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© 2023 ELECTRIFICATION COALITION
Robbie Diamond is the Founder, President and CEO of Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE). In 2006, he came together with Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President, and CEO of FedEx Corporation, and General P.X. Kelley, USMC (Ret.), 28th Commandant of the Marine Corps, to form SAFE’s Energy Security Leadership Council (ESLC), a group of prominent business leaders and retired senior military officers dedicated to combating the nation’s dangerous dependence on oil. Since then, SAFE and the ESLC have been at the forefront of the energy policy debate, successfully helping to shape legislation in 2007 and shepherd a new, comprehensive energy bill through the Senate Energy Committee in 2009.
Diamond is also the President and CEO of the Electrification Coalition, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit group working to accelerate the adoption of plugin electric vehicles to improve our national and economic security. The Coalition was launched in November 2009, and as its first official act, released the Electrification Roadmap, a sweeping report outlining a vision for the deployment of a fully integrated electric drive network.
Prior to his roles with SAFE and the Electrification Coalition, Diamond served as Deputy Director of Community Outreach on Senator Joe Lieberman’s 2004 presidential campaign. Before that, Diamond was a Director at the Washington firm Fontheim International LLC, working in all practice areas of the firm. Prior to coming to Washington, he worked with senior executives at Seagram Spirits and Wine Group on special projects.
Diamond earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in Peace and Conflict Studies and Political Science, as well as a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School.
Ben Prochazka has been with the Electrification Coalition since 2013, serving as its executive director since 2021. At the EC, he founded and created one of the nation’s first deployment communities in Northern Colorado and replicated it in New York, created the nation’s first electric rental car program in Orlando, led the Smart City Challenge as the lead implementation partner with the USDOT, helped create the nation’s first EV purchasing collaborative, and served as one of the technical leads for the American Cities Climate Challenge. He has testified at the local, state, and federal levels, been quoted in major publications, and spoken at many conferences on issues related to transportation electrification. He also increased the EC’s annual budget from $1 million to $5 million and increased the staff from one person to over 30 people.
As a successful leader with a demonstrated ability to deliver mission-critical results, Ben has spent over 25 years working on environmental, human rights, and voter engagement efforts. His experience includes leadership roles as Vice President at FieldWorks, the Campaign Director for the Save Darfur Coalition, the Legislative Director for the Colorado Environmental Coalition, the Colorado State Director for the New Voters Project, and numerous public interest campaign efforts as the Western States Field Organizer for U.S.PIRG.
Prior to working at the Electrification Coalition, Ben served as Vice President at FieldWorks, a national political consulting firm. During his time at FieldWorks, he led projects for a diverse group of corporate, non-profit, academic, and political clients. This included programs with SolarCity, the Environmental Defense Action Fund, and a joint pilot with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of California at Berkeley – Haas School of Business – to test encouragement models for federally funded low income weatherization.
Before joining FieldWorks, Ben served as the lobbyist for the Colorado Environmental Coalition (CEC), a statewide group that represents over 100 environmental, public health, and religious organizations. As a lobbyist, Ben was responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of the conservation community agenda at the legislature. During his two years with the CEC, the conservation community passed over 100 “pro-conservation” bills, including several first-in-the-nation efforts.
Adept at creating strategic alliances, Ben also directed successful field and fundraising programs for national campaigns on behalf of The Genocide Prevention Project, the Human Rights Campaign, Dream for Darfur, and many other national organizations. Ben also led numerous large-scale rallies, grassroots advocacy campaigns, volunteer activities, and visibility events involving as many as 100,000 people.
Katherine Stainken is the vice president of policy at the Electrification Coalition (EC). She leads and manages the policy team at the EC, which focuses on transitioning our transportation sector to electric vehicles (EVs). In her time at the EC, she worked toward the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, wrote several in-depth reports, facilitated webinars, and grew the EC’s reach from five states to 12. Katherine also works with state agencies and the EC Business Council on various policies, including clean fuels policies, tax credits, implementation of federal policies from BIL and IRA, freedom to buy, fleet electrification, and many more.
