AFTERNOON KEYNOTE

Winsome Earle-Sears, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

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  Winsome Earle-Sears

  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.

  Virginia

  Lieutenant Governor

  Winsome Earle-Sears

  Lieutenant Governor

  Virginia

State of The Northern Virginia Market:

How Are The Dynamics Changing In The World’s Largest Data Center Market And What Are The Ripple Effects Across Tier 2 and 3 Markets?

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  Rob Rockwood

  Rob Rockwood serves as President of Sabey Data Centers and has been with the company for four years. Prior to joining Sabey, he served at CoreSite from 2001-2014 finishing as a Senior Vice President and General Manager. After graduating from West Point and serving in the US Army, Rob earned master’s degrees in construction management and public administration from the University of Illinois and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, respectively. Rob draws on his training and experience as a soldier and business leader to build teams that create the very best opportunities for customers and employees to grow and prosper. He lives with his wife Meg in Northern Virginia.

  Sabey Data Centers

  President

  Rob Rockwood

  President

  Sabey Data Centers

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  Chris Downie

  Chris leads Flexential as a proven Chief Executive Officer with deep expertise in the economics, delivery and operations of the data center and hybrid cloud businesses. He is responsible for setting and managing the strategic priorities that drive profitable growth. Chris joined the company in 2016. Prior to Flexential, Chris was the Chief Executive Officer of Telx Holdings, a leading interconnection and data center solutions provider based in New York City, New York. He has over 25 years of combined executive leadership experience in finance and operations, working for Daniels & Associates, BroadStreet Communications and Motient Corporation. Chris holds a B.A. degree in History from Dartmouth College as well as a M.B.A. degree in International Business from New York University.

  Flexential

  Board Member & CEO

  Chris Downie

  Board Member & CEO

  Flexential

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  Dean Nelson

  Dean Nelson is a seasoned technology executive with 32 years of experience deploying $10B of digital infrastructure projects across 3 continents. Dean is currently the CEO of Cato, a software platform that unlocks stranded power in datacenters, the Founder and Chairman of Infrastructure Masons, a professional association of industry executives and technology professionals uniting the builders of the digital age, and the Founder and CEO of Dean Nelson Inc, a strategic advisory and consulting company serving startups, fortune 500 companies and investment firms. Previously, Dean led Uber’s Metal as a Service function supporting Uber’s ridesharing business delivering over 100 million trips a week in more than 600 cities spanning 6 continents, as well as UberEats, UberFreight, UberHealth, UberForBusiness, and Autonomous vehicle and UberAir development. Prior to Uber, Dean worked at eBay Inc for 7 years as the Vice President of Global Foundation Services, which served over 300 million active users enabling over $250B of enabled commerce volume annually. At the end of his tenure, his team successfully integrated, then split eBay and PayPal infrastructures into two independent internet companies. Prior to eBay, Dean worked at Sun Microsystems for 17 years in various technical, management and executive leadership roles. His final project was the consolidation of Sun’s multi-billion dollar global technical infrastructure portfolio of over 1,000 facilities. Dean holds four US patents.

  Cato Digital

  CEO

  Dean Nelson

  CEO

  Cato Digital

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  Sami Badri

  VP, Investor Relations & Strategic Finance

  Cisco

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  James Grice

  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.

  Akerman

  Chair, Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure Practice

  Moderator

  James Grice

  Chair, Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure Practice

  Akerman

Engineering Done Right:

How to Keep Costs Down, Meet Client Demand and Remain Adaptable to New Technologies

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  John Brockwell

  As Bala’s leader for Mission Critical and Commissioning, John brings over 35 years of experience for mission critical and data center projects. He has worked with clients to understand and advise on their facility goals and objectives. John provides project leadership and oversees a variety of mission critical design and commissioning projects, including data centers, technology facilities, emergency operations, call centers and command and control centers. He understands the critical nature of these projects and works with clients, real estate professionals, design firms, and the construction teams to provide expertise in engineering systems, commissioning, project scope, schedule, and budgeting. John’s experience allows him to provide tailored solutions that prioritize reliability, scalability, and costs. He has presented on data center topics for the 7x24 Exchange and the Northern Virginia Technology Council.

  Bala Consulting Engineers

  Principal & Mission Critical Sector Leader

  John Brockwell

  Principal & Mission Critical Sector Leader

  Bala Consulting Engineers

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  Craig Pennington

  Craig Pennington is CTO of Montera Infrastructure. Previously he was Oracle’s Vice President of Data Center Engineering for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). In his role, he was responsible for the specifications and designs for datacenter infrastructure supporting OCI’s services in over 150 locations worldwide. His teams drove innovation, lead the rapid deployment of new regions, advance OCI’s sustainability stance. Prior to joining Oracle, Craig was Vice President of Design for Equinix, where he delivered improved quality and cost improvement for the company’s global portfolio of datacenters. He was also the engineering lead for support of Equinix’s sustainability goals and accelerated innovation in datacenter design, construction and management. Craig joined Equinix from NTT where he worked for 10 years in the European Managed Services business, eventually as VP of Operations overseeing the design, implementation and support of a wide range of customers and accreditation programs.

  Montera Infrastructure

  CTO

  Craig Pennington

  CTO

  Montera Infrastructure

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  Kurt Lindorfer

  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.

  PARADIGM Structural Engineers

  Founding Principal

  Kurt Lindorfer

  Founding Principal

  PARADIGM Structural Engineers

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  Danielle Rossi

  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.

  Trane Commercial

  Global Director – Mission Critical Cooling

  Danielle Rossi

  Global Director – Mission Critical Cooling

  Trane Commercial

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  Cary Frame

  Cary runs Polargy, sometimes into the ground, but most times to good success. He shows up for work mostly because he likes inventing things, with that he is trying to change the way data centers are built. He is particularly keen on figuring new ways to bring speed to the construction equation. For example, after two years of development Polargy launched its structural ceiling system with speed as must have. Today, builders are installing 75,000 square feet in a quick 8 days. On the personal side, Cary is easily distracted by shiny objects. However, when you’re talking to him you will have his full attention; he won’t be checking his text messages.

  Polargy

  Chairman

  Moderator

  Cary Frame

  Chairman

  Polargy

Optimizing Design and Construction:

The Best Strategies Behind Project Design to Delivery For Today’s Demands and Technologies

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  Brad Gover

  Director, Construction, PacNW

  T5

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  Karen Petersburg

  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.

