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Because Infocast has forged valuable relationships with the key industry players, you will meet with the people that matter in each industry. Infocast has been fortunate to have some of the greatest business minds speaking at our conferences and events.

If you are interested in being a speaker at an Infocast conference or event, please complete our interest form.

William C. Anderson, Assistant Secretary, Air Force for Installation, Environment and Logistics

Renewable Energy & Fuels

William C. "Bill" Anderson is Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics, Washington, D.C. As Assistant Secretary, he heads three division departments that deal at the policy level with Air Force facility and logistical issues. The department's responsibilities include installations, military construction, base closure and realignment; environment, safety and occupational health issues; and all logistical matters.

Mr. Anderson was born in Syracuse, N.Y. He is a graduate of Washington College in Chestertown, Md., and earned his law degree with honors from Syracuse University. He has also studied in the master's program for international business at the University of Miami. Mr. Anderson is a member of the Maryland and Florida Bars.

Mr. Anderson served in a variety of financial and tax consulting positions at Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., Arthur Anderson & Co., and Ryder Systems, Inc. He then joined the General Electric Company holding a variety of positions, including Tax Counsel, General Counsel and Director of Environmental and Quality Affairs for General Electric's electrical products business in Europe. He returned to the U.S. as their General Manager and Senior Counsel, Environmental Health and Safety.

Bernays T. Barclay, Partner, Torys LLP

Renewable Energy & Fuels

Buz Barclay is a partner in Torys' Energy and Infrastructure Practice and its Climate Change Practice. For more than 25 years he has advised clients doing energy and infrastructure-related business, especially in the electric and natural gas industries in the United States. Buz's expertise and experience is multidisciplinary, including mergers and acquisitions, project development, project restructuring, project finance, private equity and venture capital investing and merchant plant financing,. He has worked with every power technology, from energy efficiency products and services to wind, solar, biomass and other renewable resources, alternative fuels, ethanol and other biofuels, coal-to-liquids, fuel cells, waste-to-energy, cogeneration and other distributed generation, and nuclear power. His clients include private equity investors, emerging growth companies in the environmental and renewable energy space, project developers, owners and operators, competitive energy suppliers, power marketers, and large industrial and commercial energy consumers.

Buz has substantial experience in power and infrastructure project development and the practice of regulatory law in nearly forty States. His regulatory practice includes the FERC and the energy regulatory agencies of New York and many other states, where he has represented clients in disputes, rate-making and rule-making proceedings, and judicial appeals. As a banker and as a lawyer, he has also advised developers and financial advisors from China, Korea, Pakistan, Russia, and Mexico regarding project structuring, project development or project financing, and has worked in other countries including Canada, Trinidad, Puerto Rico and Saudi Arabia, on project development.

Larry W. Bickle, Co-founder & Managing Director, Haddington Ventures

Oil & Natural Gas

Larry W. Bickle, a technical entrepreneur, specializes in using technology to create strategic commercial advantages in the deregulation of natural gas and electricity. Currently, Co-founder and Managing Director of Haddington Ventures, which manages equity investments in mid-stream energy projects and companies. Prior to Haddington, Bickle co-founded TPC Corporation (NYSE:TPC) with venture capital of $1,000,000; sold the company to PacifiCorp, a transaction valued at ~$450,000,000. Pioneered the concept of "market hubs" for the natural gas transportation grid. Identified and introduced salt storage technology to take commercial advantage of commodity price volatility. Bickle served in capacities at TPC as President, CEO and Chairman. During tenure at TPC, he founded and was Chairman of Market Hub Partners, a joint venture with NIPSCO, Dayton Power & Light, PSE&G, and New Jersey Resources. Started with ~$70,000,000 of assets, growing this company in 3 years to ~$7MM in pre-tax earnings and ~$19MM in EBITDA, corresponding to a market value of >$200MM. Bickle earned a B.S. Engineering Science, and an M.S. Mechanical Engineering from University of Texas at Austin, graduating first in an engineering class of 600+, and went on to receive a Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering from University of New Mexico. He currently serves on the boards of St. Mary's Land and Exploration and UniSource.