Prior to the EC, Katherine was the policy director at Plug In America, a non-profit representing the voice of the EV consumer. She led the policy team in promoting policies that work for the EV driver at the local, city, state, and federal levels, including policies needed prior to the purchase of the vehicle and during the ownership of the vehicle. She also participated in numerous coalition efforts on behalf of EV drivers, including leading the Alliance for Transportation Electrification’s education & outreach subcommittee and policy & regulatory committee.
Before joining Plug In America, Katherine was a director of government affairs at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), focused on policies to promote solar at the federal level as well as in the Southeast and Northeast regions, along with regulatory work at the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal agencies. Katherine was also the lead staff on the Clean Power Plan and chief liaison to the SEIA’s Solar Heating & Cooling and Environment, Health & Safety groups.
Katherine is a Fulbright and ThinkSwiss Scholar, received the Women in EVs award in 2022, participated on the advisory boards for EVGridX and VERGE ’22, and is a 2014 recipient of the Emnerging Leaders in Energy and Environmental Policy Network.
Katherine received her Master’s degree from American University in Global Environmental Policy and her Bachelor’s degree in chemistry and German from Boston College. Based in Prescott, Arizona, she also volunteers weekly with her church, has been a national champion in rowing, and is mostly fluent in German.
Katie Lineweaver Robinson is the vice president of programs and operations at the Electrification Coalition. In her position, she is responsible for developing and implementing programmatic and municipal strategies to leverage electrification efforts. Katie collaborates with public, private, philanthropic, and non-profit partners to coordinate the efficient execution of electric vehicle and charging station deployment. In this role, she has supported 25 cities with deep technical support, developed transportation electrification roadmaps for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and raised millions of dollars to support EV programming.
Prior to her work at the EC, Katie served as the director of the City of Indianapolis Office of Sustainability. Among her accomplishments in this role, she led the City’s first sustainability and resilience strategic plan, Thrive Indianapolis. For this, she successfully developed an aggressive stakeholder engagement strategy focused on the hardest-to-reach populations and reached a record-breaking 265,000 people. She also led the “It’s My City” initiative, a three-year, $5 million effort to make the City of Indianapolis cleaner, greener, and more beautiful.
Katie also served as a project/business development manager at CORE Planning Strategies, which manages facility planning and capital improvement projects for various private, non-profit, healthcare, and public-sector clients. In her position, she directed strategic facility planning and stakeholder engagement processes for clients and established facility strategies to align with the organization’s goals.
She is a government relations and development expert with a proven ability to build consensus, forge strategic alliances, and influence decision-making, all while ensuring details are managed. She brings experience in economic development, government relations, sustainability and resilience, public policy, fundraising, and disaster mitigation planning. Katie thoroughly understands how cities operate and what it takes to complete projects successfully.
Katie resides in Indianapolis with her daughter. They love exploring the city and making it a better place to live, work, and play.
As the Director of Operations and Finance, Jackie works closely with the CEO and Vice President of Development to oversee the day-to-day business operations and financial health of SAFE.
Prior to joining SAFE, Ms. Burman spent more than 4 years in Cape Town, South Africa where she assisted a wide range of non-profit organizations in reaching their funding goals. During her time abroad, she also helped create a fundraising academy to provide young adults with the skills necessary to begin careers in development. She worked in both marketing and fundraising in DC before this.
Ms. Burman holds a Bachelor of Art’s Degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and Masters’ degrees in business administration and Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University.
Brianna is a Communications Associate at the Electrification Coalition. She has written for local and national publications about solutions to environmental problems, with an emphasis on the human stories behind them. Most recently, she spent a year as a reporting fellow at digital magazine Grist. In that role, she helped to shape its new Fix program, which combines storytelling, networks, and events to inspire climate action.
Noah Barnes is the communication director for the Electrification Coalition, where he ensures that accurate, timely information about transportation electrification is distributed across multiple platforms.
