RISK
MANAGERS
FORUM

September 18-19, 2025

SPEAKERS

GREG CULLEN

GREG CULLEN

  • Vice President, Energy Services and Development, Energy Northwest
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Greg Cullen

Greg Cullen joined Energy Northwest in 1993 and currently holds the position of Vice President of Energy Services and Development.  In this capacity, Greg is responsible for the operation and maintenance of Energy Northwest’s non-nuclear generating projects including hydro, wind, solar, and storage facilities, as well as utility supporting programs and services. Greg oversees the development of projects and programs in a broad range of areas, including clean energy generation and storage, electrification, demand response, support services, and advanced nuclear energy demonstration and deployment.

Prior to joining Energy Services and Development, Greg held a variety of individual and management roles in support of the operation of Columbia Generating Station, the Northwest’s only operating nuclear energy facility.

Greg holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics from Northwest Nazarene University, a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington, and an MBA from Northwest Nazarene University.

Energy Northwest is a joint operating agency serving the needs of public power by providing reliable, low-cost electricity while promoting public power activities in the region. 

SCOTT HUNNEWELL

SCOTT HUNNEWELL

  • Vice President, New Nuclear Program, TVA
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Scott Hunnewell

Scott Hunnewell is TVA’s Vice President, New Nuclear Program. Scott reports to Bob Deacy, Senior Vice President, Clinch River Project.

Hunnewell has been leading the New Nuclear Program at TVA since 2022. He has a depth of industry knowledge with a combined 26 years of experience in engineering, operations, and work management at both boiling water nuclear reactor facilities (BWR) and pressurized water reactor (PWR) facilities.

He started his career in nuclear in 1988 as a Senior Reactor Operator at the Savannah River Sites K Reactor working for DuPont/Westinghouse Savannah River Company before joining Stone & Webster and then TVA in 2009. Hunnewell spent seven years at the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant and five years at the Browns Ferry Plant in key leadership roles including Director of Work Management, Director of Engineering, Senior Manager of Design Engineering, Senior Manager of Systems Engineering, NSSS Manager, Project Engineer and Plant Manager.

From 1997 to 2009, Hunnewell owned and operated construction and real estate companies in Tennessee and Oklahoma. He has held real estate licenses in New Jersey and Oklahoma and been a licensed general contractor in Georgia, Tennessee and Oklahoma.

Hunnewell holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maine and received his Senior Reactor Operator and Shift Technical Advisor certifications on the K Reactor from the Department of Energy.

KATI AUSTGEN

KATI AUSTGEN

  • Director, Public Engagement & New Nuclear, Nuclear Energy Institute
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Kati Austgen

Kati Austgen is Director, Public Engagement & New Nuclear at the Nuclear Energy Institute. She specializes in advocacy for all new nuclear technologies, including large light-water reactors, small modular reactors, non-light-water reactors, and micro-reactors. Kati leads the NEI Advanced Nuclear Forum and Advancing Collaboration, Community Engagement & Public Trust (ACCEPT) Working Group – providing industry coordination and strategic guidance. Prior to coming to NEI, Kati was a licensing engineer at Ameren Missouri’s Callaway Energy Center. Kati holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from Oregon State University and the University of Missouri, respectively.

MARK LAUBY

MARK LAUBY

  • Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer, NERC
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Mark Lauby

Mark G. Lauby is senior vice president and chief engineer at NERC. Mr. Lauby joined NERC in January 2007 and has held a number of positions, including vice president and director of Standards and vice president and director of Reliability Assessments and Performance Analysis.

In 2012, Mr. Lauby was elected to the North American Energy Standards Board and was appointed to the Department of Energy’s Electric Advisory Committee by the Secretary of Energy in 2014. Mr. Lauby has served as chair and is a life member of the International Electricity Research Exchange and served as chair of a number of IEEE working groups. From 1999 to 2007, Mr. Lauby was an appointed member of the Board of Excellent Energy International Co., LTD, an energy service company based in Thailand. He has been recognized for his technical achievements in many technical associations, including the 1992 IEEE Walter Fee Young Engineer of the Year Award. He was named a Fellow by IEEE in November 2011 for “leadership in the development and application of techniques for bulk power system reliability.” In 2014, Mr. Lauby was awarded the IEEE Power and Energy Society’s Roy Billinton Power System Reliability Award. In 2020, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) elected Mr. Lauby as a member, citing his development and application of techniques for electric grid reliability analysis. He is also a member of the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) Executive Advisory Committee, focused on providing strategic support to the PES Board of Directors.

