CATEE 2012 Keynote Speaker
Major General Dana J.H. Pittard
Commanding General 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss, Texas
Major General Dana J.H. Pittard is the Commanding General of the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss, Texas, leading that installation’s initiatives to pilot the Army’s Net Zero Vision and sustainability strategy.
His prior assignments include serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7 United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Commanding General, National Training Center and Fort Irwin; Commanding General of the Iraqi Assistance Group during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM; Assistant Division Commander (Maneuver) of the 24th Infantry Division; Commander of 3d Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division and Deputy Commander for Maneuver, Multi-National Brigade (East) during OPERATION JOINT GUARDIAN, Kosovo and later during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM; and Commander, 1st Battalion, 32d Armor and later 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, both as part of the 3d Brigade Combat Team, 2d Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington.
He also commanded three units at the company level, including a combat deployment during OPERATION DESERT STORM, Iraq. His previous staff assignments include Chief of Plans and Exercises for 2d Armored Division and S-3 (Operations) for both 1st Battalion, 67th Armor and 2d Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, all at Fort Hood, Texas. He also served as the Military Aide to the President of the United States.
Major General Pittard was commissioned as a second lieutenant from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1981, with a Bachelor of Science degree in History. He later earned a Master’s Degree from the School for Advanced Military Studies at the United States Army Command and General Staff College. Major General Pittard also attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University as a Senior Service College Fellow.
Major General Pittard’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Bronze Star Medal with “V” Device, Bronze Star Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Meritorious Service Medal (with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Ranger Tab, and Presidential Service Identification Badge.
Special Guests
The Honorable Jim Pitts
Texas State Representative. District 10
Representative Jim Pitts, of Waxahachie, Texas, has served the people of District 10, which consists of Hill and Ellis Counties, as their state representative since 1992. As Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Jim is charged with keeping our state’s budget balanced and our economy thriving. While Jim has led this critical committee for the past two sessions, the Legislature has cut a record 16 billion dollars in government spending and has passed the largest tax cut in the history of Texas.
Representative Pitts has twice been named one of Texas’ Ten Best Legislators by the Texas Monthly Magazine (2005 and 2009). He has also received the “Fighter for Free Enterprise” Award from Texas Association of Business for his voting record on pro growth policies; the Patient Protectorate Award” from the Texas Medical Association; was named one of the “12 Stars of Texas” by the Texas Farm Bureau Friends of Agriculture; and hailed with a “Leader of Excellence Award” by the Independent Colleges & Universities of Texas.
Representative Pitts was born in Dallas, Texas. He attended Southern Methodist University where he received a bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Accounting, Masters of Business Administration, and a Juris Doctorate. He has practiced law for the past 36 years in Waxahachie, with a specialty in General and Real Estate Law. He also owns the Ellis County Abstract and Title Company.
The Honorable Wayne Smith
Texas State Representative, District 128
In November 2002, Representative Wayne Smith was elected to the Texas House of Representatives to serve District 128, encompassing Baytown, Deer Park, La Porte, Morgan=s Point, and portions of the unincorporated area of East Harris County.
This Session Rep. Smith is serving as the Chairman of the Environmental Regulation committee as well as serving as a member on the County Affairs committee. Both committees are vital to the district. The Environmental Regulation committee has jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to air, land, and water pollution, including the environmental regulation of industrial development; the regulation of waste disposal; environmental matters that are regulated by the Department of State Health Services or the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; oversight of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as it relates to environmental regulation; and the following state agencies: the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission and the board of the Texas Environmental Education Partnership Fund. As a representative from the ship channel area of Harris County, his assignment as Chairman of the Environmental Regulation committee is particularly important to District 128. County Affairs has jurisdiction over matters pertaining to the organization of counties and the governing bodies of counties, and has oversight of the Commission on Jail Standards. In addition to being Chair of the Environmental Regulation Committee and a member of the County Affairs Committee, Rep. Smith is a speaker appointee to the Environmental Permitting Review Board, Environmental and Natural Resource Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures, Texas Environmental Education Partnership Fund, and the Energy Council.
