UEDA 2025 Spring Forum

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Save the dateApril 7 - 10, 2025 (CDT) Add to Calendar

Venue Location

C. Baldwin, Curio Collection by Hilton

Dallas Street 400
Houston, Texas

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Organizer

Organizer: Utility Economic Development Association, CenterPoint Energy Economic Development

Phone: +1 5019045228

Contact Person: Megan Neumeier

Email: megan@utilityeda.com

Agenda

Day 1
April 7, 2025
Day 2
April 8, 2025
Day 3
April 9, 2025
Day 4
April 10, 2025

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Cocktails and Conversations
Cocktails and Conversations
Hotel Lobby Bar
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Board Meeting (Board Members Only)
Board Meeting (Board Members Only)
Location: Coleman I & II
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Forum Kick-Off Lunch
Forum Kick-Off Lunch
Location: B. Jordan Ballroom
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM
Welcome
Welcome
Jason Wells
President and Chief Executive Officer at CenterPoint Energy
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Current State of the Economy
Current State of the Economy
Jesse Thompson
Senior Business Economist at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Location: B. Jordan Ballroom
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Break
Break
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
How Data Centers are Shaping Utility Strategies
How Data Centers are Shaping Utility Strategies
Michael Grella
Chief Infrastructure Officer at Active Infrastructure
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Peer to Peer and Member Connection
Peer to Peer and Member Connection
Location: B. Jordan Ballroom
Moderated by: Ed Sitar with ComEd
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Welcome Reception and Dinner
Welcome Reception and Dinner
Location: Gaurd and Grace
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Breakfast
Breakfast
Location: B. Jordan Ballroom
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Programming
Programming
Courtney Dunbar
Director – Site Selection of Burns & McDonnell
Location: B. Jordan Ballroom
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Break
Break
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Panel: Unlocking New Site Opportunities
Panel: Unlocking New Site Opportunities
Haley Tomlinson
Senior Economic Development Manager at Duke Energy
JW
Joel Watts
Sr. Project Manager - Economic Development at Alabama Power
Diana Rife
JobsOhio
Location: B. Jordan Ballroom
Moderated by: Jason Speake with Duke Energy
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Lunch
Lunch
Location: B. Jordan Ballroom
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM
UEDA Committee Reports
UEDA Committee Reports
Committee Reports:
Programming and Education
Membership
Finance & Sponsorship
Strategic Planning
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
State Engagement on Load Growth: Unlocking Critical Conversations to Meet Energy Needs
State Engagement on Load Growth: Unlocking Critical Conversations to Meet Energy Needs
Kathryn Kline
Senior Technical Advisor at National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioner (NARUC)
Location: B. Jordan Ballroom
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Break
Break
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Programming
Programming
Location: B. Jordan Ballroom
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Ensuring Optimal Outcomes for Energy Related Initiatives
Ensuring Optimal Outcomes for Energy Related Initiatives
Dale Rector
Energy Consultant at Global Location Strategies
Location: B. Jordan Ballroom
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Happy Hour
Happy Hour
Location: B. Jordan Foyer
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Dine Around (New Friends Dinners)
Dine Around (New Friends Dinners)
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Breakfast
Breakfast
Location: B. Jordan Ballroom
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Member Showcase
Member Showcase
Location: B. Jordan Ballroom
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Peer to Peer Wrap Up
Peer to Peer Wrap Up
Location: B. Jordan Ballroom

Speakers

Courtney Dunbar

Director – Site Selection of Burns & McDonnell

Courtney Dunbar

Director – Site Selection of Burns & McDonnell

Courtney Dunbar has combined career experiences in site selection, economic development, community planning, and project funding. In her current role, she leads Burns & McDonnell’s site selection consulting practice.

Courtney’s goal is to align Burns & McDonnell industrial, advanced manufacturing, mission critical, food and consumer products, and healthcare clientele with optimal site and facility options for growth. In addition, her team actively develops plans for industrial site development. She has written many community plans focused on developing vital, innovative communities that entice economic growth and redevelopment as well as addressing funding strategies. Her career has centered on industrial and allied primary development.