Prior to joining NERC, Mr. Lauby worked for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for 20 years, holding a number of senior positions, including: director, Power Delivery and Markets; managing director, Asia, EPRI International; and manager, Power System Engineering in the Power System Planning and Operations Program. Mr. Lauby began his electric industry career in 1979 at the Mid-Continent Area Power Pool in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His responsibilities included transmission planning, power system reliability assessment, and probabilistic evaluation.

Mr. Lauby is the author of more than 100 technical papers on the subjects of power system reliability, expert systems, transmission system planning, and power system numerical analysis techniques. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. In addition, Mr. Lauby attended the London Business School Accelerated Development Program as well as the Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School.

ROGER TUTTEROW

ROGER TUTTEROW

  • Professor of Economics, Kennesaw State University
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Roger Tutterow

Roger Tutterow is Professor of Economics at Kennesaw State University where he holds the Henssler Financial Endowed Chair. 

His analysis of the economic, business and political environments have been featured in a variety of media including Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Business Week, Forbes, USA Today, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Arizona Republic, Florida Times-Union, Kansas City Star, New York Times, Orlando Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Wichita Eagle and on CNN, CNBC, NBC, Bloomberg Television, NPR’s “Marketplace” and “All Things Considered,” CNN-Radio as well as by regional electronic and print media. 

In addition to his work in academia, Dr. Tutterow has served as a consultant on financial economics and statistical modeling for corporate clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to closely held businesses. He has provided expert testimony on economic, financial and statistical matters in state and federal court, before the Georgia General Assembly and before the Georgia Public Service Commission. Dr. Tutterow has given several hundred speeches to professional groups in over 40 states and Canada on topics in the economic, business and political arenas.  

Dr. Tutterow served on the Council of Economic Advisors, under three Georgia Governors. In 2010, he was named to the Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness for Georgians, which conducted a comprehensive review of Georgia’s Tax Code. In addition, Dr. Tutterow serves on the Georgia Child Support Commission, the Cobb County Public Employees’ Pension Board and the Board of Trustees of Berry College. He previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vinings Bank, on the Board of Managers for PrimeARCapital LLC, on the Southern Region Board of Directors for the American Red Cross Blood Services and the Board of Directors for Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Atlanta. He was selected by Georgia Trend magazine as a “notable Georgian” and as one of “Georgia’s Most Influential” by James magazine. 

A Georgia native, Dr. Tutterow holds a B.S. in Decision Science from Berry College and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from Georgia State University. Prior to joining Kennesaw State University, Dr. Tutterow held faculty and administrative appointments at West Virginia University, Georgia State University and Mercer University. He has also served as a visiting professor at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and at the Institute for Industrial Policy Studies in Seoul, South Korea. 

MO SALEH

MO SALEH

  • Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer, CFC
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Mo Salah

Mo Saleh was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of CFC in 2021. In this role, he leads the Enterprise Risk Group, overseeing a broad portfolio of critical functions including enterprise risk management, credit risk including policy and standards, counterparty credit risk, special situation management, asset-liability management, macroeconomic and financial market research, and pricing of CFC’s loan products. Saleh rejoined CFC in 2016 after originally leaving in 2005 to build a diverse career in commercial banking and international financial regulation. Since his return, he has held several leadership roles within the Treasury and Finance Group, including Vice President of Financial Risk Management. His responsibilities have spanned short-term funding, treasury operations, investment portfolio management, and hedging market risk. 

Saleh earned a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Finance (magna cum laude) from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an MBA from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. 

MICHELLE FREEARK

MICHELLE FREEARK

  • Executive Director of Regulatory Affairs and Corporate Services, AEPCO
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Michelle Freeark

Michelle R. Freeark serves as the Executive Director of Regulatory Affairs & Corporate Services for Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc (AEPCO). Ms. Freeark has held numerous roles at AEPCO starting in 2005 when she joined the Cooperative. She currently oversees the Cooperatives’ environmental and land departments. She ensures overall environmental compliance for AEPCO is being met for its generation, transmission, communication and headquarters assets. Prior to joining AEPCO she worked at a chemical plant as the environmental supervisor.

She has extensive experience in permitting under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and National Environmental Policy Act.