Prior to joining the EC, Noah was the communications director for Plug in America, where he first became passionate about electric vehicles and their economic and environmental benefits. As the organization’s first full-time communications professional, he reached millions of consumers with messaging related to EV basics, programs like National Drive Electric Week and PlugStar, and EV advocacy. With nearly 20 years of nonprofit experience, he previously held communications and fundraising roles at Grantmakers in the Arts, the Frye Art Museum, and Lifelong AIDS Alliance.
A Seattle native and graduate of the University of Washington, he now resides in the sunnier climate of Los Angeles.
Anne serves as the EC’s senior policy director. She leads the EC’s state policy engagement to support the accelerated adoption of plug-in electric vehicles while working closely with state and federal agencies to inform and implement federal and state policy. Anne also provides insightful information on the opportunities and needs at the intersection of transportation and electric utility policy at national, state, and local conferences.
In her current role, Anne has provided public testimony on utility programs, vehicle and infrastructure incentives and programs, consumer choice, and leveraging funding before state legislatures and utility commissions across the country. She has also successfully led the efforts to expand the EC’s outreach in the Southeast by securing new funding and staffing. Blair has also provided strategic leadership to begin expanding the EC’s freight program.
Prior to joining EC, Anne was the director of energy efficient transportation at the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, where she directed the organization’s work to expand transportation electrification policies and programs in the Southeast. Before SEEA, Anne worked at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) for 15 years. In her most recent role as the clean fuels director, she directed the program’s promotion of advanced transportation policies at the state and federal levels, with a focus on reducing oil consumption and air and climate impacts.
She has also previously worked at The Coca-Cola Company, The Fund for Public Interest Research, Americorps, and the River Network. She serves on multiple boards, including the EV Club of the South, Mothers and Others for Clean Air, and EarthShare of Georgia. Anne holds a bachelor’s degree from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, and a master’s degree in environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School. Anne currently resides in Avondale Estates, Georgia, with her family and spends her free time reading, enjoying the outdoors, cycling, and hiking.
Liam Condon is a Programs and Communications Associate with the Electrification Coalition. He manages the EC’s digital communications and provides support for various EC programs.
Before joining the EC, Liam worked on the National Resource Defense Council’s social media team and on the energy programs team at Bedford 2030.
Liam holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies with focuses in Political Science and Earth Science from Vassar College.
Will is a policy manager for the EC Policy Program. His work is focused on conducting research and analysis to help leaders and decision makers create ambitious policy opportunities to advance the EV market.
Before joining the Electrification Coalition, Will worked as an EV Research Analyst with Navigant Research, a market research and consulting firm. While there, he led the Commercial Transportation Electrification research suite, providing qualitative and quantitative market analysis and technical insights. Prior to his work at Navigant, Will served as a Program Manager for Smart Commute Metro North, working with local stakeholders to drive behavior changes and reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips.
Will holds a Master of Public Administration from the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from the University of Idaho.
Emma Heins is a Policy Manager for the Electrification Coalition, where she works on state advocacy in North Carolina, Wisconsin, and at the federal level. Her focus is on policy research and analysis to help policy makers create ambitious policy opportunities and strengthen the case for transportation electrification. Before joining the EC, Emma was a Science Policy Fellow for Clean Wisconsin working on EV policy research, and prior to that, she worked at a small research group conducting indoor air quality research.
Emma holds a Masters in Public Affairs and an Energy Analysis certification from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Bachelors in Environmental Studies and minors in Public Health and Political Science from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Emma is a native South Carolinian, but currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
As a Programs Manager, Brandt accelerates the implementation of EV infrastructure at the local, state, and federal levels. As federal funding becomes available to states nationwide, Brandt supports policy work that will maximize federal investments and catalyze EV infrastructure deployment.
Prior to joining the EC, Brandt was a project coordinator for Metropolitan Energy Center and the Kansas City Regional Clean Cities coalition. He led a variety of projects focused on EV and EVSE education, awareness, and development.