She serves as a contributing writer and speaker for Area Development, with articles centered on site selection and site preparedness for economic development opportunities. She is a sought-after speaker nationally on topics related to site selection and industrial site preparedness.

Courtney is a faculty instructor of land and infrastructure development at both the Heartland Basic Economic Development Institute and the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute. Her comprehensive expertise in site selection, economic planning, development analysis, industrial infrastructure planning, and project finance uniquely positions her as a qualified industrial site selection and site development partner.

Michael Grella

Chief Infrastructure Officer at Active Infrastructure

Michael Grella

Chief Infrastructure Officer at Active Infrastructure

As Cofounder & Chief Infrastructure Officer for Active Infrastructure, a national developer of data centers and industrial real estate, Mr. Grella is responsible for sourcing and executing the Company’s projects throughout North America. Mr. Grella brings 30 years of experience in economic, workforce, & real estate development, site selection, public finance, tax law, and public policy.

Prior to launching Active Infrastructure, Mike founded and led Amazon's and Amazon Web Services’ Economic Development teams, facilitating investments representing over $10 billion of capital investment and over 100,000 new jobs in over two dozen states and 15 countries. Mike supported the launch and expansion of Amazon Web Services data center regions around the world and continues to support hyperscale data center development in his current role.

Prior to joining Amazon, Mike advised more than 100 Fortune 500 and large privately held companies on site selection and economic development matters. Mike received his degree in Accounting from Villanova University, his Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law, and is a member of the New York State Bar.

Kathryn Kline

Senior Technical Advisor at National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioner (NARUC)

Kathryn Kline

Senior Technical Advisor at National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioner (NARUC)

Kathryn Kline is a Senior Technical Advisor in the Center for Partnerships & Innovation at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioner (NARUC). Kathryn supports NARUC-DOE Partnerships associated with work on coal and carbon management, nuclear energy, natural gas, and load growth. Kathryn coordinates with members and stakeholders on emerging issues; researches and authors reports; and implements virtual and in-person peer-learning opportunities for NARUC members.

Prior to joining the Center for Partnerships & Innovation, Kathryn worked as a Senior Research Associate at the National Regulatory Research Institute where she conducted research on water policy, customer billing, net metering, and CCUS. Before NRRI, Kathryn worked as an Economic Development and Small Business Fellow in Congressman John Lewis’s 5th District Office.

Kathryn earned a B.A. in Politics from Converse University and a M.S. in Public Policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Dale Rector

Energy Consultant at Global Location Strategies

Diana Rife

JobsOhio

Diana Rife

JobsOhio

Diana Cooke Rife is the Senior Director of Sites for JobsOhio, where she serves as the primary contact for all JobsOhio Site-related programs. These include the Ohio Site Inventory Program (OSIP) and the SiteOhio site authentication program. She also serves as an advisor to the Vibrant Communities and Project Planning Grant programs and the JobsOhio Revitalization Program.

Prior to joining JobsOhio, Diana held significant real estate acquisition, leasing, asset, and construction management roles. She worked for Hines Interests, completing millions of square feet of new office buildings and office leases in their Midwest markets. She also spent time in Turkey supporting construction with NATO and the US Air Force. Her career experience encompasses most facets of real estate, including land development, leasing, construction, asset and property management, and financial analysis.

Diana earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Vanderbilt University. She grew up in Central Ohio and currently lives in New Albany.

Jesse Thompson

Senior Business Economist at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Haley Tomlinson

Senior Economic Development Manager at Duke Energy

Haley Tomlinson

Senior Economic Development Manager at Duke Energy

Haley Tomlinson is the Senior Economic Development Manager in the Northern Indiana territory on the Economic Development team for Duke Energy Corporation, one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States.

