Advanced Energy Group

HG CHISSELL, FoundeR & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

H.G. Chissell is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Energy Group.  Previously, H.G Chissell served as Chief Commercial Officer at GridMarket and Senior Vice President of Strategic Accounts for Viridity Energy, a software/service firm focused on virtual power generation and advanced energy optimization. Mr. Chissell was with Viridity Energy from its beginning in 2009, leading the company’s growth of MWs under management and strategic expansion throughout PJM, NYISO and ERCOT across all key verticals. Key accomplishments include the first behind-the-meter frequency regulation battery project in PJM, first 1 MW behind-the-meter battery project in Chicago, first full spectrum DR battery project in New York City and multi-site EV2Grid project with the Pentagon in PJM and ERCOT.

Mr. Chissell graduated from Swarthmore College, studied architecture at Drexel University and received his accreditation as a LEED AP.  Mr. Chissell focuses on advanced public/private solutions and partnerships, specifically with the DOD, cities, portfolio real estate companies, energy storage integrators, regulators and utilities.

H.G. Chissell is Board Member of NECEC. H.G. is a facilitator for the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum, the ConEdison Energy Storage Working Group, Microgrid Knowledge Conference 2018 and Energy Thought Summit 2017 and 2018. In 2014, Mr. Chissell received the Federal Energy and Water Management Award for his work with US Army Base Fort Meade and American Water.

He has served as Co-Chair of the DEI Committee for NYECC, Board Member of Legacy Engineers,Leadership Council member of Association of Climate Officers, and Advisory Board member for the Energy Storage Association, Energy Storage North America.

Prior to Viridity Energy, Mr. Chissell led a sustainability/energy team at Gap International, a global consulting firm specializing in breakthrough leadership.  Mr. Chissell began his commercial career at RDLA, a healthcare architecture firm in Philadelphia.

H.G. Chissell is also the Managing Director of Advanced Energy Agency, a consulting services firm that provides consulting, market strategy, stakeholder facilitation and full media services.

-hgchissell@goadvancedenergy.com

MARIA BOCANEGRA, AEG GUEST FACILITATOR

With over 10 years of legal experience and proven ability to pivot into many areas of law, regulation and policy issues, Maria Bocanegra serves as Chief Legal Officer for the Port of Cleveland. A new and critical role for the Port in its 54-year history, she oversees all legal matters both internally and externally for the Port including its ethics, risk, compliance, labor, contracts, business transactions, bond financing, corporate governance and managing outside counsel. Maria also serves as its corporate secretary, ethics officer and provides strategic support for its external affairs on federal and state legislative & regulatory matters, including but not limited to environmental, energy and water matters, supply chain and economic development opportunities.

She previously served as Commissioner with the Illinois Commerce Commission, regulating investor-owned electric, gas & water utilities in highly complex & technical matters. There, she gained national recognition in both the transportation electrification and water space and served as Chair of the EV Working Group and Chair for the Committee on Water. She also served on University of Missouri’s FRI Advisory Council, the National EV Charging Initiative’s Advisory Council, amongst other groups. She continues to provide strategic leadership & guidance in those areas through select Board memberships.

She has been recognized by Fortnightly’s Under 40, Negocios Now’s 40 Under 40, Negocios Now’s Who’s Who In Hispanic Chicago, Negocios Now’s Rising Star and by Latino Leaders Magazine. Her work has been featured in Utility Dive, T&D World and Bloomberg Law.

JESSICA LANG, Manager, ENTERPRISE SUCCESS

Jessica (Jess) Lang is the Enterprise Success Manager for Advanced Energy Group (AEG). Jess manages AEG’s Sponsorships, Operations, Marketing, and Fellowship program.

Since joining AEG in March 2020, Jess has managed and deployed 75+ virtual and in-person Stakeholder Challenges across the US, including Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Jess has organized and supported the success of 500+ Task Force Leaders to achieve 122 quarterly milestones, and 23 12-month solutions. Jess has convened 4,200+ leaders to attend AEG events. 

