Speaker Bios

For the agenda, please click here.

(in order of appearance on schedule)

Ron Celentano, Co-Facilitator, Renewables Work for PA (RW4PA); President, PASSIA and Celentano Energy Services

Ron Celentano is a solar energy industry consultant with Celentano Energy Services (CES). He started working in the solar energy field over 40 years ago, with more than 25 years focused on solar PV. Generally, his experience covers technical and policy related fields, including system design, commissioning, testing, performance monitoring installation; project oversight representing the customer; expert witness regarding technical assessments of PV systems and products; installer/code official training, curriculum development, rebate program administration. He’s trained hundreds of solar PV installers and has conducted many teacher workshops on solar PV curriculum development for secondary/HS education across PA and presented many seminars to engineers/architects on the subject of solar energy technologies. He has also worked on solar PV projects in Africa and Central America, designed/oversaw installations, conducted diagnostics and trained installers. He has been involved with helping shape most all of Pennsylvania’s state laws and regulations in solar energy over the past two decades, including net metering, interconnection, PA’s solar share requirement, closing the borders and many other policy related issues. Currently, he is President of Pennsylvania Solar & Storage Industries Assoc. (PASSIA) and V.P. of Mid-Atlantic Solar & Storage Industries Assoc. (MSSIA) for Pennsylvania; Technical Director – Philadelphia Solar Energy Assoc. (PSEA), and he holds a BS in Physics and MS in the field of Mechanical Engineering.

Sharon Pillar, Co-Facilitator, Renewables Work for PA (RW4PA); Founder and Executive Director, Pennsylvania Solar Center

Sharon Pillar is the founder and executive director of the Pennsylvania Solar Center, a nonprofit that works to lift up the benefits of solar to all Pennsylvanians. This mission is achieved through technical assistance to non-residential entities to help them through the solar procurement process via the Center’s flagship GET Solar program; statewide education and communications through webinar series, online resources, newsletters, media, and community outreach; as well as solar advocacy efforts in Harrisburg to advance all sectors of solar energy and storage. Sharon was honored to serve on Governor Shapiro’s energy transition team. For the past six years she has also served as the co-facilitator of the Renewables Works for PA (RW4PA) coalition of about 70 renewable companies working together to move solar policy in the state. Through her consultancy the Hot Earth Collaborative LLC, she previously worked for Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) for five years as their Pennsylvania Advocate working with businesses across the state to advance clean energy and served as a co-facilitator for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Finding Pennsylvania Solar Future study. During her seven years at PennFuture, Sharon served as the Project Manager for solar programs where she led a US Department of Energy SunShot grant to develop model solar ordinances for Pennsylvania. Prior to her work in clean energy, Sharon worked in the pharmaceutical research field for 15 years. She holds an M.A. in Earth Literacy from St. Mary’s-of-the-Woods College, Terre Haute, IN, and a B.A. in Psychology from Mansfield State University, Mansfield, PA. www.pasolarcenter.org

David Althoff Jr., Director, Energy Programs Office, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

David’s office, DEP’s Energy Programs Office, is involved in supporting, designing, and implementing energy-focused programs to encourage the development and deployment of energy efficiency, energy resiliency and alternative energy projects in Pennsylvania. The Energy Program’s Office’s mission is to support energy activities which result in environmental improvements including mitigating the effects of and adapting to climate change.

David along with his staff have spent the last several years developing forward-looking plans and new incentive programs centered on positioning Pennsylvania to take advantage of its wealth of natural resources and existing infrastructure while considering the needs of communities and improving justice.

During his career with DEP, David has served as the Executive Director for the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, is currently the Secretary for National Association of State Energy Officials Board of Directors and serves on the National Council on Electric Policy’s Executive Committee.

Dave has proudly served the citizens of Pennsylvania through his work at DEP for over 30 years, is a life-long Pennsylvanian, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and lives in Hummelstown, PA.

