various aspects of the gas and electric transmission system including capacity sales, contract administration, transmission scheduling, high voltage regional transmission planning, industry restructuring and Balancing Area activities. Afranji served on and chaired a variety of WECC and NERC committees. Afranji earned Bachelor and Master degrees in engineering at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois and Master of Business Administration from Portland State University. |
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Zach Amitay
Advocate, E2
Speaking topic: Impacts and Response to COVID-19 in Washington State
Zach Amittay is an Advocate for E2, a national network of business leaders advancing smart policy that is good for both the economy and the environment. Zach helps lead E2’s business organizing, communications, and policy work in California, Oregon, and Washington, and contributes to E2’s federal advocacy work. Zach started his career in the legislative office of the late U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg and earned his BA in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. |
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Justin Baca
Vice President of Markets & Research, Solar Energy Industries Association
Speaking topic: Impacts and Response to COVID-19 in Washington State
Justin Baca is the Vice President of Markets and Research of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). He manages SEIA’s market research and policy analysis portfolio, which he helped build over the past 12 years and includes the quarterly U.S. Solar Market Insight, SEIA’s Major Solar Projects List, Solar Means Business, cooperation with partners on solar workforce analysis, and frequent policy analysis. Since 2015, he has managed SEIA’s Codes and Standards work which focuses on the building, electrical and fire codes, and product standards that govern the mechanics of how solar projects are permitted and constructed in the U.S. Justin also oversees the PV recycling work and expansion of SEIA’s workforce development initiatives with partner organizations. Justin holds a Masters of Public Administration from the Maxwell School and a B.A. in Government from Cornell University. |
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Brad Boswell
Political Consultant, Boswell Consulting
Speaking topic: Washington State Legislation: Current Policy Updates, Effects of Vetoed Legislation and the Path Forward
Brad’s lobbying career has extended over 25 years and includes a diverse range of issue areas including: energy, health care, technology, tax and fiscal policy, environmental policy, transportation and general business. His current energy portfolio includes the Solar Installers of Washington, Clean Tech Alliance, Violet Power, and the American Institute of Architects, all of whom are focused on aggressive renewable energy and de-carbonization policies. |
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Todd Currier
Director, Washington State University Energy Program
Speaking topic: WSU Energy Program Update
Assistant Director for the WSU Energy Program beginning in 2002, after more than a decade in the utility industry. Currier has represented the WSU Energy Program in a variety of forums at the state, regional, national, and international levels. He provides leadership to staff members engaged in renewable energy program management, building science research, building code development and implementation, workforce development issues and trends, resource conservation programs, industrial energy efficiency, alternative vehicle fuels programs, and energy efficiency upgrades for homes and businesses. He currently serves as co-chair of the Industrial and Combined Heat and Power Work Group of the State Energy Efficiency Action Network, and is a member of the Pacific Northwest’s Regional Emerging Technologies Advisory Committee. Currier holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Puget Sound School of Law, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Washington, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University |
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Beth Doglio
Representative, Washington State, 22nd Legislative District
Speaking topic: Washington State Legislation: Current Policy Updates, Effects of Vetoed Legislation and the Path Forward
Beth Doglio is a state representative from the 22nd Legislative District, which encompasses most of Thurston County. Beth’s environmental leadership in our state began nearly three decades ago as the founding Executive Director of Washington Conservation Voters (WCV) and most recently as the Campaign Director for Climate Solutions. Serving in the legislature since 2017, Beth is one of Washington’s foremost leaders on the environment, where she has helped lead the passage of groundbreaking legislation to make Washington a leader in the fight against climate change. In her first session, she was instrumental in passing the current solar incentive program that WSU Energy Office manages. In 2018, she helped pass the 100% Clean Electricity Bill and prime sponsored the Green Buildings Bill. This past session, Beth sponsored House Bill 2248, which expands equitable access to the benefits of renewable energy through community solar projects. |
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Jackie Flowers
