Martha Donato | EVX Director, Founder & President | MAD Event Management LLC

Martha Donato is the founder and president of New York based MAD Event Management, which she established in 2009. For more than 25 years she has produced large-scale events and conferences, including pop culture events, numerous consulting projects, expos, tradeshows, and conferences. Most recently, MAD has produced the UAS/Drones for Public Safety Conferences in Miami and LA, is a partner in the Side Hustles & Opportunities Conference, and most recently, The EV Exchange Conference. Donato possesses a strong entrepreneurial background, with many years of experience in the live event, marketing, and consulting space. In January of 2021, Donato co-founded and became the President of the international Women in Exhibitions Network North America Chapter, and she serves on both the SISO Board of Directors and the IAEE NYC Chapter Board. MAD is also a member of UFI, the international exhibition association. Donato’s skills include leadership, business development, budget planning and management, event planning, marketing, business development/sales, and operational expertise. Perhaps her greatest skill is the ability to create meaningful communities. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Marist College in communications and business management.

Marty Glynn | EVX Ombudsman, CEO | MAD Event Management LLC

Martin (Marty) Glynn is a partner and CEO of New York based MAD Event Management, which was established in 2009. For more than 30 years he has been deeply involved in the exhibition industry, producing large-scale events and conferences, including pop culture events, numerous consulting projects, expos, tradeshows, and conferences. Most recently, MAD produced the UAS/Drones for Public Safety Conferences in Miami and LA, is a partner in the Side Hustles & Opportunities Conference, as well as the EV Exchange Conference.
He previously served on the Javits Center Customer Advisory Board, and currently serves on the Huntington Place Advisory Board. MAD is also an active member of UFI, the international exhibition association, as well as SISO. Marty began his career in the event industry in 1987 after receiving his BS degree in management and international finance and economics from Farleigh Dickinson University. The latter half of his career has been as an entrepreneur through his founding of Metropolitan Expositions in NYC. After selling Metropolitan, Glynn also served as Chairman of MetroMultiMedia A/V, a sister company to Metropolitan. Glynn brings a unique and different perspective of the exhibitions industry, having served at an executive capacity in three of the four sectors of the live events eco-system. With every conversation, he hopes to learn more and strives to be a sounding board for those who like direct and actionable feedback.

Trevor Pawl | Chief Mobility Officer, Office of Future Mobility and Electrification | State of Michigan

Role: Michigan’s Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, signed an Executive Orders creating an Office of Future Mobility and Electrification and the state’s first Chief Mobility Officer in 2020. My role is to lead this office, which serves as a dedicated resource to navigate mobility policy, technology deployments and public-private partnerships. This Office is a partnership between the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Department of Labor and Opportunity, Department of Transportation, and Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, and the Governor’s Office.

Alex Keros | Director, EV Infrastructure Development | General Motors

With GM, actively supporting the launch and commercialization of advanced vehicle technologies and services. Mr. Keros joined GM in 2007 and has worked across various teams to create frameworks around new innovative eco-friendly products – Chevy Bolt and GM’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Equinox – so that consumers will have the best experience. His unique skill in balancing energy policy, environmental engineering and business strategy has given him an innovative toolbox to tap into to electrify mobility. While at GM, Mr. Keros has served as a Commissioner in Massachusetts’ Zero Emission Vehicle Commission and for the Maryland Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Council, acted as the principal author for the California Fuel Cell Partnership’s Hydrogen Roadmap and works with students at the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise.

Tony G. Geara, P.E., PTOE | Deputy Chief of Mobility Innovation | City of Detroit

Tony currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Mobility innovation at the City of Detroit. He comes into the mobility realm with a diverse background in CAV, ITS, and Transportation Planning. A few years ago, after 14 years in consulting, he made the move to public service to lead and grow Intelligent Transportation and Smart City efforts for the City of Detroit. Throughout his career, Tony has led projects both locally and Internationally. He has come into the City with that momentum to help envision and build the future of #DetroitMobility through innovation, sustainability, and equity. #MotorCity #MobilityCity

Outside of industry and academia, Tony is passionate about rowing, loves cooking Lebanese food, has an amazing wife, who is an academic researcher in organizational behavior and gender roles in the workplace, and three very active kids who are growing way too fast.

Carol Cain | Senior Producer/Host CBS 62’s “Michigan Matters”, Columnist-Detroit Free Press | CBS 62

Carol Cain is the 12-time Emmy Award-Winning Senior Producer/ Host of “Michigan Matters,” the highly-rated weekly Public Affairs show that airs 8 am Sundays on CBS 62. The show focuses on business, the electric future, politics and more. She has interviewed the Captains of industries from business and politics. Carol also hosts/produces CBS 62’s “Eye on The Future” TV specials that have focused on the mobility revolution, business, politics.

Carol began her career as State Editor at United Press International and served as Business Editor for the Toledo Blade. She was a nationally syndicated columnist at The Detroit News and won awards for her work as a columnist at the Detroit Free Press with a Sunday column she continues to write. At the Free Press, she also served as Editor of the National, International, and Business Desks. Born in Detroit, she has degrees from Michigan State University and MBA from the Ross School of Business at University of Michigan.

Margaret O’Riley | Vice President, Business Development | Electrada

Margaret O’Riley is VP of Business Development at Electrada, a leader in the Charging as a Service (CaaS) industry and a BlackRock portfolio company that provides turn-key solutions to fleet customers nationally. Previously, she spent 5+ years at Duke Energy as the lead of EV, auto and battery projects as part of the Economic Development and the commercial fleet electrification team. Her background includes 12+ years in various executive level roles at the MEDC including SVP of External Relations, VP of Corporate Affairs, Michigan Business Ombudsman, and Michigan Film Commissioner. Additionally, Margaret founded and ran O’Riley Consulting for 10 years, which provided tax incentive, marketing, and government relations counsel to companies. Her clients included Johnson Controls, Bosch, El Paso Energy, amongst many others. O’Riley serves on the board of NAATBatt, an international battery industry advocacy group, and Clean Fuels Michigan. Margaret is
an MSU graduate and resides in Fenton, Michigan.

Sean Ackley | E-Mobility Segment Lead, Americas | Hitachi Environmental Business Division

Sean Ackley has had a career focus on electrical infrastructure technologies and execution projects. As the Hitachi Social Innovation Business resident expert on EV technologies, Sean leverages his background in cloud managed services, product development, testing interoperability, and construction project management in facilitating critical thinking around the transition of large fleets to electric powertrain. His previous experiences in data center power supply and backup, micro-grid power generation, and SCADA/PLC system integration also help in thinking through the total power ecosystem that is necessitated during a scaled EV fleet deployment.

Bill Kirwin | Chief Research Officer | EV Exchange

Bill is a veteran industry analyst focused in the technology sector. He is widely recognized for his work in technology management, lifecycle analysis, and cost optimization. At Gartner, he pioneered the concept of total cost of ownership (TCO), developed the reverse survey methodology, and the enterprise personality survey profiling (EPP). His work in TCO led to influential roles in value engineering for leading software providers and as a founding member of the Value Selling and Realization Council and contributing member of IT Financial Management Association and The Analyst Syndicate. Bill is a board member of GetControl!, a knowledge work training company where he developed surveys, benchmarks, and assessments. He helped launch the practice of Tech Quotient (TQ) assessment and training as a catalyst to digital transformation implementations. Bill is the Chief of Research at The EV Exchange, responsible for market research survey
development, data analysis, and forecasts.