Leah Meredith, Director, Mid-Atlantic for State Affairs

Leah is the Director, Mid-Atlantic for State Affairs at SEIA, managing and supporting SEIA’s policy and advocacy efforts in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Prior to joining SEIA, Leah worked at the pantechnology clean energy trade organization Advanced Energy United (formerly known as Advanced Energy Economy), where she oversaw the organization’s legislative and regulatory engagement in Pennsylvania and New York. She also served as a Program Manager with CLEAResult Consulting where she managed a portfolio of commercial, residential, and income-eligible energy efficiency pilot programs and research projects on behalf of Commonwealth Edison. Leah has experience in demand side management policy and program implementation, distributed energy systems policy, environmental public policy, transportation electrification, voluntary green power markets, utility policy, and wholesale markets.

Joe Sherrick, PA Public Utility Commission (PUC)

Joe Sherrick has more than 30 years of experience working for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Joe is currently a supervisor with PA Public Utility Commission (PA PUC) where he oversees the Policy and Planning Section within the Bureau of Technical Utility Services. He and his staff are responsible for overseeing PA’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard and energy efficiency measures such as PA’s Act 129 energy efficiency program. Prior to working for the PA PUC, Mr. Sherrick served as the Climate Change Program Manager within the PA DEP. Prior to this Mr. Sherrick worked in the Energy Office within PA DEP, overseeing the administration of the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program and a host of renewable energy initiatives. Mr. Sherrick has also worked in PA DEP’s Air Quality Program as a regulator and inspector.

Jacob Finkel, Deputy Secretary of Policy & Planning, Office Governor Josh Shapiro

Jacob Finkel serves as Deputy Secretary of Policy for Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and has the privilege of overseeing the Shapiro Administration’s policy agenda across two key issues: elections and energy policy. Prior to joining the Shapiro Administration in January 2023, Jacob was an attorney at the law firm Covington & Burling LLP and a law clerk to the Hon. Judge Theodore McKee on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. His writing has appeared in Slate and The Atlantic. A Philadelphia native, Jacob holds a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Sam Robinson, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of Governor Josh Shapiro

Sam Robinson serves as Deputy Chief of Staff for Consumers and the Environment in the administration of Governor Josh Shapiro. Prior to joining the current administration, Robinson served in numerous positions in the prior administration, including as Deputy Chief of Staff for the four years of Governor Wolf’s second term. Sam works closely with Pennsylvania’s environmental and energy agencies, as well as a number of administrative and regulatory agencies. Prior to joining the Wolf administration, Robinson served as an Assistant City Solicitor with the City of Philadelphia Law Department working in the Regulatory Affairs group. A proud Philadelphian, Robinson received his law degree from The College of William & Mary and his bachelor’s degree from Earlham College.

Alisa Peterson, Federal Policy Manager, US Program, RMI

Alisa is the Federal Policy Manager on RMI’s US Program team. She works closely with technoeconomic experts across RMI to ensure federal climate policy is designed with the best available information. While Alisa oversees all of RMI’s federal policy work, her areas of expertise include carbon-free buildings, renewables, and sustainable urbanization.

Alisa has been with RMI for over five years. Before joining the US Program, she worked on both the Urban Transformation team and the Carbon-Free Buildings team at RMI. Through this work, Alisa was able to work directly with cities, corporations, and developers on meeting their renewable and building efficiency/electrification goals.

Robert Routh, Policy Director, Pennsylvania, Climate & Energy, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

Robert Routh is an attorney and advocate working to advance decarbonization efforts in Pennsylvania across the power, transportation, industrial, and buildings sectors. His particular areas of focus include the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), oil and gas methane mitigation, and the equitable and efficient implementation of IRA/IIJA funds in-state. Prior to joining NRDC, Routh served as a policy and regulatory attorney for Clean Air Council, and he previously clerked for two federal judges of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Routh holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from the University of Michigan Law School. He is based in the Washington, D.C., office.