Director, Tacoma Public Utilities
Speaking topic: Vision of the Future from Regional Utility Leaders
Jackie Flowers was appointed as Tacoma Public Utilities Director in 2018. Flowers previously served as the general manager of Idaho Falls Power since 2006, overseeing operations similar to those at TPU, including hydropower generation, power supply, power transmission and distribution, energy efficiency, engineering, operations technology, fiber optic networks, and traffic signalization. She has more than 25 years of utility experience. |
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Mikhaila Gonzales
Project Manager, Spark Northwest
Speaking topic: Solar & Environmental Justice: Equity in Clean Energy
Mikhaila has led the Access Solar program at Spark Northwest since January 2017. While mastering the business side of solar projects, she has cultivated partnerships with electric utilities, financing institutions, state agencies, and a range of non-profit organizations. She is driven to create energy solutions that work for communities hit first and worst by climate impacts, and supports the development of policies that democratize clean energy infrastructure, benefits and governance. |
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Chris Green
Director of the Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness, Department of Commerce
Speaking topic: Impacts and Response to COVID-19 in Washington State
Before joining Commerce, Chris served as Vice President for Business Retention and Expansion for the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County, a private, non-profit organization focused on recruiting and retaining businesses in Pierce County. While working at the EDB, Chris worked with hundreds of firms helping them to identify tax incentives, workforce training options, financing packages and a variety of other resources to help them grow and create jobs. Chris also served as the current Co-Chair of the Tacoma-Pierce Aerospace Partners, a group focused on growing and improving the local aerospace industry. Prior to his work at the EDB, Chris worked in government relations and also worked on the staff of several elected officials, including former Congressman Norm Dicks, current Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and current Congressman Derek Kilmer. |
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Duane Jonlin
FAIA, Energy Code and Energy Conservation Advisor, Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections
Speaking topic: Scaling Up: What it Takes to Get to 100% Clean Energy
Duane Jonlin is the “Energy Code and Energy Conservation Advisor” for Seattle’s Department of Construction and Inspections, and for eight years chaired the Energy Code Technical Advisory Group for the Washington State Building Code Council. At the national level, he is a voting member of both the ASHRAE 90.1 Committee and the ICC Commercial Energy Code Committee, and serves on several national advisory committees. Prior to taking his position at the City of Seattle, Duane was a principal at NBBJ, with 30 years’ experience designing complex projects as a technical architect. He is a featured speaker nationally on issues of energy efficiency and energy regulations, and in 2016 was elected to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows. |
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Mary Kipp
President and Chief Executive Officer, Puget Sound Energy
Speaking topic: Vision of the Future from Regional Utility Leaders
Mary E. Kipp was named president of PSE in August 2019 and CEO in January 2020. Under her direction, PSE is leading the way to a clean energy future in partnership with its customers and the communities it serves. Mary joined PSE from El Paso Electric (EPE), where she served as chief executive officer since 2015 and president since 2014. Under her leadership, EPE—also a 100-year-plus company with a deeply-rooted community history—evolved to serve a diverse customer base spread across a mountain west region and growing border communities. With EPE since 2007, Mary held a variety of leadership roles throughout the company, including General Counsel, regulatory and rates, risk management, human resources, external affairs, customer care, environmental and safety. Mary serves as chair of SEPA (Smart Electric Power Alliance) and is a member of the Board of Directors of ASE (Alliance to Save Energy). She is also past deputy chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas; past chair of the Borderplex Alliance; and past executive committee member of the Texas Business Leadership Council. Mary received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College, a Juris Doctor degree from The University of Texas School of Law, and is an alumnus of Exeter College, Oxford University. |
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Andy Lubershane
Senior Director of Research, Energy Impact Partners
Speaking topic: Advancing Storage in Washington: Policies, Projects and Trends
Andy Lubershane is Senior Director of Research for Energy Impact Partners, a venture investment firm backed by a coalition of electric and gas utilities. At EIP, Andy spends his time learning how energy market fundamentals will shape the opportunity for new technology, and vice versa. He is responsible for gathering and synthesizing the collective insight of EIP’s utility partners with market intelligence from the emerging technology ecosystem. Prior to EIP, Andy spent five years at IHS, where he advised clients on market dynamics in the emerging wind, solar, and energy storage industries. He lives in Portland, Maine with his wife and daughter, and in his spare time he plays and designs board games. |
