'%3E%3Cmask id='b' fill='%23fff'%3E%3Cuse xlink:href='%23a'/%3E%3C/mask%3E%3Cuse fill='%23414141' xlink:href='%23a'/%3E%3Cg mask='url(%23b)' fill='%23414141'%3E%3Cpath d='M-160-170h300v300h-300z'/%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Tennessee Valley Women's Policy Summit
Washington, DC - July 25, 2024
Presentations
Tennessee Valley Women’s Socioeconomic Stats
Speaker Bios
Arranged Alphabetically by Last Name
Kara Allen
Senior Energy and Climate Advisor to Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse
Kara Allen is senior energy and climate advisor, energy lead to Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island). Allen previously served as assistant secretary of energy to former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and senior advisor for policy and regulatory affairs at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. She has also served as executive director of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, a coalition of House members dedicated to advancing policies pertaining to clean energy innovation and job creation, environmental protection, and global climate change. She is also an adjunct professor at NYU’s School of Professional Studies, where she teaches Foundations of Clean Technology.
LK Browning
Principal Team Lead, Heat Pump Working Council and Workforce Strategist
EPRI
LK Browning joined the Electric Power Research Institute in 2021 to help lead a project to provide training for distribution engineers. The institute's GridEd project started in 2013 and continues to provide workforce development support to utilities around the globe. Her current research focus is on next-generation heat pumps. She has a wealth of experience in private, public and government/quasi-government organizations, such as the Tennessee Valley Authority where she developed and implemented demand-side management programs for EnergyRight Solutions. In addition to her role in startups and Fortune 200 companies, she implemented a lineworker training program for a community college and taught at Vanderbilt University.
Laura Campbell
Vice President,
Supply Chain
Tennessee Valley Authority
Laura Campbell was named vice president, Supply Chain in June 2019. She leads supply chain functions including the procurement of all TVA’s materials, equipment and services. She also sets strategies related to category management, fleet services, the disposition of TVA’s surplus or excess materials, the relationship with suppliers including diverse and valley businesses, materials warehousing and distribution, and inventory strategies and processes.
Gina Cooper
International Vice President
IBEW
Gina Cooper was appointed Fourth District Vice President for IBEW on Sept. 1, 2020, making her the first woman to serve as an international officer in the IBEW’s 130-year history. A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, she began her career at IBEW Local 357 in 1985 before moving to Local 45 and then to Local 396, serving in multiple capacities. In 2022, she was honored to be officially elected as the first female International Officer in the IBEW by the delegates of the Fourth District at the IBEW 40th International Convention.
Molly Cripps
Director
Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation
Molly Cripps is the director of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Office of Energy Programs. In addition to her energy-related work, she serves as the director of operations for the Bureau of Environment, including emergency and environmental response efforts. She leads teams that focus on the design and implementation of clean energy and sustainable transportation programs and projects, including those funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act and Tennessee’s allocation under the Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust.
Emily Domenech
Senior Vice President
Boundary Stone Partners
Emily Domenech recently joined Boundary Stone Partners as senior vice president, leading Republican engagement for the firm. She previously served as senior policy advisor to Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry and Speaker Mike Johnson. In this role, she managed the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Science, Space, and Technology, and all permitting and climate policy for House Republicans. Before her work on Capitol Hill, she held positions at the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense and served as the federal liaison for Texas. She currently serves as a U.S. Navy Reserve Officer.
Max Frankel
Executive Director, Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition
Max Frankel is executive director of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition Institute. He brings a decade of experience in energy and environmental policy to the institute, working both within and outside of government to advance climate solutions. Prior to leading SEEC Institute, he served as deputy director of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid, a director in the energy practice at Invariant, and policy advisor and legislative director in Rep. Mike Quigley's (D-Illinois) office. He received his bachelor's degree from Vassar College in New York. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Karla, and their two cats, Sunny and Cleo.
Beth Geer
TVA Board of Directors
Beth Geer of Brentwood, Tennessee, serves as the chief of staff for former Vice President Al Gore and participated in the Nashville Sustainability Advisory Committee. She applied her policy experience in climate change and environmental justice to previous positions in the Clinton-Gore White House, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Senate.
Brandon Gibson
Chief Operating Officer
State of Tennessee
Brandon O. Gibson is chief operating officer in Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s office. In that role, she manages the operations of the state’s 23 departments, driving cross-department collaboration to serve Tennessee’s citizens best. Prior to serving as COO, she served as Lee’s senior advisor. She served on the Tennessee Court of Appeals before joining Lee’s cabinet. A native of West Tennessee, she graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science degree and a master’s degree in agribusiness management. She graduated from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 2000.
Erin Gill
Vice President, Sustainability & Government Relations
Knoxville Utilities Board
Erin Gill serves as vice president of Sustainability & Government Relations at Knoxville Utilities Board, where she drives progress toward cleaner and more resilient energy and water services and manages relationships with governmental and other regional partners. She is known for leading collaborative, results-oriented initiatives that leverage strong partnerships and good policy to make Knoxville a safer, vibrant and sustainable community. She previously served at the City of Knoxville where she held the roles of director of sustainability, chief polity officer and deputy to Mayor Indya Kincannon.
Paula Glover
President
Alliance to Save Energy
Paula R. Glover is president of the Alliance to Save Energy, a bipartisan, nonprofit coalition that promotes federal energy efficiency policy. Throughout her tenure, she has played a crucial role in advancing key policies such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act while securing billions in federal funding for energy efficiency programs. She has also expanded the Alliance's focus on energy justice and the development of next-generation technologies through the Active Efficiency Collaborative and the Energy 2040 Initiative.
