EEI - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Electric Operations
Mr. Obayashi is the Vice President of Electric Operations and is responsible for ensuring that EEI's value proposition is delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner related to all electric utility consulting products and services. Working closely internally with key engineering, field services and financial teams, he ensures optimum alignment with our clients' objectives and goals.
Mr. Obayashi has extensive experience in the utility industry, from working as a lineman to running complex projects as a manager. His diverse experience encompasses transmission, substation and distribution construction work. In addition to holding over 20 years' experience in superintendent and supervisory roles, Mr. Obayashi has served as a Director in Electric Engineering and a Senior Director of Project Management in his tenure with EEI, taking on and leading the California High Speed Rail project, as well as mitigation work on the fire hardening engineering projects for PG&E's firestorm events.
Mr. Obayashi oversees activities related to all Electric T&D Projects for the firm.
Job Titles:
- Director, Safety and Compliance
As the Director of Safety and Compliance, Mr. Gault is responsible for the Company's Safety Program. He has 46 years of management and field experience in gas construction process and procedures at PG&E. Mr. Gault has extensive experience in change management and innovation in work processes to deliver energy safely. He has held a number of positions with increasing responsibilities from a welder to successive leadership roles from a Supervisor to a Superintendent.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Management Consulting
- Vice President, Management Consulting & Corporate Services
Mr. Agid is the Vice President of Management Consulting and Corporate Services. Mr. Agid is responsible for providing and supporting our clients with the advice and counsel of industry subject matter experts. EEI's management consulting business covers a diverse range of support such as litigation and experts witness services, technical and business consultation, regulatory and compliance matters, as well as providing other corporate support services for our clients.
Mr. Agid developed his broad utility experience across operations and customer care through leadership assignments in Gas and Electric Field Services, Electric Switching Center Operations, Call Center Operations, Local Office Customer Service, and Meter Reading. Most recently, he was the Managing Director of Business Development.
Mr. Agid has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from San Francisco State University and serves on the Board of Directors of Utilimetrics (Utility Technology Association).
Mr. Agid oversees all Management Consulting activities and supports various the needs for Corporate
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Europe Operations
Mr. Cliff Simon represents Energy Experts International's business and strategic interests in Europe. He manages the Company's business operations from the Company's European Office located in Brussels, Belgium.
Mr. Simon is a veteran in the energy business with over 28 years of international experience. His career as managing director of a natural gas pipe manufacturing plant in Mexico since the early 1980's gave him a unique perspective on Mexico's natural gas industry. Mexico's dynamic privatization process included worldwide players in gas distribution, bringing Mr. Simon in contact with diverse distribution technologies, regulations and corporate cultures. Mr. Simon expanded his international expertise working in Italy from 2000 to 2003 where he developed technical and commercial relationships with European gas consortiums. With the launch of the Brussels office in 2007, Mr. Simon has become a specialist on EU energy policy and he coordinates the Company's projects in Europe and the Middle East.
Mr. Simon earned a BA in Economics and Management from Beloit College, Wisconsin.
Mr. Simon represents Energy Experts International's business and strategic interests of the European
Job Titles:
- Supervisor, Business Operations
Ms. Myers is responsible for the Business Operations for the Company and oversees all facets of General Administration, Accounting, Payroll and Contract Management.
She is a 30 year veteran manager with a wealth of diverse industry experience working for such firms as Sun Microsystems, Marathon International and most recently Palo Alto Pathology. Ms. Myers earned her BS in Business Administration from Menlo College.
Job Titles:
- Principal Consultant & Gas Operations Senior Advisor
Mr. Johansen has extensive experience in construction & project management, and versed in all aspects of gas operations, with a record of consistent achievement in improving quality, accountability, and efficiency. He has extensive experience in all facets of gas and electrical construction work spanning 40+ years with PG&E and Comcast.
Job Titles:
- Board Director
- COO
- Executive Vice President
- Member of the Leadership Team
Mr. Donald Murray is the Executive Vice President & COO as well as a Board Director with 50 years of experience in the energy industry. He has 29 years of management experience with Pacific Gas & Electric Company and a diverse background in the gas and electric utility industry. He worked as an electrical engineer early in his career and progressed to positions with increasing responsibility. In his most recent assignment, Mr. Murray was appointed as the Director of Capital Investment for the San Francisco Division. During his career, he amassed extensive experience in managing high profile assignments. One of the more difficult assignments he tackled was the planning, design and completion of a $50 million gas pipeline replacement and electric underground project in San Francisco. As a result of Mr. Murray's outstanding work management as the Division Gas & Electric Operation's manager, his Division received the Chairman's Award, the company's highest accolade, in 1995.
