2023 Mobilize Speakers
The leaders and champions helping to advance sustainable technology adoption for a better tomorrow
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPEAKERS, MODERATORS, & KEYNOTES
Zach Henkin
Director of EV Program Research
Zach Henkin is the Director of EV Program Research at the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE), where he leads research and analysis focused on adopting and using electric vehicles and infrastructure at scale. Zach brings over ten years of experience researching transportation electrification, has designed numerous large-scale demonstration projects relating to consumer EV adoption, and lectured on EV and charging programs worldwide. Zach has an MBA specializing in renewable energy, formerly served as a planning commissioner and economic development commissioner and is a Third Derivative (D3) cleantech mentor.
Mike Coley
President ASE Education Foundation
Mike Coley has been with ASE for more than 25 years, serving as President of the ASE Education Foundation since 2019. Prior to that, he served as Senior VP for ASE, directing Operations, Test Development, Customer Service, and MIS workgroups, along with coordination with ASE’s testing contractor, Prometric. In that role, he led the conversion of ASE tests from paper-pencil to computer, the construction of ASE’s first CRM system, and the development of the ASE Renewal App. Prior to joining the ASE staff, Coley managed his family’s automotive repair business in San Antonio, Texas, and served on the ASE Board of Directors, including a term as Chairman in 1991. Coley has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from SMU in Dallas, Texas, an MBA from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and previously taught Automotive Emissions classes at Northern Virginia Community College
Paola Santana
Founder & CEO
Paola Santana is a lawyer, public procurement expert and serial tech entrepreneur, creating the next breakthrough in government systems. She's the founder and CEO of GLASS, a Silicon Valley startup revolutionizing how governments buy with pioneering G-Commerce. Previously, she co-founded Matternet, a Silicon Valley company pioneering drone logistics networks. Under her leadership, Matternet engaged with The White House, US Congress, FAA, and NASA to enact the first drone regulation in the United States in 2016, and became the world’s first drone delivery platform authorized for permanent operations over a populated city in 2017. She co-established the Dominican Republic’s Constitutional Court, and worked at the National Elections Court coordinating the Elections Litigation Chamber. She has also collaborated with the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the OECD, developing striking public infrastructure projects and strategic partnerships integrating exponential technologies. She’s best known for her ability to create things from scratch at the intersection of the public, private and regulatory domains, and for her track record introducing cutting-edge technologies into highly-regulated markets. Her most recent experience includes co-drafting the public-private partnership enabling the first multi-state Hyperloop system in the United States. A Fulbright scholar and graduate from George Washington, Georgetown and Singularity University, she’s been featured as CNET Top 20 Latin in Tech, Forbes Next 1000, LinkedIn Top Professionals Under 35 in Enterprise Tech, and served as Lead of the UN International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Unmanned Aircraft Systems Advisory Group and appointed member of the first FAA Drone Advisory Committee.
Michael Laughlin
Technology Manager
Mr. Laughlin is a Technology Manager in the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) Technology Integration (TI) program, bringing almost 30 years of alternative fuel and advanced transportation technology experience to his role. He manages a portfolio of competitively awarded DOE TI programs to demonstrate and deploy alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure, including projects to deploy electric vehicles and infrastructure for communities across the U.S. and develop educational products for workplace charging initiatives. He also manages TI technical work with DOE national laboratories to create technical assistance products for education and outreach, including the DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center and the Fuel Economy Guide. He serves as the liaison between TI and the VTO Energy Efficient Mobility Systems (EEMS) program, translating EEMS technical findings into insights for TI stakeholders. Mr. Laughlin also serves as the Director for the 21st Century Truck Partnership, a government/industry collaboration for advanced commercial medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicle research with major commercial vehicle OEMs and industry suppliers.
Gordon Linton
Former Federal Transit Administrator and State Legislator
Gordon Linton’s highly transformational and accomplished career in public policy and public service has been recognized for shaping horizons and creating new channels of opportunity. When announcing his presidential appointment, President Clinton called him a “distinguished Public Servant“. His policy recommendations, legislative achievements and executed projects focused on delivering measurable results. They operate within the nexus of the social, economic and political challenges inour diverse society. As a student of cause and effect and a practitioner of change and results the lasting impact of his work continues.