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Oriana Magnera
Climate and Energy Policy Coordinator, Verde
Speaking topic: Solar & Environmental Justice: Equity in Clean Energy
As Verde’s Energy and Climate and Transportation manager Oriana Magnera (she/her) visions and executes community-led, participatory policy and program development, and her past work has included deepening organizational commitments to environmental justice at the Northwest Energy Coalition. For fun, Oriana sits on the Oregon Global Warming Commission, the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission, and spends time adventuring with her three dogs. |
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Leslie Moynihan
Product Manager, Customer Connected Renewables, Puget Sound Energy
Speaking topic: Vision of the Future from Regional Utility Leaders (Moderator)
Leslie Moynihan is Puget Sound Energy's Program Manager for Customer Connected Solar. Prior to joining PSE in 2016, Leslie managed the solar programs at Snohomish County PUD and developed Community Solar at Seattle City Light. Before joining the Washington utility circuit, she worked to create and expand models of solar energy adoption from the non-profit sector, first in Boston and then at Northwest SEED (now Spark Northwest) in Seattle. She has served on the Solar Washington Board for two terms. Leslie has a BS in Environmental Studies (Policy focus) and Anthropology from Tufts University. |
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Jack Newman
Director of Clean Energy Solutions, Säzän Environmental Services
Speaking topic: Welcome Remarks; Solar & Environmental Justice: Equity in Clean Energy (Moderator)
Jack is a Certified Renewable Energy Professional with the Association of Energy Engineers, and serves as President of the Board of Directors for Solar Washington. Working as a senior sustainability consultant with Säzän Environmental Services (SES), Jack specializes in net zero energy consulting services for high performance buildings, which includes renewable energy, battery storage and microgrid project development. With a focus on energy resiliency for tribal and indigenous communities, Jack is committed to helping the industry become free of fossil fuels. He would like to help Solar Washington engage new audiences on behalf of Washington State's rapidly changing solar industry. |
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Debra Smith
General Manager and CEO, Seattle City Light
Speaking topic: Vision of the Future from Regional Utility Leaders
Debra Smith is the General Manager and CEO of Seattle City Light, one of the nation’s largest community-owned owned electric utilities. City Light serves more than 460,000 meters and 900,000 people across Seattle and parts of eight adjacent franchise cities. Previously, Debra served as Central Lincoln PUD’s General Manager from July 2013 to October 2018. She brought 17 years of experience to that role from the Eugene Water and Electric Board, where she held a variety of positions, including Assistant General Manager. Debra earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Arizona State University and is a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum of Oregon. She currently serves as chair of the Public Power Council and is on the board of the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee. |
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Tim Willink
Director, Tribal Program, GRID Alternatives
Speaking topic: Solar & Environmental Justice: Equity in Clean Energy
Tim has served as the Director of GRID Alternatives Tribal Program for five years. Tim joined GRID from Namaste Solar where he worked for six years as a Field Supervisor for commercial solar installations and is a NABCEP-certified PV Installation Professional. While at Namaste, Tim oversaw over 4 megawatts of solar PV installations through commercial and residential installs. Tim earned his B.A. in economics from Cornell University and upon graduation, worked as a lobbyist for the Navajo Nation Washington Office representing the tribe in economic development and education. In addition to working with GRID’s regional offices in California who do extensive solar PV work with Tribes on solar PV installation and workforce development, Tim has helped establish GRID’s presence with Tribes in South Dakota and the Great Plains, in the Southwest on the Navajo Nation, and in Washington State with the Spokane Tribe of Indians. These Indigenous Nations continue to face economic struggles related to energy development and clean energy access, and Tim and the Tribal Team work with Tribes towards their goals of energy sovereignty, job creation with less environmental impact. Tim has also worked to provide training and employment opportunities through GRID’s Solarcorps Program to 15 Solarcorps Fellows from Indigenous Nations throughout the United States. Tim is Navajo originally from Pueblo Pintado, New Mexico, and his goal is continue to partner with tribes on residential and commercial projects in order to bring solar to tribal communities.. |