Brandt holds a Professional Science Masters Degree in Bioenergy and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology, both from the University of Illinois.
Brandt currently resides in Madison, WI with his wife and two kids.
Steve King is the senior manager of freight electrification and special projects for the Electrification Coalition. Steve developed the Electric Freight Consortium and has recruited over 35 industry leaders, including Nestlé, FedEx, Meijer, and Volvo, to reduce the sector’s reliance on petroleum fuels.
Prior to joining the EC, Steve’s previous work centered on workforce development, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and equity. He is the founder and former CEO of the Barack Obama Green Charter High School, New Jersey’s first charter high school focused on sustainability. He also developed and managed a Union County, N.J., workforce development program focused on conservation, climate change, and clean energy skills. King also secured a $250,000 grant for the program. As a community organizer, King worked on environmental justice issues in New York City, focusing on the health impacts of diesel emissions from bus and truck depots in Black and Brown communities. He interned at the Hong Kong Transport Department’s sustainability unit, where he worked to reduce petroleum use in passenger buses.
Steve is originally from Brooklyn, New York, and now lives in Berkeley, California. He loves to travel and has visited Egypt, Cameroon, and Benin.
Celia Kosinski is a Policy Manager for the Electrification Coalition Policy Program. Her focus is on policy research and analysis to help policy makers create ambitious policy opportunities and strengthen the case for transportation electrification.
As a Connecticut native, Celia has previously worked in the energy sector through local advocacy measures at the city and town level, along with leading educational environmental programs. Before joining the EC, Celia worked as a Program Intern at People’s Action for Clean Energy CT, providing technical analysis on electric vehicle adoption by county, and educating residents on the benefits of building electrification.
Celia holds a Master’s in Energy and Environmental Management and Geographic Information Systems from the University of Connecticut, and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont.
Alyssa Lenkel is an EV Infrastructure Associate for the Electrification Coalition. She works on accelerating EV Charging deployment through outreach and projects at the local, state, and federal levels.
After serving as an EC Programs intern in 2021, Alyssa worked for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations for drinking water, wastewater, and storage tank systems. Alyssa holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Marine Biology from Florida Southern College and is in active pursuit of a Masters degree in Environmental Engineering at the University of Florida.
Mary is a campaign organizer
for the Electrification Coalition, focusing on Florida, Georgia, and North
Carolina. She works to increase community support for the adoption of electric
vehicles and mobilize EV stakeholders.
Before Mary came to work for
the EC, she worked for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). From hosting
events such as Climate and Cupcakes, an electric golf cart rally, and a concert
powered off a solar-charged Tesla battery, Mary found ways to involve Florida
communities in local, state, and federal climate legislation.
Mary holds a bachelor’s degree
in sociology from Mary Baldwin College and a master’s degree in adult education
from Florida International University. She lives in Orlando with a fat cat who
thinks he is a Florida panther.
Will Marshall is the Program Associate of Freight Electrification for the Electrification Coalition. He supports efforts to advance the electrification of the goods movement industry and other critical EV policies and programs.
Prior to joining EC, Will was the Senior Legislative Assistant at Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid, a bipartisan lobbying firm, supporting a portfolio of clients in the energy sector. In this role, he assisted in the development and advocacy of his clients’ federal policy and regulatory priorities. Will graduated from the George Washington University with a masters in Environmental Resource Policy where his research focused on fleet electrification, specifically the electrification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. He also holds a bachelors degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Alma is a Freight Electrification Associate at the Electrification Coalition. Alma’s work is focused on supporting the Electric Freight Consortium in accelerating freight electrification at scale.
Prior to the EC, she conducted research on electric vehicles at the Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). At ITS, she assisted researchers on a variety of research projects focused on increasing consumer engagement and awareness of light-duty electric vehicles. Alma holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Management and a minor in Economics from UC Davis.
Nick is a Policy Analyst for the Electrification Coalition. His focus is on policy research and analysis to help decision makers create opportunities that reimagine our transportation system.