Mr. Murray earned his BS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and earned his certification in Executive Management from the Haas School of Business.
Mr. Murray is the Executive Vice President & COO as well as a Board Director with 50 years of
Job Titles:
- General Manager
- General Manager, Inspection & Technical Services
Mr. Glover manages the EEI San Bernardino Office on all matters relating to the provision of field technical services for the construction and maintenance work related to Gas Distribution and Transmission Pipeline Systems, as well as serving as the Key Contact for the Electric Inspection Program. With over 35 years of experience working in Southern California Gas Company, Mr. Glover also handles and coordinates Operator Qualification testing and compliance, Drug and Alcohol Testing, and provides expert witness testimonies and field validation on compliance issues.
Job Titles:
- Vice President & General Manager, Electric Business Initiatives
- Vice President of General Manager
- Vice President, Electric Initiatives
Dr. Rudy Movafagh is the Sr. Vice President of General Manager, Electric Business Initiatives. He is primarily responsible for overseeing the Company's overall Energy consulting business. He will also oversee the R&D efforts to explore, probe and implement new ideas and concepts into EEI's repertoire as a service offering for our clients.
Dr. Rudy Movafagh has over 36 years of experience in Asset Management, Engineering, Design, Operation, Construction Management, and Work coordination in both public and private sectors of the electric utility industry. He has held engineering and leadership positions with companies such as Boston Edison, NSTAR and Danvers Electric. Most recently he was the Director of Electric Standards for Transmission, Substation, and Distribution at PG&E.
Dr. Movafagh has a doctorate in electric engineering from Northeastern University.
Mr. Movafagh oversees all Electric Initiatives and the Engineering & R&D for the firm.
Mr. Takahashi is the Executive Advisor, Asian Business. He has over 34 years of experience in the gas and electric business at Tokyo Gas, Japan. He has extensive experience and knowledge not only in Japan but also outside Japan, including working at the Tokyo Gas Paris Representative Office twice. He has been involved in various projects such as researching energy utility strategies, exploring new business opportunities, and planning, constructing and operating power generation facilities. During his career, he served as president of Tokyo Gas International Holdings B.V., an overseas financial management company, and also served as director of several subsidiaries of Tokyo Gas such as power generation and electricity retail companies in Japan and overseas. For the development of electricity business in Japan, he served as a member of some committees at the Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators, and the Electric Power System Council of Japan.
For 37 years with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Mr. Hyndman was responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of electric and overhead facilities. During his career he held positions of Distribution Engineer, General Foreman, Senior Specialist, and Gas and Electric Superintendent. Mr. Hyndman was chairman of the State of California's General Order 95 and 128 Rules committee. He retired as the Gas and Electric Superintendent for the San Francisco division. After PG&E, he was an independent consultant, specializing in General Order 95 issues. Mr. Hyndman also worked for an "Applicant Design" firm concentrating on electric facilities in the San Francisco and North Peninsula areas of California. Some areas of expertise include electric overhead and underground distribution standards, electric underground cable restoration and replacement, and distribution substructure problem resolution.
Job Titles:
- General Manager, Valve & Actuator Services Division
Mr. Butler has over 17 years of experience in valve and actuator sales, service, installation, startup, repairs and testing. With a fully qualified and factory-trained personnel for in-shop, in-field service, and adaption engineering and manufacturing, Mr. Butler manages a full service machine shop and testing capabilities in our office in Newark, CA.
Les Buchner has over forty years of experience across almost all facets of California's regulated natural gas industry, including engineering, operations and planning, strategic planning, business management, regulatory strategy and filings development, and testifying as an expert witness in regulatory proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission. Mr. Buchner worked with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Company for over 35 years, and most recently has been leveraging his broad and extensive gas industry knowledge by providing expert consulting services to PG&E's Gas Operations organization in support of their gas distribution and transmission rate case filings. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, a Master of Business Administration degree from St. Mary's College, and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of California.
