The Vantage Team
The Vantage team consists of highly experienced, trained consultants, covering virtually all functional work areas within a utility company. The following consultants from the Vantage staff have areas of specialization through many assignments. We are providing short biographical resumes that summarize education and areas of proficiency.
Walter P. Drabinski, BSEE, MBA
Ten years’ experience with a utility in power plant construction and operations, 25 years as a management consulting in the utility industry. Managed 100-plus audits, including assignments related to finance, operations, fuel procurement, risk management analysis, system and environmental modeling, and IRP development and analysis. During his career with Niagara Mohawk, Walt was responsible for managing a maintenance group that performed outage work at the Company’s largest fossil plant, three nuclear plants and regional hydro facilities. He then became Director of training for all fossil and nuclear power plants.
Walt’s Resume
Jean A. Gormley, BS, MS
Jean Gormley is the Vantage CEO and has responsibility for corporate and project administration. Jean has over 25 years’ experience as a business owner and manager with a broad range of technical and administrative talents. On assignments she performs the role of data base administrator, analyst and project administrator. She has extensive research, critical thinking, financial management, coordination and scheduling capabilities, as well as the ability to meet deadlines in an appropriate fashion. She has administrated all Vantage Projects since joining the company.
Jean’s Resume
Howard Axelrod, BSEE, MSEE, MBA, PhD
Over 40 years of experience as an economist, engineer, and management consultant. Almost 25 years working with Vantage as an expert in utility strategic planning, risk management, economic analysis, DSM analysis and modeling and utility organizational structure analysis. Howard has worked with Vantage on over twenty five assignments. Prior to his consulting career, he served in senior positions for New York State’s PSC, Consumer Protection Board and the Energy Research & Development Authority.
Howard’s Resume
Linda Trifone BS. Acct, CPA, CFE
Linda has extensive auditing, consulting and accounting experience with BIG 4 and top “12” public accounting firms specializing. She has conducted financial and operational audits for many health care, utility, legal and not for profit entities as well as large governmental agencies. Operation audits included internal accounting control reviews, analysis of estimates, reconciliation of out of balance accounts, and analysis and evaluation of fraud.
Linda’s Resume
Mark Fowler, BS, MBA
Over 30 years’ experience in utilities and energy industries. Almost 20 years working with Vantage. Expert in energy analysis, solar planning, modeling, work management and financial planning. Previous employee of a generation and transmission Cooperative where he helped develop financial models and interfaced with investment bankers for a major debt issuance to fund a power plant and transmission project.
Mark’s Resume
Chuck Buechel, MA Econ
30 years of consulting and regulatory experience. The majority of these assignments were with Vantage where he has worked for over 20 years. In addition, he has 10 years of experience at the Kentucky Public Service Commission including Deputy Executive Director where he worked regulatory planning, rates, and system planning.
Chuck’s Resume
Cynthia Holste Pepper, BA, MA
More than thirty years of experience in organizational development, human resources, and working with executives and leadership teams. Almost 20 years working with Vantage on management audits and staffing assignments. Her education related to this project and her direct experience on projects of this type includes; HR Management and Operations Audits of the human resources, organizational design, labor relations and safety reviews of twenty-one gas, electric, water and telecommunications companies.
Cynthia’s Resume
Mike Boismenu, PE NYS
Almost thirty years with large utilities in Generation Operations, Generation and T&D Engineering, and System Standards. Thirteen years with Vantage. As Plant Manager of a large coal fired power plant and Regional Director of Operation with NRG Energy, he coordinated the coal, oil and natural gas procurement process. Mike also had responsibility for engineering and outage support at Nine Mile Point 1 & 2 and Fitzpatrick Nuclear Stations. This included assistance during fuel outages.
Mike’s Resume
R. Scott Everngam, CFA BSEE, MAS
Mr. Everngam has 16 years of federal experience that includes the FERC and Maryland PSC, as well as 15 years of experience as a buy-side investment equity analyst. His energy consulting focuses on federal policy, financial regulatory issues such as cost of capital issues related to the return on equity (ROE), capacity markets, and energy market financial derivatives. Mr. Everngam specialized in analyzing the wholesale energy and capacity electric markets of PJM. He has extensive expertise in energy regulatory issues of relevance to the investment community such as the determination of the authorized ROE for electric utilities and midstream natural gas & oil pipelines.