Prior to the EC, Nick was an Executive Policy Specialist at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. He focused on developing state policies and programs to electrify the Commonwealth, including assisting local governments, utilities, and the private sector. Much of Nick’s work involved strategic planning, technical analysis, and building partnerships to position Pennsylvania as a leader in our electrified future.
Nick holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the Pennsylvania State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Washington College.
Marie is a Campaigns Organizer for the Electrification Coalition. She mobilizes EV stakeholders and advocates in the EC’s accelerator states around various electrification campaigns and policy opportunities.
Prior to joining the EC Marie was the Organizing Manager for Drive Electric Ohio. There she oversaw 6 community-based EV advocacy groups and worked with them to conduct consumer education, encourage development of EV charging, and address local and state policy. Beyond advancing EV adoption in Ohio, Marie supported Drive Electric USA, a DOE Clean Cities Coalition partnership that established similar ‘Drive Electric’ programs in 14 states.
Sarah Reed is the director of programs at the Electrification Coalition. Sarah manages multiple innovative EV projects, including the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative program, which provides technical assistance and procurement support to government fleets. Sarah has also directed many of the EC’s key programs, including the U.S. Virgin Islands EV Roadmap, rental car and tourism efforts with the State of Colorado, private fleet programming for the Orlando Utility Commission, and engagement with cities through the American Cities Climate Challenge. Sarah‘s work overall focuses on EV adoption by local governments as well as the successful implementation of federal EV dollars. In 2020, Sarah was named one of the 30 under 30 sustainability professionals by GreenBiz.
Before the EC, Sarah was a program coordinator for the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), where she managed NARC’s largest federal grant, Fleets for the Future. Sarah also worked for the National Center for Sustainable Transportation, organizing research releases and information sharing between researchers and policymakers. She has a B.S. in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning from the University of California, Davis.
Sarah currently lives in San Luis Obispo, California, and enjoys hiking, knitting, and going to the beach with her husband and dog, Scout.
Torin Spencer is an Electric Vehicle Specialist for the Electrification Coalition. His work is focused on supporting the American Cities Climate Challenge in Orlando as well as working directly with Orlando Utilities Commission on customer electric vehicle adoption.
Torin has been in the automotive sector for the last few years. He has been a sales representative at two Orlando area auto dealerships and worked directly with the public. In years prior, he assisted with conservation projects as a zoologist with the Walt Disney Company. Torin is a native Floridian originally from Tampa. He graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science.
Rebecca Sereboff is an EV Infrastructure Associate for the Electrification Coalition. She works on building relationships and sharing expertise to accelerate electric vehicle charging deployment.
Before joining the EC, Rebecca advanced strategic priorities at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs. Rebecca holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Citizenship and Civic Engagement from Syracuse University, where she worked with university stakeholders to develop a robust and accessible campus charging network. Rebecca is a proud Balitmorean currently residing in Washington, DC.
Alyssa Siddiqui is Managing Director of Corporate Engagement at Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE). She is responsible for identifying and implementing innovative strategies to enhance SAFE’s profile, expand its donor base, and develop new opportunities for engagement and growth.
Alyssa joined SAFE after over a decade at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, most recently as the Senior Director of Corporate Relations, where she led the strategy and execution of an integrated fundraising plan to achieve an annual revenue goal of over $9 million. She managed high-level corporate recruitment of new members, expanded relationships with existing clients and key stakeholders and launched the Let’s Rebuild America infrastructure initiative. Alyssa also oversaw the U.S. Chamber’s largest signature event, The Aviation Summit, held annually in Washington, DC which attracted over 900 attendees and participants, including top CEOs and industry leaders.
Alyssa began her career at the National Park Foundation working on the capital campaign for the Flight 93 National Memorial Fund. She graduated from Colby College with a Bachelors of Science in Government. She is a member of the Advisory Council, German American Aviation Heritage Foundation.
