Monthly archive

Lydia Thomas

Job Title: 
President & CEO (Ret.)
Organization: 
Noblis

As former President and Chief Executive Officer of Noblis, Dr. Thomas was responsible for the general management and direction of the company’s overall technical, financial, and administrative activities. Noblis is a nonprofit science, technology and strategy organization working at all levels of government, in private industry and with other nonprofits in areas that are essential to our nation’s well being: national and homeland security, public safety, transportation, health care, criminal justice, energy and the environment, and oceans, atmosphere and space. Dr. Thomas is now a member of the Board of Trustees of Noblis.

Dr. Thomas was elected to the Board of Trustees of Noblis (formerly known as Mitretek Systems Inc.) in May 1996 and president and chief executive officer in July 1996. Previously, as a Senior Vice President and General Manager, Dr. Thomas was responsible for strategic planning and leadership of Noblis’ Center for Environment, Resources and Space.

Prior to Noblis, Dr. Thomas was with The MITRE Corporation from 1973 to 1996. At MITRE, she held a series of technical and management positions, spanning the areas of energy, environment, health, and communications systems.

In 2002, Dr. Thomas was appointed by President Bush to serve as a founding member of the President’s Homeland Security Advisory Council where she continues to serve at the pleasure of President Obama and Secretary Napolitano. She was twice appointed to serve as a member of the Virginia Research and Technology Advisory Commission, first by Governor George Allen and a second term appointment by then Governor Mark Warner. Governor Warner also appointed her to the Virginia Governor’s Higher Education Summit Steering Committee. In 2008, Dr. Thomas was appointed by Gov. Kaine to the Governor’s Commission on Climate Change.  She serves on the Board of Directors of the Cabot Corporation, Mueller Water Products, Inc. , Washington Mutual Investors Fund, the United States Energy Association (USEA), the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), the Conference Board and is a member of the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory.  In 2005 she was appointed co-chair of the Government University Industry Research Roundtable (GUIRR) of the National Academies and is still serving in this position. 

Dr. Thomas served as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, Chair of the Committee on Academic Affairs and on the Advisory Board of the Research and Technology Campus of The George Washington University.  

Active in the local community, Dr. Thomas is a member of the Posse Foundation Advisory Board, a Trustee of the INOVA Health System and a member of the Northern Virginia HealthForce. 

Dr. Thomas served a three-year term on the Scientific Advisory Board of the U.S. Defense Department’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program and two terms on the seven-member Environmental Advisory Board to the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 2009, she was appointed to the Defense Science Board.

Dr. Thomas has served, as a member of the IT Professional magazine Editorial Advisory Board.  She has appeared as an expert witness on behalf of the U.S. government at various public hearings and before the U.S. Congress, and has co-authored one book and written many technical reports.

In 2002 Dr. Thomas was elected to the Council on Foreign Relations. She was named one of The Most Important Blacks in Technology in 2005 and 2006. She was also named as one of the 50 Most Important Blacks in Research Science in 2004. Dr. Thomas was honored as the 2003 Black Engineer of the Year at the 17th Annual Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference and Celebration. She received a Certificate of Recognition and Appreciation for her contributions to the technology economy in Fairfax County from the Fairfax County Commission of Women in February 1998; the Deans' Award at the 1991 Black Engineer of the Year Conference; the 1990 "Ebone" Image Award presented by The Coalition of 100 Black Women, Northern Virginia Chapter, for outstanding achievement in the public service; and was the recipient of the 1986 TWIN Award (Tribute to Women in International Industry) presented by the Young Women's Christian Association, National Board.

Dr. Thomas is a member of the following professional organizations:  American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Associate Fellow); American Society of Toxicology; National Defense Industrial Association; the Teratology Society; and the International Women’s Forum.

Dr. Thomas holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Cytology from Howard University, 1973; a Master of Science in Microbiology from American University, 1971; and a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Howard University, 1965.