Michelle was appointed to an Environmental Protection Agency advisory board, the Good Neighbor Environmental Board, in 2018 where she served a term. She has also served as chairman of the G&T Mangers Association Technical Advisory Committee, chairman of the ACE Implementation Subgroup of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Environmental Policy Council, served in various board positions of the National Rural Electric Environmental Association and currently serves on the board of the Western Energy Supply and Transmission Associates.

She has a bachelor's degree in American Political Studies with an emphasis in Environmental Science from Northern Arizona University.

Michelle Freeark is a dedicated leader blending environmental science, energy policy, and regulatory governance in the utility sector. Since 2005, she has climbed through strategic roles at AEPCO, guiding compliance efforts, developing national-level guidance on emissions, and earning environmental recognition for the Cooperative. Her career reflects a commitment to sustainable, reliable, and community-focused energy.

MIKE SALVA

MIKE SALVA

  • Enterprise Risk Program Manager, Tri-State
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Mike Salva

Mike is currently the Enterprise Risk Program Manager at Tri-State G&T in Westminster, Colorado. He has over 35 years of energy experience and over 20 years of risk management experience. 

He has worked in nuclear generation, structuring, trading and asset management, resource planning and enterprise/energy risk management. 

Mike has a BS in Nuclear Engineering, a MS in Mechanical Engineering and a MBA. 

ALISON KAUFMANN

ALISON KAUFMANN

  • Vice President of Member Services & Strategic Electrification, ODEC
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Alison Kaufmann

Alison Kaufmann is a versatile, reflective, and optimistic executive with 18+ years of utility experience driving innovation and developing new business models, marketing strategies, and customer experiences to fuel new program growth within the Energy and Utility industry.  

Alison has maintained a zero-incident safety record during her years of utility experience in Distribution, Generation, and Transmission and has successfully led within Investor-Owned Utility and Electric Cooperative businesses. Alison currently serves as Vice President of Member Services & Strategic Electrification for Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) developing electrification, energy efficiency, demand response, and related solutions for 11-member distribution cooperatives.  

Alison holds an MBA from the University of Richmond, BA in Marketing Communications from Mary Baldwin University, and Green Belt Six Sigma Certification. She is a Board Member and Marketing Chair for the Virginia War Memorial Foundation and a Board Member for the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council.  

CHRIS HAAS

CHRIS HAAS

  • CEO, Meridian Cooperative
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Chris Haas

As CEO of Meridian Cooperative, Chris Haas is responsible for leading the Meridian Enterprise. Prior to joining Meridian, Mr. Haas held positions with ACES, Wabash Valley Power Alliance, Profound Consulting, and International Paper. 

His expertise includes acquisitions, strategic partnerships, software development and integration, infrastructure, risk management and compliance, cybersecurity, AI, and digital marketing.  

Chris' focus on relational leadership is founded in his experience serving Members, managing vendor relationships, building key industry partnerships, and providing consulting services. 

Chris’ experiences include participating as a member of the NERC Member Representatives Committee (MRC) representing the energy-marketing sector, the Generation and Transmission (G&T) Manager’s Reliability Sub-Committee, the Energy-ISAC Mutual Assistance Group, the George Washington University Digital Marketing Advisory Council, the Evanta CIO/CISO Industry Governing Body, and the Purdue University Polytechnic Alumni Board. He is also proud to be a 30-year supporter of Hope Worldwide and its charitable efforts both locally and worldwide. 

JAY MENDOZA

JAY MENDOZA

  • TBD
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Jay Mendoza

TBD

SEAN WRIGHT

SEAN WRIGHT

  • Vice President, Engineering & Construction, AECI
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Sean Wright

Sean graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Missouri in 2001 and an MBA from Missouri State University in 2014 with an emphasis in finance.  Following graduation in 2001, he began a career with Kiewit Power Constructors (KPC).  After holding various positions with KPC related to power plant estimating, procurement, engineering and construction, Sean joined Associated Electric Cooperative Inc.’s (AECI’s) engineering team in Springfield, MO in 2010.

Sean has held various positions at AECI including Sr. Mechanical Engineer; Manager, EH&S; Supervisor, Engineering; Supervisor, NERC/Cyber; Manager, Technical Services, Managing Director, Engineering & Construction and Vice President, Engineering & Construction.

Specific areas of supervision/management have included:  mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, cyber engineering, NERC engineering, environmental compliance, safety management, land management/reclamation, physical site security, thermal performance, chemical engineering, boiler reliability programs, quality assurance, reliability centered maintenance, GIS, coal inventory, and power plant decommissioning.  Currently, Sean is Vice President, Engineering & Construction where team members focus on projects throughout the power generation fleet as well as developing, engineering, and constructing new generation resources.

