Jonathan Gillis

Chicago, Illinois | US Marine Corps Veteran

Jon Gillis is a Research Analyst in the Decision and Infrastructure Sciences Division at Argonne National Laboratory. He previously worked as an electricity market analyst at National Grid, where he focused on wholesale market integration of distributed energy resources. As a graduate student, Jon specialized in energy policy and economics with a research focus on capacity market mitigation in US electricity markets.

From 2013 to 2017, Jon served in the US Marine Corps as an infantryman and tactical advisor on unmanned and autonomous system development efforts. Jon received a BA in Government from Georgetown University and an MA in International Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is currently pursuing an MS in Finance at Georgetown University.

Robert Hayward

Dallas, Texas | US Army Veteran

Robert Hayward is the Chief Operating Officer of Chem-Energy Corporation based out of Orange County where he facilitating the company's corporate move from California to Texas and transitioning the company's focus from oil and gas/refinery development to commercial renewable energy development efforts leading with economic development and cross sector collaboration. He is a member of the Texas Advisory Committee of the United States Leadership Global Coalition, a 2019 Carnegie New Leader of the Carnigie Council of Ethics and International Affairs and is a member of the Truman National Security Project.

Robert previously served as a US Army aviation officer, reaching the rank of Major where he served as a commander in combat on three occasions in Iraq and Afghanistan earning the bronze star. As a Lieutenant, he served as the flight detachment commander for the President of the United States and the 4th Infantry Division Commander, while stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. Robert earned his bachelors of science and commission from Grambling State University as a distinguished military graduate and is currently engaged in his PHD studies in Public Administration with a focus on public
finance and economic development at the University of North Texas.

Mike Henchen

Boulder, Colorado | US Army Veteran

Mike Henchen works to advance clean energy and heating solutions in US buildings at Rocky Mountain Institute. He and his colleagues have published multiple reports setting a vision for a building sector without fossil fuels and continue to work with stakeholders across the country to make this vision a reality. He has also led several projects supporting renewable electricity across the US, including advising on energy policy and planning in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.

Before joining RMI, Mike was an engagement manager for McKinsey, working primarily with electric utilities on operations and strategy projects. Mike also served as an officer in the US Army, deploying to Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division in 2008-2009. Mike lives in Colorado with his wife and two young children. He holds a BS in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from Stanford University.

Jessica Klinge

Chicago, Illinois | US Army Veteran

Jessica Klinge is the Veteran Program Specialist for Brushwood Center’s Veteran At Ease program, which is an innovative approach to empower military veterans’ wellbeing through nature-based art, music and photography. Jessica is also a Senior Paralegal Noncommissioned Officer and a Sergeant First Class in the US Army Reserve. Over her 20-year career with the US Army Reserve, she has been activated to Germany and within the United States.

In addition to her career in the military and her current position, she has worked and volunteered in the areas of environmental education, youth education and voter turnout. In 2019, Jessica became the lead volunteer in organizing Illinois Green Veterans, a program that promotes professional development in green industries and sustainable living to Illinois veterans.

Jessica has a M.S. in Sustainable Management from University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. Her capstone project was to research how to advance sustainability- driven careers to military veterans. She also has a B.A. in History (US and Early Modern World) and Geography (People-Environment Interactions) from University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Justin Lau

St. Louis, Missouri | US Air Force Veteran

Justin Lau began his career in the US Air Force where he served as an active duty E-3 AWACS pilot and aviation mishap investigator for 7 years. Upon separating from the military in 2014, Justin worked for GE Aviation as an engineer, program manager, and sales leader in the Junior Officer Leadership Program (JOLP) before joining Emerson in 2018.

At Emerson, Justin works as a Corporate Strategic Planner supporting the Office of the Chief Executive in strategic analysis pertaining to M&A, market research, corporate strategy, and competitive strategy. His primary focus area is in advanced energy, power generation/distribution, and ESG with contributions resulting in Emerson’s acquisition of Open Source International, a smart grid software provider, for $1.6B.

In 2018, Justin also founded Emerson’s Veterans Resource Group and now represents approximately 350 employees across eight chapter-locations. Justin received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the United States Air Force Academy, a Master of Science degree in engineering from Purdue University, and a Master of Business Administration from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.

Jesse Medlong

San Francisco, California | US Navy Veteran

Jesse Medlong is a sustainability lawyer and climate diplomat at the San Francisco office of the global law firm DLA Piper. He has worked at the US Mission to the UN Human Rights Council, and now he represents the country Georgia in negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including at the 2015 Paris climate summit and in Georgia’s accession to the Environmental Integrity Group, one of only four formally recognized negotiating blocs within the UNFCCC.