Randall B. Roe

Job Title: 
Vice Chairman (Ret.)
Organization: 
Burns & Roe
Profile Type: 
Board

Robert P. Powers

Job Title: 
Vice Chairman
Organization: 
American Electric Power

Robert P. Powers is vice chairman for American Electric Power Company. In this position, Powers will serve as a senior advisor to Nick Akins, AEP chairman, president and chief executive officer, and will oversee AEP's utility subsidiaries, regulated generation, competitive businesses and physical and cyber security.

Previously, he was executive vice president and chief operating officer, with responsibility for AEP Utilities; AEP Energy Partners; Customer Services, Marketing & Distribution Services; Generation; Nuclear Generation; Regulatory Services; Physical and Cybersecurity; and AEP Aviation.

Powers also was president - AEP Utilities, where he was responsible for regulatory and policy matters relating to utility operations, and AEP’s Environmental and Safety organizations.

From 2006 to 2008, he was executive vice president - AEP East Utilities, responsible for AEP’s utility operating units Appalachian Power, Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, and AEP Ohio.

Previously, he was executive vice president - Generation, a position he had held since 2003. Powers was responsible for all generation activities, including fossil and hydro generation; nuclear generation; project and field services; fuel, emissions and logistics and business services.

From 2001 to 2003, he was executive vice president - Nuclear and Technical Services, a position that gave Powers his first significant exposure to fossil plant construction and maintenance, along with responsibility for operation of the D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant.

Powers joined AEP in 1998 as senior vice president - Nuclear Generation. Prior to joining AEP, he served as vice president and plant manager of Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s (PG&E) Diablo Canyon Nuclear Generating Station. Powers was employed by PG&E for 17 years, joining the firm as a health physicist in 1982, and subsequently serving in the maintenance, quality assurance and operations departments before becoming vice president.

Powers first joined the utility business in 1976, when he was hired by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the utility’s nuclear program. Powers focused on radiation measurement and environmental assessment of TVA’s nuclear power plants and uranium mining properties.

A native of Andover, Massachusetts, Powers earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Tufts University in Boston and a master's degree in radiological hygiene (health physics) from the University of North Carolina. He earned national certification by the American Board of Health Physics. He earned senior reactor operator certification in 1991. In addition, Powers completed executive management programs run by the University of California – Berkeley and Duke University.

Powers is active in the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and is the former Chairman of the Board for the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD), an EEI organization focused on recruiting technical talent to utilities. He also served as a member of the National Nuclear Training Accreditation Board for six years until 2009. Powers served as a member of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Board of Directors from 2002 to 2009. During his term at EPRI, he served as the chair of the compensation committee and as a member of the executive committee.

Locally, Powers serves on the boards of directors for the Wexner Center for the Arts and the James Cancer Center Foundation Board. Previously, he served on the Dean’s Advisory Council for The Ohio State University Engineering department, and as a board member for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds. Powers serves as Executive Champion of the AEP United Negro College Fund campaign at AEP in Columbus, and was recognized in 2009 with a Legacy Achievement Award by that organization. He also serves as Executive Champion of the AEP United Way Campaign. At AEP, he is an executive sponsor of the Pride Partnership Employee Resource Group.

Powers resides in Powell, Ohio, with his wife, Jan. They have three children. Daughter Erin is an attorney in Denver, Colorado. Middle son Jeff is a three-time Olympian in water polo, winning the silver medal for the United States in 2008. Steve is the youngest and is a store manager for Home Depot in Denver, Colorado.

 

Marvin E. Odum

Job Title: 
President & Upstream Americas Director
Organization: 
Shell Oil Company

Marvin E. Odum became Director of the Upstream Americas business in 2009. He continues as President of Shell Oil Company (SOC).

Marvin earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Houston. He began his Shell career as an engineer in 1982, and has since served in a number of management positions of increasing responsibility in both technical and commercial aspects of energy.

