DR. NIGEL N. CLARK
Associate Vice President, Academic Strategic Planning
Professor & George Berry Chair, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
West Virginia University
Since joining the West Virginia University faculty in 1986, South Africa native Nigel Clark has become one of the institution’s most productive faculty researchers, helping to build an internationally recognized academic research program in alternative fuels, engines, and emissions.
As a longtime faculty member in and former director of the Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines, and Emissions in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Dr. Clark has served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on millions in funded research focused on improving fuel efficiency in and reducing harmful emissions from the trucks, buses, and other heavy-duty vehicles in our transportation system helping propel WVU into a position of national leadership in this arena. Visit http://cafee.wvu.edu to learn more.
Dr. Clark has garnered a lengthy list of publications and research and teaching awards at the department, college, and university levels; mentored countless students who have gone on to successful careers of their own; and established an enviable record of service to the profession and the University. He is active in the life of the University and is currently serving as the president of the Faculty Senate.
KEVIN DIGREGORIO
Kevin DiGregorio is the Executive Director of The Chemical Alliance Zone, a nonprofit group dedicated to advancing the chemical industry in West Virginia and boosting the state’s technology economy. Kevin has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from West Virginia University and over 16 years of experience with Union Carbide Corporation and The Dow Chemical Company. He spent his last several years at Dow as the Change Leader at the South Charleston Technology Park. He also is the President and Owner of IMPACT Professional Services LLC, a consulting firm offering consulting and executive management services. Kevin previously served as Executive Director of TechConnectWV.
Kevin conducted biomedical research for his MS and PhD degrees and earned the Young Investigator Award from the Biomedical Engineering Society for his dissertation work. He was awarded the Corporate Fellows Technology Award at Union Carbide Corporation. AtIMPACT, Kevin has worked with numerous companies and organizations and has facilitated a number of collaborative and strategic planning efforts, including Vision 2015: The West Virginia Science and Technology Strategic Plan, the West Virginia University Advanced Energy Initiative Strategic Plan, and the West Virginia Statewide Cyberinfrastructure Strategic Plan to name a few.
Kevin is also a published, freelance writer and sports columnist (“From the Stands” in Blue and Gold News). More recently, he started a business with Rev. Steven Smith, a minister and New Church Coach. Church Revitalization Consulting LLC provides consulting and coaching assistance to churches and faith-based organizations looking to grow their ministries.
Kevin is a member of the WV Governor’s Marcellus to Manufacturing Task Force and theWVMA Marcellus to Manufacturing Committee. He is a Director on a number of statewide Boards, including TechConnectWV, MATRIC (Mid-Atlantic Technology, Research and Innovation Center), and the West Virginia Economic Development Council. He also serves on advisory boards for the National Institute for Chemical Studies, West Virginia University Chemical Engineering Department, and West Virginia State University Chemistry Department. Kevin also serves on the WV Manufacturers Association Chemical Industry Committee, the Applied Process Technology Advisory Committee, the Charleston Area Alliance Vision 2030 Chemical Driver Committee, and the WV Vision Shared Research & Commercialization Committee.
VIGNESH GOWRISHANKAR
Vignesh Gowrishankar is a Staff Scientist in sustainable energy, at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). His work focuses on policies and programs to promote energy efficiency, clean up natural gas production and deploy renewable energy. Vignesh completed his Ph.D. from Stanford University, on next-generation solar cells. While there, he also pursued his M.S. in Management Science and Engineering, with a particular emphasis on the economics and strategies for making renewable energy more viable. Vignesh then worked at McKinsey & Company as a strategy and management consultant, in a variety of industries. Prior to joining NRDC in 2011, Vignesh spent almost two years in Melbourne, Australia, where he was a Senior Policy Adviser on climate change adaptation and mitigation issues, at the Department of Premier and Cabinet that advises the Premier of the State of Victoria. Vignesh blogs on NRDC’s Switchboard.
STEVEN B. HEDRICK
Steven B. Hedrick serves as the president and chief executive officer of MATRIC | Mid-Atlantic Technology, Research & Innovation Center and its wholly owned subsidiaries, and serves on the company’s executive committee and board of directors.
Hedrick has an extensive chemical industry background, most recently having served as Vice President and Head of Bayer CropScience’s Institute Industrial Park, located in West Virginia. Prior to that assignment, he served in multiple locations with Bayer MaterialScience, including service leading the process safety (HSEQ-OS) function of North America operations, and several manufacturing leadership functions. Prior to his opportunities with the Bayer Group, he held positions of increasing responsibility at Lyondell.
He currently serves on the board of directors for several organizations, including the West Virginia Manufacturers Association (WVMA), Charleston Area Alliance, Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce, and Kanawha County Metro-911. He serves as the Vice Chairman of the Economic Development Committee of the Charleston Chamber. He is immediate past chair of the WVMA’s Chemical Industry Committee, which serves as West Virginia’s Chemical Industry Council.
Hedrick’s entry into the chemical industry followed service as an officer in the United States Army. A native of West Virginia, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
HALLIE S. MASON
Hallie S. Mason serves as Public Policy Director to West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin.
Prior to joining the Governor’s staff, Ms. Mason lobbied for three years on behalf of industries with interests in West Virginia. She previously worked nine years as a budget analyst to the West Virginia Legislature’s House Finance Committee.