Terri Mestas
Chief Development Officer
Terri Mestas is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience leading private and public organizations with a domestic and international presence. She leads LAWAs $30B Capital Improvement Program, that includes projects such as the Automated People Mover, the new Terminal 9, new Concourse 0, new Cargo Facilities, new Roadways into LAX, Runway and Taxiway Projects, among other projects. She leads a team of dedicated staff members with support from over 450 companies executing work at Los Angeles International (LAX), Van Nuys and Palmdale Airports.
Dr. Kate Forrest
Senior Scientist
Dr. Kate Forrest is a senior scientist in the Advanced Power and Energy Program at the University of California, Irvine. She has nine years of experience in clean energy and transportation research. Her research focuses on zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, vehicle-grid integration, and energy storage opportunities for achieving California’s greenhouse gas and air quality goals.
James Makil
Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO)
James Makil has spent over 15 years in information security which includes professional experience with Realtor.com, Move.com, Redspin Inc, Rapid 7, and Cynergistek before joining Nth Generation. He has helped hundreds of institutions understand the risks and threats of Internet security and conducted numerous security assessments in a number of industries. He has completed over 280 different assessments, many using the NIST cybersecurity framework (CSF). His experience spans the financial sector (FFIEC/GLBA/PCI-DSS), credit unions (NCUA), the gaming industry, the energy sector (NERC), the Transportation Systems Sector (NIPP-RMF) and healthcare (HIPAA). Mr. Makil holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems and an MBA with a focus in Information Assurance.
Blake Lane, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
Blake Lane is a Senior Scientist at the Advanced Power and Energy Program of the University of California, Irvine where he manages the Vehicle and Fuel Research Operations. Blake has initiated research thrusts for cooperative driving automation impacts on zero-emission vehicle technologies within the HORIBA Institute for Mobility and Connectivity2. Additional research foci are optimal rollout of alternative fuel and vehicle technologies, techno-economic and market projections for alternative fuels, and the analysis and integration of the transportation sector with the electricity and hydrogen power grids. Blake earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of California, Irvine, where he also earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Blake was awarded the National Science Foundation’s Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship in 2015.
Larry Rillera
Air Pollution Specialist
Larry Rillera is an Air Pollution Specialist with the California Energy Commission. Through the Clean Transportation Program, Larry leads policies, investments, and teams for zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) workforce training and development, equity outreach and engagement, and partnership activities. He serves on many State interagency teams, public-private-partnership ventures, engages with community based organizations and businesses to advance clean energy and transportation throughout the state. Larry was the architect of innovative financing mechanisms for solar panel manufacturers and for the “Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Financing Program” through the State Treasurer’s Office. Larry was former Manager of Legislative Affairs for Caltrans, Superintendent of Parks and Facilities with the City of Palm Desert, and horticulturalists for the City of Newport Beach Larry received a Bachelor of Science in Plant Science at the University of California at Davis and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Southern California.
Alex Pawlowski
Senior Regulatory Strategy Specialist
Alex Pawlowski is a Senior Regulatory Strategy Specialist at Kia America, where he works in three key areas for Kia: vehicle environmental regulations, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and policy, and Vehicle to Home opportunities. Alex received his master's in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee where he conducted research in multiple projects funded by the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Asad Lesani
Vice President
Smart Infrastructure Products
Asad Lesani is the Vice President of Smart Infrastructure Products at Ouster. He has a Ph.D. in Transportation from McGill University, Canada, and B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering. He has more than ten years of experience in the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems and Transportation Safety. After finishing his Ph.D., Asad co-founded Bluecity Technology Inc in 2018, a startup that developed an AI-Powered Multi-Modal Traffic Monitoring and Data Analytics Platform Powered by Lidar Technology. The solution has been deployed at over 250 intersections globally, helping cities improve road safety and mobility. The company was later acquired by Velodyne Lidar Inc in 2022 and merged with Ouster in 2023.
