Meet Our Team

Aaron has been in Information Technology for 20 years and in the utility industry for the last 15 years. As Director of IT Operations at the Electric Reliability of Council of Texas (ERCOT), Aaron was responsible for the multi-data center IT operations of ERCOT’s real-time grid and market systems, deregulated retail market systems, Enterprise Data Warehouse, systems integration, and market settlement systems. In other roles at ERCOT he led business/technology alignment, IT strategy development, program financial management for the Texas Nodal Market Implementation, IT stakeholder relationship management, and the IT divisional project office.

Prior to ERCOT, Aaron was responsible for managing the relationship between IT and utility business units at Aquila, Inc., working with utility and IT leaders to ensure that IT services were aligned with business objectives and that IT was positioned to support their needs.

Phone: 202.871.7414     Email: [email protected]

Aliyah joined SEPA in September of 2023. In her role she is responsible for supporting the  tracking, administration and organization of the team and their projects.

Aliyah earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. She brings her years of experience working in non-profit coordination and IT operations support to her role at SEPA.

As a Charlotte resident, when Aliyah is not working she enjoys spending quality time with her family, cooking, gardening, reading and attending community events.

Andrew joined SEPA in September 2022 and works with data from many aspects of the organization to help coworkers, and SEPA members get as much information as possible from our datasets. He helps manage SEPA’s salesforce environment, ensures data quality within salesforce, and assists internally as well as on select research projects to help find patterns and insights. Before joining SEPA, he completed a Master’s in Biology with a focus on community ecology at Wesleyan University and studied Earth & Environmental Science during undergrad.

In his free time, Andrew is an avid outdoorsman with a passion for nature, backpacking, biking, and skiing.

Andrew Jerdonek is an experienced non-profit management professional who has worked in the medical, pharmaceutical, and energy industries. A former Executive Director of the American College of Medical Quality, and Director, Education for Solar Power Events, Andrew has a keen interest in leading collaborative, boundary-spanning initiatives that work to define and improve the quality and productivity of the industries they serve.

Andrew earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Mary Washington and is a Certified Association Executive.

Phone: 202.602.6583     Email: [email protected]

Andrew joined SEPA in February 2024.  He is responsible for managing energy resilience projects for energy industry clients and leading thought leadership activities at stakeholder forums.  Prior to joining SEPA, Andrew led decarbonization projects focusing on electricity grid reliability and resilience, renewable energy development, energy storage, and electric vehicle feasibility studies.

Andrew holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a BA in Political Science from Davidson College.  In his free time, Andrew enjoys hiking and seeing live music.

Andromeda joined SEPA in October 2023. In her role, she is responsible for supporting day-to-day operations and human resources functions, with a particular emphasis on compliance administration.

Andromeda holds a BS in Business Administration from Purdue University and is pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Colorado. She has over ten years of experience in a variety of sectors, including tribal government, non-profit, and startups.

In her free time, she enjoys art and technology. She sews, sculpts clay, 3D prints, and builds PCs.

Anita Bonner Joined SEPA in January, 2015 as a Finance and Operations Associate to ensure the daily operations at SEPA, run smoothly.

With more than 15 years of experience in the Administrative arena, prior experience includes being the Administrative Assistant for one of the most recognize Volunteer Programs in the nation – the “President’s Volunteer Service Awards” and Anita was also a recipient of the award – with more than 4000 hours of volunteer service.

Anita also held positions with the Meltech Corporation, US Department of Labor, State Farm Insurance, US Courts, National Urban League and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

Anita has also volunteered her time at Martha’s Table and DC Central Kitchen. Anita truly enjoys helping others – wherever and whenever she can.

The highlight(s) of Anita’s life are her grandkids (and shoes)

Phone: 202.559.1536     Email: [email protected]

Ann joined SEPA in December 2021. She leads research and education on a range of emerging technologies for carbon reduction. She collaborates across SEPA’s team and member network to build awareness, encourage partnerships, and support business and policy action to accelerate the power system’s transition toward a net zero carbon future.

Previously, Ann contributed to SEPA’s Utility Transformation Challenge and member advisory services. She led energy efficiency and electrification market research and program evaluation projects at Opinion Dynamics and performed economic analysis of federal environmental policy at Abt Associates.

She holds an M.S. in Resource Economics & Policy from the University of Maine and a B.S. in Biology from Bates College. Based in Massachusetts, Ann spends her free time exploring the great outdoors with her family.

Anne joined SEPA in November of 2023 as Senior Manager, Market Intelligence. Anne helps SEPA in transitioning the electric power industry towards a carbon-free future through developing and implementing analyses of electric utilities’ clean energy progress, focusing on key areas like resilience, storage, transportation, emerging technology, and policy.

Anne’s career started in the clean energy sector, conducting comprehensive market research and program evaluations for utility clients, focusing on topics such as transportation and electrification technology adoption. Prior to joining SEPA, she worked in the tech industry for several years as a user experience (UX) researcher, applying her research skills to find ways to improve a survey research tool.

