Speakers

Ashley is dedicated to meeting client needs and helping them see the big picture in their organization. Her background in industrial/organizational psychology, coupled with her common sense approach and ability to balance science and practice, prove to be crucial in her work as a consultant. Ashley brings her outside perspective to help numerous clients, including those in financial services, healthcare, non-profits and utilities.
She has experience analyzing and documenting jobs, which serve as the foundation of many key organizational functions such as hiring, training, compensating employees and managing their performance. Her experience includes work environment scans and audits as well as organizational design and selection projects. On a regular basis, Ashley conducts research and analyzes data to answer questions and examines best practices and industry trends to help clients see how their policies and practices compare.
Ashley’s education and experience in compensating and rewarding employees have helped her to focus clients on the importance of their total rewards strategies. She routinely provides clients with compensation recommendations to help them attract and retain qualified employees. Furthermore, Ashley encourages a pay for performance culture and has helped clients design pay for performance plans to motivate desired employee behaviors that lead to positive organizational outcomes. Her analytical ability, critical-thinking skills and attention to detail prove very useful in helping clients meet their needs.

Brian Murphy is Austin Energy’s Rates and Regulatory Manager, a role which supervises ratemaking activity before the city and the state regulator, and also financial forecasting as a component of the city of Austin’s annual financial planning. He has been working in the electric industry for 16 years, with extensive experience in highly contested rate proceedings in the State of Texas.

Bethany Ryers, CPA, MAS, is a Principal in the Baker Tilly Energy and Utilities Team and has been with Baker Tilly since 2006. She specializes in providing auditing, accounting, and consulting services to utilities. She counts among her clients some of the largest public power systems in the United States and she has helping them with implementing the latest GASB statements. She is involved with a number of state electric, water, and wastewater organizations and is also a member of the AICPA and several state accounting associations. Bethany is co-author of the APPA Advanced Public Utility Accounting publication and is a frequent speaker at industry events.

Robert began working at UFS in 2014, joining our team with knowledge from his bachelor’s in Business Administration with a major in Finance from Davenport University. As a Financial Analyst with UFS, Robert’s responsibilities include developing rate designs, calculating revenue requirements, long-term financial projections, and cost of service studies for electric, water, wastewater, tele- communications, and gas utilities. He is also experienced with street lighting, irrigation, power supply and distributed
generation.

Bob Nelson is the Manager of Managed and Military Accounts for CPS Energy in San Antonio, TX. He has worked with CPS Energy for 24 years, has a BS in Mechanical Engineering, is a Certified Energy Manager, and is a Project Management Professional. He has more than 35 years of experience in sales, account management, and managing account teams. CPS Energy is the nation's largest electric and gas utility, with more than 975,000 electric customers and almost 400,000 gas customers.

Brian Murphy is Austin Energy’s Rates and Regulatory Manager, a role which supervises ratemaking activity before the city and the state regulator, and also financial forecasting as a component of the city of Austin’s annual financial planning. He has been working in the electric industry for 16 years, with extensive experience in highly contested rate proceedings in the State of Texas.

Chris is a member of the Public Sector and Energy Practices at Forvis Mazars and has more than 20 years of public accounting experience providing audit and consulting services to a variety of governmental and utility entities across the United States, also helping lead the firm’s public power team

Working with utility CFOs, Controllers, board members, and leadership teams throughout his career, Chris has advised organizations on everything from financial reporting and compliance challenges to major capital projects and long-term strategic decisions. He is particularly passionate about turning complicated topics into clear, actionable solutions that finance teams can take back and implement.

In addition to his client responsibilities, Chris leads one of the firm's largest practice units, where he focuses on talent development, leadership, and building collaborative teams capable of solving challenging client issues. He believes the best solutions emerge when technical expertise, practical experience, and strong relationships come together.

When he’s not working with clients or mentoring future leaders, Chris can often be found on the water, on a trail, or at a ball field or gym supporting his kids. He believes some of life’s best lessons about leadership, resilience, and teamwork are learned far from the office.

Chris has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with concentration in Computer Science and Speech Communications. He has been a technology and management consultant for over 35 years. Chris is an employee of UFS and has also sub-consulted on a variety of technology projects for UFS since 2003.

Conrad Saltzgaber graduated from the University of Nebraska-Kearney in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a double emphasis in
Accounting and Finance.

He joined NPPD in March of 2015 as the Chief Audit & Ethics Officer and managed the Internal Audit Services and NERC Compliance departments. Mr. Saltzgaber was
promoted to Vice President on May 1, 2023. He is accountable for the overall strategic planning, change leadership, transformation, and innovation efforts at NPPD.

Conrad was appointed to LPPC’s Emerging Trends and E-Mobility Task Forces in 2023 and EPRI’s Research Advisory Committee in 2024.

