Will Batista Manager/Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance at Southwest Gas
Will Batista Manager/Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance at Southwest Gas Will Batista currently serves as Manager of Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) at Southwest Gas Corporation. He oversees the development, implementation, and reporting of sustainability strategies and the publication of the Company’s annual sustainability report. He helps to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, industry peers, and NGOs to engage in and promote sustainability practices and policy. In previous roles at the Company, he managed energy efficiency programs across multiple states and led the Company to adopt disclosure frameworks and new policies on sustainability, the environment, and human rights. Prior to joining Southwest Gas, Will worked on presidential, gubernatorial, and community outreach campaigns. He also led efforts to pass victim rights amendments, which have been added to the state constitutions of over half a dozen states.
Michael Brooks Clayco
Michael Brooks Clayco Michael Brooks is a seasoned professional in economic development and business growth, with a career spanning more than two decades. Currently serving as the Vice President of Economic Development at Clayco, the first to hold this position at the company, Michael brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his role. He is responsible for sales across the nation particularly in the industrial and manufacturing sectors, while also assisting with the company’s foreign direct investment strategy.
Cedric Colbert Global Location Strategies
Cedric Colbert Global Location Strategies As a senior site selection consultant for Global Location Strategies, Cedric advises companies on making informed location strategy decisions that drive growth and success. He began his career in economic development at the Alabama Department of Commerce, where he recruited strategic industries to the state, managed its multifaceted incentive programs, and administered its compliance reporting process for companies that received incentives. Cedric holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in applied economics from Auburn University.
Ashley Duckman Managing Director, Policy and Strategy of American Gas Association
Ashley Duckman Managing Director, Policy and Strategy of American Gas Association Ashley Duckman presently serves as Managing Director, Policy & Strategy at the American Gas Association (AGA). In this role, she is responsible for guiding the development and implementation of programs and strategic priorities in support of gas utility clean energy, emission reduction, sustainability, and/or decarbonization efforts. Previously, Ashley served as Executive Director of the Energy Solutions Center (ESC) where she worked to advance market development and technology commercialization opportunities for gas utilities and affiliated equipment manufacturers. Ashley returns to AGA after having previously worked for the association, where she spent nearly a decade advocating on behalf of natural gas utilities at the local, state, and federal levels. She has a BA in Political Science and Economics from Washington College.
Tess Fay Principal at Global Location Strategies
Tess Fay Principal at Global Location Strategies With experience in state economic development, Tess understands the many factors that clients must consider when facing a site selection project. During her two years with the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, she recruited jobs and investment into the state, evaluating the long-term returns that could result from $14 Billion of potential new business investment across industries from heavy manufacturing to agribusiness to high-tech shared services. Her announcements included the $1.3 billion greenfield location of the Braidy Industries aluminum rolling mill, and a $37 million expansion by TOPY America in its automotive wheel manufacturing plant.
John Henning Market Leader / Energy at Olsson, Inc.
John Henning Market Leader / Energy at Olsson, Inc. John is responsible for the strategic direction and long-term operating plans for the Energy market at Olsson which includes design teams focused on power delivery, renewable energy generation, district energy, and onsite power generation. By taking full advantage of the capabilities of Olsson’s talent team across the firm, John verifies the development of discipline strengths in technical expertise and identifies new opportunities and upcoming trends to maximize firmwide capabilities within the market. His main priority at Olsson is client service, which he accomplishes by deploying team resources, focusing on proactive communication, and maintaining quality control on project deliverables. Through his 20 years in consulting, John has supported local, regional, and national IOUs, IPPs, Oil & Gas producers, midstream companies, land development firms, municipalities, and transportation agencies.
Patrick Hidder Executive Vice President at ARCO/Murray
Patrick Hidder Executive Vice President at ARCO/Murray Patrick joined ARCO/Murray in 2010 and has provided operational leadership since 2015, when he helped start ARCO's Dallas office. He has been integral in building teams within new niches, providing successful management and leadership for over 200 projects across ARCO's major verticals, including tenant improvements, heavy processing, entertainment, industrial, self-storage, and controlled environment agriculture. In addition to his executive oversight, Patrick provides coaching and mentorship to high-performing project managers, focused on helping them grow into the next generation of ARCO leaders.