Anne holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon and an M.S. in Environmental Science from Portland State University. She lives in Portland, OR with her fiance and two cats. Away from work, Anne enjoys the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest through activities like camping, hiking, and kayaking. She’s also a culinary enthusiast and a frequent concert attendee!

Ashley Lynn joined SEPA in November 2023, and is responsible for overseeing the project management functions of transportation electrification focus areas. Working collaboratively to help utilities and other stakeholders, she endeavors to articulate the value of SEPAs work in order to increase engagement. Prior to joining SEPA, Ashley Lynn worked alongside thought leaders in New Jersey and helped launch ChargEVC, a 501(c)6. She has developed & executed impactful programs as a regulator at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and managed millions in grants & incentives. Ashley Lynn graduated summa cum laude from Montclair State University with a B.S. in Sustainability Sciences. She also holds a M.S. in Sustainability Sciences.

Ashley Lynn is engaged with her community and volunteers as the Policy Lead for the New Jersey Electric Vehicle Association to advocate for equitable access for charging infrastructure. She also volunteers as an assistant coach for the Rutgers New Brunswick Salsa Club and teaches Latin dance.

Ayomide joined SEPA in November 2019, and is responsible for maintaining financial reports and records. He has years of experience in accounting services for both private and public organizations. He has a B.Sc. Accounting from the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Nigeria, and is an Associate Member, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He is currently studying to upgrade this to CPA. His personal interests include volunteering his services in financial aspects for his church and spending time with family.

Phone: 202.869.4384     Email: [email protected]

Brittany joined SEPA in June 2021 as a Research and Industry Strategy Analyst after having worked on a collaborative Microgrid Tariff whitepaper with SEPA. In her role, Brittany supports SEPA’s research projects on topics including distribution resource planning and managed electric vehicle charging. Prior to joining SEPA, she interned for Newport Consulting on projects pertaining to microgrid business models, net-metering tariff revisions, and transmission & distribution surveys.

Brittany holds a MS in Energy Systems Management from the University of San Francisco and a BS/MS in Biotechnology from the University of Nevada, Reno. In her free time, Brittany can often be found reading, hiking in the mountains around Lake Tahoe, and enjoying botanical gardens.

Phone: 202.595.1147     Email: [email protected]

Carina joined SEPA in January of 2023. She helps shape SEPA’s strategy for reports and blogs and works across the organization to develop and refine written content.

Before joining SEPA, Carina worked on clean energy policy advocacy and communications at a small nonprofit called E4TheFuture. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Colby College, where she completed an interdisciplinary major focusing on environmental policy and public health.

Outside of work, Carina enjoys hiking, rock climbing, cross-country skiing, and spending time with her friends and family in the Boston area.

Carolyn joined SEPA in March 2021 as an analyst after having worked as an intern on SEPA’s Regional Microgrids for Resilience Study with the Kentucky Office of Energy Policy. In her role, she supports federal research projects, state resiliency efforts, and utility electrification program development. Carolyn enjoys utilizing GIS analysis to evaluate spatial data, identify locations of vulnerability in the grid, and inform solution development.

Prior to joining SEPA, Carolyn attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington where she received her B.S. in Environmental Science with minors in sustainability and geospatial technologies in 2020. She is currently pursuing her M.S. in Energy Policy and Climate at Johns Hopkins University. In her free time, Carolyn enjoys camping, hiking, DIY projects, and collecting sea glass at the beach.

Phone: 202.688.3146     Email: [email protected]

Celeste Hawkins joined SEPA in 2024. In her role as marketing director, she is working with internal stakeholders across the organization to build and implement a more impactful marketing strategy that will drive meaningful engagement, membership satisfaction, and mission fulfillment.

Prior to SEPA, Celeste worked in marketing for more than 14 years, with a focus on providing marketing consulting, marketing roadmaps, and fractional marketing leadership to climate tech companies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English education. In 2023, she completed the Climatebase Fellowship.

Celeste lives in Greenville, SC, with her husband, son, and two guinea pigs.

Charisse joined SEPA in 2013. As manager of member services, she leads all administrative components of membership. She’s accountable for developing and implementing procedures to ensure accuracy of membership records including member engagement, trends, and overall integrity. Prior to SEPA, Charisse served as Membership & Sponsorship Account Manager for the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA). She also held the position of Membership Specialist for the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO).

Charisse brings more than 15 years of membership services experience to SEPA.

Phone: 202.559.2024     Email: [email protected]

Claire joined SEPA in December 2023, with a vision of increasing collaboration between the Programs & Events and Marcom teams. As Manager, Event Marketing, she will strategically plan and execute event marketing campaigns, identify attendance growth opportunities, and strive for increased event engagement.

Before joining the SEPA team, Claire focused on marketing and brand consistency across social media, email, and website content. She has additional experience in stakeholder relations, trade shows, and webinar planning.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Towson University, with concentrations in both Education and Film & Media Studies.

Claire is an avid writer who also loves cooking and baking. She currently coaches youth competitive cheerleading in the evenings.

Cynthia Hunt Jaehne is the Senior Director of Programs and Events and oversees SEPA’s conferences, RE+ events, executive programs, working group communities, and online learning. Cynthia’s experience includes strategic planning, project management, education program development, and member engagement. She understands the technologies, approaches, and deployment of clean energy assets to reach a carbon-free future and the power of collaboration of key stakeholders to achieve the energy transition.

Prior to joining SEPA, Cynthia was a Project Manager for Morse Associates, Inc. a consultancy in Washington, DC where Cynthia gained more than 10 years of experience managing utility-scale solar PV and CSP studies and initiatives for a number of clients both in the U.S. and internationally.

Outside of her professional work and interests, Cynthia’s family and dogs keep her busy. She is a comedy-loving movie nerd, a voracious reader, and a classically trained pianist who should practice more.

Phone: 202.595.1148     Email: [email protected]

Daisy Chung Senior Manager, Technical Programs Daisy joined SEPA in 2014 and has held various roles across research, industry & strategy, operations, and engagement teams. With a research background in utility renewable energy deployment at the distribution level, she leads technical engagements to steer the industry’s energy transformation, producing industry-driven outputs. Her team specializes in fostering collaboration through SEPA’s platforms, cultivating technical and learning communities supported by practitioners.

Throughout her tenure, Daisy finds the greatest satisfaction in facilitating joint efforts among stakeholders, especially connecting electric service providers and integrators, to help advance grid evolution initiatives.

Before joining SEPA, Daisy focused on process engineering and implementation in the semiconductor industry, overseeing system start-ups, qualification, standardization, and failure and root-cause analysis. Leveraging her experience in technical knowledge transfer, she utilized Six Sigma data analytics and system monitoring strategies to enhance efficiency and drive innovation.

Daisy holds a Master of Science in International Public Affairs focusing on Energy Analysis and Policy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas, with dual minors in Business Foundation and Chinese Language.

Phone: 202.559.2027     Email: [email protected]

Damali started her role as a contractor with SEPA in August 2021 and became an official SEPA employee in August 2022. Damali assists the marketing department with website maintenance administration and email marketing.

Damali has a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and Public Relations from Virginia State University. She has previous experience with social media marketing for small businesses, event assistance, and fundraising for non-profit organizations.

Damali is a new mom who lives in Washington, DC, with her partner and daughter. She has a keen interest in holistic wellness and enjoys taking walks, yoga, reading, and traveling.

Denise joined SEPA in May 2023. With 25 years of customer service, she finds a meaningful purpose in helping people help the world. Prior to joining SEPA, she spent the last two years at a biotechnology research company working as a transformation, strategy, and continuous process improvement consultant in Quality and Regulatory. She has five years of utility experience working with distributed energy resources and operations at Tucson Electric Power, where she worked to inspect solar and battery storage systems. That led her to be a part of a process to harmonize utility standards locally and statewide in Arizona. She has served in financial and project management roles for different industries such as government, non-profit, corporate, and construction.

Denise has a Bachelor of Organizational Management and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Arizona Global Campus.

Denise lives in Tucson, Arizona, with her daughter and mother. She enjoys a work-life balance with health and wellness activities. In her free time, she practices as a licensed massage therapist for family and friends. Her new hobby is learning how to conquer her fear of heights at the rock-climbing gym.

Devyn (she/her) joined in April of 2023 and is working to elevate SEPA’s social media presence and assist in creating SEPA TV productions. She also supports the MarCom team with various engagement efforts.

Prior to joining the SEPA team, Devyn worked for large, science-based institutions as a climate communications specialist and as a social media manager for small businesses.

Outside work, Devyn is an avid CrossFitter and enjoys exploring new sushi bars.

Drake joined SEPA in November 2021 and works on the Transportation team. His work at SEPA has spanned a wide range of transportation electrification topics, including fleet electrification, bidirectional charging, and equitable access. He serves as a co-lead of SEPA’s Electric Vehicle Working Group.

Prior to joining SEPA, he worked at the Arizona Corporation Commission on a wide range of utility regulatory filings. Most notably, he led the Commission’s work on developing a policy statement and implementation plan for expanding electric vehicles, electric vehicle infrastructure, and the electrification of the transportation sector in Arizona.

Drake holds a B.S. in Sustainability and a P.S.M. in Solar Energy Engineering & Commercialization from Arizona State University.

Drake is a lifelong resident of Phoenix, Arizona, and outside of work, he enjoys playing volleyball, hiking at sunset, and visiting the beautiful national parks around the country.

Elizabeth joined SEPA in April 2024 and has a decade of social equity work, including significant climate and environmental justice experience. They lead SEPA’s non-lobbying advocacy efforts by monitoring policy and regulatory developments, extensive engagement, and development of educational resources.

Elizabeth specializes in climate and environmental justice policy, Just Transition, and disaster resilience.

They spend the majority of their time outside with their dogs, Sif and Ronin, and reading sci-fi or fantasy books.