Prior to his most recent appointment and in addition to his role as SOC President, he was Executive Vice President for the Americas for Shell Exploration & Production. He was named SOC President in 2008 and had served as Executive Vice President since 2005, with responsibility for Shell exploration and production businesses in the western hemisphere.

Marvin holds positions of board leadership and participation in the Business Roundtable and the American Petroleum Institute. In addition, he is a member of the Dean’s Council of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Advisory Board of the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. He is also involved with several charities in the Houston area.

Dave McCurdy

Job Title: 
President & CEO
Organization: 
American Gas Association

Dave McCurdy joined the American Gas Association (AGA) as president and CEO in February of 2011. Founded in 1918, AGA represents more than 200 local energy utility companies that deliver natural gas to 177 million Americans nationwide. AGA was named one of the top 15 trade associations in the United States in the APCO Worldwide TradeMarks survey of over 300 leading policymakers and opinion leaders in Washington, D.C. AGA was recognized as a Top Workplace for the third consecutive year by the Washington Post. He received the 2017 Business-Government Relations Award by the Bryce Harlow Foundation for honesty, integrity and strategic smarts in his 18-year career as an association CEO.

McCurdy joined AGA after serving for four years as president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (Alliance). He led the Alliance during a period of unprecedented economic, environmental and regulatory challenges for the auto industry. During his tenure, the Alliance recorded significant achievements and McCurdy was instrumental in developing the historic agreement between automakers and the Obama administration establishing the national program to increase fuel economy by 40 percent and decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2016.

Prior to his work at the Alliance, McCurdy served for eight years as president and CEO of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), where he helped promote the market development and competitiveness of the U.S. high-tech industry by crafting both domestic and international programs and policies for EIA’s nearly 1,300 member companies. McCurdy also had a successful business consulting and investment practice as chairman and CEO of the McCurdy Group, L.L.C.

Before his tenure at EIA, McCurdy had a distinguished career in Congress, spending 14 years (1981-1995) in the House of Representatives as the Member from the Fourth Congressional District of Oklahoma. He attained numerous leadership positions, including Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. As a House Member, McCurdy played a major role in enacting numerous important legislative initiatives, including: the 1988 National Superconductivity Competitiveness Act; the 1985 Goldwater-Nichols Act, which reorganized the Department of Defense; the Nunn-McCurdy Amendment in 1982, requiring congressional notification of Department of Defense cost overruns of 15 percent or more; and the 1993 National Service Legislation, which originated in a bill introduced by Representative McCurdy and Senator Nunn.

Dave McCurdy was appointed by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to the Defense Policy Board and served on the board from 2008-2011 in both the Bush and Obama administrations.  He currently serves on a number of not-for-profit boards including: Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, the Center for Energy Workforce Development, LMI (Logistics Management Institute), the United States Energy Association and Vice President, Resource Development of The Economic Club of Washington D.C.

McCurdy is a 1972 graduate of the University of Oklahoma and received his J.D. in 1975 from Oklahoma Law School. As a Rotary International Graduate Fellow, he studied international economics at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He also held a commission in the United States Air Force Reserve, attaining the rank of major and serving as a Judge Advocate General (JAG).

McCurdy and his wife, Dr. Pam McCurdy, a physician specializing in child psychiatry, live in McLean, VA. They have three grown children, Josh, Cydney and Shannon and two sons-in-law and three grandsons.

Twitter Username: 
AGA_NaturalGas

Michael D. LeClair

Job Title: 
President & CEO
Organization: 
Babcock Power Inc.

Michael LeClair was promoted to the role of President and CEO of Babcock Power Inc., Danvers, Mass., in June of 2009. LeClair has been with BPI since its founding and an integral part of the executive management team. With a keen focus on credibility, safety and environmental sustainability, Michael LeClair has successfully built a team of dedicated professionals and together launched Babcock Power Inc. as a worldwide success in power generation and green thinking. He started with Vogt Power International in 1999 as Vice President of Engineering, then advanced to Chief Operating Officer of Vogt Power International in 2002, and in 2006 became President and CEO of Vogt Power International. LeClair has more than twenty-six years of experience in the power industry holding a variety of positions with major companies in the power generation market including: Combustion Engineering/ABB, Tampella/Steinmüller and Kvaerner. LeClair received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and his MBA from Western New England College.