Prior to his election, Rep. Smith was president of Wayne Smith and Associates, Inc. Consulting Engineers. Rep. Smith, a Licensed Professional Engineer and also a Registered Public Land Surveyor, remains active in professional activities. He was Construction Chairman of the Board of Directions of the Harris Country – Houston Sports Authority and Director of Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority and Coastal Water Authority before becoming an elected representative. Rep. Smith also served the U.S. Army in the Republic of Vietnam.
Rep. Smith and his wife, Brenda, live in Baytown. He has two children and three grandchildren.
The Honorable Lyle Larson
Texas State Representative, District 122
Lyle Larson is a lifelong resident of the San Antonio area. Born and raised in northern Bexar County, he grew up helping his parents and four brothers and sisters on their family farm. A product of the North East Independent School District, Larson graduated from MacArthur High School. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University in 1981. For the last 24 years, Larson has owned and operated a small business.
First elected in 1991, Larson served as San Antonio City Councilman, District 10 for 2 terms and as Bexar County Commissioner, Pct. 3 from 1997-2008. In 2010, Larson was elected State Representative for District 122, earning more votes than any other state representative candidate in Texas.
Currently, Larson serves on the House Natural Resources Committee, the Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee, and the Local and Consent Calendars Committee. During his freshman session, Larson successfully worked to pass several pieces of legislation that will ensure positive change for Bexar County and all Texans. He was selected one of three “Rookies of the Year” by the Texas Tribune, out of 37 new members.
Larson previously served as Chairman of the San Antonio Military Transformation Task Force, the San Antonio – Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Alamo Area Council of Governments, and the Greater San Antonio Crime Commission.
The Honorable Jason Isaac
Texas State Representative, House District 45
State Representative Jason Isaac is honored to serve the residents of District 45, including Hays, Caldwell, and Blanco counties.
In his first legislative session after his election in 2010, Rep. Isaac proved to be a knowledgeable and effective legislator. He was successful in passing legislation to assist veterans, protect Second Amendment rights, and strengthen election integrity. Texans for Fiscal Responsibility recently named him a “Taxpayer Champion” for his dedication to protecting taxpayer dollars. He also fought to ensure that Texas State University has the necessary resources to operate efficiently and effectively.
Since his graduation from Stephen F. Austin State University, Jason’s career has been focused on increasing the efficiency and profitability of transportation companies while significantly improving their safety record. In addition to owning and operating a small sports management business, he also serves as the president of a local non-profit organization. He currently works as a Senior Business Development Manager for Clean Energy Fuels Corporation, promoting the benefits of using natural gas in large trucking operations.
Rep. Isaac also founded the Hill Country Caucus, an active organization made up of legislators who are dedicated to promoting and preserving the unique features and resources of the Hill Country.
David E. Claridge, Ph.D., P.E.
Director, Energy Systems Laboratory
Dr. Claridge is the Director of the Energy Systems Laboratory and also serves as the Leland Jordan Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He is internationally known for his work on energy efficiency, particularly for leading out in development and implementation of the Continuous Commissioning® approach used to improve energy efficiency in hundreds of large buildings including higher education facilities, medical facilities, office buildings, and airports with a typical payback of two years.
He has taught numerous commissioning workshops, holds six patents and is the author of over 350 journal and conference papers. He had 10 years of experience in the HVAC field prior to coming to Texas A&M in 1986. He frequently gives presentations at national and international conferences, is a Fellow of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and is an Honorary International Member of the Society of Heating, Air-conditioning and Sanitary Engineers of Japan. He holds degrees from Walla Walla College (B.S.) and Stanford University (M.S. and Ph.D.).
Brian H. Lloyd
Executive Director, Public Utility Commission of Texas
Brian H. Lloyd joined the Public Utility Commission as Executive Director on December 1, 2010.With extensive experience in both the electric and energy industries, Mr. Lloyd had previously worked at the PUC for more than 10 years, spearheading several agency projects and working as a Director of oversight of the retail electric industry. He was the primary author of several agency reports to the Texas Legislature and testified before legislative committees, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the PUC.
