The governing board is made up of members who represent commercial, utility and consumer advocacy organizations along with SECC’s legal counsel and president. Started in 2010, SECC’s Board has staggered terms, with approximately half the directors elected each year to a two-year term.
Laura Basili
Manager, Marketing & Customer Education, ComEd
Laura Basili is ComEd’s Manager of Marketing & Customer Education. In this role, Basili leads the marketing strategies and customer-engagement programs that support smart meter, smart grid and associated energy-management tools and programs for the organization’s 3.8 million residential and business customers. As ComEd nears completion of installing more than 4 million smart meters across the areas it serves, her efforts have instrumental in ensuring ComEd customers are aware of smart grid benefits. Basili also manages marketing strategies that increase education and awareness of ComEd’s newly developed solar campaign, initiatives created through Illinois’ Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) and utility of the future marketing initiatives. Prior to joining ComEd, Basili held marketing leadership roles with LaSalle Bank and real estate investment firm Tanguay-Burke-Stratton. Basili’s strong business acumen, combined with her expertise in the development, delivery and management of integrated marketing programs, have helped organizations launch successful client solutions and increase customer satisfaction scores. Basili received a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Northwestern University and lives near Chicago.
Jim Brennan
Finance Director, New Hampshire Office of Consumer Advocate
Jim is the Finance Director for the New Hampshire Office of the Consumer Advocate where he performs economic, financial and data systems analysis of utility fillings across all industries, drafts discovery, provides expert testimony (oral and written), and provides guidance on financial policy and regulatory issues. Jim has expertise in finance, technology, smart grid and utility analysis. Jim received his MBA (Finance) from Syracuse University. Jim was First Vice President for Chemical Bank/ JP Morgan Chase where he managed credit departments, managed commercial account relationships, and designed and instructed the MBA Risk Assessment Training program. Jim was Vice President of Waterhouse Securities where he managed the third largest brokerage statement operation on Wall Street which was awarded #1 ranking by Smart Money Magazine during his tenure. Jim designed IT applications in C#, cloud based customer relationship management applications in Microsoft Dynamics, database systems in SQL Server and Oracle, while working as Senior Systems Analyst, Project Manager at organizations including Mathematica Policy Research, U.S. Department Labor, Southern New Hampshire University, and the State of New Hampshire. Jim is married, lives in Concord New Hampshire and enjoys outdoor activities and travel.
Mark Brown
Senior Customer Programs Officer, Fayetteville Public Works Commission
Mark Brown is Senior Customer Programs Officer at Fayetteville Public Works Commission (FPWC) in Fayetteville, NC. Mark joined FPWC in January 2013. Mark’s responsibilities include Marketing, Conservation and Meter Services. Mark’s team is responsible for developing the programs, services and tools necessary for FPWC’s customer to take advantage of FPWC’s Smart Grid Initiatives. Prior to joining FPWC, Mark worked at DTE Energy for 23 years in progressively more responsible roles in engineering, marketing and management. Mark has a BSEE degree from Bucknell University and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Michigan –Ann Arbor. Mark currently serves on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Cumberland County and the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
Victoria Busch
Customer Engagement Manager, Ameren Illinois
Victoria Busch is strategic marketing communications professional with more than 20 years of experience. She is currently the communications lead for a five-year project within the energy industry as it relates to smarter technology that can help customers better manage energy usage and costs. She was honored for her leadership in Diversity and communications earning both the 2015 Diversity Award and the 2016 President’s Award and is part of several project teams that involves customer engagement. As a marketing communications professional, she is strong in branding, media relations and customer education. Her diverse background exemplifies professional versatility. Victoria is skilled in managing accounts and developing communication strategies. She is a strong believer in using research to guide marketing decisions. Her background consists of sales, public relations, media relations, customer educations and project management. She has served as a key spokesperson for a regional energy company. Over the years she has worked in mortgage banking, professional hair product sales, fundraising and development as well as employment advertising. With her entrepreneurial spirit, she has a cosmetics business and is the mother of two young adults. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Fontbonne University with a focus in Marketing.
