Phil Irwin

President and Chief Executive Officer, Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange

Phil Irwin has been Federated’s Rural Electric Insurance Exchange's President and CEO since July 2006 and prior to that promotion was Chief Financial Officer and Sr. Vice President of Finance.  He graduated from Kansas State University with a B.S. Degree in Accounting and is a CPA.  

Giri Iyer

Senior Program Leader, Critical Infrastructure Resilience, Geospatial Science and Human Security Division, National Security Sciences Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Giri Iyer has over 30 years of experience in the energy and healthcare sectors.  He has a proven track record of driving innovation and growth across diverse markets and technologies. He leverages his electrical engineering background, Global MBA, Six Sigma training, and AI certifications to identify and execute disruptive M&A opportunities, product differentiation, and global ecosystem development, enabling utilities to enhance grid reliability, resiliency, and renewable energy integration. He holds a International Marketing and Finance MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela in India. 

Dr. Alexandra Kahl

Research and Development Associate, Critical Infrastructure Resilience, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Dr. Alexandra Kahl is a R&D Associate in the Critical Infrastructure Resilience group currently working on power outage detection, electric infrastructure resilience to natural hazards and enhancing proactive disaster planning for utilities. Dr. Kahl's research interests focus on power outage vulnerability examining the influence of infrastructure conditions, socioeconomic characteristics and radar-based storm characteristics. Dr. Kahl's work is interdisciplinary leveraging geospatial analysis, machine learning and urban planning techniques.  

Prior to her work at ORNL, Dr. Kahl received her PhD in Energy Science and Engineering from the University of Tennessee and her master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech. She has experience in both the technical and policy aspects of disaster resilience and risk management. Dr. Kahl's combination of technical skills and policy implementation background provides her with an ideal perspective and skill set to develop holistic and effective resilience solutions. 

Julie Bushell

Vice President of Water, Paige Electric, and Chief Executive Officer, Ethos Connected, and Global Sustainability Developers, LLC

With over 25 years of experience at the intersection of agriculture, technology and policy, Julie Bushell has passionately shaped her career to bolster rural economic development with unwavering support for agriculture. In 2019, Julie embarked on a bold vision, founding and leading Paige Wireless, which later evolved into Ethos Connected in 2022. Ethos is now the Nation’s largest IoT network and full suite solution provider dedicated to natural resource conservation, full value agriculture and bioeconomy realization.  

As President and CEO of Global Sustainability Developers (GSD), Julie is a sought-after expert safeguarding our food supply, energy independence and water resources, building the rural economies essential for our collective prosperity and National security. In 2025, Julie launched the Rural Frontier Foundation (RFF) as a way to help rural America tell their stories and have a seat at the table in shaping the decisions that impact their communities. It is RFF’s mission to advocate for sound public policy and fiscal responsibility while preserving rural values and raising awareness on rural reindustrialization.

Andy Berke

Principal, Global Sustainability Developers, LLC

Andy Berke has dedicated his career to strengthening communities through innovation, sustainability, and inclusive economic growth. As Principal at Global Sustainability Developers, he advises organizations on climate resilience, clean energy, and sustainable infrastructure, helping clients secure major federal and state funding for transformative projects. 

From 2022 to 2025, Andy served as Administrator of the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service, the nation’s largest funder of rural infrastructure, overseeing more than $9 billion annually in investments. Under his leadership, the agency launched over $40 billion in new clean energy projects through initiatives such as Empowering Rural American and Powering Affordable Clean Energy, while expanding broadband, water, and electric service to millions of rural Americans. 

Before his federal service, Andy was Mayor of Chattanooga, TN. A former Tennessee State Senator and practicing attorney, Andy earned his law degree from the University of Chicago and has a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University.   

Ron Tillery

Co-Founder, Kearney Area Ag Producers Alliance

Ron Tillery has been an economic development leader in Nebraska for more than three decades. During his career, he has spearheaded transformative initiatives that generated millions of dollars of investment, thousands of jobs, and enhanced the richness of living conditions in communities across the state. 

