Energy Security Fellows Program

Energy Security Fellows Program

The SAFE Energy Security Fellows Program provides the next generation of energy and national security professionals with access to high-level programming and networking opportunities to connect individuals who are passionate about advancing a national conversation on the future of American energy security.

2023 ESFP MEMBERS

Katherine Ambrose

Professional Staff Member, U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

Katherine Ambrose is a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Previously, she was a Legislative Analyst at the Alpine Group. Katherine is a graduate of the College of William & Mary, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in both international relations and gender, sexuality, and women’s studies.

Denver Barrows

Senior Product Manager, Amazon

Denver is a Senior Product Manager at Amazon scaling electric vehicle infrastructure in last mile operations. He is passionate about developing a transportation and mobility network built for a green economy and supplied by a revitalized American industrial base.

Previously, Denver worked in strategy and operations in Amazon’s air division following 7 years of active duty and active reserve service in the U.S. Air Force. He currently serves as a KC-IO Pilot in the Air Force Reserves and previously worked as a Logistics Officer while on active duty, serving in Europe, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Denver was an AFROTC Distinguished Graduate at The University of Chicago where he earned a BA in Public Policy. He holds a MsC in Logistics from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

 

Sarah Bufano

Senior National Security Consultant, Guidehouse

Sarah Bufano is a senior national security consultant at Guidehouse, where she supports the Department of State. She has a proven track record of building and strengthening relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders from different cultural backgrounds, across the private, government, and nonprofit sectors, and within the United States, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Peru, and Romania. Sarah has been published in multiple policy outlets and speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. Outside work, she serves as the Secretary of the UVA Club of Washington, DC and is an active member of many foreign policy organizations.

Previously, Sarah worked in government relations at Teach For Australia, where she strengthened the nonprofit’s relationship with the Australian federal government, negotiated various state government contracts, and analyzed education policies. Sarah started her career as a strategy consultant at Accenture New York advising Fortune 500 companies. She holds a M.A. in Global Policy from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. in International Economics from the University of Virginia.

Loyle Campbell

Research fellow, the German Council of Foreign Relations Center for Climate and Foreign Policy

Loyle Campbell is a research fellow at the German Council of Foreign Relations Center for Climate and Foreign Policy focusing on energy and resource policy. Before joining this centre, Loyle completed fellowships with the Wilson Center and on the United States House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and published work assessing how China, Europe, and the United States compete for leadership over the global energy transition. Before studying, Loyle worked in various positions throughout the Canadian oilfield from 2011 to 2017. He left the industry due to workplace injury. He applies his experience in this sector to advocate for an inclusive and just energy transition. Loyle has a MA in international energy from Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs and a BSc in political science from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium.

YC Chua

Sustainable Supply Chain Associate, Cirrus Logic

YC Chua is a Sustainable Supply Chain Associate at Cirrus Logic, a semiconductor company based in Austin, Texas. He collaborates with international suppliers to improve the sustainability performance of the supply chain. He helps to mitigate business risks and strengthen resiliency by proactively addressing environmental and social issues. Before joining Cirrus Logic, YC served as a Green Schools Mentor with Illinois Green Alliance.

YC holds an MS in Energy and Sustainability from Northwestern University. Prior to working in the U.S., YC served in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) as a naval officer for eleven years. He was responsible for a variety of capability development and innovation projects.

Campbell Delahoyde

Program Director, Energy Security at National Association of State Energy Officials

Campbell Delahoyde currently leads the energy security program at the National Association of State Energy Officials, where he supports Governors’ energy advisors and their staff in energy emergency planning, preparedness, and response; climate change and hazard mitigation; grid resilience; and cybersecurity. Campbell has been involved in emergency responses in various capacities to over ten federally declared disasters, and numerous other energy emergencies.

Prior to his current role, Campbell supported the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response. Campbell served as a FEMA Corps Field Team Leader with AmeriCorps NCCC. He has a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Rhodes College.

Matt Evers

Marine Corps Logistics Officer, The Basic School in Quantico, VA

Matt Evers is an active-duty Marine Corps Logistics Officer currently assigned to Training and Education Command in Quantico, VA. His previous assignments include on staff at The Basic School supporting the entry-level training of all Marine Officers, command of a motor transport company and aviation ground support detachment at Marine Wing Support Squadron 271, and platoon commander and staff positions with 2d Battalion, 7th Marines. He deployed with 2d Battalion, 7th Marines from 2014-2015 to southwest Asia as part of Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command (SPMAGTF-CR-CC), serving as the Assistant Logistics Officer and Maintenance Management Officer. He deployed again from 2018-2019 as the Assistant Operations Officer for the Command Element, SPMAGTF-CR-Africa.