In his domestic practice, Jesse represents clients on a wide variety of litigation and environmental matters, with a focus on sustainability and ESG for business. He spent his first year of practice as a Krantz Fellow working exclusively on pro bono matters. During that year, he divided his time between providing legal services to military veterans and supporting New Perimeter, DLA Piper’s unique global nonprofit.

Jesse Medlong is a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy, a Marshall Memorial Fellow, a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and a member of the Truman National Security Project.

Michael Petersen

Washington DC | US Navy Veteran

Mike Petersen is a Regional Planning and Effectiveness Manager for the corporate affairs wing of energy major Shell. He has previously held roles with the company in offshore and onshore supply chain and in business improvement in the global government relations practice. From 2018-2019 he took leave to pursue a Bosch Fellowship in Germany through which he worked in business development roles for residential battery storage company Sonnen and Smart Home e-commerce platform Tink GmbH. Prior to beginning his energy industry career, Mike spent nearly six years on active duty, primarily in the surface fleet but also in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mike is currently an Executive-in-Residence with cleantech incubator Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator. He was named a 2021 Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Lab Energy Executive Fellow; a 2018-2019 Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow; and a 2009 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Mike received a BA in German from Tulane University, a MA in International Relations from the University of Cape Town, an MBA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is currently pursuing a doctorate with a focus on Sustainable Energy Systems at Georgetown University.  

Taylor Searcy

Detroit, Michigan | US Navy Veteran

Taylor Searcy is an engineering manager with DNV GL, an international consultancy delivering world-renowned testing, certification, and advisory services throughout the energy value chain. He leads the technical team of DTE’s Energy Efficiency Program for Business, which incentivizes energy efficiency projects for commercial & industrial customers throughout Michigan.

Prior to working for DNV GL, Taylor was a sustainability consultant based in Fiji. He supported the island nation’s pursuit of low-carbon maritime transportation solutions with field research and published articles in the peer-reviewed journal Marine Policy. In 2015, he was both a Leader of Tomorrow at the St. Gallen Symposium in Switzerland and a fellow of the Northeast Asia Economic Forum’s Young Leaders Program in China.

Taylor previously served more than five years in the US Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer stationed in Japan. He received a BS in Political Science from the US Naval Academy, an MS in International Cooperation Policy from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, and an MEng in Material Flow Management from the Zero-Emission Campus at Trier University of Applied Sciences.

David Tancabel

Washington DC | US Navy Veteran

David Tancabel is an Environmental Policy Analyst with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Protection Partnership Division, which develops tools and technical analyses to support state policymakers, local governments, and utility regulators as they develop, implement, and assess energy policies that aim to reduce emissions. Prior to joining the EPA, David served as the Director of the Power Plant Research Program within the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, where he worked closely with developers, utilities, and the Maryland Public Service Commission.

David started his career with the US Navy as a Submarine Warfare Officer, completing multiple submarine deployments before reporting to the Defense Intelligence Agency, where he evaluated foreign energy policy and infrastructure as an All-Source Intelligence Analyst. After leaving active duty, David was the lead contractor for the Department of Defense (DoD) Siting Clearinghouse, where he de-conflicted renewable energy development with DoD testing, training, and operations.

David is currently a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy Reserve, serving as the Operations Department Head for a Naval Reserve unit at the Office of Naval Intelligence. He holds a Master of Science in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from Boston College.

Robin Tyner

Exeter, New Hampshire | US Navy Veteran

Robin Tyner (Captain, US Navy retired) has extensive experience leading and managing diverse teams, and problem-solving in dynamic fast-paced environments. Her strong scientific and operational background includes sea duty, shore duty, flying orders, and combat & peacetime deployments. She served in multiple Pentagon tours, focused on capabilities assessment, budget planning, and strategic organizational management. She prioritized and managed all senior executive decision forums and conferences for the Chief of Naval Operations. At the Office of Naval Research, she managed a science & technology portfolio including undersea/unmanned technologies and oceanographic/atmospheric/space/Arctic research.

She currently serves as lead oceanographer and principle analyst at Sonalysts. Robin has a life-long commitment to environmental stewardship and forward-looking energy policies - and special interest in the Arctic. Her hobbies include hiking, running, swimming, and kayaking. She has a B.S. in Physics/Oceanography from the US Naval Academy, an MBA from Southern NH University, a dual-M.S. in Physical Oceanography and Meteorology from the Navy Post-Graduate School, Monterey, CA, and completed Harvard Kennedy School programs in Moral Leadership, and Climate Change and Energy Policymaking. She serves on the Board of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship, and the Exeter, NH Energy Committee, Sustainability Committee and Planning Board.