SECC’s Best Practices Awards recognize leadership from electricity providers in the shift to a more consumer-focused energy ecosystem. They focus on real examples of engagement and education success and provide a blueprint for other providers to follow. By focusing on applicable insights, thought leadership and innovation, it is our hope that these awards spark real change within the utility industry.
The 2026 Best Practices Awards Advisory Panel includes:
Account Executive, Arizona Public Service Company
Bruce Brazis is an Account Executive at Arizona Public Service Company. Bruce is an engineer with 30+ years of professional and entrepreneurial experience in positions of program management and solution delivery. He has current knowledge and experience in energy efficient technologies, demand response (both residential and commercial) and other distributed energy resources (DERs). He earned his bachelor’s degree in general engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Business Development and Product Marketing, 257
Seth Cousins leads 257’s business development and product marketing functions. He has over 25 years of experience across software engineering, product management, and enterprise SaaS solution delivery including 12 years building and delivering solutions to the utility industry. He was formerly Senior Director of Delivery of Opower solutions at Oracle and Vice President of Product at EnergyHub. Seth holds a BA in Mathematics from Wesleyan University.
Director, Syndicated Research – Energy Industry, Escalent
Suzanne is a director of syndicated energy research for Cogent Syndicated. In this role, she translates consumer data analysis from the Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™ studies into actionable insights and recommendations for clients. Suzanne is an experienced researcher, writer and customer experience strategist who has been tracking trends and identifying best practices in the utility industry for 12 years. Before joining Escalent, she was director of customer engagement and insights at Chartwell, where she led a team of analysts in the development and delivery of utility research to address pressing industry needs. Suzanne holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a bachelor's degree in journalism and history from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Senior Analyst, Smart Home Research, Parks Associates
Daniel is a market research industry veteran with 13 years of experience across multiple research types, such as shopper insights, brand equity and brand health tracking, and customer experience. Daniel has also conducted research across multiple sectors, such as consumer packaged goods, consumer electronics, specialty retail, transportation, travel and hospitality. Daniel has a BA in Sociology from the University of Texas at Arlington, with specializations in Research and Evaluation, Diversity, and Family and Gender Studies.
Vice President of Business Development, DNV Energy Systems
Brady McNall has spent more than a decade in the energy sector as both a program implementer and a customer representative. He leads a national team of energy experts focused on designing and implementing cutting-edge DSM programs at DNV. Before joining DNV, he worked for a municipality in Idaho. He worked on multiple sustainability-related projects: energy efficiency upgrades, recycling, stormwater planning, etc. Outside of work, Brady enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, enjoying the outdoors as much as possible.
CEO, 4Liberty, Inc.
Sharelynn is 4Liberty's CEO, responsible for leading the organization into strategic growth, ensuring operational excellence and performance, and, most importantly, supporting a dynamic team of industry experts in their commitment to delivering program outcomes with customer success. An activator, instigator and proven leader, Sharelynn thrives on solving complex problems and bringing new ideas to life. She's spent her career leading change in the energy and utility industry to improve the delivery of affordable, clean, and resilient energy. She spent nearly two decades at Itron, advancing smart grid, smart city, and advanced metering initiatives worldwide as the head of the largest business unit. After Itron, she led Bloom Energy's global growth strategy as executive vice president. She started her career at Avista Utilities, managing residential customer programs.
Supervisor, Program Development, ElectriCities of NC
Nikki oversees the development of data-driven strategies, programs, and services throughout their lifecycle at ElectriCities of NC. This includes evaluating customer feedback and trends, setting program pricing and revenue goals, advising senior executives, and building strong internal and external relationships with clients and vendors. Outside of work, Nikki enjoys spending time with family, travel and watching sports including tennis, football and hockey.
Director of Product Management and Partnerships, Energy Transition Solutions, Vistra Corp.
John Smith is the Director of Product Management and Partnerships, Energy Transition Solutions at Vistra Corp., a leading electricity generator and competitive retailer serving over five million customers in 18 states through leading retail energy brands that include TXU Energy, Ambit Energy, TriEagle Energy and Dynegy. John is responsible for managing products, programs and partnerships that help customers participate in the Clean Energy Transition. These include green / clean retail rate plans and add-ons, distributed generation products including rooftop solar and batteries, net metering plans, smart thermostats and demand response. Prior to this John served as VP sales & marketing for Crius Energy and TriEagle Energy. John has been in the retail energy industry since 2016 after spending the previous 15+ years in the telecom industry in sales management and business development roles.
Director of Rate Marketing, ICF
Leigh Winterbottom is the Director of Rate Marketing at ICF. She is an integrated marketing expert with 6 years’ experience managing and marketing innovative rates and 15+ years of experience evaluating, directing, and implementing integrated energy efficiency marketing campaigns. She possesses an extensive knowledge of the energy and utility industry, its challenges, goals, and key players. She has presented at numerous industry conferences, including Peak Load Management Association, CS Week, Association of Energy Service Professionals, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Summer Study, and Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative
