OCTOBER 3RD & 4TH
The Best of Energy and Environment Innovation in One Place
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THURSDAY OCT 3RD
8AM REGISTRATION
OPENING SESSION UNC PERFORMANCE HALL
OUTSIDE TOUR: ST VRAIN SCHOOLS MOBILE INNOVATION LAB
9AM VIP REMARKS
​UNC PRESIDENT ANDY FEINSTEIN
JAIME HENNING
CONGRESSWOMAN YADIRA CARAVEO
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MORNING TOPICS: INNOVATION SHOWCASE
9:20AM THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT
JASON SUNTYCH, COO of XTI Technologies
9:40AM THE FUTURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CLEAN-UP
JAMES GASPERD, CEO of Biochar Now
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10:00AM THE FUTURE OF ENERGY TRANSITION & TRANSMISSION
Moderator: TOM PARKO, CEO of Spruance Consulting
CHRSITINE MIKELL, FOUNDER ENYO ENERGY
BILL GRAHAM, Director of Product Development, DVO, INC.
AMY SIMPKINS, CEO of muGRID Analytics
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11:00AM WORKING FOR A GLOBAL ENERGY COMPANY IN COLORADO
--as seen through the eyes of young technical professionals
Moderator: SCOTT BRIGHT, Education Grant Advisor: The Weld Trust
NICK GONZALEZ Digital Advisor, Operations Production
ERIN DOUGHERTY Field Health & Safety Advisor, Wells
SHAUN HIGGINS, Methane Reduction Advisor,
MIYUKI MANN, Facilities Engineer, Operations​
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1:50AM NETWORKING BREAK
​12PM LUNCH SESSION UNC BALLROOM
UNC ALUMNI PANEL & CAREER SPEED DATING
GEOFF SCHMIDT, CHRIS SHAW, COSTIN MCQUEEN, BAYLEE EVANS, CURTIS CRAWFORD, DAVID LAHOWTZ, MADELINE PONCE
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1:30PM ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES TOUR
1:45PM NETWORKING BREAK​​
SESSION UNC PERFORMANCE HALL
AFTERNOON TOPICS: THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT
2:00PM REPURPOSED & SUSTAINABLE HOUSING
Moderator: STEVE D'ORISIO, Adams County Commissioner
MARKO MACKOVIC, Founder Mac Investment Group
JEFF HANDLIN, Chairperson Urban Cottages
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3:00PM SMART CITIES OF THE FUTURE & AI PLANNING
Moderator: MARY YOUNG, State Representative
ï‚·TYLER SVITAK, Executive Director, Colorado Smart Cities Alliance
ï‚·BECKY DOYLE, Chief Strategic Integration Officer, City of Longmont
ï‚·ADRIEN PATANE, Technology Solutions Manager of the Americas, Trimbleï‚·
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4:15PM NETWORKING BREAK
4:30PM OIL & GAS REGULATION & ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Moderator: DAN HALEY CEO, COGA
MARCO RODRIGUEZ, PhD Managing Consultant, Ramboll
COURTNEY TAYLOR Principal, Ramboll
STEPHANIE GAUSCH Chief Development Officer, Weld Food Bank
Dr. ANNARALI MORALES PhD Air Quality Policy Analyst, Weld County
5:30PM NETWORKING BREAK
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UNC BALLROOM BOETTCHER QUAD
6:00 PM PRESIDENTS AWARDS RECEPTION​​​
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2024 SYMPOSIUM AGENDA
FRIDAY OCT 4TH
9:00AM BREAKFAST SESSION
CAMPUS COMMONS MULTIPURPOSE ROOM
9:05AM WEATHER AND CLIMATE PANEL
MIKE NELSON Chief Meteorologist, Channel 7 News
KODY WILSON Freelance Meteorologist
PETER GOBLE, Assistant State Climatologist of Colorado
10:15AM NETWORKING BREAK
10:30AM PROBLEM SOLVING OF THE FUTURE: A.I. LEARNING in K-12
AXEL REITZIG, Executive Director of Innovation at Innovation Center of the St. Vrain Valley Schools
11:00AM HOW TO SOLVE COLORADO'S ORPHAN WELL PROBLEM
SCOTT YENZER COO, WELL DONE FOUNDATION
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11:20AM NETWORKING BREAK
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LUNCH SESSION
11:30AM CLEAN ENERGY AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
ZACH LASEK Senior Project Manager, Scout Clean Energy
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11:50AM NETWORKING BREAK
CAMPUS COMMONS MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM
12:00PM INNOVATIVE ENTREPRENEUR PANEL
Moderator: House Minority Leader Representative Rose Pugliese
JAMES GASPARD CEO, BIO CHAR Now
MARKO MACKOVIC Founder, MAC Investment Group