Scott’s Resume
James Habberfield, BS
Jamie Habberfield is an experienced Energy Project Developer, Consultant, and Executive with extensive expertise in renewable energy and distributed generation, including developing energy projects, managing energy portfolios and trading, and leading complex regulatory programs. He has led Business Development efforts on distributed generation and solar and natural gas power plants. Previously he managed regulatory filings, compliance efforts, and designed and implemented innovative energy programs. He has worked within markets such as PJM, NYISO, MISO, ERCOT, ISO-NE, NYMEX and CME, and served on industry committees for PJM, NERC, and PA state collaboratives. Jamie has experience with bilateral contracts, options and forward contracts, and daily spot market trading in regional electricity markets.
James’ Resume
Mary Lovell, MBA
Over thirty years experienced focused in regulated utilities. Ten years with Atmos Energy including Senior Vice President (Gas Supply, Marketing, Rate, Regulatory Affairs). Fifteen years as consultant with Vantage. Mary earned her MBA from Harvard which, along with her experience equips her with deep understanding of strategic and operational objectives for utility companies.
Mary’s Resume
William F. Hederman, BS, MS, MPP
William F. Hederman has extensive experience in the energy industry, including the position of senior fellow at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, senior advisor to U.S. Secretary of Energy, chief architect of the Quadrennial Energy Review’s analytic framework and lead analyst on many international assignments. He had responsibility for establishing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Office of Market Oversight and Investigations during the Enron/California electricity crises and being the first energy budget analyst at the U.S. Congressional Budget Office. He earned an M.S. in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Notre Dame. He also holds a professional degree (M.P.P.) from the University of California, Berkeley.
William’s Resume
Jim Reynolds, PE, BS Civil
Jim brings extensive experience in all aspects of water utility operations to the project. Jim held the position of Executive Director of the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) from 2001 through 2012 where he had responsibility for all aspects of utility finance, operations, and construction. Jim has been actively involved with all phases of the water and wastewater industry. He his experience ranged from engineering and production to that of Executive Director of the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) for almost a decade. Before his tenure with FKAA and since leaving that position in 2012, he has worked on a number of major projects with small utilities throughout the US.
Jim’s Resume
Susan M. Hayslip BA, JD
Susan has extensive consulting experience with telecommunications utilities, and regulators at the federal, state, and local level. Susan has provided expert witness testimony in numerous jurisdictions. Recent consulting projects included; modifying and simplifying Performance Assurance Plan (PAP) for Fairpoint Communications in its New England, three state area; SBC- Central Office, repair call center & dispatch, engineering design & planning of outside plant facilities, personnel management of clerical & installation forces, and design of fiber networks in GTE territories, and Qwest/Arizona – OSS Testing of competitors’ access to Qwest’s operating systems. She is a SBC/Nevada – Subject matter expert on requirements of the 14-point checklist and FCC applications using an anchor state as evidence of 271 compliance. Prior to entering consulting, Susan worked in retail sales, finance and accounting and the telecommunications industry. Susan holds a B.A. in Accounting and a J.D. from Texas A&M University graduating summa cum laude, first in the class in 1995.
Susan’s Resume
The Vantage Team
The Vantage team consists of highly experienced, trained consultants, covering virtually all functional work areas within a utility company. The following consultants from the Vantage staff have areas of specialization through many assignments. We are providing short biographical resumes that summarize education and areas of proficiency.
Walter P. Drabinski, BSEE, MBA
Ten years’ experience with a utility in power plant construction and operations, 25 years as a management consulting in the utility industry. Managed 100-plus audits, including assignments related to finance, operations, fuel procurement, risk management analysis, system and environmental modeling, and IRP development and analysis. During his career with Niagara Mohawk, Walt was responsible for managing a maintenance group that performed outage work at the Company’s largest fossil plant, three nuclear plants and regional hydro facilities. He then became Director of training for all fossil and nuclear power plants.
Walt’s Resume
Jean A. Gormley, BS, MS
Jean Gormley is the Vantage CEO and has responsibility for corporate and project administration. Jean has over 25 years’ experience as a business owner and manager with a broad range of technical and administrative talents. On assignments she performs the role of data base administrator, analyst and project administrator. She has extensive research, critical thinking, financial management, coordination and scheduling capabilities, as well as the ability to meet deadlines in an appropriate fashion. She has administrated all Vantage Projects since joining the company.
