people

Jamie founded and currently serves as CEO of the Distributed Energy Financial Group (DEFG, www.defgllc.com), a holding company with three branded entities, including: DEFG LLC, a specialized consulting and financial services firm focused on innovative energy technologies and solutions, EcoAlign (www.ecoalign.com), DEFG Ventures, an investment arm that provides capital, advisory services and marketing expertise to alternative energy companies seeking angel and venture capital. DEFG’s clients include many of the leading utilities, vendors and equipment manufacturers, and financial firms active in the energy technology sector. As an offshoot of his work with DEFG, Mr. Wimberly co-founded and manages the Customer Care Research Consortium (CCRC), a research organization with 16 utility members focused on customer care operations in partnership with Navigant Consulting. He also manages the Demand and Energy Technology (DETech) Research Consortium, a research organization with 9 utility members focused on alternative energy and DSM issues. Prior to DEFG, Mr. Wimberly co-founded and formerly served as President of the Center for the Advancement of Energy Markets (CAEM), a non-profit think tank focused on the energy sector. Prior to CAEM, Jamie Wimberly served as the Vice President of the Consumer Energy Council of America (CECA), the oldest public interest organization in the nation focusing on the energy, telecommunications and other network industries providing essential services to consumers.

Joanna Paul is Creative Director for EcoAlign with more than 15 years of experience in designing winning campaigns. Prior to joining EcoAlign, Joanna was employed with Landor Associates, a renowned New York-based branding and design consultancy, where she managed complex design projects for consumer goods, financial services and business-to-business companies. Previously, she was employed by companies such as FutureBrand, Tattoo Marketing and Maddocks & Company in a range of design management positions. Joanna studied marketing at San Diego State University, and was trained in graphic design in New York at the School of Visual Arts and Parsons School of Design.

John serves as a Chief Social Scientist for EcoAlign. A former psychology professor and award-winning speaker, John's unique insight into the psychology of the communication design process has made him a prominent contributor to several pioneering entertainment projects over the past decade, including two $200 million dollar plus theme park designs. Recent clients and partners have included the Oscar-winning BRC Imagination Arts, the Joseph Campbell Foundation, Knock Knock, Inc.

His new book “Igniting Inspiration: A Persuasion Manual for Visionaries” is quickly becoming an indispensable tool for a new generation of socially conscious marketers, business leaders. In the book, John exposes the hidden dynamics of inspiration and unveils a bold new paradigm for creating inspirational media and messaging called Transformational Design™. A seamless blend of systems theory, developmental psychology, and common sense, this new framework allows socially conscious people—marketers, business leaders, and activists—to design messages that systematically overcome cynicism and inspire others to act.

Mr. Nat Treadway is focused on electric market structure, direct retail access, energy efficiency, demand response, distributed generation and value-added energy services. He prepares the Annual Baseline Assessment of Choice in Canada and the United States. ABACCUS is a report card on the states' performance regarding retail electricity restructuring. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Combined Heat and Power Initiative and works with a variety of companies in Texas on on-site energy services. He is Managing Partner, Distributed Energy Financial Group LLC.

Mr. Treadway worked as a senior researcher for the Center for the Advancement of Energy Markets (CAEM), a non-profit think tank. In the lead up to Texas restructuring, he served as a senior advisor to the commissioners of the Public Utility Commission of Texas on special tariffs, competitive resource acquisition, and the separation of regulated electric distribution functions from competitive energy services. In the late 1990's, he led the development of interconnection guidelines for DG in Texas, and he led the regulatory team that oversaw eight electric utility "Deliberative Polls®." These polls demonstrated that Texans would prefer a resource mix that included renewable energy and energy efficiency -- a finding that has become self-evident through recent events.

Mr. Treadway provided ten years of expert testimony before the PUC of Texas on the economics of demand-side management programs, integrated resource planning and emerging competitive issues. In the early 1980's, he was a municipal energy manager for the city of Ogden, Utah.

Sarah Eder serves as a VP of Communications at EcoAlign focused on public relations and strategic communications.

She counsels a broad range of companies and crafts brand-building, integrated communications solutions that combine research, strategy and provocative ideas to align with and maximize a client's business objectives. Recognized as a superior tactician, skilled writer and trusted advisor, her clients consistently seek her expertise for day-to-day business public relations as well as major events management.

Prior to EcoAlign, Eder was previously director of Corporate Communications at Comcast Cable. In this position, she was responsible for leading media relations strategy on corporate, telephone and high-speed Internet issues for the nation’s leading cable company, which at the time served more than 22 million customers.

Prior to joining Comcast, Eder served as director of External Communications for AT&T Broadband. In this position, Eder was responsible for directing media relations efforts with national, business, trade, local and consumer press, as well as media relations strategy on corporate, public policy, telephone and high-speed Internet issues. She also was director and regional spokesperson for AT&T Corp. In this position she directed media relations activities as spokesperson for 14 western states and more than 3,000 media outlets.

Eder received her Bachelor of Science in journalism and graduated cum laude from Ohio University, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. She has served as a member of Association of Cable Communicators, Public Relations Society of America and Women in Cable and Telecommunications Rocky Mountain where she is currently a board member. In addition, she was chosen for the Arthur W. Page Society class of 1999, an elite executive public relations group.

Sandra has spent over 15 years in both Europe and the USA creating, managing and implementing branding programs for a full range of international companies. Her strong creative vision, strategic approach and collaborative nature have allowed her to build and guide diverse creative teams, manage client relationships and inspire new ways of problem solving. Past clients included Tishman Construction Company, the largest privately-owned construction company in the world, the City of Asheville in North Carolina, CPower, Bowlmor, Roche Diagnostics, Mitsui Fudosan America and Tripfilms.

Sandra was Creative Director at Interbrand, where she worked on clients such as Bell Canada, eBay, Microsoft and was also a key member of the team involved in the creation of the new AT&T. While in London working for the Scottish design consultancy, 999 Design, she helped to establish key client relationships for the London office, which included Sony PS2, BBC and BT.

Jorge Echeverria is the Social Media Lead at EcoAlign and he is responsible for overseeing EcoAlign’s presence across social networks. He conducts social media research and executes social media campaigns for energy and natural gas utilities and suppliers. Jorge is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian and French.

Tom is a senior executive with over 30 years of experience in the gas and electric industry. His expertise includes general management, operations, product-business development, regulation and sales and marketing. Mr. Brunetto is skilled in business strategy, start-up management, supply chain, business transformation and operational excellence, and customer care. Prior to EcoAlign, Tom was Managing Director at Navigant Consulting Inc. in the Energy Practice, Vice President with Cap Gemini where he managed eBusiness and supply chain service offerings for the Energy, Utilities & Chemicals North America business unit. As a partner for Ernst & Young, Mr. Brunetto directed corporate reengineering, strategic planning, regulatory and marketing/sales projects for the energy business unit. These projects included rate design studies, corporate strategy, forecasting, planning and management audits. He has provided expert testimony on cost/pricing justification in Canada and states of Texas, Montana, Alabama, and Massachusetts.