Dean Tedtaotao
LA County Fleet Superintendent
Dean Tedtaotao is a Shop Superintendent in the Fleet Management Division of the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works. The department provides public infrastructure and municipal services to protect and enrich the daily lives of over ten million people in Los Angeles County. He currently oversees the fleet operations for approximately 450 of the department’s 3100 vehicles at Hollydale Shop in Los Angeles which is one of 6 maintenance shops strategically located throughout Los Angeles County. Dean is a graduate of the General Motors ASEP program and is currently the Vice-President for the Municipal Equipment Maintenance Association. He has worked for Public Works for 23 years.
Priscilla Englert
OEM Automotive Instructor
Priscilla Englert graduated from CSULA with a bachelor's in Industrial Technology with an emphasis in Manufacturing Design. She landed her first job as a Design Engineer and designed internal combustion engine pistons for race teams and enthusiasts. After a few years, Priscilla went back to school at the University of La Verne to complete a teaching credential program and get her Master’s Degree in Education. With her newfound skills, she worked as a high school automotive technology teacher at Bonita High School in La Verne for 10 years. She has been an Automotive and Toyota T-TEN instructor at Citrus College since the Fall of 2019. Priscilla finds joy in bringing her passion for cars and the industry to the table and sharing it with her students.
Frederick Gruner
Principal Engineer
Fred holds over 50 patents and is a Principal Engineer at NVIDIA Corporation, as a lead safety architect for driverless cars. Fred’s patents have resulted in an increase in revenue of hundreds of millions of dollars for the companies he worked for, higher reliability and confidence in computational results in supercomputers, and savings of hundreds of engineering years for OEMs. Fred has been employed with NVIDIA Corporation as a Principal Engineer and Lead Architect, where he has worked on video processors, graphics processors, and mobile processors. Fred’s areas of expertise include network packet processing, computer vision, video processing (one of the core technologies in self-driving cars), graphics processor design, CPU architecture, automotive functional safety, artificial intelligence, and highly reliable computing.
Ghazal Razeghi, Ph.D.
Microgrid and Smart Grid Technologies Manager
Dr. Razeghi is the Microgrid and Smart Grid Technologies Manager and a senior research scientist at APEP and provides expertise in optimization, non-linear programming, alternative transportation, and electricity market modeling and analysis. One of her current research topics includes vehicle to home (V2H) and use of EVs as a grid resource to reduce energy costs and increase resiliency. She received the Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from UC Irvine.
David Sosa
Manager, Collision Research & Development Workshop
David Sosa is currently serving as the manager of the Collision Research & Development Workshop for Rivian Automotive. In this role David works alongside an incredibly talented technical team who specialize in the testing and validating the Rivian specific repair processes and procedures. Before joining the Research & Development team David worked as a Collision Repair, Technical Specialist developing the Rivian specific repair procedures, guidelines, and position statements.
Francis Alvarez
Senior Research Analyst
Francis Alvarez, Senior Research Analyst on the Center for Sustainable Energy’s (CSE) Transparency and Insights team, has three years of industry experience working with data to leverage insights that promote informed program decisions. He has worked with program data from California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) to forecast program participation for statewide goals and predict the impacts of leading indicators on participation. Francis is also the Co-director of the San Diego Regional Clean Cities Coalition where he is responsible for coordinating efforts to promote clean and sustainable transportation to local stakeholders. Francis holds an M.S. from San Diego State University and a B.S. from University of California at San Diego.
Stan Young, Ph.D.
Mobility Innovations,
Equity Team Leader
Dr. Young serves as the Mobility Innovations and Equity team leader at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Chief Data Officer for the Eastern Transportation Coalition. Previously he served on staff at the University of Maryland Center for Advanced Transportation Technology, the Kansas DOT and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Dr. Young is the technical architect of the Eastern Transportation Coalition Traffic Data Marketplace, developed and commercialized Bluetooth traffic monitoring, and co-developed the Department of Energy’s Mobility Energy Productivity metric. Dr. Young is a graduate of Kansas State University and served in the United States Peace Corps.