  PowerHouse Data Centers

  VP, Data Center Development & Construction

  Karen Petersburg

  VP, Data Center Development & Construction

  PowerHouse Data Centers

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  Shane Saltzgiver

  On a mission to shape the future of design and construction by applying technology and innovative processes to attack waste and optimize project delivery, Shane Saltzgiver draws on his 15 years of real-world construction experience and familiarity with the challenges inherent to the industry to lead VEC. VEC provides VDC/BIM services to AECO firms and has grown to 140+ team members within a few years while supporting 225+ projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and across the US. Shane has directly managed or overseen a wide spectrum of project types including mission critical, aviation, commercial, healthcare, life science, and public works. Prior to founding VEC, Shane served as a project manager in electrical & low-voltage construction. He has received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Management with a Minor Degree in Real Property Development.

  VEC

  Founder & CEO

  Shane Saltzgiver

  Founder & CEO

  VEC

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  Kyle Steinberg

  Kyle Steinberg has spent the past 17 years with Whiting-Turner constructing approximately 10 data centers East of the Mississippi. In addition, Kyle serves as Whiting-Turner’s Mid-Atlantic Mission Critical Leader. Not only is he an integral role in the construction process, but he focuses even more on collaboration during design with project partners to assist in encouraging a FastTrack design to promote speed to market for construction. While Kyle has built a variety of ground up projects, he also specializes in the retrofitting existing/end of life data centers. Kyle is also an active member of 7x24 and AFCOM in the Potomac region. When Kyle isn’t working with his Whiting-Turner family and customers, he can be found on the golf course or hockey rink.

  Whiting-Turner

  Mid-Atlantic Mission Critical Leader

  Kyle Steinberg

  Mid-Atlantic Mission Critical Leader

  Whiting-Turner

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  Jamie Sweigart

  Jamie started his career in precast concrete at High Concrete Group over 23 years ago. He earned an Associates' Degree from York Technical Institute and furthered his education by earning a BS in Business from Albright College. He enjoys working with precast concrete because it is the most versatile product in the world. Precast concrete has the ability to turn your design dreams into a reality. When Jamie is not working, he can be found on the golf course or spending time with his son.

  High Concrete Group

  Director

  Jamie Sweigart

  Director

  High Concrete Group

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  Sean Horan

  Sean Horan has nearly 15 years of experience managing preconstruction and construction efforts on data center, mission critical, healthcare, aviation, office, parking garage and institutional projects throughout the U.S. During his career, he has been involved with the successful management of construction in the field and preconstruction projects totaling over $2B. Sean’s experience includes the preconstruction and construction of complex mission critical and data center projects in Northern VA, Texas, Atlanta, Tampa, Phoenix, and Chicago. Sean attended University of Florida where he earned a BS in Building Construction with a Minor in Business Administration.

  Verity Commercial

  Senior Project Manager

  Moderator

  Sean Horan

  Senior Project Manager

  Verity Commercial

Checkhub Presentation

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  Sarah El-Taher

  Director

  Chekhub

From Hyperscale to On Premise to Colocation Data Centers:

Near-Term Strategies To Drive Efficiency And De-carbonization

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  Mukul Anand

  Senior Director, Application Engineering

  Nortek Data Center Cooling

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  Clifford Gasior

  Experienced VP of Engineering and Operations with a demonstrated history of working in the mission critical industry. Skilled in Construction Engineering, Thermal Analysis, Plant Operations, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP), and Fluid Mechanics. Strong engineering professional (PE) with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused in Management Information Systems, General from New Jersey Institute of Technology.

  Google

  Technical Program Manager

  Clifford Gasior

  Technical Program Manager

  Google

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  Stuart Lawrence

  Stuart leads the support of client technical needs and assists the Stream design, engineering and construction team with overall site layout and design. With 20+ years of mission-critical mechanical systems experience, Lawrence is instrumental in ensuring Stream’s customers can enjoy the highest standard of service excellence and data center solutions. Lawrence collaborates closely with Stream’s customers, developing the next generation of highly effective, sustainable colocation data centers and helping customers secure the flexibility and agility they need to remain competitive in today’s rapidly evolving environment. Stuart is a sales and engineering expert that has spent decades working across various forms of mission-critical infrastructure. Prior to joining Stream, he served as an executive at Schneider Electric and a sales director at Aligned Energy. Having lived and worked in London, New York City, and most recently Austin, TX, he has participated in projects in several locations around the world, including the United States, UK, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Thailand, and Brazil. This global mindset and wealth of knowledge allows him to collaboratively problem-solve and help both Stream and its customers overcome complex IT challenges. Stuart holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.

  Stream Data Centers

  VP, Product Innovation & Sustainability

  Stuart Lawrence

  VP, Product Innovation & Sustainability

  Stream Data Centers

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  Jim McDonald

  As a Co-founder in 1992, and currently the Director of Environmental Impact at MIRATECH Corporation, Jim provides leadership, strategy and product design expertise for their Power Generation division. Jim rejoined Miratech Corporation in 2019 heading up the ENP Concepts consulting arm after management positions at Rypos Corporation and leading the environmental department at PowerSecure’s microgrid group. In charge of tracking all Federal, State and Local emissions regulations as they pertain to backup generators located at Datacenters in North America and Europe, he ensures MIRATECH’s products and services offer ongoing compliance. Mr. McDonald has testified before the Federal EPA numerous times and is considered a valuable stakeholder on several rulemaking teams at the State Level. For 15 years he has been an instructor for the Advanced School of the Electrical Generating Systems Association on the subject of Emissions from Diesel engines and has authored the textbook chapter on the same. He has a Patent Pending on the use of wire mesh DPF substrates in the pre-heating of SCR catalyst blocks. As the originator of the ‘GVU’ measurement parameter, Jim performs analyses to show the relative comparison on Ultraclean diesel generators versus grid supplied power. As such he advocates for the environmentally justifiable use of stationary generators until emerging renewable technologies are proven and cost effective. Jim holds a B.S in mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware.

  MIRATECH Corporation

  Founder & Director, ENP Consultants, A Miratech Group

  Jim McDonald

  Founder & Director, ENP Consultants, A Miratech Group

  MIRATECH Corporation

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  Dave Meadows

  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.

  STULZ Air Technology Systems

  Director, Technology

  Dave Meadows

  Director, Technology

  STULZ Air Technology Systems

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  Jon Gould

  Jonathan Gould is the Director of Business Development, Software for Schneider Electric with a focus on growing digital solutions across the broad spectrum of Schneider Electric portfolio. Jonathan has over 20 years of experience in software and joined Schneider Electric in 2006 via the acquisition of Netbotz. He brings an entrepreneurial approach to Sales Leadership, a proven track record of leading-edge solutions, and was a founding member of the Schneider Electric DCIM team. Jonathan lives in Austin, Texas enjoys running, golf, and Texas Longhorn football.

