James Balocki was appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Facilities in October 2016. He is the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations and Environment) on Navy and Marine Corps policies related to military construction, facilities sustainment, restoration and modernization; acquisition, use and disposal of real property and facilities.

Mr. Balocki served previously as the Chief Executive Officer and Director Services and Installations of the U.S. Army Reserve at Fort Bragg, NC. He was responsible for the command’s facilities and infrastructure worldwide, operation of classified and unclassified information networks, acquisition of services and supplies, and management of 12,000 DoD civilians. From 2009 through 2013 Mr. Balocki held two senior executive service positions with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Washington, DC, where he was responsible for engineering, infrastructure, environmental, scientific, and technical support to the Services, combatant commands and embassies; federal, state and local government agencies; foreign governments; and non-governmental organizations.     Mr. Balocki deployed to Afghanistan in 2011, serving as the Director, Joint Programs Integration Office, Headquarters, US Forces-Afghanistan.  He oversaw US and NATO construction programs to establish Afghan National Army and Police forces.  He also worked closely with the State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Government of Afghanistan. Mr. Balocki was selected to the Senior Executive Service in July 2009 after completing a 28 year career as an active duty Engineer Officer in the Army.

Mr. Balocki’s significant training includes attending the National Defence College, Islamabad, Pakistan; CAPSTONE, National Defense University; and Senior Executive
 
Fellow, Harvard University.  He holds Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering, Systems Management, and Defence and Strategic Studies.  

Mr. Balocki maintains a current Professional Engineer license in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.  His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Civilian Service Award, Army Engineer Regiment, Silver deFluery Medal, Legion of Merit, and American Society of Civil Engineers “Best Practice Paper.”

Mr. Balocki has published several articles related to resume and interview preparation, passing a SES qualification review and hiring federal employees.

Jason Christman is Vice President and Chief Product Security Officer for Johnson Controls Global Products. He sets strategic product cybersecurity vision and leads overall security governance, risk and compliance program for the company’s diverse portfolio of smart building technologies, industrial IoT products, and data analytics platforms. His Global Product Security team deploys and manages differentiated capabilities which drive security and privacy by design, secure software development, advanced security monitoring, and coordinated incident response.

Mr. Christman is an expert in the human dimension of cybersecurity, with a background in cognitive analytics and cyber behavioral forensics. He draws on his military and industry experience to increase resilience of connected systems and drive cybersecurity culture change.  n addition, he is a senior Cyberspace Operations Officer in the Air National Guard. 

Mr. Christman has a B.S. in Computer Science from Villanova University and a M.S. in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University.

Mark Correll, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Environment, Safety and Infrastructure, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. He provides executive leadership on all matters pertaining to formulation, review and execution of plans, policies, programs, and budgets for Air Force built and natural infrastructure, environmental, safety, and occupational health programs. These include facility management, military construction, family housing, as well as acquisition, operation, maintenance, repair, and disposal of real property, environmental compliance and restoration, ground safety, and workplace health.

Mr. Correll was commissioned in the Air Force in 1981 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, earning a degree in civil engineering. He commanded two civil engineer squadrons, a mission support group, and an air base wing. He retired in 2010 in the rank of colonel. Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Correll served as the Air Force Deputy Civil Engineer. In that position he provided leadership, direction and technical knowledge to organize, train, and equip a 60,000-person engineering force as well as development, construction, operation, maintenance, emergency response, readiness, housing, and environmental quality of Air Force bases worldwide. He was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2010. Mr. Correll is registered as a licensed professional engineer in the state of Texas.

Dr. Johney Green Jr. serves as the associate laboratory director for mechanical and thermal engineering sciences at the NREL. He oversees NREL's transportation, buildings, wind, water, geothermal, advanced manufacturing, and concentrating solar power research programs, which encompass a portfolio of over $100 million and more than 300 employees. The Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences Directorate conducts research and development to enable technology innovations in the areas of energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, and renewable power.

Prior to assuming his current position, Dr. Green held a number of leadership roles at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where he served as director of the Energy and Transportation Science Division and group leader for fuels, engines, and emissions research. Dr. Green managed a broad science and technology portfolio and user facilities that made significant science and engineering advances in building technologies; sustainable industrial and manufacturing processes; fuels, engines, emissions, and transportation analysis; and vehicle systems integration. It was during his tenure as a division director that ORNL developed the Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy (AMIE) demonstration project, a model of innovative vehicle-to-grid integration technologies and next-generation manufacturing processes.

Early in his career, Dr. Green conducted combustion research to stabilize gasoline engine operation under extreme conditions. During the course of that research, he joined a team working with Ford Motor Company, seeking ways to simultaneously extend exhaust gas recirculation limits in diesel engines and reduce nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions. He continued this collaboration as a visiting scientist at Ford’s Scientific Research Laboratory, conducting modeling and experimental research for advanced diesel engines designed for light-duty vehicles. On assignment to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office, Dr. Green also served as technical coordinator for the 21st Century Truck Partnership.

Dr. Green is on the Faraday Institution’s Board of Trustees and the National GEM Consortium Board of Directors. In addition, he has served on numerous advisory boards for organizations including the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Memphis. Dr. Green is a fellow of SAE International and a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Electorate Nominating Committee Section on Engineering. He has also been an invited participant in several National Academy of Engineering programs. Dr. Green has received several awards during his career and holds two U.S. patents in combustion science. Additionally, he has an h-index of 20, is the lead or co-author of several technical publications, and has given many invited, keynote, and plenary presentations.

Dr. Green holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Memphis and a Master's and Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Dr. Robert W. Ivester currently serves as the Director of the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. FEMP oversees the implementation of policy and actions that result in energy efficiency implementation, renewable energy adoption, and reduction in energy and water use in federal government operations.

Prior to this position, Dr. Ivester served in AMO for six years. During that time, AMO launched five Manufacturing USA Institutes, the Critical Materials Hub, and hundreds of small R&D and technical assistance projects across the Nation. He also worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology for over 16 years, leading and performing research in advanced manufacturing.

Dr. Ivester has been an instructor for the Johns Hopkins University Engineering for Professionals program for graduate-level studies in manufacturing engineering since 2001. He is a SME Fellow and a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He received his doctorate in engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Master of Science in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Lisa A. Jung, a Senior Executive Service member, serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment. She is responsible for policies and programs related the Department’s global energy portfolio, which is focused on ensuring the sustainment of warfighting readiness and lethality for programs and activities that enable resilient, efficient and cyber-secure energy for the Joint forces, weapons systems and installations. 

Ms. Jung’s breadth of experience ranges from the White House across the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) to the Department of the Navy.  Formally trained as a mechanical engineer, she began her career with the Department of the Navy at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard where she join the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station (NAVSSES) as a mechanical engineer. At NAVSSES she worked as a ship systems engineer, troubleshooting and devising technical solutions for gas turbine engines. Completing the Office of Personnel Management’s executive development program in 1994, Ms. Jung then joined the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the Special Assistant to the Director for the Defense Performance Review (DPR). The DPR was charged with formulating recommendations to improve DoD operations as part of an Executive Branch initiative to reinvent government. Upon completion of this tour, Ms. Jung moved to pursue program manager duties in OSD’s Installations, Requirements, and Management Directorate within the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Industrial Affairs and Installations.

In August 1996, Ms. Jung was recruited for a special assignment as the Executive Officer to the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security. Chaired by Vice President of the United States, the Commission was chartered to conduct an intensive inquiry into civil aviation safety, security and air traffic control modernization. After completing this tour, Ms. Jung then returned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense and served as the Deputy Director for Competitive Sourcing and Privatization within the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations. In this capacity she was responsible for policy and oversight of the Department’s housing privatization and competitive sourcing programs. Following this assignment Ms. Jung chose to get back to her engineering roots and was again assigned to the Philadelphia area taking up the position of Deputy Director for Technology Outreach at the Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center. At Carderock, she was responsible for developing strategic alliances and partnerships with industry, other government agencies, and academia. Completing this Navy assignment, Ms. Jung rejoined the OSD team and was initially selected to serve as Deputy Director for Housing and Competitive Sourcing before moving to serve as Deputy Director of Facilities Energy and Privatization in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment. She was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2014 and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Installation Energy before assuming her current position.

Ms. Jung holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University and Master degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration from Widener University.

