Presentation by Session

Speakers and Presentations for Breakout Session 2 / 10:45 - 11:30 AM

Fred Schnook

Room Connect C-1
Transition to Alternative Fuels - Stories from the Trenches

The presentation will be a dialogue amongst Wisconsin-based, private, and public sector fleet managers about their experience in transitioning to alternative fuels. More specifically, this presentation will be a high-level discussion about the individual organization’s sustainability goals, the transportation needs of the organization and why a specific fuel choice was made. The panel will be facilitated by the Wisconsin Clean Cities Coalition, a nonprofit group with a 30-year history of helping organizations with their sustainability goals in the transportation space.

BIO

Fred Schnook, Executive Director, Wisconsin Clean Cities Coalition, will serve as the Panel Moderator. Prior to assuming the role of Executive Director for Wisconsin Clean Cities, Fred Schnook served as Mayor of the City of Ashland, Wisconsin, where he established the city as one of the first Eco-Municipalities in the nation. Mr. Schnook served as a consultant with Foth, Inc., providing sustainable planning practices and projects to private sector enterprises and municipalities across the mid-west. Fred also served as the City and Village Administrator in Kewaunee and Mukwonago, Wisconsin. Fred Schnook has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh.

Andrew Byrne

BIO

Andrew Byrne is currently the Director of EV Products and Markets for Potawatomi Ventures. Andy leads all facets of the PV’s go to market and service delivery functions of their newly launched EV Infrastructure offering. Potawatomi Ventures (PV) was established in 2002 as the economic development and income diversification business of the Forest County Potawatomi Community (FCPC). Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, our subsidiary companies and investments provide financial diversification for our shareholders and investment partners. We grow with a clear focus on profitability and sustainable economic development. Prior to the Potawatomi Ventures, Andy led eMobility product development and sales for Lindsay Renewables. Lindsay Renewables designs and manufacturers precast concrete and pre-fabricated steel products for the Solar, EV and BESS industries. Prior to Lindsay Renewables, Andy led the North American Sales and Business Development efforts for Autel Energy. Autel Energy is a global OEM hardware and software developer/manufacturer of EV and Energy Storage products. Andy began his journey in the eMobility industry while working for Harley-Davison Motor Company. In 2018, Andy was assigned to the team dedicated to preparing the organization for their forthcoming EV motorcycle (Livewire). After Harley-Davidson, Andy continued his work in the industry, accepting leadership roles in the eMobility teams at both ABM and The State Group. Andy has been dedicated to energizing the Renewables industry for over 6 years.

Dave Hedin

BIO

Dave has nearly 33 years of experience in the electrical field. As a skilled manager with Industrial work, his work load varies in size and type. His managing services run on a 24 hour basis to all customers; this work includes Project management, installation, troubleshooting and repair of industrial equipment and facilities. His dedicated to Pieper Electric’s Safety Committee as well as several other training courses expresses his knowledge and craze to continue in this field.

Lance Jothen - invited

BIO

GORiteway Director of Maintenance

TBA

Lisa Morris

BIO

Lisa has worked for the family business since 2005. She is responsible for the overall management of employees, including acquisition and retention, compensation and benefits. Lisa also oversees Time Transport’s safety program, including FMCSA compliance, crash reduction and fleet maintenance. She is responsible for collecting and comparing data on the operational, maintenance, performance, emissions, and durability of Time’s CNG-powered vehicles, as well as maintaining the fleet’s SmartWay certification. Since Time Transport’s adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks in 2013, Lisa has worked with Wisconsin Clean Cities to continue advancing her team’s education of CNG. This has not only led to substantial environmental benefits but also an improved bottom line. In her free time, Lisa spends time with her husband and 5 children in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. She works professionally as an actor and is a foodie who loves to cook and is inspired by food-based travel.

Brian White

BIO

Brian White was appointed Fleet Services Manager for the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in August of 2023. In this capacity, Brian is responsible for the overall management of the City of Milwaukee’s municipal fleet and fleet operations, including a fleet dispatch section that schedules and deploys over 400 vehicles and operators daily. He has extensive experience administering asset management software, fuel management systems, and alternative fuels. Brian held positions as Fleet Repair Supervisor, Fleet Systems Manager, Fleet Repairs Manager, and Fleet Manager for the Milwaukee Police Department. He spearheaded the adoption of hybrid patrol vehicles, upfit standardization, and transitioning to synchronized emergency lighting systems. Future goals and projects include modernizing and integrating technology into all aspects of Fleet Services and Operations and establishing an apprenticeship program that will provide high school students with marketable job skills while creating a recruitment pipeline for skilled trades positions within the city. In his free time, Brian has built custom computer systems, enjoys cooking, and tackling various home renovation projects. He lives near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his wife and their two daughters

Alexis London

Kevin Frost

Room Connect C-3
Bringing sustainability to Wisconsin affordable housing: the Bayview Foundation

Bayview was formed in 1966 to support culturally diverse, low-income families in Madison, WI. Bayview is in the final year of an effort to revitalize its diverse community. The first two phases of the project are complete, with the third to be complete later this year. The development consists of a new community center and 130 apartment units, the majority of which are Section 8 housing to maximize affordability for low-income residents in Madison.
In preparing for the complete redevelopment of housing and the community center, Bayview started resident engagement in 2018 and engaged 70 percent of adult residents throughout the planning efforts. Bayview staff held more than 25 community meetings, several surveys, one-on-one interviews, and group design “charrettes” to capture resident input and ensure the future Bayview best reflects the values, priorities, and needs of current and future residents. In addition, this comprehensive engagement process and effort has led to all townhomes certified to ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction standards and the community center on track for Passive House Institute (PHIIUS+) certification. In this presentation, Bayview will share lessons learned from this process and how other communities can achieve these results.

