The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has chosen 19 leaders for its 2025 Executive Energy Leadership program, known as Energy Execs. This initiative aims to educate decision-makers from various sectors, including government and nonprofit organizations, on effective energy practices for their communities.
The four-month program intends to enhance the participants’ understanding of energy technologies and analytical tools through direct engagement with NREL researchers and professionals. As the energy sector evolves, the Energy Execs program has adapted its curriculum to include the latest innovations.
Participants will visit NREL campuses in Golden and Boulder to learn about current developments in energy. At the program’s conclusion, they will present a group energy project applicable to their respective organizations or communities.
2025 Energy Execs participants:
- Alexandra Rozen, Colorado Public Utilities Commission (Colorado)
- Anas Sadkhi, Denver International Airport (Colorado)
- Brian Bartle, Danone North America (Colorado)
- Bryant Komo, Hawaiian Electric Company (Hawaii)
- Caitlin Casassa, Colorado Office of Sustainability (Colorado)
- Carlos Aguiar-Hernandez, City of Phoenix (Arizona)
- Dana Hoffman, City of Denver, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (Colorado)
- Daniel Tkacik, Carnegie Mellon University Scott Institute for Energy Innovation (Pennsylvania)
- Derrick Cheng, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (California)
- Dominic McGraw, City of Philadelphia, Office of Sustainability (Pennsylvania)
- Elizabeth Lehman, City of Cleveland, Department of Port Control (Ohio)
- Jo Anne Wessinger Hill, Public Service Commission of South Carolina (South Carolina)
- John Parks, Colorado Energy Office (Colorado)
- Monique Lovato, Office of U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (Colorado)
- Peter “Jake” Leech, Southeast Sustainability Directors Network (Florida)
- Raj Basi, POWDR (Utah)
- Samantha Voncannon, energy industry professional (Colorado)
- Stephanie Nowers, Alaska Center for Appropriate Technology / Matanuska-Susitna Borough (Alaska)
- Tyler Hamman, Energy and Environmental Research Center (North Dakota)
Since its launch in 2007, the Energy Execs program has included nearly 400 participants from 39 U.S. states, one U.S. territory and three countries.