GEOFF SCHMIDT Founder, Common Good Compost
12:30PM CLEAN TECH SHARK TANK
THE SHARKS
TIM JONES COO of Innosphere Ventures
RON BRUSH Tech Entrepreneur and Angel Investor
KEVIN KUDRA Executive Director of Rocky Ventures Club
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THE PITCH:
GREENSTEEL
GRADIENT GEO THERMAL
AUSTERE ENVIRONMENTAL​
1:45PM FUNDING INNOVATIVE START-UPS:
VENTURE CAPITAL 101
KEVIN KUDRA Executive Director of Rocky Ventures Club
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AFTER HOURS
2:30PM 2ND FLOOR MEETING ROOM CAMPUS COMMONS
G-Beta Business Accelerator: Mentor and Investor Outreach
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PAST SYMPOSIUM SPEAKERS AND INNOVATORS
2023 Symposium Photos
2023 Symposium Videos
“The 2021 Energy and Environment Symposium brought together leaders across the energy space for thoughtful engagement around the most crucial issue for Colorado and the world. A truly high-class event that should set the standard for future energy and environment symposiums everywhere”.
--Chris Wright, CEO Liberty Oil Field Services
“The Energy and Environmental Leadership Symposium brought together an excellent collection of conscientious energy professionals from across the state, region, and country that are passionate about environmental stewardship while providing cost-effective energy to local communities. It was great to discuss emerging trends, data, challenges, and opportunities with such a diverse group of operators, service providers, regulators, renewable developers, and experts on next-gen nuclear. I thought the event execution was flawless, especially for a first annual event--I can't wait to see how they grow next year!”
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--Matt Berchtold, Context Labs –
Director of Climate Impact Initiatives and Director of Product Development
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The Energy and Environment Leadership Symposium opened my eyes to the many career paths available in the industry. The energy sector is rapidly growing and the symposium provided me a way to connect with peers and industry professionals to expand my knowledge." Jessica Sims, Senior Northridge High School STEM Academy.
"The Energy and Environment Leadership symposium helped me understand how business owners can diversify the space of their land to create new and innovative resources that impact both the energy and environment. Solutions to real-world problems, such as pond and river clean-up, helped me understand
cutting-edge technology used in the field."
Emily Esteban, Senior Northridge High School STEM Academy
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"It is through real-world application that students can connect and synthesize their learning. The industry professionals who extended their knowledge to our students at the 2023 Energy and Environment Leadership Symposium, captivated interest in the growing needs and demands that essentially will drive our economy and well being of the Earth." Machin Norris, Northridge High School STEM Academy Coordinator
2023
TITLE SPONSOR
2023
PRESENTING SPONSORS
ENERGY AWARDS RECEPTION SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSORS
BREAKFAST SPONSOR
PARKING SPONSOR
BEVERAGE SPONSOR
SILVER SPONSORS
2023 SCHEDULE
OCTOBER 4TH 6PM
PRESIDENT'S WELCOME RECEPTION
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OCTOBER 5TH 9AM
OPENING SESSION UNC PERFORMANCE HALL
EMCEE DAN HALEY
9AM VIP WELCOME REMARKS
CONGRESSWOMAN CARAVEO
MINORITY LEADER STATE REPRESENTATIVE MIKE LYNCH
MORNING TOPICS
WHY THE WORLD CAN'T SURVIVE WITHOUT NATURAL GAS
JOHN HARPOLE, PRESIDENT MERCATOR ENERGY, LLC
OIL&GAS and AMERICA'S ENERGY TRANSITION
KEYNOTE GOVERNOR BILL RITTER
XTI: LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY CREATING BENEFICIAL HORMONES IN ANIMALS AND PEOPLE (resulting in health, performance, and behavior improvements)
JASON SUNTYCH, COO XTI TECHNOLOGIES
AGRIVOLTAICS AT JACK'S SOLAR GARDEN
BYRON KOMINEK, FOUNDER JACK'S SOLAR GARDEN
BIOCHAR: THE FUTURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CLEAN-UP
JAMES GASPARD, CEO BIOCHAR NOW!