Job Titles:
- Board Director
- CEO
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Member of the OFFICERS Team
- President
- Co - Founder of Energy Experts International
Mr. Michael Watanabe is the co-founder of Energy Experts International with 45 years of experience in the energy business. He has 25 years of gas and electric utility management and technical expertise with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and a diverse background that includes assignments in Engineering, Operations, Marketing and Research & Development. In addition to his experience in the regulated utility sector, he has worked with PG&E affiliates, serving in an advisory capacity to provide technical input and general market feasibility for projects in Indonesia, Taiwan, Australia and Japan. In his most recent appointment at PG&E, Mr. Watanabe served as Director of Technology Development and successfully expanded the scope of international technology exchanges with European and Asian utility companies.
Mr. Watanabe is a graduate of the University of Texas and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of California. He earned his MBA in Management from the University of San Francisco and attended the Engineering Executive Program at Stanford University.
Mr. Watanabe is the co-founder of Energy Experts International with 45 years of experience in the
energy business. He is a member of the Board of Directors.
Mr. Chuck Cotting has 46 years of experience in the Natural Gas Industry. He has extensive operational management experience, a strong blend of engineering, performance measurement and budgetary experience and knowledge combined with sound technical, financial and managerial skills. Former workplaces include National Grid, KeySpan Energy Delivery, Boston Gas Company, Lynn Gas Company, NEES, and Mystic Valley Gas Company, NEES.
Mr. Ernie Papadoulias has 30 years of experience in natural gas engineering while working at National Grid. He has worked in the natural gas code and regulatory world and more recently in compliance activities. He has developed database/web site systems designed to serve up gas installation, maintenance and operations procedures to National Grid's U.S. staff. He is currently developing database/web site systems for National Grid as an EEI employee. Mr. Papadoulias' former workplaces include Ebasco Services Inc, Burns & Roe, Chemapec Inc, and National Grid (previously KeySpan, previously Long Island Lighting Co).
Mr. Jack Stiltz worked 32 years for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) before retiring in 1993. During this employment he held the following positions: Gas Service Supervisor, Gas Construction Supervisor, Gas Transmission and Regulation Supervisor, Gas General Foreman and Gas and Electric Service Superintendent. In 1995 Mr. Stiltz opened and operated a landscape company which he later sold in 2009. He joined Energy Experts International in 2010 as a part time employee. Mr. Stiltz worked as a field inspector on the 243-12 Regulator Replacement Program and as the Field Coordinator for the Pacific Gas and Electric Meter Protection Post Program. As a SME, he presented an overview of Gas and Electric Service work to newly hired Engineer trainees to broaden their overall experience and skills in the utility industry. He also helped prepare a bid package for a PG&E, Gas Meter Atmospheric Corrosion Project.
Mr. Jim Carson worked 37 years for Fisher Controls as a sales engineer and in various levels of sales management with their local representative Associated Process Controls. Upon retiring from Fisher Controls, Jim has worked eight years at EEI. His focus has been in the energy industries beginning with nuclear power application support of engineering contractors such as Bechtel. For the last 20 years with Fisher, he has worked with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) on natural gas regulation products. Jim was involved with selection, trouble shooting, and maintenance of regulation equipment. Since joining EEI, Jim has worked on projects involving gas regulation training and product testing. His expertise is in training and course development.
Mr. Jim Robertson has 38 years of engineering experience with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in gas distribution and transmission in area of measurement, regulation, and filtration. He specified and assisted with the design of the metering and regulation equipment (control valves) for major intertie stations, power plant stations, and large transmission stations. He reviewed projects for new metering stations requiring ultrasonic or turbine meters for correct meter type, size, and design layout. Mr. Robertson also reviewed major pressure control stations for control valve selection and basic design layout. He oversaw development of a PG&E design standard for major control valve stations. He approved and provided PE stamp for major station metering and regulation design drawings. In previous years he developed standard drawings and specifications for district regulator station design.
Mr. Jim Walsh's early years of employment was in the construction and home improvement industry, both working onsite and as a sales/estimator. In 2003 he went to work with PG&E working in their Mapping department. In 2008 Mr. Walsh became an Electric Engineering Estimator where he estimated and designed large and small projects for 8 years. He retired from PG&E in June of 2016 and began working for EEI following his retirement.