Allen D. Biehler, P.E., Secretary of Transportation, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Infrastructure Investment

Allen D. Biehler was named Secretary-designate of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) by Gov. Edward G. Rendell on Jan. 8, 2003, and confirmed by the state Senate on Feb. 26, 2003.

As Secretary, Mr. Biehler is responsible for an organization of roughly 12,000 people with an annual budget in excess of $5 billion. PENNDOT owns and operates the nation's fifth largest state-owned highway system and administers one of the nation's largest grant programs for mass transit, rail freight and aviation. PENNDOT also processes 30 million driver and vehicle customer service transactions each year.

Under Secretary Biehler's leadership, PennDOT is improving project delivery processes and ensuring that projects are appropriate for the surrounding community and fit known resources. PennDOT is also in the midst of improving maintenance operations with an eye to taking advantage of technology to deliver appropriate levels of service at the lowest cost. PennDOT is also working with metropolitan and rural planning organizations to refocus available resources to system preservation.

Before taking the lead of PENNDOT, Mr. Biehler had 34 years experience in transportation engineering, planning, construction administration and public transportation management. While a vice president at the international transportation consulting firm of DMJM+Harris, Mr. Biehler was project manager for the North Shore Light Rail Transit connector and for the Strategic Visioning Study, both in Pittsburgh. He also was director of planning and preliminary engineering for the Tren Urbano rail system in San Juan, P.R.

During a 17-year career at Port Authority of Allegheny County, Mr. Biehler served as director of planning and business development and later director of planning, engineering and construction. His duties included managing a 50-person staff and over $500 million in engineering, architecture, construction and value engineering contracts. He directed preparation of the agency's first Strategic Plan and Business Plan and initiated and co-directed a collaborative team effort to create an agency-wide vision and critical success measurements. He also played a role in waterway and freight transportation issues in the Port of Pittsburgh region.

Before joining the Port Authority, Mr. Biehler worked for 12 years in city and county government in Pittsburgh on highway and aviation planning. He was involved in the planning for the new landside terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport and in reviews of the administrative organization for the airport's management and operations. He was instrumental in persuading the Port Authority to implement a light rail subway in downtown Pittsburgh.

Mr. Biehler has also has served on committees of the Transportation Research Board, the American Public Transportation Association and the University of Pittsburgh. He has also written articles for national transportation professional journals and was awarded a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Pittsburgh in 1997.

A native of Rochester, N.Y., Mr. Biehler is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in civil engineering and holds a master's equivalent certificate in transportation from Yale University. He is a certified Professional Engineer. He and his wife Diane live in Crafton, Pa. and Susquehanna Township.

Bob Dinneen, President & CEO, Renewable Fuels Association

Renewable Energy & Fuels

Bob Dinneen is the President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), the national trade association for the U.S. ethanol industry. As such, he is the ethanol industry's lead lobbyist before the Congress and Administration.

Mr. Dinneen joined the RFA in 1988 as Legislative Director, and became President in July of 2001. In this capacity he has led the association's effort to build coalitions with the industry's petroleum customers as well as transportation and environmental groups in order to provide for marketplace growth for the industry. These coalitions have resulted in an historic Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) fuels agreement and passage of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC).

Mr. Dinneen has presented testimony before the Congress and Federal agencies on numerous occasions, and represented the ethanol industry's interests at state, national and international forums.

Prior to joining the RFA, Mr. Dinneen worked on Capitol Hill for various Members of Congress and Congressional committees.

Mr. Dinneen graduated from the Catholic University of America with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science.

Douglas A. Durante, Executive Director, Clean Fuels Development Coalition

Renewable Energy & Fuels

Mr. Durante serves as the Executive Director and Washington Representative of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC), a non-profit organization he assisted in forming in 1987. The CFDC works in support of renewable alcohols and has a broad-based membership including automotive, agricultural, and other alternative energy interests. Mr. Durante has been working in the fields of energy, transportation, and the environment since 1977. He was the Director of Public Affairs for the National Alcohol Fuels Commission and also served as a Special Assistant in the Office of Alcohol Fuels at the U.S. Department of Energy. Mr. Durante has been involved in the development of several ethanol projects throughout the U.S. on behalf of his member companies and other clients. Mr. Durante has served on numerous state and federal advisory committees, including Chair of the Fuels Subcommittee of the Federal Biomass Advisory Committee and on the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition’s Biomass Advisory Committee. He also served on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Fuels Advisory Committee, and the Department of Energy's Business Roundtable Advisory Group. He holds a B.A. degree in English and Journalism from Elon University (North Carolina) and has completed a number of graduate courses and programs in business and government affairs.

James W. Eiler, Managing Director, First National Investment Banking

Renewable Energy & Fuels

James Eiler is a Managing Director with First National Investment Bank (FNIB), an investment banking firm serving middle market companies throughout North America. FNIB is an affiliate of First National Bank of Omaha, the largest US renewable energy and 5th largest agricultural lender. First National has financed 42 of our nation's 110 ethanol plants representing over 3 billion gallons of annual productions.

Prior to joining FNIB, Jim was Managing Partner of Cybus Capital Markets, LLC which merged with FNIB in 2007 with a shared vision of creating the nation's premier investment banking team in food, agribusiness, and renewable energy. Cybus had previously raised over $3 billion of capital for over 200 clients during the past twenty years with a niche focus in renewable energy, natural & organic foods, green manufacturing, and the meat protein sectors.

Jim's financial services career spans over thirty years of Senior Management positions in commercial banks, the Farm Credit System, John Deere Credit, and Cybus Capital. These former positions include: Senior Vice President Agricultural Financial Services, John Deere Credit; President and CEO of Farm Credit Leasing; Chief Financial Officer for AgriBank; Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer for the St. Louis Farm Credit Bank; and eighteen years in commercial banking.

Jim was raised on a grain & livestock family farm in Eastern Iowa. He is a graduate of Iowa State University with BS & MS degrees in Agricultural Economics. He is also a 1984 graduate of the ABA's Stonier Graduate School of Banking.

Declan Flanigan, General Manager, North America, Airtricity

Renewable Energy & Fuels

Declan Flanagan is General Manager of Airtricity North America. Prior to relocating to the US in 2003 to lead the start up of Airtricity's business Declan held a number of management positions in Airtricity in Ireland having joined the company in 2000. Since entering the North American market Airtricity has built up a leading position with 585 MW in operation or construction. The company has a development pipeline of over 4,000MW through greenfield activities and also through the acquisition of RGI in Texas in 2005 and Gale Force Energy in Canada in 2006. Prior to Airtricity Declan worked in consulting, primarily in energy and utilities. Declan has a BSc. from the National University of Ireland Galway and a MSc from the University of Ulster.

Gene Gebolys, President & CEO, World Energy Alternatives

Renewable Energy & Fuels

Gene Gebolys founded World Energy in 1998 and has guided the company to become the most recognized and respected biodiesel brand. A champion of biodiesel in the U.S. and internationally, he has provided continuing leadership to the National Biodiesel Board since 1996, serving on its governing council and as Chair of its Regulatory Committee.

Prior to founding World Energy, Mr. Gebolys served as a senior economic development official under former Massachusetts Governor William Weld. He holds degrees from Harvard University and Ohio State University in Economics, Business Management, and Public Policy.

Jay Inslee, U.S. Representative (D-WA), U.S. House of Representatives

Renewable Energy & Fuels

Since 1999, Congressman Jay Inslee has represented the 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he's focused on protecting the environment of Washington state and addressing the problem of global warming.

He's fought to restore protections for roadless areas in national forests and led a successful campaign in the House to keep limits on oil-tanker traffic in Puget Sound.

Since 2005, Jay has used his position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee to promote his vision for a clean energy future, the New Apollo Energy Act. Early this year he was appointed to the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, where he has advanced aspects of his comprehensive energy bill and other measures that would reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Jay also has co-authored a book on the clean-energy revolution. It's called Apollo's Fire and will be launched in Seattle on October 7.

Lawrence M. Kellerman, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs

Power Generation & Energy Delivery

Larry is Managing Director in FICC with responsibilities in the management of the North American electric power asset organization. He serves as co-president and chief operating officer for the power asset function.

Larry joined Goldman Sachs in 2002 as Managing Director. He has 25 years of power industry experience, including prior positions as Senior Managing Director at El Paso Corporation, President of Citizens Power, General Manager of Power Supply and Marketing at Portland General Electric, after beginning his industry career at Southern California Edison.

Larry has addressed a wide array of electric power and energy industry forums and conferences, and has authored articles in a number of industry journals and publications.

Larry earned a Bachelors degree in Management from the University of California at Davis in 1976 and a Masters in Business Administration from West Coast University in Los Angeles in 1978. He and his wife, Lauryn, have two children and live in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Kris Kolluri, Esq., Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Transportation

Infrastructure Investment

Kris Kolluri was sworn into office as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) on March 13, 2006.

Prior to that, Kolluri specialized in redevelopment and transportation law as an attorney at Parker McCay of Marlton.

Kolluri was Chief of Staff to New Jersey Transportation Commissioner Jack Lettiere. In this capacity, he served as counselor to the Commissioner and managed the development and implementation of the department's legislative and regulatory policies and communications strategies.

Before taking this post, Kolluri was Assistant Commissioner of Intergovernmental Relations for the New Jersey Department of Transportation, in charge of legislative relations, customer advocacy and public outreach and the divisions of Policy, Legislation and Regulatory Actions, and Federal and International Transportation.

Prior to working in state government, Kolluri held a variety of top positions in Congressional offices. Most recently he served as Senior Policy Advisor to House Democratic Leader Richard A. Gephardt, heading the Member Support Program which was established to help freshman Members of Congress design and implement long-term strategic initiatives. In early 1998, Kolluri was tapped to be special advisor to Congressman Gephardt on India and Indian-American affairs. Before he worked for Congressman Gephardt, Kolluri served as Congressman Robert E. Andrews' Legislative Director and his principal staffer on the International Relations Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.

Kolluri received a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Marketing from Rutgers University, a Master of Business Administration degree in International Business from Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from Georgetown University. He lives in West Windsor with his wife and two daughters.

Robert Lukefahr, President, BP Alternative Energy North America

Renewable Energy & Fuels

Bob is President of BP Alternative Energy North America. In this role, Bob is responsible for BP's power and cogen assets in North America and Alternative Energy's wind, CCGT and Cogen development activities in the Americas.

BP Alternative Energy is a global low-carbon power business that includes solar, hydrogen power, wind power and high-efficiency gas generation. Alternative Energy participates in (owns or operates) approximately 12,000 MW of power assets around the world, is developing the first commercial scale hydrogen power projects in the UK and the US and is actively developing wind and gas power in the US, Europe and Asia.

Bob formerly served as the head of strategy for BP's Gas Power and Renewables and Integrated Supply and Trading businesses. Prior to joining BP, Bob was a partner at the strategy consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton where he worked in their global energy practice. Bob has extensive experience working across the energy industry. During his tenure at Booz Allen, he worked with a broad range of energy companies in the US, Europe, and in Asia in both strategy development and operations improvement.

Bob holds an MBA from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania with concentrations in finance and operations management and A.B. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Prior to joining Booz Allen, Bob worked at Dow Jones & Company and the Madison Center for Educational Affairs, a public policy "think-tank" in Washington, DC. He served in the United States Air Force from 1981-1988.

Bob is the author of numerous business and public policy articles that have appeared in a range of newspapers, policy journals and business magazines. On several occasions, he has testified before US Congressional committees on issues relating to the US Federal Budget and Social Security.

Bob is married and has two children. He lives in The Woodlands, Texas.

Randolph P. Mann, Managing Director, Edison Mission Energy

Renewable Energy & Fuels

Randolph directs Edison Mission Energy's wind energy business development group, with responsibility for origination, project development, structuring and closing equity investments in US wind projects. Since 1998, Randolph has successfully directed Edison’s investments in 14 US wind energy projects accounting for over 650 MW of capacity in operation or construction, and in addition has established a sizeable pipeline of wind projects in advanced stages of development. Prior to joining Edison Mission Group in 1995, Randolph was responsible for loan origination and underwriting in the Kansallis Banking Group's project finance arena, with a primary focus on independent power projects. He also spent three years with the New York Stock Exchange in economic research. Randolph earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Virginia, and an M.B.A. from the Sloan School at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mike O’Sullivan, Senior Vice President, Development, FPL Energy, LLC

Renewable Energy & Fuels

Mike O'Sullivan joined FPL as Sr. Vice President of Development in July 2001, and is responsible for FPL Energy's Business Development and asset acquisition activities, including its wind development efforts.

Mr. O'Sullivan received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1982, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Chicago in 1987, and remains a Registered Professional Engineer.

Mike O'Sullivan resides with his family in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Fredrick D. Palmer, Senior Vice President, Government Relations, Peabody Energy

Renewable Energy & Fuels

In February of 2005, Frederick Palmer joined Peabody Energy as Senior Vice President of Government Relations. Mr. Palmer is responsible for advancing state and federal policies related to the production and use of coal.

Mr. Palmer has been with Peabody Energy since February of 2001, serving as Executive Vice President of Legal and External Affairs. Prior to joining Peabody Energy, Mr. Palmer was General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of Western Fuels Association, Inc.

Mr. Palmer received his Bachelor of Arts in 1966 from the University of Arizona; Juris Doctorate with honors in 1969; and Order of the Coif in 1969.

He is the 2004 recipient of the Erskine Ramsay Medal Award from the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME); Member, National Coal Council, Executive Committee and Chairman, Coal Policy Committee; Peabody Energy representative, Board of Directors, FutureGen Industrial Alliance; Board of Directors, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Member, California and District of Columbia Bar Associations; Formerly served as: Board of Directors, National Mining Association and chaired its Legal Committee and Climate Change Task Force.

George E. Pataki, Governor, New York

Carbon

Governor George E. Pataki is the founder and Chairman of Pataki-Cahill Group, a consulting firm concentrating on the environment and public private partnerships. The Governor joined Chadbourne & Parke LLP as counsel in May 2007. His practice focuses on energy, environmental and corporate matters.

In 1981, George E. Pataki defeated the incumbent to become Mayor of Peekskill, NY - beginning a political career grounded in local concerns. George Pataki arrived in the New York State Legislature in 1984. He became a strong voice in the legislature – fighting for budget reform, tax cuts, safer streets and sound environmental policy. In 1994, New York State was plagued with many challenges, and George Pataki made the decision that the time was right to lead New York into a new era of prosperity.

George Pataki was elected Governor of New York State on November 8th, 1994 defeating the three term incumbent in a come-from-behind victory. From his very first day in office Governor George E. Pataki set to work restoring New York's economy, fighting for safer streets and creating a strong environmental policy legacy for future generations. The Governor's strong commitment to tax relief, combined with his pro-growth, pro-job economic policies, brought New York State's economy back and placed the Empire State in a strong position to meet the challenges of the global economy in the 21st Century.

Throughout his tenure, Governor Pataki balanced his pro-business philosophy with smart, sound environmental policy. He led the way to establish the first cap and trade carbon initiative in the nation, preserved over one million acres of green space and has been one of the nation's leaders in promoting alternative and renewable fuels.

Among numerous other awards and accolades, Governor Pataki has been recognized as one of the top twenty global leaders on environmental issues by Business Week and Vanity Fair Magazine.