Kevin Kampschroer is the Chief Sustainability Officer for the US General Services Administration, and the Director of its Office of Federal High-Performance Buildings. He has created the framework for which GSA responds to the challenges of improving a diverse and aging portfolio of commercial buildings so that they can serve the mission needs of their occupants, support effective work, and deliver solid financial performance. He has devised a challenge for companies to dramatically improve the government’s ability to achieve deep retrofits through Energy Savings Performance contracts—which has doubled the amount of energy conservation from these contracts. His team manages the government’s implementation of a comprehensive improvement in the training and certification of facility managers and personnel across the entire Federal government (Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010). In 2010 and 2018, Mr. Kampschroer co-authored medical studies showing the links between building characteristics and office worker stress, heart function, physical activity, and sleep quality. It showed the beneficial results of good lighting, natural light, IEQ, and open plan office environments. Current work is showing more specific links between the building functions and kinds of office layout on stress, physical activity and health. His goal is to influence and accelerate industry capability and adoption of high-performance principles across all aspects of asset creation, operation, maintenance and disposal. Mr. Kampschroer leads GSA's effort to safeguard assets from the observed and expected changes in climate for prudent federal investment and promotion of public safety, health and security. He has worked on developing new energy conservation legislation, in expanding the scope of integrated design and related training,

Mr. Kampschroer led the design of a program to improve building performance and directed the compilation of metrics which are still used to measure building performance. He led the creation of real estate portfolio management; the establishment of performance measures linked to pay and budget; and was the project manager for the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Trade Center, then the second largest office building in the United States (344 M2). Mr. Kampschroer has worked for GSA for more than 44 years and is a graduate of Yale University.

Leslie Nicholls is the Strategic Director for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). She previously served as FEMP's Strategic Communications and Training Manager and most recently, as FEMP’s Acting Director from February 1, 2017 – September 17, 2018.

As FEMP’s Strategic Director, Ms. Nicholls oversees the implementation of policy and actions that result in energy efficiency implementation, renewable energy adoption, and reductions in energy and water use in federal government operations.

She brings nearly three decades of clean energy and executive leadership experience to EERE. She served as Vice President of the Building Energy Solutions Division at Energetics Incorporated, a subsidiary of VSE Corporation. In this capacity, she was responsible for the management of multiple cross-cutting programs. She also provided expertise to federal agencies and private sector energy companies in federal and commercial energy management, greenhouse gas reduction, energy efficiency, clean energy deployment, and strategic planning.

Before holding that position, she worked at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as a Senior Contracting Officer.

Ms. Nicholls has Bachelor and Master degrees in business administration from Washington State University.

Natasha Shah is a Vice President at NORESCO, responsible for federal business activities. One of the largest energy services companies in the U.S., NORESCO uses design-build, performance-based contracting vehicles and asset monetization solutions to deliver energy and maintenance cost savings and infrastructure upgrades to existing facilities.

Ms. Shah has 19 years of experience in the development and execution of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions. She has led the implementation of strategic business plans, directed recovery and development initiatives for underachieving businesses, and is active in several industry trade organizations, including serving as the Board Chair of NAESCO.  Ms. Shah holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University.

Margaret Simmons began working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in April 1985. She started as a real estate attorney with the Nashville District. In 1991, Margaret left the Nashville District when she was selected to be the primary environmental attorney and Labor Counselor in Office of Counsel at the Huntsville Division (which became the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville in 1995). She provided support to the Formerly-Used Defense Site (FUDS) Program as the focus shifted to munitions response. She contributed to the establishment of the policy and program guidance for execution of FUDS munitions projects. In 1993 she began to work on the Shared Energy Savings Program which was transitioning to Energy Savings Performance Contracts. She was involved with the award of the first set of nationwide contracts to do ESPC in 1995/1996. In addition, she had responsibility for other contracts and fiscal law matters. 

In July 2003 Ms. Simmons was selected as the Counsel for Huntsville Center. As Counsel, she is responsible for providing all legal services required to support execution of Huntsville Center missions, which span the globe. The Center’s programs range from demining in Afghanistan to purchase of barracks furniture for Soldiers worldwide to providing energy and resiliency solutions to the Army. Huntsville Center has executed contracts totaling more than $2 billion a year since FY13. She supervises and depends on a staff of nine attorneys, one paralegal and one secretary. Two of her attorneys are located in Omaha, NE, and provide advice on environmental and munitions issues to all Corps offices. Because of Huntsville Center’s missions, Ms. Simmons has the privilege of working with attorneys throughout the Corps.