Matt commissioned in 2012 from the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated with a B.S. in Quantitative Economics. He has a M.S. in International Transportation Management from SUNY Maritime College and is accredited with the MITx MicroMasters graduate certificate in Supply Chain Management. He is a graduate of the Army’s Logistics Captains Career Course and the Naval Command and Staff College (distance education). In his personal capacity, Matt volunteers as the Vice President of Operations for the Association of Marine Corps Logisticians (AMCL). AMCL is a non-profit, wholly independent of the Marine Corps, committed to the professional development of Marine Corps logisticians and providing an open forum for the development and exchange of ideas and best practices.

Ben Ginsburg

Director of Corporate Strategy, General Electric

Ben currently serves as Director, Corporate Strategy at General Electric (“GE”), a leading manufacturer of wind and gas turbines, grid and digital infrastructure, nuclear reactors and jet engines for the energy and aerospace sectors. In this role, Ben helps lead strategy development in support of senior leadership’s efforts to capitalize on energy transition and commercialize new GE decarbonization technologies. Prior to GE, Ben served as Corporate Strategy Manager at Caterpillar, Inc, a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, engines, gas turbines and locomotives. Ben helped Caterpillar develop business strategies around new energy technologies including, hydrogen, fuel cells, carbon capture, batteries, electric vehicles, and distributed generation. Before joining Caterpillar, Ben worked in various finance roles and was an intern in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.  Ben received his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Julian Gluck

Director of Staff & Chief of Mission Sustainment, Air Combat Command A3A, U.S. Air Force

Julian Gluck is an active duty Air Force major and bomber instructor pilot presently leading energy development oversight at Air Combat Command—helping prevent, minimize, or mitigate adverse impacts on military training, testing, and readiness operations across the United States while promoting compatible domestic energy development. He is a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and earned his pilot wings from Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training.

As a B-52 pilot, Gluck flew combat missions against ISIS and the Taliban and was honored as the 2018 Air Force Times Airman of the Year for “exemplary military service … beyond the call of duty.” He received the 2019 Secretary of the Air Force Leadership Award as the top graduate of Squadron Officer School for the academic year and was later named to the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 as one of three standout honorees for Law and Policy in North America.

Gluck previously served as Aide-de-Camp to the Commander of U.S. Air Forces Korea and as Executive Officer for the DoD’s largest bomber operations group. He is a Military Fellow at the Project on International Peace and Security at William & Mary and a member of the Program for Emerging Leaders at National Defense University’s Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Matthew Hallex

Research Staff Member, The Institute for Defense Analyses’ Joint Advanced Warfighting Division

Matthew Hallex is a Research Staff Member in the Institute for Defense Analyses’ Joint Advanced Warfighting Division. His research is focused on space issues, long-term national security strategy, operational planning, and defense innovation for the Department of Defense and other national security organizations. Matthew holds a M.A. degree in Security Policy Studies from George Washington University, received his B.A. in degree in Political Science from Hunter College, City University of New York, and studied at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Originally from New York City he now lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Ruta Karpauskaite

Private Capital Advisory Consultant, Oliver Wyman

Ruta Karpauskaite is a consultant at Oliver Wyman where she specializes in private capital advisory. At Oliver Wyman, Ruta works closely with the firm’s clients and consults on transactions within defense- and energy- related industries. Prior to joining Oliver Wyman, Ruta worked as a graduate student consultant advising Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) and National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) on transactive energy market in the US. Ruta also has extensive experience working in the MENA region, specifically on distributed solar markets at UAE-based utility company Enerwhere.

Ruta holds a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies with a concentration in Energy, Resources and Environment and a bachelor’s degree from New York University Abu Dhabi in Economics and Public Policy.

Sarah Kessel

Research Assistant, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee 

Sarah Kessel is a Research Assistant on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for Chairman Joe Manchin (D-WV) working on energy policy. Before joining the Committee in 2021, she worked in Democratic politics for various Senate campaigns. She graduated from college with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Political Science from University of Dayton in Ohio.  Sarah is originally from Saint Louis, Missouri and is an avid St. Louis Blues and Cardinals sports fan.

 

Thomas Lutken

Project Manager, Energy and Environmental Affairs group at NBR

In this role, he helps manage NBR’s ongoing projects on environmental policy, economic development, and energy security. Prior to joining NBR, Mr. Lutken spent six months working at the Center for Strategic and International Studies for their US-India Policy Studies section and a year working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a hydrologic technician. Mr. Lutken earned an undergraduate degree in environmental science from Brown University in 2014 and a master’s degree in environmental management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment in 2019, concentrating in environmental economics and policy. His master’s thesis was an economic study of the impacts of electricity quality in rural India.