Conrad has nearly two decades of experience in audit, governance, risks, and controls. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and
Certified Financial Services Auditor (CFSA). He has served as Chair of the Large Public Power Council (LPPC) Chief Audit Executives Working Group and is a member of the
Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Conrad and his wife, Ashley, live in Columbus, Nebraska, with their two sons.

Craig Brown is a director in 1898 & Co.’s Utility Finance and Rates Advisory business line with 26 years of consulting experience, including more than 20 years focused on rate and regulatory consulting for public power. He specializes in comprehensive utility financing planning, cost of service analysis, strategic rate restructuring and the design of innovative tariffs to help utilities navigate large load additions such as data centers. Craig has extensive project experience leading financial and load forecasting, capital program planning, depreciation studies and valuation consulting. He works closely with public power and electric cooperative clients to develop strategic rate roadmaps that protect existing customers while supporting modern system demands.

Dan La Haye, CPA, is a Director with Baker Tilly and has been with the firm for over 13 years, serving on the energy and utilities team, and specializes in providing auditing, accounting, and consulting services to utilities around the country.

Dan’s areas of expertise include conducting financial risk assessments and internal control evaluations; preparing financial forecasts, cash flow projections and rate studies for utilities; assisting clients with implementing new Governmental Accounting Standards Board standards; and providing recommendations for process improvements and efficiencies. Dan is also involved in number of electric, water, and wastewater organizations, and is a member of AICPA and several state accounting associations.

David Bodek is a Managing Director and Sector Leader of S&P Global Ratings' Public Power and Electric Cooperative practice. David speaks frequently at industry conferences, discusses credit opinions with utilities, their financial intermediaries, and investors, actively monitors the credit ratings of a portfolio of high-profile public power and electric cooperative utilities, provides analytical guidance to colleagues, chairs rating committees, and develops rating methodologies.
David also gained extensive experience at S&P Global Ratings performing credit analyses for investor-owned utilities, their unregulated affiliates, and energy sector project-financings.

David Rivela is a Director, Senior Counsel with CPS Energy. His work focuses primarily on supporting the People and Culture Team at CPS Energy by providing labor and employment law guidance. He also provides legal guidance in support of CPS Energy’s Administrative Committee which oversees CPS Energy’s pension and employee benefits plans. Mr. Rivela has been licensed as an attorney in the State of Texas for almost thirty years and is board certified in the field of labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Before joining CPS Energy, Mr. Rivela worked for the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) as a Senior Trial Attorney, where he litigated cases filed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”), the Equal Pay Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Before joining the EEOC, Mr. Rivela was a trial attorney with the Solicitor’s Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, where he litigated cases primarily involving wage and hour laws and laws addressing safety and health in the workplace. Mr. Rivela also has experience in aspects of immigration law, having previously worked for the U.S. Department of Justice as a judicial law clerk for the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Mr. Rivela is a San Antonio native. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and St. Mary’s University School of Law.

Deborah Beams is a supervising project manager with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) in Norwalk, Connecticut. Deborah joined the GASB staff in 2018 and had previously worked for the GASB as a practice fellow. She spent over 10 years in public accounting as an auditor, working primarily with government and not-for-profit clients.

Deborah received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Texas and is a certified public accountant in the state of Texas.

Dennis M. Pidherny is a Managing Director – Public Finance at Fitch Ratings, Ltd, and responsible for overseeing the analytical activities for the firm’s Municipal Utilities Groups including U.S. Public Power and Water & Sewer, as well as its Municipal Structured Finance and Housing Groups. In his current role he is also responsible for is also responsible for presenting and disseminating Fitch’s research to a wide variety of institutional investors, lenders and other financial intermediaries.

As a member of the U.S. Public Finance leadership team, Dennis has also held managerial responsibilities for a broader group of Fitch’s municipal sector revenue-supported analytical groups including Healthcare and Higher Education.

Prior to joining Fitch Ratings in 2010, Dennis was Managing Director at Ambac Assurance Corporation where he was principally responsible for managing the underwriting activity for the company’s U.S. based investor-owned, cooperative and wholesale municipal utility clients, as well as for many international clients.

Devin Ritter has been with Santee Cooper for ten years. In his current role as the Manager of Pricing, he oversees cost of service studies, rate development and design, and competitive intelligence. During his time in the Pricing group, Devin led the development and roll-out of residential demand rates, electric vehicle rates and Santee Cooper’s Large Load rate. He has also held roles in Financial Planning and Analysis, Debt Management, and Investor Relations.

