Day Two Opening Keynote: Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears

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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

  Keynote

  Winsome Earle-Sears

  Lieutenant Governor

  Virginia

State of the Northern Virginia and Top Tier Markets:

Dynamics, Challenges and Impacts

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  Chris Curtis

  Global Head of Data Centers

  Prologis

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  Lee Kestler

  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.

  EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure

  CEO

  Lee Kestler

  CEO

  EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure

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  Laurance Lewis

  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.

  AVAIO Digital Partners

  CCO

  Laurance Lewis

  CCO

  AVAIO Digital Partners

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  Robert Ward

  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

  Commonwealth of Virginia

  Chief Transformation Officer, Office of the Governor

  Robert Ward

  Chief Transformation Officer, Office of the Governor

  Commonwealth of Virginia

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  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

Building at Scale and For Speed-to-Market:

Impacts on Design and Construction

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  Adam Black

  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.

  TA Digital Group

  SVP, Design & Construction

  Adam Black

  SVP, Design & Construction

  TA Digital Group

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  Mike Boteler

  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.

  The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company

  Senior Project Manager

  Mike Boteler

  Senior Project Manager

  The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company

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  Gary Cudmore

  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.

  Rowan Digital Infrastructure

  VP, Sustainable Engineering & Construction

  Gary Cudmore

  VP, Sustainable Engineering & Construction

  Rowan Digital Infrastructure

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  Reid Senescu

  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).

  Doxel

  VP, Product Management

  Reid Senescu

  VP, Product Management

  Doxel

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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

  Marshall Sorenson

  VP

  Metromont

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  Ross Rebraca

  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.

  HITT Contracting

  VP, Technology Sector

  Moderator

  Ross Rebraca

  VP, Technology Sector

  HITT Contracting

Top Ten Data Center Legal Issues for Leases and MSA's, and Variations in the Cloud

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  Brandon Barker

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

  Mintz

  Member

  Brandon Barker

  Member

  Mintz

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  Jeffrey Moerdler

  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.

  Haynes and Boone, LLP

  Partner & Chair, Data Center & Digital Infrastructure

  Jeffrey Moerdler

  Partner & Chair, Data Center & Digital Infrastructure

  Haynes and Boone, LLP

Higher Densities and Cooler Facilities:

Enabling High Performance Compute Through Effective Rack Management and Cooling

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  Omar Elissa

  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.

  Hewlett Packard Enterprise

  Distinguished Technologist

  Omar Elissa

  Distinguished Technologist

  Hewlett Packard Enterprise

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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

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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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  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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  Anthony Wanger

  Board Member

  CoolIT

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  Matthew Zieg

  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

  Vertiv

  VP, National Accounts & Business Development

  Moderator

  Matthew Zieg

  VP, National Accounts & Business Development

  Vertiv

Power Management and Energy Storage:

The Evolution of Backup Solutions and What to Apply in Your Data Center

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  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

  Michael Hafner

  Engineering Solutions - Critical Power & Data Center

  Rehlko

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  Mohamed Kamaludeen

  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).

  DOE Office of Electricity

  Director, Energy Storage Validation

  Mohamed Kamaludeen

  Director, Energy Storage Validation

  DOE Office of Electricity

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  Pavan Kundurthi

  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.

  Amazon Web Services (AWS)

  Manager, Field Engineering

  Pavan Kundurthi

  Manager, Field Engineering

  Amazon Web Services (AWS)

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  Vance Peterson

  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.

  Schneider Electric

  Data Center Solutions Architect

  Vance Peterson

  Data Center Solutions Architect

  Schneider Electric

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  Michael Collins

  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.

  INNIO Jenbacher

  Manager, North America

  Moderator

  Michael Collins

  Manager, North America

  INNIO Jenbacher

Powering Performance:

Leveraging Benchmarking Data for Excellence in Data Center Operations

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  Stuart Chambers

  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.