Profile Type: 
Former Board Member

Thomas R. Kuhn

Job Title: 
President
Organization: 
Edison Electric Institute

Tom Kuhn is President of the Edison Electric Institute, the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. EEI’s members provide electricity for 220 million Americans, operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and directly employ more than 500,000 workers. In addition, EEI has 70 international electric companies as International Members, and 270 industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members. Mr. Kuhn joined the Institute in 1985 as executive vice president, was named chief operating officer in 1988, and elected president in 1990.

Prior to joining EEI, Mr. Kuhn was president of the American Nuclear Energy Council, which subsequently merged with the Nuclear Energy Institute. The Council represented virtually all of the companies in the commercial nuclear power industry. He joined the Council in 1975 as vice president, government affairs, and became president in 1983.

From 1972 to 1975, Mr. Kuhn headed the energy section of the investment banking firm, Alex Brown and Sons. Prior to that, from 1970 to 1972, he was White House Liaison Officer to the Secretary of the Navy.

Mr. Kuhn received a BA in Economics in 1968 from Yale University, served as a Naval Officer following his graduation, and received an MBA in 1972 from George Washington University. He completed the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Senior Executive Program in 1989.

Mr. Kuhn served on the Secretary of Energy’s Advisory Board and the Board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves on the Boards of the Alliance to Save Energy, the United States Energy Association, the Electric Drive Transportation Association, and the American Council for Capital Formation. He is Chairman-Emeritus of the Committee of 100 of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Chairman-Emeritus of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), and past-chairman of the Alliance to Save Energy, and the ASAE/Key Industry Association Committee. 

Mr. Kuhn is Chairman-Emeritus of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society as well as the National Capital Chapter. He currently serves on the Board of the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation. From 2006 to 2008, Mr. Kuhn served on the Board of the National Park Foundation. Mr. Kuhn was awarded the Bess Goodman Humanitarian Award in 2000. He served as 1992 and 1997 chairman of the Associations Division, United Way Campaign, and chairman of the 1996 through 1998 National Alliance to End Homelessness Awards dinners.

Mr. Kuhn was chosen as Association Executive of the Year 2000 by Association TRENDS magazine. He was the recipient of The Energy Daily’s 2000 Public Policy Leadership Award. He received the Alliance to Save Energy’s 2004 Chairman’s Award. Mr. Kuhn also received the 2009 ASAE/Center for Association Leadership’s Key Award. He is the recipient of the Fund for American Studies (TFAS) 2014 Congressional Scholarship Award. In September 2015, Mr. Kuhn was honored as the 2015 Trade Association CEO of the Year, presented by CEO Update.  The award recognizes excellence in trade associations and professional societies.

Twitter Username: 
Edison_Electric

Michael W. Howard

Job Title: 
Chief Executive Officer
Organization: 
Electric Power Research Institute

Dr. Michael Howard is the Chief Executive Officer at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).

Howard has over 30 years of results-driven, multi-faceted leadership experience in organizations ranging from entrepreneurial start-ups to large public companies with increasing responsibilities in operations, finance, sales and marketing, product development, and strategic planning. Most of his experience is in providing technical consulting services and products to both U.S. and international electric utility companies.

Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Howard served as Senior Vice President, Research and Development, and President and Chief Executive Officer of EPRI Solutions, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of EPRI. EPRI Solutions was created by the merger of three companies, one of which was the EPRI Power Electronics Application Center (PEAC) Corporation where he served as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Previously, Dr. Howard was President of the Tennessee Center for Research and Development (TCRD) located in Knoxville, Tennessee and President of Beta Development Corporation (BDC), an early-stage venture capital firm focused on providing equity investment in technology-based companies.