Jim Saber | President & CEO | NextEnergy

Jim Saber is President & CEO at NextEnergy. Saber previously lead the business and technology development and demonstration activities to support commercialization and business growth of NextEnergy’s advanced energy clients and stakeholders. Saber’s experience includes the development of over $150 million in technology development and demonstration programs within eMobility, Smart Grid, Buildings and Infrastructure, MicroGrids, Energy Storage, Renewable Energy, and Alternative Fuels. He has lead NextEnergy’s work in establishing new technology development and demonstration platforms within next generation energy eciency and transportation applications. Prior to joining NextEnergy, Saber spent more than a decade in the energy-storage industry, where he held product- and business-development positions with Fortune 500 and start-up companies. Jim holds a B. S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Lawrence Technological University.

Brent Bailey | Public Service Commissioner | Central District of Mississippi

Brent Bailey is Public Service Commissioner for the Central District of Mississippi. He was elected to this role in 2019 and began his current term in January 2020. Commissioner Bailey is a graduate of Mississippi State University where he earned his degree in Agriculture and Biological Engineering.

Commissioner Bailey currently serves on three committees of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC): the Subcommittee on Nuclear Issues-Waste Disposal, the Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment, and the Committee on Critical Infrastructure. He is a member of the NARUC Electric Vehicles (EV) State Working Group and a member of the Board of Directors of the Organization of MISO States.

Cory Bullis | Senior Public Affairs Specialist | FLO

Cory has worked extensively on environmental and clean tech policy in multiple states, advising all levels of government and multiple industry associations on progressive climate, EV and EV charging policies, among others. Cory leads FLO’s west coast and national policy work to reduce barriers to and increase consumer confidence in EVs and charging station technology. Cory currently serves as a board member of the EV Charging Association.

Claude Molinari | President & CEO | Visit Detroit

Claude Molinari was appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2022 to the five-member Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DMCVB) and is Member at Large of the Huntington Place Authority. He is President and CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau (DBA Visit Detroit) where he is responsible for developing the strategic direction and overseeing the operations of Visit Detroit and the Detroit Sports Commission. He is a 30-year veteran of the hospitality and tourism industry. Molinari serves on the Board of Directors of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, the Parade Company, Engineering Society of Detroit, Destinations International, US Travel Association, and is a Delegate at Large for the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG).

Molinari came to the Visit Detroit after a decade of leadership at Huntington Place where he served as General Manager from 2016 – 2021 and Assistant General Manager from 2010 – 2016. His responsibilities included budgeting, forecasting, financing, and implementing safety, security and crisis management programs for the convention center. He negotiated with local trade unions, developed business contingency, facility safety and emergency plans, and assured that annual budget goals were achieved.

Molinari served five years as Regional Director of Operations for ASM Global overseeing (25) east coast facilities and while with the company, managed facilities in four different states. Molinari graduated summa cum laude from Point Park University with degrees in Public Administration.

Bob McClintock | Executive Vice President | ASM Global

Bob McClintock is the Executive Vice President of ASM GLOBAL Convention Center Operations and is a 33-year industry veteran spending 30 of those years with ASM GLOBAL. He is responsible for the operations of the 92 convention centers worldwide, and the more than 20 million square feet that ASM GLOBAL manages, seeking to build on the mission of providing the users of ASM GLOBAL-managed centers with the maximum return on their investment of time and money and enhancing the experience of all who utilize these facilities. His team is focused on the needs of our municipal partners by providing a business friendly environment, enhancing the growth of staff at the venues, and creating new event product for the Centers. Bob has managed a number of high profile venues for ASM GLOBAL including opening the Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center and overseeing the construction and operation of the Atlantic City Convention Center and Boardwalk Hall.

Lynn P. Costantini, D.Sc., CISSP | Deputy Director – Center for Partnerships and Innovation | National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)

Dr. Costantini is a technology professional with more than 30 years of experience in the electric utility sector. Her responsibilities at NARUC include building and sustaining effective partnerships with government and private sector stakeholders to foster cyber security information sharing; to identify and mitigate cross-sector cyber dependencies; and, to spur innovative solutions to persistent security problems. Prior to joining NARUC, Dr. Costantini led cybersecurity policy development at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and served as Vice President/CIO of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.