Jess actively manages 70 AEG Sponsors and City Partners to ensure all organizations fully realize their Sponsorship benefits through attendance, speaking opportunities, and promotion at AEG Stakeholder Challenges.

Jess has led external engagements for AEA (Advanced Energy Agency) with companies such as Orsted, Global Partners, MDDC-UA, Roxbury Community College, AABE, New Energy Events, and NECEC.

Jess spent 2018-2020 in New York City working in energy efficiency, where she performed Sales Operations and Tradeshows and Events management. Jess has facilitated and optimized operations for health care and hospitality organizations since 2009.

Jess graduated from the University of Ottawa in 2014 with an Honors Bachelor Degree in English Literature, and a Minor in Film Studies. Jess comes to Advanced Energy Group with a passion for sustainability, customer success, community engagement and organizational operations.

JACK JORDAN, LEAD FELLOW, CHICAGO

Jack is a student at Northwestern University pursuing degrees in American Studies and Environmental Science with a focus in energy and sustainability. Studying the science of climate change in parallel with its broad societal impacts, Jack seeks to use energy innovation as a tool for achieving greater equitability and environmental justice for marginalized communities, especially in Chicago. As a Science and Policy intern with the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC), Jack monitored air pollution in communities across Chicago’s south and west sides and researched the role of trucking electrification in reducing harmful PM 2.5 emissions. In addition, he aided in writing reports detailing wind and solar supply chains for legislators in Michigan and Wisconsin. Jack is a Chick Evans Scholar, plays for the Northwestern Men's Rugby Team and has a robust collection of vintage vinyl records.

MICHAEL THUIS, Lead FELLOW, CHICAGO

Michael is a Materials Science and Engineering Ph.D. student at Northwestern University in the Haile group and is a first-generation student. As a GEM fellow, his research focuses on the high-throughput characterization of sodium ion conductors for next generation batteries. Overall, his prior research work surrounds the 21st century energy transition, with prior work experience in photovoltaic (PV) reliability and building efficiency at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and solid-state lithium-ion electrolytes at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This comes with a particular focus on public policy, involving a policy internship with the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technology Office (BTO). 

Outside of research and Northwestern, Michael is heavily involved with the American Ceramic Society (ACerS) President’s Council of Student Advisors (PCSA) where he serves as the External Partnership Committee (EPC) Chair. He has also been heavily involved with building entrepreneurship and innovation (E&I) initiatives including serving as a Stanford d.school University Innovation Fellow (UIF) and helping run 9 innovation conferences/competitions (among other initiatives).

Kimberly Lewis, Lead Fellow, Caribbean

Kimberly Lewis, Program Manager at ECS, manages energy efficient building upgrades across the country. She graduated from The University of Delaware with a dual degree in Energy and Environmental Policy and Environmental Studies. To further her knowledge on green building practices and principles, she is currently pursuing her LEED Accreditation. Hailing from Trinidad and Tobago, Kimberly is passionate about Renewable Energy Deployment in the Caribbean Region.  She has a keen interest in planning and acting now to create a better tomorrow. Kimberly’s passion for customer engagement and sustainability is rivaled only by her passion for traveling and the outdoors. 

ALEXIS DANKMYER, LEAD FELLOW, NEW YORK CITY

Alexis is currently based in New York City as an Analyst in the retail space. She received her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Business from Lehigh University. She has previously worked in both the utility and manufacturing spaces. She has a genuine passion for clean energy and sustainability. Alexis is looking to expand her knowledge to have an impactful role in helping her city meet their energy goals.

JEMARIS MARTES, LEAD FELLOW, PUERTO RICO

Jemaris (Jema) Martes works as a Reliability and Analytics Engineer at GE Renewable Energy, where she recently graduated from the Edison Engineering Development Program. Throughout the program’s course, she completed technical training on wind turbine, hydroelectric, and grid modernization projects. In parallel, she held rotations assessing the lifecycle costs and design of wind turbine components as well as overseeing the execution of wind farm projects.

Her experiences growing up in Puerto Rico, an island that has been greatly affected by climate change and where an unreliable power grid continues to negatively impact communities, fueled her passion to fight towards sustainable development and environmental justice. She earned her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico and is currently pursuing a Mechanical Engineering master’s degree at Georgia Tech, focusing on Energy Policy and Data Analytics. 