Prior to joining the PUC as Executive Director, Mr. Lloyd served as Deputy Director of Budget, Planning and Policy for Gov. Rick Perry and was a key contributor to the Texas State Energy Plan. Mr. Lloyd began work at the Governor’s office in 2008 as an advisor on energy and utilities policy.
Mr. Lloyd earned a bachelor’s degree in economics at Louisiana State University and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a master’s degree in economics. The Executive Director of the PUC is an administrative position separate from the three voting Commissioners who are appointed by the Governor.
Paul Wattles
Senior Analyst, Market Design and Development, Electric Reliability Council of Texas
Paul Wattles has been with ERCOT since May 2004. The Market Design and Development team was formed in 2012 to advance ERCOT’s strategic plan and mission statement, dedicating resources to study and make recommendations for the structured evolution of the ERCOT market. In addition to establishing a roadmap for the development of the ERCOT market, the team will be responsible for evaluation of new products, practices and, emerging technologies.
Formerly Supervisor of Demand Response in the ERCOT Demand Integration team, Paul brings a demand response and advanced metering background to this new role. The Demand Integration team oversees participation by demand-side resources in ERCOT’s wholesale markets, including Load Resources providing Ancillary Services and Emergency Interruptible Load Service.
Paul has over a decade of electric industry experience with an emphasis on advanced metering, demand response, and regulatory and governmental affairs; over 15 years of private sector business experience; and six years of service as a Congressional aide in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona in Tucson with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism.
Laura Spanjian
Sustainability Director, City of Houston
In April, 2010, Laura Spanjian joined the City of Houston as Mayor Annise Parker’s Sustainability Director, where she is responsible for directing and coordinating projects and initiatives that improve air, land and water quality; and support and expand renewable energy, energy efficiency, green buildings, recycling and composting, alternative and clean transportation, local food production and more livable and vibrant neighborhoods. Her career includes roles as Assistant General Manager – External Affairs at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), where she managed four divisions, including sustainability planning and legislative affairs; and Government Affairs Director at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) Muni.
Carl E. Edlund, P.E.
Director, Mutlimedia Planning and Permitting Division, Environmental Protection Agency
Carl Edlund, a charter member of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is the Director of the Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division with the EPA, Region 6 in Dallas, Texas. He directs the EPA Region 6 programs for air pollution, hazardous waste, underground storage tank, solid waste, pesticides, federal facilities, and toxic pollutants. This includes developing air quality improvement plans, issuing and overseeing air and waste permits. His program area also includes cleaning up underground storage tank pollution, overseeing pesticide use, federal base closures, formerly used defense sites, developing U.S.-Mexico border environmental initiatives and developing toxic contaminant strategies targeted to help sensitive groups of people. Before this assignment, Mr. Edlund managed a variety of programs in the EPA Regional Office including the Superfund, Air Enforcement, and Resources Management Offices. Prior to joining the Dallas Regional Office in 1977, he worked at EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. where he chaired national task forces to abate air pollution at iron and steel mills and other problem industries. Mr. Edlund belongs to the federal Senior Executive Service. He is an adjunct professor and a member of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Advisory Board at Southern Methodist University. He received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland, and is a registered professional engineer in Texas.
Winifred J. Hamilton, PhD, SM
Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX
Dr. Hamilton earned her graduate degrees from the University of Michigan, Rice University, and the Harvard School of Public Health, the latter in environmental health epidemiology. She is an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, and is director of Baylor’s Environmental Health Service and co-director of Baylor’s recycling and sustainability program. She also holds a faculty appointment at Rice University, where she teaches environmental health, and is a certified Healthy Homes Specialist. She is a prolific author and speaks regularly to academic, governmental and community groups on environmental health issues. Locally she currently serves on the American Lung Association Environmental Health Committee, Texas Medical Center Sustainability Advisory Council, City of Houston Healthy Homes Strategic Planning Committee, and Houston Tomorrow’s Board of Directors. Dr. Hamilton has received numerous awards for her work in environmental health, including the U.S. EPA’s “Children’s Environmental Health Champion” award, and the Citizen’s League for Environmental Action Now! “People Who Make a Difference” award. Her professional interests within environmental health are broad, with particular emphasis on geospatial modeling of hot spots of disproportionate exposure and/or health effects, implementation of healthy homes and healthy neighborhood efforts, participatory research, use of a health impact assessment tool in decision making, sustainability efforts within the health care industry, and education of health professionals with regard to the importance of environmental exposures in their practices.
