NECA Board of Directors Page
Board of Directors
Mark Kalpin Mary Beth Gentleman Paul N. Belval Christopher Sherman Mr. Sherman previously worked for Mirant and Energy Management, Inc., in all phases of project development and management, including land acquisition; permitting; contracts management; the trading and scheduling of natural gas, fuel oil, and electricity; and community relations. During the restructuring of the electricity markets, Mr. Sherman was involved in the shaping of regional energy policy; he frequently testifies in front of legislative and regulatory bodies on various issues pertaining to the competitive energy markets. Mr. Sherman’s project development efforts involved numerous natural gas facilities, peaking generators, and both large scale and distributed renewable energy installations.
Mr. Sherman has a bachelor’s of science in business administration from the University of Central Florida and a Juris Doctorate from the Southern New England School of Law, and he is a member of the Massachusetts Bar.
Don DiCristofaro Don DiCristofaro is President of Blue Sky Environmental LLC, an environmental consulting firm that he founded in 2004 and is also the Vice President of Environmental Affairs for Pinpoint Power, LLC. He is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) as designated by the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and has over 23 years of experience in air permitting, air quality modeling analyses, environmental assessments, multi-media permitting, and model development. He has a Bachelor's and Masters Degree in Meteorology. Mr. DiCristofaro has worked for many years as an air quality consultant, particularly at Sigma Research Corporation, a company he co-founded, and more recently at Earth Tech where he was the Manager of the Energy and Air Engineering group and was also the Air Technical Practice Lead for the entire company. In addition to consulting, Mr. DiCristofaro was also the Vice President of Environmental Affairs for I-Group, a local development company. During his seven years at I-Group, Mr. DiCristofaro was responsible for the environmental compliance of two 320-MW cogeneration facilities, a carbon dioxide recovery system, a central steam plant, and a paper de-inking and recycling facility. He was also responsible for the environmental permitting of numerous projects including a 550-MW merchant power plant. Eric J. Krathwohl Eric J. Krathwohl, a Managing Director of the firm of Rich May, PC, concentrates on energy, telecommunications and regulatory matters, including corporate and finance work for energy and telecommunication companies and customers and electric, gas and water utility companies. He is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Connecticut and has a law degree from Cornell Law School and is a member of the academic honorary societies, Phi Beta Kappa, and Phi Kappa Phi. For twenty-five years, Mr. Krathwohl has counseled clients on all aspects of energy law and has had an active practice before the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy, having represented energy and telecommunications companies and customers and industry associations in numerous of adjudicatory and rulemaking proceedings. Also, his practice has included representation of clients in commercial transactions (including on-site energy and power plant development, permitting and financing and power purchase and sal es and transportation contracts) and regulatory proceedings before the state utility commissions throughout the northeastern United States . He has been active in matters relating to restructuring of the electric, gas and telecommunications industries, increasing competition in those industries. Mr. Krathwohl has represented clients in several matters before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and has often been a panelist with top industry and government officials at conferences on energy and telecommunications matters.
He served as the Chairman of the Boston Bar Association Energy and Telecommunications Committee from 1995 to 1998 and is a member of several other energy and bar associations. Mr. Krathwohl co-authored the portion of an administrative law treatise dealing with public utility regulation and has co-authored several articles concerning energy matters in energy trade journals. Sandi M. Hennequin Sandi Hennequin is a Vice President for the New England Power Generators Association, Inc. (NEPGA), the largest trade association representing competitive electric generating companies in New England. In this capacity, she is responsible for NEPGA’s legislative affairs in the New England states, as well as its education/communication efforts targeted at key policy makers. She also monitors market affairs, serving as the face of NEPGA at the NEPOOL Markets Committee. With over 15 years of experience in the energy industry, Sandi has focused primarily on electric restructuring, all aspects of generation asset transactions and advocating for fair wholesale electric market structures in New England. Sandi recently completed terms serving as the Vice Chair of the NEPOOL Markets Committee and as President of the Northeast Energy and Commerce Association (“NECA”). She has served on the NECA Board since 2005, and has chaired the External Communication and Legislative/Regulatory Committees, as well as serving as Secretary. Prior professional positions include serving as Vice President, Energy Policy for Constellation Energy Resources, and consulting positions, most recently as a Managing Director for Sigma Consultants. Sandi is also very engaged in civic activities, currently serving as President of the Prescott Park Arts Festival Board of Directors and recently serving on Portsmouth, NH’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Sustainable Practices. Her mix of professional and civic leadership led to her being selected by the New Hampshire Business and Industry Association and the Union Leader as one of 2007's top "forty under 40" leaders in New Hampshire. She holds a B.A. in Political Communication from the George Washington University and a Masters of Public Administration from Syracuse University's Maxwell School. Sandi lives with her husband Steve Marchand, two young daughters and beloved Corgi in Portsmouth, NH.