Mr. Joe Bronner has 44 years of experience in gas engineering and operations. He held positions in engineering, engineering technical, and operations management during a 40-year career working at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), including gas operations, gas supply, gas system maintenance and technical support, gas transmission, and gas measurement and control. He has four years with EEI as a measurement and control consultant. He has represented PG&E on the AGA Transmission Measurement Committee for 12 years and served as committee chairman in 2009.
Mr. John Lloyd has 36 years of experience in the Oil and Gas Industry. He is a High Pressure Pipe Welder/CPWI, SoCal Gas Pipeline Welding Inspector. Most projects are in oil and gas construction, new and old, and he has done pipe work in over 15 states. He has worked in Alaska for 18 years doing projects for BP and Conoco Phillips.
Job Titles:
- Director, Engineering and Design
Mr. Phil Storment has over 41 years' experience in the gas & electric utility business with PG&E. He has extensive experience in both New Business and Reconstruction estimating and design work. Mr. Storment is knowledgeable of relevant federal, state and local regulations, as well as Tariffs related to serving utility customers. He rose through the ranks at PG&E, starting as a Gas Estimator and taking on increasing responsibilities in managerial positions, as Manager and retiring as Sr. Director.
Mr. Storment is a graduate of Santa Clara University with a BS in Business Administration.
Job Titles:
- Registered Professional Engineer
Ms. Carol Hynes is a registered Professional Engineer with experience in natural gas engineering and operations. She has expertise in design and project management for gas distribution, transmission, and aquifer storage facilities. She is experienced in utility operations, project management, transmission integrity management, distribution integrity management and management of compliance programs. Ms. Hynes worked for AGL Resources and Nicor Gas for 35 years prior to joining EEI in 2015.
As a technical writer for over 40 years, Ms. Donita Sevedge developed expertise in every aspect of technical documentation for a wide variety of audiences, including field service representatives, engineers, programmers, and end users. She has eight years writing technical documentation for EEI clients, working with gas and electric engineers and technical publications staff to create and release documents defining the work standards and procedures required for company personnel to do their jobs professionally, safely, and in compliance with company standards and government regulations. Throughout her career, she successfully learned and documented new technical material for diverse subjects and audiences: programming and design instructions for computer-aided design developers and users (Cadence Design Systems, Inc.; Hewlett-Packard), supercomputer/array processor programmers (Saxpy Computer Corporation; Floating Point Systems, Inc.), chip developers and users (Weitek Corporation), mainframe computer programmers (Synthesized Computer Systems, Inc.), and PC and terminal users (Wyse Technology).
Ms. Doreen Sam retired from Southern California Gas Company (SoCal Gas) with 34 years of experience in natural gas engineering. During her career she spent over 20 years working on all aspects in the design of metering and regulating facilities. In her final position with the utility, she was managing a group of engineers, technical consultants and CAD designers responsible for every phase of designing standard meter set assemblies and regulator stations. In addition, Ms. Sam was responsible for maintaining the energy content measurement system. Prior to her last assignment with metering and regulation, she spent over 10 years working in the System Engineering and Planning groups which analyzed distribution and transmission pipeline networks using simulation software. She held positions of increasing responsibility in the Transmission Planning group. During this time, she identified opportunities to increase the flexibility of storage field and compressor station operations by the additions of some valves and crossover piping. Ms. Sam is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of California, with a BS degree in Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles and has an MBA from California Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Prior to joining EEI in 2006, Ms. Elaine Chow-Davis worked for Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) in pipeline system design (transmission) and gas regulatory policy. Ms. Chow-Davis has 20 years of experience in the gas utility industry. Her expertise includes codes and standards work in operations and engineering to ensure compliance as well as human-factors usability. She has also researched and prepared "white paper" reports on a wide range of natural gas utility topics, including regulation, market issues, engineering and operations. She also provides project management and engineering support for natural gas utility client projects. Ms. Chow-Davis graduated from the University of California, Davis with B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and is a registered Professional Engineer in California.