  Schneider Electric

  Director

  Moderator

  Jon Gould

  Director

  Schneider Electric

Ameristar Lunch n Learn:

Putting Security First: How to Avoid A (Multi-) Million Dollar Mistake

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  Joseph Neumann

  Security Expert (ex- Digital Realty CISO)

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  Tyler Treat

  Tyler Treat is an accomplished cybersecurity leader serving as DataBank's Director of Security Architecture and Physical Security. With over 20 years of experience in information technology, networking, and security, Tyler joined DataBank via Edge Hosting in April 2016, bringing his extensive expertise to guide the organization through the complex converging technical challenges of securing DataBank's corporate systems, physical infrastructure, and facilities. With direct cross-functional engagement throughout the organization, Tyler leads DataBank’s Security Architecture and Physical Security teams in the planning, design, implementation, and oversight of security systems and controls in support of compliance regulations, business needs, and customer requirements. Leveraging his broad knowledge and experience in the field, Tyler works to ensure that DataBank's security posture remains robust and resilient against evolving threats. His intentional approach to security leadership brings the necessary insights and expertise to protect DataBank's critical assets and operations. Tyler holds the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), System Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP), CySA+, Security +, Network +, A+, and Project+ certifications. Tyler is qualified for DoD IAT Level II, IAM Level I, and CND Infrastructure Support positions and responsibilities. Tyler is also an active member of ISC2, CompTIA, and InfraGard. In his spare time, Tyler adores and spends as much time as possible with his loving family.

  DataBank

  Director, Security Architecture

  Tyler Treat

  Director, Security Architecture

  DataBank

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  Amy Dunton

  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

  Ameristar Perimeter Security USA

  Business Development for Tier II, III and Edge

  Amy Dunton

  Business Development for Tier II, III and Edge

  Ameristar Perimeter Security USA

The Great PR Problem:

How To Engage With Local Stakeholders and Bring On The Next-Gen Workforce

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  Tucker Gladhill

  Tucker has over 12 years of experience in the logistics industry, where he has developed expertise in Data Centers and Mission Critical Environments in both domestic and international markets. He is most recently employed by the largest independently owned relocation services provider in the U.S., JK Moving Services, as Director of Technology Services. Tucker is leading JK’s Technology Services platform delivering true end to end logistics solutions from infrastructure design/plan, to smart hands in the data center, all the way to secure proximity warehousing with final mile. As a data center infrastructure specialist and author/contributor for industry leading data center infrastructure standards, Tucker is driven to improve processes around lifecycle management, business continuity, risk mitigation planning, and innovation for AI utilization in data center infrastructure operations. Prior to logistics, Tucker ran sales, marketing, and operations for a publicly traded health and wellness company, as well as assisted in the scale up of a prominent D.C. based medical practice that was later purchased by Goldman Sachs for $2.7B.

  JK Technology Services Group

  Vice President, Technology Services

  Tucker Gladhill

  Vice President, Technology Services

  JK Technology Services Group

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  Sarah Godbehere

  Sarah Godbehere manages construction of a data center campus in the Northern Virginia region, leads a team of owner's representatives, project controls, and safety personnel and assists in program level initiatives to improve processes. She worked as a Project Engineer and Assistant PM at Rosendin Electric and The Whiting-Turner Construction Company before joining Google and holds a Bachelors of Engineering from Gonzaga University.

  Data Center Young Professionals

  Co-Founder & DMV Chapter Lead

  Sarah Godbehere

  Co-Founder & DMV Chapter Lead

  Data Center Young Professionals

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  Mayank Kapur

  Over 17 year of extraordinary record of success in Business Development, operations and strategic alliances in the IT services industry, driving continuous high value revenue growth, through disciplined and structured efforts. Expertise in the areas of sales and marketing, teaming and business development, with experience in managing federal government clients and the commercial sector. As Director of Economic Development as a strategic thinker, a team player and an effective collaborator, that is proactive and operates as an Owner/Operator and CEO of their accounts. Worked in a fast-paced Economic Development professional position. Under the direction of the Executive Vice President, the CEO of Economic Development directs and manages the retention and expansion efforts of existing businesses, and leads the charge on business attraction, retention and expansion. Active and proud member : Pepco Community Advisory Group Community Advisory Group “CAG” Baltimore Gas and Electric BGE Economic Development Advisory Council. Steering Committee member Potomac Quantum Innovation Center Steering Committee member of Prince George's County Chapter Tech Council Member of The Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAMI) Member of the Maryland Business Space Roundtable MSBR Part of the task force with Regional Economic Development Strategy (REDS) Member of the Maryland Economic Development Association MEDA

  Prince Georges County Economic Development

  Director, Business Development - IT & Cybersecurity

  Mayank Kapur

  Director, Business Development - IT & Cybersecurity

  Prince Georges County Economic Development

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  Sara Wengrowski

  Co-Founder & DMV Chapter Lead

  Data Center Young Professionals

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  Marshall Sorenson

  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).

  Metromont

  VP

  Moderator

  Marshall Sorenson

  VP

  Metromont

Edge Computing:

The Current State Of The Edge In Today’s Digital Infrastructure Needs

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  Frank McCann

  As a certified Data Center Design Professional specializing in network design and construction, Frank McCann's current role as Senior Engineer focuses on Construction Power and Grounding for Verizon Wireless' Northeast and Great Lakes Markets. He oversees designs, request for proposals / quotes and company standards, as well as MOPs for the multiple regions from Delaware to Maine out through the Great Lakes. He recently transitioned from construction engineering for Verizon Wireless' nationwide network equipment centers. McCann's main area of responsibility was Verizon Wireless' Southlake Texas Network Equipment Center (aka Data Center), although he had projects in our other locations as well. After years of being the prime engineer for Verizon Wireless' corporate microwave network, his final task was to decommission it. The network, originally built for Transco, stretched from New York to Texas. McCann also lead Verizon Wireless' Disaster Recovery team. He has designed and built several Cell On Light Trucks (COLTs) for microwave communications, as well as disaster recovery nodes for Verizon Wireless' fiber network. Combined with other aspects of Verizon Wireless' Emergency Preparedness / Disaster Recovery efforts they could restore communications to anywhere within a 100-mile radius of a Mobile Switching Center. He also had the responsibility of overseeing Telco POP (Point Of Presence) rooms in several national network buildings. Additional specialties include Wireless Communications, Project Management, Product/Vendor Review, Power & Grounding, Disaster Recovery, Microwave Path Design.

