Leadership & Governance

Leadership

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Paula A. Gant, PhD

President and CEO

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Paula A. Gant PhD

Dr. Paula Gant is President and CEO of GTI Energy, a leading research and training organization focused on developing and scaling low-carbon, low-cost energy transition solutions. She has a passion for building collaborative teams, aligning innovation with impact, and convening diverse stakeholders to pursue solutions to consequential energy system challenges. With two decades of experience in leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Energy, American Gas Association, and Duke Energy Corporation, Dr. Gant is an established and respected thought leader in energy systems, markets, and security spaces. She is a graduate of McNeese State University in Louisiana and Auburn University in Alabama.

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Quinton Ford

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

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Quinton Ford

As Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary, Quinton Ford leads a team providing legal guidance to GTI Energy and its subsidiaries regarding corporate governance, ethics and compliance, transactions and dispute resolution, employment relationships, and intellectual property. Quinton has held various technology commercialization and legal roles, including as an officer and director of numerous subsidiaries and equity holdings.

Prior to joining GTI Energy, Quinton held leadership positions in the manufacturing sector. He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a law degree from Loyola University Chicago and is admitted to the Illinois bar.

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Jim Ingold

Senior Vice President, Finance, Treasurer, and CFO

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Jim Ingold

As Senior Vice President of Finance, Treasurer, and CFO, James F. Ingold is responsible for the optimization of financial activities across GTI Energy – managing its equity interests and investments, maintaining a broad risk management program, developing business plans, and directing the treasury function.

Jim has led formulation of a re-capitalization strategy and positioning a company for public offering. He earned a B.S. degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana, and an M.B.A. in Finance from DePaul University. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and is a member of the Illinois CPA Society.

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Ronald Snedic

Senior Vice President,  Corporate Development and President, GTI International

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Ronald Snedic

As Senior Vice President of Corporate Development, Ron Snedic leads the effort to expand GTI Energy’s customer base and increase revenues from technology-based product and service offerings designed to solve for some of the world’s greatest energy challenges. Ron leads GTI Energy’s M&A activities and serves as President of GTI International. He also oversees the communications team, the human resources department, and a wide range of education and training programs. Ron is the President of Operations Technology Development, NFP and Utilization Technology Development, NFP.

Ron earned a B.S. and an M.B.A. from NIU and has completed the Stanford Executive Program.

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Veronica Bernie

Chief of Staff

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Veronica Bernie

Veronica Bernie is Chief of Staff to GTI Energy’s President and CEO, Paula A. Gant, PhD. She drives decision-making, planning, and priorities for the Office of the President; supports change management; and seeks to advance women and diversity in energy leadership roles.

Previously, Veronica served as Chief of Staff to the Executive Director at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy and as Associate Director of Outreach at the Council on Foreign Relations. She earned her MSc in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Erin Blanton

Managing Director, Zero Emissions Systems

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Erin Blanton

As the Managing Director of Zero Emissions Systems, Erin Blanton leads GTI Energy’s methane emissions mitigation solutions strategy and focuses on the role of natural gas infrastructure in facilitating energy transitions towards a net-zero future.

Erin joined GTI Energy from Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, where she led the Natural Gas Research Initiative and the Center's ESG research. She has extensive experience advising financial professionals on energy markets and investments. Erin holds a Master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a B.A. in economics from Cornell University.

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Amber Carter

Director, Human Resources

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Amber Carter

Amber Carter is the Director, Human Resources at GTI Energy. She takes the lead in understanding and identifying resource gaps and availability across the organization to align activities that require cross-business and cross-functional collaboration.

Prior to GTI Energy, she held various human resource and operation positions at Target Corporation, Hubbell Lighting, and Komatsu. Amber holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from Western Illinois University and MBA from University of Phoenix.

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Kristin Cone

Executive Director, Communications

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Kristin Cone

Kristin Cone is the Executive Director of Communications at GTI Energy. She leads and executes strategic communications to advance the organization’s public presence, branding, and media relations priorities.

She is well-versed in strategic messaging and engagement for the clean energy sector. Prior to GTI, she led communications strategies for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for more than a decade, successfully engaging the public, media, Congress, and stakeholders in the clean energy transition. Kristin holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from California State University Fullerton.

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Lisa Foster

Director, Financial Services

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Lisa Foster

As Director of Financial Services at GTI Energy, Lisa Foster is responsible for oversight of enterprise-wide treasury and risk management, tax compliance, financial reporting and audit. Lisa is the Treasurer of GTI subsidiaries GTI International, Projeo Corporation, SunGas Renewables, and Rev Innovations as well as affiliates Operations Technology Development, NFP and Utilization Technology Development, NFP.

Lisa has held accounting and finance roles within the energy industry for over two decades. She holds a B.S. degree in Accountancy from Roosevelt University and an M.B.A from Northern Illinois University.

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Jeremy Otahal

Vice President, People and Engagement

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Jeremy Otahal

As GTI Energy’s Vice President of People & Engagement, Jeremy Otahal leads the enterprise-wide focus on people and providing the structures and running room that enable everyone to step up to their full potential and contribute with impact. He is responsible for centering the activities of human resources, DE&I, and communications.

Prior to joining GTI Energy, Jeremy held various management and consultant positions with Williams Companies , Chesapeake Energy, and Michael Page International.