Ms. Jas Staso is a Program Manager with 27 years of experience in the gas and electric utility industry. In her career with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Ms. Staso was the Test Manager during the multi-year implementation of a new customer care and billing application, as well as the introduction and incorporation of SmartMeter technology relevant to customer billing. She joined the Center of Excellence for Deployment and Service Introduction to contribute process development and solidify the COE's presence on all IT projects. In her most recent assignment, Ms. Staso is partnering with multiple lines of business to transition a legacy library of information to a single enterprise-wide document repository for technical information. She brings experience in application functionality testing, User Acceptance Testing, training capabilities, quality assurance, business-needs analysis and business process development. Ms. Staso earned her BS in Business Management from the University of Redlands, California.
Job Titles:
- Director, Human Resources
- Director, Human Resources, PHR, SHRMCP
Ms. Yu brings 20+ years of extensive experience and a solid background in all facets of Human Resources spanning several industries. Ms. Yu has served in past key roles as a Director and Business Partner for several prominent firms providing leadership and direction as a corporate wide HR Leader. She is a certified PHR and is a graduate of St. Mary's College with a BS in Business Administration.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Energy Market Enterprises
Mr. Pat Hayes is the Vice President, Energy Market Enterprises. Mr. Hayes provides leadership and guidance in working on new concepts and approaches to meeting the future Energy needs of clients, especially in the downstream renewable energy business.
He is a 40 year veteran of the utility business and was responsible for the provision of gas and electric services for PG&E's customers in densely populated sectors of Northern California. He has an extensive and diverse experience interfacing with utility clients, as well as the energy industry in the private sector. He spearheaded numerous initiatives such as the EV charging station and overhead to underground conversion projects, as the Director of the Utility Design & Consulting Division for Energy Experts International.
Mr. Hayes is a graduate of the University of San Francisco and has a Law Degree from Empire College.
Mr. Hayes manages new energy market services for the firm.
Job Titles:
- Vice President Emeritus, Gas Engineering
Mr. Robert Becken served as the Vice President of Gas Engineering from May 2005 to September 2018. As Vice President Emeritus, he will continue to stay involved in industry related matters. He has 50+ years of experience in the natural gas industry and served in various managerial and technical positions with increasing responsibilities. Mr. Becken has extensive knowledge and expertise in all facets of gas design engineering, maintenance and construction issues. His technical expertise includes the design of pipelines, control systems, regulation, compressor stations, as well as natural gas fueling stations. At PG&E, he served as the Company's Chief Technical consultant for the California Gas Transmission Unit. Mr. Becken is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of California, both as a Mechanical and as a Control System Engineer.
Mr. Becken graduated from the University of Washington with a BS in both Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering.
Mr. Becken served as the Vice President of Gas Engineering from May 2005 to September 2016 and
Job Titles:
- Director, Field Services, Eastern Region
Mr. Naper holds his expertise in several areas with specialties in gas operations, regulatory compliance, leak surveys, leak survey equipment, leak survey audits, advanced leak pinpointing techniques, R&D, Incident Evaluation, Expert Witness, Cast Iron Encroachment, and Distribution Integrity Management Programs.
Job Titles:
- Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois
- Senior Vice President & GM, Gas & Energy Initiatives
- Vice President & General Manager, Gas and Energy Business Initiatives
Mr. Steve Gauthier is the Sr. Vice President & General Manager, Gas and Energy Business Initiatives, a veteran of 30+ years in the Energy industry and is primarily responsible for overseeing the Company's overall Gas & (non-Electric) Energy consulting business. In this role, he is the lead executive concerning all matters related to the Natural Gas Industry and non-Electric Energy Resources. He has held key positions in several organizations, serving as the Vice President of Research & Deployment at the Gas Technology Institute, Principal Technology Manager at the Gas Research Institute, and more recently held the position as Vice President & General Manager for the Midwest Region. He has extensive experience in marketing and business development, as well as having a solid foundation in engineering and technical services.
Mr. Gauthier is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Illinois and a graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He earned his MBA from the University of Illinois.
Job Titles:
- Manager, Gas Construction & Field Services
Mr. Brown has extensive experience in all facets of natural gas construction and maintenance work, as well as being expertly versed in all aspects of safely operating natural gas systems, with a proven track record of 47 years experience in management and field positions with PG&E.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Electric Engineering & Design
Mr. Escobar is responsible for overseeing the Electric Engineering and Design Department. He began his career over 6 years ago with EEI and has extensive experience in electric distribution engineering. Mr. Escobar has held several positions with increasing responsibility within EEI's engineering organization.
Mr. Escobar earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at California State University at Northridge.