Jason Romero Executive Vice President, Growth at QTS Data Centers
Jason Romero Executive Vice President, Growth at QTS Data Centers Jason Romero is the Executive Vice President of Growth with QTS Data Centers, based in the company’s headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas. Jason specializes in real estate strategy, transactions, and development for data center campus development projects, infrastructure EPC, strategic partnerships, government relations, economic development, and risk management. He holds a Master of Business Administration, Master of Construction Management, Juris Doctor, and Bachelor of Science from the University of Kansas.
Jim Rounds President and CEO of Rounds Consulting Group
Jim Rounds President and CEO of Rounds Consulting Group Jim Rounds is President and CEO of Rounds Consulting Group. The firm specializes in economic development and tax policy analysis; education research; healthcare economics; transportation economics; fiscal planning including revenue forecasting and budget development; strategic planning and marketing; environmental economics; fiscal impact and market studies; tourism analysis, and provides litigation support.
Cory Scheer CEO of TrustCentric Consulting
Cory Scheer CEO of TrustCentric Consulting Cory Scheer is the Founder and CEO of TrustCentric" Consulting, an organizational and leadership development firm. TrustCentric™ helps leaders, teams, and organizations become more trustworthy, focused, and productive by: using empirical evidence to define reality, implementing a proven trust building framework, and walking alongside clients to develop clear, obtainable, and long lasting data informed strategies for success. Core solutions that TrustCentric™ provides include: Comprehensive Organizational Trust Assessments©, Executive and Team Coaching, Strengthening Organizational Trust Workshops, Strategic Planning Retreats, Keynote / Seminar Speaking, Leadership Development Cohorts, and ongoing organizational and leadership development consultative support.
John Sterling Head of Commercial Energy Supply - Americas, East at Meta
John Sterling Head of Commercial Energy Supply - Americas, East at Meta John Sterling is Meta’s Head of Commercial Energy Supply – Americas, East, joining the organization in March 2022. He leads the team responsible for retail energy supply contracting and transmission interconnection services for Meta’s data center fleet in the eastern half of the United States, as well as engaging in energy-related policy efforts at those state legislatures and regulatory commissions. John has over 20 years of experience in the electric power industry, including rate design, regulatory affairs, power procurement, resource planning, customer programs, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining Meta, John has worked in the renewable energy sector for Leeward Renewable Energy and First Solar, in the non-profit sector at the Smart Electric Power Alliance, and at an investor-owned utility, Arizona Public Service. He holds a BS in Finance and an MBA from Arizona State University.
Matt Szuhaj Vice President at Strategic Development Group
Matt Szuhaj Vice President at Strategic Development Group Matt Szuhaj is a Vice President with the Strategic Development Group. He has over thirty years of experience in domestic and international site selection and development, specializing in global deployment strategy, market entry, footprint optimization, operating model design, supply chain strategy, real estate and site evaluations, infrastructure review, operating costs/conditions analysis, and business incentive and entitlement negotiations.
Roger Wehner Director, AWS Economic Development of Amazon Web Services
Roger Wehner Director, AWS Economic Development of Amazon Web Services Roger E. Wehner {Way-ner} - Roger currently leads the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Economic Development organization with a scope that includes site solution identification, project schedule acceleration, incentives, compliance, economics research, workforce development, and hyper local engagement. Much of his career has been globally focused starting with a fifteen-year career in the US Army Special Operations community followed by international trade, management consulting, aerospace, and economic development. His thirty years of economic development service includes stints at the state, utility, regional, and local levels. Roger led the international economic development efforts of Alabama Power Company, a part of the Southern Company (SO), for ten years. He has worked extensively across the aerospace industry, from VP of Business Development for a top ten international aerospace company (Safran) to operating multiple airports. During his career, Roger has built his own site selection, due diligence, and location advisory consulting firm and several corporate economic development organizations. He earned a B.A. in International Relations (Eastern Europe/Latin America) from Troy University, a M.A. in International Business (Latin America) from the University of Alabama, is currently Ph.D./ABD in Strategic Management from Virginia Tech, and is a graduate of the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA.