Frederick M. Sellars
(NECA President-Emeritus) Vice President Arcadis-U.S., Inc. email: frederick.sellars@arcadis-us.com Frederick M. Sellars is a Vice President of ARCADIS with over 30 years of environmental consulting experience specializing in siting, environmental licensing and transactional due diligence support for energy facilities nationwide. Mr. Sellars has directed numerous electric generating plant siting studies, permitting feasibility assessments, and comprehensive licensing efforts. He has directed the successful permitting of over 15,000 MW of new power generation projects across the U.S., including providing expert witness testimony in a total of seven states. His power plant experience includes a wide variety of electric generation technologies ranging from conventional coal and natural gas-fired power plants to renewable energy facilities including wind power, biomass and waste-to-energy plants. Mr. Sellars has also directed transactional due diligence projects on six continents, including support for acquisitions involving over 100 power plants. Mr. Sellars was President of NECA from 2006-2007. C. John Meeske C. John Meeske is President of Energy Market Decisions, Inc., a company he founded in 1992. He has broad experience in market and business development including the start-up, turn around, and profit and loss "bottom line" management of businesses. He has over thirty years of extensive "hands on" experience contracting natural gas, LNG, natural gas transportation and storage services. Mr. Meeske specializes in market development, market requirements, fuel supply planning, and development of new power plant, pipeline, storage, and LNG projects. Previously, Mr. Meeske was employed by Cabot Corporation for thirteen years where, in various executive positions, he managed the marketing, supply, and transportation functions for many of its various subsidiary companies, including Distrigas of Massachusetts Corporation. In addition, Mr. Meeske was Director, Business Development for Texas Eastern, Director, Market Planning for Michigan Consolidated Gas, and Assistant Professor in the College of Business at Eastern Michigan University. Mr. Meeske is President Emeritus, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Northeast Energy and Commerce Association (NECA), and past chairman of NECA's Natural Gas Committee. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES). In addition, he maintains memberships in the Northeast Gas Association, the Environmental Business Council, NFPA, the New England Chapter of IAEE, NECBC, and NESA. His educational background includes a BA (economics) from the University of Michigan, an MBA from the University of Detroit, and completion of Ph.D. course work in logistics/physical distribution systems at Michigan State University. William C. "Jack" Sheehan, (NECA President Emeritus) William C. "Jack" Sheehan, is President, Managing Director of Financial Management Group, a private investment banking, finance, and development advisory firm; He has worked as an investment banker and financial executive for over 25 years, also served as a project developer, treasurer, chief financial officer, and investment banker. Through representation of clients and with NECA he has been a key participant in the deregulation and restructuring of the electric utility market in multiple Northeastern states, including the NEPOOL Congestion Management System Committee, Regional Transmission Planning Committee, Advisory Board Commonwealth of Massachusetts DOER Renewables Portfolio Standards Advisory Board, Massachusetts Renewables Collaborative for Deregulation Legislation, Negotiation of Settlement Agreements with New England Electric Companies, Eastern Utilities Associates and Boston Edison Company, and provided advise on configuration or finance of 3,750 Mw merchant facilities. His firm currently advises on market intelligence for status of Merchant Plants in Development in 12 States including the areas of Peter W. Brown, (NECA President - Emeritus) Brown, Olson & Wilson was founded in 1983 by Peter W. Brown and his partners. The firm's practice is devoted to the contractual, business and regulatory affairs of privately owned power generation projects in all parts of the Complete Board Listing Pentti Aalto has been on the board of NECA for many years. His focus has been on the development of markets that would be suitable for smaller participants, both users and producers. His current concerns are that the developing shape of the restructured industry will not be conducive to competition that will benefit the smaller participants. He would like to work to improve both market and rate structures by simplifying them to provide easier access. Scott Albert Scott Albert is a Principal and Northeast Regional Manager for GDS Associates, Inc. and heads their office in Daniel Allegretti Daniel Allegretti is a Vice President for Energy Policy with Constellation Energy where he is responsible for legislative and regulatory matters across the Eastern Seaboard. Dan has twenty years experience in the electric power industry as an advocate of competitive electricity