Ms. Mason completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science at West Virginia University and then received her Master’s Degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
A native of Erie County, Pennsylvania, Ms. Mason now makes West Virginia her home, residing in Charleston, West Virginia, with her husband Grant S. Mason, DDS. Ms. Mason is active in civic and church activities and is an Alumnae of Leadership West Virginia Class of 2002.
BRUCE C. MCKAY
Managing Director, Federal Affairs
Dominion
Bruce McKay serves as Managing Director of Federal Affairs for Dominion, one of the nation’s largest and most diverse energy companies. McKay is responsible for the development and execution of strategies to advance Dominion’s positions on federal policy issues affecting the company. McKay represents Dominion before the Congress and the Executive Branch of the Federal Government.
Prior to joining Dominion, McKay held a similar position with Consolidated Natural Gas. Before that he served as Legislative Director to U.S. Representative Earl Pomeroy (ND) and legislative assistant to former U.S. Senator Quentin Burdick, focusing on energy and natural resource issues.
McKay serves on the board of directors of the Business-Government Relations Council and the Natural Gas Roundtable. He is past chairman of the Legislative Committee of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, Chairman of the Government Relations Committee of the Domestic Petroleum Council, and Chairman of the Legislative Committee of the American Gas Association.
McKay was raised on a farm near Valley City, North Dakota. He attended the University of North Dakota, earning a B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Public Administration. He is married to Anne Miniter McKay, has three children, Justin, Campbell and Jackson, and resides in Great Falls, Virginia.
JANE MICHALEK
Jane Michalek, Vice President, is a business consultant with over 30 years of experience in the domestic and international natural gas, LNG and CNG industries. Ms. Michalek has recently advised clients on strategies for the expansion of natural gas assets and services and provided due diligence support regarding certain North American LNG and natural gas assets. Prior to joining Concentric, Ms. Michalek was Executive Vice President, Trading and Operations/Portfolio Management and Optimisation for GDF SUEZ LNG based in Paris. She has held executive positions in LNG commercial operations, physical trading, risk management, shipping, supply, and business development. Prior to working for GDF SUEZ, Ms. Michalek was responsible for gas supply planning, acquisition, and control for a major New England gas company. She has an MBA from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Notre Dame.
DICK MUNSON
Dick Munson is senior vice president of Recycled Energy Development, a Chicago-based firm that seeks to cut greenhouse-gas emissions profitably. He previously coordinated the Northeast-Midwest Congressional and Senate Coalitions, bipartisan caucuses that conduct policy research and draft legislation on agriculture, economic development, energy, environmental, and manufacturing issues. Dick is the author of several books, including From Edison to Enron, which recounts the history of electricity and suggests an innovation-based vision for the power industry.
ROBERT C. ORNDORFF, JR.
Robert C. Orndorff, Jr., of Salem, W.Va., is managing director, W.Va. State and Local Government Affairs, for Dominion. He is a registered lobbyist in West Virginia, and was previously one in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Orndorff joined the former CNG Transmission Corporation in 1995 as coordinator, Drug and Alcohol Testing. He later became government affairs representative and subsequently was promoted to manager, State and Local Government Affairs, and later director, State and Local Government Affairs.
Active in various community organizations, Orndorff is a board member for the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce and Chair of the Energy Committee, a board member and past Chairman for the Harrison County Chamber of Commerce, West Virginia Education Alliance, Board Member of Leadership WV and a board member of the Allohak Council of the Boy Scouts of America since 1996.
He has served the oil and gas industry in various capacities, including board member and current and past president of both the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association and current Board Member of the Virginia Oil and Gas Association, and past board member of the Ohio Gas Association. He currently serves as an appointee on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission’s publicity committee, the WV Air Quality Review Board for theWV DEP. He also serves on Governor Tomblins Marcellus Task Force and the WV Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle Task Force.
Previously named an Outstanding Young Man of America, Orndorff has been involved in a number of community organizations, including Boy Scouts, church, volunteer fire department, parent-teacher organization and baseball little league.
CHERYL ROBERTO
Cheryl Roberto recently concluded her service as a Commissioner on the Public Utilities
Commission of Ohio. She currently serves on the State and Local Energy Efficiency
Action
Network’s Executive Group. The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance recently awarded
her the 2013 Inspiring Efficiency Leadership Award for her work with the PUCO/DOE CHP pilot.
Previously, she managed municipal utilities serving seven counties in Central Ohio
as Public Utilities Director for Columbus, Ohio. An environmental attorney, she
has served as an assistant attorney general for the state of Ohio and an assistant
counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
MATTHEW WHITE
*Professional Titles and Affiliations
In-house Counsel, IGS Energy
Licensed attorney in West Virginia and Ohio
Member of the Board of Directors for Advance Energy Economy Ohio *
Matthew works as an attorney in IGS Energy’s regulatory affairs and advanced energy departments. At IGS Energy, Matt advocates for the development of fair and competitive natural gas and electric markets throughout the United States. Matt also participates in a number of IGS Energy’s advance energy development projects, including IGS Energy announced $10 million compressed natural gas vehicles station corridor currently being constructed in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Previous to working at IGS Energy, Matt worked as an energy and utilities attorney at the law firm of Chester Willcox & Saxbe. Matt serves on the Board of Directors of Advanced Energy Economy Ohio. From 2010 to 2012 Matt was the Chairman of the Columbus Bar Association’s Energy Law Committee. Before practicing law, Matt worked in the West Virginia Governor’s Office, in the Bob Wise administration. Matt received a JD/MBA from the College of William & Mary and his Bachelor’s in Arts from Ohio University.