Mr. Lutken’s academic interests include climate change, alternative energy, transport decarbonization, and electricity policy.

 

Sam Mulopulos

Professional Staff Member, Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee

Sam Mulopulos is a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee for Ranking Member Rob Portman (R-OH), where he works on technology and supply chain policy. He also serves as Senator Portman’s trade policy advisor to the Senate Finance Committee, and runs the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus and Senate Auto Caucus, which Senator Portman co-chairs. He studies political science and environmental studies at Grinnell College.

Kobby Osei-Kusi

Founder, Pirl Technology

Kobby Osei-Kusi is the founder of Pirl Technology, an energy startup building electric vehicle charging infrastructure for consumers and businesses. Before founding Pirl, he developed over 700MW of power plants in Africa while at AES, a Fortune 500 company that generates and distributes electrical power in over 15 countries. Alongside project development, he worked on corporate mergers and acquisitions transactions worth over $500 million.

Before AES, he was an investment banker at Credit Suisse at the New York office where he worked in the Global Industrials Group on over $2 billion of financing transactions.

Currently, he serves as the executive director of the Osei Kusi Foundation, a nonprofit providing educational assistance for disabled students in Africa. He also serves on the Advisory Council of the Maryland Clean Energy Center, the Advisory Board of D+R International, and as a Principal Advisor to the Larta Institute where he advises SBIR awardees.

He holds a BA in Economics (magna cum laude) from St. Lawrence University with minors in Mathematics and Statistics, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He enjoys running and writing.

Alicia Porile

Staff Assistant, Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro

Alicia Porile is Staff Assistant to Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro, Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations. Prior to beginning this role, she served as an intern in the office of Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton and at Global Policy Group where she focused on trade and environmental policy impacting the auto industry.  Originally from South Bend, Indiana, she interned for Secretary Pete Buttigieg during his tenure as Mayor of South Bend. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Duke University where she majored in Public Policy Studies with a minor in Spanish and a Certificate in Human Rights.  Alicia currently resides in Washington D.C.

Jesse Rascon

Senior Energy, Sustainability, and Infrastructure Consultant, Guidehouse

Jesse Rascon is an Energy, Sustainability, and Infrastructure Senior Consultant at Guidehouse, where he advises investor clients on clean energy, decarbonization, and sustainability strategies. His work covers a wide range of decarbonization initiatives such as carbon market policy, EV charging infrastructure development, battery storage technology, and renewable energy procurement. He started his career at Goldman Sachs in their Asset Management Division, working on a Chief of Staff Team responsible for management, strategy, and governance work with senior leadership at the firm, and most recently, worked in their Renewable Power Group covering $1 billion of utility-scale solar and battery storage assets.

Liza Reed

Research Manager, Niskanen Center

Liza is the research manager for low carbon technology policy at the Niskanen Center. She is an expert in High Voltage Direct Current, electricity transmission, and technology innovation. Before joining the Niskanen Center, she worked on energy funding at the Great Lakes Energy Institute at Case Western Reserve University.

She holds a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University in Engineering and Public Policy and a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The Ohio State University. Her dissertation was “High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC): New Opportunities to Expand Transmission Capacity.”  She has been published in PNAS and The Electricity Journal, featured on The Weeds Volts podcasts, and quoted in MIT Technology Review and E&E News on electricity transmission technology and policy.

Nick Rohleder

Co-Founder, Climate Commodities

Mr. Rohleder is the Co-Founder of Climate Commodities (CC), a global commodity merchanting and infrastructure operations business focused on enabling the climate economy. At CC, Mr. Rohleder serves as the Co-Managing Partner of the firm’s physical trading desk, Co-Chief Investment Officer of CC’s asset management subsidiary, Climate Commodities Asset Management, and serves on the steering committees of CC’s operating subsidiaries in mineral processing and refining, transportation and logistics, and renewable power.

Mr. Rohleder holds board positions at the following companies under the title Independent Director: solar + storage energy technology and service company, EnergyLink; climate technology investment bank, Ardour Capital; hydrogen and carbon management technology company, American Hydrogen; clean energy infrastructure engineering and development firm, Lone Cypress Energy Services; and $230 million climate technology focused special purpose acquisition company, Clean Earth Acquisitions Corp (NASDAQ: CLIN).

Outside of his professional commitments, Mr. Rohleder serves as an Adjunct Professor, Alumni Mentor, and Alumni Board Member at Columbia University’s Climate School, as a member of the editorial committee for the Energy Policy Now Podcast at the University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, and as a member of the Energy Technology Leadership Council at Tulsa Innovation Labs, an economic development initiative funded by the $4 billion dollar George Kaiser Family Foundation. Mr. Rohleder is also a former Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and currently serves as a member of the global Forbes 30 Under 30 board as a representative for Texas.

