The Board of Directors for the National Energy Foundation provides professional oversight and consultation to the Foundation. This distinguished group of individuals are influential in maintaining NEF as a leader in energy literacy while helping shape an effective strategy for the future. The following list of individuals are experts in their respective fields and allow NEF to draw from a wide range of influences throughout the energy industry. The diverse educational and professional backgrounds help NEF ensure an unbiased and well-informed strategy to cultivate and promote energy literacy.
Ursula Schryver
Board Chair, National Energy Foundation
Vice President, Strategic Member Engagement and Engagement, American Public Power Association
Role:
Role:
- Oversees the American Public Power Association’s Academy — with a full suite of conferences, webinars, and customized education programs. She leads the Association’s programs for members in workforce issues and customer service development.
- George Mason University
- MBA from George Washington University
Elissa Richards
President, National Energy Foundation (NEF)
Roles:
- Oversees development in the Safety, Government, Natural Resource and Corporate sectors
- Directs the business partnership between Johnson Controls and NEF, managing the Academy of Energy Education and also the Igniting Creative Energy Challenge
- Adult Education Specialist
- Leads development and implementation of NEF’s adult energy efficiency education programs
- Classroom teacher, district teacher leader, school administrator
- LEED Green Associate Certification
- Adjunct Professor, Utah State University
- B.S. degree in Elementary Education, University of Utah
- Masters degree in Educational Leadership and Policy, University of Utah
Gary Swan
Board Secretary, National Energy Foundation (NEF)
Roles:
- Leads NEF development of energy education partnerships in the electric and natural gas utility sectors
- Helps guide NEF pilot program design and development
- Oversees NEF’s in-house evaluation, measurement and verification (EM&V) activities for DSM programs and serves as NEF’s key liaison to third party EM&V contractors evaluating NEF programs in the field
- Serves as Secretary to NEF’s Board of Directors
- Serves as Chairman of Public Outreach Committee, Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission
- B.A. degree in Chinese and Asian Studies, Brigham Young University
- MBA, Marketing Emphasis, Brigham Young University
Wayne Bonner
Board Treasurer, National Energy Foundation (NEF)
Roles:
- Manages NEF’s accounts receivable and accounts payable
- Reviews and implements NEF’s financial processes to meet organizational goals and objectives
- Oversees NEF’s external audits and coordinates accounting staff with third party auditors
- Responsible for internal organization and office procedures
- B.S. degree in Accounting, University of Utah
- MBA, University of Phoenix
Jennifer O'Shea
VP - Communications, American Gas Association (AGA)
Roles:
- Develops and implements communications strategies to promote natural gas and its applications to key stakeholders including media, industry leaders, Members of Congress, and consumers
- Managing Director of Communications at American Gas Association
- Public Relations Specialist at WilmerHale
- Senior Director at FD Dittus Communications where she worked with the private sector and federal government clients, including the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
- B.A. degree in Art History from Skidmore College
Maria G. Korsnick
President and CEO, Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)
Roles:
Facebook: Nuclear Energy Institute
- NEI is the policy organization for the U.S. nuclear industry and represents the industry in addressing generic technical regulatory issues before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; as well as policy and legislative activities with the Congress and the Executive Branch.
- Vice President of Northeast Operations, Exelon
- Chief Nuclear Officer (CNO) and acting Chief Executive Officer, Constellation Energy Nuclear Group
- B.S degree in Nuclear Science from the University of Maryland
Facebook: Nuclear Energy Institute
Rich Kolodziej
Principal, Zenergy Advisors
Role:
- Provides business strategy, government/media advocacy and market outreach to support alternative fuel companies
- President of NGVAmerica
- Chairman of NGV Global
- Group Vice President of the American Gas Association
Erin Kurilla
Vice President of Operations & Safety, American Public Gas Association (APGA)
Roles:
- Works closely with APGA's Adviser Emeritus on pipeline safety advocacy issues and addressing member operations challenges.
- Supports the APGA Operations Committee and its Safety and Education subcommittees
- Bachelor's of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh
- Masters of Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University
Lisa Wood
Executive Director, Institute for Electric Innovation (IEI)
Roles:
- Executive Director of the Institute for Electric Innovation (IEI)
- Vice President of Customer Solutions for the Edison Electric Institute (EEI)
- Vice President of The Edison Foundation
- Principal with The Brattle Group
- Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University
- Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University
- Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution
- Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
- M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania
- B.A. from Rutgers College
Ralph Cleveland
President & CEO, Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA)
Role:
Education:
Twitter:@JoinAABE
- Ralph Cleveland was named Global Head, Customer Operations and Business Transformation for AIG Property and Casualty Insurance in June 2012. In this role, Cleveland has responsibility for all of AIG Property and Casualty Insurance’s Operations globally for the Consumer and Commercial businesses.