markets. Throughout his career Dan has appeared and testified as an expert before numerous state, provincial and federal legislative and regulatory bodies. He has served in a variety of industry leadership positions, including Chairman of the New England Power Pool, Vice Chairman of the Northeast Power Coordinating Council, Director on the Boards of the Independent Power Producers of New York, the Northeast Energy and Commerce Association, the Electric Power Generators Association of Pennsylvania and the Electricity Markets Investment Group of Ontario, Member Representative on the New York ISO Management Committee and on the Ontario IMO Markets Advisory Council and was named by Governor John Baldacci in 2007 to serve on the Maine Energy Council. Outside Constellation Energy, Dan has worked as an Independent transmission project developer and as a practicing attorney. Dan holds a J.D. from Georgetown University and a B.A. from Colby College and currently resides with his family in Bow, New Hampshire. Tina Bennett With more than 18 years of varied experience in the energy industry, Tina Bennett currently serves as Vice President of Asset Management at International Power. In this role, she manages the performance of the company’s North American joint venture assets as well as fully owned assets in PJM and MISO. In addition, Ms. Bennett oversees and manages the Information Technology function as Vice President of IT. Joining International Power in 2001, Tina has held leadership positions in various areas of the business including Risk Management, Regulatory Affairs and Trading Operations. Prior to joining International Power, Ms. Bennett worked for the PG&E National Energy Group where she held various positions including Generation Trader where she was responsible for implementing bidding and hedging strategies for 4,500 MWs of generation in New England, and Director of Natural Gas Supply where she was responsible for managing natural gas marketing, supply and transportation for its US electric generation facilities. Her other roles have included Director of Supply and Risk Management for Energy Vision and Fuel Marketer and Rate Analyst for New England Electric System (now National Grid). Ms Bennett holds a Bachelors degree in Economics and Finance from Bentley College and a Masters in Business Administration from Northeastern University. Derek Buchler Derek Buchler is a mechanical engineer with a degree from Northeastern University. He currently works as the Manager of the Energy Efficiency department for Bay State Gas in Massachusetts and oversees the design and delivery of programs and services to the Company’s 300,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers. He has been with Bay State Gas for 12 years, and has over 20 years in the field of energy efficiency. Prior to joining Bay State Gas, he spent 10 years as a research and development engineer for ThermoPower, a division of Thermo Electron. In addition, Derek is an AEE Certified Energy Manager and Sustainable Development Professional, he is a member of ASHRAE, an appointed member of the Massachusetts Energy Efficiency Advisory Council and the past member of the New Hampshire Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Board. Chris Bursaw Mr. Christopher Bursaw offers Seguin Capital, LLC clients expertise concerning market developments and regulatory risk in the power industry. With over 25 years of energy management experience in engineering, operation, finance and regulatory affairs, Mr. Bursaw provides clients strategic business guidance in investments in the power industry. Mr. Bursaw supported over 6,000 MW of assets around the country as Vice President of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs for Competitive Power Ventures, Inc. By representing developer interests he is a strong advocate in RTO forums for competitive markets in the power industry. He has been actively involved with market deregulation and tariff development under Regional Transmission Organizations and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He maintains excellent relations with buyers, sellers and state Public Service Commissions. Mr. Bursaw managed the regulatory efforts for the largest fossil generation fleet in New England as Manager of Regulatory affairs at PG&E National Energy Group. As a financial manager, he supervised the financial modeling of large capital projects at both Tractebel Power in Houston and Westinghouse Electric in Orlando. As an international project manager for Westinghouse International, he resolved high value commercial issues in challenging multicultural environments. Mr. Bursaw holds a Masters in Business Administration from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Mr. Bursaw is on the Board of Directors of the Northeast Energy & Commerce Association (NECA) and co-chairs the Finance, Investment and Risk Management Committee. Mr. Cavicchi, Senior Managing Director, Compass Lexecon Inc, provides wholesale and retail electricity market regulatory economic analyses in connection with the restructuring of the US electricity industry. In particular, he advises clients in a