Dr. Charles “Chuck” Zelek

Charles (Chuck) Zelek, Ph.D., is the president of Climate Smart Business Solutions LLC, and founding partner of Climate Smart Environmental Consulting LLC.  These companies assist clients to both adjust to and benefit from market opportunities resulting from the worldwide energy transition.  This is accomplished via a service model implemented in conjunction with several partner companies that offers a full “cradle to grave” solution for clients, spanning from goal development, pathway optimization, capital raising (via public and private sources), and project execution.  This expertise and support ensure that clients establish and/or maintain leadership positions in these highly competitive markets.  Chuck is well suited to assist companies in the spaces of energy transition/climate change, rare earths and critical minerals, ESG topics, and opportunities in the agricultural space, based on an over 20-year federal government career, including senior positions at both the US Department of Energy (DOE) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

At DOE, Chuck occupied numerous positions including Special Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Energy in the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) in Washington DC, and before that the Director of the Economic Analysis Division at the DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Pittsburgh PA and Morgantown WV, Prior to DOE, Chuck was a senior economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington DC, focusing on energy and climate change-related USDA programs and policies.

Prior to leaving government in 2021, Chuck worked with numerous agencies and offices across both DOE and USDA to organize and co-lead a Cabinet level agreement between DOE and USDA to align operational and programmatic resources to identify and deploy energy technologies in rural America to improve economic prosperity and enhance environmental well-being.  In this role Chuck routinely worked with high level leadership across departments, and conducted outreach on the effort, briefing external stakeholders including the US Congress.   

Chucks clients, among others, rage across numerous energy, advanced technology, and agricultural entities, to include EQT, the largest natural gas company in the US, ElementUS which is focused on rare earth recovery from mine waste, IMC solar, Eagle Forge Services Company, and Cirba Solutions – a large lithium battery recycling company. 

Chuck earned his doctorate in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Purdue University as well as a Master of Science in Resource Economics from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a. minor in business from Ohio University.  Chuck has taught at numerous institutions of higher education and published in numerous professional outlets. 

Jacob Israel Hannah

Jacob Israel Hannah from Kelly Knob, West Virginia is Coalfield Development’s Chief Conservation Officer. Jacob graduated as a first generation student in Business Management from Garrett College and holds a Bachelor degree in Management for Sustainability from Bucknell University.

Jacob also studied cultural sustainability in France and Scotland, and spent 3 years testing triple-bottom line sustainability concepts for coal towns in central Pennsylvania, and social sustainability programs in Western Maryland.

He enjoys spending his time writing music on his guitar and piano, getting lost in the woods, spending time with his family, and harvesting fresh dank memes from the internet.

Keena Mullins

Keena Mullins is the co-founder of Revolt Energy, a turnkey solar installation company based in Kanawha County, West Virginia. She has been working in the solar industry in Appalachia several years and is a licensed General Contractor, Electrical Contractor, and Alternative Energy Systems Specialty contractor.

Before working in solar, Keena worked as a lobbyist and advocate for economic transition in the Appalachian coalfields. She has served as the West Virginia Environmental Council board President, and her work with Revolt Energy has been featured in Forbes, Rolling Stone, and on ABC News

Brandon Farris

Brandon Farris heads federal government relations for the Chemours Company and is responsible for developing and maintaining strong relationships with elected officials and their staffs in the House and Senate, White House and Executive Branch.  At Chemours, Brandon chairs the American Chemistry Council’s energy and climate government affairs committee. 

Prior to his work at Chemours, Brandon spent two decades in Washington focusing on bipartisan energy and climate solutions.  Brandon led the energy and climate policy portfolio for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, the National Governors’ Association, the Maryland Energy Administration, chemical manufacturers SABIC and Arkema and a private lobbying firm. 

Mr. Farris received a BA in History from the Virginia Military Institute, an MA in Government from the Johns Hopkins University and his JD from the George Washington University School of Law.  Brandon is licensed to practice law in Maryland and New York and also served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.

William Jenkins

As Clayton’s Senior Director of Environment and Sustainability, William Jenkins is focused on creating a better future through responsible building practices. Jenkins has a background in earth science and environmental consulting. His experience as a scientist fostered his passion for sustainability, and continues to drive his efforts in implementing sustainability at Clayton.

