Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance Appoints New Board Members

CHICAGO, June 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Thirteen leaders in energy efficiency and environmental conservation were appointed today to the board of directors for the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA).

"MEEA is fortunate to have some of the nation's foremost experts in energy efficiency guiding us as we continue to grow as an organization," said Jay Wrobel, executive director of MEEA. "This is a pivotal time for the energy industry, and our board's expertise will greatly aid our efforts to promote energy efficiency throughout our 13-state region."

MEEA's newly elected board directors are:

Dave Backen, vice president, utility solutions, lighting and products, Resource Solutions Group (Half Moon Bay, CA)
Dave Backen brings more than 28 years of experience to Resource Solutions Group. He directs a division of the company's implementation practice working with rebate, education and training, and strategic partnership programs in energy and water efficiency. Backen previously served as vice president for Ecos Consulting, and prior to that worked in both the construction and energy industries, including 14 years at PacifiCorp, an electric utility that covers six states.

Mark Kuntz, manager of strategic accounts and utilities, Mitsubishi Electric's Cooling and Heating Solutions (Chicago, IL)
Mark Kuntz has more than 20 years of experience in the utility and HVAC industries. He has served as vice president and general manager of Exelon (Unicom) Distributed Energy as well as director of national accounts for Lennox Industries.  Mark is a professional engineer licensed by the State of California and a LEED Accredited Professional. He currently resides in Chicago.

Patrick Michalkiewicz, manager, energy efficiency & major accounts, Peoples Gas & North Shore Gas (Chicago, IL)
Patrick Michalkiewicz is responsible for the development, management and implementation of the energy efficiency programs for Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas (IL). Patrick has more than 29 years of natural gas and electric utility experience, and is a member of the Chicago Region Initiative for Better Buildings, the Chicago Retrofit Steering Committee and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.  

Agnes Mrozowski, assistant deputy director, Illinois Energy Office (Chicago, IL)
Agnes Mrozowski is the assistant deputy director of State Energy Office for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Mrozowski joined DCEO in 2009, and before that spent more than seven years working for JP Morgan Chase as vice president, focusing on consumer and business lending, investments and compliance operations.  

Paul Schueller, chief executive officer, Franklin Energy Services (Port Washington, WI)
Paul Schueller is the founder of Franklin Energy, a consulting firm specializing in the implementation of energy efficiency programs for utility and state administrative clients. He has also designed demand-side management and market transformation programs for utility and government agency clients in the commercial, industrial, residential and low-income sectors. Prior to starting Franklin Energy, Paul was responsible for the start-up of a successful energy services company.  

Lisa V. Wood, executive director, Institute for Electric Efficiency (Washington, D.C.)
Lisa Wood launched the Institute for Electric Efficiency after more than two decades of directing studies and consulting with electric utilities on retail customer issues. Wood has written numerous articles and is a frequent speaker on energy efficiency, smart pricing, and demand response issues in the electric power industry. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University.

Barry Young, LC, C & I utility program coordinator, MaxLite (West Caldwell, NJ)
Barry Young has more than 20 years of experience in the lighting and electrical industry. As MaxLite's C & I utility program coordinator, Young works with major U.S. utilities on rebate and incentive programs and assists in the specification of lighting products which help projects meet ASHRAE and IES standards, local energy codes and LEED certification.

MEEA's re-elected board members are:

Jeff Haase, demand efficiency program supervisor, Minnesota Department of Commerce (St. Paul, MN)
In his role with the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Jeff Haase works with utilities and energy efficiency stakeholders to develop policies, tools and procedures for reaching the state's 1.5 percent energy conservation goal. He has been with the Department of Commerce in varying capacities since 1998.  He has worked as a project manager in the Department's Energy Facilities Permitting Group, as well as wind program manager and commercial & industrial program manager for the State Energy Office.

Dianne Munns, vice president of energy efficiency and regulatory affairs, MidAmerican Energy (Des Moines, IA)
Prior to joining MidAmerican Energy, Dianne Munns served as executive director of retail energy services for Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the trade association for the nation's investor-owned utilities in Washington D.C. She has also served as chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board, president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and as the first co-chair of the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency. In 2006, Munns received the Public Service Leadership Award from the U.S. Energy Association and Johnson Controls as well as MEEA's Inspiring Efficiency Leadership Award.

Jan Patrick, section manager, Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth, Energy Systems Bureau (Lansing, MI)
Jan Patrick has served in the State of Michigan energy efficiency and renewable energy office for 28 years in various capacities. Currently, she oversees public buildings, transportation and biomass energy/biofuels programs.  Jan represented the Midwest Region on the National Association of State Energy Officials Board of Directors from 2006-2008, and has been a long-time supporter of regional collaboration on several issues, including biofuels infrastructure, biomass CHP and building technology applications.  

Karen Rhodes, manager, energy efficiency marketing, Xcel Energy (Minneapolis, MN)
Karen Rhodes has been with Xcel Energy for more than 10 years. In her current role, she is responsible for energy-efficiency program strategy and achievement, as well as regulatory compliance for programs targeted at business customers. She also currently leads marketing and program management efforts in Minnesota, Colorado, and New Mexico. Prior to Xcel Energy, Rhodes managed one of the largest business energy efficiency programs and was involved in conservation program design for Northern States Power Company.

Emmett R. Romine, manager, energy optimization, DTE Energy (Detroit, MI)
In his role at DTE Energy, Emmett Romine manages the development and roll-out of energy efficiency programs for MichCon and Detroit Edison. He previously served as manager of group performance in Detroit Edison's Distribution Operations organization, and held other leadership roles at DTE on the Enterprise Performance Management and the DTE2 teams.  Before joining DTE Energy, Romine held leadership positions at Enigma and KPMG Consulting, and worked as a manufacturing engineer at Nordyne, Inc.

Jon F. Williams, manager, energy efficiency and peak demand response, AEP Ohio (Canton, OH)
Jon Williams is responsible for the design, implementation and evaluation of energy efficiency and peak demand reduction programs for AEP Ohio's 1.5 million customers.  He has 29 years of experience working with customers on energy-related issues, including energy efficiency, demand response and power quality. Williams previously managed customer services operations in Eastern and Western Ohio for AEP Ohio, and before that oversaw customer services operations in the Virginia area for Appalachian Power.  

About Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance – The Source on Energy Efficiency
The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (www.mwalliance.org) is a collaborative network advancing energy efficiency in the Midwest to support sustainable economic development and environmental preservation.  MEEA bridges the gap between policy adoption and program implementation.

MEEA promotes the market transformation of energy efficiency technologies, processes and best practices within a 13-state area, through policy advocacy, program design and facilitation and piloting of energy technologies. Energy efficiency is the critical first step in meeting our nation's myriad energy challenges due to low entry costs, proven and emerging technologies, ease of implementation, fast return on investment and measurable results.

Through our diverse network of members and regional allies, MEEA possesses the practical experience and informed vision to effect positive change today by supporting the region's stakeholders to achieve their efficiency goals for the future.

SOURCE Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance