Stan Blackwell is responsible for the management of large customers throughout the Central and Northern regions of Virginia. Additionally, he is responsible for all economic development activities in Dominion’s electric service territory. Stan has been with Dominion for 20 years in a variety of leadership roles including the following: Finance, Accounting, Electrical Design, Renewable Product Development, Contract Management, Key Account Management, and Economic Development. Before joining Dominion Virginia Power, Stan spent 9 years in the computer industry with AT&T and NCR in various financial roles supporting competitive sales organizations. Stan is currently a board member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, and a past board member of the Central Virginia Better Business Bureau, and the Central Virginia Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Stan has a Finance degree, an MBA, and holds a CPA license.

Lee is a 25-year data center industry veteran with extensive experience working with hyperscale and enterprise customers. As CEO, Lee is responsible for setting and managing the strategic priorities of the company to drive profitability and growth. He is based in our Northern Virginia office.

Prior to joining EdgeCore, Lee served as Chief Commercial Officer of Vantage Data Centers, a Digital Bridge portfolio company, in a role focused on invigorating sales and marketing performance and expanding into new US and European markets. Additionally, Lee served as Senior Vice President Sales and Leasing for wholesale data center pioneer DuPont Fabros Technology (DFT), playing a key role in all aspects of the go to market strategy within North America as well as making significant contributions to the S-11 process for taking DFT public in 2007 by raising $740+ million.

As founder of Kopend Ventures, Lee focused on management consulting for several firms. In particular, he managed a 300MW development project in Palm Beach County, Florida where he led the successful effort to get a data center sales and use tax exemption approved by the Florida Legislature. He is an advocate of low carbon and advanced energy generation solutions and has been active in digital infrastructure industry thought leadership forums throughout North America.

Lee attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County majoring in Computer Science.

Laurance has worked in the data center, telecommunications, and commercial real estate sector for over 20 years on behalf of corporations, private equity funds and his own firm. At AVAIO Digital Partners, Laurance leads all commercialization efforts for the platform, drawing on his deep experience in site selection and data center development to structure commercial contracts that best meet both AVAIO’s and its customers’ needs.

Prior to joining AVAIO, Laurance was a Principal/Director and Regional Lead for Site Selection & Acquisition of Hyperscale Data Centers for Microsoft Corporation. He also led their Government and Sovereign data center leasing program in the Americas and directed the Global Edge Data Center leasing program. Prior to Microsoft, Laurance was the President of Comdesco Group, a communications design and construction management firm focused on developing fiber optic and wireless networks in the Americas. Laurance holds a B.G.S. in Political Science and History from the University of Iowa and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Minnesota School of Law.

Robert Ward is a senior executive with over 25 years of experience leading organizations, driving strategy and innovation, developing high performing teams, and executing complex transactions.

He was the President and CEO for Skanska Commercial Development U.S., where he was responsible for setting the strategic direction of the company while driving continuous improvement through operational effectiveness, efficiency, and innovation. As CEO, he had responsibility for the investment and development of more than $4.5B of commercial and residential assets across the country. Prior to becoming CEO, he served as the COO for the organization where he led the U.S. Investment Committee as well as the Strategic Services Team which included product innovation, technology, customer strategy, systems optimization, operational excellence, and asset/portfolio management. Prior to his role as COO, Robert had direct oversight of offices/operations in the mid-Atlantic region, Houston, Texas and Los Angeles, California.

Robert has served on boards in the U.S, Central Europe, and the Nordics as well as direct involvement and advisory roles on investments in these markets as well as in the UK.

Robert is a graduate of Virginia Tech and an emeritus member of the Advisory Board for the Virginia Tech Program in Real Estate. He is a member of the Economic Club of Washington D.C. and has served on the Board of Directors for The First Tee.

Robert and his wife reside in Arlington, Virginia

Kemal Hawa is a corporate partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Kemal represents many of the world’s largest private equity firms, infrastructure funds, real estate investors and lenders across a broad range of transactions in the digital infrastructure sector domestically and internationally, including mergers and acquisitions, investments, financing arrangements, joint ventures and development projects.

Kemal counsels clients in complex transactions across the digital infrastructure and telecommunications, media and technology industries. This includes many of the world’s largest data center operators, telecommunications carriers, tower companies, cloud providers, fiber providers, media companies, submarine cable operators, fintech companies, wireless and international carriers, internet service providers, satellite companies, equipment manufacturers and electric utilities.

In addition to M&A and financing transactions, Kemal represents companies in connection with the full spectrum of digital infrastructure transactions globally, including the negotiation of data center leases and colocation agreements, telecommunications master service agreements, licensing deals and other commercial transactions.

Kemal is a frequent author and speaker on digital infrastructure topics and has consistently been recognized as an industry leading attorney in the sector. In 2023, Kemal was named as one of Capacity Media’s “Power 100” – a list of the 100 most influential people in the digital infrastructure sector globally, and was voted “TMT M&A Lawyer of the Year” by an independent panel of judges organized by TMT Finance.

Adam Black is a member of TA Realty’s portfolio management team and is responsible for driving strategy and execution for certain of the Firm’s investment vehicles as they continue to grow. He has been with the Firm since 2023 and prior to joining he was DCS Manager, Mid Atlantic at Google. Previously, Mr. Black worked in Infrastructure Construction Management – Special Projects at Facebook. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Management and Southern Polytechnic State University with a M.S. in Construction Management.

Mike Boteler has spent his entire 18 year career at Whiting-Turner with the majority of his projects focused on data centers. Mike oversees a business unit of over 20 team members with technical Mission Critical expertise out of Whiting-Turner's Washington, DC Regional Office. Additionally, Mike serves as one of Whiting-Turner’s Mid-Atlantic Mission Critical Leader. Not only is he an integral role in the construction process, but he focuses on collaboration during design with project partners to assist in encouraging a FastTrack design to promote speed to market for construction. Mike is also an active member of 7x24 and AFCOM in the Potomac region.

Gary Cudmore is the head of Sustainable Engineering & Construction at Rowan Digital Infrastructure. Gary brings over 35 years of international experience in the design, engineering, and construction of energy efficient, high-reliability and resilient data centers. Gary has strong leadership and project management skills, as well as experience maneuvering complex technical solutions and owner project requirements. Before joining Rowan, Gary provided subject matter expertise for organizations such as IBM, Dell, and Unysis. His international experience includes projects in Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, U.K., Ireland, India, South Korea, and Thailand.

Reid Senescu is VP of Product Management at Doxel. His team talks with folks in construction and communicates their needs to software developers who use AI to help the industry build better, faster, with lower costs. His career began as a structural engineer, founded a construction tech startup out of his PhD research at Stanford and then led product for Rhumbix followed by Enlighted (acquired by Siemens).

Develops strategies for applications of precast/prestressed concrete building systems in the data center space. Leads the effort to engage technical staff in the design-assist effort of very fast-track projects, at the earliest stages of development. Works with end-users and their agents to create unique designs and unusual applications of precast concrete building systems.

Drives Metromont’s practice of acting as a specialty precast subcontractor in the data center -- and not just the manufacturer of various precast parts and pieces. Metromont can self-perform 100% of the precast concrete work, beginning from structured design-assist engagement, through field erection of "all-precast" buildings.

Leads the activities of Metromont’s VA Sales staff in pursuit of projects primarily in Virginia’s Data Center Alley, but across the U.S. Metromont has the capability of extending its reach beyond this area, on certain projects, where organizational strengths, financial capacity, and past experience -- particularly with regard to mission-critical projects -- are required.

35 years experience in the precast/prestressed concrete industry, including responsibilities for nearly every aspect of the ", get work" and "do work" functions. Directly involved in preconstruction through contract, in 20M SF of all precast data centers.

Marshall is a 7x24 Exchange DC Chapter Board of Directors member and a member of the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA).

Ross Rebraca has more than 25 years of experience in the data center and mission critical sectors of the construction industry. Since 2006, Ross has worked at HITT and is now the vice president of the organization's technology division. He has been instrumental in launching the Technology market sector for HITT, which manages all data center construction. Ross plays an integral part in business development for the technology group given his numerous longstanding industry contacts nationwide.

Brandon’s practice focuses on commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, financings, sale-leasebacks, leasing, and developments of data center, industrial, office, technology, and multifamily projects. His experience also includes the structuring of joint ventures and transfers of equity interests.