Beth Harwell
TVA Board of Directors
Beth Harwell of Nashville, Tennessee, was the speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives for seven years while serving as the 56th District state representative for nearly 30 years. Previously, she chaired the Tennessee Republican Party and served as an assistant professor of political science at Belmont University, as well as in a variety of additional roles in both education and public service.
Missy Henriksen
Executive Director
Center for Energy Workforce Development
Missy Henriksen became executive director of the Center for Energy Workforce Development in December 2019, bringing 30 years of nonprofit management and workforce-development expertise to the organization. She is responsible for leading the Center’s programs and initiatives to ensure a skilled, diverse talent pipeline for the energy sector. She has been appointed to the Department of Energy’s Electricity Advisory Committee and chairs the Department’s 21st Century Energy Workforce Advisory Board. She was recently named to the Department of Labor’s Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship.
Jessica Hogle
Chief of Federal Affairs
Tennessee Valley Authority
Jessica Hogle joined TVA as vice president of Federal Affairs in 2021 to lead the agency’s efforts in Washington, D.C. She brought with her a wealth of experience developing and implementing strategies that advance national energy and economic policies. She leads the D.C.-based team to engage and educate elected officials, policymakers, stakeholders and trade organizations on policy matters that impact public power in the Valley region.
Elise Krekorian
Counsel
House Energy and Commerce Committee
Elise Krekorian is a counsel on the Energy and Commerce Committee for the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee. Prior to this, she worked for Congressman Jeff Duncan and handled his energy and environment policy portfolio. She is a graduate of Clemson University and Catholic University's, Columbus School of Law.
Jeff Lyash
President & CEO
Tennessee Valley Authority
Jeff Lyash is president and chief executive officer of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Appointed by the Board of Directors in February 2019, he leads the nation’s largest public utility in its mission of service to the people of the Tennessee Valley region. He is as comfortable talking with a crew in a plant as he is in the boardroom. His exceptional people skills and technical experience make him one of the top leaders in the energy industry.
Gayle Conelly Manchin
Federal Co-Chair
Appalachian Regional Commission
Gayle Conelly Manchin was sworn in as federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission on May 6, 2021. She works with governors, program managers, and a network of local development districts across the 13-state region. Her priorities include the creation of greater economic opportunities in the Appalachian Region, increasing broadband access and critical infrastructure, and restoring hope and purpose to lives upended by the opioid crisis through a multi-state approach.
Brianne Miller
Senior Director of Government Affairs, Microsoft
Brianne Miller is a seasoned energy policy expert with nearly 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors. She currently leads Microsoft’s advocacy efforts on clean energy, energy infrastructure and environmental sustainability in the United States. She joined Microsoft in 2022 after serving as director of federal relations for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory, where she focused on policy issues related to nuclear energy, national security, science and the environment. She held various positions on Capitol Hill before joining the national laboratory. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University.
Jeannette Mills
Executive Vice President and Chief External Relations Officer
Tennessee Valley Authority
Jeannette Mills is executive vice president and chief external relations officer at Tennessee Valley Authority. She leads TVA’s vision and execution for relationships with communities, government officials, stakeholder groups, and regional and national industries. She manages relationships with the 153 local power companies that distribute TVA energy and its directly served industrial and institutional customers. She is an active speaker on diversity and inclusion, STEM, robotics, public service and women’s career development within the energy sector. She serves on the board of directors of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis, the American Association of Blacks in Energy and the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation.
Michelle Moore
TVA Board of Directors
Michelle Moore of Midlothian, Virginia, is the author of “Rural Renaissance” and CEO of Groundswell, a nonprofit that builds community power to reduce energy burdens and expand economic opportunity. From her roots in rural Georgia, she has worked to connect clean energy with affordability and quality of life for more than 25 years, including leading federal sustainability and infrastructure project delivery for the Obama White House.
Michelle Richardson
Chief of Staff
Senator Roger Wicker
Michelle Richardson is currently the chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Mississippi’s senior senator. A native of Clinton, Mississippi, She received her Bachelor of Arts in political science from Mississippi State University in 1997. After working for Wicker following graduation, she served with the Mississippi State University Foundation. She returned to Wicker’s staff in 2001 and was promoted to deputy chief of staff in 2004 and chief of staff in 2006. Her responsibilities include managing his Washington and Mississippi staff and events, as well as overseeing correspondence, policy initiatives and political efforts.
Danette Scudder
Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer
Tennessee Valley Public Power Association
Danette Scudder is executive vice president and chief strategy officer for the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association, which serves 153 consumer-owned electric utilities that purchase wholesale electric power from the Tennessee Valley Authority and distribute it in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, Virginia and North Carolina. She ensures the association delivers exceptional member value by advocating for members’ interests with the public, in the political arena and with TVA, and by providing competitive, industry-specific business services. She has served in her current role since 2017 and has oversight of the association’s strategic partnerships, government relations, distribution engineering services, communications, conferences and nationally recognized education and training programs.
Ashley Slater
Vice President, Regulatory Affairs
NRECA
Ashley Slater is vice president of regulatory affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. She leads a team of advocates and sets the strategic direction of the association’s regulatory programs. She also represents the interests of member cooperatives on matters before federal and state regulatory agencies, executive branch departments, national standards development organizations and national policy forums. She has more than 20 years of experience navigating complex legislative, regulatory and political issues at both the state and federal government level.
Kristin Spearman
Vice President, Transmission Field Planning
Tennessee Valley Authority
Kristin Spearman currently serves as vice president, Transmission Field Operations, leading the organization responsible for construction, maintenance and emergency response associated with TVA’s transmission lines, substations and switchyards. Her team focuses on the safe and reliable operation of existing assets as well as constructing new assets to support TVA’s growth. Within TVA, she has held positions working in generation engineering, river operations, financial services and planning and projects.
