Speakers

Molly Cripps, Director, Tennessee Office of Energy Programs
Molly oversees the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s (TDEC) Office of Energy
Programs (OEP), which is comprised of two sections: the Governor-designated State Energy Office (SEO)
and the State Facility Utility Management Section (SFUM).  OEP promotes the efficient, effective use of
energy to enhance the environmental and economic health of the state.  Efforts and activities include education, outreach, technical assistance, and/or funding and financing opportunities that focus on energy efficiency and conservation, renewable energy, utility data management, energy security planning and preparedness, sustainable transportation, and alternative fuels.

Molly is the Administrative Lead for Tennessee’s Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust (VW Settlement EMT) allocation and a member of the Executive Committee for the Drive Electric TN Consortium.  She serves as Governor Lee’s designee to the State Energy Policy Council and represents TDEC on the Energy Efficient Schools Council and various TVA information exchanges and working groups.  She has served on the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) Board of Directors since 2014 and is currently serving as the Treasurer of the Executive Committee.

In addition to Molly’s energy-related work, she serves as the Director of Operations for the Bureau of Environment, including emergency response efforts.  Prior to joining the State in 2010, Molly spent several years practicing law in Tennessee, with a focus on compliance and municipal liability defense.  She holds a B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of Tennessee and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Mandy Faulk, Director, CLEAResult
Mandy Faulk is a Program Director at CLEAResult with more than 13 years of experience in energy efficiency.  As Director, she is responsible for the strategic direction and oversight of Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) residential energy service programs and renewable energy programs, including TVA EnergyRight Residential Services, Home Uplift Program, and Green Connect.  Mandy oversees the program management, financial responsibility and execution of all TVA contracts to meet client and company objectives.

Mandy is a United States Air Force veteran who holds a Master of Business Administration from Auburn University and a Bachelor of Finance degree from the University of Georgia.

Michael Forrester, Principal Deputy Director, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP)
Michael Forrester is the Acting Principal Deputy Director of the US Department of Energy’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs.  This office works with a wide range of government, community, business and other stakeholders to significantly accelerate the deployment of clean energy infrastructure and technologies; catalyze local economic development and create jobs; reduce energy costs on households and businesses; and avoid pollution through place-based strategies. Michael is the former Director for Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability (OES).

While at Cincinnati, Michael lead the installation of, what at the time was, the municipally lead solar array in the country (100 megawatts).  Michael also led installation of energy efficiency and renewable installations on city facilities, city efforts on vehicle electrification, and focused on climate equity with both the low-income energy efficiency program, Warm-up Cincy, and the neighborhood climate planning program Climate Safe Neighborhoods.  Before coming to Cincinnati, Michael worked for the Ohio Development Service Agency in the State Energy Office administering programs for the installation of wind, solar, and anaerobic digesters throughout Ohio.  Michael has a master’s degree from Indiana University and an undergraduate from Miami University.

Samantha Hart, Director of Development and Innovation, Milepost
As Milepost's Director of Development and Innovation, Samantha brings her passion for teamwork and problem solving to the forefront of client engagement and strategic innovation. From her wealth of diverse experiences with small businesses, education, the non-profit sector, and in the concrete industry, Samantha understands the unique challenges of growing an idea into an initiative with real-world impact. With an undergraduate degree in Concrete Industry Management and a Master of Science in Sustainability, she operates as a residential systems expert. Her superpower is the ability to create meaningful connections with clients and empathize with the needs of others. Samantha prides herself on her can-do

attitude and appetite to learn about the world around her. Believing balance is the key to life, Samantha spends as much time as she can with her family, laughing too loud, and being pulled by life’s little pleasures.

Cindy Herron, Vice President, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) EnergyRight
Cynthia “Cindy” Herron has over 30 years of TVA service, with broad experience in accounting, marketing, customer service, pricing, contracts, regulatory, and load management. Cindy is currently the Vice-President of EnergyRight® Solutions where she is responsible for leading the development and implementation of TVA’s demand-side resource programs, including energy efficiency, demand response, interruptible products, and electrification offerings. Her responsibilities include establishing the strategic direction, developing policy, setting program goals, and defining objectives to maximize TVA’s demand-side management programs in partnership with local power companies and direct

served customers. She also has responsibilities for the EnergyRight Solutions brand, including branding and marketing strategies.

Prior to her current role, Cindy was Vice President of EnergyRight and Renewable Solutions where she was responsible for leading TVA’s mission to manage the design and execution of TVA's load management and renewable programs. Her responsibilities included program design, implementation, marketing, and measurement and verification of program impacts in order to maximize TVA's energy efficiency, demand response, and renewable resources.