Before joining Mintz, Brandon practiced as a real estate associate in other law firms in California. While in law school, he served as executive articles editor of the Washington Law Review. In his free time, Brandon enjoys endurance and mountain sports and reading about Russian history.

Jeff Moerdler is chair of the Haynes Boone Data Center and Digital Infrastructure Practice and a real estate partner in the New York office. He has more than 40 years’ experience in general commercial real estate law. Jeff’s real estate practice includes acquisitions, sales, development, leasing, and borrower’s side financing. Jeff also has a particular focus on real estate challenges facing communications, technology and energy companies, and represents property owners and telecom companies in telecom real estate matters, particularly in data center development, acquisitions, sales, leases, colocation agreements and service level agreements. His clients include both large national companies and smaller, local clients, and includes representation of landlords and tenants in all types of leases; counseling owners and developers in the acquisition, sale, joint venture, development, and renovation of property as well as sale-leaseback transactions; advising lenders and borrowers in commercial loans; and the representation of all parties in real estate litigation. He is actively involved in settling real estate, partnership, and inter-family disputes. He also represents many not-for-profit entities and is active in health care, senior living, and educational real estate.

Mr. Elissa is a 25-year veteran of the critical facilities industry as a recognized critical facilities

technologist and leader in this field. He focuses on technology, critical facilities infrastructure, data

centers, and delivering engineering services as a project lead. He is a subject matter expert in the data

center strategy, planning, sourcing, designing, commissioning, and operations of critical computer

networks cabling infrastructure, and data center infrastructure management, as well as developing

engineering databases.

As a technology consultant and a professional engineer, Mr. Elissa participated in and led over 160

major projects of varying facility types totaling around 20 million square feet of data processing critical

facilities space, such as data centers, call centers, trading floors, office buildings, hospitals, biotech

pharmaceuticals clean-rooms, network operations control rooms, telco, higher education, corporate and

university campuses, and varying government buildings.

Mr. Elissa is sought globally to provide strategic consulting to international enterprise organizations in

a variety of industries such as financial services, securities exchanges, information technology,

telecommunications, national and international retail chains, pharmaceutical & research, higher

education, healthcare, energy & petrochemicals, utility providers as well as federal, state and local

governments & defense entities, as well as Artificial Intelligence and high-performance computing

(HPC).

At Hewlett Packard Enterprise Data Center Facilities, Mr. Elissa is a worldwide Distinguished

Technologist and client consulting principal focusing on the Technology Infrastructure practice. In this

role, he is responsible for all the projects delivered for this specialty service. He is also a core

contributor to data center product development at HPE. Mr. Elissa has been a licensed Professional

Engineer in the State of Delaware since 2004.

Mr. Elissa received his Master of Science in Technology Management from the Stevens Institute of

Technology in 2001 in Hoboken, New Jersey, and his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering

from Marquette University in 1997 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

Bill Kleyman is an award-winning data center, cloud, and digital infrastructure leader. He

was ranked globally by an Onalytica Study as one of the leading executives in cloud

computing and data security. He has spent more than 15 years specializing in the

cybersecurity, virtualization, cloud, and data center industry. As an award-winning

technologist, his most recent efforts with the Infrastructure Masons were recognized

when he received the 2020 IM100 Award and the 2021 iMasons Education Champion

Award for his work with numerous HBCUs and for helping diversify the digital

infrastructure talent pool.

As an industry analyst, speaker, and author, Bill helps the digital infrastructure teams

develop new ways to impact data center design, cloud architecture, security models

(both physical and software), and how to work with new and emerging technologies.

You can read more of Bill’s contributions as a contributing editor in Data Center

Frontier, Data Center Knowledge, InformationWeek, ITPro Today, and others.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/quadstack

http://linkedin.com/in/billkleyman

https://www.billkleyman.com

David C. Meadows II has worked in data center cooling since 1999.  He is currently the Director of Technology with STULZ USA, a manufacturer of precision air conditioning, humidification, and dehumidification products specifically designed for the data center.  Previously David has served as both the Design Engineering Manager and the Applications Engineering Manager at Stulz.  David holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.  David is also a graduate of the United States Navy Nuclear Power School.

Danielle has over 16 years of experience in data center solution design and engineering for hyper-scale, colocation, enterprise, edge, and government environments. In her current role, Danielle manages global mission-critical cooling products and processes to provide a standardized deliverable for customers executing projects domestically and internationally.

Matt Zieg is responsible for managing the growth and development of strategic accounts in key market verticals, such as Colocation, Semiconductors and Artificial Intelligence. In his 20 plus years of service with Vertiv, Matt has contributed in varying roles, including engineering support, marketing and sales. His diverse background, including experience as an IT business analyst, has helped Vertiv’s business expand into new markets and strengthen enterprise relationships. Matt’s efforts in developing, specifying and deploying products, programs and services designed to meet the management demands of today’s data centers have contributed to Vertiv’s success as leader in digital technology enablement. Matt holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Ohio University

Michael has spent 17+ years in the data center industry in various roles centering around data and power infrastructure. Michael has experience working with various entities within the data center industry, from design to project completion, both physically inside and outside the data center space. From the smallest piece of data infrastructure on the data center floor, to large diesel critical power generation, Michael has experience with a wide range of data center infrastructure solutions. Growing up and living in the Chicago southwest suburbs, Michael has been with Rehlko (formerly Kohler Power) since 2021 working on Large Diesel Generator solutions in the mission critical space. With any free time, Michael coaches two little league baseball teams, spends time with family, and pretends to know how to golf.

Mohamed Kamaludeen is the Director of Energy Storage Validation at the Office of Electricity (OE), U.S. Department of Energy. His team in OE leads the nation’s energy storage effort by validating and bringing technologies to market. This includes designing, executing, and evaluating a RD&D portfolio that accelerates commercial adoption of next-generation grid storage technologies.

Mohamed has more than 15 years of experience in the electric utility industry, specifically the electric system planning process, including engineering and design, forecasting, substation planning, and energy storage. He is a change management leader with a record of building energy storage businesses in a regulated utility environment. With a portfolio of utility-owned and third-party projects exceeding 120MW, Mohamed positioned Con Edison of New York to advance energy storage development.

Mohamed is known for developing novel clean energy projects at scale through strong private sector-led, government-enabled innovation and collaboration framework. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from The City University of New York and is currently an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University (NYC).

Pavan Kundurthi is an accomplished professional with over 13 years of experience as an Electrical Engineer and Engineering Manager. Currently, he manages teams of Electrical and Mechanical engineers at Amazon Web Services, overseeing the design and continuous innovation of the rapidly expanding data center fleet in the region. Pavan collaborates closely with the Construction, Operations, and Commissioning teams at the Data Centers. He holds a Master's Degree in Power Electronics from Illinois Institute of Technology and an MBA from Chicago Booth. Pavan has ventured into entrepreneurship with energy storage solutions, demonstrating his passion for commercializing innovation. His recent work focuses on finding innovative solutions to handle potential power constraints in data centers while minimizing disruptions to operations, both now and in the future. Pavan's expertise lies in optimizing data center capacity to support rapid demand growth.

Vance Peterson is a Schneider Electric, Solutions Architect. Vance is an industry veteran with over 30

years’ experience with end users as well as OEM and Service Providers supporting Mission Critical

Facilities and Data Centers. Vance’s strong background in both electrical and mechanical engineering

along with the balance of risk and operational management make him a key contributor to designs,

products and services supporting data centers. Prior to Schneider Electric, Vance deployed this

knowledge and was an operating partner of a life cycle services company specializing in the design, build

and operation of mission critical facilities and systems throughout North America.

As a Solutions Architect Vance works closely with a team of highly talented professionals to provide

cutting edge, innovative solutions for Data Centers. Vance also utilizes his vast experience and many

relationships in the industry to help influence enhancements in existing products and services as well as

innovate and create ideas for new ones. Vance is well respected in the industry and you may find him

speaking at an industry event, providing thought leadership with Data Center Blogs or published articles.

Mike has been a forward-thinking leader in the energy space for over 28 years covering many facets of energy solutions from power generation / CHP, electric and natural gas infrastructure, load response, energy efficiency, and LNG / CNG / RNG solutions. Experience navigating large and small utilities, developers, multinational corporations, military branches, universities, large and small companies creating innovative solutions to meet each project’s specific target and requirements. Mike is responsible for growing Jenbacher North America’s Hydrogen and Natural Gas Generator Market.

As Strategic Services Director at Fulcrum Collaborations, Stuart is responsible for the delivery of

MCIM’s suite of services across 15,000+ facilities, over 150 MM SQFT, across 5 continents. He

is critically involved in executing client Operations & Maintenance (O&M) strategies, and

maturing the MCIM product via direct feedback from client users. He has particular strengths in

critical infrastructure, datacenter operations, IT platforms, and financial acumen. Stuart is a

subject matter expert in O&M strategies, and actively participates in multiple Critical Facilities &

Operations affinity groups.

Experience

Prior to being the Strategic Services & Operations Director with MCIM, Stuart was the Facility

Management (FM) Director with Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) on the Capital One Account. In this

role, Stuart was responsible for the delivery of all FM services and SLAs across 10+ MM SF of

Class A Office space within the Capital One portfolio. Prior to the FM Director, Stuart was also

the Account Lead on the Capital One datacenter account. In this role, he was directly

responsible for managing all service lines & operations across all Capital One datacenters, and

owned the day to day relationship with Capital One’s Critical Infrastructure Director. Under

Stuart’s leadership, JLL services were grown to include IT hardware operations (whitespace

rack/stack) and (2) data centers were successfully decommissioned with zero downtime. Before

joining JLL, Stuart was a Vice President and Regional Property Director with Bank of America.

In this capacity, he was responsible for a mixed portfolio of office space and critical data centers,

with direct oversight of facility partner contracts and operations. Prior to his Corporate Real

Estate & Operations career, Stuart was a Nuclear Submarine Officer in the US Navy for (6)

years.

Education and Affiliations

Stuart holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Virginia Military Institute (2003), and a

M.S. in Engineering Management & Administration from Old Dominion University (2009). He is

also qualified by the US Navy’s Department of Naval Reactors as a Naval Nuclear Engineer, the

military equivalent to a Professional Engineer (PE) qualification.

Dave Komendat retired as the vice president and chief security officer for The Boeing Company, a role he held for 14 years of his 38 years within the security profession. Komendat was responsible for the company’s global security and fire protection strategies, policies and infrastructure.

Komendat was also the lead Boeing interface for both national and international security policy engagement with numerous government and industry advisory groups. He represented Boeing as past co-chairman and current board member on the Domestic Security Alliance Council, past President of The International Security Management Association and served as a member of the Threats and Information Committee for the Overseas Security Advisory Council.

Komendat is the founder and President of DSKomendat Risk Management Services, he also serves on several company advisory boards and holds board leadership roles with several non-profit organizations whose missions are to protect people globally, including Hostage U.S. and The Security Foundation. Dave is also a Strategic Engagement Advisor to the FBI and in 2018, Dave was recognized with the Director’s Award for Exceptional Public Service by FBI Director Christopher Wray.

“Having the opportunity to support Hostage US and the exceptional work they accomplish supporting the families of loved ones who have been kidnapped is an honor and I’m humbled to have the opportunity to help.”

John Lineweaver is an accomplished and forward-thinking leader with over 25 years of experience in the security and physical infrastructure domain. His extensive experience encompasses various facets of the industry including global governance, facilities management, vendor management and regulatory compliance.

In his current role as the Regional Security Manager for Metas Data Centers in the Eastern Region of the United States. John is responsible for all physical security matters across his region and serves as the Data center team’s technology liaison for Metas, the Global Security and Technology team. John is specifically focused on leveraging technology, process improvement and leveraging the companies’ systems to ensure we leverage technology with people.

Johns served in the United States Marines Embassy Guard Battalion and in the Military Police auxiliary prior to establishing his career in the security industry. John has worked in Class A commercial Highrise, Hospitality, manufacturing, critical infrastructure protection and now the technology sector.

Johns’ specialties include the design and implementation of physical security systems and technology, project management, technical security countermeasures and the performance of the contract guard force.

As Vice President of Data Center Development and Construction, Karen Petersburg brings 17

years of significant experience to PowerHouse, having successfully managed complex

sustainable data center design and engineering projects, including campus developments,

hyperscale built-to-suits, and major infrastructure renovations. Most recently, Petersburg has

served as director of design for Digital Realty Trust, where she was responsible for the quality of

the organization’s designs and processes. Alongside Luke Kipfer, Petersburg oversees the

planning and execution of all PowerHouse data center projects.

Karen Petersburg actively contributes to the data center industry as the president of the local

7x24 DC Chapter, with board and committee positions for the Data Center Coalition and the

Nomad Futurist Foundation. She also supports local non-profits aiming to increase STEM

participation among local youth.

Beyond her professional life, Karen is dedicated to exploring the philosophical and

socio-economic dimensions of data, contemplating how it impacts our daily lives and shapes our

globalized society's future.

Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government as well as a Masters of

Arts in Philosophy from Virginia Tech, along with several industry certifications from CNet

Training/Uptime Institute and Data Center Dynamics.

Amy Dunton is a business development professional with a focus on developing business

relationships and strategies with her customers, partners and industry peers. Serving as

the foundation of her consultative wholistic approach, Amy’s over 25 years of experience

in physical and network security, structured cabling, power/cooling, connectivity,

network, storage, and compute brings a well-rounded and unique perspective to the

critical infrastructure industry.  Her roles have included working for distribution,

manufacturing, manufacturing representatives, and a leading Enterprise IT Solutions

provider.  Her expansive network and understanding of IT infrastructure, Facilities and

Data Centers has fuelled a passion for creating an environment with more collaboration

as IT Infrastructure and technology trends can greatly impact how we design, build and

secure our data centers and critical infrastructure.

Amy currently serves on the board of the AFCOM Greater MN Chapter and the 7x24

Exchange MN Chapter. She is serving as the Co-Chair for the SIA Perimeter Security

Mr. Obinna Isiadinso is the Global Sector Lead for Data Center investments and a Senior Investment Officer, Global TMT with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Washington DC. At IFC, Obinna develops global investment strategy for the Data Center sector, leads investment teams on investment valuation and execution considerations, reviews debt and equity transaction structures, and participates in transaction negotiations. Mr. Isiadinso brings 18 years of experience in private equity and credit transactions in emerging markets globally. He has served on the board of directors of investee companies including Eaton Towers, Libstar Holdings, GTA Assur Holdings, Afrimax, Persianas Holdings and E-Motion Advertising. Mr. Isiadinso holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BBA from Baruch College. Mr. Isiadinso writes about the global data center sector for The Global Data Center Hub.

Michael Johnston joined the firm in 2007. Mr. Johnston has been involved in the acquisition and disposition of more than $4 billion of commercial real estate and the negotiation of more than 2.5 million square feet of leases with major corporations. His responsibilities include overseeing investment efforts in Northern California, the Pacific Northwest and the Mountain Region and working with institutional separate account and joint venture relationships in the digital infrastructure and development platforms.

Mr. Johnston holds a BA from Northwestern University. Mr. Johnston is a board member and a past Chapter President of NAIOP Silicon Valley; he also serves on NAIOP’s National Board of Directors.

Anne Katzen Pennington is President of Assembly Companies, a special purpose property tax advisor focused on data centers nationwide since 2009. Ms. Pennington began her career in Acquisitions for a New York based, Lehman backed data center platform in 1999.

Rachel Stack is the Chief Financial Officer at Cologix. Rachel leads financial strategy, capital markets, and accounting functions. She also drives Cologix’s corporate development strategy as Cologix continues to expand throughout North America. Rachel has held various financial leadership positions in telecommunications and banking throughout her career. Most recently, she was SVP, Corporate Strategy and Development for Zayo where she led Zayo’s mergers & acquisitions, strategy, treasury, real estate, and capital markets efforts. Prior to Zayo, Rachel was a Director in Royal Bank of Canada’s (RBC) Communications, Media and Entertainment group where she worked with large telecom and communications infrastructure companies. During her time at RBC’s investment bank, Rachel led the execution of more than 25 M&A transactions totaling more than $3BN and 50 financings totaling $150BN. Before working at RBC, Rachel was an Associate at Daniels & Associates. Rachel received her MBA from Columbia Business School and her BA in Economics from Columbia University.

Ryan Sullivan is an Executive Vice President and National Data Center Group Leader with Lincoln Property Company, overseeing Data Center Investments and Capital Markets. Ryan is responsible for broadening the firm’s data center offering, by partnering with Lincoln’s national commercial and industrial platforms to identify and execute on data center opportunities across the country, including new investments, development, leasing and third-party services for institutional investors, data center operators and end users. He also partners with Lincoln’s Investment Management team to source investment capital for data center opportunities.

Ryan has extensive data center investment, development and leasing experience and joins Lincoln from GI Partners, where he led the firm’s real estate development activities, as Director of Investments and Head of Development. Prior to joining GI Partners, Ryan led investment and portfolio management at Landmark Dividend’s Digital Infrastructure Division, prior to its acquisition by Digital Bridge. From 2015 to 2020, Mr. Sullivan oversaw all investment, leasing and development activities for Lincoln’s Data Center business, formerly known as Lincoln Rackhouse. With his leadership and extensive mission critical investment and development experience, he helped build a respectable national data center operating platform of 16 datacenters across 14 markets, totaling over 3 million sq. ft. and 100 MWs of data center capacity. Earlier, he served in development, leasing and portfolio management roles at Digital Realty. Over his 18+ year data center career, Ryan has managed data center and tech/life science portfolios valued at over $7.5 billion in AUM and pursued data center projects in most U.S. and many international markets.

Tom Galli is a partner in the law firm of Duane Morris LLP, based in its Washington, DC office. Mr. Galli practices in the area of real estate law, representing clients in real estate transactions and development for data center, mixed-use, office, industrial, multifamily, retail, stadium and other types of properties located throughout the country. He has worked on matters involving the acquisition and disposition of single assets and portfolios (including loan portfolios), permanent, securitized, credit line and construction financing, loan restructuring and workouts, lease transactions for landlords and tenants, and public-private partnerships.

Mr. Galli’s clients include private equity firms, REITs, pension funds, opportunity funds, insurance companies, asset managers, banks, publicly traded companies, private companies, developers and government agencies. Mr. Galli also has represented a number of private equity firms on bids for, and acquisitions of, nonperforming loan portfolios, including the acquisition of nonperforming loan portfolios having an aggregate unpaid principal balance of approximately $5.4 billion from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) through its structured transactions program.

Mr. Galli is a 1988 graduate of Stanford Law School and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business.

Taylor O. Chess is Senior Manager Director, Development for Peterson Companies and serves on the Company’s Investment Committee. Taylor has developed retail projects valued over $250 million. He is a visionary, known for spotting acquisition opportunities, imagining the possibilities, divesting of property, acquiring land, and building joint ventures.

Taylor has been instrumental in leading the company’s expansion into new ventures and development and looks at all disciplines of real estate to find the best use based on market conditions and social and economic changes.

Prior to Peterson Companies Taylor was Senior Vice President, Investments at Regency Centers where he established the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast offices. During his eight years, he developed 11 centers valued at approximately $660 million and assisted in the acquisition of 140 centers.

Taylor studied at California State University, Northridge. He serves on numerous philanthropic boards and committees including Joe Gibb’s Youth For Tomorrow, Fairfax County Sports Tourism Tax Force and mentors real estate students through ULI’s mentoring programs. He was recently appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin as a member of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board of directors to help establish policy and provide direction to management for the operation of Dulles International and Reagan National Airports and the Dulles Toll Road. He served as ICSC’s State Director of Maryland, Washington D.C. and Virginia and has been a guest speaker for the GWU Real Estate Program.

FUN FACT: While studying in California Taylor tried his hand at Hollywood and landed roles in popular television shows and movies like Dynasty, Matlock, Solid Gold and Space Balls to name a few.

FAVORITE PROJECT: Creating new development opportunities. Once he’s achieved a goal, he looks forward to the next big thing.

Michael Lee is a Managing Director at GI Partners and focuses on asset management and property management within GI Partners’ Real Estate investments. Prior to joining GI Partners, Mr. Lee was with Digital Realty where he focused on development, management, and leasing of data centers. Previously, Mr. Lee led New City Corporation’s asset management team in Tokyo as the Senior Vice President. Prior to that, Mr. Lee had roles with Situs, Hines, and various hospitality groups. He served in portfolio management, asset management, and other operational capacities domestically as well as internationally for multiple types of commercial real estate, including office, multifamily, and hospitality.

Jeff Moerdler is chair of the Haynes Boone Data Center and Digital Infrastructure Practice and a real estate partner in the New York office. He has more than 40 years’ experience in general commercial real estate law. Jeff’s real estate practice includes acquisitions, sales, development, leasing, and borrower’s side financing. Jeff also has a particular focus on real estate challenges facing communications, technology and energy companies, and represents property owners and telecom companies in telecom real estate matters, particularly in data center development, acquisitions, sales, leases, colocation agreements and service level agreements. His clients include both large national companies and smaller, local clients, and includes representation of landlords and tenants in all types of leases; counseling owners and developers in the acquisition, sale, joint venture, development, and renovation of property as well as sale-leaseback transactions; advising lenders and borrowers in commercial loans; and the representation of all parties in real estate litigation. He is actively involved in settling real estate, partnership, and inter-family disputes. He also represents many not-for-profit entities and is active in health care, senior living, and educational real estate.

During the past 35 years, Jeff has developed considerable experience in the intersection of real estate with communications, technology, and energy issues. He has extensive experience representing landlords, tenants, developers, and communications service providers in the leasing, purchase, sale, and financing of data centers, colocation facilities, radio and television broadcast antennas, distributed and in-building wireless systems, rooftop antennas, and fiber-optic transactions as well as the wiring of buildings for broadband communications access. Jeff has also negotiated thousands of data center leases, master services agreements, colocation agreements and service level agreements, rooftop and cellular antenna leases, inside wiring agreements, and antenna tower leases throughout the country – covering over 500 million square feet.

He has also devoted a considerable portion of his practice to power and energy issues related to real estate and other technology matters, including large solar and wind installations, battery storage facilities, and bulk power purchases.

Jeff is a frequent speaker on real estate, data center, and telecom topics around the country. He is Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and on the faculty of the Advanced Commercial Leasing Institute. He regularly speaks as a panelist at data center, digital infrastructure and real estate conference around the United States. In addition, he is regularly quoted in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Bisnow, Commercial Property News, Real Estate Weekly, and other publications. He co-authored the first treatise chapter on telecom real law for Powell on Real Property in 1999.

Jeff has previously served in numerous governmental positions, including as a Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a member of the New York State Banking Board, a member of the New York State Financial Control Board, a member of the Departmental Disciplinary Committee of the Appellate Division of the First Department of the New York State Supreme Court, Assistant to the First Deputy Mayor of the City of New York, and assistant to the Deputy Borough President of the Borough of Manhattan. From 1981 to 1982, Jeff served as a law clerk to the Honorable Charles L. Brieant, US District Judge, and later Chief Judge, for the Southern District of New York.

Jeff is also an emergency medical technician on his local volunteer ambulance and President of his local chapter, as well as having served for 8 years on the Board of Trustees of the umbrella organization which is the largest volunteer ambulance service in the United States.

Maria Poyer is Head of Acquisitions & Development at Verrus, where she leads site selection, land acquisition, entitlement strategy, and community engagement for data center developments across North America. With over a decade of experience and more than $5B in real estate transactions, she has held senior roles at Microsoft and Amazon, including leading community partnership and stakeholder engagement initiatives during large-scale site selection and development across the U.S.. Maria brings a rare full-cycle perspective to data center development, having worked on both the hyperscale tenant and developer sides of the industry. She is a recognized voice on community trust, permitting risk, and the growing public response to large-scale infrastructure growth. Maria has served on the CREW Seattle Board and NAIOP's National Executive Board.

Caitlin Glenn leads a seasoned team of Credits & Incentives professionals with over 60 years of

combined experience and industry knowledge. Since its inception, the KE Andrews Credits &

Incentives Practice has saved companies over $2.5 billion.

Caitlin’s team leverages data analytics to assist companies with making informed site selection

decisions, maximizing business incentives, and decreasing the cost of capital. Her team

represents over 3,000 megawatts of datacenters across the United States. The KE Andrews

team’s depth of knowledge and extensive saturation within the datacenter industry gives

clients an exclusive edge to minimize development and operational costs and maximize long

term business incentives.

Companies establishing new facilities, consolidating, or expanding facilities, increasing

employment, or incurring costs associated with sustainability and training benefit from Caitlin’s

turnkey approach to site selection and business incentives. Her focus on providing excellent

client service, custom solutions and positive outcomes has established KE Andrews as the

leading provider of site selection services.

Caitlin’s unique background leading a federal tax credit line of business gives her a fresh

perspective on Investment Tax Credits, Production Tax Credits, Carbon Capture Credits and

other federal credits associated with sustainability.

Caitlin is a member of the KE Andrews Women’s Leadership Board, creating and implementing

curriculum for professional women development with the goal of guiding women through their

careers, maximizing their potential and becoming leaders.

Caitlin holds a business administration degree in Finance and Marketing from Texas Christian

University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas. She enjoys golf and tennis and

spending time with her family.

Dagi is a visionary technology executive, serial entrepreneur, and the Founder and CEO of Tlarity. With decades of deep expertise in enterprise technology, Dagi is dedicated to driving innovative solutions and shaping the future of the industry through the groundbreaking work being done at Tlarity. Dagi’s entrepreneurial drive is backed by a highly distinguished corporate career in scalable infrastructure. In addition to leading Tlarity, he is the Founder and CEO of Data Center Guru. His expansive executive leadership experience includes serving as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at RedFox Solutions Group and as the SVP of AI Infrastructure at Tensorwave, where he guided advanced artificial intelligence strategies. Prior to these roles, his foundational expertise was built over an impressive 15-year tenure at Salesforce, where he drove global initiatives as the Executive Sponsor of Data Center Architecture and Engineering.

More than 25 years' experience in the IT industry primarily focused on UNIX/Linux administration and Data Center Engineering with the past 6 years managing Datacenter Engineering and Operations teams. My primary strengths involve building efficient teams, automation, monitoring, capacity planning, colo build outs and migrations, server/rack designs, and hardware lifecycle activities.

Whether exploring different cultures with his family or executing projects on six continents and 130+ countries over the course of 25 years, Joel Chakkalakal is always looking for new ways and opportunities to think outside the box.

A project manager at heart, Joel is also a master lean six sigma black belt with an advanced degree in supply chain and marketing. Process improvement is his mantra - he's never happy with the status quo.

This dedication to improvement has led Joel to some pretty unique experiences, like spending summers working with the Red Cross preparing for hurricane season or driving the Oscar Weinermobile to all MLB parks for a summer.

He applies his skillset to every facet of his life, from executing projects for Business Process re:Imagined and providing critical feedback for new LinkedIn functionality and services as a member of its advisory board to re-organizing his family’s pantry.

While you might think you know this guy from somewhere, you'll definitely never forget his last name.

Nabeel Mahmood is a Technologist, Futurist and a Keynote Speaker. His career is driven by one question – what’s next? He is passionate about the power of technology to deliver competitive and transformational change and the need to develop digital leadership that will create the enterprise of the future. He believes strongly in simplification, with a purpose. Nabeel brings 18 plus years of experience leading large-scale global technology organizations through seasons of explosive growth via M&A, global expansion, implementing new business models and technology innovation. His expertise includes leading organizations through transformation changes, connecting IT to the needs of the business, technology innovation, Big Data, Cloud, ERP, IoT, Mobility and Data Centers. He brings a unique blend of experiences spanning the entire breadth of technology from Grid to Chip. At, heart he’s a true technologist and futurist, he is a proven strategist, winsome communicator and leader with extraordinary vision and operational expertise within very large, complex organizations. Nabeel is a strategic CIO identifying opportunities that are being underpinned by emerging technologies. He serves on multiple boards and is an advisor to CIOs and CEO across a number of industries.

As a member of the Leadership team at Phaidra, Chris serves as the Head of Product and Solutions. He sets the strategic direction of Phaidra’s product and leads the domain expert teams responsible for architecting AI systems for customers. Prior to Phaidra, he spent over a decade at Trane Technologies in various capacities including as Applied Systems Engineer, Applications Engineer, and a Building Automation Services Technician. Chris is deeply knowledgeable in all aspects of industrial and mission critical control systems.

Ilan Zachar, Chief Technology Officer, is responsible for directing all corporate technology, strategy, and standards for Carr Properties. Ilan has consistently selected, designed, and implemented solutions for Carr Properties that have transformed and innovated the company’s operations. Ilan plays a critical role in helping standardize compliance and build a strong infrastructure to accommodate Carr Properties’ growth. Prior to joining Carr Properties, Ilan served as Global Chief Information Officer for Gazit Group where he helped grow 23 shopping centers in the Southeast region of the United States to over 640 shopping centers across four continents. Ilan holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance from American Continental University.

Craig Compiano is the co-founder and President of Modius Inc. Craig is a successful executive and entrepreneur and has been our President since 2004.

Craig has a passion for operational systems development and performance analytics for data centers. He brings 30+ years of business and technology expertise to his role. Before Modius, Craig was at Andersen Consulting and the co-founder & VP of Paymap, Inc.

Craig holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering from USC and an MBA in Finance from UC Berkeley. He also holds a patent for an Electronic Payment Technology that is widely deployed in the banking industry. Craig is also a US Navy Veteran.

Rey Cheatham Banks is a seasoned public policy and government affairs expert. As head of

state and local public policy for Equinix, the world’s digital infrastructure company, Rey is

responsible for building a robust public policy agenda and collaborating with political leaders

and government officials to educate them on Equinix’s products and services and improve

policies and practices. Rey works with internal and industry partners to devise and drive

strategies to engage local communities to build deeper relations with community collaborators.

Rey began her government affairs career in in Virginia state government. Prior to joining

Equinix, she served as chief-of-staff for member of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors,

managing constituent services and developing robust policy and legislative agendas. In addition

to her work at Equinix, Rey serves on the Board of Directors of Loudoun Habitat for Humanities,

chairs the Loudoun County Chamber’s data center subcommittee, co-chairs the Data Center

Coalition’s Community Engagement committee, and is on the Loudoun County Public School

Business Partnership committee.

Rey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master’s in public administration.

Maria Saab is a Senior Manager and Policy Lead for AWS Public Policy. In this role, she oversees political, legislative, and governmental dynamics on behalf of the company across Virginia and Georgia. She has worked for AWS, and specifically the Public Policy team, for 7.5 years holding a variety of roles including at the global and regional levels. Prior to life at Amazon and AWS, Maria worked as a Senior Policy Analyst with Deloitte overseeing the firm’s Inclusion and Diversity Portfolio strategizing on ways to marry the firm’s internal policies with events and dynamics in the external policy space. She also spent time as a fellow at the New America Foundation. Maria is a licensed attorney, with a J.D. from the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School. She received her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Virginia Tech.

Buddy Rizer serves as the Executive Director for economic development in Loudoun County, Virginia,

which was named the 2021 Economic Development Organization of the Year by the International

Economic Development Council. He leads the agency responsible for encouraging growth and

developing relationships with Loudoun’s business community in both the commercial and agricultural-

based business sectors. During his tenure, Rizer and his team have attracted more than $65 billion in

new commercial investment and more than 60 thousand new jobs. During this time, the growth in the

commercial based has helped lower the tax rate in Loudoun by more than 48 cents on the dollar, saving

residents thousands of dollars annually on their tax bill.

Mr. Rizer has been named a Tech Titan eight times by Washingtonian Magazine (2017 – 2024), one of

the 50 most influential Virginians six times by Virginia Business Magazine (2018 – 2023), a five-time

member of Virginia’s Power 500 (2020 – 2024), and three times named to the Washington Business

Journal’s Power 100 as one of the most influential businesspeople in Washington, DC (2020, 2022,

2023). In 2024, he was named as one of the 50 most influential people in Northern Virginia by Northern

Virginia Magazine.

Mr. Rizer is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), a certified Entrepreneurship Development

Professional (EDP), has a master’s in business administration/economics from Longwood University and

is a graduate of Virginia Tech's Local Government Management Graduate Program.