Devin holds an MBA and a Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. He also holds a BS in Finance with a minor in Economics from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Doug leads Data Advisory at 1898 & Co., helping organizations navigate and realize value from their Artificial Intelligence implementations. His ability to seamlessly connect business objectives with technology solutions has made him a trusted partner in the utility sector, working with clients of varying scales—from small municipalities to large-scale IOU’s exceeding 1 million meters. Doug’s project approach emphasizes prioritizing impactful activities while cutting through industry noise. His core focus is helping clients successfully roll out and mature their data and AI programs. He is a technologist whose interest in technology stems from the value it creates for the people who use it.

Emily is a Principal Consultant in Wood Mackenzie’s Supply Chain Consulting practice, bringing over 10 years of experience in the energy capital project lifecycle. She currently helps Fortune 500 utility clients navigate everything from design and procurement to contracting and operations for capital projects and more. Prior to Wood Mackenzie, Emily served as the policy lead for Ampion, a distributed solar software company, where she supported regulatory compliance for clients operating in 15+ state markets.

Galen Barbose is a Staff Scientist in the Energy Markets and Planning Department at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His research and publications over the past 20+ years have focused on issues in the electricity industry related to distributed energy resources and storage, electric system planning, rate design, and electric utility regulatory policy. Among these efforts, Galen manages several ongoing market tracking initiatives, including Berkeley Lab’s U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage Data project and annual tracking of state electricity resource standards. Recent research has included analyses focusing on: trends and drivers for changes in retail electricity prices, the impacts of distributed resources on utility system costs in high load-growth scenarios, measured performance of distributed energy systems, and issues related to financing and consumer protections in the residential solar market, among other topics.

• Serves as an expert witness before regulatory bodies in utility rate proceedings, having authored, filed and defended more than 200 instances of utility regulatory testimony in 19 state jurisdictions, one municipal regulatory body and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
• Provides strategies, development, analysis and regulatory support related to rate affordability and revenue stability systems and mechanisms
• Provides development, analysis and regulatory support of utility revenue requirements, proforma test year adjustments and forecasts
• Provides statistical analysis and time series modeling for customer class sales and usage forecasting, weather normalization and longterm usage forecasting, as well as regulatory support of usage related adjustments
• Provides development, analysis and regulatory support of cost-ofservice studies and associated customer class rate design for water, wastewater, electric, gas and steam utilities
• Provides development, analysis and regulatory support for cost of equity, weighted average cost of capital and long-term debt structure for regulatory proceedings
• Provides development, analysis and regulatory support of revenue stability systems and mechanisms for utilities
• Provides development, analysis and regulatory support of infrastructure improvement plans, mechanisms and regulatory recovery for utilities
• Provides financial reporting, strategic planning and rate management strategies for utilities
• Provides development, analysis and forecasting of multi-year operating plans for utilities
• Provides fixed and capital asset management planning, budgeting and forecasting for utilities
• Provides system development and capacity fee studies for utilities
• Negotiates, designs and assists with development of purchase power and water contracts, wholesale rate development and intergovernmental supply negotiations
• Provides short and long-term production cost estimation, resource strategy and forecasts for purchased power buyers
• Provides valuation, estimation and regulatory support of utility plant assets and rate base items
• Provides counsel, analysis and development of proforma operating results for acquisitions, mergers of investor owned utilities and municipalization of privately owned utilities
• Strategic finance executive and regulatory specialist with experience as chief financial officer (CFO), chief revenue officer (CRO) and senior management across utility, manufacturing and consulting sectors. Proven leadership in finance, rates and regulatory affairs, acquisitions, accounting and data analytics, complemented by expertise in advanced systems and analytical tools
• Testified in nearly 200 regulatory proceedings on topics including customer sales/usage forecasting, structural usage decline, revenue stability mechanisms, rate affordability, infrastructure improvement, cost of service, customer class rate design, revenue requirement development, forecast and adjustments, cost of
equity, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) analysis, acquisition recognition and adjustments, financing plans and weighted cost of capital, production cost estimates, wholesale power cost forecasts and capital project pre-approval
• Recognized as a national expert witness on time-series statistical modeling of class level customer sales and usage, forecasting, weather normalization, rate stabilization and affordability mechanisms
• Developed and executed global regulatory strategies for 14 affiliated utility operating companies, helping consistently achieve earnings guidance from 2014 to 2021
• Defended customer usage reduction adjustments across more than 50 regulatory proceedings, generating an additional $175 million in revenue
• Sponsored and defended weather normalization adjustments in more than 50 proceedings, resulting in $85 million in additional revenue
• Led global COVID-19 impact analysis as part of a cross-functional project team, providing C-suite with monthly updates on economic, sales and usage, budget, rate of return (ROR) and net operating income (NOI) impact. This analysis informed financial, regulatory and operational strategy adjustments, enabling achievement of 2020-2021 business plans and growth targets

Heather serves as the Vice President of Finance and Accounting as well as the Chief Financial Officer of Kentucky Municipal Energy Agency (KYMEA). She is responsible for all accounting, finance, and treasury functions relating to KYMEA. With nearly 30 years in the public power industry, Heather has developed a unique understanding of the challenges, concerns, and values specific to municipal electric utilities.