Sean resides in Springfield, MO with his wife and two children.

TRAVIS FUCICH

TRAVIS FUCICH

  • Vice President, Operations & Gas and Heavy Industrial, Power, Burns & McDonnell
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Travis Fucich

Travis Fucich is Vice President of Operations and Natural Gas Generation at Burns & McDonnell, where he leads engineering/operations and the Natural Gas Generation business line within the firm’s Power global practice. With over 20 years of industry experience, Travis is a trusted leader in the power generation sector. He serves as executive sponsor for several major projects and customers, and his strategic leadership and deep technical knowledge have been instrumental in helping clients successfully deliver large-scale capital programs.

Since joining Burns & McDonnell in 2005, Travis has held a variety of technical and leadership roles, including engineering director, project manager, department manager, lead controls engineer, field engineer, technical consultant, and controls upgrade business unit manager with his work primarily focused on power generation, ranging from new plant design to complex upgrades and retrofits of existing facilities.

Travis holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska and an MBA from the University of Kansas. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Kansas.

JEFF HAASE

JEFF HAASE

  • Director of Member Services for Great River Energy
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Jeff Haase

Jeff Haase is the Director of Member Services for Great River Energy. In this capacity he works with Great River Energy’s member-owners on growth and distributed energy resource strategies related to energy efficiency, electrification, economic development, and demand response. Jeff focuses on optimizing GRE’s program offerings and quantifying the benefits these programs bring to member-owners. Jeff has a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and is a registered professional engineer. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and four children. 

CASEY CATHEY

CASEY CATHEY

  • Vice President, Engineering, Southwest Power Pool
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Casey Cathey

Casey is a 22-year veteran of the power industry and a subject matter expert for energy markets, grid operations, and transmission planning. He was a leader in two energy market implementations, the SPP Energy Imbalance Services market and the Integrated Marketplace. He has also operated and supported the Balancing Authority, Reliability Coordination, Tariff and Scheduling, and Transmission Operations functions. Casey and his team handle Transmission Planning, Generation Interconnection, Transmission Service, Modeling, Planning Compliance, Research & Development, and Resource Adequacy.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Louisiana State University, has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and has held a Professional Engineering license for seventeen years. 

ZAK JOUNDI

ZAK JOUNDI

  • Executive Director, Market & Grid Strategy, MISO
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Zak Joundi

Zak Joundi, Executive Director of Market and Grid Strategy group, leads the Market Design functions. His team works on key market design changes to ensure the reliable operation of energy markets. Zak is particularly focused on collaborating with hundreds of stakeholders, regulators, and industry experts, all working together to enable the energy transition.  

Throughout his tenure at MISO, Zak has taken on a variety of increasingly significant roles across multiple divisions, including Generation and Transmission Planning, Market Administration, Data & Analytics, and Research & Development. His work has contributed to numerous major initiatives at MISO tackling the emerging challenges, and opportunities in the energy and capacity markets. 

BRAD YOUNG

BRAD YOUNG

  • Vice President of Engineering and Construction, EKPC
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Brad Young

Brad Young is Vice President of Engineering and Construction at EKPC. In that role, he oversees design, engineering and construction for EKPC’s generation and transmission facilities.

Young is a registered professional engineer. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from the University of Kentucky. Before joining EKPC, he held multiple management and engineering leadership positions at Dow Corning and Sonoco Products.

NATE MELBY

NATE MELBY

  • Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Dairyland
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Nate Melby

Nate Melby is Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO). He joined Dairyland on February 29, 2016.

As Vice President and CIO, Nate is responsible for leading the strategy, development and implementation of information technology initiatives and systems that align and advance Dairyland’s business/operations strategies.

Nate has a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Technology and Training from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and a Ph.D. in Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University, specializing in Information Security and Telecommunications. He also earned a Certificate of Management Excellence from Harvard Business School and completed the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth’s Business Engagement for the Security Professional (BESP) executive program. In 2024, Nate earned the Wisconsin CIO of the Year ORBIE award in the Large Corporate category.

An active member of his community, Nate is Fire Chief of the Town of Campbell Fire Department and serves on the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs Association. He is a recipient of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Rada Distinguished Alumni Award.

Prior to joining Dairyland, he led Information Security for Ingersoll Rand in La Crosse, Wis. He also held other positions in Global Telecommunications Engineering and Architecture, Data Communications and Information Technology for Trane and American Standard Companies. 