Peter Hopper is a Co-Founder and Managing Director at Primary Digital Infrastructure, an independent data center investment platform. In prior roles, Mr. Hopper was a Managing Director at DigitalBridge Investment Management. Mr. Hopper was responsible for the identification, evaluation, and implementation of growth opportunities for DigitalBridge’s investment management franchise. Prior to joining DigitalBridge, Mr. Hopper was Co-Founder and CEO of DH Capital, a firm specializing in assisting growing businesses in the Internet Infrastructure, Telecom and SaaS industries. Prior to founding DH Capital, Mr. Hopper founded and served as President and CEO of DURO Communications, one of the largest privately held ISP/CLECs in the U.S. Mr. Hopper received a Bachelor of Science from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

John Sheputis is a Co-Founder and Managing Director at Primary Digital Infrastructure, an independent data center investment platform. From 2019 through 2023, John was a Managing Director at GI Partners where he led the technology real estate acquisitions and headed the Essential Tech + Science Real Estate Fund. Prior to GI Partners, Mr. Sheputis was President of Infomart Data Centers. In 2018, the Dallas Infomart was acquired by Equinix and the remaining Infomart assets and operations were acquired by IPI Partners to be the initial properties for STACK Infrastructure. Prior to Infomart, Mr. Sheputis was Co-Founder and CEO of Fortune Data Centers. Mr. Sheputis received a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA and an MS Engineering from Northwestern.

James Grice, co-leader of the global Data Centers and Digital Infrastructure Team, works with clients in high-growth potential industries, advising on transactions and projects around the world. Beyond his deep experience in general commercial real estate, Jim has distinguished himself in the data center and renewable energy sectors. No matter where his clients need him - or what they need - Jim skillfully pairs his intimate understanding of project finance with his exceptional experience with tax incentives to help clients structure deals to their best advantage.

Public companies, REITs, private equity firms and real estate companies of all sizes rely on Jim to help them efficiently and effectively work through the many facets of their complex projects. Whether it be addressing state and local tax issues or working through the maze of entitlements, permitting and environmental approvals, Jim adeptly guides clients to great results.

Mr. Brian Green PE, CxA, BECxP, CxA+BE, CEM, LEED AP, NICET EPT is a senior Commissioning Engineer with CriticalCxE. Mr. Green earned his Mechanical Engineering degree at Rochester Institute of Technology. He then got a master’s from Virginia Tech in Business, specializing in engineering management and organizational leadership. He has continued his education with classes and certifications at the University of Wisconsin, Arizona State University, and Washington & Lee University. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Business at the University of Maryland, with his dissertation focused on Construction Management. Mr. Green holds his professional engineer license in multiple states and has received multiple certifications indicating his proficiency in multiple commissioning disciplines as well as certifications in energy efficiency and environmental concerns. Mr. Green currently lives in South Carolina with his wife and three children, two girls, and one boy ages 17, 15, and 13 respectively.

Taylor Hawkins is an experienced and outgoing Data Center Development Project Manager leveraging technical knowledge of the mechanical, electrical, civil and structural engineering principles to support complex data infrastructure projects for the world's premier Cloud computing platforms. Ms. Hawkins has completed hundreds of megawatts of hyperscale data center builds on behalf of public and private sector clients, which include Bid-Build, Design-Build, and CM-at-Risk scopes of work, delivering 10 figures worth of construction of mission critical facilities.

With a deep understanding of the intricate challenges and complexities of the data center industry, Taylor has successfully managed numerous projects from conception to completion, ensuring optimal efficiency, cost effectiveness, and adherence to strict timelines. Her expertise in overseeing the entire project life cycle, from planning and design to procurement and construction, has consistently resulted in the seamless delivery of state-of-the-art data center facilities.

Beyond her technical proficiency, Taylor’s passion for diversity, equity and inclusion has set her apart as a true leader. Recognizing the transformative power of diverse perspectives and inclusive practices, she has actively fostered an inclusive work environment, championing diversity at every level of the project teams she has led. Throughout her career, Taylor has developed highly efficient recruitment programs for HBCU talent and continually uses her voice in the industry by advocating for equitable opportunities for all team members. By cultivating diverse talent and promoting equal opportunities, Taylor aims enhance team dynamics and productivity, but also ensure that projects benefit from a rich tapestry of ideas and experiences.

Taylor’s dedication to the advancement of diversity and inclusion extends beyond her professional endeavors. She actively engages with industry associations and participates in speaking engagements and panel discussions on the subject, advocating for increased representation and equal access across the data center and technology sectors. Through engagement with various organizations, including Data Center Young Professionals (DCYP) DC, National Association of Women In Construction (NAWIC), and her co-founding of the Just Us Initiative, Ms. Hawkins ardently seeks engage and empower underserved communities and individuals, with the goal of making others feel seen and ensure their gifts are valued.

A native of Washington, DC, raised in Prince George’s County, MD, Taylor Hawkins is a proud HBCU alumna, receiving her Bachelor of Science degrees in Mathematics and Civil Engineering from Spelman College and North Carolina A&T State University, respectively. In addition to co-founding the Just Us Initiative, she also participates as director of a nonprofit, youth dance program for inner city children in the DC metro area. Equipped with an innate ability to navigate complex project landscapes, a strong commitment to client satisfaction, and an unwavering dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion, Taylor Hawkins strives to be an invaluable asset to any development project team. With her unparalleled expertise and passion, he continues to drive the industry forward, delivering cutting-edge hyperscale data centers while fostering an inclusive and progressive work environment.

Waleed Zafar is the Mission Critical Director of XYZ Reality, a leading developer of construction

technology solutions that give owners and contractors an accurate and objective way to manage

and deliver projects. Waleed joined XYZ Reality as its first employee and has led the deployment

of XYZ’s platform across all major projects globally. He partners closely with mission-critical

clients to streamline time to market and expedite project delivery.

As a founding member of AG&E, Sanjay brings over 27 years of experience as a structural engineer. His leadership and expertise in the design and construction industries have propelled the growth of the company into one of the largest structural engineering firms in the state of Texas. Sanjay is licensed in more than 30 states and has led the structural design of numerous projects in different market sectors including healthcare, municipal, education, mission critical, industrial, corporate, parking structures, and aviation, as well as structural forensics and full-scale load tests. Sanjay is actively involved in the development process of each project and closely monitors design execution and completion. He is also committed to training and coaching junior engineers, team building, and strategic corporate planning.

Mr. Goglio has more than 40 years of experience in the HVAC (Heating, Ventilating & Air Conditioning) Service/Construction industry gained from performing trade work and extensive project management. He is also a senior- level resource in providing project development, troubleshooting mechanical systems, and retro-commissioning management. At Boland, Mr. Goglio serves as the Subject Matter Expert for Mission Critical Data Centers including account management, preparing service contracts, service repair, and retrofit and replacement work. Mr. Goglio also supports the development team in providing site surveys, troubleshooting, design review, and retro-commissioning support. He has developed strong client relationships and gained client trust through his ability to solve customer problems and generate solutions offerings.

Drew leads the commercial efforts at Polargy. He has a decade of experience providing infrastructure to the mission critical market and leading teams to achieve optimal results for the customer. Prior to joining Polargy, Drew was leading sales at DAMAC, where the majority of his time was spent in the hyperscale space creating custom tailored products. He thoroughly enjoys working within the space and is excited to watch the continued growth and new faces join as we all scale.

12 years of multi-discipline electrical and mechanical engineering experience in the data center industry

Kurt’s professional engineering career spans over 40 years. His expertise includes structural engineering design for Mission Critical Facilities such as Data Centers, Health Care Facilities such as Hospitals and Clinics and Life Sciences Facilities such as Biopharmaceutical Pilot Plants and Production Facilities around the United States and the World. His area of expertise is in designing buildings to be occupable after natural disasters including Tornados, Hurricanes and Earthquakes. He has been the structural engineer of record for conventional “fixed Base Buildings” ranging from 1-23 stories, “Base Isolated Buildings” ranging from 1-5 stories, and the retrofit and new construction of buildings incorporating Fluid Viscous Dampers ranging from 1-22 stories. He has published numerous papers on passive energy dissipation and presented the findings at various conventions in Boston, San Francisco and Milan.

For over 23 years as the Founding Principal at PARADIGM Structural Engineers, Kurt spends most of his time developing new leaders at PARADIGM and mentoring staff in Chicago and San Francisco.

Merle brings over 20 years of air handling experience and is a

leader within John Controls’ air handling business that includes

their Mission Critical Computer Room Air Handlers (CRAH). He

was instrumental in launching the highly efficient, compact and

feature rich YORK CRAH product line.

Merle started his career with Johnson Controls in 1996 with the

York Chiller engineering team. Over his career with JCI, he has

held many roles that include managing software development

teams for equipment selection and advanced manufacturing

automation systems, various product management positions and

product director. He was also awarded a patent for an air handling

outdoor roof design that allows JCI to offer an industry leading

outdoor AHU product.