Heather has been responsible for the accounting functions of public power utilities at both the retail and wholesale generation levels. Financial statement preparation for these entities require compliance with both FERC guidelines and GASB standards. Ms. Overby is the past Chairman of the Prairie State Energy Campus Owner Finance Committee. She has also served as Chairman of the American Public Power Association General Finance, Accounting, and Audit Committee.

Heather has been responsible for short and long term financing through the acquisition of lines of credit and bond anticipation notes. Past financing projects also include working with bond council, investment banks, and rate agencies on the issuance of over $1 billion in taxable and tax advantaged utility revenue bonds. She has developed unique financing options to achieve rate relief for public agency members and their retail customers.

As a key employee at various public agencies, she has been heavily involved in managing the transmission customer status of the agencies in the MISO, PJM, SPP, and Kentucky Utilities/L-G&E markets. She has worked closely with third party vendors in the management and optimization of the power portfolios of the agencies and has prepared numerous responses to public utility requests for proposals for wholesale power supply.

Jessica Lin is a Technical Executive for the Electrification & Sustainable Energy Strategy department of EPRI. In this role, she provides global communications and marketing leadership to the Data Center Flexible Load (DCFlex) Initiative. EPRI's work in this area aims to demonstrate how data centers can support and stabilize the electric grid while improving interconnection and efficiency.
With more than 20 years of experience spanning clean energy, product strategy, and artificial intelligence, Lin has held senior roles at Amazon, Oracle Energy and Water, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the World Bank. She served as Head of Product for Amazon Alexa's Smart Energy team, where she defined the vision for leveraging smart devices and AI to decarbonize the grid, and as Group Product Manager at Oracle Energy and Water, overseeing data science and behavioral energy efficiency products serving millions of utility customers. At the U.S. Department of Energy, she directed data science teams at national laboratories to advance Mission Innovation and to define energy affordability metrics. She also developed global frameworks to scale climate technology at the World Bank across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Lin holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT and a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Virginia Beach Community Development Corporation and as Secretary of the Board of the Virginia Beach Rotary Club.

John has over 11 years of experience in helping public entities and utilities navigate complex cash management and investment landscapes. He is a registered Municipal Advisor Principal (Series 54) and a Certified Public Fund Investment Manager. John has been with ADM for 8 years and has managed over $2 billion in public funds.

Jon-Rey Aguigui serves as the Personnel Services Administrator with the Guam Power Authority, bringing over 13 years of experience in public sector human resources. He specializes in recruitment, workforce development, and navigating complex HR policies to support organizational effectiveness. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Guam and is SHRM-CP certified. Jon-Rey serves as Vice President for the Public Sector on the SHRM Guam Chapter Board, contributing to the advancement of public sector human resources initiatives.

Julie serves as a Managing Principal and the Industry Group Leader for Baker Tilly’s Energy & Natural Resources practice, overseeing a diverse portfolio that includes the Power & Utilities, Oil & Gas, Food & Beverage and Agribusiness markets. With more than 20 years of experience providing auditing, accounting, and consulting services, she brings deep technical expertise and strategic insight to clients across the energy and utility sectors, including renewable energy organizations.

Her areas of specialization include industry analysis, advanced utility accounting, complex contracting matters, internal control evaluation, litigation support, and executive-level relationship management. Julie has contributed to standard-setting initiatives through project work with both the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, and she is a sought-after speaker on technical, operational, and industry issues affecting the broader energy landscape.

Kathy Masterson is a Senior Director at Fitch Ratings and is the Public Power Sector Head in the U.S. Public Finance Department. Kathy leads a team of ten credit analyst with responsibilities in the public power, electric cooperative and prepaid energy transaction sectors. She works as the lead analyst on a portfolio
of some of the largest public power and electric cooperative ratings and serves as a credit committee chair person.

Kathy is also responsible for providing senior analytical oversight and training to junior analysts, participation on credit committees across sectors, and presenting Fitch’s research to institutional investors, lenders and other financial intermediaries. Kathy joined Fitch in 2006 and is based in Austin,
Texas.

Kathy has a Master in Public Affairs from the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Policy at the University of Texas and a B.A. in History from the University of Arizona. She is a member of the National Federation of Municipal Analysts and the Women in Public Finance.

Kellee Christensen, P.E., is Director of Strategic Planning and Development at the Lansing Board of Water & Light. A graduate of Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, she is a licensed professional engineer with 35 years of experience in the public utility sector.