  Verizon

  Senior Manager, Network Construction

  Frank McCann

  Senior Manager, Network Construction

  Verizon

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  Jeffrey Moerdler

  Jeff heads our Real Estate and Communications practices in New York and has significant experience in general commercial real estate law. Jeff’s general real estate practice includes acquisitions, sales, development, leasing, and borrower’s side financing. He 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, such as data center leases. His clients include both large national companies and smaller, local clients. He is frequently invited to speak on real estate, data center, and telecom topics. He also writes for several industry publications, and he is regularly quoted in national media. Jeff was a Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and led many of its major real estate and telecom transactions.

  Mintz

  Member

  Jeffrey Moerdler

  Member

  Mintz

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  Deidre Smith

  Deidre’ (Dee) Smith is the Vice-President of Technology Solutions for NTT Ltd, a global technology company. Prior to this, she founded a consulting company in South Africa advising and executing on technology and services strategies, M&A for clients across many sectors, including the Data Center industry. She has worked across telecoms, property, Data Center, financial services, and telecoms industries. Dee holds an executive MBA from Henley Business School. She is a board director of a non-profit which brings sustainable technology and Information Technology skills to underserved schools in Tanzania. She is married to Lee Smith and have 3 daughters. They reside in Virginia.

  NTT Global Data Centers Americas

  VP, Client Services & Transformation

  Deidre Smith

  VP, Client Services & Transformation

  NTT Global Data Centers Americas

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  Wil Tirado

  Wil Tirado is the Global VP of Carrier Engagement & Strategy at EdgeConneX where he created and led several key departments including Program Management, Engineering and Service Delivery after joining in 2013 to build their first data center. He has held technical leadership positions in the telecom sector for over 30 years at Verizon, XO Communications, FiberTower and Apcela. His broad industry experience in hyper growth companies in emerging industry sectors enabled Wil to grow the business from concept to a global portfolio. In his previous role at low latency connectivity pioneer Apcela serving the financial industry he was a customer of most major data center operators in the US and Europe, giving him a customer-centric perspective when joining EdgeConneX, a data center design, build and operations company. Wil holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and MBA from Babson College along with completing coursework in leadership at the University of Virginia and the Babson College Executive Conference Center.

  EdgeConneX

  VP, Global Carrier Engagement & Strategy

  Wil Tirado

  VP, Global Carrier Engagement & Strategy

  EdgeConneX

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  Javi Martin

  Javier Martin is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of international operational and senior management experience in commercial, technical, and service-based corporations. Currently, Javier is focused on business development as a Strategic Account Executive for Neo-Cloud and semiconductor mission-critical infrastructure at Schneider Electric, Inc., where he has been contributing since October 2019. Before joining Schneider Electric, Javier served as Chief Executive Officer of Xzact, leading the company until its acquisition by Solutionz, Inc. Throughout his career, Javier has been instrumental in designing, integrating, and managing complex, mission-critical technology solutions for enterprise customers, the telecommunications sector, and the higher education sector. His expertise spans the design and build of high-density data centers, including Liquid-to- Liquid requirements, power distribution solutions, and infrastructure for AI factories and HPC.

  Schneider Electric

  Strategic Account Executive

  Moderator

  Javi Martin

  Strategic Account Executive

  Schneider Electric

The AI Opportunity:

What it Means for Cloud, Compute and Your Customer

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  Bill Kleyman

  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

  Apolo.us

  CEO & Co-Founder

  Bill Kleyman

  CEO & Co-Founder

  Apolo.us

• 

  Eddie Schutter

  Eddie Schutter is currently Managing Partner at LuxML, prior he was the Chief Technology Officer for Switch, responsible for technical and operational leadership, optimization of production and services, and strategic development of innovation programs and initiatives that drive top-and-bottom line business value across all business units. Transforming the company’s monetary and intellectual capital into technology to advance strategic and tactical plans, his focus includes leading efforts to identify new technologies that advance the strategic vision and mission of Switch. Eddie will also lead Switch’s efforts to promote, integrate and apply new technologies through research and development, proof of concept, piloting, field trials, scale out and realization. Eddie has over 25 years of experience and leadership in the data center and information technology industry for organizations including eBay, AT&T, DCF Technologies, The Green Grid, Datacenter Pulse, and other various advisory boards. He is a Director on the iMasons BOD, executive advisor on the Technical Curriculum Advisory Board of CNet Training, and Executive Advisor on the SMU Lyle School of Engineering DSE Advisory Board. Additionally, he has been instrumental in the development of operational optimization, technology innovations, automation, full stack solution development and deployment, networks, infrastructure security, cloud engineering, new product development, industry standards and advancing formal education in data center design and engineering. Eddie is a Navy veteran and he studied Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University. He resides in Dallas with his wife of 28 years and their eleven children. In his free time, Eddie enjoys outdoor activities, soccer, hunting, fishing, and farming.

  LuxML

  Managing Partner

  Eddie Schutter

  Managing Partner

  LuxML

• 

  Jim Gao

  Jim Gao is the CEO and co-founder of Phaidra — an AI company that makes autonomous, self-learning control systems for data centers. Prior to Phaidra, Jim launched DeepMind Energy, a Google business division dedicated to applying AI to mitigate climate change. This included reducing Google's data center cooling energy by over 30% via machine learning. Jim started his career as a mechanical engineer helping to design and operate Google's hyperscale data centers.

  Phaidra

  CEO

  Moderator

  Jim Gao

  CEO

  Phaidra

It’s Not a Data Center, But a Network of Data:

How The Global Digital Infrastructure Sector Is Evolving Given Today’s Technology Needs

• 

  Dagi Berhane

  Dagi provides architecture/design, engineering and construction leadership / expertise to internal and external resources for the delivery of IT capacity for greenfield, brownfield, retrofit and lease delivery projects globally. His deliverables include data center site selection, managing efforts of land technical due diligence, engineering/designing/constructing the building shell/core, power, cooling, telecom, and controls infrastructure, environmental and building permitting all to align with Salesforce’s IT capacity roadmap for critical infrastructure builds, M&A, migration, optimization, decommissioning and leases.