Rob Altenburg, Director, PennFuture Energy Center

Rob brings a career’s worth of environmental, climate, and energy expertise to his advance clean energy solutions for Pennsylvania. As Energy Center director, he analyzes and provides expert comments and testimony on legislation and regulations. He works with regulatory agencies and clean energy industry experts on climate and energy issues and provides technical assistance and research on methane and fossil fuel impacts. Rob speaks extensively throughout Pennsylvania to students, community groups, and other organizations on climate and energy issues.

Rob has also provided testimony to the U.S. Environmental Protection and the White House and co-authored a chapter on federal climate policy in the 2nd edition of the book “Climate Change and US Law”. Rob previously spent nearly 22 years with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Louie Krak, Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator and Manager of RISE PA

On behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Louie Krak is leading Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) Program, which is a $396 million industrial decarbonization grant program funded through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants. Prior to this role, Louie served as an Infrastructure Coordinator for the Governor’s Office of Critical Investments working to maximize the value of federal funding opportunities for Pennsylvania. He has also served in DEP’s Policy Office specializing in climate change, energy, and air policy and began his career in public service working on farmland preservation at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Devin Gray, Director, CFA Programs Division, PA Dept. of Community & Economic Development

 Devin Gray joined the PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) as an analyst in October 2022. He was appointed as Director of the CFA Programs Division in July of 2024. As Director, Devin oversees a variety of programs including the Greenways Trails and Recreation Program, Watershed Restoration Protection Program, Solar for Schools Program, and the PA Small Water and Sewer Program. Devin has obtained a Master’s Degree in Applied Economics with a focus on Econometrics and Environmental Economics from Washington State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Math and Economics from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Aaron Brickman, Senior Principal, US Program, RMI

Aaron is a senior principal in RMI’s US Program, leading economic development initiatives that focus RMI’s techno-economic analysis and industrial expertise for place-based change, impact, and benefit from cleantech-led cluster development.

Aaron has been a successful entrepreneur, problem-solver, and leader in public- and private-sector roles, with 25 years of experience in building and leading economic development, investment, and trade programs in the government and beyond.

Prior to joining RMI, Aaron was the executive vice president of Global Business Alliance and founding deputy executive director of SelectUSA, a global agency within the US Department of Commerce charged with promoting and facilitating foreign direct investment in the United States.

Joshua Caplan, PhD, Research Associate Professor, Architecture & Environmental Design, Temple University

Joshua Caplan is an Associate Professor of Research in the department of Architecture & Environmental Design at Temple University. He is an environmental biologist who primarily studies plant and soil dynamics in human-modified settings and is currently investigating the performance of plants grown in urban bioswales, under solar panels, and along city streets. He is also involved in assessments of alternative soil formulations, such as replacing mined sand with glass and amending soil with biochar. This is his first time attending the Pennsylvania Solar Summit.

Over the past decade, Temple University’s agrivoltaics research and education program has engaged in studies on many forms of agrivoltaics including the solar energy integrated with crops, native vegetation, and grazing. The team has worked in multiple countries and US states but recently developed their own agrivoltaics test site at Temple’s Ambler Campus. In addition to facilitating experiments with vegetable crops and model testing, it is a resource for community engagement, industry cooperation, and technology demonstrations. Much of the team’s work has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. The agrivoltaics program is overseen by Dr. Sujith Ravi, an Associate Professor in the department of Earth & Environmental Sciences.

Chris Kline, Development Manager, Doral Renewables, LLC

Mr. Kline has more than 35 years of professional experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors making a positive difference on energy, environmental, and sustainability issues.

He is currently a Development Manager for Doral Renewables, focusing on developing solar projects in Indiana.

From 2019-2024, he directed key client sustainability projects for global engineering and consulting firms and advised C-suite leadership on various sustainability matters. His work included guiding the development of corporate sustainability plans for large public and private companies.

