2023 Speakers

Paul Anderson

Group Vice President of Design and Engineering, H-E-B

Paul Anderson is Group Vice President of Design for H-E-B, LP. As Group Vice President of Design, Paul leads H-E-B’s Design, Engineering, Asset Management and Environmental Compliance teams and is responsible for providing the best retail experience for H-E-B’s Customers and Operators by designing, delivering, and maintaining efficient and innovative retail facilities that drive and support brand awareness. In addition to his time at H-E-B, Paul held positions in manufacturing, operations and design with increasing responsibilities at multiple large corporations such as; Eaton, John Deere, Hussmann and Target.

John Anton

Economics Director, S&P Global Market Intelligence

John Anton is an Economics Director with the IHS Markit Pricing and Purchasing Service, leading the steel team. The outlook for steel prices is formed by close monitoring of the industry and contact with executives at steel makers and end users.  In addition to producing regular forecasts of steel production, demand and price, Mr. Anton is also responsible for managing the IHS Markit relationship with major steel buyers involved in automotive, energy and pipeline companies, retailers, and manufacturing. Clients are located in the United States, Japan, India, East Asia, and Europe.

Mr. Anton joined IHS Markit and its predecessors in 1995. Prior to that time, he was in the private practice of law, specializing in small business representation and in criminal defense work. Before attending law school, Mr. Anton worked at the Bureau of Labor Statistics as an Economist/Statistician.

Jonathan Becker

ICF

Bryan Beitler

Vice President, Special Projects, Coolsys

Mr. Beitler’s career includes 43+ years of experience in refrigeration and HVAC design, sales, energy and operations support for businesses focused on grocery retailers, cold storage, process refrigeration and other mission critical HVACR systems. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering with emphasis on refrigeration and HVAC from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Ca. Mr. Beitler participates in industry organizations such as ASHRAE, IIAR, RETA & FMI.  He is currently the President and CEO of the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC), a non-profit organization focused on the acceleration of natural refrigerants into the marketplace.    

Frank Blake

2023 E+SD Conference Chair & Director of Facilities Maintenance and Energy, Price Chopper/Market 32

Frank Blake is Director of Facilities Maintenance and Energy for Price Chopper/Market 32, a regional supermarket chain with 135 stores in the Northeastern US. He is responsible for oversight of facility maintenance, maintenance budgets, electrical and refrigeration support for design, maintenance CAP projects and EMS controls. He offers continuous support of operations through refrigeration, general maintenance and all store efficiency upgrades.

Frank joined Price Chopper/Market 32 in 2008 as an Electrical Specialist, responsible for electrical systems and controls, design assistance, lighting, generators, managed facilities, CAP projects, implementation of energy-efficiency opportunities, utility budgets and incentive programs. He assumed his new role in October 2017 and was officially promoted to the position of Director of Facilities and Energy in May 2018.

Thom Blischok

Chairman and CEO at The Dialogic Group, LLC

Thom Blischok is Chairman and CEO of The Dialogic Group. LLC, a growth and results-driven professional services firm serving both the Retail and CPG industries. His record of achievements include advising major retailers on growth and market re-positioning strategies in the Drug, Apparel, Convenience Store, Grocery, Dollar, e-Commerce, Mass, Specialty, and Club retail sectors with special emphasis on improving merchandising, marketing, supply chain, and technology capabilities.

Will Carroll

Vice President, Business Development at Dalkia Energy Solutions

Brent Cheshire

Manager, End User Services, Cold Chain, Copeland

In his role as Copeland's manager of end user services for cold chain, Brent takes a holistic approach to helping customers solve problems. His responsibilities include, but are not limited to: technical SME engagement coordination among our Technical Support, ProAct, Customer Success, Solution Sales, and Product Management teams. In addition, Brent has responsibilities in driving various Copeland CO2 programs and initiatives.