Rob Caiello
VP Marketing and Customer Experience, Allconnect
Rob leads the teams responsible for Allconnect’s business-to-business marketing and communication strategies, email marketing and customer experience and quality oversight. He also oversees customer satisfaction research and measurement, including benchmarking Allconnect’s customer experience with national brands using the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Prior to Allconnect, Rob focused on direct-to-consumer marketing through senior-level marketing roles with DIRECTV and Home Shopping Network. He began his career in the utility industry with Niagara Mohawk Power Company (now National Grid), where he worked for eight years in demand side planning, energy efficiency programs and at a deregulated spin-off. He received his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology, followed by a Master of Business Administration in Marketing and Quantitative Methods from Syracuse University.
Liz Coyle
Executive Director, Georgia Watch
Liz Coyle joined the team at Georgia Watch in February 2012. Founded in 2002, Georgia Watch is the State’s leading nonprofit consumer advocacy organization working to ensure that Georgians are informed and protected on matters that impact their quality of life. Georgia Watch advocates for policies that open doors to the financial mainstream, increase financial security, improve access to affordable healthcare and lower consumers’ energy burden. As Executive Director, Liz manages the organization’s operations and staff and oversees all Georgia Watch programs in the areas of Healthcare Access, Consumer Energy, Civil Justice and Financial Protection. In addition to her role with Georgia Watch, Liz recently accepted an appointment to the Consumer Advisory Board of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Liz also is vice chair of the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative board of directors and is board chairman of the Historic Fourth Ward Park Conservancy and the BeltLine Network, an alliance of organizations working to support the BeltLine vision. Additionally, Liz was the citizen representative on the board of directors of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. from September 2006 to August 2009. Liz has more than 25 years of experience as a non-profit manager, communications professional and grassroots advocate. She received a B.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of Virginia.
Patty Durand
President & CEO, Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative
Patty is the President & CEO for the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative; a consumer focused non-profit aiming to promote the understanding and benefits of modernized electrical systems among all stakeholders in the United States. Patty’s prior experience includes working on smart grid research at Georgia Institute of Technology where she helped prepare and submit smart grid grant proposals to ARPA-E and DOE. Prior to Georgia Tech Patty was the State Director for the Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club, Georgia’s largest grassroots environmental organization. Patty’s work there focused on programs addressing climate change and promoting sustainable energy policy. Patty has an IT background and worked on B2B projects with Hewlett Packard and Compaq Computers and currently serves on the board of the Smart Energy Society for the Technology Association of Georgia. Patty has an MBA from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg Virginia and a B.S. in Business from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond Virginia.
Brad Langley
Senior Director, Community and Demand Marketing at Uplight
Brad Langley is the Senior Director of Community and Demand Marketing at Uplight. He has more than 15 years of experience increasing awareness and driving demand for some of the world’s most recognized technology brands. In his role at Uplight, Brad leads the company’s marketing department, including thought leadership, demand creation, digital, brand communications and public relations. Prior to joining Uplight, Brad spent six years at Blanc & Otus, ultimately becoming the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the San Francisco office. There he led a team of 20 communications professionals tasked with meeting the diverse needs of a range of technology clients. Brad has strong experience in enterprise software, energy and semiconductor markets, having worked with both global brands and start-ups. This includes his current role at Tendril, as well as his work on the agency side with leading companies like Analog Devices, CA Technologies, Cisco, Comverge, NEC Electronics, Oracle and QUALCOMM. Brad has a B.A. in English from Santa Clara University.