  MCIM by Fulcrum Collaborations

  Director, Strategic Services

  Stuart Chambers

  Director, Strategic Services

  MCIM by Fulcrum Collaborations

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  Michael Dongieux

  Founder and Chief Architect

  MCIM by Fulcrum Collaborations

Lunch 'n' Learn Session:

From Blueprint To Build: Designing Cost-Effective, Sustainable Data Center Security

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  Dave Komendat

  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.”

  Boeing

  Former Chief Security Officer

  Dave Komendat

  Former Chief Security Officer

  Boeing

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  John Lineweaver

  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.

  Meta

  Regional Security Manager

  John Lineweaver

  Regional Security Manager

  Meta

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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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  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

Data Center Financing and Capital Markets:

How Cost of Capital and Industry Demand Is Changing the Game

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  Obinna Isiadinso

  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.

  International Finance Corporation

  Global Sector Lead, Data Center and Cloud

  Obinna Isiadinso

  Global Sector Lead, Data Center and Cloud

  International Finance Corporation

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  Michael Johnston

  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.

  Menlo Equities

  Partner, Acquisitions & Asset Management

  Michael Johnston

  Partner, Acquisitions & Asset Management

  Menlo Equities

• 

  Rachel Stack

  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.

  Cologix

  CFO

  Rachel Stack

  CFO

  Cologix

• 

  Ryan Sullivan

  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.

  Lincoln Property Group

  EVP, National Head of Data Center Investments

  Ryan Sullivan

  EVP, National Head of Data Center Investments

  Lincoln Property Group

• 

  Tom Galli

  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.

  Duane Morris

  Partner

  Moderator

  Tom Galli

  Partner

  Duane Morris

Site Selection, Permitting and Lease Negotiation:

Navigating the Early Phases of Development and Where to Build Next

• 

  Taylor Chess

  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.

  Peterson Companies

  President - Development

  Taylor Chess

  President - Development

  Peterson Companies

• 

  Brett Collard

  VP, Corporate Development

  Compass Data Centers

• 

  Michael Lee

  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.

  GI Partners

  Managing Director

  Michael Lee

  Managing Director

  GI Partners

• 

  Jeffrey Moerdler

  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.

  Haynes and Boone, LLP

  Partner & Chair, Data Center & Digital Infrastructure

  Jeffrey Moerdler

  Partner & Chair, Data Center & Digital Infrastructure

  Haynes and Boone, LLP

• 

  Maria Poyer

  Maria is the Head of Acquisition at Verrus, leading efforts to grow digital infrastructure through strategizing, sourcing, negotiating, and acquiring new sites. Verrus, a data center platform launched by Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP) in 2024, is focused on reimagining data centers as active energy assets by integrating behind-the-meter generation and storage, positioning data centers as critical players in transforming energy systems. As a full-service developer, owner, and operator, Verrus is building a national platform across primary and emerging data center markets. With a strong background in land development and acquisition, Maria most recently served as Senior Acquisition Manager on Microsoft’s Infrastructure Planning & Acquisition team, overseeing land sourcing, site selection, and contract negotiations. She has been involved in over $5.6 billion in real estate transactions, expanding logistical and digital infrastructure for Amazon and Microsoft, and has also held key roles at JLL, Bank of America, and Amazon, where she helped scale Amazon’s real estate portfolio and logistical network. Passionate about community-building and inclusion, Maria serves as a board member of CREW Seattle, while remaining actively engaged in key data center industry conferences to drive collaboration and diversity within commercial real estate and digital infrastructure.

  Verrus

  Head of Acquisition

  Maria Poyer

  Head of Acquisition

  Verrus

• 

  Caitlin Glenn

  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.

  KE Andrews

  Director, Credits & Incentives

  Moderator

  Caitlin Glenn

  Director, Credits & Incentives

  KE Andrews

Are You Carrying Technical Debt?

What You Need to be Thinking About to Future-Proof Your Data Center Operations and Monitoring

• 

  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

• 

  Mark Donnelly

  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.

  SiriusXM

  Sr. Director, Data Center Engineering & Operations

  Mark Donnelly

  Sr. Director, Data Center Engineering & Operations

  SiriusXM

• 

  Nabeel Mahmood

  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.

  Nomad Futurist Foundation

  Co-Founder

  Nabeel Mahmood

  Co-Founder

  Nomad Futurist Foundation

• 

  Chris Vause

  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.