Jason Snyder

Jason Snyder is a Manager within TVA’s Energy Right for Business and Industry Team where he primarily focuses on leading energy efficiency programmatic efforts toward transformational impacts within communities all over the Tennessee Valley. Prior to this assignment, Jason served as a Senior Program Manager, leading up the innovative efforts within the team he now manages. Before the programmatic roles, Jason served as a Power Utilization Engineer for TVA, where he performed detailed energy audits for local power companies’ (LPCs) end-use customers.  Most recently, Jason’s team has been focusing on the roll out of programs for businesses in underserved communities as well as strategic energy management initiatives with schools and industries to create opportunities for local power companies (LPCs) to experience deeper interactions with their customers.

Jason is a mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Tennessee and earned a master’s degree in engineering management from Christian Brothers University.  He is a licensed mechanical engineer in Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi, a LEED certified professional and a Certified Energy Manager (CEM).

Prior to joining TVA, Jason worked as an engineering design consultant with A&E firms in the private sector where he managed a mechanical engineering department in the design of more than $100 million in construction projects.  Jason has over 22 years of experience in the engineering, utility, and energy management fields.

Allen Robbins

Allen E Robbins is a life-long resident of Sevier County, Tennessee. A graduate of Sevier County High School in 1985, he earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Cumberland College in 1990. Allen was a member of Cumberland’s first football team in 1985. He was a 3-year letterman for Cumberland earning All-Conference honors in 1988 and 1989 respectfully. 

In 1991, Allen began his career with Sevier County Electric System. From 1996 to 2003, he was the Programs Administrator, coordinating all phases of the marketing of electric services within the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Energy Right Program. From 2004 to 2015 he served as the System’s CFO. In 2016, the Board of Directors of Sevier County Electric System appointed Allen to his current position of General Manager/CEO.

He is married to the former Jachar Lyons and they have three children, Jacob (29) a graduate from Carson-Newman University, Dexter (27) a graduate from Liberty University, and Sierra (21) a senior at East Tennessee State University. He is also a proud Grandpa to a granddaughter, Mia Kate and a grandson, Walker. Allen was a volunteer football coach for Sevier County Middle School football team for 19 years. His recreational hobbies are hunting, fishing and lounging on Douglas Lake.

David Miracle

Dave Miracle is the Manager of Environmental Sustainability for Nucor Corporation and has worked in the steel industry for 24 years. Dave joined Nucor in August 2020 as Manager of Environmental Affairs and accepted his current position of Manager of Environmental Sustainability in the January 2021.

Dave began his career at AK Steel in 1998 and served in various environmental positions over his 22-year tenure, including General Manager of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability prior to joining Nucor. In 2019, Dave was appointed by the President of the United States as federal commissioner of the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO).Dave holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Kentucky.

Ryan Thomas Trahan

Ryan Thomas Trahan is the Director of the Distribution of Power Project, Program in Climate and Environmental Studies at Vanderbilt University. He focuses on technological transitions, with specific expertise in electricity and sustainability.

His research is less concerned with whether the energy transition will occur and more interested in how quickly and for whom the resulting benefits will accrue. To better understand these queries, and to design useful regulatory guidelines, Ryan concentrates his research on connecting the energy transition with other secular trends, particularly those of corporate governance, digitization and financialization. The energy transition is paced by the three intertwined trends of decentralization, digitization, and decarbonization. The Project is concentrated on developing the applied understanding of these trends as the energy transition moves toward electrification. An interdisciplinary approach provides insights for and about the energy transition, stakeholder impacts, investment consequences, and system design.

Josh Riggs

Josh Riggs is the Senior Manager of Global Sustainability at South Carolina based Milliken & Company, where he drives sustainability and net-zero strategies. Josh has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Tennessee Tech University.

Josh’s career began as an engineer in Milliken textile manufacturing and has held several roles supporting energy, environmental sustainability, and ESG reporting programs.

In his free time, Josh focuses on his young family and volunteering in his community and faith organizations. While his roots are in Kingston, Tennessee, he resides in Spartanburg as a proud South Carolinian.

Amanda Woodrum

Amanda Woodrum is the Co-Director of ReImagine Appalachia, a four-state coalition of diverse stakeholder groups working together to find common ground and create a more sustainable, equitable and prosperous Appalachia.

She has a master’s degree in economics and law degree from the University of Akron in Ohio. Over the past 15 years or so, she has conducted research, advocacy and coalition building around the role energy, transportation, manufacturing, health, labor and anti-poverty policy can play to promote a more sustainable and equitable economy.

She also sits on the University of Akron’s Dept. of Economics Advisory Board and the board for All Aboard Ohio. After living in New York City and experiencing 9/11, she returned to Ohio determined to make the state and the region the kind of place she wanted to live.