Michel Losier
Executive Director, Customer Energy Solutions, New Brunswick Power
Michel is the Executive Director, Customer Energy Solutions for New Brunswick Power. He currently leads the portfolio and the delivery of Energy Efficiency programs for the Province of New Brunswick within New Brunswick Power. Michel has a broad level of exposure to the utility industry and is focused on the utility sector transformation with a keen focus on the evolving energy consumer values and experience. He has been actively engaged and is a frequent public speaker at energy conferences across North America focused on a customer centric approach to transformation. He’s presented at Grid Edge as NB Power received an award as a GTM Top 20 Disruptor in the utility industry in 2015. He has extensive experience in customer service, community relations, public speaking and media relations. Recently, Michel was the Program Director of the award winning “PowerShift Atlantic” project; focused on collaborative and innovative solutions, engaging customers and leveraging new smart grid – energy storage technologies to better integrate renewables such as intermittent wind in the Maritime Provinces. This was a new experience for customers as they played an active role in renewable integration. NB Power and the project received a number of awards including the Smart Grid Canada “2015 Innovation Award” for Canadian Utilities. New Brunswick Power is focused on a comprehensive utility transformation strategy working with Siemens on modernizing the grid and offering “value added” solutions for customers. Michel is a graduate from the University of New Brunswick in Mechanical Engineering and a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick. Michel is married and has two young adults completing university. He is an avid runner and loves the outdoors.
John D. McDonald, P.E.
Smart Grid Business Development Leader, GE Grid Solutions
John D. McDonald, P.E., is the Smart Grid Business Development Leader for GE Grid Solutions. John has 45 years of experience in the electric utility transmission and distribution industry. John received his B.S.E.E. and M.S.E.E. (Power Engineering) degrees from Purdue University, and an M.B.A. (Finance) degree from the University of California-Berkeley. John is a Life Fellow of IEEE, and was awarded the IEEE Millennium Medal in 2000, the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) Excellence in Power Distribution Engineering Award in 2002, the IEEE PES Substations Committee Distinguished Service Award in 2003, and the IEEE PES Meritorious Service Award in 2015. John is Past President of the IEEE PES, the VP for Technical Activities for the US National Committee (USNC) of CIGRE, the Past Chair of the IEEE PES Substations Committee, and is the SECC Finance Committee Chair and on the SECC Board. John was the IEEE Division VII Director and on the IEEE Board of Directors. John was on the Board of Governors of the IEEE-SA (Standards Association), focusing on long term IEEE Smart Grid standards strategy. John was elected to Chair the NIST Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) Governing Board, coordinating Smart Grid standards development for the United States. John is a member of the Advisory Committee for the annual DistribuTECH Conference, Vice Chair of the Texas A&M University Smart Grid Center Advisory Board, on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the GridWise Alliance and Finance Chair, on the NIST Smart Grid Advisory Committee and Chair of its Technical Subcommittee, a member of the Purdue University Strategic Research Advisory Council, and received the 2009 Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineer Award from Purdue University. John teaches a Smart Grid course at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Smart Grid course for GE, and substation automation, distribution SCADA and communications courses for various IEEE PES local chapters as an IEEE PES Distinguished Lecturer. John has published over one hundred papers and articles in the areas of SCADA, SCADA/EMS, SCADA/DMS and communications, has co-authored five books and has one US Patent (9,853,448) on Systems and Methods for Coordinating Electrical Network Optimization (December 26, 2017).
Kristin Munsch
Deputy Director, Illinois Citizens Utility Board
Kristin Munsch is the Deputy Director for the Illinois Citizens Utility Board, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group that represents the interests of residential and small-business utility customers through outreach, education, and policy advocacy. Her work focuses on regulatory policy, rate design, utility data access and challenges in designing a “utility of the future” for customer benefit. Ms. Munsch is currently a member of the Illinois Smart Grid Advisory Council, the Board of Directors for the Energy Foundry, the Member Representatives Committee for the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, and the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. She currently serves as President of the Board for the Consumer Advocates of PJM States. Prior to joining CUB, she was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Illinois in the Public Utilities Bureau. Before entering law school, Ms. Munsch primarily focused on program design and implementation of federal workforce development and public assistance programs for the City of Chicago and State of Illinois. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and the Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Gomathi Sadhasivan
Lead – Customer Decision Sciences, DNV GL
Gomathi Sadhasivan has two decades of consulting experience with skills in market research and advanced analytics. As Lead – Customer Decision Sciences in DNV GL’s Policy Advisory and Research practice, her recent work has included examining customer engagement in the context of the smart grid business case, evaluation of utility behavior programs, and designing research for increased insight into commercial and industrial energy customers.