Maddie Koewler, Senior Program Manager, National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)
Maddie Koewler supports NASEO’s buildings program, where she provides assistance to state energy offices and works on the development of building energy codes, residential energy labels, and equity in the proliferation of clean energy and energy efficiency. Prior to NASEO, Ms. Koewler worked at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy implementing residential energy efficiency programs. Ms. Koewler has a Bachelor of Arts in political science and economics from Kent State University.

Jason McDaniel, Program Portfolio Manager, CLEAResult
Jason is a Program Portfolio Manager for CLEAResult, TVA’s Residential Program administrator, with over a decade of energy efficiency industry, program delivery, project management, and process improvement experience. In his time working on program delivery for the Tennessee Valley Authority, he lead program design and implementation teams, served as a business analyst and project manager for IT development efforts, and helped the client meet or exceed their savings and financial goals every year. Today, he leads the team that delivers the TVA EnergyRight Residential Services, Home Uplift, and Green programs.

Elizabeth Moore, Manager, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) EnergyRight
With more than 25 years’ experience in the utility industry, Elizabeth manages programs that deliver innovative energy solutions to residential customers. Currently she manages Residential Programs for EnergyRight with a focus on increasing energy efficiency, equity and serving all customer classes.

As part of her role in EnergyRight, she develops policies and procedures to ensure programs are designed to positively affect the Valley’s end use consumers and manages new program development and pilots that explore innovative ways to

serve TVA stakeholders.

A native of Chattanooga, Elizabeth shares a passion for the TVA’s positive impact to the community.  She has a degree in communications from the University of Memphis and is a certified Business Energy professional (BEP).  In spare time she visits TVA recreation sites with friends, family, and the pup.

Frank Rapley, Senior Manager, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) EnergyRight
Frank Rapley has 33 years’ experience in the electric utility industry. He currently leads the EnergyRight for the Home group in the Tennessee Valley Authority’s EnergyRight organization.  Previously he led TVA’s energy efficiency program design group and also served as communications manager for TVA’s Customer Resources organization. His utility experience includes four years at NRG Energy, Inc., where he was director of communications and later NRG’s market representative at the New York Independent System Operator. Frank began his utility career at Entergy Corporation, where he held positions in communications, customer service, and consumer and small business marketing.

Dan Ridings, Chief Operations Officer, Energy Datametrics (EDM)
Dan is Chief Operations Officer at Energy Datametrics (EDM). He is a transformational triple bottom line leader who ensures our solutions drive value to our partners and align with our vision, mission, and values. He specializes in large scale, multi-state operations and product designs that enhance and accelerate DSM programs.

 

Ashley Runyon, Assistant Director, Kentucky Office of Energy Policy
Ashley Runyon joined the Office of Energy Policy as the Assistant Director of Energy Assistance almost 3 years ago.  Her work is centered around energy affordability, environmental justice, and workforce development.  During her time with the Office Ashley has launched a statewide energy affordability workgroup that has tackled many issues and focused on eliminating silos between private, public and nonprofit sectors to better serve citizens.  Her prior position as Director of Child Centered Services and the Cabinet for Health and Family and Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Louisville brings a different lens and perspective to Energy Policy.

Don Shirey, Senior Project Manager, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
Don is a senior project manager with EPRI, working out of the Knoxville, TN office. He manages research projects related to end-use equipment in buildings (HVAC, refrigeration, water heating, dehumidification, etc.).  The research includes evaluating near-to-market or new-to-market emerging technologies, both in EPRI’s labs or installed in residential or commercial buildings.  Don has completed numerous research projects on residential and commercial HVAC equipment, assessing energy efficiency, demand response capabilities and resulting occupant comfort.  Don has been with EPRI for nearly 6 years, but in this same field of work for the past 35 years.

Brad Wagner, Manager, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) EnergyRight
Brad Wagner currently serves as Manager, Residential Program Operations, for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).  He is responsible for the operational management of the TVA EnergyRight’s residential energy programs and projects, including TVA EnergyRight Residential Services, Home Uplift Program, New Homes Program, and Energy Education and Workshops.  Brad has been a member of TVA EnergyRight Residential since 2016 and has also held the positions of Program Manager and Senior Program Manager since that time.  He has overseen a variety of residential programs, projects, and new initiatives while helping develop, create, and re-create many of the current and past residential

programs.  Prior to joining EnergyRight in 2016, Brad held the position of Contracts Manager at TVA overseeing Corporate and Enterprise contracts and spent nearly 8 years working in the trucking industry before joining TVA.  Brad holds an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a Bachelor of Finance degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  He lives in Ooltewah, Tennessee, with his wife Melissa and their four children, Easton (11), Landon (8), Avery (5), and Jackson (2).