  Salesforce

  Sr. Director, Global DC Architecture & Engineering

  Dagi Berhane

  Sr. Director, Global DC Architecture & Engineering

  Salesforce

• 

  Jezzibell Gilmore

  Prior to joining Connectbase, Gilmore co-founded Network-as-a-Service provider PacketFabric more than eight years ago, and served as the company's CCO. She has also held a variety of leadership roles with organizations such as GTT, IX Reach (now part of PCCW Console Connect) and NANOG, and has become a sought-after speaker in the industry.

  Connectbase | PacketFabric

  CCO | Co-Founder & Advisor

  Jezzibell Gilmore

  CCO | Co-Founder & Advisor

  Connectbase | PacketFabric

• 

  Vinay Nagpal

  26+ years of global experience in Data Center & Connectivity industry specializing in Product & Business Management Vinay Nagpal is an industry leader and visionary with global experience developing products and solutions in wholesale and retail colocation data centers with a strong focus on connectivity, subsea and terrestrial fiber. Currently, he is the President of InterGlobix LLC, a global consulting and advisory firm focused on the convergence of data centers, subsea and terrestrial fiber. Vinay is also the Co-Founder and Member of QTS Richmond NAP, which is a global Internet Interconnection hub in Virginia offering the lowest-latency, highest-capacity subsea connectivity. He is the Founding Member & Executive Director of Internet Ecosystem Innovation Committee (IEIC), an independent global committee that promotes Internet diversity and forming of Internet nexus points. Vinay also serves on the Leadership Board of NVTC Data Center & Cloud Committee, and actively leads Northern Virginia’s data center and connectivity initiatives. Vinay has been involved in the subsea developments in Virginia. He also serves on the Submarine Networks EMEA Customer Advisory Board, LINX NoVA Customer Advisory Board, and NVTC’s Executive Circle. As an active participant in industry forums, Vinay is a member of the PTC Membership Committee, Marketing & Communications Committee and SubOptic Diversity & Inclusion Working Group. Vinay’s past endeavors include being part of the Open-IX Association board to build open standards for data centers and IXPs. As the Vice President of Product Management at Digital Realty / DuPont Fabros (DFT), he led product management of DFT’s Data Center, Connectivity and Managed Services. During his tenure, he developed company’s carrier-neutral data center connectivity and peering services, designed and implemented dark fiber networks and supported customers’ network requirements. His senior-level network-centric positions at Tata Communications, Verizon, MCI, Digex and UUNET allowed his to productize data center and connectivity services across US, Canada, London, Singapore, Australia and India. Vinay holds an MBA in Information Systems, a B.S. in Computer Science, an ITIL certification and a Higher Diploma in Software Engineering. He has authored white papers, blogs, and industry publications on datacenter and connectivity services. He has been invited a speaker to several renowned conferences across the world.

  InterGlobix | IEIC

  President | Executive Director & Founding Member

  Vinay Nagpal

  President | Executive Director & Founding Member

  InterGlobix | IEIC

• 

  Patrick Coughlin

  Mr. Coughlin joined FirstLight in February, 2013 and currently serves as its Chief Development Officer, where is he is responsible for leading all aspects of corporate development, including M&A, business development, market expansion, corporate strategy and innovation as well as marketing and product management on behalf of the organization. He also serves on FirstLight’s Board of Directors as well as the Vermont Technology Alliance (vtTA) board. Previously, he served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Fibertower. From 2005-2009, he served as Vice President of Sales at RCN Metro (formerly NEON Communications and Globix Corporation), where he was responsible for sales and marketing for the entire U.S. and oversaw a sales team comprised of 55 people. Prior to that position, he served as Senior Director of Sales at NEON from October 2001 until December 2005. Mr. Coughlin also served as a Senior Account Executive with NEON and other telecommunications companies, including AT&T and USTelecenters, during which time he was recognized for being a leading sales contributor for major accounts. Mr. Coughlin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

  FirstLight Fiber

  Chief Development Officer

  Patrick Coughlin

  Chief Development Officer

  FirstLight Fiber

• 

  Catherine Smith

  Catherine Smith has joined Evoque Data Center Solutions as Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, where she is responsible for a wide range of corporate-critical functions, such as legal, human resources and strategy. Reporting to Andy Stewart, Evoque’s CEO, Catherine was previously Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Brightstar Corporation, the world’s leading mobile services, working with carrier, retail, and enterprise customers across 70 countries. In that role, Catherine led a number of initiatives, designed to increase Brightstar’s global leadership positioning, including efforts to make compliance and corporate conduct part of the company’s global culture. As a result, the Ethisphere Institute named Brightstar one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” two years in a row. Under her leadership, Forbes Magazine named Brightstar as one of “America's Best Midsize Employers.” She has also led cross-functional teams and collaborated with corporate development professionals through structuring, negotiations, execution and integration of complex M&A transactions, majority and minority investments across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia. A frequent public speaker and conference panelist, Catherine has been featured in Modern Counsel, Leaders Magazine and Profile Magazine. She is a graduate of Georgetown University’s Law Center and holds a B.A. in Government from the University of Virginia. She supports consistent diversity of and thought throughout all levels of an organization and has been honored with the 2018 Diversity "Challenge" Award from the National Association of Women in Law.

  Evoque Data Center Solutions

  Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer

  Catherine Smith

  Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer

  Evoque Data Center Solutions

• 

  Kemal Hawa

  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.

  Kirkland & Ellis

  Partner

  Moderator

  Kemal Hawa

  Partner

  Kirkland & Ellis

The Transition to Web 3.0:

What Does It Look Like And What Do We Need To Do Now?

• 

  Dipto Chakravarty

  Senior Leader, Local Data Engineering

  Amazon

• 

  Melvin Greer

  Melvin Greer is Chief Data Scientist, Americas, Intel Corporation. He is responsible for building Intel’s data science platform through graph analytics, machine learning and cognitive computing to accelerate transformation of data into a strategic asset for Public Sector and commercial enterprises. His systems and software engineering experience has resulted in patented inventions in Cloud Computing, Synthetic Biology and IoT Bio-sensors for edge analytics. He functions as a principal investigator in advanced research studies, including Nanotechnology, Additive Manufacturing and Gamification. He significantly advances the body of knowledge in basic research and critical, highly advanced engineering and scientific disciplines. Mr. Greer is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and U.S. National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine, GUIRR. Melvin has been appointed to Senior Advisor and Fellow at the FBI IT and Data Division. Melvin is charged with acceleration of the FBI mission by supporting appropriate data collection, data analytics, discovery and visualization via advanced data science and AI techniques. Melvin is one of the 2018 LinkedIn Top 10 Voices in data science and analytics. He also received the Washington Exec inaugural Pinnacle Award as the 2018 Artificial Intelligence Executive of the Year. Melvin received the 2017 BDPA Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2012 BEYA Technologist of the Year Award which recognize his outstanding technical contributions that have had a material impact and high value to society as a whole. Melvin Greer has been appointed Fellow of the National Cybersecurity Institute where he assists government, industry, military, and academic sectors meet the challenges in cyber security policy, technology and education. Melvin is Professor, Master of Science in Data Science program at Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Adjunct Faculty, Advanced Academic Program at Johns Hopkins University, where he teaches the Masters of Science course “Practical Applications of Artificial Intelligence”.