TARA GIVINS

TARA GIVINS

  • Vice President of Risk Management, Oglethorpe Power
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Tara Givins

Tara Givins serves as the Vice President of Risk Management for Oglethorpe Power. Since joining Oglethorpe in 2000, Tara has held numerous positions.  In her current position, she is responsible for overseeing several critical functions, including enterprise risk management, strategic planning, insurance, counterparty credit risk, trading controls, and business continuity.  She also monitors and provides analysis and reports to the Board of Directors and the Risk Management & Compliance Committee on various strategic issues and risks, including cybersecurity and market risks.

Prior to joining Oglethorpe, Tara worked for Detroit Edison, where she was instrumental in the development of the trading controls and accounting functions for its non-regulated trading subsidiary.  She also served as a Senior Accountant at Deloitte & Touche where she coordinated and supervised financial audits of companies in various industries. 

Tara earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University and an MBA from the University of Georgia.  She is also a Certified Public Accountant.  She resides in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, with her husband and son.

JERRY PURVIS

JERRY PURVIS

  • Vice President of Environmental Affairs, East Kentucky Power Cooperative
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Jerry B. Purvis

Jerry Purvis reports to the East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) Chief Operations Officer & Executive Vice President with responsibility for environmental affairs.  EKPC generates over 3,500 megawatts of coal-fired, natural gas-fired and renewable energy through 2,900 plus miles of transmission serving 89 of the 120 counties in Kentucky.  This effort serves 16 Owner-Member Cooperatives with over 1,200,000 customers, industry, local business entities in rural Kentucky.  The company is one of the last remaining KY-owned electric utility companies.  

He has served in many roles in his 31 years of service including: Senior Production Engineer, Construction Project Manager, Cooper Plant Maintenance Superintendent, Environmental Affair Manager 2008, promoted in 2011 to Director of Environmental Affairs, Vice President promoted 2017 and a member of the Executive Staff.   

He and his staff manage environmental affairs with a proactive environmental philosophy by use of the latest environmental management system technology to mitigate risk to the environment and to serve their customers.   

He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Chemistry Society, Utility Information Exchange Kentucky, National Rural Electric Association Environmental Policy Committee, and Co-Chair of Midwest Ozone Group.  He is active in the community volunteering for EKPC Good Giving Committee, a charitable outreach and as the Executive Sponsor for the EKPC Safety Rules and Procedures team.  

He earned dual Bachelors of Science degrees in Chemistry from Morehead State University and Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky and later, a Master of Business Administration from Morehead State University. 

ADAM KEECH

ADAM KEECH

  • Vice President - Market Design & Economics, PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.
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Adam Keech

Adam Keech oversees the design of all of the wholesale markets operated by PJM and the development of large-scale advanced analyses such as those done for carbon pricing and renewable integration. He is also responsible for the applied innovation area that focuses on evaluating, leveraging and supporting the implementation of advanced solutions in the planning, markets and operations areas. Keech has worked for PJM since 2003 and held senior leadership roles in both the Market Services and System Operations divisions.

Keech earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Rutgers University and earned a Master of Science in applied statistics from West Chester University.

KEVIN SUHANIC

KEVIN SUHANIC

  • Vice President of Portfolio Strategy and Origination, ACES
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Kevin Suhanic

Kevin Suhanic is Vice President of Portfolio Strategy and Origination at ACES in Carmel, Indiana. In his strategy role, he is responsible for managing risk and optimizing outcomes for ACES’ Members’ and Customers’ long-term portfolios. These efforts include asset valuation, assessment of regulatory impacts, and assessment of commodity and transmission markets. Kevin conducts financial analyses for acquisitions/divestitures and has served as an expert witness in litigation support.

Kevin also oversees ACES’ Origination group, which provides ACES’ Members and Customers with commercial wholesale electricity, renewable energy credits, and emissions market opportunities that support long-term risk mitigations. Kevin directs these efforts to proactively identify, negotiate, and coordinate the valuation and execution of structured products for these market products on behalf of ACES’ Members’ and Customers’. He is responsible for ACES’ request for proposals (RFP) process and negotiation of power purchase agreements and other power supply agreements.

Kevin joined ACES in February 2007 as a Financial Transmission Rights Modeler and led ACES’ Transmission group for several years as Director of Transmission Services. In this role, Kevin oversaw congestion management and consulting activities, including power flow modeling for the Eastern Interconnect, WECC, and ERCOT and trading in the congestion markets.