Among 12 years of Copeland service, Brent has more than 11 years of CO2 experience, including over 280 transcritical CO2 system startups across multiple end users and OEMs. Previously, he worked for eight years on our Field Services and Application Engineering teams with varying responsibilities that included: startup and commissioning services; troubleshooting; product selection and site implementation; and customer training. In addition, he has nine years of refrigeration technician experience.

Brent earned a bachelor’s degree in refrigeration and HVAC technologies from the Sydney Institute of TAFE.

Peter Cooke

Co-Founder, Ratio Institute

Peter Cooke has over twenty years experience in developing sustainability tools and programs for businesses, government, academia, and non-profits. He co-founded Ratio Institute to develop tools and resources for food retailers. He has worked with over 1,000 grocery stores since 2012 and performed sustainability audits at over 600 grocery stores. Peter is ISO 14001 Lead Auditor certified, Commercial Energy Auditor trained, Building Operator Certified, and Hazardous Waste Operations certified. 

Nicholas Doherty

Senior Design Engineer and Project Manager, Cushing Terrell

Associate Principal Nicholas Doherty is a Senior Design Engineer and Project Manager with Cushing Terrell, a multidisciplinary design services firm, specializing in retail and leading-edge refrigeration services.  

Nick leads teams within the CT Retail Service Group and is currently the Director of the Refrigeration Engineering Team.  Nick is an advocate for growth and development, striving to create an education-filled environment for all members of a project. He truly believes the strength of his refrigeration team will ensure the design development of new technologies for Cushing Terrell clients and the overall industry.

Nicholas Doherty holds a B.S. degree from Montana State University. He has developed 18 years of specific experience in this field while at Cushing Terrell and continues to be a leading consultant in the retail refrigeration industry worldwide.

Shawn DuBravac

Futurist, Trendcaster, NYT Best-Selling Author, Founder and President of the Avrio Institute

Acclaimed futurist and trendcaster, Dr. Shawn DuBravac is author of the New York Times Best Seller Digital Destiny: How the New Age of Data Will Transform the Way We Work, Live, and Communicate, which explores how the world’s mass adoption of digital technologies portends the beginning of a new era for humanity in the realms of business, healthcare, finance, transportation, and culture. Dr. DuBravac delivers pragmatic and provocative insights on the trends, technologies, and paradigms transforming business and society along with actionable strategies that organizations in every industry can apply.

Matthew Gorman

Manager of Energy and Engineering, Harris Teeter

Matthew Gorman, CEM, is the Manager of Energy and Engineering for Harris Teeter Supermarkets. Harris Teeter, based in Charlotte, NC, is a chain spanning 7 states across the South Atlantic with 258 locations and counting. He began his career in the industry back in 2005 as a refrigeration/HVAC technician. His current responsibilities include spearheading energy conservation projects, continued commissioning, working start to finish with design engineers on new stores and remodels, testing new technology, and overseeing lighting maintenance and utilities.

Andy S. Harig

Vice President, Tax, Trade, Sustainability & Policy Development

Andrew S. Harig currently serves as Vice President, Tax, Trade, Sustainability & Policy Development at FMI-The Food Industry Association. In this position, he is responsible for lobbying Congress and the Administration on behalf of FMI members, with a primary focus on agriculture, taxes, trade, sustainability, food waste, and pensions. Prior to joining FMI, Andy was an associate trade advisor and speechwriter for the Senate Finance Committee under its Chairman, Max Baucus (D-MT).  From 1999-2001, he was the senior research associate for the Global Economic Policy Project at the New America Foundation, a Washington, DC-based think tank. Andy holds a B.A. from the College of William and Mary and an M.A. from DePaul University in Chicago, IL.


Dustin Herner

Energy & Sustainability Manager, Weis Markets, Inc.

Dustin Herner, CEM is Energy & Sustainability Manager for Weis Markets, Inc, a mid-Atlantic retail grocery chain of 197 stores. Since joining Weis Markets in 2013, Dustin is one of the driving forces behind Weis' commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability.  Weis has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 55% and diverted 56% of its waste from landfills.  Since 2015, Weis is one of the first grocers in North America to produce an annual sustainability report.  Dustin is one of the main drivers of Weis By Nature Annual Report.  Dustin is driving a zero-waste program and is also responsible for community and employee engagement.  He holds a bachelor's degree in Energy, Business, and Finance from Pennsylvania State University and is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM).

Shawn Holzschuh

Director of Refrigeration, Target Corporation

Shawn Holzschuh is the Director of Refrigeration for Target Corporation. Shawn leads a team in Property Management with a mission to maintain safe, fresh food for all team members and guests through the development of innovative, data driven solutions that leverage smart building technologies.  Solutions that balance expense and capital while maintaining environmental compliance through the lens of total cost of ownership. 

Shawn Holzschuh holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Minnesota and a PE license in the State of Minnesota.  He has over 20 years of experience in the Design, Construction, Commissioning and Operations of retail locations.

Jeffrey Jerome

Sr. Product Manager, Baltimore Gas & Electric Co.

Jeff Jerome is a Sr. Product Manager for C&I Energy Efficiency programs at Baltimore Gas and Electric. He has won numerous awards for creating products that simplify and enhance the user experience and was a seminal influence in Smart Home technology.  Jeff holds a both a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA and is the author of the book Evolution Ended.

Sarah Johnston

Managing Director Marketing and Carbon Management, Calpine Energy Solutions

As the MD of Marketing and Carbon Management, Sarah leads the effort to ensure that the renewable energy solutions the Calpine Energy Solutions brings to the market are both innovative and effective. Sarah has nearly 15 years of experience analyzing data on macro economic trends, energy markets, and the broader ESG landscape. She confers with customers in working with the advanced risk analytics, reviews results reports, and provides guidance in creating and executing electricity procurement strategies. Sarah holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Elmhurst College, a graduate certificate in Corporate Sustainability and Innovation from Harvard University.

Tom Koulopoulos

Tom Koulopoulos is Chairman and founder of Delphi Group, a 30-year-old Boston-based think tank named one of the fastest growing private companies by Inc. Magazine, and the founding partner of Acrovantage Ventures, which invests in early-stage technology startups. He is also the author of 13 books, an inventor with several patents, an Inc.com columnist, the past Executive Director of the Babson College Center for Business Innovation, the past director of the Dell Innovation Lab, and a professor at Boston University.

His insights have received wide praise from luminaries such as the late Peter Drucker, the father of modern management; Dee Hock, founder of Visa International; and Tom Peters, who called his writing, “a brilliant vision of where we must take our enterprises to survive and thrive.” His Inc. column is read by over one million people yearly.

Mr. Koulopoulos’ thirteen books include his most recent, Reimagining Healthcare, The Bottomless Cloud, Revealing the Invisible, The Gen Z Effect, and Cloud Surfing. His upcoming book, Gigatrends, looks at the seven tech trends that are shaping the future of how we live, work, and play.

Tom’s keynotes blend humor, insight, and a cutting-edge view of the future in a way that’s customized to each audience. According to Tom’s mentor, Peter Drucker, Tom’s writing “makes you question not only the way you run your business but the way you run yourself.”

John Lerch

Director, Energy and Facilities, Weis Markets, Inc.

John Lerch is the Director of Energy and Facilities for Weis Markets, Inc. a regional supermarket chain based in Sunbury, PA with stores located in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia. John is responsible for the energy procurement, facility maintenance, HVAC/ Refrigeration Maintenance, equipment maintenance, and the implementation and execution of energy efficiency and sustainability programs at 200+ stores.

Richard Lord

Sr Fellow, ASHRAE Fellow, Carrier Corporation

Charlie Lowe

Director of Refrigeration, K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc.

Charlie is responsible for the operational readiness and the energy efficient operation of the refrigeration, lighting, electrical, plumbing, and food processing equipment systems installed in K-VA-T’s Food City and Super Dollar stores. Charlie is based out of Abingdon, VA.