Dr. Howard began his career in 1980 with Westinghouse Electric Corporation as an applications engineer for the fossil and nuclear digital control systems group.

Howard holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee, a Master of Science in business and engineering management from the University of Pittsburgh, and a doctorate in engineering science from the University of Tennessee. He has also completed the MIT Reactor Technology Course.  He serves on the Board of Directors for the United States Energy Association.

Profile Type: 
Speaker

Patricia Fry Godley

Job Title: 
Member
Organization: 
VanNess Feldman

Pat Godley is a partner at the Washington, D.C. law firm Van Ness Feldman, P.C.  With over 30 years of experience in the private and public energy sectors, her law practice focuses on the electric power, natural gas, and oil and products pipeline industries in a number of inter-related area.

Prior to joining Van Ness Feldman in 1998, Ms. Godley was appointed by the U.S. President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy at the Department of Energy (DOE), where she served from 1994 to 1998. Ms. Godley supervised over 3,000 employees and contractors, with $800 million in annual expenditures. In addition, she managed federal investment in the research and development of fossil fuels technologies, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and the Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves. As the Assistant Secretary, she managed the sale of the U.S. interest in the Elk Hills oil field in California for $3.65 billion, the largest privatization in U.S. history. She also helped to develop federal policy on such issues as access to federal lands for oil and gas development, electricity sector restructuring, and global climate change and other environmental regulatory and policy matters.

Also at DOE, Ms. Godley served as Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary. In this role, she coordinated initiatives to develop oil and natural gas investment opportunities for U.S. companies in the Former Soviet Union. She also served as the U.S. Chair of the Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission’s Energy Legislation Subcommittee to develop competitive oil and natural gas markets in the Russian Federation.

Prior to her service with DOE, Ms. Godley was a partner in the law firm of Bracewell & Patterson, where she developed regulatory and contracting strategies for U.S. and Canadian energy companies, devised and implemented domestic asset acquisition and disposition strategies, and litigated contract disputes. In the international arena, she advised the World Bank on projects to develop natural gas and oil pipeline legislation and regulation for Bolivia, Argentina, and Russia.

Ms. Godley is a Member of the Board of Directors of Arch Coal, Inc. and a Member of the Board of Directors and Legal Advisor of the United States Energy Association.

Profile Type: 
Former Board Member

Jack Futcher

Job Title: 
President & Chief Operating Officer
Organization: 
Bechtel Group Inc.

Jack Futcher is the President of Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals, Inc., responsible for managing Bechtel's global activities in project development, execution, and services for the oil, gas, and chemicals Global Business Unit, which is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Over his 31-year Bechtel career, Jack has served in numerous management and leadership roles and has significant operational experience. Previous to joining the OG&C Business Unit, Jack served for three years as President of Bechtel Power Corporation, which included executive sponsorship for Bechtel's Frederick, Maryland office complex that is the Power Center of Excellence.  Jack was also the executive sponsor of Bechtel’s New Delhi and Cairo offices.

Earlier, he was responsible for Bechtel’s Oil, Gas & Chemicals (OG&C) Downstream Business Line, where he managed the operations and performance of projects worldwide during a period of tremendous market sector growth.  In early 2003, he became the Project Director for the multi-billion dollar Egypt LNG projects where he lived at site during execution for twelve months.  He later served as Operations Manager for OG&C in Bechtel’s London office.  Jack also led Bechtel’s Global Procurement and Contracts Organization for six years, during which time the company purchased over $30 billion dollars of equipment and materials.  He was elected a senior vice president in 1999.  

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Lehigh University.  He is a member of the Executive Committee, Audit Committee, Supplier Executive Task Force and Board of Directors of the Nuclear Energy Institute.  Jack also serves as Immediate Past Chairman of the Board of Directors for the United States Energy Association.  

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