BIOs

Alexis London, Executive Director, Bayview Foundation
Alexis provides vision and leadership for the Bayview organization. She ensures safe, affordable housing for the 102 families that live at Bayview and the delivery of a wide array of vital services at Bayview’s Community Center. Alexis is leading Bayview’s redevelopment project that will transform Bayview’s aging townhouses and community center into a vibrant neighborhood that emphasizes social cohesion, mutual aid, sustainability and community health.
Kevin Frost, Senior Energy Engineer, Slipstream
Kevin’s experience in designing heating and cooling systems supports research work into commercial building electrification and recommends sustainability solutions for building owners and operators. Kevin has led three field verification studies of commercial heat pump VRF technology and other electrification heating systems in the upper Midwest. He also assisted in multiple master planning efforts for decarbonization of multiple building owners, including supporting the goals of the Bayview Foundation.

Bill Neitzel

Room Collaborate A
Electrical Codes – EV and Electrification

This presentation will focus on National and State Code requirements for electric vehicle installations and designs. Load sharing and other technologies will be discussed and what current codes allow and prohibit when these types of technologies are proposed. We will look at EV concerns and the effects that National and State codes have on these issues. Items that may change with future codes will also be discussed.

BIO

Bill Neitzel has 55+ years of experience in the electrical field. He started his career working for his father for 12 years. He owned his own business for 10 years and spent the next 27 years as an electrical inspector for the City of Madison and multiple small communities around the Madison area. For the next 4 years Bill was the Building Inspection Manager for the City of Middleton. Bill semi-retired in 2020 and still works part time doing inspections for various communities around the Madison area. Bill was the Chairman of the Wisconsin Electrical Code Advisory Council in 1999 and 2017 and is secretary of the current Electrical Code Council. He has been the Education Chairman for the Wisconsin Chapter IAEI and does extensive training all over the State of Wisconsin.

Michael Voigt

Room Collaborate B
Path to Smarter Energy - Energy Road map

Organizations and businesses are increasingly finding themselves at a crossroads when it comes to their energy usage and becoming more sustainable. Many are finding themselves in the situation where they have sustainability goals and directives but no clear path to achieving those goals. Many jump right into solar since it is the most visible and discussed solution for sustainability. Solar may not always be the correct first step, there are many other solutions and analysis’ that can make an organizations energy journey more cost effective. In this session we will discuss how taking a step back, and looking at an organization’s energy usage wholistically, can save money and more efficiently meet sustainability goals. We will also discuss the correct steps to analyze and map out the future upgrades and energy installations. This process is what we call the Path to Smarter Energy™. This process, coupled with planning will help organizations understand what steps to take, when to take them, and how much this will cost over time to meet their sustainability goals.

BIO

Michael Voigt is a Business Development Manager, and works with customers to support various types of clean energy projects. This includes solutions that involve metering, efficiency improvements, energy generation, and energy storage, determining which mix of solutions will provide the most value to customers.
Michael graduated from St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wisconsin, with a bachelor’s degree in international business. He has a strong passion for renewable energy, electric vehicles, microgrids, and science.
Outside of work, Michael enjoys living an active lifestyle, boating, snowboarding, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Robin Lisowski

Kathy Kuntz

Ben Austin

Room Collaborate C
Inflation Reduction Act: What you need to know

The federal funding available for clean energy projects has tripled in recent years, which makes solar, geothermal and other clean energy installations more cost effective than ever before. Plus, there’s funding to expand clean energy manufacturing lines and for broad energy efficiency efforts. Is your company aware of the funds available? Are you maximizing dollars back into your bottom line? Hear examples of C&I businesses that are already leveraging these dollars. You'll also learn how to braid these funds with existing programs such as Focus on Energy and C-PACE financing. Don’t miss out on this historic opportunity for your business.

BIO

Robin Lisowski is Director of Service Solutions at Slipstream, where she leads new service development efforts. Robin has more than 20 years of experience conducting and managing technical and policy analysis projects, facilitating stakeholder engagement processes, and designing programs in public, for-profit, and nonprofit environments. She has worked directly with state and local governments and energy utilities for 18 years and in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industry since 2008 when she became the Assistant Director of the Business Programs Portfolio for Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program. Robin is an interdisciplinary thinker and doer with a passion for clean energy and environmental justice policy. In her work, she has a reputation for centering these passions alongside analytical rigor and the importance of understanding human experience with and attitudes toward energy efficiency, electrification, and other clean energy options in buildings and transportation.

Kathy Kuntz is the Director of the Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change in Madison, Wisconsin where she leads climate action efforts across Dane County. Kathy has 30 years of experience implementing programs focused on resource efficiency and climate action. Prior to joining Dane County Kathy led Cool Choices, a nonprofit that worked with businesses and local governments on sustainable practices and prior to that Kathy led Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s statewide energy efficiency and renewable energy program.

Ben Austin is the Sustainability Lead at J.H. Findorff & Son, Inc, a commercial general contractor headquartered in Madison, WI. In his role, Ben works across Findorff projects with owners, design teams, and construction partners to define and deliver on project sustainability goals. Internal to Findorff, he also leads an internal group named Findorff Footprint, to drive sustainability efforts within Findorff-owned buildings and within their culture. Ben has degrees in Civil Engineering and Sustainability Leadership, in addition to being a LEED and WELL Accredited Professional.

WISCONSIN ASSOCATION OF ENERGY ENGINEERS