 

Lauren MacGowens

Director of Sustainability Engineering, Copeland/Vilter

Lauren MacGowens is the Director of Sustainability and NPD Engineering at Copeland/Vilter. She is responsible for new product development at Vilter and leads a team of engineers to address decarbonization and sustainability efforts across the Industrial platform.  Lauren joined Copeland in 2022 after 10+ years at AHRI supporting the refrigeration sector. 

Lauren has been intricately involved in industry updates for standards, certification programs, codes, and regulations. She continues to support regulatory affairs for all items pertaining to refrigeration technology.  Throughout her career, she has served on advisory roles for many associations and engineering societies within our global industry.  Within ASHRAE, she has chaired and held voting positions for a number of standards and technical committees.  She has been instrumental in standards publications and updates of both method of test and ratings standards used in many Department of Energy (DOE) regulations. She also provides input to EPA, DOE, foreign governments and other regulatory agencies regarding ozone and climate and energy efficiency regulations.  

Lauren holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Catholic University of America.

Scott Martin

Senior Director of Industry Relations and Compliance, Dover Food Retail

Scott Martin currently serves as Senior Director of Industry Relations and Compliance for Hillphoenix, A Dover Company, located in Conyers, Georgia.   A third generation Refrigeration Engineer, Scott received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Southern Polytechnic State University in 1985.  Scott has held a wide variety of industry roles including Product Manager, Director of Engineering and R&D, and most recently Director of Sustainable Technologies.  Today, Scott’s focus reflects a strong Hillphoenix commitment to providing product and technology answers that help retailers supply higher quality food products while advancing efforts toward environmental stewardship.

James McClendon

Director of Energy Efficiency, Walmart Inc.

Robert McGarrity, P.E.

Vice President of Facilities, Publix Supermarkets

Michael W. McMahon

Vice President Sales, Phoenix Energy Technologies

Michael McMahon oversees the Phoenix Energy Technologies sales department by driving go to market sales initiatives and also helps develop internal efficiencies that maximize results. He is experienced with bringing new technologies to market and most notable for working with growth companies to scale in complex markets. Prior to Phoenix Energy Technologies, Michael was general manager for an international virgin company and led the 12-year high-tech company to first profitability and scalability in the U.S. and European markets.

Dan O'Brien

President, Zero Zone, Inc.

Dan O’Brien is President of Zero Zone, Inc.  He has worked for Zero Zone for 29 years and has held various positions within the company, from engineering to operations to sales management. Dan uses his knowledge to help customers find unique solutions for their refrigeration and merchandising solutions while balancing their overall operational costs. In addition, Dan’s 29 years in the industry supports his expertise in responsive and innovative ideas for the retail industry.

Dan has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and an MBA from the University of Minnesota.

John Pennekamp

BRR Architecture

Derrek Reitz

Sustainability Specialist, Weis Markets

As Sustainability Specialist, Derrek Reitz spearheads Weis Markets waste and GHG emissions quantification and reduction initiatives. Derrek engages with store associates, customers, and community partners to gain feedback on sustainability programs and issues. He leverages these stakeholder insights and supporting data to identify opportunities, implement changes, and continuously improve sustainability efforts throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

Ben Rosenzweig

Vice President & General Manager, CoolSys Energy Design

Ben Rosenzweig, PE is a consulting engineer passionate about bringing sustainable and decarbonized, integrated MEP and Refrigeration system designs to the built environment through innovative remodel and new construction design and development philosophies. He manages CoolSys Energy Design (CED), a nationwide consulting engineering firm built on over 40 years of food retail engineering expertise which is also part of the larger CoolSys enterprise. CED has a rich history focused on energy and emissions reduction, sustainability, innovative refrigeration system designs, and an unstoppable drive to solve the most challenging problems. Ben is a graduate of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at Lehigh University with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is also a licensed engineer in 35 states.

Bernhard Schweitzer

Schweitzer

Michal Shepard, CEM, CSDP, CEA

2023 E+SD Conference Chair & Director of Maintenance, Energy and Engineering, Harris Teeter

Michal Shepard is the Director of Maintenance Energy and Engineering at Harris Teeter in Charlotte, NC. (2004- Present).  