Matt has worked in transportation, energy, and alternative fuels since 2012 at the local, state, and federal levels and serves the EC as a senior program manager. Matt worked as Electric Vehicle Specialist for the Smart Columbus program, and coordinates various electric vehicle fleet deployments and charging initiatives, while also providing insight to consumer adoption. Collectively, these efforts help Columbus achieve a Smart City status that has reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector through electrification and decarbonization.
Prior to joining the Electrification Coalition, Matt served as Project Manager at Clean Fuels Ohio, the nation’s largest U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Clean Cities Coalition. In this role, Matt helped hundreds of fleets across Ohio cut their dependency on petroleum through deployment of alternative fuel and fuel efficient technologies, helping secure over $25 million in state and federal grant funding through the process. Matt was also a lead grant writer for the City of Columbus’ Smart City Challenge Grant Application. Matt holds a Masters in Public Administration from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University with a focus in Energy Policy, and a B.A. in Communication with Public Relations Certification from the University of Cincinnati.
Matt currently serves as Vice Chair for the Energy and Air Quality Working Group at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, Founding Chair of the Young Professionals in Energy Columbus Chapter, and was recognized as “Person to Know in Energy” by Columbus Business First in 2017.
Jessica is a Program Specialist for the Electrification Coalition.
Most recently, Jessica was a Trinity Fellow at Marquette University, completing an intensive two-year program dedicated to developing urban leaders. While in Milwaukee, she served as the operations and membership coordinator for the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council, driving sustainability and equity in business operations across the state. Before that, her experience includes serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA for the City of Indianapolis. There she supported energy policy and electric vehicle adoption projects under the American Cities Climate Challenge. She is passionate about delivering a clean future for people and our planet.
Jessica holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Sustainability from Xavier University and a Master’s Degree in Public Service and Nonprofit Management from Marquette University. She resides in Indianapolis, IN, and enjoys hiking, cooking, traveling, and doing yoga in her free time.
As a campaigns organizer for the Electrification Coalition, Max engages with communities to encourage and support the adoption of electric vehicles and mobilize EV stakeholders.
Prior to joining the EC team, Max interned at the EC’s sister organization SAFE where he supported research in critical minerals, strategic materials, and semiconductors. Max also served as a legislative intern in a House of Representatives office, aiding in policy recommendations and constituent relations. Max is based in Washington, D.C. and recently completed his bachelor’s degree in international studies from American University, with concentrations in environmental sustainability, global health, and national security.
Aaron Viles is the director of campaigns at the Electrification Coalition,
where he develops and directs campaigns to advance state policy for transportation electrification in seven prioritized states. Aaron manages the Electrification Coalition’s campaigns teams and priority policy portfolios, as well as developing and maintaining governmental, corporate, and NGO relationships for the organization. Aaron has launched the Veterans for EVs program, expanded the EC’s work in the Midwest, and led federal advocacy resulting in the passage of the landmark EV policies in the Inflation Reduction Act.
Prior to joining the EC, Aaron worked with the Kentucky Democratic Party, supporting nationally-recognized congressional and gubernatorial campaigns. Aaron brings experience in environmental, energy, and online advocacy from his previous work experience.
Aaron is currently the board chair for Healthy Gulf, a Louisiana-based environmental group.
As the Technical Program Specialist, Steph Wagner performs analyses to determine the right fit for fleet electrification as well as assists in the development of tools and resources.
General Charles F. “Chuck” Wald was Deputy Commander, Headquarters United States European Command, Stuttgart, Germany. USEUCOM is responsible for all United States forces operating across 91 countries in Europe, Africa, Russia, parts of Asia and the Middle East, and most of the Atlantic Ocean. He is currently a senior fellow of the Bipartisan Policy Center.
General Wald earned his commission through the Air Force ROTC program in 1971. He has combat time as an O-2A forward air controller in Vietnam and as an F-16 pilot flying over Bosnia. The general has served as a T-37 instructor pilot and F-15 flight commander. Other duties include Chief of the United States Air Force Combat Terrorism Center, support group commander, operations group commander, and special assistant to the Chief of Staff for National Defense Review. He was also the Director of Strategic Planning and Policy at Headquarters United States Air Force, and served on the Joint Staff as the Vice Director for Strategic Plans and Policy.
