ENERGY MANAGEMENT COLLABORATIVE - Key Persons


Aakash Chandarana

Job Titles:
  • GM, Smart Building Controls IoT Solutions
As General Manager of the IoT Solutions business unit, Aakash leads product development and delivery capabilities to help customers realize the value of their existing investments and understand, navigate and implement smart building and IoT technologies. Previously, Chandarana was Vice President of Commercial and Industrial Customer Solutions at Xcel Energy where he was responsible for developing, implementing and managing products and services, including energy efficiency initiatives for medium to large business customers. He holds degrees in business management and biology as well as a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Bobby Ridley

Job Titles:
  • VP, Customer Solutions
In his current role, Bobby oversees EMC customer solutions, which includes our Audit, Design and Solutions Management teams. Bobby has been with EMC for more than 12 years, beginning his EMC career as an auditor and then later held service manager and program manager positions. In his current role, Bobby leverages his lighting industry experience to drive best-in-class solutions for customers. He has a bachelor's degree in business administration and management from the University of North Dakota.

Derek Johnson

Job Titles:
  • Head of the Project
  • VP, Project Excellence
In his current position at EMC, Derek serves as the head of the Project Excellence team, which bears the responsibility for managing all project installation facets within a turnkey project. His professional journey commenced as a project auditor, and subsequently, he held roles as a project manager and sales manager. With more than 15 years of experience in the energy efficiency sector, Derek possesses a deep understanding of EMC's intricate turnkey model. He brings forth substantial expertise in customer interactions, quantifiable project outcomes and the pursuit of novel business development opportunities to enrich our projects. Derek holds a bachelor's degree in bio-based management and marketing from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.

Jerry Johnson - CEO, Founder

Job Titles:
  • CEO
  • Founder
An EMC founder, Jerry took the company from initial concept to a strong, dynamic and well-respected company. Prior to EMC, Jerry served as president and CEO of Datacard Group and vice president and general manager of the Power Generation Americas division of Cummins. Recognized as a 2015 and 2023 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist, Jerry is also a Bush Leadership Fellowship award winner. He earned his MBA from the Stanford Sloan Program and holds a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of North Dakota. A National Association of Corporate Directors member, Jerry has served as a United Way Key Executive and board member for Junior Achievement of the Midwest.

Kent Shields

Job Titles:
  • General Manager of EMC 's Specialty Lighting
  • GM, Specialty Lighting
An executive with extensive experience in business management and product development, Kent is the General Manager of EMC's Specialty Lighting business unit with a focus on UV-C disinfection products, grow lights and human-centric lighting. Prior to EMC, Kent was President of L70 Technologies, a leading innovative product development engineering firm. Kent held previous roles as CEO of E3 Clean Technologies, Inc. and Global Senior VP of Operations, Marketing & Technology at Datacard Group. Kent holds a mechanical engineering degree from Purdue University and a MBA from the University of Minnesota.

Lindsay Tomsche - CHRO

Job Titles:
  • Director, Human Resources
Lindsay has more than 13 years of Human Resources experience with progressive leadership roles. She is responsible for driving strategic HR initiatives and overseeing the administration of all HR programs to align with organization goals and strategy related to talent management, compensation, organizational development, training and culture. Prior to joining EMC, Lindsay was an HR Manager at Transport America. She holds a bachelor's degree in communications from St. Cloud State University and earned her master's degree in organizational leadership from Bethel University.

Matt Mazzola

Job Titles:
  • Sales Leader
  • VP, Sales Marketing
With more than 25 years in the lighting, electrical and electronic manufacturing industry, Matt is an experienced sales leader adept at helping customers navigate the evolving industry. He has held leadership roles at Magnum Innovations, a manufacturer of wireless lighting and HVAC controls, and Venture Lighting International, a global manufacturer of lighting components, fixtures and controls. Matt holds a global business management degree from the University of Phoenix.

Robert Conley - CFO

Job Titles:
  • Acting Chief Financial Officer
Robert is an accomplished executive with 30 years of management and finance experience. As Acting CFO he guides EMC's financial success by managing the finance department and providing exceptional value to our customers. Prior to EMC, Robert worked at Corval Group, Inc. and Menards Lumber, Inc. where he held leadership roles in finance. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of St. Thomas.

Russ Johnson - CIO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Information Officer
With his extensive knowledge of Oracle ERP systems, IT consulting experience and software development expertise, Russ provides critical leadership for EMC's IoT offerings and maximizes efficiencies and performance improvement within EMC's business operations. Previously, Russ worked as a management consulting director at KPMG where he led business intelligence and analytics implementations for large multinational corporations. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance and economics from the University of Minnesota.