LET'S GO NUCLEAR, COLORADO
MARK HINAMAN, FOUNDER FIRE2FISSION
12:15 LUNCH UNC BALLROOM
CARBON SEQUESTRATION PANEL
MODERATOR: SENATOR CHRIS HANSEN
JOHANNA OSTRUM, COO, TRANSITIONAL ENERGY
ZACH PENDLETON, CEO, FULCRUM CARBON MANAGEMENT
ZACH BRAMMER, CO-FOUNDER CLOUDBREAK ENERGY PARTNERS
JAMES GASPARD, CEO BIOCHAR NOW!
AFTERNOON TOPICS UNC PERFORMANCE HALL
1:45PM ORGANIC RECYCLING HAS GONE MAINSTREAM
MODERATOR KEENESBURG MAYOR ARON LAM
LONGMONT MAYOR JOAN PECK
LIZ CHAPMAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECYCLE COLORADO
CHARLES KAMENIDIES, CITY OF LONGMONT WASTE SERVICES MGR.
BOB YOST, CTO A1 ORGANICS
TRAVIS BAHNSEN, A1 ORGANICS
3PM ANAEROBIC SOLUTIONS
BILL GRAHAM, DIRECTOR of PROJECT DEVELOPMENT DVO, Inc.
3:35PM WATER CONSERVATION
JEFF STAHLA, PIO NORTHERN WATER
BRIAN KINDER WATER EFFICIENCY PROGRAM MANAGER
4PM CURTAILING INDUSTRIAL EMISSIONS
KYLE QUACKENBUSH, TALLGRASS ENERGY
4:30PM OZONE REGULATION PANEL
MODERATOR THORNTON MAYOR JAN KULMANN
SENATOR RAY SCOTT
DAN HALEY, CEO COGA
KATHY STEERMAN, CIVITAS
CHRIS COLCLASURE, BEATTY and WOZNIAK PC
6PM ENERGY AWARDS RECEPTION OUTDOOR BALLROOM PATIO
FOUNDERS AWARD
COMMON SENSE LEADERSHIP AWARD
CATALYST AWARD
VANGUARD AWARDS
OCTOBER 6TH 9AM
9AM BREAKFAST SESSION UNC BALLROOM
EMCEE MARIANNE GOODLAND
BUILDING COLORADO'S ENERGY FUTURE
ANDREW HOLDER LOCAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, EXCEL ENERGY
9:30AM AGRIVOLTAICS & SOLAR ROUNDTABLE
FACILITATOR JAMES PRITCHETT
CSU DEAN OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
10:30AM UNC PERFORMANCE HALL
VIP REMARKS
AGRIVOLTAICS PANEL
MODERATOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE MATT SOPER
BYRON KOMINEK, FOUNDER JACK'S SOLAR GARDEN
ALI KAIRYS, SILICON RANCH
ZACH BRAMMER, FOUNDER CLOUDBREAK ENERGY
MIKE KRUGER, CEO of COSSA
ANDREW HOLDER, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, EXCEL ENERGY
DR. GENE KELLY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR COLORADO AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
LUNCH ENERGY CAREER SPEED DATING
OFFSITE TOUR: JACK'S SOLAR GARDEN
3PM
Register here:
https://secure.givelively.org/event/colorado-nonprofit-development-center/weld-county-tour-of-jack-s-solar-garden-10-6-23
2022
TITLE SPONSOR
2022
PRESENTING SPONSORS
OPENING RECEPTION SPONSOR
PRESIDENT'S RECEPTION SPONSOR
STUDENT ENERGY EXCELLENCE SPONSOR
PARKING SPONSOR
GOLD LEVEL SPONSORS
BREAKFAST SPONSOR
DAILY BEVERAGE SPONSORS
SILVER LEVEL SPONSORS
2022 Symposium
OCT 06 2022
SCHEDULE
AM
08:00
REGISTRATION
UNC COMMONS
Exhibitor Space
1:30
09:00
OPENING SESSION
UNC PERFORMANCE HALL
OPENING REMARKS
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PRESIDENT ANDY FEINSTEIN
University of Northern Colorado
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SCIENCE & INNOVATION SHOWCASE
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JASON SUNTYCH
COO,
Xiant Technologies
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Illuminating the Rhythm of Life
ERIC HODEK
Principle, Ramboll US Consulting, Inc
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Science Based Policy in the Age of Community Science
JOE ETHERIDGE
Founder and Chief Technical Officer
Encino Environmental Services
MATT BERCHTOLD
Vice President and General Manager
CXL Energy
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Eliminate the Guesswork on GHG Emissions
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POWERING THE HUMAN POTENTIAL
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KEN BUCK
Congressman, 4th Congressional District