  Intel Corporation

  Chief Data Scientist, Americas

  Melvin Greer

  Chief Data Scientist, Americas

  Intel Corporation

• 

  Nathan McCourtney

  ​Nathan received a degree in Philosophy from the University of Maryland and began working on distributed systems before the turn of the century. He has served in operations and developer roles, as well as executive leadership for a number of companies over the last 25 years. He was a senior engineer for Amazon and currently works on large-scale distributed systems for nVidia. His personal passions are the Rust programming language and NOSTR, a new decentralized social media protocol.

  Nvidia

  Principal Distributed Systems Engineer

  Nathan McCourtney

  Principal Distributed Systems Engineer

  Nvidia

• 

  Greg Stover

  With over 30 years of IT and data center, infrastructure and IT efficiency and optimization expertise, Greg has a proven track record of pushing the technology innovation envelope with the leading Thermal, Power, Monitoring and DCIM Solutions with Cloud Providers, Colocation Operators, End-Users and the Channel. As an evangelist for new technology, rapid change and continuous improvement, Greg has demonstrated a unique ability to coordinate disparate teams and bridge IT, Facilities and partner/vendor gaps while they work to solve the daily questions of Cloud, Colo, On-Prem, DR, EDG/IoT and whatever is next? All while ensuring reliability, resiliency, availability, optimal service and value to the business. Greg is Director of National Accounts and resides in Laguna Hills with his family!

  Vertiv

  Global Director, Hi-Tech Development

  Moderator

  Greg Stover

  Global Director, Hi-Tech Development

  Vertiv

Siemens Smart Infrastructure Presentation

• 

  Todd Thurlow

  Mr. Thurlow has over 20 years of experience supporting the strategic energy needs of end-use customers, including experience developing innovative energy asset and infrastructure projects, analyzing energy markets, and implementing energy solutions. He is focused on combining cutting edge renewable, storage and microgrid technologies with innovative commercial solutions to improve resiliency, support decarbonization, and reduce costs for end use customers. He is well versed in North American energy markets and the opportunities they provide for distributed energy assets to access multiple available profit pools and maximize value to sponsors and off-takers.

  Siemens

  Director, Distributed Energy Systems

  Todd Thurlow

  Director, Distributed Energy Systems

  Siemens

Keep IT Cool:

What Does Cooling Look Like In An AI World?

• 

  Jacqueline Davis

  Jacqueline Davis is a Research Analyst at Uptime Institute. She covers the global trends and technologies that underpin critical digital infrastructure. Her research is focused on resiliency, cooling, and efficiency, as well as data analysis and modeling. Jacqueline’s background includes environmental monitoring and data interpretation, in the environmental compliance and health and safety fields.

  Uptime Institute

  Research Analyst

  Jacqueline Davis

  Research Analyst

  Uptime Institute

• 

  Tom Daenzer

  Tom is the Manager of Digital Business Development for Belimo Americas, a global market leader in developing, producing, and selling HVAC field devices. He leads a team responsible for supporting the growth of valves, actuators and sensors that harness smart and/or connected capabilities. His primary focus is guiding development of the services and APIs that compliment these connected products through relationships with industry peers and technology partners. As an SME for control applications, Tom uses the extensive application knowledge gained through his 17 years on the construction side of the building automation industry. He is passionate about leveraging technology to improve occupant comfort while reducing a building’s energy footprint. Tom is an active member of the CABA board of directors and holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University.

  BELIMO Americas

  Digital Business Development Manager

  Tom Daenzer

  Digital Business Development Manager

  BELIMO Americas

• 

  Jack Elsea

  Director, Design Integration

  Evans General Contractors

• 

  David Klein

  David Klein is the CEO and founder of DHK Storage, Inc, designer and manufacturer of the ChilliRack® and ChilliAire™ data center cooling systems. David currently has 32 patents awarded for the ChilliRack® system in 17 countries. Over the past 27 years working on networks and data centers, he has achieved numerous Cisco, Juniper, and VMware certifications.

  ChilliRack

  Founder & CEO

  David Klein

  Founder & CEO

  ChilliRack

• 

  Jon Pettitt

  Jon Pettitt is a highly experienced, successful and well-regarded business leader within the data center Industry. Since 2011 Jon held the position of Vice President of data center for EMEA & APAC, specialising in data center cooling solutions and energy efficient systems for the Munters data center business area, Jon has over 15 years of extensive knowledge of HVAC projects for data centres and critical facilities. His background has included employment at York International and Johnson Controls.

  Excool

  CCO

  Jon Pettitt

  CCO

  Excool

• Moderator

  Jim Marsh

  Key Accounts Manager, Data Center Technologies

  Munters Corporation

Dept. of Energy Lead In Presentation: Coolest Innovations That Should Be On Every Data Center Operator's Radar

• 

  Rima Oueid

  As a senior commercialization executive, Rima Oueid combines her experience in finance and strategy with her energy policy expertise to identify market development and public private partnership opportunities in the energy sector. Rima works with a diverse array of stakeholders to develop business models that commercialize innovative technologies and tap diverse capital sources to deliver holistic energy solutions. Rima is currently working on quantum information science technology applications, artificial intelligence, microgrids, and bidirectional vehicle electrification solutions. Rima previously served in the Office of Policy and the Hurricane Sandy Task Force where she helped facilitate $15 billion in energy related infrastructure deployment initiatives including a report to the President with recommendations for energy resilience. For example, Rima helped develop innovative infrastructure projects such as the NJ TransitGrid, a 100+ MW, $600 million advanced microgrid for NJ Transit and Amtrak, and NJ Energy Resilience Bank, a $210 million fund targeting investments in distributed energy and microgrids. While with the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office, Rima led the development of a new $600 million energy finance portfolio for states which included helping establish the CT Green Bank among others. Rima also assisted the U.S. Department of Defense on a 3GW power purchase agreement initiative that included the Navy, Army, and Air Force. Prior to the U.S. Department of Energy, Rima spent a decade working in finance, real estate, and management consulting. Rima began her career at Accenture helping Fortune 500 companies in the financial services industry redesign their business models to leverage cutting edge technologies. Subsequent to Accenture, Rima spent six years in real estate, venture capital, and private equity investing, including stints at William Harris Investors and CID Equity Partners. Rima has experience evaluating investments in residential and commercial real estate, solar, biofuels, solid state light manufacturing, and water purification industries. Rima earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with concentrations in Finance, Strategy, and Entrepreneurship and selected as a Kauffman Fellow in 2007 and 2009. Rima also holds a Bachelors of Science from the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana. Rima lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two children.