Dr. Pete Thimmaiah
Canada Lead for Transportation Decarbonization
Dr. Pete Thimmaiah is the Canada Lead for Transportation Decarbonization and a key strategist driving the global Green Fleets Practice development at Jacobs Solutions Inc. With a wealth of experience in decarbonization road mapping, project management, policy development, and fostering external relationships, including business development, Pete is at the forefront of sustainable transportation solutions. Before joining Jacobs, Pete successfully managed a core team responsible for delivering the B.C. government's CLEANBC programs dedicated to advancing zero-emission fleets. His leadership extended to spearheading initiatives such as the Go Electric Fleets Program and the West Coast Electric Fleets Program. Pete holds a Ph.D. in Alternative Energy Engineering and boasts numerous scientific publications in clean energy technologies.
Shawn Armour
Educator & Solutions Expert
Shawn Armour is a solution expert, change agent, mentor, motivator, educator and advocate for children of color. He is the cofounder, executive director, visionary and strategist behind Compukidz Worldwide (501c3) Nonprofit leading the charge for leveling the playing field for education technology educating kids of color to their full potential. A native, from St. Louis Missouri Shawn graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting & Associate of Arts in Computer Science from Grambling State University. He later obtained his MBA in Business Administration from Webster University. With over 20 years of work in changing the landscape for youth he has partnered with public & private schools and school districts in the United States to help them create collaborative, anti-racist learning environments grounded in equity. Now the focus is shifting to green spaces and including a youth perspective.
Michael Weseloh
Director of Electrical Contracting Partnerships
Michael Weseloh believes cost-effective charging for electric vehicles should be ubiquitous and equitably available to everyone. With ~80% of charging done at home and ~40% of Americans living in Multifamily properties he became the Director of Electric Contractor Partnerships for GoPowerEV to help this belief become a reality. Michael is building a partner ecosystem for GoPowerEV, beginning with electrical contractors. Michael has 30 years of experience in Silicon Valley companies, including steering committee and board positions with UPnP and ZigBee respectively and has additionally been a voting member in IEEE802.
Josh Friedman
Owner
Josh Friedman, owner of One Zero Digital Media and Zero Point Activation based in North Tustin, California, has been a business owner and entrepreneur since 2008. His flagship company One Zero Digital Media is a full production house specializing in videography, photography and music production. He has also been flying drones for videography and photography since 2013 and has created aerial content for HGTV, ESPN, the Ports of LA and Long Beach and dozens of clients for short films, commercials, and marketing videos. As an educator he has taught digital media and drone classes at Golden West College, Cypress College, Coastline College and Cal Poly Pomona and coordinated three National Drone Educators Conferences, and he is currently on faculty at West Valley College in Saratoga, CA teaching on classes in Drone Videography and photography. He also recently worked as a lead consultant on a $ 1.8 million Strong Workforce Grant funded through the California Community College System. More at www.OneZeroDM.com.
Cynthia Eckles
President
Cynthia (Shaw) Eckles is the President and Sole Proprietor of Cinman Consulting, a small, minority-owned woman business founded in 2012 in Tacoma, WA. Cinman Consulting's mission is to help companies win government/private sector contracts and/or reduce operational waste within their organizations through continuous improvement activities with a commitment to diversity and inclusion leading to increased profits and/or savings. Ms. Eckles earned a Master of Business (MBA) degree from Concordia University, Mequon, WA, and her undergraduate Business of Administration (BA) degree from Alverno, College of Milwaukee, WI. In 2020, Cinman Consulting was awarded the Minority Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certifications from Washington State Office of Minority Women Business Enterprise (OMWBE).
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
John P. Keisler is currently the CEO & Managing Partner for Sunstone Management, Inc., a venture capital firm located in Southern California that invests in diverse early-stage technology startups through innovative public-private-partnerships that blend unique expertise across government, education, and private sectors. Previous to Sunstone Management, Mr. Keisler spent over 20 years in public service, most recently as the Economic Development Director for the City of Long Beach. With approximately 500,000 residents, the City of Long Beach is the 7th largest city in California and a major engine of economic development for the region and the nation through its university, history of aerospace manufacturing, and its international seaport. Under his leadership, the organization created an innovative Blueprint for Economic Development, and helped to facilitate an historic increase of private sector investment in the city. The mission of the award-winning organization, and John’s personal passion, is to increase equitable economic opportunities for workers, investors, and entrepreneurs in Long Beach and throughout California.