Throughout her career, Kellee has led initiatives spanning utility infrastructure, technology transformation, and energy strategy. Her experience includes distribution design across electric, water, steam, chilled water, and street lighting systems, as well as leadership in customer information systems, advanced metering infrastructure, geospatial systems, and operational technologies. In her current role, she oversees strategic planning, integrated resource and energy planning, power purchase agreements, risk management, and decarbonization efforts.

Kellee also brings a strong commitment to industry and community leadership. She serves as Board President of Michigan Clean Cities, is a NextEnergy board member, serves on the Western Michigan University Computer and Electrical Engineering Curriculum Board, and serves on the Building and Grounds Committee for Highfields.
.

Kevin is the Energy Resources Manager at Belmont Municipal Light Department, a community owned electric utility in Massachusetts. He leads the utility’s demand side management programs, evaluates power supply opportunities, and oversees Belmont’s electric vehicle charging initiatives. He recently co authored a case study and appeared on an accompanying American Public Power Association podcast focused on load research. He also earned Electric Vehicle Adoption Leadership Gold certification for Belmont Light and served as a featured speaker for a Plug In America webinar.

Before joining Belmont Light, Kevin worked as a Design Specialist at ReVision Energy, helping homeowners electrify their buildings with heat pumps, solar PV, and energy storage systems. Earlier in his career at the University of Massachusetts Boston, he supported an Environmental Protection Agency grant that partnered with Massachusetts breweries to advance conservation and sustainability practices.

Kevin holds a graduate certificate in Clean Energy and Sustainability, an MA from the University of Rochester, and a BM from Oberlin College. Prior to entering the energy sector, he taught in the Harmony Department at Berklee College of Music.

Khalil Shalabi oversees the development of LCRA’s corporate strategic plans and project management while also transforming the way LCRA harnesses the ever-changing power of technology. Khalil has more than 20 years of leadership and management experience in the industry. Before joining LCRA, Khalil served as vice president for Strategy, Technology and Markets at Austin Energy. Prior to that, he served as chief technology officer and director of Research and Development and Strategic Planning for the New York Power Authority. Khalil earned a Master of Business Administration from New York University, a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

Kirsten Wyman, SPHR, is a seasoned Human Resources professional with 28 years of industry experience. Kirsten has an extensive background in human resources, including start-up operational growth, performance management, employee relations, and organizational development. Kirsten has a proven track record of success and is a valued resource to clients who are looking to improve their leadership skills and employee engagement. Kirsten’s outgoing and collaborative communication style, as well as her innovative approach to problem-solving and employee retention, helps clients navigate the ever-changing landscape of human resources management.

Lanie joined the firm in 1996 and became one of the firm’s Managing Directors in 2007. During her tenure, Lanie has managed and completed searches for numerous President and Chief Executive Officers, Chief Operating Officers, Utility Directors and General Managers, as well as other senior executives, mid-management positions, and key utility personnel. Her clients include public power utilities and joint action agencies, rural electric cooperatives, generation & transmission cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, independent system operators, reliability organizations, transmission companies, software providers, middle-mile fiber consortiums, industry associations, consultants, and engineering firms.

Laura Chapman is the Director of Finance and Administrative Services for Kentucky’s largest public power provider. She began with Owensboro Municipal Utilities (OMU) in the Senior Financial and Budget Accountant position, before being named Manager of Planning in 2021 and Director of Finance and Accounting in 2024. Laura recently took on the responsibilities of Human Resources and Customer Service, expanding her areas of oversight.

Laura holds a Master of Business Administration from Webster University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Accounting from the University of Louisville.

Prior to joining OMU, Laura spent more than a decade in several financial roles with Louisville Gas and Electric/Kentucky Utility Services Company, where she gained extensive experience in financial planning, budgeting and long-term forecasting.

Laura believes that being a public power employee reaches well beyond the four walls of her office. For instance, she has provided her expertise to the board of the Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center Board, the Owensboro Health Board of Directors and the Owensboro Health Community Engagement and Finance Committees. She has also proudly served on the boards of Girls Inc. of Owensboro-Daviess County and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Ohio Valley.

Laura and her husband, Titus, are proud parents of Jacob, a college sophomore. In her free time, she enjoys reading, true crime binge watching and baking.

Lee Orrison is a Director with 1898 & Co., the business, technology, and security consulting arm of Burns & McDonnell. He specializes in helping utilities and infrastructure organizations understand and adopt artificial intelligence to improve decision-making and workforce effectiveness. Lee has led AI readiness initiatives, executive workshops, and strategy sessions for utility leaders across North America, including community-owned utilities, and his workshops have reached more than 1,200 participants, helping organizations move from AI curiosity to practical implementation. His work focuses on identifying high-value use cases, managing risk, and enabling teams to use AI responsibly and effectively.