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Federal Perspectives on Energy and
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MARK GABRIEL
CEO, United Power
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THE FUTURE IS ALREADY HERE…It's Just Not Widely Distributed Yet. The Opportunities (and Challenges) in the Colorado Energy Environment
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CHRIS WRIGHT
CEO, Liberty Oil Field Services
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Energy, Climate, and Poverty
2:40
2:45
11:30
TRANSITION TO LUNCH SESSION
11:45
4:10
4:15
LUNCH SESSION PANEL
LEEWARD ENERGY
UNC BALLROOM
STUDENT ENERGY AWARD WINNERS
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THE FUTURE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY:
GOING BEYOND THE MEGAWATT
KEYNOTE AND MODERATOR
JOHN WIELAND
Chief Development Officer,
Leeward Renewable Energy
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JOHN WYCHERLEY
Vice President Development,
Leeward Renewable Energy
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PATRICK NOLAN
Senior Director Development,
Leeward Renewable Energy
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ROBIN LUNT
Chief Commercial Officer,
Guzman Energy
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JORDAN MACKNICK
Energy Engineer and Environmental Analyst,
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
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RICHARD HOLTORF
Colorado State Representative
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TRAE MILLER
Executive Director of Logan County
Economic Development Corp
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1:15
5:45
BREAK
6:00
PM
HUMAN ENVIRONMENT SESSION
UNC PERFORMANCE HALL
SOLUTIONS TO END HOMELESSNESS
CAROL HOLLOWELL
Executive Director of Switchpoint Community Resource Center
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Innovating Solutions to End Homelessness
MARK SOLOMON
Community Veterans Project
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Ending Veteran Homelessness, One Tiny Home at a Time
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PRESENTATION of SUSTAINABLE HOUSING AWARD
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MODERATOR
TOMMY BUTLER
Greeley City Council
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BREAK
INDUSTRY SESSION
UNC PERFORMANCE HALL
INFRASTRUCTURE and ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
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WILLIAM DAVIDSON
Director of Strategic Initiatives for NextEra Infrastructure Solutions​
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FUTURE-PROOF COMMUNICATION: Flexible and Affordable Infrastructure Solutions for Safer, Connected Communities.
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ABBY KIRCHOFER
Ramboll US Consulting
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NOT ALL LOW CARBON FUELS ARE CREATED EQUAL: How Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Performance Will Drive Credit Generation Under the IRA
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BILL GRAHAM
​Director of Project Development
DVO, Inc.
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ANAEROBIC SOLUTIONS: High-Efficiency, 3rd-Gen AD for Global Agriculture
JOANNA OSTRUM
Chief Operating Officer
Transitional Energy
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Thermal Energy Solutions for Energy and Climate Security
MODERATOR
JAN KULMANN
Mayor of Thornton
BREAK
CRYPTOCURRENCY PANEL
UNC PERFORMANCE HALL
WHAT THE CRYPTO?