Leah Goold-Haws
President/CEO
Leah Goold-Haws is currently the President/CEO of the Long Beach Economic Partnership (aka LBEP) a 501c3 non-profit advancing economic and workforce development on behalf of the City of Long Beach. Previously, Leah served on the City of Long Beach Economic Commission as the Commissioner for International Trade and has collaborated with the Port of Long Beach to relaunch the World Trade Center Long Beach under LBEP. Leah's career in international business spans over fifteen years, having most recently served as the Statewide Director for the California International Trade Center (CITC aka CITD).
Eddie Lin
Co-Founder, CEO
Eddie founded NexusEdge Education to equalize access to training and recruiting so that every person has equal opportunities regardless of their background. NexusEdge provides tools that reduce teacher workload while ensuring that classroom curriculum reflects current employer expectations at all times. Eddie has served as faculty at 2 California Community Colleges, and is an alumni of Goldman Sachs, UBS Investment Bank, Adobe, and Live Nation/Ticketmaster. Eddie received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and received his MBA at the University of Southern California where he served as student body president.
Peggy M. Quijada de Franke
Director of Facilities, Planning and Development
Ms. Quijada is a PE (Professional Engineer) who holds an MBA and an MSc in Civil Engineering (Structures). Ms. Quijada has over 26 years of experience in engineering, planning, and management. In 2014, Ms. Quijada joined the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) and in 2020, she assumed the position of Director of the Facilities, Planning and Development Department. As Director of FPD, she oversees the development and execution of Clean Energy projects, Schedule Maintenance Projects, and Deferred Maintenance projects for LACCD’s nine colleges and satellite campuses. Currently, she oversees the design and installation of 1300 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations funded by LADWP and SCE grants and hands-on training to 23 students in EVCS and energy efficiency through DoJ Automobile Emissions Research and Technology Grant Funds.
Brett Graessle
Vice President of Global Partnerships & Business Development
Brett Graessle is a business leader with more than 20+ years of experience in technology and finance-related fields. He currently serves as Vice President of Global Partnerships and Business Development at Wallbox, where he focuses on driving strategic partnerships and business development for Wallbox electric vehicle chargers and services with key global customers across various sectors, including retail, automotive, and multinational companies.
Brandon Church
President
Brandon Church, a seasoned digital marketing professional and the President of Clear Digital Labs, is renowned for his innovative approach in offering work-based training and apprenticeship opportunities within the digital marketing industry. With a fervent belief in creating practical learning experiences, Brandon launched Clear Digital Labs to navigate the intricate paths of the industry and provide invaluable, hands-on experiences to aspiring digital marketers. Under Brandon's leadership, Clear Digital Labs emphasizes delivering pragmatic training, ensuring that individuals not only grasp theoretical knowledge but also acquire the practical skills required in the ever-evolving digital marketing sphere. His commitment to bridging the gap between academic knowledge and industry requirements has established a robust platform where individuals can hone their skills and step confidently into the professional world.
David Park
Industry Affairs Director
David Park is the Industry Affairs Director of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership, where he works to align fuel cell electric vehicle rollout with hydrogen supply chain. It is the goal of the Partnership to remove friction in this rapidly evolving hydrogen economy. David’s background is transportation, environment and public policy. It is his passion to motivate society to prefer sustainable transportation choices through long-term behavioral changes. He holds degrees in environmental engineering and public health.
Jeff Lee
EV Charging Systems Sales Manager
Jeff Lee is the EV Charging Systems Sales Manager at BorgWarner, a global manufacturer of high-power DC Fast Chargers made in the USA. Jeff and his team provide innovative solutions for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications, sequential charging for fleet and workplace charging, and NEVI-compliant public chargers. Prior to joining BorgWarner, Jeff spent 16 years as General Manager and Operating Partner in the automotive retail sector, where he scaled operations for import and domestic OEM franchises, piloted dealership EV infrastructure programs, and served on the advisory board for State and local clean vehicle grant programs.