Diana Dumbrowski

Diana Dombrowsk is the Carbon Removal Fellow with Appalachian Voices for 2022-2023. She is a second-year master’s student in the Energy & Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley. She was recently a Graduate Student Research Assistant in the Electricity Markets and Policy Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Previously, she worked for twelve years as an oral historian across the Southeast. She holds dual B.A.s in Environmental Science and History from the University of Florida.

Ethan A. Rogers

Ethan has over twenty years of experience in industrial energy efficiency. His background includes working in industry, government and non-profit organizations. He has managed programs, developed projects, lead teams, and facilitated initiatives that change how energy savings are measured, managed, and valued.

He joined the U.S. Department of Energy, Advanced Manufacturing Office (DOEAMO)’s Technical Partnerships team in 2019 and works on incorporating energy management standards, such as ISO50001 and SEP50001, into energy efficiency programs and corporate sustainability standards. He also supports the Better Plants program and other technical assistance initiatives.

Prior to joining DOE, Ethan was responsible for managing industrial energy efficiency research, outreach, and conference program development at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

Danny L. Gray

Danny L. Gray, P.E., is executive vice president for strategy and business operations for EMT-Green Cement, Inc., a company dedicated to applying advanced technologies to manufacture low carbon emission cements using natural minerals and coproducts produced during the electricity generation process. Gray has served in many executive roles, directing all facets of the coal combustion residual management and beneficial use industry including the research and development of materials derived from the energy production process. His primary focus has been on industry regulatory policy and compliance, business operations, new product development, marketing and sales. 

Gray joined EMT-Green Cement, Inc. with more than 40 years of experience in the electric utility and coal ash management industries, starting with American Electric Power.  He has served in senior executive and ownership roles at three of the largest U.S. based coal ash management companies, and as president of a specialty engineering firm focused on coal ash disposal and material handling systems design. He was appointed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to serve as a member of the National Coal Council (NCC), a Federal Advisory Committee to DOE where he served as chair from 2019-2020.

Additional committee appointments include serving on a 2017 Environmental Protection Agency Federal Advisory Committee for a negotiated rulemaking process for chemical data reporting of recycled inorganic chemical byproducts under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

He also served on the Board of Directors of the American Coal Council from 2012 to 2015 where served as President in 2014.

Gray currently serves on the American Coal Ash Association Board of Directors. He is an Associate Member of the Southern States Energy Board and active on the Committee for Clean Coal Energy Policies & Technologies, serving as chair from 2021-2022.  In addition, he serves on the editorial board for the Coal Combustion & Gasification Products Journal published by the University of Kentucky-Center for Applied Energy Research. Gray holds U.S. Patent 9,873,638 for Synthetic Gypsum Fertilizer Product & Method of Making.

He has testified before the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee and various state legislative committees regarding policies and regulation of coal combustion residuals disposal, management and beneficial use.

Gray graduated with honors from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s in civil engineering and is a registered professional engineer in multiple states.  He is a native of Roanoke, Virginia and currently resides in Marietta, Georgia.

Mark Goulthorpe

Mark Goulthorpe, Associate Professor at MIT’s Dept. of Architecture, researches digital design fabrication. Current research centers on automated composite housing production, addressing the global challenges of affordability and sustainability of buildings. Carbon House deploys new forms of carbon such as carbon nanotubes and carbon foams, focusing on supplementing the cost of hydrogen by gas pyrolysis of methane.

Goulthorpe organized MakeBuildings as part of the MIT SOLVE initiative, looking to find ways to decisively address macro global issues – the challenge of doubling the number of buildings on the planet by 2050. He organized the Carbon>Building 2018 conference at MIT to gather upstream and downstream groups interested in using hydrocarbons for building; a second C>B will take place at MIT fall 2023.

Most recently he was awarded ARPA-e and DOE funding for development of Carbon House and CFoam House, looking to support a hydrogen economy by demonstrating viable use of carbon nanotube and carbon foam materials. Investment from Vinod Khosla (Khosla Ventures) and Jeremy Bentham (The Grantham Foundation) has allowed a start-up initiative, DECOi inc that looks to pioneer automated composite buildings, with a key focus being life cycle and techno economic analyses of what would be a wholly reconfigured building sector.

Goulthorpe believes there is a better, quicker, cheaper, greener building paradigm available to humanity, and seeks to bring this forward as a macro-scale benefit to mitigating climate change.

Dr. Rudolph A. Olson III

Rudy hails from Chicago, Illinois, USA. He received a BS degree in Ceramic Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and MS and PhD degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University.