Philip Jones | Executive Director | Alliance for Transportation Electrification (ATE)

Mr. Jones currently serves as Executive Director of the Alliance for Transportation Electrification (ATE), a recently established industry-funded non-profit association that seeks to promote the acceleration of transportation electrification deployments, a robust utility role, and interoperability and open standards. He also serves as a Board Advisor to Energy Impact Partners (EIP), based in New York City, a private equity infrastructure fund comprised of major utility investors seeking to invest in innovative young technology companies focused on the energy sector. He also serves on the non-profit Boards of Directors of Climate Solutions.

He currently services on the Advisory Council of EPRI, which is the lead R&D organization’s public-interest voice for the international electric power industry consisting of current NARUC Commissioners, academics, vendors, and industry experts. Commissioner Jones served on the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) from March 2005 to March 2017 for a total of twelve years or two six-year terms. Originally appointed by Governor Chris Gregoire and confirmed unanimously by the state Senate for his original term, he was re-appointed by the same Governor in January 2011 for an additional term.

Paul Sitar | EVX Director & CEO | Sitarian Corporation 

Paul has had a cyber security focus for some 25 years that is reflected in his companies, conference and tradeshow launches, as well as a 7+ year launch and commercialization of a deviceless one time password generation and authentication software manufacturing company. These cyber security efforts included understanding and examination of the early threats to electronic commerce, intranet + extranet adoption, as well as cyberterrorism threats to critical infrastructures – this last area and effort was personified in an event called SECTOR 5 that Paul created and then sold to Gartner, Inc. SECTOR 5 attracted four Presidential Appointees from the Office of Cyber Security, the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office, and the Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-Terrorism Center. Paul also is the principal inventor of U.S. Patent 7,725,712 that simultaneously allowed ease of usability and increased cryptographic strength for an enhanced authentication methodology that Paul commercialized and was deployed in such organizations as Ameren Energy, Humana Corporation, News Corporation, Foxwoods Resort Casino, as well as various government agencies including several in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Robert Magee | Executive Director | The Engineering Society of Detroit

Robert Magee is Executive Director of The Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD), one of the nation’s largest and oldest engineering societies, representing over 3,300 engineers and 140 companies in Michigan. Founded in 1895, ESD promotes and celebrates excellence, innovation, cooperation, professional growth and fellowship in the engineering and allied professions. Under Robert’s leadership, ESD focused on maintaining Michigan’s position a global hub for engineering and engineering leaders.

At ESD, one of Robert’s key initiatives has been to establish ESD Student Chapters in 14 universities in Michigan with engineering programs. He also started the ESD Girls in Engineering Academy, an intensive summer and school-year program that supports girls from under- represented minority groups in going from middle school in Detroit to engineering school in Michigan.

William McCoy | Chief Executive Officer | Vehya

William McCoy brings 14+ years of entrepreneurial experience in the automotive and project management industry to his leadership role with Vehya.

Dr. Deeana Ahmed | Vice President, Strategy & Government Affairs | Our Next Energy

Deeana Ahmed, PhD, is responsible for Strategy and Government Relations at ONE. Deeana holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience and nutrition from Columbia University, an MSc and MPH in policy from Tufts University, and a BS from the University of Michigan. Deeana is a published researcher and policy analyst who has conducted large policy evaluations for the NYC Department of Education, managed grants for a Silicon Valley non-profit, and owns and operates a start-up education technology firm. Deeana is an alumnus of the University of Michigan Solar Car Team, where she led the development of the nationally and globally ranked solar car, InfiniUM’s battery pack.

Jennifer Wnek | Partner | Allen & Overy LLP

Jennifer Wnek is a partner in the global Projects, Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure practice, based in our New York office. Jennifer’s practice is focused on advising clients in all aspects of the acquisition, development, financing and disposition of renewable and other energy transition projects and businesses, including structuring complex partnerships to optimize the tax and other economic benefits of owning, financing and operating such projects. Jenn also provides counsel regarding the drafting and negotiating of material project documents and supply chain agreements, and she assists clients with regard to commercial transactions involving retail and wholesale trading, asset management and hedging of natural gas, electricity and environmental attributes. Jennifer has been actively representing clients in the energy space for over 15 years using her deep knowledge of renewables and the electric and gas markets to provide creative legal solutions to developers, sponsors, cash equity, tax equity and debt investors.

