Speaker Bios
Steve Baule
Steve Baule is currently the Executive Officer for the Los Angels Mayor's Office of Energy and Sustainability where he coordinates the sustainability goals and priorities for the City of Los Angeles. Prior to the position, Steve was the Director of Sustainable Projects in the Office of External and Regulatory Affairs at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). In the position he managed LADWP's La Kretz Innovation Campus that promotes innovation in cleantech, developed LADWP's academic partnership program and assisted on energy and water policies and programs in the City of Los Angeles.
Makeeta Birdsong
Makeeta is a Training Manager at the US Green Building Council California (USGBC-CA), dedicated to empowering individuals through expert training and workforce development opportunities. She is a Green Building Professional in GPRO Fundamentals and Construction Management, specializing in making the built environment more sustainable for all. Makeeta's role as a Training Manager is just one facet of her professional life. She is also a versatile entrepreneur and the proud owner of HappyHer Events and Entertainment. Here, she showcases her planning skills and creativity and performs live with her band. Her diverse interests and expertise in education and training are all geared toward advocating for just, equitable, and sustainable communities for all, a testament to her intriguing range of skills.
Anthony Brower
Anthony Brower is a Global Director of Gensler’s Climate Action & Sustainability Practice. His work has received more than 400 awards and has been published in various periodicals like Architect Magazine, Architectural Record, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. An architect who leads by inspiring and empowering others, Brower teaches passive design solutions at the USC School of Architecture and is currently working on his first book titled “The Renormalization of Sustainable Design.”
Yueyue Fan
Yueyue Fan is a professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Davis. She is also a faculty member in the graduate program of Applied Mathematics at UC Davis. Dr. Fan directed the program of Civil Infrastructure Systems (CIS) program at the National Science Foundation of the United States between 2020-2023, where she contributed to shaping the nation’s innovation landscape in areas related to physical and cyber infrastructure systems, resilient and smart communities, and climate adaptation. Dr. Fan’s personal research interests span transportation and energy infrastructure systems modeling, with a special emphasis on integrating applied mathematics and engineering domain knowledge to address fundamental challenges brought by data and system uncertainty, dynamics, and underdetermined issues.
Stacy Mahler
Stacy Mahler is the US Head of Sustainability for Siemens Smart Infrastructure (SI). She supports customers on their sustainability journey through infrastructure and operational enhancements that improve energy efficiency, integrate renewable energy, and enable the electrification of fleets and facilities. She also supports the carbon reduction roadmap for Siemens' SI footprint in the US in alignment with global sustainability goals. Stacy holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She has over 15 years of experience in the industrial and energy sectors.
Igor Mogilevski
Igor Mogilevski has over 20 years of experience in Power Electronics design and development and 18 years in renewable energy. As Director of Engineering at Solis Inverters, Igor is responsible for product development and solutions for Solis Inverters. His vision is to design and develop reliable, efficient, and cost-effective products for the renewable energy market. Igor enjoys world travel and is an avid local hiking enthusiast.
Mark Padilla
Mark Padilla is a licensed Electrical Engineer and graduate of LMU Class of 2003. He has over 20 years of engineering experience working for the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. He has worked on multiple projects supporting power generation and transmission of renewable energy. He currently manages the Generation Electrical Engineering Section which supports all the generating stations and hydro and renewable power plant facilities.
Jason Rondou
Jason Rondou is Chief of Staff for the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP), supporting Power related initiatives for CEO Janisse Quinones. Previously he was Director of Engineering, overseeing distribution, transmission, and generation engineering, including the $1.4B annual Power System Reliability Program. Previously Jason led LADWP’s Planning Division, where he oversaw the completion of the groundbreaking LA100 study, a partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory which charted pathways to 100% clean energy in Los Angeles. He previously also oversaw LADWP’s integrated resource planning, and utility-scale renewable and energy storage procurement. Jason graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Electrical Engineering and has a Master of Public Administration from USC and an MBA from UCLA. Jason is a licensed Electrical and Transportation Engineer in the state of California and is the former Chair of the Los Angeles IEEE Power & Energy Society.
Mayte Sanchez
Mayte Sanchez is the Senior Director of Energy at the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), where she oversees its public-private Clean Energy Partnership. This partnership accelerates the move to 100% clean energy while ensuring transportation electrification, building decarbonization, and grid resiliency in the Greater Los Angeles Region by the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Prior to LACI, Mayte worked as the Senior State Affairs Liaison at the California Independent System Operator, advancing initiatives that supported California’s clean electric grid transition. Mayte holds a Bachelor’s degree from Pitzer College.
John T. Sebastian
John T. Sebastian, Ph.D., became LMU's second vice president for mission and ministry on June 12, 2017. He is also a tenured professor of English. Sebastian joined LMU from Loyola University New Orleans, where he also served as vice president for mission and ministry. As the chief mission officer, he developed and executed the university's strategic plan for the Office of Mission and Ministry and served on the president's cabinet and other leadership committees.
Edan Simpson
Edan Simpson has extensive experience across diverse technologies in renewable generation, battery storage, demand response utility programs, and energy efficiency. With 11 years in the industry, his background includes entrepreneurial ventures and starting two companies within the energy and conservation space. Since joining Siemens Distributed Energy Systems (DES) in 2021, Edan has continued to drive business in the Pacific Region, focusing on storage and energy efficiency programs throughout California.
Joana Tavares
Jo Tavares is a scientist, educator, and community organizer who helps people find ways to get involved in Climate Action. As the Director for the California Center for Climate Change Education at West LA College, Jo works with students, faculty, and community members to solve the climate crisis while improving lives by prioritizing projects centered on justice, equity, and economic mobility. Jo holds a PhD in Earth System Science (UC Irvine), an MSc in Marine Science and Policy (UDel), and a BS in oceanography (FURG Brazil). Jo spends her free time outdoors, enjoying activities such as running trails, snorkeling, surfing, and gardening.
John Vause
John Vause is a multi-award-winning journalist for CNN International. Based at the network’s headquarters in Atlanta, he currently co-anchors ‘CNN Newsroom’ from 12-2am ET on CNNI. For the past 25 years, Vause has traveled the world, reporting from more than 30 countries and has been based in Atlanta, Beijing, Jerusalem, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Canberra, and Los Angeles. He has seen firsthand the devastation caused by some of the world’s biggest natural disasters: earthquakes in Haiti and China, bush fires, floods, and typhoons. Vause holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in American history from the University of Queensland.
Zhehan Yi
Dr. Zhehan Yi is the Utility & ESS Product Solutions Director with Chint Power Systems America. He leads CPS’s Utility & ESS Product Strategy. Dr. Yi graduated from George Washington University with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. He previously worked for Delta Electronics Americas and The Smart Grid Research Institute State Grid Corporation of China. He holds six granted patents and has authored over 30 peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. Dr. Yi is an IEEE Senior Member, Associate Editor for IEEE Access, and Co-Chair for the IEEE Task Force on Internet of Things for Power Systems. His research interests include power electronics, AI in power systems, and renewable energy integration.