- Mr. Cleveland is currently serving as the chairman of the national board of the American Association of Blacks in Energy and as the president and chairman of the board of trustees for American Institute for Managing Diversity. He also previously served as the Chairman and CEO of the North American Energy Standards Board. He is president and founder of the Capital and Enterprise Development Group, non-profit endeavor which is dedicated to economic inclusion and socio-economic development.
- Prior to beginning his AIG career, Cleveland spent 30 years in the energy sector in various corporate and industry roles. For a ten year period, he was responsible for centralized utility shared services for AGL Resources which included: engineering, construction, environmental health and safety, crisis management, business continuity planning, supply chain, supplier development, supplier diversity, project management, and high consequence operations such as gas operations, gas storage and transmission operations.
- Immediately prior to starting at AIG, Mr. Cleveland served as President of Nicor Gas which serves 2.2 million customers in northern Illinois and had profit and loss responsibility for the business unit.
- Prior to his work in local gas distribution, he spent over a decade in oil and gas research, development, and production; natural gas processing; and petrochemical industries, in various engineering, operations, operations risk management, and line management roles
- Mr. Cleveland received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech, completed post-graduate studies in mechanical engineering at Rice University in Houston, TX and received his master’s degree in business administration from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA.
Twitter:@JoinAABE
Sheila Hollis
Acting Executive Director, The United States Energy Association
Roles:
@USEnergyAssn
LinkedIn:
United States Energy Association
- Sheila Slocum Hollis is Acting Executive Director of the United States Energy Association. In her role, Ms. Hollis represents the broad interests of the U.S. energy industry and interacts with domestic and international leaders to advance knowledge and seek partnerships to develop and enhance energy infrastructure worldwide.
- Sheila Slocum Hollis is also Of Counsel and Chair of the Duane Morris, LLP Washington, D.C. office, and was the office's founding managing partner, as well as the founding leader of the firm's Energy, Environment and Resources Practice Group. She served on the firm's Executive Committee and Partners Board for more than a decade.
- Prior to becoming Acting Executive Director, she served as the Association’s Chairman of the Board. She has served on the USEA Board of Directors for 15 years.
- Sheila served as the first woman President of the Energy Bar Association, chaired the ABA’s Section of Environment, Energy and Resources and serves as its representative on the ABA Board of Governors.
- She also chaired the Federal Bar Association’s Energy and Environment Section and multiple other bar-related entities.
- Additionally, Sheila served Chair of the ABA’s Standing Committee on the Law Library of Congress in addition to other ABA leadership roles.
- Ms. Hollis is a Trustee of the Center for American and International Law, a Life Fellow of the American Law Institute and Honorary North American member of the Commercial Bar of England and Wales.
- Ms. Hollis also serves as a Board Member of the American Friends of the Royal Society, a Trustee of Plimoth Plantation, and a member of the Sustainability Advisory Board of KB Homes.
- She served for a decade on the Board Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System and is a Trustee of the Center for American International Law.
- Sheila was president of the Women’s Council on Energy and Environment and was awarded its Woman of the Year Award in 2003.
- University of Denver College of Law, J.D. Law
- University of Colorado at Boulder, B.A Journalism
@USEnergyAssn
LinkedIn:
United States Energy Association
Donnie Colston
Director of the IBEW Utility Department
Roles:
@IBEW
LinkedIn:
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
- Donnie is the Director of the IBEW Utility Department. IP Lonnie Stephenson appointed him to this role 2017. He is a 41 year IBEW member from Local 2100 (Utility Local), which represents the employees of Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities.
- He is a Utility Lineman that started in Transmission and Distribution construction and then went on to work as an Electric Troubleman. He served in several roles of leadership for his local including President / Business Manager, Treasurer, and Chief Union Steward.Donnie joined the International staff in 2013 and assists Locals in all utility matters pertaining to collective bargaining agreements, working conditions, safety related work practices, and apprenticeship training.
@IBEW
LinkedIn:
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
Courtney V. Galatioto
Chief of Staff and Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA)
Role:
Education:
- Courtney joined the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) in 2019. As the Chief of Staff and Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, she works to align SEPA’s mission and goals with high-quality execution, fosters inclusive and productive relationships throughout the organization and externally, evaluates and manages risks, and facilitates timely decision-making to ensure a productive balance between short-term execution and long-term priorities. She serves as an advisor to the President & CEO and is the principal liaison for SEPA’s Board of Directors and strategic partnerships.
She came to SEPA with a decade of experience in the energy industry and previously served as the Vice President for Stakeholder Relations at the Alliance to Save Energy, where she oversaw business development and corporate relations. She also previously served as a policy fellow for the state of North Carolina.
- M.S. degree with a focus on energy, climate change, and security from Johns Hopkins University