variety of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and state regulatory proceedings related to the new markets and the contractual arrangements that have emerged to support the electricity industry. In this role he provides extensive regulatory and strategic advice as well as analytical support to electricity generation and distribution companies. The assignments combine extensive knowledge of wholesale market operations with general economic theory of contracting and electricity generation plant dispatch in order to provide companies with an approach to commodity procurement and/or sale that is consistent with their risk profiles. As part of these efforts he works extensively on federal and state regulatory policy related to long-term contracting and its importance to the health of the restructured electricity industry. Michael Ernst Michael Ernst has 25+ years of energy experience as an environmental attorney for state agencies, a law firm, an independent transmission development company, and an environmental consulting firm. At Tetra Tech EC, Inc., Mr. Ernst is supervising the siting and permitting of various power plants and their transmission interconnections for from coast to coast, including onshore and offshore wind farms, and a 50-mile submarine and onshore cable in Hawaii. Mr. Ernst supervises interconnection studies and participates in negotiations with utilities and independent transmission system operators. Mr. Ernst has supported the development and permitting of AC and DC transmission lines, submarine cables, conventional power plants, energy storage facilities, and wind farms in Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Hawaii and Canada. As Vice President of Permitting and Siting for TransEnergie U.S. Ltd, Mr. Ernst helped permit a 25-mile submarine transmission cable across Long Island Sound and managed the initial development of a 75-mile submarine cable across Lake Erie through filing of the NEPA Environmental Report and a Presidential Permit application. He also supported permitting of three gas-fired power plants and interconnections in Massachusetts and New York with Rubin & Rudman LLP in Boston. Mr. Ernst served as General Counsel and Legislative Director of the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy during the restructuring of the electric industry in Massachusetts. Prior to that, he was a Hearing Officer for the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board and Counsel to the Joint Committee on Energy of the Massachusetts Legislature. Mr. Ernst graduated from Davidson College with a Bachelor of Sciences degree and from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston with a Juris Doctor in 1980. Dammon M. Frecker Mr. Frecker is the Vice President of Energy and Industrial Services at ESS Group, Incorporated; a multi-disciplinary environmental consulting and engineering firm. He has over 20 years of experience in environmental permitting and compliance management, with particular expertise in the area of air quality programs and regulations. He routinely manages large projects on behalf of independent power producers, utilities, industrial facilities, government agencies and developers that involve the preparation of comprehensive Environmental Impact Statements, State and Federal permitting, emissions monitoring, emissions control plans, and regulatory compliance programs. He works with a variety of energy firms and industrial corporations to provide proactive strategic planning assistance in anticipation of developing of state and federal regulations. Mr. Frecker has published papers and conducted presentations on several air quality related topics. He holds a bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maine and has previously served as a Visiting Lecturer on Air Pollution Control at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. Robert Grace Bob Grace is President of Sustainable Energy Advantage, a consulting and advisory firm specializing in technical and policy analysis of renewable energy markets. In this role, he has provided analysis, strategy and implementation support to over 75 public, private and non-profit sector clients. Trained as an interdisciplinary analyst in energy and environment, he has accumulated a diverse experience base over 26 years in the electricity industry, the last 12 exclusively focusing on renewable energy. Bob is a frequent public speaker, committee participant, and author on topics shaping the renewable energy landscape. Bob is past co-chair of the Northeast Energy & Commerce Association (NECA) Renewable Energy/Distributed Generation Committee, and serves on NECA’s Board of Directors.
Previously, Bob founded and served as Director of ReGen, the green power division of AllEnergy Marketing Company, which launched the first renewable energy-based competitive retail offering in the eastern US. At New England Power Company, he served as a principal analyst in wholesale power supply planning, marketing and electric industry restructuring. His career started in energy-sector analysis, electric supply optimization and regulatory economics at LaCapra Associates.
