MEEA Board of Directors

Responsible for delivering robust energy efficiency programs, demand response and small renewable products and services to residential, business, commercial, industrial and agriculture customers in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Manage account management teams and business resource center which supports the company's large commercial and industrial, mid-size business and agricultural customers. Lead company's efforts to support economic development and community relations initiatives within the Alliant Energy service territory.

Jon Williams is responsible for the design, implementation and evaluation of energy efficiency and peak demand reduction programs for AEP Ohio's 1.5 million customers. He has 29 years of experience working with customers on energy-related issues, including energy efficiency, demand response and power quality. Williams previously managed customer services operations in Eastern and Western Ohio for AEP Ohio, and before that oversaw customer services operations in the Virginia area for Appalachian Power.

As Energy and Environmental Policy Scientist at Argonne National Lab, Leah’s current research interests include large-scale financing mechanisms, policy-related tools and applying a systems perspective to building energy efficiency. She also serves as Argonne’s U.S. Department of Energy-Building Technology Program commercial team lead. Guzowski’s previous work includes strategic consulting and business development for clean technology companies and macro-level economic analysis research for international governments.

Tim Melloch joined ComEd in 1982 as a technical staff engineer at Byron Nuclear Generating Station. In 1988, he moved on to serve as a large customer account manager. Since 1990, Melloch has used his experience as an engineer and customer service manager to help ComEd customers become wiser energy consumers. In his current position, Melloch is responsible for overseeing implementation and engineering support for ComEd’s 2011 – 2014 Energy Efficiency Plan.

Charles Budd has successfully managed more than $100 million of Demand Side Management (DSM) programs at two major utilities. His consulting experience includes start-up and management of business programs that have achieved more than 750 GWH of energy savings. His career includes providing expert testimony on matters involving DSM cost recovery and determination of utility performance incentives, as well as demand-side planning, utility cost of service, rate design and fuel clauses.

In his role at Detroit Edison (DTE) Energy, Emmett Romine manages the development and roll-out of energy efficiency programs for MichCon and DTE. He previously served as manager of group performance in Detroit Edison’s Distribution Operations organization, and held other leadership roles at DTE on the Enterprise Performance Management and the DTE2 teams. Before joining DTE Energy, Romine held leadership positions at Enigma and KPMG Consulting, and worked as a manufacturing engineer at Nordyne, Inc.

Tim Duff is responsible for the development of strategies and policies at Duke Energy related to energy efficiency, smart grid and all other retail services. Previously, Duff worked for four years as managing director, Federal Regulatory Policy, where he was primarily responsible for developing and advocating Duke Energy’s policy positions with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He assumed his current position in January 2010.

John Cuttica has been in the energy field for more than 30 years, with most of his career spent in the energy Research and Development (R&D) area, having held the position of VP of End Use Research at the Gas Research Institute for more than 10 years. Cuttica and the Energy Resources Center staff work closely with the Illinois State Energy Office in the development and implementation of the State’s Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard as it applies to the public sector. Prior to his work at the Gas Research Institute, Cuttica was responsible for the Consumer Product R&D Program at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Paul Schueller is the founder of Franklin Energy, a consulting firm specializing in the implementation of energy efficiency programs for utility and state administrative clients. He has also designed demand-side management and market transformation programs for utility and government agency clients in the commercial, industrial, residential and low-income sectors. Prior to starting Franklin Energy, Paul was responsible for the start-up of a successful energy services company.

Agnes Mrozowski is the assistant deputy director of State Energy Office for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Mrozowski joined DCEO in 2009, and before that spent more than seven years working for JP Morgan Chase as vice president, focusing on consumer and business lending, investments and compliance operations.

Adam Cooper manages electric efficiency research projects at IEE, an Institute of the Edison Foundation. His recent work includes developing a compilation of smart meter deployment efforts by investor owned utilities and large public power agencies; tracking electric utility regulatory frameworks on a state-by-state basis; estimating the benefits and costs of smart meters for residential customers; assessing the potential energy savings from building codes and appliance standards; developing strategies for making codes and standards programs part of utility energy efficiency portfolios; and identifying the total energy savings from rate-payer funded electric efficiency programs administered by utilities and third-party administrators. Prior to joining IEE, Mr. Cooper was a consultant that developed regional economic analyses in the fields of environmental regulation, tax policy, economic development, transportation, and the automotive industry for the private sector, local, state, and federal U.S. governments and the European Commission. Mr. Cooper received a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Michigan and Bachelors of Arts in Economics and History from Brandeis University.

As JACO Environmental’s Program Development Manager, Sam Sirkin has assisted program sponsors nationwide in the design and launch of appliance recycling programs. He has more than 30 years of experience in environmental protection, energy efficiency and economic development. His energy efficiency experience spans the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. Sirkin also serves on the board for the Association of Energy Service Providers (AESP).

Diane Munns is the vice president of Regulatory Relations and Energy Efficiency for MidAmerican Energy Company in Des Moines, Iowa. Previously she was the executive director of Retail Energy Services for Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the trade association for the nation's investor-owned utilities in Washington D.C. In that post, she was responsible for the EEI's efforts on energy efficiency and worked to establish the Institute for Electric Efficiency, funded by the Edison Foundation. Munns was a member of the Iowa Utilities Board from 1999-2006 and served as its chairman for four years. While a member of the Iowa Utilities Board, she served two years as the president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). She focused on the role of regulation in efficiency during her tenure as NAUC president and, along with Jim Rogers of Duke Energy, became the first co-chair of the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency. Munns was recipient of the Public Service Leadership Award from the U.S. Energy Association and Johnson Controls at its 17th Annual Energy Efficiency Forum in 2006. She was awarded the MEEA Inspiring Efficiency Leadership Award that same year.