  Phaidra

  Head of Product & Solutions

  Chris Vause

  Head of Product & Solutions

  Phaidra

• 

  Ilan Zachar

  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.

  Carr Properties

  CTO

  Ilan Zachar

  CTO

  Carr Properties

• 

  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

Day One Closing Keynote: The Story That's Never Been Told:

Thinking About Strategic Engagement With Your Local Community In Today's Data Center Era

• 

  Rey Cheatham Banks

  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.

  Equinix

  Head of State & Local Public Policy and Gov’t Affairs

  Keynote

  Rey Cheatham Banks

  Head of State & Local Public Policy and Gov’t Affairs

  Equinix

• 

  Maria Saab

  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.

  Amazon Web Services (AWS)

  Senior Manager, Public Policy

  Keynote

  Maria Saab

  Senior Manager, Public Policy

  Amazon Web Services (AWS)

• Keynote

  Amber Tillman

  Head of Data Center Economic & Community Development

  Google

• 

  Buddy Rizer

  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.

  Loudoun County Economic Development

  Executive Director

  Moderator

  Buddy Rizer

  Executive Director

  Loudoun County Economic Development

Deep Dive Strategy Road Map:

A Look at Where The Industry is Headed and What AI Means for the Evolution of the Global Digital Economy

• 

  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

• 

  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

• 

  Anthony Wanger

  Founder & CEO

  Regnaw Capital

• 

  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

Optimizing the Data Center Delivery Process:

Reducing Cost and Mitigating Risk Across All Stages of the Project Lifecycle

• 

  Brian Green

  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.

  CriticalCxE

  Sr. Commissioning Specialist

  Brian Green

  Sr. Commissioning Specialist

  CriticalCxE

• 

  Taylor Hawkins

  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.

  The Good Energy Group

  Founder

  Taylor Hawkins

  Founder

  The Good Energy Group

• 

  Scott Rugen

  SVP, Data Centers - USA

  Exyte

• 

  Kurt Wallner

  Project Executive, Advanced Technology

  DPR Construction

• 

  Waleed Zafar

  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.

  XYZ Reality

  Mission Critical Director

  Waleed Zafar

  Mission Critical Director

  XYZ Reality

• 

  Sanjay Agrawal

  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.

  AG&E

  CEO

  Moderator

  Sanjay Agrawal

  CEO

  AG&E

Water Sustainability and Data Centers

• 

  Michael Beatty

  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.

  Nalco Water, An Ecolab Company

  AVP, Global Data Center Design & Engineering

  Michael Beatty

  AVP, Global Data Center Design & Engineering

  Nalco Water, An Ecolab Company

Future Proofing Your Data Center:

Engineering and Design for Advanced AI and Emerging Technologies

• 

  Michael Clark

  SVP, Data Center Construction

  DC BLOX

• 

  Garay "Doc" Goglio

  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.

  Boland

  Senior Account Executive, Mission Critical Data Centers & Industrial

  Garay "Doc" Goglio

  Senior Account Executive, Mission Critical Data Centers & Industrial

  Boland

• 

  Ben Hilderbrand

  EVP, Construction

  T5 Data Centers

• 

  Drew Unger

  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.

  Polargy

  EVP

  Drew Unger

  EVP

  Polargy

• 

  Blaine Warden

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

  Telios Corporation

  VP & MSCR Practice Lead

  Blaine Warden

  VP & MSCR Practice Lead

  Telios Corporation

• 

  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

  Moderator

  Kurt Lindorfer

  Founding Principal

  PARADIGM Structural Engineers

What’s Next for Data Center Operations:

How to Augment the Functionality of Your Existing Data Center

• 

  Merle Brubaker

  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.

  Johnson Controls

  Product Director

  Merle Brubaker

  Product Director

  Johnson Controls

• 

  Karen DiMaggio

  Senior Director, Growth Operations

  QTS

• 

  Marelle Paas-O'Brock

  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.

  Infinitum

  Business Development Manager

  Marelle Paas-O'Brock

  Business Development Manager

  Infinitum

• 

  Jake Ring

  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.