Mr. Rohleder received a Master of Science in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Environmental Engineering and Technology from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Science in Sustainability Management with a concentration in Environmental Finance from Columbia University.

Griffin Smith

Climate Policy Analyst, General Motors

Griffin Smith is a Climate Policy Analyst at General Motors. Griffin works with federal, state and local regulatory agencies, other external organizations, and all functions within General Motors to support climate policy options and incentives consistent with the Paris Climate Accords and an industry-wide glidepath to zero emissions.

Griffin obtained a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a Master of Science in Applied Economics from Marquette University.

Davis Strobridge

Senior Regulatory Analyst, ITC Holdings Corp

Davis Strobridge is a Senior Regulatory Analyst at ITC Holdings Corp, the largest independent electricity transmission company in the United States, where he is responsible for managing regulatory decision-making processes and engagements with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), among other key regulatory stakeholders. In this capacity, Davis works to educate policymakers on the need for an expanded and modernized transmission grid to enhance energy resilience, facilitate decarbonization, and stimulate economic growth.

Davis holds a B.A. in Public Policy from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Wayne State University’s Mike Ilitch School of Business in Detroit, Michigan, and a Professional Certificate in Energy Innovation & Emerging Technologies from Stanford University. He is also a Fellow at the Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI, Class of 2021) where he collaborates and partners with industry leaders to develop the creative solutions required to facilitate the clean energy transition in an equitable manner.

In addition to his professional work, Davis serves on the Board of Trustees for Crossroads of Michigan, a Detroit-based social service outreach agency that provides emergency assistance, advocacy, and counseling to anyone in need. He also enjoys traveling, golfing, and spending time “up north” in Michigan.

Sam Vercellotti

Policy Associate, Boundary Stone Partners’ Transportation Policy Practice

Sam Vercellotti is a Policy Associate in Boundary Stone Partners’ Transportation Policy Practice, where he works on government affairs and public policy issues for clients in the clean transportation sector, with a heavy focus on electric vehicle charging policy. Previously, Sam worked in government relations and public affairs roles at Transurban, where he worked on public-private partnership, roadway innovation, and transportation finance policy issues at the federal and state levels. Sam graduated from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs with a B.A. in International Affairs, Security Policy Concentration.

 

 

Rahul Verma

Vice President of Analytics, Fractal Energy Storage Consultants

Rahul Verma leads the analysis efforts for design and operations of grid connected energy storage projects at Fractal Energy Storage Consultants. Prior to Fractal, he served as an Energy Economist at the Center for Energy Economics, Houston. Rahul Verma has served as an engineer and an energy economist for over 10 years with work spanning over design and financing renewable energy and energy storage projects, and supply chain access for conventional and renewable energy technologies. Rahul holds an M.S. in Energy and Earth Resources from the University of Texas, Austin and B.E. in Mining Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Dhanbad.

Justin D. Wilson

Manager, Federal Affairs, Cruise

Justin Wilson is the Manager of Federal Affairs for Cruise in Washington, DC. Justin joined Cruise in 2020, and serves as the company’s principal liaison to Congress providing strategic advice to the company on Congressional matters.

Prior to joining Cruise, Justin worked for the Raben Group. As a director at the firm, Justin built out public policy campaigns that focused on a variety of topics including transportation equity, diversity in financial services, and criminal justice.

Justin is an Alexandria, Virginia, native who earned a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University and a law degree from the George Washington University Law School. In his spare time, he serves as an advisory board member for Martha’s Table, a nonprofit focused on supporting strong children, strong families, and strong communities and enjoys attending local concerts and sporting events.

Kelsey Wingo

Presidential Management Fellow, U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center

Kelsey Wingo is a 2022 Presidential Management Fellow at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center. At the Volpe Center, Wingo serves as a Community Planner developing capacity-building resources for transportation planners and reporting on emerging strategies in transportation sector electrification and decarbonization.

In 2022, Wingo completed her master’s degrees in Public Affairs and Community & Regional Planning at the University of Texas while working at Recurrent Energy and Hagerty Consulting. Before graduate school, she worked in St. Louis managing the campus sustainability office at Webster University. She served as an adjunct instructor teaching seminar courses at the intersection of environmental justice and sustainable design. While managing conservation and efficiency projects, she helped students, staff and faculty better understand their relationship to and impact on the natural environment. She has an academic and professional background in community organizing, instructional design, and facilitation, as well as electricity security, disaster preparedness, and emergency response.