Session 1: Zero Harm, Maximum Impact

Frank A. Cuomo is the Director of Commodity Operations at Con Edison, where he oversees a substantial annual portfolio of approximately $500 million. He began his engineering career in the consulting industry before joining Con Edison in 2011. Over the years, he has held various positions within Con Edison Steam Operations, including project manager and general manager. Frank is a NYS Licensed Professional Engineer, a graduate of Manhattan College School of Engineering, and holds an MBA from the Baruch Zicklin School of Business. He has also served as an adjunct professor at NYU Shack Institute of Real Estate.

Frank's expertise lies in customer energy use and system design. He has collaborated with numerous customers, stakeholders, and industry partners to explore paths towards a Clean Energy Future. Notably, he led the Future of Renewable Steam Team (FIRST), a company initiative focused on decarbonization efforts.

As a subject matter expert in Steam Operations and customer building systems, Frank is known for his ability to cultivate positive relationships with stakeholders and communicate complex business topics effectively. He has also served as Incident Commander during large-scale emergency events.

In his current role, Frank ensures the seamless procurement and scheduling of energy commodities, maintaining 24/7 operations to meet customer energy demands. His strategies in gas planning and regulatory proceedings reflect his competencies in networking, customer energy systems, and overall energy distribution, essential for steering the company towards a sustainable future

Jennifer Meisenhelder is the Associate Director of Construction at the University of Florida. She began her career in consulting where she focused on design and construction of large and complex municipal utility projects. At the University of Florida, Jennifer directed large infrastructure projects, utility planning and the operational aspects of steam and chilled water distribution, before moving to large capital construction. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Resource Management from the Pennsylvania State University, a Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark, a MBA from the University of Florida and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Florida.

Cameron Ratliff is the Associate Director of Utilities at the University of Virginia where Cameron leads a team of 27 employees who operate and maintain over 220+ miles of piping which includes steam, condensate, MTHW, LTHW, chilled water, domestic water, reclaim water, sanitary sewer and storm water and seven miles of tunnels.
Prior to UVA Cameron spent 20+ years in the construction industry as a project superintendent completing numerous projects across the country. This experience and has enabled the UVA Utilities team to self-perform over $5 million annually of utility distribution and mechanical project work.
Cameron strives for continuous improvement of the team, the infrastructure and ensures the safe and sustainable operation of the Energy and Utility systems at UVA.

Christopher Potter is the Executive Director of Utilities and Power Plant Operations at the Architect of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. and is responsible for the management of the district energy system serving the buildings on and around Capitol Hill. Chris has been with the AOC since 2005. Prior to that, he worked at the General Services Administration district energy system also in Washington DC. Chris has a Master's degree in Public Administration from American University, a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from Catholic University, and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland.

John Giamarino, Chief Engineer, Central Operations, Steam & Gas Engineering at Con Edison.
John joined Con Edison in 1990 as a management intern. He has held positions of increasing responsibility such as maintenance supervisor, Power Generation Maintenance – Field Operations; engineer, Fossil Power Engineering, East River Station, and Steam Engineering; and senior engineer, Steam Engineering and Project Engineering. He was also project specialist, project manager, maintenance manager, and operations manager at East River Station.
John is an experienced, customer-centric leader who knows how to create positive relationships and a culture focused on operational excellence.
John earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo and Master of Business Administration in finance from Fordham University. He is a graduate of Business Academy XVIII.

Chuck has worked at the University of Florida since 2017 as the Director of Utilities for Electrical and Water Distribution Services. Chuck allocates essential resources, as UF spends around $45 million on electricity consumption each year and operates close to 2 million gallons of water per day for the use of potable water throughout campus. Chuck started his career in the Navy where he worked on steam systems which sparked his interest in engineering. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from the University of Illinois.

Eric R. Toth is a Director of Safety and Health for Cordia. Mr. Toth, a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), has over 25 years of proven experience in environment, health, and safety. His primary mission is to enhance the working environment's quality by eliminating or reducing health and safety hazards through positive, proactive mentoring measures that respect all employees. Currently, he is responsible for health/safety program development and implementation, hazard and risk identification, compliance, and management system practices for nine US-based Cordia District Energy assets. Mr. Toth is based in MPLS and is located at the Energy Center Minneapolis, an MNSTAR facility.