Jeremy earned a B.S. in Administration from Eastern Illinois University and an M.B.A. with concentration in HR from Robert Morris University.

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Richard Kaelin

Vice President, Government Affairs

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Richard Kaelin

Richard Kaelin is Vice President of Government Relations and Business Development at GTI Energy, leading the organization’s government R&D activities and working to secure public and private funding of strategic R&D projects and programs.

Rich started his career in 1998 working for Congressman Peter Visclosky (IN -1). He held senior positions as the Appropriations and Legislative Director, and culminated as Chief of Staff, where he remained until 2003. Prior to joining GTI Energy, he was President of Rich Kaelin Consulting, a business development and legislative affairs. Rich has a Bachelor of Arts, Political Science degree from Gettysburg College, PA.

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Duncan Robinson

Vice President, Commercialization

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Duncan Robinson

As Vice President of Commercialization at GTI Energy, Duncan Robinson drives efforts to commercialize technologies, processes, and scientific innovations needed for economy-wide, deep decarbonization post-2030. Duncan loves to delve into customer challenges and solve them through innovation, technology, and commercial ingenuity, with a philosophy of ‘serving with purpose.’

Duncan has almost 25 years of experience with Schlumberger. His diversified business and energy industry experience help him guide teams through complex dealings, scaling growth, cultivating strategic partnerships, and fusing disparate interests to create win-win outcomes. Duncan is a graduate of The University of Edinburgh in the UK.

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Shannon Katcher

Vice President, Digital Innovation

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Shannon Katcher

Shannon Katcher is GTI Energy’s Vice President of Digital Innovation. Shannon develops a strategic approach to digital transformation and directs research efforts, product and service developments, and investment initiatives in the data services and analytics space related to energy systems. She holds deep knowledge of connecting the industry’s operational experiences and needs with research programs.

Shannon graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign with a B.S. in Atmospheric Science and an M.S. in GIS & Remote Sensing. She is a licensed as a GIS Professional (GISP) and a Project Management Professional (PMP).

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Don Stevenson

Vice President, Managing Director, Energy Supply and Conversion

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Don Stevenson

As Vice President of Energy Supply & Conversion, Don Stevenson leads GTI Energy's research, development and demonstration projects focused on increasing the affordability and improving the environmental performance of our energy resources through environmentally responsible energy production, application of energy conversion processes such as gasification, partial oxidation, reforming and advanced power cycles, and development of bioenergy and CO2 capture and utilization processes.

He has served in leadership roles at Rockwell International, The Boeing Company, and United Technologies Corporation. Don earned a B.S. degree in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering from the University of Washington and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

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Seymour Khalilov

Managing Director, Strategy

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Seymour Khalilov

Seymour Khalilov is a Managing Director of Strategy at GTI Energy. In this new role, he guides enterprise-wide strategy development and implementation. He brings a clear, structured thought process around strategy, and has experience implementing strategic initiatives at a large scale and across a large organization.

Prior to GTI Energy, Seymour was a Senior Director of Planning and Integration for BP in Houston, where he led planning, performance, and investments for a portfolio of more than 30 global joint ventures and managed cross-functional teams. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas–Austin.

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Kristine Wiley

Vice President, Hydrogen Technology Center

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Kristine Wiley

As Vice President of GTI Energy's Hydrogen Technology Center, Kristine Wiley works to synchronize deep industry knowledge and technical expertise, as well as large-scale labs and research facilities, to integrate the use of hydrogen into energy systems. In her role, she brings together public-private partnerships to facilitate R&D and enable the transition to low-carbon, low-cost energy systems.

Kristine has been working in the energy industry for nearly two decades with a continued focus on technological innovation and reducing climate impacts. She holds a B.A. in Biological Sciences and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

GTI Energy Board of Directors, March 2023

GTI Energy is guided by a Board of Directors with members representing the natural gas industry and consumer interests. The CEO of GTI Energy is also a member of the Board.

  • Mr. Carlos A. Cabrera, Executive Chairman, Genomatica, Inc.
  • Mr. Arthur C. Corbin, President and CEO, Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia 
  • Mr. Scott Drury, CEO, Southern California Gas Company
  • Dr. Paula A. Gant, President and CEO, GTI Energy (Ex Officio Director)
  • Ms. Rebecca Ranich, President, Exenico, LLC (Chair)
  • Ms. Lauren Riley, Managing Director, Global Environmental Affairs and Sustainability, United Airlines
  • Mr. Sumeet Singh, Executive Vice President, Operations and Chief Operating Officer, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
  • Mr. David F. Smith, Chairman, National Fuel Gas Company
  • Mr. John W. Somerhalder II, Vice Chairman, Board of Directors, FirstEnergy
  • Mr. Nick Stavropoulos, President and Chief Operating Officer, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (retired) (Vice Chair)
  • Ms. Lori S. Traweek, Chief Operating Officer, American Gas Association (retired)
  • Dr. Michael E. Webber, Josey Centennial Professor in Energy Resources, Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin

In addition, member companies and other partners provide technical guidance to GTI Energy on program content and priorities. GTI Energy also formally surveys its research customers regularly. This satisfaction survey helps to ensure that GTI Energy's products and services meet customer needs and identifies areas for performance improvement.

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