In this role she is responsible for working with companies, consultants, the State of Indiana and local economic development organizations on projects concerning growing new and expanding industrial and commercial business in the northern 34 counties in Duke Energy's Indiana service territory.

Tomlinson joined Duke Energy in 2017. Previously, she served in a Senior Project Management role at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.While at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Tomlinson was responsible for managing and prioritizing confidential attraction, expansion and retention projects within a 14-county territory.

While in her role, she secured commitments for more than 5,000 new jobs and an estimated $497 million in capital investment for the State of Indiana.

Tomlinson graduated from Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and is a member of the Lambda Pi Eta Honor's Society.

Tomlinson welcomed her son, Connor, in 2020. She lives with her husband, son and golden-doodle, Piper, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Joel Watts

Sr. Project Manager - Economic Development at Alabama Power

Jason Wells

President and Chief Executive Officer at CenterPoint Energy

Jason Wells

President and Chief Executive Officer at CenterPoint Energy

Jason is President and Chief Executive Officer of CenterPoint Energy. He joined the company in 2020 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Most recently, Jason served as President and Chief Operating Officer, responsible for the company’s utilities operations, including electric, natural gas and power generation. Jason is focused on safety, promoting excellence across the enterprise and executing on the company’s industry-leading growth plan.

Previously, Jason held positions of increasing responsibility with PG&E Corporation for 13 years. He served as Executive Vice President and CFO overseeing the financial activities of the nearly $60 billion enterprise. In his positions as CFO, Jason successfully led the execution of more than $50 billion in capital markets and strategic transactions.

Jason serves on the boards of the Greater Houston Partnership, Central Houston, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. He is also on the advisory board of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University.

He previously served on the board of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank in 2020 and was a board member and treasurer of Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco from 2013 to 2019.

Jason holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting, both from the University of Florida, and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).

- See more at: https://www.centerpointenergy.com/en-us/corp/pages/jason-wells.aspx#sthash.MAig1BdK.dpuf

Hosted by CenterPoint Energy

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Cocktails and Conversations

Cocktails and Conversations

Board Meeting (Board Members Only)

Board Meeting (Board Members Only)

Forum Kick-Off Lunch

Forum Kick-Off Lunch

Welcome

Welcome

Current State of the Economy

Current State of the Economy

Break

Break

How Data Centers are Shaping Utility Strategies

How Data Centers are Shaping Utility Strategies

Peer to Peer and Member Connection

Peer to Peer and Member Connection

Welcome Reception and Dinner

Welcome Reception and Dinner

Breakfast

Breakfast

Programming

Programming

Break

Break

Panel: Unlocking New Site Opportunities

Panel: Unlocking New Site Opportunities

Lunch

Lunch

UEDA Committee Reports

UEDA Committee Reports

State Engagement on Load Growth: Unlocking Critical Conversations to Meet Energy Needs

State Engagement on Load Growth: Unlocking Critical Conversations to Meet Energy Needs

Break

Break

Programming

Programming

Ensuring Optimal Outcomes for Energy Related Initiatives

Ensuring Optimal Outcomes for Energy Related Initiatives

Happy Hour

Happy Hour

Dine Around (New Friends Dinners)

Dine Around (New Friends Dinners)

Breakfast

Breakfast

Member Showcase

Member Showcase

Peer to Peer Wrap Up

Peer to Peer Wrap Up

Courtney Dunbar

Director – Site Selection of Burns & McDonnell

Michael Grella

Chief Infrastructure Officer at Active Infrastructure

Kathryn Kline

Senior Technical Advisor at National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioner (NARUC)

Dale Rector

Energy Consultant at Global Location Strategies

Diana Rife

JobsOhio

Jesse Thompson

Senior Business Economist at Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Haley Tomlinson

Senior Economic Development Manager at Duke Energy

Joel Watts

Sr. Project Manager - Economic Development at Alabama Power

Jason Wells

President and Chief Executive Officer at CenterPoint Energy

Organizer

UEDA Annual Sponsors

Spring Forum Sponsors