Kevin monitors and advises Members and Customers on market developments and regulatory changes. He has extensive experience in financial modeling and accounting. He has also been involved in several implementations for Members and Customers transitioning into nodal markets and has served on various cross-functional teams focused on new regulations and new markets.

Prior to joining ACES, Kevin began his career at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, LLC as an associate in the Audit and Assurance division, with a tour in the International Taxation division. This included providing accounting treatment advice and implementing specific tax strategies.

Kevin holds a Bachelor’s of Science and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame. He is Series 3 certified by the National Futures Association. Kevin is also a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) in Ohio.

MELISSA FISCHER

MELISSA FISCHER

  • Vice President of Risk Management Services, ACES
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Melissa Fischer

Melissa Fischer is Vice President of Risk Management Services at ACES in Carmel, Indiana. Melissa joined ACES in November 1998. In her current role, Melissa oversees various risk management services provided to ACES’ Members and Customers, including:   

  • Trading Control Services, which include verifying transactions are captured in ACES’ risk management systems timely and accurately, monitoring trading activity for compliance with ACES’ and its Members’ and Customers’ trading authority policies, monitoring Member and Customer portfolios for compliance with their hedging policies, and Dodd Frank recordkeeping  
  • Portfolio Valuation Services, which include development and reporting of forward commodity curves and mark-to-market valuations, as well as risk analytics 
  • Risk Services, which include various risk management services such as risk management policy development, risk management assessments, risk management gap analyses, risk management audits, risk management training, and ongoing risk management implementation support 

 Melissa plans, organizes, and hosts ACES’ annual Risk Managers Forum and also hosts quarterly Risk Managers Working Group meetings for the risk management personnel of ACES’ Members.  Melissa is a non-voting ex-officio member of The G&T Accounting and Finance Association’s Enterprise Risk Management Committee and also serves on the internal risk management committee of one of ACES’ Members. 

In addition to overseeing certain risk management services provided to ACES’ Members and Customers, Melissa also is a voting member of ACES’ internal risk management committee and oversees ACES’ internal enterprise risk management program.  She is also the co-leader of ACES’ Client Relationship Manager program, providing oversight and support to the client relationship managers for ACES’ Members. 

JOHN ROHRBACH

JOHN ROHRBACH

  • Managing Director of Capacity Markets, ACES
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John Rohrbach

John Rohrbach is Managing Director of Capacity Markets for ACES in Carmel, Indiana. John joined ACES in January of 2012 as the Manager of Regulatory and Market Affairs covering the PJM and CAISO RTO markets. In his current role, John is responsible for PJM capacity markets and PJM regulatory & market affairs, as well as tracking the developments in other markets.

John has over 32 years of industry experience. He began his career in 1985 as a research economist with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, and has served the personal advisory staffs of Commissioners John Hanger and Nora Mead Brownell of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. John previously worked at GenOn Energy (and predecessor companies RRI Energy and Reliant Energy) as Director - Regulatory Analytics. Prior to that, he was the Manager of Federal/RTO Affairs, in the rates department at CenterPoint Energy and also worked at Lukens Energy Group (now part of Black & Veatch). He has provided testimony in FERC electric market design and natural gas pipeline rate proceedings, and on matters impacting the commercial interests of ACES’ Members. He has several published articles in The Electricity Journal.

MIKE STEFFES

MIKE STEFFES

  • President and CEO, ACES
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Mike Steffes

Mike Steffes has served as ACES’ President and Chief Executive Officer since May 2013. ACES is a cooperative owned energy risk management service company that provides comprehensive commodity services for its Members and Customers.  In his role, Mr. Steffes leads the development and execution of the company’s long-term strategy and assures that ACES is able to fulfill its mission of helping its Members and Customers manage their energy risk.

Before assuming his current role as President and CEO, Mr. Steffes served as ACES’ Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since 2001. During this time, he was responsible for all commercial activities of the company including management of the company’s Marketing, Origination, Trading, Structuring, Fuels, and Emissions departments.

Prior to joining ACES, Mr. Steffes was Vice President of Marketing and Trading for PP&L in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Mr. Steffes led the development of the utility’s unregulated trading subsidiary into a profitable, full-service trading organization.

Mr. Steffes has also held other significant roles in the industry; helping pioneer state of the art risk management systems at Valero Energy and leading natural gas marketing and trading businesses throughout the U.S.

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