Jay Seidel
Professor
Jay Seidel is a professor and the director of the Fullerton Drone Lab at Fullerton College where he trains pilots and helps to develop workforce skills. He is a Part 107 certified UAS Pilot, and an AUVSI TOP (Level 3) UAV Instructor who guided the Fullerton program to become an ASTM Certified Training Center. Jay is a representative of the FAA’s Safety Team where he is the Drone Pro for Orange and Los Angeles counties. He regularly speaks across Southern California communities about drone safety, regulations, and drone education. He is president of the California Chapter of AUVSI (Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International) and is also a certified thermographer and trains students on acquiring and interpreting thermal images and data. He has taught drone courses at Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Channel Islands and has authored the drone training textbook Drones: Training and Applications to Digital Imaging, now in its fourth edition.
Mark Rubalcaba
Senior Manager, Component
Planning & Process
Mark Rubalcaba is a Senior Manager for Hyundai North America responsible for national dealer operational functions related to parts supply for new model vehicle and recall planning. Mark has 25 years of OEM Automotive experience (Toyota, Mazda, Chrysler, Hyundai) in Vehicle Product Quality, Process Improvement, Distribution Operations, Logistics, Legal, Compliance, EH&S, Recall and Warranty Operations.
David Blekhman
Professor of Sustainable Energy
and Transportation
Dr. David Blekhman, a professor of Sustainable Energy and Transportation at Cal State LA, is a pioneering figure in the field. As the founding technical director of the Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, he leads the only academic campus facility that produces hydrogen through electrolysis. His expertise in hydrogen transportation has garnered international recognition, including the prestigious 2019-20 Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Alternative Energy Technology in Sweden. Dr. Blekhman's leadership has secured multimillion-dollar funding from organizations like NSF, DOE, and CEC for hydrogen infrastructure and advanced transportation projects. He actively shapes California's clean energy workforce through innovative courses and student-centered research. Blekhman earned his BS and MS degrees in Thermal Physics and Engineering from Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University in Russia and a PhD. in Mechanical Engineering from SUNY Buffalo.
Marion Jane Colston
Senior Director, Strategic & Organizational Planning
Marion Jane Colston, is the Senior Director, Strategic & Organizational Planning employed with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), where she directs, manages, plans, and oversees the activities, projects, and programs of Metro’s diverse teams and supports agency-wide strategic workforce development, next-generation workforce programs, and strategic goals and objectives. Ms. Colston leads a team of talented and resolute professionals responsible for strategic workforce development activities to meet LA Metro’s business needs. In this role, her team oversees the company’s Transportation Gateway Programs which introduces the next generation of the workforce to careers in transportation. Marion plays a pivotal leadership role in providing Next Generation Workforce Development Programs, when working with internal/external stakeholders to build a diverse and inclusive organizational culture through offering summer high school internships, college internships, and entry-level training opportunities to recent college graduates.
Ryan La Rosa
Co-Founder and COO
Ryan is the Co-Founder and COO of Award Winning, Long Beach-based advertising agency, Commune Communication. Ryan is an advertising veteran having led global strategy for brands of all sizes during his time in New York and Los Angeles. Since founding Commune in 2016, Ryan has grown Commune into the premiere creative agency in Long Beach and one of the most sought-after national shops for transportation-focused brands and emerging technology startups.
DR. NOEL HACEGABA
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Dr. Noel Hacegaba is the Chief Operating Officer of the Port of Long Beach, North America’s second-busiest container port. He is responsible for managing the Port’s day-to-day operations, including commercial operations, finance and administration, engineering services, planning and environmental affairs, human resources, communications and government relations. In recent years, Dr. Hacegaba led the Port’s response to the pandemic-induced supply chain crisis, directing the Port’s Business Recovery Taskforce and coordinating with industry, labor and government partners to identify near-term solutions. Dr. Hacegaba is also leading the development of the Port’s digital initiative known as the Supply Chain Information Highway, which seeks to close the gap on the lack of visibility and data sharing in goods movement by enabling end-to-end visibility and coast-to-coast connectivity.
Keith Wolzinger
Certified Flight Instructor
and Remote Pilot
Keith Wolzinger has been in the aviation industry over 50 years, having just completed a 38-year career as a pilot for American Airlines. He is a graduate of the San Jose State University Aeronautics program, and received his MS in Aviation Safety from USC. He holds the FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate with type ratings for B-757, B-767, B-777, and DC-9 airplanes, as well as a Commercial Pilot Single Engine- Sea rating. In addition, Keith is a Certified Flight Instructor and Remote (Drone) Pilot. He is a forward-thinking aviation leader and is actively working in the aviation sustainability, Advanced Air Mobility (AMM), and Flight Safety focus areas.