While fulfilling her drive to engineer and deploy clean energy generation alternatives, Jema co-leads the Green Team at the GE Renewables site in Greenville, SC to help reduce the site’s carbon footprint. As part of AEG, she aspires to facilitate stakeholder discussions and support projects that focus on the decarbonization and resilience of critical infrastructure in the Caribbean. 

BENEDICT VERGARA, FELLOW, DMV (DC, MD, VA)

Ben is a doctoral research assistant at The George Washington University (GWU), pursuing his doctorate in Electrical Engineering with a focus on power and energy for smart cities. Ben applies optimization and machine learning techniques to solve energy scheduling problems for cities with a diverse energy generation and storage portfolio. Additionally, Ben is an Adjunct Instructor at GWU teaching Electrical Energy Conversion, the physical theory of electric machines, and Energy & Sustainability, the economic, social, and environmental aspects of energy systems.

Ben develops a community of students who are passionate about sustainable energy and engages them through site visits and conversations with exemplar project and professionals. Hosted through GWU’s Chapter of The Association of Energy Engineers and GWU’s Chapter of the IEEE Power and Energy Society, where he serves as Vice-President and Vice-Chair, respectively. Ben hopes, as an Advanced Energy Group fellow to further the next generation’s impact on energy advancements and improve energy literacy by producing visualization tools for complex energy systems.

sarah sweeney, FELLOW, BOSTON (NORTHEAST HYDROGEN)

Sarah is a student at Northeastern University pursuing her passion for sustainability by working towards a degree in Environmental Studies with a minor in Business Administration.

In her previous role as the Navigate Program Coordinator Co-op at the Northeast Clean Energy Council, Sarah developed and maintained relationships with diverse stakeholders in the cleantech space, including startups, investors, corporations, and customers. Through these relationships, she forged meaningful connections, partnerships, and investment opportunities that further accelerated the transition to a clean energy economy.

Sarah looks forward to continuing to drive stakeholder engagement and helping her own community of Boston embrace and implement clean energy solutions that will promote a sustainable and equitable future for the city.

KRISTEN TADROUS, FELLOW, HOUSTON

MOBOLADE OLAWALE, FELLOW, DMV (DC, MD, VA)

Mobolade is a Project Manager and Master's student at George Washington University, pursuing his degree in Electrical Engineering with a specialization in Electrical Power Systems and Energy. He earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Covenant University in Nigeria.

With experience in both the Fintech and Construction sectors, Mobolade previously served as the Project and Partnership Manager at Flutterwave Inc. In this role, he played a key part in the conception and execution of end-to-end product lifecycles. He also cultivated and maintained relationships with multiple stakeholders, collaborating closely with different departments to optimize deliverables.

Having a genuine passion for clean energy, Mobolade aims to broaden his knowledge and apply his skills as an AEG Fellow to make a significant impact on the DMV region's energy goals.

Saarthak Madan, FELLOW, NEW YORK

Saarthak currently works in Revenue Operations and Analytics at The New York Times. He recently graduated with a Master of Arts in International Relations from New York University, with a focus on climate studies, and previously completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Saarthak is particularly excited about the nexus of public-private partnerships in advancing sustainability causes. He seeks to apply his knowledge of both political and biological sciences to better understand the challenges in clean energy deployment in New York City, with a specific emphasis on the electrification of public transportation and the development of off-shore wind farms. 

DANIELA TABREA, FELLOW, NEW YORK

sabrina tenteromano, lead aeg media fellow, new york city

Growing up in the suburbs of New York City, Sabrina enjoyed a mud-covered childhood of forest fairies and cicada exoskeleton curiosity, while equally enjoying reading, writing, and watching movies. She was always sensitive to art and wanted to pursue a career that would allow her to generate in others the same feelings that art has always generated in her. After exposure to environmental ethics in college and the political turmoil of the mid 2010s, she realized she wanted not only to evoke those emotions, but also empower people to do something with them.