On September 11th, 2001 New York suffered the greatest attack on the American homeland in our nation's history. Thousands of innocent citizens lost their lives, and thousands upon thousands more were affected by the devastating aftermath of the attacks. Governor Pataki provided critical leadership in the aftermath of the attacks - helping to coordinate city, state and federal resources for the rescue and recovery operations in Lower Manhattan while reassuring people across the country that New York and the United States would recover and be stronger than ever. Governor Pataki has shown tremendous resolve in leading New York back from the September 11th attack. In the months following, he led an unprecedented effort to rebuild and revitalize Lower Manhattan.

The Governor and his wife Libby reside in Garrison, NY. They have four children—Emily, an attorney; Teddy, serving in the United States Marine Corps; Allison, a student at Yale University; and Owen, a student at Cornell University.

Jerry Peters, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Project Finance , TD Banknorth

Renewable Energy & Fuels

Jerry Peters is Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Project Finance at TD Banknorth. TD Banknorth is a capital provider and financial arranger for energy and infrastructure projects in the North America and part of the TD Financial Group with assets of over $400 Billion. For the past 13 years, TD Banknorth Project Finance, which is the successor to Hudson United Capital, has been a leader in arranging and providing equity, senior and subordinated debt financing for clean conventional and renewable energy projects in North America, with a portfolio which includes: combined cycle natural gas, fuel cell, wind, geothermal, hydro, landfill gas, biomass and solar PV electric production as well as ethanol and biodiesel production projects. Prior to Hudson, Jerry established and managed the Project Finance Group at Chrysler Capital Corporation, which specialized in tax advantaged equity investments in energy projects, creating a diverse, high yeilding portfolio of projects with contributed equity in excess of $1 billion. Chrysler invested in its first renewable energy project in 1985.

Jerry received a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Baltimore in 1975 and a Masters of Administrative Science from The Johns Hopkins University in 1977.

Ed Raponi, Vice President, Finance, Shell Wind Energy

Renewable Energy & Fuels

Ed Raponi is the Vice President & Business Finance Manager for Shell WindEnergy. Shell's wind business currently holds stakes in 850 MW of operational capacity in the US, Germany Spain and The Netherlands with an addition 160 MWs under construction in West Virginia to provide the PJM market later this year.

Ed has been part of Shell WindEnergy for the last three years and been part of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group for 20 years in various roles and organizations including Crude Oil Trading & Transportation, Corporate Planning and Commercial Management for Shell's downstream business.

Career highlights include assignments in New Zealand, Columbia, Syria and the US and serving as the Finance Team lead for Shell's largest Oil Products acquisition in the US.

Brian Schweitzer, Governor, Montana

Renewable Energy & Fuels

On November 2, 2004 Brian was elected as Montana's first Democratic governor since 1988. Brian Schweitzer became the 23rd Governor of the great state of Montana on January 3, 2005.

Brian was born in Havre in 1955, the fourth of six children -- five sons and a daughter -- of Kay and Adam Schweitzer. He was raised on his parent's registered cattle ranch in the Judith Basin, Montana. His German and Irish grandparents immigrated to Montana near the turn of the century and homesteaded in Hill County. His parents still farm near Geyser.

Brian earned a Bachelor of Science degree in International Agronomy from Colorado State University, and later earned a Master of Science degree in Soil Science from Montana State University. Brian married Nancy Hupp, his college sweetheart, in 1981. Nancy was raised in Billings and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Botany from Montana State University.

After graduation, Brian and Nancy began a career of irrigation development that took them to Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. He has built hundreds of miles of roads, poured thousands of yards of concrete, buried many miles of pipe, and built hundreds of structures, from houses to warehouses to distillation plants. During seven years in Saudi Arabia, Brian developed over 28,000 acres of irrigated cropland. Brian and Nancy returned to Montana in 1986 to raise a family and to build a ranching and irrigation business in Montana.

His business and agricultural experience is broad and deep, including extensive farming and ranching experience in Montana, and successful agricultural business projects on five continents. Brian has owned and operated Montana farms in Flathead, Sanders, Rosebud, and Judith Basin Counties.