He is a co-founder of the Kearney Area Ag Producers Alliance, a revolutionary economic development initiative designed to add value for farm members. Building on Nebraska’s agricultural foundation he has been instrumental in recruiting major investments in biofuels, sustainable aviation fuels, poultry processing, dairies, and other bio economy projects. Following a comprehensive – Love Your Community - approach, he identified and embraced nontraditional economic development initiatives that improved community aesthetics, livability and vitality. 

Chad Waldow

Chief Executive Officer / President

Chad Waldow is the CEO at Southern Public Power District in Grand Island.  Southern PPD serves over 28,000 customers throughout its 7-county service territory.  He has worked in public power for over 29 years and started in operations at North Central PPD.  He has served in the CEO role for over 10 years at Stanton County PPD and Southern PPD. Chad has an Associated of Applied Science Degree in Utility Line from Northeast Community College and an MBA from University of Nebraska-Omaha. 

Bryan Singletary

President, Practical Energies, Inc.

Bryan Singletary is a seasoned professional with over four decades of experience in the electric utility industry. He has spent his career translating the technical aspects of delivering high-quality electrical service into terms that members can easily understand. For the past 32 years, Bryan has owned and operated Practical Energies, a consulting firm specializing in helping cooperatives navigate the challenges of today’s consumer-centric utility marketplace. His firm has worked with hundreds of utilities, designing, developing, and implementing a wide range of member-focused programs. With the industry’s increasing emphasis on reliability, Bryan has seen a growing demand for member-oriented marketing programs and training, particularly in Key Accounts and strategic planning. He is a nationally sought-after speaker and trainer in utility operations, strategic planning, key accounts management, demand-side management, member service, and power quality. Bryan is also an accomplished writer, having authored and co-authored several books, papers, and manuals on these topics. His approach emphasizes practicality, fun, and meeting member needs without overwhelming them with technical jargon. A Florida native, Bryan holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Auburn University. He and his wife, Maggie, have four children and eight grandchildren.

Devin Brundage

General Manager, The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District

Devin Brundage is General Manager of The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, where he has served for more than 30 years in roles spanning engineering, operations, and management of this multi-faceted organization. The District delivers multiple benefits to Nebraska through hydroelectric generation, surface water storage and delivery, public recreation, and environmental enhancement across central Nebraska. A Nebraska native who grew up on a small farm near Cairo, Devin earned his degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and has dedicated his career to advancing the state’s public power and water resources for the benefit of Nebraska’s communities, agriculture, and industry. 

With his focus on long-term reliability, resource stewardship, and collaboration among Nebraska’s energy and water partners, he will share insights on the important role our rural electric family plays in that effort—and the impact it can have on Nebraska’s future prosperity.

Matt Manning

Chief Water Officer, Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment

Matt Manning is a lifetime Nebraska who now serves as Nebraska’s first Chief Water Officer in the recently created Department of Water, Energy & Environment.  Prior to that, he served as the Senior Project Engineer in the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, where, among other things, managed the development of the Perkins County Canal Project.  Growing up in rural Fillmore County as the youngest of eight kids, he was immersed in agriculture from a very early age.  He obtained civil engineering & law degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is licensed to practice both professions in the state of Nebraska.  His diverse work experience includes the design and construction of a variety of irrigation and water related projects over the past forty years.  He founded a successful heavy civil construction firm that completed numerous public & private infrastructure projects throughout the Midwest.  Additional qualifications include certified crane operator, qualified heavy equipment operator, and commercial driver’s license holder.  Matt and his family live just outside of Waverly. 

Lauren Khair

Senior Director of Energy Research and Resilience, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)

Lauren Khair is a Senior Director of Energy Research & Resilience in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Business and Technology Strategies department. At NRECA, she currently leads NRECA Research and the Department of Defense engagement. Lauren manages research projects totaling over $500 million, primarily focused on deployment projects and military energy. A native of Northern Virginia, Lauren earned her B.A. from James Madison University and a Master’s in Public Policy from George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. Prior to NRECA, she worked for the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA), where she developed and led the quality assurance process for the three major electricity surveys.