Mike H. Shanlever
Partner, Alston & Bird
With more than a decade of experience focused on the construction of energy, manufacturing and commercial projects, Mike has the experience to guide owners and contractors through complex transactions and disputes. He is known for his work on power projects inside and outside the U.S. Mike Shanlever advises owners, general contractors, and subcontractors as issues arise throughout the project life cyle. Mike routinely appears in state and federal courts throughout the country, as well as alternative dispute resolution processes, including mediations, arbitration proceedings, and settlement negotiations. Mike is ranked as a Georgia construction lawyer in Chambers USA 2018-2019.
Vicki Trees
VP Segment Marketing, Landis+Gyr
Vicki Trees serves as the Vice President Segment Marketing for Landis+Gyr Americas. In this role she is responsible for bringing industry and customer perspectives into the development of Landis+Gyr market strategies. She works directly with utilities, trade associations, analysts, consultants and other industry influencers to better understand the needs of the marketplace and identify ways the products and services offered by Landis+Gyr best meet industry needs. She is an advocate for the advancement of smart utilities and cities, the digitalization and smartening of the grid, the empowerment of the energy consumer, and is continually seeking ways help the world manage resources better. An industry veteran, Ms. Trees has worked in the electric utility space for nearly twenty years. She has held leadership roles in product management and marketing, as well as roles in research, project management and business process consulting. Prior to this, Ms. Trees served as general manager for a cable television distribution company and held positions in marketing, customer service and general management within the telecommunications industry. Ms. Trees is active participant in numerous industry associations and serves on several boards and committees, including: SEPA, AEE, Clarion Women in Energy Council, Wi-SUN Alliance, DistribuTECH program committee, TechAdvantage program committee, NARUC, EEI, APPA and NRECA. Ms. Trees assists with facilitating industry dialogue at several major events including roles as both moderator and speaker. Over the past twelve months, she has offered content at the following events: Association of Large Distribution Cooperatives, TechAdvantage, SEPA Utility Conference, NARUC, EUCI Women in Energy Leadership Conference, and several Landis+Gyr sponsored events. Ms. Trees earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Minnesota. She and her husband reside in central Minnesota with their two children.
Meghan Weinman
Product Development Manager, Puget Sound Energy
Meghan Weinman is a Product Development Manager at Puget Sound Energy (PSE) in Bellevue, WA. Meghan is responsible for product and services development primarily focused on transportation electrification. Her role at PSE includes developing product roadmaps and managing design teams for customer-facing launches. She has led various customer research studies that have informed market sizing, customer segments, and go-to-market strategies. Prior to joining PSE, Meghan managed domestic and international programs focused around climate, environment, and natural resources. Meghan holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, a MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Texas, and a BS in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Paul Wezner
Director of Product Management, Powerley
Paul has helped Powerley successfully bridge the smart grid to the smart by defining and executing the company’s product vision. Since joining Powerley as the first employee, Paul has driven the overall product roadmap – leveraging market intelligence and customer insight to create an entirely new product category in the market. Paul has over a decade of experience in the digital realm, with work spanning research, strategy, analytics and development, including nearly five years in the energy industry. Prior to joining Powerley, Paul led market intelligence for Organic, Inc., a digital experience consultancy. There, he drove the positioning and performance of Organic’s work for its clients across the hospitality, CPG and automotive verticals. Paul holds a BA in Economics and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
Lincoln Wood
Electric Transportation Policy Manager, Southern Company
Based in Atlanta, Lincoln Wood is Southern Company’s Manager of Electric Transportation Policy. Since 2006, Lincoln has worked in complimentary areas of marketing including marketing research and statistical analysis, product development, policy development, and innovation. Some of his accomplishments include the planning, development, and rollout of an energy data usage presentment tool to over 3.5 million customers in Southern Company’s territory, and playing a leadership role in DOE’s national energy usage data privacy project, DataGuard. Currently, Lincoln works to further electric transportation technology and infrastructure penetration, both nationally and across the Southern Company footprint. Lincoln holds Bachelors’ Degrees in Economics and Sociology from the University of Georgia, is a Certified Energy Manager, and a lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Delta Honor Society. Lincoln also serves as chair of the Board of Directors for the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