THE 101 AFTER 181
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HEIDI GILL
CEO, Urban Solutions Group
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ANNA PIERINI
Business Development Manager
Crusoe Energy
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GREG DEAN
Adams County Oil & Gas Administrator, Community & Economic Development Department
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TOM PARKO
Director, Weld County Department of Planning Services
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JASON MAXEY
Director, Weld County Oil & Gas Energy Department
BREAK
PRESIDENT'S RECEPTION AND AWARDS
OUTDOOR ATRIUM
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PRESIDENT FEINSTEIN
University of Northern Colorado
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OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM
Various Speakers
OCT 07
SCHEDULE
AM
PM
8:00
REGISTRATION
(if not checked-in on Thursday)
UNC COMMONS
Exhibitor Space
12:00
9:00
BREAKFAST SESSION
UNC BALLROOM
OIL & GAS REGULATORY ROUNDTABLE
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JULIE MURPHY
Director, Colorado Oil & Gas
Conservation Commission
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JEFF ROBBINS
Chair, Colorado Oil & Gas
Conservation Commission
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BRUCE BARKER
Weld County Attorney
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JASON MAXEY
Director Weld County Oil & Gas
Energy Department
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DAVID FRANK
Town of Erie Oil & Gas Local
Government Designee
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MODERATOR
ELISABETH LAWRENCE
Summit County Commissioner
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PRESENTATION of VANGUARD AWARD
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1:30
1:45
10:15
BREAK
10:30
11:45
INDUSTRY SESSION
UNC PERFORMANCE HALL
RENEWABLES and GRID RESILIENCY
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TYLER SMITH
XCEL ENERGY
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Building Colorado's Energy Future Clean, Safe, Reliable
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ELI OPPENHEIMER
Director, Land Acquisition
PIVOT Energy
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SOLAR LAND USE and BENEFITS for COMMUNITES
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MIKE KRUGER
CEO
Colorado Solar and Storage Association
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Grid Resilience and Domestic Energy Under the Inflation Reduction Act
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TRANSITION TO LUNCH SESSION
LUNCH SESSION
CHEVRON
UNC BALLROOM
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KEYNOTE
HODGE WALKER
Vice President of the Chevron Rockies Business Unit
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Colorado Oil and Natural Gas- The Future of Energy
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PANEL DISCUSSION
MO MONTOYA
Regulatory Engineering Advisor
MORGAN STEIN
Facilities Engineering Advisor
GABE BARRAGAN
Wells and Asset Retirement Team Lead
ASHLEY ARMSTRONG
Reliability Engineer
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STUDENT ENERGY AWARD WINNERS
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BREAK
RURAL CAUCUS ROUNDTABLE
2nd FLOOR COMMONS
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BYRON PELTON- Co-chair
Logan County Commissioner
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KEN GFELLER Co-chair
Mayor of Keenesburg
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RICHARD HOLTORF
Colorado State Representative
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ANDRE CUSHING
American City County Exchange
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VARIOUS PRESENTERS
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2022 SPEAKERS
Heidi Gill
URBAN Solutions Group
Heidi Gill serves as CEO of Urban Solution Group. She founded Urban in 2017 to bridge the gap between oil and gas development and social compatibility. Focusing on comprehensive mitigation plans and products, Heidi designed and filed a patent on a new type of sound wall that helps mitigate impacts to surround communities during oil and gas operations. She spearheaded the capital raise to fund the manufacturing of her patented sound walls and now has over six miles of wall on the market which is enough inventory to be on 20-25 locations at once. Her most recent endeavor has been developing NavPlanIQ. A first of its kind, cloud based energy specific software for long term planning and execution of energy locations with a high focus on regulatory, compliance, noise monitoring and modeling, comprehensive mitigation and stakeholder engagement and grievance management.