Kelley Edwards is a seasoned professional known for her leadership skills, experience in data center management, and unwavering commitment to process optimization. With a career spanning over two decades, Kelley has left an indelible mark on the industry through her innovative approaches and dedication to excellence.

Throughout her tenure at two tech giants, Amazon and Google, Kelley has consistently demonstrated her prowess in leadership roles. Her tenure at Amazon saw her spearheading critical projects, where her strategic vision and adept decision-making were instrumental

in driving the company's data center operations forward. At Google, Kelley further solidified her reputation as a dynamic leader, leading cross-functional teams with finesse and overseeing the seamless functioning of complex data infrastructure.

Kelley's expertise extends beyond traditional data center management; she is a staunch advocate for process-driven methodologies. Leveraging her deep understanding of industry best practices, she has implemented robust frameworks that streamline operations,

enhance efficiency, and mitigating risks ensuring maximum uptime and reliability.

Kelley's passion for mentorship and talent development is evident in her leadership style. She cultivates a culture of collaboration and continuous learning, empowering her team members to reach their full potential and fostering an environment conducive to

innovation.

Driven by a relentless pursuit of excellence, as the Senior Director of Data Center Operations for Databank, Kelley Edwards continues to push the boundaries of data center management, leaving an indelible imprint on the industry through her visionary leadership

and unwavering dedication to excellence.

Marelle Paas-O’Brock is a business development manager at Infinitum, a manufacturer of industry-disrupting electric motor systems. Marelle has spent nearly a decade engineering, building, or supplying well-thought-out and sustainable technical solutions. She is dedicated to the relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence, and firmly believes that rightsized and low-carbon electric motors can make a significant impact on the world. Always eager to forge new connections, Marelle particularly enjoys meetings that involve good coffee and great food.

Jake is the Co-Founder of Power and Data Management, LLC (PDM), a development firm that advises clients in building massively modular mission critical projects, and supplies electrical infrastructure including transformers, switchgear, containerized data centers and Battery Energy Storage Systems. PDM’s modular designs support flexible power densities to power standard and HPC systems yet delivers high operating efficiency. He is also the Founder of DC BLOX and Co-Founder of GIGA Data Centers, providers of multi-tenant colocation data centers and network services.

Prior to these ventures, he was Chief Marketing Officer for GE Energy Management ($8B revenue) where he led the development of global strategy and commercialization initiatives, and guided the development of markets and new technology areas such as creating GE’s Critical Power business. In GE Critical Power, he led the business to engage hyperscale-cloud companies with a complete portfolio of electrical equipment, including UPS, switchgear, and containerized critical power systems with automated controls.

Previously, he spent over nine years managing portfolio companies for private equity investors of electrical & electronic manufacturing businesses including Milestek, Pasternack Enterprises, and Magnequench, and saw them successfully brought to sale. He has also held executive leadership roles with Emerson Electric, in which he led Product Management for the Emerson Network Power division (now Vertiv).

Jake received a Bachelor degree in Math and Computer Science from Vanderbilt University and an M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. He lives in Atlanta, GA.

Lee has been in the data center industry for more than 25 years and has worked all over the world. He started his career in South Africa and now lives and works in Northern Virginia’s Data Center Alley.

Adam Wiggins is the Data Center Segment Manager for Camfil, a leading global manufacturer of clean air solutions. He is responsible for Camfil’s data center strategy, market share, and technical support in the US. Adam brings over 12 years of experience in optimizing air filtration systems for many Fortune 500 companies such as Cardinal Health, AT&T, HCA Healthcare, Tyson Foods and Nissan. He is an expert in modeling data center TCO air filtration system costs using Camfil’s Life Cycle Cost (LCC) software. LCC software can accurately project various costs associated with a data center air filtration systems using ASHRAE filter loading data. Air filtration Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) optimization will drastically reduce kWh usage, CO2 emissions, labor hours, and environmental landfill impact. Adam passionately believes the best solutions for his customers are the best solutions for our planet too. Recent publications include Air Pollution In Data Centers: New Resource Tackles the Issue and Offers Remedies for Costly Equipment Downtime, and also Famous Music City Venue Provides Healthier Indoor Air and Reduces Costs Significantly published by Yahoo News. Adam resides in Nashville, TN with his wife and son.

Dave has been in the utility industry for over 10 years helping support temporary, or long-term power generation requirements to industry, either behind or in front of the meter, using large reciprocating engines.

Dave has worked with, industry, utilities, ISO’s and RTO’s to support capacity requirements, emergency response challenges and help improve planned work requirements.

Dave joined the VoltaGrid in 2022 where VoltaGrid been supporting large industry by electrifying their processes when they have been completely stranded or have limited access to their utility.

By supporting their customers they have reduced emissions by over 38%.

Geoff is responsible for the leadership of the sales, marketing, and strategy at Life Cycle Power. He is a tenured Professional Engineer with 20 years’ experience in designing power generation equipment and projects across 70 countries and has a deep understanding of the commercials and challenges facing the market. As the SVP of commercial strategies, he has brought strong leadership to the team and allowed Life Cycle power to be a trusted partner to many of our clients.

Oz Morales is currently the Chief Officer of Infrastructure at Denvr Dataworks, an AI centric cloud provider. Prior, he was SVP for Infrastructure and Innovation at Digital Realty Trust, the worlds largest colocation provider. He was responsible for Innovation, Infrastructure Development, Cost, New Technologies, and Operations Development. Oz spent 5 years as the CTO/VP for COI at Microsoft. He was responsible for Operations, Engineering, Software tools, Supply Chain, Colocation acquisition, and technical direction for the CO+I team at Microsoft, Oz spent most of his time developing

methodology and focus on AI compute, structured cabling plants and Networking. He was the former Vice President for Data Center Global Services for Amazon Web

Services, responsible for maintaining all the Amazon.com/AWS data centers around the world, he was with AWS/Amazon for 17 years. He worked at MSFT for 5 years and

started his career in MSFT as a Partner Engineer in DCX. Oz has continued to apply new innovations and proven technology to deploy into the data center space and has

developed many innovative project patents for efficiency and cost savings. His patent awards are in the hundreds and range from developing strategies for low-cost distribution

of electrical power for data centers to methods of airflow control and he currently has several other patents pending.

Prior to coming to MSFT, Oz worked as a manager at Enbridge Technology Inc., an oil and pipeline gas industry worldwide based in Canada. Oz led the SCADA team to

automate control and loss prevention of all the company’s hydro-carbon pipeline system (domestic and International).

Oz graduated from University of Alberta with a BSc Eng. in Mechanical Engineering and obtained his MSc in Electrical Engineering from University of Delaware.

Besides building data centers, Oz has a passion for cars and motorcycles. In his spare time, Oz enjoys playing hockey, spending time with his daughter and reading books by

his favorite authors Edgar Allan Poe and Pablo Neruda. He currently has a blog at www.ozmorales.com where he reviews many of the topics and challenges experienced by

the industry.

Dave Sterlace serves as an Account Director on Hitachi Energy’s global data center team. Hitachi Energy provides data center clients with innovative products, systems, and services aimed at fostering a sustainable energy future. By leveraging pioneering digital technologies, Hitachi Energy strives to create a stronger, smarter, and greener grid. Prior to this role, Dave held a global leadership position for data centers at ABB. With over 25 years of experience in data centers and critical power, Dave brings a wealth of knowledge to his current role. He resides in the Philadelphia area with his family.

An accomplished executive, Lindsey brings together expertise in project development for both data centers and renewable energy. Lindsey led the advancement of several hundred megawatts of data center pipelines across the US and Europe, and her renewable energy development experience extends to the US, Canada and parts of South America.

Prior to joining CleanArc, Lindsey served as Vice President of Project Development at CyrusOne, a leading global data center developer and operator specializing in delivering state-of-the-art digital infrastructure solutions across the globe. At CyrusOne, she led the global Project Development team and was responsible for the strategy, execution, and delivery of the company’s organic data center development projects. Prior to this role, Lindsey served as CyrusOne’s Senior Corporate Counsel of Real Estate & Construction, working alongside the company’s U.S. and global site selection and construction teams in all aspects of site selection and development. Previously, Lindsey served as Senior Attorney for the Americas division of RES Group, the world’s largest independent renewable energy company, where she represented the organization in various matters related to the development and construction of utility scale renewable energy projects. Lindsey began her career as an attorney in private practice focused on commercial and industrial real estate.