Mayda P. Bandy
Client Director
Ms. Mayda P. Bandy is a Client Director at Black & Veatch with over 20 years of experience in government, water, and energy sectors. Ms. Bandy is successful at leveraging trade and client relationships to create mutually beneficial partnerships in areas such as resilience, sustainability, electrification, and other emerging client needs. Her direct efforts in water and energy decarbonization have led to a reduction of 57,000 metric tons of CO2 or >80 MWh avoided.
Howard J. Brantley
Manager, Business Coaches
Northern California
Howard has been a leader in the Retail industry for over 20 years. Howard has been a part the Amazon Team for two years and currently serves as the Manager, Business Coaches-Northern California within the Last Mile Organization. Prior to Amazon, Howard spent the five years as a Licensed Stores District Manager for Starbucks Coffee Company. In this capacity, he coached and consulted with Licensees on creating the best Starbucks Experience and delivering great business results within the Pacific Northwest. He also started the Pacific Northwest Chapter of Black Partner Network for Starbucks, where he served as the Co-Chair.
Robert Kleinhenz
Director, Office of Economic Research
Daniel Scalese
Program Administrator, Aircraft Accident Laboratory Manager
Daniel Scalese is a Program Administrator and the Aircraft Accident Laboratory Manager for the University of Southern California’s Aviation Safety and Security Program. He has earned Masters of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Applied Psychology at USC, the latter including an internship with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Air Support Division and a treatise project with the Flight Safety Foundation. He holds a Professional Engineer (Mechanical) license for the State of California.
Thomas Anthony
Director, Aviation Safety
and Security Program
Present position as Director of the USC Aviation Safety and Security Program. Instructor in Aviation Safety Management Systems, Aircraft Accident Investigations, SMS for Managers, and Aviation Security courses since 2007. Member of the Technical Advisory Board for Aviation Safety to SCOOT Airlines and the Business Aircraft Advisory Committee to the Flight Safety Foundation. Established the current USC Aircraft Accident Investigation lab comprising twelve aircraft wreckages to serve as case study examples in the courses Aircraft Accident Investigation, Helicopter Accident Investigation, Gas Turbine Accident Investigation, Incident Investigation and Analysis, Safety Management for Remotely Piloted Vehicles, and Aviation Security Management Systems.
Laura Iannaccone
Manager, EES Clean Transportation and Energy Programs
Laura Iannaccone joined the County of Los Angeles’ Internal Services Department with the Energy and Environmental Services (EES) Team in 2019. She serves as the Manager of EES’ Clean Transportation and Energy Programs and is working to meet the County’s Sustainability zero emission vehicle and clean mobility goals. Previous to joining EES, she worked in various roles with the City of New York to meet it PlaNYC energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction goals. Laura has over 20 years of experience working at local and international levels on various environmental and sustainable development initiatives.
Vivian Shimoyama
Chair of the Board
Vivian Shimoyama has lead initiatives for public, non-profit, and private sector organizations setting strategic vision which results in economic impact, equity, and economic inclusion. As a recognized expert on small businesses, she advocates for thousands of small business owners through local, state, and national policy initiatives. Vivian built the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative for Southern California and has advised the President and U.S. Congress on issues important to women business owners. She is the Chair of the Board for the Long Beach Accelerator, and Vice-Chair of the Long Beach Economic Development Commission.
Sergio Cecutta
Partner, SMG Consulting LLC
Sergio Cecutta is a partner and co-founder at SMG Consulting, an Aerospace, Defense and Autotech consulting firm, where he leads the Advanced Air Mobility practice and he oversees strategy, product management, market analysis and business development for a diverse client portfolio of worldwide companies. He has been a part of the Advanced Air Mobility industry since its early days. He has spearheaded multiple research projects and helped clients understand the market and provide tailored products. As a senior executive at multiple Fortune 200 companies, he has been involved with the development and introduction of products like the Airbus A380, the SmartView Synthetic Vision System and the Gulfstream G500/600.