Marc is a partner, based in PwC's Houston office, with more than 27 years of professional experience in tax compliance and consulting experience serving corporate clients.

He has worked extensively on capital recovery projects in the energy and utilities industries as well as energy tax credits including 45/45Y, 48/48E, 45U, 45Z.

He possesses expertise in a wide range of areas, including tax depreciation; capitalizationrequirements related to self-constructed assets;investment and production tax credits; transaction costs; repair allowances; interest capitalization; casualty loss; cost of removal; dispositions; decommissioning and decontamination liabilities; and fuel cost-over recoveries.

With more than 2 decades of experience working with utilities, developers and energy market operators planning power infrastructure development, Matt serves as Technical Director to the Renewables and Markets Advisory Business Line at 1898 & Co., part of Burns & McDonnell. This Business Line provides strategic system planning and development services for both generation and transmission infrastructure. Matt’s responsibilities include oversight of the services integrating generation and transmission planning and delivery of 1898 & Co.’s proprietary North American Wholesale Markets Reference Case.

Matt holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Iowa State University and an MBA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Kansas. Matt serves on EEI’s Transmission Executive Committee, which supports the System Planning and Operations subcommittee and was also recognized as part of Public Utilities Fortnightly’s “Fortnightly Under 40” in 2020.

Michael Champ is SMUD’s Director of Specialized Enterprise Initiatives and co-chair of SMUD’s AI Governance Council, where he helps drive the business adoption of AI and shape how the utility uses emerging technology to improve operations and deliver greater value for customers. He also serves as the business sponsor for SMUD’s SAP ECC to S/4HANA transformation. Michael has been with SMUD for 12 years and holds a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and an MBA from UC Davis.

Michele has over 25 years of human resources experience, with 15 years of experience as an Executive Human Resources Consultant. Previously as the principal consultant and owner of HR Affiliated, LLC, she has held various corporate and consulting HR roles throughout her career and is committed to helping clients improve employee engagement while also becoming an employer of choice.

Believing that employees are an organization’s most valuable asset, Michele is committed to ensuring that clients receive the tools, processes and knowledge needed to increase employee engagement in support of organizational goals. Collaborating with senior leadership to provide innovative HR client solutions to generate commitment to clients’ missions and core values, Michele is dedicated to supporting clients as they work to improve culture and employee engagement.

Michele’s collaborative and inclusive approach drives a culture of compliance, commitment and teamwork. Having worked in multiple regulated industries, Michele has led projects and supported clients in all areas of human resources particularly in the areas of employee and labor relations; leadership development; change management; and cultural alignment.

Michele has provided HR consultative support to organization leaders in industries such as biotechnology, health care, financial institutions, real estate management, IT, manufacturing and the insurance industry. She has successfully represented clients in contract negotiations, mediation and grievance activities with multiple union organizations.

Michele has also held several corporate HR leadership positions in organizations such as Philip Morris, Shell Oil, Sanofi Aventis, and WellMed Medical Group, a healthcare company that provides comprehensive health and wellness for the Medicare population.

Michele holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration from St. Joseph’s University in Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in labor relations and HR from Rutger’s University, and a Bachelor of Art’s degree from Rider University. She is a certified Senior Human Resources Professional through the Society for Human Resources Management, and is a certified trainer in DISC, Behavioral Based
Interviewing, Leadership Development and Performance Management.

Michele is based in San Antonio, TX and provides support for various clients throughout the Southern Region region to include Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.

Ms. Hixon serves as Director, Administrative Services and Communications for the Kentucky Municipal Energy Agency. In this role, she provides strategic oversight of the agency’s administrative operations, human resources, communications, board governance support, and key organizational initiatives that advance KYMEA’s mission and long-term objectives.

Ms. Hixon works closely with the Board of Directors, executive leadership, agency staff, and strategic partners to support effective governance, organizational performance, operational efficiency, and long-term strategic planning. Her responsibilities include oversight of human resources functions, board and committee administration, policy development, marketing and communications, governmental affairs coordination, project management, and member-focused initiatives. She also supports major agency priorities, including KYMEA’s Integrated Resource Planning process and the development of Energy Center I, the agency’s 75-megawatt natural gas-fired generation facility in Madisonville, Kentucky.

With more than 15 years of administrative and leadership experience across multiple industries, Ms. Hixon brings a broad and practical skill set to KYMEA, including organizational leadership, strategic communications, employee relations, governance support, executive administration, and cross-functional project implementation. She is a SHRM-certified human resources professional with demonstrated experience leading initiatives that align people, processes, and organizational goals. Ms. Hixon joined KYMEA in March 2018 and has played an integral role in supporting the agency’s continued development, operational growth, and transition from a start-up public agency to a maturing municipal energy organization. She holds a degree in Radiologic Technology from Keiser University and a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Learning from the University of Louisville, where she is currently pursuing her MBA.