General Wald commanded the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, where on Aug. 30, 1995, he led one of the wing’s initial strike packages against the ammunition depot at Pale, Bosnia-Herzegovina, in one of the first NATO combat operations. He also commanded the 9th Air Force and United States Central Command Air Forces, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., where he led the development of the Afghanistan air campaign for Operation Enduring Freedom, including the idea of embedding tactical air control parties in ground special operations forces.
Prior to retiring as a command pilot, the general logged more than 3,600 flying hours, including more than 430 combat hours over Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Iraq and Bosnia.
Today, General Wald is a director and senior advisor to the Aerospace & Defense Industry practice for Deloitte LLP. Prior to that, he was vice president, International Programs for L-3 Communications Corporation. He also served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations at the Pentagon.
Patty Monahan is serving her first term on the California Energy Commission. Commissioner Monahan was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in April 2019. She fills the Commission’s science/engineering position and is the lead commissioner on transportation.
Before joining the Energy Commission, Commissioner Monahan was the transportation program director at the Energy Foundation, where she funded campaigns across the United States to advance electric transportation and cleaner, more efficient vehicles. She held several positions with the Union of Concerned Scientists from 2001 to 2010, including director of the California office, deputy director of clean vehicles, and senior analyst. She worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, as lead for the Toxic Release Inventory Program from 1997 to 2001 and as an environmental protection specialist from 1990 to 1992. She was a research associate with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory International Studies Program from 1992 to 1994.
Commissioner Monahan received a bachelor of science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in energy analysis and policy from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Lance Bultena is Senior Counsel at Hogan Lovells where he helps clients improve business outcomes by helping them to understand the regulatory and public policy environment in order to stay ahead of developments in these areas. Bultena also assists clients with crisis management; he has represented iconic American not-for-profit and major corporations in investigations conducted by Congress or administrative agencies. Prior to joining the firm, Bultena served as counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. He gained experience in all phases of the legislative process and conducted many negotiations with the White House and Executive Agencies.
Amy Malaki is the Director of Partnerships and Policy at SkyNRG and SkyNRG Americas, pioneering global leaders in sustainable aviation fuel production and supply. Prior to SkyNRG, Amy was the Associate Director for the transportation portfolio at the ClimateWorks Foundation where she developed philanthropic investment strategies to advance a sustainable, equitable and low-carbon mobility system. She also pioneered the organization’s international aviation decarbonization strategy. Prior to that she focused on Asia business development at Better Place, a Silicon Valley electric vehicle network startup. She has a B.A. in Chinese and China studies from the University of Washington and an M.A. in international policy studies (energy and environment) from Stanford University.
Barry H. Caldwell is an accomplished executive whose career and experience traverse law, public service, trade association advocacy, the C-suite and board governance. Currently he is a principal of Wroxton Civic Ventures LLC, an advisory services concern, and is providing strategic advice, direction, and support to nonprofit organizations in energy and education. He is also President of CFV Holdings LLC, a small batch winemaking concern. Prior to Wroxton, Barry enjoyed a 16-year career at Waste Management as a member of the company’s senior leadership team serving in several leadership roles including Chief People Officer, Chief Legal Officer and senior vice president of public affairs and communications. Before WM, Barry held leadership roles in government relations for CIGNA Corporation and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Barry’s public service began as counsel, and later chief of staff to United States Senator Arlen Specter. He began his professional career practicing law in Washington, DC with Kutak Rock & Campbell. Barry is a member of the board of directors of Rubicon Technologies, Inc (NYSE: RBT), a digital marketplace for waste and recycling. He also serves as vice chair of KIPP DC Public Schools, and a member of the board for each of Washington Latin Public Charter School, The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, and CityBridge Education. Barry holds an AB from Dartmouth College and a JD from Georgetown University Law Center