He has been conducting materials research and development for thirty years in systems such as nuclear waste encapsulation, cement and concrete, ceramic proppant, and ceramic, carbon, and metal foams, publishing twenty papers and issuing nine patents in several countries. Over this time, he worked at Argonne National Lab, CARBO Ceramics, Owens Corning Technical Center,SELEE Corporation, CFOAM, and now CONSOL Energy. His career has largely been focused on research and development in manufacturing companies, where he has successfully scaled several new products from concept to market.

During his 17 year career at SELEE Corporation, he led the process development for their new aluminum filter, which won the 2009 Corporate Environmental Award from the American Ceramic Society, and led the product and process development for their new iron foundry filter, which won the 2017 Corporate Technical Achievement Award from the American Ceramic Society.

Dr. Joe Hoagland

Dr. Joe Hoagland is vice president of Innovation and Research for the Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporate agency of the United States government and the largest public power provider in the country. With 30 years of experience shaping the direction of the power sector, Dr. Hoagland is an industry thought leader with extensive experience in strategy, research and development, implementation and the evolving energy marketplace. He currently leads and guides a team of technology professionals who conduct transformational research and manage innovation projects for TVA’s Power System of the Future – an effort that helps diverse power systems to meet shifting consumer and business power demands without compromising reliability, resiliency or customer experience.

At the same time, Dr. Hoagland and his team are exploring cost-effective carbon reductions with new forms of generation and the electrification of the broader economy that includes advances in electric transportation, solar power/battery storage and advanced nuclear generation technologies. Dr. Hoagland has extensive experience with strategic utility planning and stakeholder engagement, leading from inception to publication TVA’s three recent Integrated Resources Plans. Previous leadership roles includes development of environmental policies, research and development strategies, retail regulation and utility  policies, directing energy efficiency and demand response programs and building effective stakeholder and customer relations. Dr. Hoagland is a Fellow for Energy Policy at the University of Tennessee’s Howard H. Baker, Jr. Center for Public Policy; Chair for the state of Tennessee’s Energy Policy Council; and a member of the board of directors of the Smart Electric Power Association. He recently was Chair of the Electric Power Research Institute‘s Executive Resource Advisory Committee. Dr. Hoagland also has served on boards and committees for various industry and related organizations that include the Edison Electric Institute, Electricity Storage Association and the Department of Energy. 

Anand Varahala

In his current role as the Energy & Sustainability Manager, Anand Varahala is responsible for leading the strategy to reduce scope 1 & 2 emissions from Schneider Electric’s operations across North America. During his 15+ years of experience in the field of energy management and sustainability, he has led the energy management program for Schneider Electric North America, supported implementation of ISO50001 management systems and SEP 50001, and develop tools to measure and report energy efficiency performance.

He has been serving as a global subject matter expert on energy and climate at Schneider Electric since 2015, where he also leads the organization’s participation in the DOE’s Better Climate Challenge.

He has a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kentucky in Lexington and a bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering from Hyderabad, India.

Joanne Kilgour

Joanne Kilgour, Esq., Ohio River Valley Institute (ORVI), Executive Director, is an environmental lawyer and nonprofit professional with a passion for justice and democracy. She leads the Ohio River Valley Institute’s mission to help the Ohio Valley and greater Appalachia mark a path toward shared prosperity, clean energy, and more equitable civic structures.

Under Joanne’s leadership, ORVI has measurably shifted the regional narrative around natural gas and petrochemical development, shaped national and regional policy conversations on reclaiming orphan oil and gas wells and abandoned mine lands, and quantified the economic promise of an accelerated transition to clean energy and sustainable economic development.

Dr. Andrew Windham

Andrew possesses a Ph.D. in Architectural Engineering from Penn State University, an M.A. in Industrial Technology from App State, and a B.S. in Physics from the University of Houston. He is a Certified Energy Manager through the Association of Energy Engineers and a member of ASHRAE.

Andrew’s professional experience includes: building commissioning, conducting energy audits, developing energy code, HVAC controls consulting, and energy modeling. Andrew teaches courses related to building physics, energy modeling, and mechanical systems design and operations. His varied scholarly interests are related to HVAC controls, building and greenhouse performance, energy modeling, and zero energy building design.

Tom Inman

Tom Inman is president of Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers, Inc.(AHMI), a regional trade association headquartered in High Point, North Carolina. The group has 200 member companies and was formed in 1928 to promote the Appalachian hardwood resource and ensure a future supply. Inman joined AHMI in 1994 and was named president in 2006.

He developed AHMI’s successful Certified Appalachian Legal & Sustainable program and serves on the Board of Directors for the American Hardwood Export Council, the Real American Hardwood Coalition and the Fellowship of Christian Lumbermen.