Nikki Bufford is the Energy Risk Manager at Tacoma Power, where she oversees the utility’s Wholesale Energy Risk Management function. Her responsibilities include credit risk management, risk controls, governance, and procedural compliance. With more than 15 years of experience in finance and risk management, Nikki is passionate about building strong cross-functional partnerships and ensuring risk information is accessible and actionable. She works collaboratively with energy traders, finance professionals, legal counsel, and executive leadership to bridge technical and business perspectives, ensuring complex market and risk information is understood, actionable, and supports sound decision-making.

Outside of her role at Tacoma Power, Nikki is passionate about community service and civic leadership. She is an active volunteer in her community and proudly serves as Mayor of Fircrest, Washington, where she is committed to fostering collaboration, strengthening community connections, and helping shape the city's future.

Olga is a Principal at Baker Tilly with more than 25 years of audit and advisory consulting experience serving public sector organizations, including airports, seaports, municipal utilities (electric, water, and wastewater), and transit agencies. She leads consulting projects, attestation engagements, and financial and compliance audits conducted in accordance with Government Auditing Standards and the Single Audit Act. Recognized for her technical expertise, Olga helps organizations implement complex accounting standards, strengthen internal controls, and address operational and regulatory challenges. A frequent speaker at national conferences and industry trainings, she presents on accounting, governance, GASB standards, ESG reporting, and operational best practices. Olga is an active member of the Accounting & Finance Working Group for Airports Council International–North America (ACI-NA), a member and former chair of the Governmental Accounting and Auditing Committee of the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants, and a Special Technical Reviewer for the Government Finance Officers Association.

As Energy Southeast’s Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Peter Thompson performs all budgeting and forecast administration related to Energy Southeast’s current and future power supply contracts. He leads administrative and technical support for the authority and negotiates future power supply agreements. He analyzes fuel costs and implements fuel risk mitigation strategies; performs feasibility studies on renewable power projects; and supports Members on rate analysis and structuring. He also manages Energy Southeast’s wholesale power prepayment initiatives.

Mr. Thompson joined Energy Southeast in 2016 after working for Southern Company in Financial and Contract Services. At Southern Company, he was responsible for wholesale bulk power contract administration including Energy Southeast’s Power Supply agreement with Alabama Power.

Prior to his employment with Southern Company, Mr. Thompson worked for Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, MS, overseeing construction on multiple U.S. Navy contracts. He worked as a lead engineer in the Program Offices, providing direct support to LPD and DDG Ship Program Managers. In addition, he led the development of a construction planning and scheduling system overhaul to ensure the company remained compliant with government contract management practices.

Mr. Thompson is a past member of the American Public Power Association’s Planning and Engineering Conference Planning Committee, serving for two years as the chairman of the Generation and Fuels section. He is also a member of the Transmission Access Policy Study Group and a member of the Southeastern Federal Power Customers Inc. Board of Directors

Mr. Thompson holds a B.S. degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Auburn University and has completed Auburn University’s Executive MBA program.

He is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Montgomery, and serves as a deacon at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Montgomery.

He and his wife, Haley, have four children, Pete Jr., Allie, Jones, and William.

Scott McNea brings over 19 years of experience in commercial property insurance and risk management, with deep specialization in power generation and public utility infrastructure. He has managed complex, high-value portfolios across public and private power generation entities, water and sewer utilities, and industrial operations, helping clients navigate risk, optimize insurance structures, and protect critical assets.

Before joining Alliant, Scott spent over 16 years at FM Global in engineering, underwriting, account management, training, and client advisory roles. His technical background includes work with high-hazard boiler and machinery operations, fire protection, natural hazard exposures, outage management, contingency planning, and operational emergency response across coal, natural gas, and oil-fired generation, hydroelectric, renewable generation, solar, wind, and battery energy storage facilities.

Scott’s combined engineering and underwriting experience gives him a practical understanding of how insurers evaluate utility risk, deploy engineering resources, assess natural catastrophe exposures, and structure coverage for complex infrastructure accounts. He has also supported operator training and scenario-based planning initiatives designed to help facilities prepare for high-impact, low-frequency events.

In 2023, Scott joined Alliant Insurance Services, where he leads the Public Power and Water Utilities practice. He leverages his technical and underwriting background to design, negotiate, and place sophisticated insurance programs, while helping clients strengthen resilience through data-driven risk management and strategic market engagement.

Scott holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas at San Antonio. He is licensed in Property & Casualty insurance in all 50 states and is National Board Certified as a Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspector, with commissions in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. He is also an Eagle Scout, a distinction he has held since 1998, and a dedicated husband and father of two.