From 2014-2019, Mr. Kline instructed at Culver Academies teaching courses in ethics, sustainability, environmental science, and design thinking. He was instrumental in developing the school’s sustainability curriculum, as well as its renewable energy program, Green Revolving Fund, and several natural area stewardship projects. Mr. Kline led the development of the school’s first campus sustainability plan as well as associated campus, alumni, and community outreach efforts.

Dan Dotterer, Daniel Dotterer Farms; Agrivoltaic Innovations; Metaglobal Technologies

Daniel Dotterer lives on his family farm, outside of State College, Pennsylvania. His family has been farming in Pennsylvania continously since 1722. He is the 12th generation of Dotterers now to farm here in Pennsylvania. Growing up, the family farm had mostly beef cattle but now that he has taken over the farm, they have grown into one of the largest sheep herds in the state. Daniel is also interested in new technology and its application in Agriculture, particularly Augmented Reality.

Lucille Olszewski, UL Solutions

Lucille Olszewski is a renewable energy professional with over three decades of experience in the solar, storage and wind industries. Lucille is currently the Business Development Manager for UL Solutions where she is responsible for relationships with key accounts while identifying new opportunities and potential clients. Prior to joining UL Solutions, Lucille started two consulting firms and was the Director of Meteorology at Edison Mission Energy, Principal Technologist at CH2M Hill and Sr. Meteorologist at Kenetech/US Windpower. Ms. Olszewski was the WoWE (predecessor to WRISE) Woman of the Year in 2013. Lucille earned her Penn State University Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Meteorology at the Penn State University.

Hanan Fishman, Director of Business Development – Renewables, Consolidated Asset Management Services (CAMS)

Hanan Fishman is responsible for business development for Consolidated Asset Management Services’ (CAMS) Renewables group which includes Solar, Wind and Battery Energy Storage technologies. In his role with CAMS, he oversees a rapidly growing portfolio of large-scale renewable assets comprising over 10 GW of clean generation which includes over 5 GWh of grid-scale battery energy storage projects.

CAMS is a marketing leading third-party provider of energy services which supports infrastructure-focused private equity firms and their platform companies by maximizing the performance of their energy assets while minimizing the risk of operations from a technical, safety, environmental and regulatory perspective. CAMS combination of expert services and technology solutions—ranging from hands-on asset management to compliance to cyber security to operations and maintenance — ensures optimal asset performance for all stakeholders including owners, communities and employees.

Randy Francisco, PA Clean Energy Organizer, Greenlight America

Randy is a dedicated community organizer with 20+ years of experience, known for his creative thinking and results-driven leadership. His expertise is in the environmental space, where his strategic approach and collaborative spirit led to numerous successes. Originally from rural Crawford County, Pennsylvania, he now lives outside of Pittsburgh. Randy’s journey began in the restaurant industry, taking him to Key West and Maui before returning to Pennsylvania to launch his organizing career. Outside of work, he enjoys gardening, cooking, and immersing himself in Bluegrass and Americana music festivals in the summer, cherishing these moments with friends and his partner, Christa.

Sophia Hill, Manager of Policy and Market Strategy (Eastern Region), Pivot Energy

Dylan Kautz, CEO, US Solar Development

Dylan Kautz is a NABCEP certified PV installation professional, with tenure in commercial solar development and installation dating back to 2009. Prior to entering the solar space, he had a background in commercial roofing in PA, and commercial construction in Washington, DC. He founded one of PA’s largest and longest-tenured solar companies, KC Green Energy, where he performed hundreds of residential and commercial solar projects, prior to starting US Solar Development, Inc to specialize in Commercial. He offers a rare skillset of development, financing, and solar construction knowledge that is invaluable to his partners and customers.

Emma Azadan, Development Director, SunShare 

As Development Director, Emma manages the overall development in select community solar markets and brings over 15 years of experience in solar development. She has developed and overseen construction of 83 MW of solar PV across 16 different projects.

Emma brings experience developing on landfills, EPA Superfund sites, and the nations largest low-income community solar project.