Bob holds a M.S. in Energy and Resources from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.S. in Energy Studies from Brown University.
Mr. McCary has twenty-two years of experience as an energy attorney at Murtha Cullina LLP, often representing cogenerators and merchant power plant developers. He has also represented end users and gas utilities with respect to firm and interruptible gas purchase and transportation agreements. On behalf of large electricity users, he has negotiated energy purchase and interconnection agreements. He was an active participant in the Connecticut electric industry restructuring effort on behalf of a power marketer. Mr. McCary has frequently spoken and published articles on energy issues. A former President and Board Member of the Connecticut Power and Energy Society, he graduated cum laude from Western New England School of Law in 1979 served as Connecticut Supreme Court law clerk. Don Michael
Senior Consultant Epsilon Associates, Inc. email: dmichael@epsilonassociates.com Don Michael has provided environmental and technical consulting services to the energy industry for 35 years. He has participated in and managed environmental analyses, site selection, permitting, due diligence review, testing or operations monitoring activities of more than 150 power projects. He has a broad working knowledge of generation technologies, project development contracts and power plant design and operation as well as domestic and international environmental and regulatory requirements. Projects have spanned all stages from siting and feasibility studies through permitting and construction to testing and operational compliance and technologies including fossil, nuclear, biomass, IGCC, and various industrial categories.
Don has been involved in NECA for more than 15 years and is currently co-chairman of the Environmental Committee and a member of the Renewable Energy & Distributed Generation Committee.
Epsilon Associates, Inc. provides environmental management and permitting services to, energy industrial, real estate and public sector clients.
Seth Parker Jeffrey R. Perry
Vice President Mirant New York and New England Business Units Mirant Corporation email: jeffrey.perry@mirant.com Mr. Perry has over 20 years of experience in the electric power industry. He is responsible for Mirant’s Northeast business units, which includes electric generating plants in Massachusetts and New York. He is also responsible for the Company’s Northeast Region regulatory and external affairs groups.
Previously, Mr. Perry worked for Commonwealth Electric Company and Cambridge Electric Light Company (now NSTAR Electric and Gas Corporation), overseeing power supply management at both organizations. His career experience includes testifying and sponsoring exhibits for various regulatory proceedings relative to power supply issues, and providing representation on many key New England Power Pool committees and task forces. He has also managed power supply procurement and wholesale power marketing, generation supply portfolio management, and natural gas procurement for Canal Station. Mr. Perry sits on the Board of Directors for the New England Power Generator Association and the Independent Power Producers of New York.
Mr. Perry earned a Bachelor of Science from Boston University and a Juris Doctor from the Southern New England School of Law and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar. Michael Petit Vice President of Marketing Weaver's Cove Energy email: mpetit@hesslng.com Michael Petit is Vice President of Marketing for Weaver’s Cove Energy, a FERC approved proposed LNG import terminal in Fall River, MA. In this role, he is responsible for leading commercial activities in the northeast including LNG and natural gas marketing, transportation, pipeline infra-structure and regulatory activity. Mr. Petit has over twenty-five years of diverse energy experience in natural gas, LNG, refined oil products and crude oil. He has held commercial positions for Calpine Corporation, PG&E National Energy Group, J. Makowski Associates and IEC where he was responsible for managing natural gas marketing, supply, trading, transportation and coordinating pipeline regulatory issues for eastern US electric generation facilities. In addition, Mike was also employed by Citizens Energy Corporation and Atlantic Richfield Company (currently part of BP) in energy marketing, trading, operation and analytical positions. Mr. Petit holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Villanova University. Matthew J. Picardi Mr. Picardi became Dynegy’s lead regulatory counsel for the
In December of 2002, Mr. Picardi joined Shell Trading Gas and Power Company to lead its natural gas and power regulatory activity for the North Region. For Shell Trading, this covers corporate affiliates, such as Coral Energy Canada Inc. and Coral Power, L.L.C. that market and sell power in Mr. Picardi holds a B.A from Timothy Roughan Tim Roughan is the Director of Distributed Resources at National Grid Service Company, a service company arm of National Grid Daniel Weekley
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