He has 37 years’ experience in the supermarket industry concentrating on facility maintenance, HVAC&R, lighting, equipment selection, procurement, engineering and energy disciplines. He has CEM, CEA and CSDP accreditation from Association of Energy Engineers.

Abtar Singh

President & Founder, Singh360 Inc.

Abtar Singh is the founder of Singh360 Inc, a company specializing in facility management systems, performance monitoring, predictive analytics, and the optimization of energy and maintenance systems.

Throughout his career, he has been dedicated to reducing operating expenses by enhancing building management technologies and processes. His expertise encompasses the design, engineering, and modeling of air-conditioning and refrigeration systems, and he holds more than 50 patents in the supermarket industry.

Abtar Singh holds both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park. He has accumulated over 25 years of valuable experience in supermarket refrigeration.

Michael Slater, CEM

Frontier Energy Food Service Technology Center

Morgan Smith

Program & Communications Director, North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC)

Morgan is the Program & Communications Director at the NASRC. She has a background in sustainability and communications, with a particular interest in aligning sustainable behaviors with the goals of  individuals and businesses. 

Prior to her role at NASRC, she managed forest management programs for landowners at the American Forest Foundation. Morgan holds an M.S. in Environmental Education from SUNY ESF, an M.P.A from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, and a B.S. in Environmental Science from SUNY Fredonia.

Michael Sweeney

Global Market Development Manager, Honeywell

Mike Sweeney is the global platform leader for Honeywell's Commercial Refrigeration segment. He drives the global product roadmap, strategy, and execution of new refrigerant development within the commercial refrigeration arena

Jonathan Tan

Co-founder, Ratio Institute

Jonathan has more than 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and a business executive for both Fortune 500 and privately held companies. His career began with driving energy efficiency at food manufacturing and food packaging plants. He transitioned to energy-efficiency work at food retail outlets in the early 2000’s, focusing on refrigeration, HVAC, and lighting. Jonathan holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Studies from Saint Louis University, a Master’s in Business Administration and Management from Pepperdine University, and has completed continuing education units at the University of Oxford

Ron Vogl

Global Technical Service Manager, Honeywell Refrigerants

Ron Vogl is the Global Technical Marketing Manager for Honeywell. A graduate of the State University of New York, he has accrued over forty years of experience touching all facets of the industry as a wholesaler, sales engineer, contractor, business owner, energy auditor, designer and consultant. Ron has designed, sold and installed mechanical systems ranging in complexity, including industrial process refrigeration plants and supermarkets. As the owner of a mechanical contracting company, Ron specialized in the design of environmental chambers, cold clean rooms and explosion proof systems for use by the pharmaceutical, chemical and food production industries. 

For nine years, Ron worked as a research/development and technical service engineer for Honeywell-Genetron Refrigerants, concentrating on next- generation refrigerants and their application. 

Jeanine Wilson

Project Executive, CM&B

A 15-year veteran of the construction industry, Jeanine Wilson is a Project Executive at CM&B, a Northeast-based construction management firm. In her role with the firm, Jeanine is responsible for planning and executing large-scale urban grocery projects in New York City including Whole Foods Market Union Square, NoMad, and One Wall Street. Jeanine has a proven track record of effective risk mitigation, problem resolution, and budget and resource management. As a leader in the firm, Jeanine mentors junior members of the team, providing advice and guidance on developing the professional and interpersonal skills needed to succeed in the construction industry. Outside of the office, Jeanine is actively involved with the Council of Urban Real Estate (C.U.R.E.). 

Tom Wolgamot

DC Engineering

Danielle Wright

Executive Director, North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council

Danielle Wright is the executive director of the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing climate-friendly natural refrigerants. Prior to her current role, she developed and implemented large-scale utility energy efficiency programs with a specific focus on optimizing the performance of refrigeration systems in order to reduce costs and increase sustainability of grocery stores.