  Department of Energy

  Senior Commercialization Executive

  Rima Oueid

  Senior Commercialization Executive

  Department of Energy

Identifying The Right Energy Strategy and Alternatives:

What Is The Most Feasible Path Forward?

• 

  Kevin Dalton

  Kevin Dalton serves as Chief Data Center Officer for Cumulus Data, a division of Talen Energy Corporation. In this role, he leads the design and construction of data centers and supports technical customer sales efforts. He has over 30 years of experience developing 1,000 MW of data center capacity ($10B CapEx) across over 75 data centers globally. Mr. Dalton is an expert in leveraging supply chain optimization and modular prefabricated construction techniques to drive rapid growth, improved quality, and speed to market. Throughout his career, he has set the standard for next-generation data center designs and led multiple successful sustainability initiatives. Prior to joining Cumulus Data, Mr. Dalton served as Senior Vice President of Design & Construction for NTT Global Data Centers, responsible for leading the team that designs and delivers world-class data centers. Before his tenure with NTT Global Data Centers, he spent 12 years at Digital Realty in technical and senior management roles, including seven years as Vice President of Engineering, leading teams of engineers to deliver data center solutions for customers around the world. Mr. Dalton previously spent 10 years at MGE UPS Systems, a world leader in uninterrupted power supply systems, and nine years at McClier Corporation, a design-build firm. Mr. Dalton earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago.

  Cumulus Data

  Chief Data Center Officer

  Kevin Dalton

  Chief Data Center Officer

  Cumulus Data

• 

  Jeff Hanson

  Sr. Director, Energy Supply-Chain & Commission Member

  Digital Realty Trust

• 

  Bobby Hollis

  CCO

  Rowan Digital Infrastructure

• 

  Brian Jabeck

  Brian Jabeck joined the Enchanted Rock team in 2021 and is responsible for global sales and customer support to the data center industry. Brian brings over 15 years of sales and business development expertise in the energy and power generation markets. He has supported global data center customers on 3 continents to provide customer focused solutions to their on-site power generation challenges. Through this experience Brian worked extensively with data center design and operations teams as well as their contractor, design, and

  Enchanted Rock

  VP, Data Center Sector

  Brian Jabeck

  VP, Data Center Sector

  Enchanted Rock

• 

  David Lewis

  David Lewis is Vice President – Business Development for Washington Gas Light, the local gas company serving the Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC area. Mr. Lewis has more than 30 years of experience across the conventional and renewable energy sector with both independent power companies and utilities. His background includes financing more than $7 billion of power plants and over 15,000 MWs of commercial transactions. His work has included leadership roles in finance, asset management, origination and energy trading, project acquisition, business development, energy policy and commercial strategy.

  Washington Gas

  Vice President, Business Development

  David Lewis

  Vice President, Business Development

  Washington Gas

• 

  Andre Patrick

  Patrick with over 31 years of domestic and international Data Center experience. He has held key leadership positions orchestrating complex Information Technology solution builds. His passion is delivering application and infrastructure transformations yielding operational efficiencies and cost recuperation. Patrick has been accountable for program development and execution budgets of $17M - $1.45T. His leadership directed matrixed staff, consultants, architects, and multiple EPC contractors. These programs encompassed infrastructure and construction management delivery of $3.4B in data center green and brown field initiatives. Under his leadership high-performing multi-disciplined engineering teams delivered design build and mission critical transformations beyond 4.2GW+ in capacity across the U.S. and EU. These programs aligned engineering teams with strategic technology roadmaps to meet enterprise, colo and hyperscale market needs. Prior to Introba, Patrick has significant experience as business owner, consultant, and contractor delivering mission critical facilities. He has held Data Center leadership positions as Director of Engineering, VP Program Director, VP Director, Enterprise Principal Architect, VP Infrastructure Services, Senior Officer Operations. His experience and client delivery include Airlines, Automotive, Banking, Defense, Financial Services, Enterprise Technology Sector, Education, Energy/Utilities, Health Care, Insurance, Manufacturing, Social media and Retail.

  Introba

  Sr. Principal, Data Center Engineering Services

  Andre Patrick

  Sr. Principal, Data Center Engineering Services

  Introba

• 

  Michael Hafner

  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.

  Rehlko

  Engineering Solutions - Critical Power & Data Center

  Moderator

  Michael Hafner

  Engineering Solutions - Critical Power & Data Center

  Rehlko

Seyfarth Shaw Lunch n Learn: Up Close With Edged Energy

• 

  Frank Scandariato

  Frank is an industry veteran in mission critical infrastructure for large scale construction projects who is leading the rapid rollout of the Edged platform in North America. He has led the design and construction of multibillion dollar projects that span a multitude of industries. Frank brings to bear his formidable background in engineering, technology, and infrastructure design — as well as his extensive leadership and project management skills. A few examples of his projects include data centers for eBay, IBM, Royal Bank of Canada, Lenovo, and Telus, and airline terminals for John F. Kennedy International and Laguardia Airports.

  Edged Energy

  Director, Platform Delivery

  Frank Scandariato

  Director, Platform Delivery

  Edged Energy

• 

  Mike Rechtin

  Mike has more than 30 years of sophisticated and broad-based real estate experience representing clients in buying, selling, developing, leasing and financing real estate assets in all asset classes. Since 2010, he has been at the forefront of the expanding, multi-disciplinary data center, digital infrastructure and IT commercial contracting fields that straddle real estate and technology. Mike was named the 2023 Lawyer of the Year in Chicago for Privacy and Data Security Law by Best Lawyers. He is in-demand for presentations at digital infrastructure conferences and is often quoted in trade periodicals. Mike's clients include insurance companies, Fortune 500 companies, pension funds, investment advisers, enterprise companies, financial institutions, real estate developers, high-tech companies and data center developers/providers. His recent transactions include representing multiple platform data center companies in acquiring land for development, developing data centers and entering into leases and master services agreements with major technology companies; acquiring operating data centers for private equity-backed real estate and technology funds; representing a financial services client in the outsourcing of all of its legacy IT infrastructure supporting its banking operations and applications, including mission-critical banking applications; negotiating joint venture agreements related to the development of data centers and multi-family developments; and representing a real estate investment company in the sale of a carrier hotel/data center in a major US market.