Joe Plummer is an engineer and regulatory analyst in the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources.  His responsibilities include overseeing ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs and serving as a technical resource to utilities and other efficiency providers.  Much of his recent work has focused on the development of an IT platform for energy efficiency data management and reporting for the State of Minnesota in partnership with Energy Platforms, LLC.  Joe is a Certified Energy Manager through the Association of Energy Engineers and has masters degrees in electrical engineering and science, technology, and environmental policy from the University of Minnesota.  In his spare time, Joe enjoys playing with his daughter, running, skiing, reading, and making music.

Llona Weiss was appointed director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Energy Division – Missouri’s State Energy Office – in June 2011. Prior to becoming division director, Weiss served as assistant to the CEO of Missouri Employers Mutual in Columbia, Missouri and as a district director for U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill. During 2005-07, Llona served as Trustee on the Boone Hospital Center Board of Trustees.

Mark Kuntz has more than 20 years of experience in the utility and HVAC industries. He has served as vice president and general manager of Exelon (Unicom) Distributed Energy as well as director of national accounts for Lennox Industries. Mark is a professional engineer licensed by the State of California and a LEED Accredited Professional. He currently resides in Chicago.

Rick Morgan has more than 35 years of experience in the energy efficiency field and has been an active member of the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) since the 1980s. As president of Morgan Marketing Partners, established in 1995, he helps utilities, regional efficiency programs and energy companies throughout the U.S. with their energy programs and marketing challenges. He assists his clients with strategic marketing, creation of new products and services, efficiency program/service planning and marketing planning to achieve their goals.

Randy Gunn has more than 25 years of experience in the development, implementation and evaluation of utility energy service programs. He has extensive experience with DSM portfolio evaluation studies, market potential studies, market assessments, baseline studies and regulatory projects, and often leads Navigant projects in these areas. He currently is leading portfolio evaluation studies for ComEd, American Electric Power Ohio, Nicor, People’s Gas, and Public Service Company of Oklahoma.

In his role with the Office of Energy in the Ohio Department of Development, Chad Smith provides direction and guidance to technical and administrative staff, implements agency goals and objectives, develops policy and programs, and leads efforts to administer more than $15 million in annual state funding and $150 million in federal stimulus energy programs. Smith also serves as the director of the Ohio Coal Development Office and is the director of Development’s designee on the Ohio Power Siting Board and Ohio Turnpike Commission.

Patrick Michalkiewicz is responsible for the development, management and implementation of the energy efficiency programs for Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas (IL). Patrick has more than 29 years of natural gas and electric utility experience, and is a member of the Chicago Region Initiative for Better Buildings, the Chicago Retrofit Steering Committee and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Lauren Casentini, President and CEO of Resource Solutions Group, brings over 20 years of experience in energy policy and partnership development, strategic program design, market transformation, and program management. As a trusted advisor and industry leader, she has provided guidance and facilitated collaboration among utilities, retailers, manufacturers, non-governmental organizations, policy makers and regulatory actors at national, state, and local levels. 

In 2006, Ms. Casentini co-founded Resource Solutions Group (RSG), now a nationally-recognized leader in energy and water efficiency program design, implementation, and management, market development, and technical services.  With offices in California and Illinois, RSG provides consulting services in residential, commercial, and industrial markets throughout the United States. The company was named to the 2011 Inc. 500 list of America's fastest-growing private companies, and has been nominated and received a number of awards for its customer service, client collaboration, and program delivery.  RSG also became the first Energy Efficiency Partner member of the Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) trade association.

Prior to founding RSG, Ms. Casentini held leadership positions in private consulting and utility companies, where she managed key projects including statewide energy and water efficiency policy development and market transformation programs.  She is a founding member and current Vice-Chair of the California Energy Efficiency Industry Council (CEEIC), and has previously served on the U.S. Department of Energy's National Appliance Advisory Committee.  Ms. Casentini looks forward to bringing her vast experience with both energy policy and practical implementation to help support MEEA, its members, and its mission.

Karen has been with Xcel Energy for over 10 years involved in energy efficiency primarily through marketing and product management. For the past six years, she has been responsible for energy-efficiency program strategy and achievement, as well as related regulatory compliance, for programs targeted at business customers. She currently leads marketing and program management efforts in Minnesota, Colorado, and New Mexico. In 2008, areas under her responsibility saved 419 GWh and 470,000 Dth with combined budgets of over $45.0 million. From 1998 to 2000, she managed one of the largest business energy efficiency programs for Northern States Power Company and was involved in conservation program design. After the merger that created Xcel Energy in August of 2000, she moved to the Segment Marketing group to help lead focused marketing efforts, including entering deregulated markets. She became the manager of Business Marketing in early 2003 and remains responsible for strategic market planning and program results for commercial customers. Prior to her career in energy efficiency, Karen held a variety of marketing positions in the retail, transportation, and franchise management industries. Karen earned her BBA degree in Marketing from The University of Michigan and her MBA degree, also in Marketing, from the University of Minnesota. Her interests in family, fishing, and outdoor activities align well with her career initiatives to encourage utility customers to lower their energy use and environmental impacts.