Stan leads Daymark’s Rates & Pricing, and Procurements & Portfolios practice areas. He advises clients on matters regarding power supply planning, energy procurement and portfolio management, regulated cost recovery, and rates and pricing. He is the primary advisor to clients with power supply portfolios totaling over 300 MW and over $250 million in annual spend, and he has procured or overseen well in excess of $1 billion in energy transactions and commerce over his 36-year consulting career. Stan has testified before multiple state and provincial regulatory agencies on issues including energy procurement, integrated resource planning, cost of service and rate design, general rate case applications, power project siting and regulatory approvals, and federal and state policies ranging from PURPA, to net metering and grid modernization.

Chris is a member of the Public Sector and Energy Practices at Forvis Mazars and has more than 20 years of public accounting experience providing audit and consulting services to a variety of governmental and utility entities across the United States, also helping lead the firm’s public power team

Working with utility CFOs, Controllers, board members, and leadership teams throughout his career, Chris has advised organizations on everything from financial reporting and compliance challenges to major capital projects and long-term strategic decisions. He is particularly passionate about turning complicated topics into clear, actionable solutions that finance teams can take back and implement.

In addition to his client responsibilities, Chris leads one of the firm's largest practice units, where he focuses on talent development, leadership, and building collaborative teams capable of solving challenging client issues. He believes the best solutions emerge when technical expertise, practical experience, and strong relationships come together.

When he’s not working with clients or mentoring future leaders, Chris can often be found on the water, on a trail, or at a ball field or gym supporting his kids. He believes some of life’s best lessons about leadership, resilience, and teamwork are learned far from the office.

Sylvia Zamarripa is a strategic leader focused on developing people, strengthening organizations, and guiding teams through change. With experience across finance, supply chain, leadership development, and organizational development, she aligns people, processes, and strategy to drive results.

She currently serves as Interim Director of Strategic Workforce Development and Readiness at CPS Energy, leading enterprise efforts in Organizational Change Management, Organizational Development, and Systems & Compliance Training. Her work centers on building workforce capability and preparing teams to succeed in a rapidly evolving industry.

Sylvia holds an MBA from Texas A&M University–San Antonio and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Business Administration, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). She is passionate about continuous improvement and fostering environments where people and organizations thrive.

Ms. Tammie Krumm is vice president of human resources and administration for Missouri River Energy Services (MRES). She joined the organization in 2017. Tammie is responsible for the overall administration, coordination, and evaluation of human resources, safety, and records management functions, policies and programs, as well as oversight of buildings and grounds.

She has more than 24 years of experience in human resources and risk management including compensation and benefits design and administration, workforce development and retention, conflict resolution, career management and development, safety and risk management, and labor relations and policy administration in both union and non-union settings.

Tammie is a current member of the American Public Power Associate (APPA), APPA Safety Committee, the Sioux Empire Human Resource Association, the Center of Energy Workforce Development, and the Society of Human Resource Management.

Tammie earned her bachelor’s degree in agricultural business from South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D.

Ted is a managing director, based in PwC’s Denver office, with more than 16 years of professional experience in energy tax credits, tax compliance, and specializes in the utility industry. 

He has worked extensively on energy tax credits, including 45/45Y, 48/48E, 45U, 45Z as well as capital recovery projects in the energy and utilities industries.

He helps companies across the nation with investment tax credits, production tax credits, reviewing and analyzing tax accounting methods, bonus depreciation eligibility, cost segregations, tangible property regulations, capital assets, and leases.

He has helped clients with tax provision preparation and review under ASC 740, federal tax compliance, and IRS exam defense, in addition to his federal tax planning experience.

Troy Adams is the Chief Executive Officer & General Manager of Manitowoc Public Utilities (MPU) in Wisconsin. He serves on the board of directors for both the American Public Power Association and the Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin association. Additionally, Troy serves as the President & Chief Executive Officer for Horizon Blends Pellets LLC, an engineer solid fuel subsidiary of MPU. Troy is a licensed professional engineer who had graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has two decades of experience in public power.

Troy Torres is the Senior Manager of Enterprise Risk Management at the New York Power Authority, where he leads enterprise, operational, and project risk activities for NYPA and the New York State Canal Corporation. His work spans enterprise risk assessments, development of risk appetite frameworks, enterprise risk reporting, and the enhancement of analytics and dashboards used across the organization. He also manages risk governance activities, stakeholder engagement, and cross department collaboration supporting NYPA’s strategic and operational decision making.

Troy also leads major risk education and capability building efforts, including NYPA’s Risk Liaison Program and risk management training across the enterprise. Troy participates in multiple utility and risk committees and contributes to the public power community through his role as the Chair of the APPA B&F Risk and Insurance Track.