  DLA Piper

  Partner

  Moderator

  Mike Rechtin

  Partner

  DLA Piper

Investing In The Digital Infrastructure Industry:

How Has The Narrative Changed?

• 

  John Sheputis

  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.

  Primary Digital Infrastructure

  Co-Founder and Managing Director

  John Sheputis

  Co-Founder and Managing Director

  Primary Digital Infrastructure

• 

  Ashley Tonnesen

  Ashely Tonnesen serves as COO of Legacy and is responsible for day-to-day operations and financial management. Ashley previously served as a Director of Finance at Mill Creek Residential Trust, a leading multifamily developer. Ashley began her career in public accounting, and most recently was an Assurance manager at PwC.

  Legacy Investing

  COO

  Ashley Tonnesen

  COO

  Legacy Investing

• 

  Julie Brewer

  Julie leads fundraising efforts in equity and debt capital markets, and is responsible for the underwriting of business plans, as well as building financial reporting for senior management and investors. Julie brings extensive finance and general management experience specific to the data center industry. Prior to joining EdgeCore, Julie managed CoreSite’s Denver and Los Angeles markets as the Vice President of General Management. There, Julie gained experience in investment underwriting, strategic planning, P&L management, lease negotiations, and the development and entitlement processes. She has also held positions in management development and finance, working on M&A due diligence, data center financial modeling, and investor reporting. Julie holds a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia.

  EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure

  Senior VP, Finance

  Julie Brewer

  Senior VP, Finance

  EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure

• 

  Peter Hopper

  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.

  Primary Digital Infrastructure

  Co-Founder and Managing Director

  Peter Hopper

  Co-Founder and Managing Director

  Primary Digital Infrastructure

• 

  Emily Naughton

  Emily Naughton focuses her practice on transactions in the telecommunications, media and technology space, with an emphasis on cloud computing.  Emily has represented clients in connection with real estate acquisitions, development projects and leases, mergers and acquisitions involving cloud service providers, and telecommunications network infrastructure deals.  Emily has represented some of the world’s largest content providers globally in connection with network procurement and colocation and data center leases involving providers ranging from multinational companies to single facility operators. Emily has experience representing property owners in the acquisition, financing and development of real estate; landlords and tenants in a variety of short- and long-term leases and subleases; and developers on complex land use and permitting matters. Emily has also represented contractors and subcontractors in the negotiation of construction contracts and disputes. In addition to assisting clients on transactional matters, Emily has also regularly advised clients on general governance and operational issues from entity inception to dissolution.

  Mayer Brown

  Partner

  Moderator

  Emily Naughton

  Partner

  Mayer Brown

The Next Big Thing You Need To Know About:

The Innovations And Technologies That Will Shape The Industry

• 

  Yuval Bachar

  Yuval Bachar is a leader in the data center industry and founder/CEO of ECL. He has held senior positions at Microsoft, Linkedin, Facebook, Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks and is recognized as a top influencer in data centers and Edge technology. Yuval is also one of the founders of the Open19 Project and president of the Open19 Foundation. His work focuses on sustainable, zero-emissions data centers with machine learning and artificial intelligence, predictive maintenance and hardware quality control. Yuval holds eight US patents related to data centers, networking, system design areas and three Cisco pioneer awards. He has a BSEE from Technion Institute in Haifa.

  EdgeCloudLink (ECL)

  CEO

  Yuval Bachar

  CEO

  EdgeCloudLink (ECL)

• 

  Michael Dongieux

  Founder and Chief Architect

  MCIM by Fulcrum Collaborations

• 

  Peter Gross

  Peter Gross is a technology and energy internationally recognized expert whose career spans over three decades. He is presently the Managing Partner of PMG Associates a consulting and advisory firm. In addition, he sits on several boards of directors and boards of advisors for public, private and not-for- profit companies. Until recently, he was the VP of Mission Critical Systems at Bloom Energy, the premier supplier of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell systems. Before his Bloom stint, Peter Gross was Vice President and Managing Partner of HP Global Technology Consulting at Hewlett Packard. Prior to HP, he was the co-founder and CEO at EYP Mission Critical Facilities, Inc., a consulting company specialized in strategic technology planning, design and operations support for large-scale data centers. In this position, he has played a pivotal role in the rapid growth of EYP MCF’s business since its founding in 1997, leading to its acquisition by HP in 2008. Peter is recognized as a thought leader in the mission-critical digital infrastructure domain, has published numerous technical papers in the field, authored several patents and is a frequent speaker at international events. His focus centers on mission-critical facilities, high-reliability design, power quality, energy, and sustainability. Peter is the recipient of 2010 Data Center Dynamics "Outstanding Contribution to the Industry" award, is a Senior IEEE Member and was one of the contributors to IEEE Standard 3006.7-2013, “Recommended Practice for determining the reliability of 7x24 Power Systems in industrial and commercial facilities”. He also received the 2020 award for Outstanding Contribution to the Digital Infrastructure Community and was inducted in the Infrastructure Masons Hall of Fame.

  PMG Associates

  Managing Partner

  Peter Gross

  Managing Partner

  PMG Associates

• 

  Ben Stewart

  Ben Stewart is Senior Vice President of Operations at NTT Global Data Centers Americas, responsible for leading critical facility operation, maintenance, security, and customer service delivery. Over his career, Ben has lead operations and engineering teams in both government and commercial markets crafting and implementing innovative efficiencies improving performance while reducing cost yielding optimized solutions enabling scalable growth. Prior to joining NTT, Ben was the Senior Vice President of Engineering for Cyxtera and held senior executive positions at Equinix, Verizon, and Terremark Worldwide. Ben retired from the U.S. Coast Guard after serving 25 years as a commissioned officer.Ben earned a BSEE from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, MSEE from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, and MBA from Monmouth University, and a Ph.D. from Northcentral University. Ben is also a licensed Professional Engineer.

  NTT Global Data Centers Americas

  Senior VP, Operations

  Ben Stewart

  Senior VP, Operations

  NTT Global Data Centers Americas

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  Craig Compiano

  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.

  Modius

  CEO

  Moderator

  Craig Compiano

  CEO

  Modius