Susana M. Hildebrand, P.E.
Cheif Engineer, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Susana M. Hildebrand, P.E., serves as Chief Engineer of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Named Chief Engineer in July 2009, Ms. Hildebrand reports directly to the executive director and serves as the science adviser for the executive office, specifically regarding executive-level technical and policy matters. In this role, the chief engineer monitors federal initiatives that may affect the implementation of federal regulations or whose implementation may result in adverse consequences to the environment, the state, or the TCEQ.
Ms. Hildebrand began her career at the Texas Air Control Board in 1993. She has been a permit engineer in the Air Permits Division, writing permits and technical guidance for chemical plant and refinery authorizations. Ms. Hildebrand helped develop a number of emissions banking and trading programs and led numerous teams implementing federal regulatory requirements and state legislation. She has also served as a special assistant and technical advisor to the previous Chief Engineer of the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
In June 2006, Ms. Hildebrand became the Director of TCEQ’s Air Quality Division, responsible for developing the state implementation plan to restore air quality in areas in Texas exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. She directed air quality data analysis and state-of-the-art photochemical modeling in support of pollution control strategies and designs. Ms. Hildebrand was also responsible for the Emissions Inventory and Fee Assessments, the Emissions Banking and Trading Programs, the Mobile Source Programs and the Texas Emission Reduction Plan (TERP), which provides grant funds to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from large mobile internal combustion engines.
Ms. Hildebrand has participated at the national level in Clean Air Act Advisory Committee workgroups including: the Section 185 Workgroup and the Multi-pollutant Sector Approach Work group under the Economic Incentives and Regulatory Innovation Subcommittee. Additionally, she represented the agency and Commissioner Garcia in the Climate Change Work Group in 2009 that looked at Best Available Control Technology requirements and their application to Greenhouse Gas Pollutants within the Prevention of Significant Deterioration under the Clean Air Act.
Ms. Hildebrand completed her BS in Aerospace Engineering and MS in Environmental & Water Resource Engineering at the University of Texas. She is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Texas.
Dr. Jeffrey S. Haberl, P.E.
Professor of Architecture, Texas A&M Univeristy & Associate Director, Energy Systems Laboratory
Dr. Jeffery S. Haberl is a Professor of Architecture and Associate Department Head for Research at Texas A&M University. He is an ASHRAE Fellow and IPMVP Fellow. Dr. Haberl’s educational background includes B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder and post-doctoral research at Princeton University’s Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. He has dedicated nearly three decades performing building energy research at Texas A&M University, Princeton University, the University of Colorado, Rockwell International, the Colorado State Office of Energy Conservation, the City of Boulder, and the USDOE Administrative Services.
He is a Co-Principal Investigator on the Laboratory’s Texas Emissions Reduction Program (TERP), along with Mr. Bahman Yazdani, where he provides technical leadership for the code compliance calculator and emissions calculations from energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Cheyrl B. Fyock
Senior Manager, Energy & Resources, Deloitte Services LP
Cheryl Fyock is a Senior Manager in the Energy & Resources (E&R) practice of Deloitte. She manages operations for the E&R industry and supports their Alternative Energy Provider Initiative in developing and implementing its strategic imperatives. Cheryl leads the annual development and delivery of Deloitte’s two premiere industry events: the Energy Conference and Alternative Energy Seminar.
Cheryl joined Deloitte’s audit practice in 1996, focusing primarily in the telecommunications, technology and energy industries. Her client service work includes public and privately held companies and covered all aspects of audit and assurance services including significant transactions, such as mergers, acquisitions, and as well as debt and equity offerings. Cheryl served the Global Energy & Resources practice for five years prior to joining the U.S. Energy & Resources industry group.
Cheryl is a board member of the Greater Washington American Heart Association and is on the Board of the Core Foundation, assisting individuals and groups in non-profit fundraising efforts. She holds a BA from West Virginia University and is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in Virginia.
