Who We Are

AMS’s team of professionals includes experts in all aspects of the energy industry. Our team combines a deep bench of experience in strategic planning, complex project management, and project finance with unmatched technical expertise in distributed generation technologies, energy efficiency and demand response programs, regulatory policies and procurement support.

Susan Kennedy is Founder and CEO of Advanced MicroGrid Solutions. Kennedy served for two decades at the highest levels of state and federal government, most recently as chief of staff to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, cabinet secretary and deputy chief of staff to Governor Gray Davis and communications director for California’s senior U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. Ms. Kennedy served from 2003-2006 on California’s Public Utilities Commission, regulating the state’s investor-owned electric utilities, telecommunications providers and private water companies.
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The Honorable Jackalyne Pfannenstiel is Co-Founder and Chair of the Advisory Board of AMS. Secretary Pfannenstiel is an independent consultant on energy efficiency and Demand Response systems, having recently served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations and Environment) until 2012. At the Navy, Pfannenstiel oversaw all DON functions and strategic planning for programs related to installations, safety, energy and environment including the development of the department’s energy strategy, policies and guidance.
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Dan Richard was managing partner and co-founder of Heritage Oak Capital Partners, an infrastructure finance firm, from 2007 to 2009, and was senior vice president of public policy and governmental relations at Pacific Gas and Electric Company from 1997 to 2006.
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Walter McGuire is President of McGuire & Co., Inc., a public affairs firm, and President of the Environmental Policy Center, a nonprofit organization. Mr. McGuire was the principal creator and manager of California’s award-winning “Flex Your Power” campaign, an effort that reduced energy demand by more than 5,000 MWs in what experts called the most successful statewide energy conservation campaign ever conducted.
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Richard Cohen most recently served as Managing Director in corporate development group for BGC Partners, responsible for M&A and other strategic transactions for the company including negotiating and executing acquisitions for expansion of BGC’s global commercial real estate platform. Prior to BGC, Cohen spent 14 years at Bank of America.

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Nancy Pfund is the Founder and Managing Partner of DBL Investors. Ms. Pfund currently sponsors or sits on the board of directors of a number of companies, including Primus Power, SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY), Solaria, Ecologic, Power Genix, and BrightSource Energy. Ms. Pfund also worked closely with exited portfolio companies Tesla Motors and Pandora.
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Kellogg L. Warner is President of Deerpath Associates, providing strategic and financial advisory services to service providers and end users in the utility and energy services industry. Warner also currently serves as Executive Consultant to Applied Energy Group / Ameresco focused on corporate development and strategic new business initiatives.
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Perry Fontana is President & CEO of Fontana Energy Associates. Before forming his own company, Perry spent 25 years directing the development of natural gas, coal, biomass, geothermal, wind, solar, and gasification projects totaling over 10 GW of installed generation around the world. Fontana served as Vice President of Projects for Ausra, Inc., with responsibility for site acquisition, permitting, and development for over 2 GW of solar thermal generation.
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Theresa C. Miller is the Director of Permitting at Fontana Energy Associates. Theresa Miller has over 13 years of experience in the permitting of both generation and transmission facilities. Theresa has extensive experience in the interpretation, application, and implementation of state and federal regulations including CEQA, NEPA, ESA, Clean Water Act, and Fish and Wildlife Code.
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Katherine Ryzhaya Poster has been structuring complex commercial energy deals in the Western U.S. for over a decade. She currently serves as a Director in the Structured Transactions group of Evolution Markets, where she holds responsibility for leading the firm’s renewable and conventional power brokerage business in California and the WECC. Based in the firm’s San Francisco office, Ms. Ryzhaya Poster works with wholesale energy market participants on all matters relating to power marketing, energy and capacity sales, contract negotiations and business development.
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Shirley Nelson and a group of investors created Summit Bank of Oakland, California in 1982. One of the most consistently highly ranked and highly praised independent banks in California, this pioneering women owned bank now has four state branches. She currently serves as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Summit Bank and Summit Bancshares, Inc., the holding company for Summit Bank.
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