Melek Ozturk | EV Exchange Research Principal | EV Exchange

Melek has 7+ years of strategy consultancy and market research experience focused on the automotive industry including electrification, connectivity, shared mobility, autonomous areas at a global market research firm Frost & Sullivan, and green technologies from her independent work. She has helped over 30 major clients within these industries with market entry, growth, and opportunity analysis that assisted company-wide decision-making for M&A and customer acquisition strategies. Her market research publishings involve introducing new business models and use cases on edge computing, in-car marketplace, fleet & leasing, truck market, aftermarket, and logistics. Melek has also been actively attending conferences such as NAIAS, CES and sharing key findings with industry stakeholders. She is an alumni of Tufts University Innovation & Management Masters, and co-founded a healthcare technology start-up that aided research of stem cells during her degree.

Laura Sherman, PhD. | President | Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council

Dr. Laura Sherman is the President of Michigan EIBC and IEI. She most recently served as the organization’s Vice President for Policy Development and as a Senior Consultant at 5 Lakes Energy. In that capacity, she supported Michigan EIBC’s policy platform, including ongoing regulatory engagement at the Michigan Public Service Commission, policy initiatives, and legislative efforts.

Before joining Michigan EIBC, Laura served as the policy advisor to Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) on energy, agriculture, and environment issues. In that capacity, she led a team in Washington, D.C. and Colorado to develop legislation, analyze policy issues, and negotiate bipartisan solutions. Laura was involved in crafting the 2015 extensions of the renewable tax credits, advancing federal initiatives on building energy efficiency, and supporting land conservation efforts.

Laura received a B.S. in Geological and Environmental Science from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from the University of Michigan. Her graduate and postdoctoral research utilized novel techniques to trace mercury pollution from sources like coal-fired power plants into rainfall and aquatic ecosystems across the Great Lakes Region.

Benjamin Burns | Director Business Development | DTE Energy

Ben Burns is director of business development at DTE Energy. In his role, Burns is focused on identifying, evaluating and executing growth opportunities to include accelerating adoption of electric vehicles. He has also served in leadership roles within strategy & corporate development, electric distribution and home services. Prior to joining DTE in 2013, Burns worked in management consulting for Booz & Company and he served as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. Burns earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School.

Lisa Chamberlain | Communications Lead and Urban Strategist, Centre for Urban Transformation | World Economic Forum

Lisa Chamberlain is a communications and business development strategist focused on the built environment. She is the Communications Lead and Urban Strategist at the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Urban Transformation. Previously she consulted with architecture, planning and economic development firms in New York City, was the Executive Director of the Urban Design Forum, and reported on commercial real estate for The New York Times. She lives in Brooklyn with her two daughters.

Richard Mroz | EVX Conference Chair | The EV Exchange

Mr. Mroz has a distinguished career in law, consulting, banking, government & community service as attorney, consultant, consultant, regulator, corporate director, public speaker & media commentator. His work is in energy, water communications, banking, cybersecurity, and infrastructure. He is Founding Director of Resolute Strategies, LLC and Senior Director with Archer Public Affairs. He also is Senior Advisor to Protect Our Power. In 2018 Secretary of Energy appointed Mroz to the Electric Advisory Committee. He is the immediate past President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, Chairman of the NARUC Critical Infrastructure Committee, and was NARUC representative on the Electric Sector Coordinating Council, maintaining a Security Clearance. He served as President of the Organization of PJM States,Inc. Mroz is a longtime member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York. He is a former Commissioner of the Delaware River & Bay Authority and has chaired non-profit boards. He is active with the National Association of Corporate Directors and maintains a focus on corporate governance, best practices, and compliance in highly regulated industries, and is NACD Director Certified.