In 1993, Brian was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to serve on the Montana State USDA Farm Service Agency committee. He served for seven years with the FSA, and his three-person committee was responsible for the operation of 46 county offices, 300 employees and a budget of more than $300 million. He resigned in 1999 to run for U.S. Senate.

Brian has been active in developing and implementing national farm policy, and ensuring that the voice of local Montanans is heard. In 1995, he received an award from the Secretary of Agriculture for outreach efforts to Native Americans. In 1996, Brian was appointed to the Montana Rural Development Partnership Board. In 1999, he was appointed to the National Drought Task Force, a 16-member national board, to review policy and report to Congress an improved coordination response to drought emergencies nationwide.

Paul Steinway, President, Kinder Morgan Power Company

Power Generation & Energy Delivery

Paul Steinway is President of the Power group for Knight Inc. (f/k/a Kinder Morgan, Inc.), a position he has held since February 2003. In that role, he is responsible for the business and operational activities associated with the five natural gas-fired electricity generating facilities in which Knight Inc. has an interest.

Prior to joining Knight in 1998, Mr. Steinway was a partner in the Thermo Companies, a private independent power plant developer, owner, and operator with interests in four Colorado power projects. His energy career spans more than 30 years including engineering and management positions with General Electric Company and Sithe Energies. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois, Institute of Aviation and the inventor of Knight's patented hybrid combined cycle power plant technology.

Knight Inc. (f/k/a Kinder Morgan, Inc.) is one of the largest energy transportation and storage companies in North America. It owns an interest in or operates approximately 38,000 miles of pipelines that transport primarily natural gas, crude oil, petroleum products and CO2, and over 155 terminals that store, transfer and handle products like gasoline and coal. Knight Inc. owns the general partner interest of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE: KMP), one of the largest publicly traded pipeline limited partnerships in the United States. KMP has an enterprise value of approximately $20 billion.

Martha B. Wyrsch, President, Duke Energy Gas Transmission

Oil & Natural Gas

Martha Wyrsch is president of Duke Energy Gas Transmission, Duke Energy's natural gas transmission, storage and distribution business.

Wyrsch joined Duke Energy in September 1999 as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for Duke Energy Field Services. She was named senior vice president and general counsel of energy transmission and distribution in August 2001, where she was accountable for Duke Energy's franchised electric businesses, natural gas pipeline businesses and mid-stream natural gas businesses. In addition, Wyrsch had responsibility for the legal and regulatory issues related to Duke Energy's mergers and acquisitions as well as for significant litigation and dispute resolution matters. She was named senior vice president of legal affairs in February 2003. On Jan. 1, 2004, she was named group vice president, general counsel and secretary with responsibility for the company's legal affairs and compliance activities, as well as audit, security, business continuity, ethics and insurance. She was named president and chief executive officer on March 1, 2005. Wyrsch was named to her current position in April 2006.

Prior to joining the company, Wyrsch was vice president, general counsel and secretary of KN Energy, Inc. (now known as Kinder Morgan, Inc.), a New York Stock Exchange-traded integrated energy company, from 1991 to 1999. She was KN Energy's chief legal officer and corporate secretary, and she served as a member of the Executive Management Committee.

Before joining KN Energy, Wyrsch was an associate with the law firm Davis, Graham & Stubbs, handling mergers, acquisitions, securities and finance from 1986 to 1991. From 1980 to 1983, she was a legislative assistant to Senator Alan K. Simpson of Wyoming in the area of banking, finance, transportation and public works.

The Laramie, Wyo., native received a juris doctor degree from George Washington University and earned a bachelor of arts degree in literature, with honors, from the University of Wyoming. She also completed the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.

Wyrsch is chair of Duke Energy Gas Transmission's three Canadian public boards - Westcoast Energy, Union Gas and Duke Energy Income Fund. She is also a member of the boards of directors for the Greater Houston Partnership, the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast and the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America. She is a member of the American and Colorado bar associations. Wyrsch also serves on the George Washington University Law School board of advisors and the board of directors for the Institute and School for Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming.

Wyrsch was born in 1958. She and her husband, Gerry, have a daughter and a son.