  PDM - Power and Data Management

  President

  Jake Ring

  President

  PDM - Power and Data Management

• 

  Lee Smith

  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.

  Mastercard

  Global Data Center Solutions Architect

  Lee Smith

  Global Data Center Solutions Architect

  Mastercard

• 

  Adam Wiggins

  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.

  Camfil

  Manager, Data Center Segment

  Moderator

  Adam Wiggins

  Manager, Data Center Segment

  Camfil

Lunch 'n' Learn Fireside Chat: Is Your DEI Initiative Enough to Make A Difference?

Practical Steps to Lessen the Gender Disparity and How To Be a Good Steward

• 

  Casey Eldringhoff

  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.

  Amazon Web Services (AWS)

  Sr. Product Lifecycle Electrical Engineer

  Casey Eldringhoff

  Sr. Product Lifecycle Electrical Engineer

  Amazon Web Services (AWS)

• 

  Mark Gusakov

  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.

  Nomad Futurist Foundation

  Board Governance Chairman

  Moderator

  Mark Gusakov

  Board Governance Chairman

  Nomad Futurist Foundation

Looking At Sustainability Across Project Development Phases:

How To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint And Emissions

• 

  Allan Bedwell

  Allan Bedwell is the Chief Sustainability Officer for Clark Pacific, where he leads Clark’s continued drive towards zero for greenhouse gas, water, and waste in our prefabricated building systems for data centers, AI, chip fabrication, commercial offices, corporate campuses, hospitals, and sports centers. Clark Pacific is already achieving 50% less embodied carbon, 100% recycled process water, and 100% recycled batch waste in our products. Prior to that role, Allan served in a number of senior executive positions in businesses, startups, and government agencies focused on new technology, financial, and operational solutions to prevent climate change, reduce air pollution, protect water quality, eliminate waste, and improve human health. Allan holds a BS from Cal Poly Humboldt and an MPA from the University of Southern California.

  Clark Pacific

  Chief Sustainability Officer

  Allan Bedwell

  Chief Sustainability Officer

  Clark Pacific

• 

  Lindsey Bruner

  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.

  CleanArc Data Centers

  COO

  Lindsey Bruner

  COO

  CleanArc Data Centers

• 

  Jon Gibbs

  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.

  Core Scientific

  Sr. Director, Site Development

  Jon Gibbs

  Sr. Director, Site Development

  Core Scientific

• 

  David McCall

  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

  QTS

  Brand Evangelist

  David McCall

  Brand Evangelist

  QTS

• 

  Sam Rabinowitz

  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.

  LANTANA LED

  CEO

  Sam Rabinowitz

  CEO

  LANTANA LED

• 

  Paul Stupka

  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.

  Clune Construction

  Project Executive

  Paul Stupka

  Project Executive

  Clune Construction

• 

  Adeel Usman

  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.

  LG Air Conditioning Technologies

  Senior Account Manager

  Moderator

  Adeel Usman

  Senior Account Manager

  LG Air Conditioning Technologies

A New Era of Power Demand:

What Shift Will The Digital Infrastructure Face to Meet Growing Demand and AI Needs?

• 

  David Bell

  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%.

  VoltaGrid

  VP, Utility & Micro Grid Development

  David Bell

  VP, Utility & Micro Grid Development

  VoltaGrid

• 

  Geoff Bland

  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.

  Life Cycle Power

  SVP, Commercial Strategies

  Geoff Bland

  SVP, Commercial Strategies

  Life Cycle Power

• 

  Joshua (JP) Buzzell

  Director, Build Engineering Services - Design

  Oracle

• 

  Osvaldo (Oz) Morales

  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.

  Denvr Dataworks

  Chief Officer, Infrastructure

  Osvaldo (Oz) Morales

  Chief Officer, Infrastructure

  Denvr Dataworks

• 

  Evan Pierce

  VP, Site Development - Americas

  EdgeConneX

• 

  Dave Sterlace

  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.

  Hitachi Energy

  Director

  Moderator

  Dave Sterlace

  Director

  Hitachi Energy