Dr. Pingen Chen

Prof. Pingen Chen is currently a tenured Associate Professor with Mechanical Engineering Department at Tennessee Tech University and the founding director of Automotive Powertrain and Emissions Control Laboratory (APECL). Prof. Chen joined ME Department at Tennessee Tech as a tenure-track assistant professor in August 2016.

Before that, he was a controls and diagnostics senior engineer at the Cummins Technical Center for two years. Dr. Chen received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University in 2014.

Dr. Chen is the author or co-author of more than 68 peer-reviewed publications including 21 journal articles, 46 conference papers, and 1 patent. Dr. Chen’s research activities have been supported by U.S. Department of Energy, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Cummins Inc., Denso, and Nissan, with more than 20-million research funding.

His research interests include the modeling, control and optimization of hybrid and electric vehicle systems, automated and connected vehicles, energy-efficient mobility systems, energy storage system, engine and aftertreatment systems, and alternative/renewable fuels. Prof. Chen is a well-recognized expert in EV ecosystem and technology-based economic development for underserved rural communities. He is the recipient of the prestigious SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award in 2021.

Eric Dixon

Eric works on economic and environmental policy in Appalachia and beyond. His recent research has focused on labor issues in the reclamation industry and disaster recovery in Appalachian Kentucky. Previously, Eric was an organizer and policy advocate at Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, where he worked on black lung issues and testified before Congress on policy related to fossil fuel cleanup. 

Amishi Kumar Claros

Amishi Kumar is the Acting Division Director for Carbon Dioxide Removal and Conversion in the Office of Clean Coal and Carbon Management at the U.S. Department of Energy Fossil Energy & Carbo Management Program Office.  The Carbon Utilization program works to develop commercially viable technologies to transform waste CO2 emissions into value-added products ranging from cementitious building materials to synthetic fuels using various conversion pathways such as catalytic systems. Previously, Amishi was a Science and Technology Policy (STP) Fellow in the clean coal office where she gained experience in the carbon capture, utilization, and storage industry as well as a broader understanding of technical, economic and policy-based changes occurring within in the energy grid.

Prior to joining the DOE, Amishi was a Program Coordinator at the United States Energy Association (USEA). She earned a M.S. in Geological Sciences and a M.S. in Environmental Sciences at Indiana University; she received her B.A. in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Vanderbilt University.

In her free time, Amishi enjoys camping, cooking, yoga, and organizing (sometimes sparsely attended) local trash pick-ups in her neighborhood and Rock Creek Park. She has worked at the National Park Service through the AmeriCorps program at Mount Rainier NP and San Juan National Historic Park.

Dr. Jason Trembly

Dr. Jason Trembly is the Principal Investigator for more than $18 million in competitively sponsored research, primarily for the U.S. Department of Energy He is Russ Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and a graduate faculty member in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He is also Director of Ohio University’s Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment.

Prior to joining OHIO in 2011 as an assistant professor, Trembly was a leading young researcher at internationally recognized energy research centers. From 2007 to 2011, he was a research chemical engineer and team leader for syngas and CO2 conversion at RTI International’s Energy Technology Division. There, he was responsible for ideation and development of processes and catalysts for conversion of syngas and CO2 into chemicals and fuels. He is also a former ORISE Fellow at the U.S. DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, where he completed his graduate research focused on solid oxide fuel cell development.

Dr. Trembly’s research group utilizes process simulation with materials R&D to develop intensified process designs to address energy and environmental issues. His main research interests include solid oxide fuel cells and electrolyzers, electrochemical capture of nutrients from waste streams, produced water remediation, and sustainable composite materials.

He has earned the following degrees: Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Ohio University (2007), M.S. Chemical Engineering, Ohio University (2004), B.S. Chemical Engineering, Ohio University (2003)

Dr. Tim Ezzell

Dr. Tim Ezzell is an Assistant Research professor at the UT Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment and teaches in UT’s Masters of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) program. He holds degrees in history and urban and regional planning from Auburn University and the University of Tennessee. He has worked extensively with communities throughout Appalachia promoting sustainable growth, asset-based development, and citizen-driven planning processes.

Dr. Ezzell also chairs the UT Appalachian Community of Scholars. He has participated in the ARC sponsored Appalachian Teaching Project since 2002, represents UT in the Consortium of Appalachian Centers and Institutes, and leads the Curriculum team for the Appalachian Leadership Institute. Dr. Ezzell has also led research efforts related to Appalachian development, Appalachian Tourism, and dark skies conservation. In recognition of these efforts, he has been named both an Appalachian Teaching Fellow and an Honorary Appalachian Research Fellow by the Appalachian Regional Commission.