Once Sabrina understood the magnitude of the climate crisis, she knew she wanted to use her skills in writing, film, and marketing to communicate this urgency. While pursuing her Master of Science in Sustainability, she enjoyed working for several local and national non-profits helping tenants, homeowners, architects, engineers, and designers better understand each other and how to transition to technologies that make our built environment and energy infrastructure greener and more equitable. Now serving as a Project Manager with the City of New York’s Division of Energy Management, she is helping decarbonize some of the most iconic cultural agencies’ and institutions’ buildings across the five boroughs.  

As the Lead AEG Media Fellow, Sabrina will be building out the AEG Media Fellowship program building a network of media practitioners around the rallying cry that it takes all of humanity to save humanity. To get in touch, apply for the Fellowship, or attend an upcoming Stakeholder Challenge or other events, email Sabrina at sabrina@goadvancedenergy.com.

JAKOB REINKE, aeg fellow, CHICAGO

Jakob is a PhD Candidate at Northwestern University, pursuing a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering in the Scott A. Barnett Research Group. His research focuses on novel electrode materials for Solid Oxide Cells and developing novel synthesis methods for PEM Electrolysis and Proton Conducting Solid Oxide Cell Systems. In addition to his interests in the natural sciences, Jakob also earned a B.A. in History focusing on 20th Century Fascism and a Certificate of Achievement in Holocaust Studies from the Holocaust Educational Foundation of Northwestern University. As AEG fellow, Jakob is looking to ensure that, in addition to his research which will help tackle the climate crisis down the line, his work can have an immediate and local impact.

Tyler Wyka, Fellow, DMV (DC, MD, VA)

Tyler is a Graduate Research Assistant at George Washington University (GWU), where he is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics. His research involves physics-based modeling of energy generation and storage technologies, with a particular emphasis on gas turbines and alternative fuels.In addition to his research, Tyler is an active leader in the GWU Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers. In this role, he organizes multidisciplinary design teams and professional development events and collaborates with a nonprofit organization in Sierra Leone, FAIECY-SL. Tyler is passionate about leveraging his expertise in science and communication to advance sustainability both locally and internationally.

Oumaima (Mia) Fares, Fellow, New York City

Oumaima (Mia) Fares is an MS candidate in Electrical Engineering at Columbia University with a passion for energy. Raised in Houston, TX by Lebanese immigrants, she grew increasingly aware of the shortcomings of existing power systems in both the US and Lebanon, eventually pushing her to pursue a career in the industry. She works at a renewable energy developer alongside her studies.

Emma-Rose Newmeyer, fellow, chicago

Emma-Rose is a PhD candidate in the Chemistry department at Northwestern University, her research in the Swearer lab focuses on decarbonizing chemical manufacturing by developing plasmonic nanomaterials which catalyze the conversion of greenhouse gases into value added fuels. Emma-Rose has experience working in academic, industry, and government labs and is passionate about contributing to science policy surrounding environmental justice issues and the energy transition. As an AEG fellow, Emma-Rose works on supporting equitable grid modernization and decarbonization in Chicago and beyond. She looks forward to contributing to the changing landscape in her city by helping bridge the gap between high-level leadership and grassroots organizations, fostering collaboration across all levels of influence. 

JACK Odonnel-sloan, fellow, Chicago

Jack received his B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Colorado State University. He is currently working on applying systems analysis to clean hydrogen production. Outside of research, Jack enjoys skiing, playing recreational sports, and generally spending time outdoors.

Mary Skillicorn, fellow, chicago

Mary received her B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Colorado State University. She is now continuing research in Northwestern University’s Chemical Engineering Department studying the fundamental theory of spatial organization in cells. She has experience in computational and wet-lab research developing sustainable biotechnologies. Mary looks forward to supporting communities integrating sustainable technologies to protect against environmental injustices and negative climate impacts.

Nandini Likki, AEG Media Fellow

Nandini Likki is a student at Vassar College, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and English. She is interested in the intersection of film, environmentalism, and science communication. As an AEG Media Fellow, she aims to highlight AEG’s engagement and collaboration through filmmaking and photography.