Ms. Simmons received her Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Tennessee, (UT) Knoxville, in 1977. She received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from UT Knoxville in 1980, and was admitted to the Tennessee bar in 1980. She worked in private practice in Knoxville, Tenn., for five years until she joined the Corps.

J. E. “Jack” Surash became the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Energy & Sustainability) in September 2016. In this position, he is responsible for overall program direction, establishment of policies, development and refinement of strategies, and oversight for implementation of all programs and initiatives related to energy security and sustainability within the Army. As the Army's Senior Energy Executive, Mr. Surash coordinates and integrates both installation (traditional as well as expeditionary) and operational energy programs and strategies.

Mr. Surash comes to the Pentagon from duties as the Senior Project Management Advisor at the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM). Prior to that, he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Project Management. In that position, he led efforts for EM’s $6 billion per year portfolio, served as EM’s Head of Contracting Activity, oversaw procurement planning, contract management, and provided project management support. A native of Charlotte, North Carolina and raised in Rochester, New York, Mr. Surash has served the nation in key positions around the world.

Mr. Surash joined the Department of Energy as a member of the Senior Executive Service in 2005 as Director, Office of Infrastructure and Facilities Management at the National Nuclear Security Administration. He was also the Business Development Manager for Johnson Controls Inc., a Fortune 100 company, and Chief Business Officer for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the 4th largest K-12 public school district in the U.S., where he was responsible for facilities planning, design and construction, maintenance, food service, and school bus transportation.

During a 27 year distinguished Navy career, Mr. Surash served in a broad range of increasingly responsible facilities management, design, construction, contracting, and “Seabee” (Construction Battalion) assignments around the world. He commanded Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Seven and Navy Public Works Center San Diego. In an earlier assignment, he led a Seabee detail that supported the Army’s 3rd Battalion 319th Field Artillery Regiment, in Honduras during Operation Ahuas Tara II. Mr. Surash retired at the rank of Captain from the United States Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps.

Under his leadership, Navy Public Works Center San Diego received the California Eureka Award for Performance Excellence, Vice President Gore’s Hammer Award, and the President’s Quality Award for Quality Improvement (Malcolm Baldrige criteria). For actions during the California electricity crisis, his Navy Region Southwest Regional Energy Team received a Presidential Award for Leadership in Federal Energy Management, and numerous other recognitions including an Energy Leadership Award from the San Diego Regional Energy Office and an Excellence in Energy Award from the San Diego Business Journal. In addition, Mr. Surash was presented the Department of Energy’s Louis R. Harris Award for establishing one of the federal government's first resource efficiency management programs.

Mr. Surash holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Rochester and a Master of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in energy management, from Texas A&M University. He completed the Advanced Management Program at Duke University, Fuqua School of Business and the Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership Program at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Mr. Surash is a registered Professional Engineer.

Joe Vitella is an accomplished engineering and energy efficiency professional and has developed over $250M of successful energy performance contracts over the last decade. In his current role as engineering leader, he is responsible for the management of Ameresco’s Western Federal engineering team, including development, design and commissioning. Most recently, he has developed integrated energy security and resiliency solutions for the Department of Defense and the GSA.

Mr. Vitella focuses on implementation of Ameresco’s integrated project development approach aimed at assisting Federal agencies in achieving comprehensive energy efficiency, resiliency, energy security and distributed generation. Mr. Vitella has developed and lead complex projects in Ameresco’s diversified portfolio that has served a wide-range of building types and facilities, including historical and governmentally-significant buildings with unique work scheduling requirements and publicly sensitive operational needs. He has provided engineering, designs, construction, construction support management, and commissioning for numerous agencies including the DOD, USDA, Air Force, Army, Navy, Defense Logistics Agency, GSA and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Mr. Vitella is a licensed professional mechanical engineer (P.E) in seven states and a certified energy manager (C.E.M). He holds a Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in Mechanical engineering and a Master of Business Administration with a focus on management of technical professionals.