Heidi was awarded the Denver Business Journal’s 2020 Outstanding Women in Business for the Energy category along with being selected as one of their 2019 40 Under 40. She was awarded the Society of Petroleum Engineers 2019 Steward of the Industry Award. In 2018 she was awarded the Colorado Oil and Gas Association’s 2018 Emerging Leader Award and recognized by the Denver Business Journal as one of Denver’s 2018 Top Women in Energy.
Click for more speakers
FRIDAY
Hodge Walker
Chevron
Hodge Walker is vice president of the Chevron Rockies Business Unit, a position he has held since October 2020 when Chevron acquired Noble Energy. In this role, he oversees Chevron’s exploration and
production activities in the Rockies Region where the company has operations in the DJ Basin and Piceance Basin of Colorado. He brings to this role more than 25 years of technical, leadership, and multi-basin operating experience in the oil and natural gas industry.
Prior to joining Chevron, Hodge served as the senior vice president responsible for Noble Energy’s U.S. onshore operations and as a director of Noble Midstream Partners. From 2014 to 2018, he served as vice
president of West Africa and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Previously, he served as director of Strategic Planning, Environmental Analysis and Reserves, and managed the company’s operated West Africa assets, non-operated international assets and frontier business ventures.
Hodge serves as vice chairman of the board of directors for Coloradans for Responsible Energy Development (CRED) and is a member of Colorado Concern. He also serves as treasurer on the board of directors of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association (COGA)
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Anna Pierini
Business Development Manager
Crusoe Energy
Anna has a diverse land and business development background with over 15 years of experience in the upstream oil and gas industry. She began her career in North Dakota in 2004 and has since managed land, leasing, and acquisition projects in the Williston Basin, Powder River Basin, DJ Basin, Western Anadarko Basin, Eagle Ford, and Permian Basins. Anna has a passion for the domestic energy industry and the exciting opportunities that lie ahead in the transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. Since joining Crusoe Energy, she has helped oil and gas operators find a beneficial use for over 4 billion cubic feet of natural gas that would have otherwise been flared, reducing methane emissions by 98%. In her spare time, Anna enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and two children. Anna holds a BS in Public Relations from Evangel University and a MBA from the University of Denver.
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MODERATORS/EMCEES
Jan Kulmann
MAYOR OF THORNTON
As a licensed professional engineer with more than 23 years of energy experience, Jan Kulmann has successfully managed and executed projects and programs both nationally and internationally. Jan joined Xcel Energy recently as the Senior Director of Standards and Compliance Program Development. She is responsible for providing direction and strategic leadership for the development of design and engineering standards and compliance programs for natural gas pipeline and electric infrastructure in support of Xcel Energy's clean energy transition. Jan’s career before joining Xcel Energy also included the management of drilling, completion, and production facilities, environmental, health, safety, and regulatory programs as well as strategic technical initiatives related to emissions reduction efforts, electrical power, automation, process safety, and mechanical integrity.
Jan Kulmann was elected as the Mayor of Thornton, CO in 2019. Jan was first elected as a Ward 4 Councilmember in 2013, won re-election in 2017, and was the Mayor Pro-Tem from 2017-2019. As a representative of the City of Thornton, Jan also serves on the executive committee of the Metro Mayors Caucus, as the Chair of the Rocky Flats Stewardship Council, as an executive board member of the Mile High Flood District, and as a member of the North I-25 Coalition.
Jan earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, along with a minor in music performance, from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Colorado State University. She has been married to her husband Dave since 2002 and together they have two teenage children.
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INFO
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ACCOMMODATIONS
The Energy and Environmental Leadership Symposium provided a tremendous amount of insight into the science/nature of pollutant behavior (in the atmosphere) in and around the greater Denver/Boulder Metropolitan area. Additionally, the Symposium ignited discussion around the practicality and potential environmental and economic impacts with regard to proposed environmental regulations within the state of Colorado. It is important for industry, government, the public, and other stakeholders to engage in these types of (objective) conversations in order to create transparency and allow Colorado to make informed decisions regarding the environment and economic future of the state.”
--Joe Etheridge, Encino Environmental Services– Chief Technology Officer