Lindsey holds an AB in English from Duke University, a JD from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and an Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology.

As the Senior Director of Site Development at Core Scientific, Jon Gibbs brings almost three decades of comprehensive construction expertise to the forefront. His impressive career journey includes mission-critical procurement, project management, and preconstruction leadership throughout North America. Jon's foundational experience began in his early days as a journeyman electrician and program manager. He further bolstered his skills with certifications in estimating and a degree in Construction Management.

David is an experienced public speaker and data center evangelist with over 25 years in

the IT/Data Center industry. He has held a variety of roles, from leading national product

and solution engineering teams to hosting the QTS Experience podcast.

David is passionate about using technology and data for the greater good. He believes

that data centers can help humanity prosper, nurture our planet, and safeguard a future

for upcoming generations. He is committed to fostering a community that brings

together a diverse range of users, thinkers, and implementers of technology for

enriching conversations, shared laughter, and immersive experiences into the inner

workings of our digitally connected world.

David is a visionary who is eager to leverage the far-reaching implications of our

interconnected digital lives. He is a respected industry professional known for his

Sam Rabinowitz is the CEO of LANTANA LED and has been delivering energy efficient and sustainable lighting solutions to the digital infrastructure industry for the past six years. Sam’s passion and keen focus on innovation, technology, and process optimization helps data centers improve efficiency and costs associated with installation, maintenance, and operations of illumination systems. Prior to becoming CEO of LANTANA LED, Sam served as the VP of Strategy and Administration for Project Frog, Inc., an industrialized construction and prefab pioneer, where he ran the Supply Chain, Corporate Strategy, Finance and Accounting, and Legal. Sam also worked as an analyst for Pharus Capital Management, LLC, a late-stage venture capital firm. In his free time, Sam is an avid cyclist and an active member of AGMA, singing regularly with opera and musical theatre companies in the Bay Area, including regularly with San Francisco Opera.

Paul Stupka, Senior Vice President at Clune Construction, embarked on his journey with the firm in 1998 as an Intern. The hands-on experience he gained at Clune further grew his interest in Construction Management, and upon graduating, Paul accepted a full-time position in the firm’s Chicago office.

For the first nine years of his career, Paul worked on large-scale tenant improvement projects across the Chicagoland area. In 2010, he redirected his focus towards MEP endeavors, before delving deeper into the Mission Critical sector in 2011. This temporary shift soon became permanent, and he relocated to Clune’s Washington, DC office in 2015 to spearhead the Mission Critical department in the Northern Virginia market.

Known in the industry as a trustworthy, knowledgeable and informed leader, Paul has been instrumental in Clune’s success in the Mission Critical sector. He is passionate about challenging the status quo and broadening the definition of “what Clune can do.”

Paul has a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from Marquette University. He is an active member and mentor in several professional organizations, including the 7 X 24 Exchange’s Washington DC Regional Chapter. In his spare time, he volunteers at various fundraising events and is involved in his children’s music and sports organizations.

Adeel Usman's expertise in demand response and experience across both deregulated and regulated energy markets are instrumental in integrating LG's air solutions and battery offerings into the data center sector. His global perspective enhances the strategic deployment of these technologies, ensuring energy efficiency and sustainability. By leveraging Adeel's knowledge and LG's innovative solutions, data centers can achieve optimal operational performance while contributing to a sustainable energy ecosystem.

Casey is a 20-year veteran of the US Navy Nuclear power program, trained as an electrician. She retired from the Navy in June 2014 and went to work for the insurance company that insures all the commercial nuclear power plants across the US, Spain, and Belgium. In that role she performed engineering, risk, and project management evaluations. In January 2020, she started her career at AWS as a Facility Manager, responsible for the operation and maintenance of all mechanical, electrical, HVAC, and fire/life safety systems needed to power and cool a data center. In September 2021, she was promoted to Area Manager and in May 2022, she was promoted to Cluster Manager. In her current role, she leads a team of 86 managers, chief engineers and technicians across 12 data centers and is the first woman to hold this position in the Northern Virginia region. She has earned two Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Nuclear Technology, a Masters of Divinity Degree in Chaplaincy, and is working towards a Doctor of Strategic Leadership degree.

Mark Gusakov is the Chief Certification Officer at the International Data Center Authority and Advisory Board Governance Chairman for Nomad Futurists. IDCA is the global regulatory and certification standards authority that brings compliance to our digital infrastructure ecosystem to ensure resiliency. As a globally-recognized professional speaker on education, skilled trades, workforce development, supply chain impacts, Edge computing, facility resiliency, redundancy and operational stability, as well as fluid power expertise regarding liquid cooling applications, his well-rounded knowledge ensures a vast array of topics can be covered by discussing solutions and not dwelling on problems. Throughout a 20-year career spanning Automation, Process Control, and Value-Added Consultation, Gusakov's goal has been to work with clients to take their facilities and interests to world class performance standards. Gusakov continues to pursue advocacy for clients in their overall performance and stresses the importance of data-driven accuracy for management and operational success. With his transition to promote the educational foundation for emerging talent in the digital infrastructure industry as a Nomad Futurist, the organization is working diligently on building the structured curriculum for the next generation of talent. Gusakov holds an ATS Accreditation from Uptime Institute, LSS Yellow Belt, Parker PTAC Specialist, Festo Product Specialist and Eaton Product Specialist Certifications.

After getting his B.S. in Chemistry Michael began his career in Industrial Water Treatment for 16 years. For the next 14 years he served in the Data Center industry, advising Data Center owners, engineers, and operators regarding cooling and power designs and solutions. Michael has managed multiple Data Center Design/Build projects, from greenfield to brownfield, including live Data Center upgrades. He has Top Secret DOD clearance and has performed Data Center energy and Tier Reliability audits for the US Government and private industry. He also has experience in doing forensic analysis of Data Center equipment failures and implementing solutions for remediation. In 2020 Michael joined Nalco Water in the Global High Tech business group, responsible for advising and supporting Data Center engineers and owner/operators regarding water related issues. This includes site selection water assessment, cooling system design, water consumption and treatment, water conservation, water reclaim, water pre-treatment equipment design, water related Capex/Opex, and newer sustainable water strategies and technologies. He also leads the Nalco CDCWT Certification effort to educate Data Center industry members about best practices with water and the wise stewardship of water. Michael is married with four children and serves on the leadership teams of two ministry groups.

Winsome Earle-Sears, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, immigrated to the United States at the age of

six. She is proud to have served in the United States Marine Corps. In addition to her various

appointments, she has served as the Vice President of the Virginia State Board of Education; and as

a presidential appointee to the US Census Bureau, as co-chair of the African American Committee;

and the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Winsome was first elected in 2002 to a majority Black House of Delegates district, a first for a

Republican in Virginia since 1865. She is the first female Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth

of Virginia, the first Black female elected statewide, and the first naturalized female elected to

statewide office. She is also the first female Veteran to be elected to statewide office.

As Lieutenant Governor, Winsome Earle-Sears presides over the Senate when they are in a

legislative session and casts the tie-breaking vote. Additionally, the Lieutenant Governor serves on

various state boards and commissions: Virginia Tourism Authority, Virginia Military Advisory Council,

Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, The Center for Rural Virginia, Secure and Resilient

Commonwealth Panel, as well as serving as the national Secretary of the Aerospace States

Association (ASA), and as the Chair of the Virginia chapter of ASA (2023). Her office has been

represented on the Virginia Advanced Air Mobility Alliance (VAAMA) since 2022. The Lieutenant

Governor is also a Fellow at the Hunt Kean Leadership Institute. Education has been and continues

to be a focus of the Lieutenant Governor.

In her efforts to hear from as many Virginians as possible, the Lieutenant Governor has traveled over

28,000 miles across the Commonwealth since coming into office. An often-requested speaker, the

Lieutenant Governor has headlined numerous events across the Commonwealth and across the

nation.

A former program manager for the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and VISTA volunteer,

Winsome is a trained electrician and successful businesswoman. However, Winsome is most proud

of her community work leading a men’s prison ministry and as director of a women’s homeless

shelter. She holds a B.A. in English with a minor in Economics, and an M.A. in Organizational

Leadership, with a concentration in Government. Winsome and her husband, Terence, have two

daughters Katia and Janel, in addition to DeJon, and granddaughters Victoria and Faith, who are

now looking into the face of God.