Jean’s Resume
Howard Axelrod, BSEE, MSEE, MBA, PhD
Over 40 years of experience as an economist, engineer, and management consultant. Almost 25 years working with Vantage as an expert in utility strategic planning, risk management, economic analysis, DSM analysis and modeling and utility organizational structure analysis. Howard has worked with Vantage on over twenty five assignments. Prior to his consulting career, he served in senior positions for New York State’s PSC, Consumer Protection Board and the Energy Research & Development Authority.
Howard’s Resume
Linda Trifone BS. Acct, CPA, CFE
Linda has extensive auditing, consulting and accounting experience with BIG 4 and top “12” public accounting firms specializing. She has conducted financial and operational audits for many health care, utility, legal and not for profit entities as well as large governmental agencies. Operation audits included internal accounting control reviews, analysis of estimates, reconciliation of out of balance accounts, and analysis and evaluation of fraud.
Linda’s Resume
Mark Fowler, BS, MBA
Over 30 years’ experience in utilities and energy industries. Almost 20 years working with Vantage. Expert in energy analysis, solar planning, modeling, work management and financial planning. Previous employee of a generation and transmission Cooperative where he helped develop financial models and interfaced with investment bankers for a major debt issuance to fund a power plant and transmission project.
Mark’s Resume
Chuck Buechel, MA Econ
30 years of consulting and regulatory experience. The majority of these assignments were with Vantage where he has worked for over 20 years. In addition, he has 10 years of experience at the Kentucky Public Service Commission including Deputy Executive Director where he worked regulatory planning, rates, and system planning.
Chuck’s Resume
Cynthia Holste Pepper, BA, MA
More than thirty years of experience in organizational development, human resources, and working with executives and leadership teams. Almost 20 years working with Vantage on management audits and staffing assignments. Her education related to this project and her direct experience on projects of this type includes; HR Management and Operations Audits of the human resources, organizational design, labor relations and safety reviews of twenty-one gas, electric, water and telecommunications companies.
Cynthia’s Resume
Mike Boismenu, PE NYS
Almost thirty years with large utilities in Generation Operations, Generation and T&D Engineering, and System Standards. Thirteen years with Vantage. As Plant Manager of a large coal fired power plant and Regional Director of Operation with NRG Energy, he coordinated the coal, oil and natural gas procurement process. Mike also had responsibility for engineering and outage support at Nine Mile Point 1 & 2 and Fitzpatrick Nuclear Stations. This included assistance during fuel outages.
Mike’s Resume
R. Scott Everngam, CFA BSEE, MAS
Mr. Everngam has 16 years of federal experience that includes the FERC and Maryland PSC, as well as 15 years of experience as a buy-side investment equity analyst. His energy consulting focuses on federal policy, financial regulatory issues such as cost of capital issues related to the return on equity (ROE), capacity markets, and energy market financial derivatives. Mr. Everngam specialized in analyzing the wholesale energy and capacity electric markets of PJM. He has extensive expertise in energy regulatory issues of relevance to the investment community such as the determination of the authorized ROE for electric utilities and midstream natural gas & oil pipelines.
Scott’s Resume
James Habberfield, BS
Jamie Habberfield is an experienced Energy Project Developer, Consultant, and Executive with extensive expertise in renewable energy and distributed generation, including developing energy projects, managing energy portfolios and trading, and leading complex regulatory programs. He has led Business Development efforts on distributed generation and solar and natural gas power plants. Previously he managed regulatory filings, compliance efforts, and designed and implemented innovative energy programs. He has worked within markets such as PJM, NYISO, MISO, ERCOT, ISO-NE, NYMEX and CME, and served on industry committees for PJM, NERC, and PA state collaboratives. Jamie has experience with bilateral contracts, options and forward contracts, and daily spot market trading in regional electricity markets.
James’ Resume
Mary Lovell, MBA
Over thirty years experienced focused in regulated utilities. Ten years with Atmos Energy including Senior Vice President (Gas Supply, Marketing, Rate, Regulatory Affairs). Fifteen years as consultant with Vantage. Mary earned her MBA from Harvard which, along with her experience equips her with deep understanding of strategic and operational objectives for utility companies.
Mary’s Resume
William F. Hederman, BS, MS, MPP
William F. Hederman has extensive experience in the energy industry, including the position of senior fellow at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, senior advisor to U.S. Secretary of Energy, chief architect of the Quadrennial Energy Review’s analytic framework and lead analyst on many international assignments. He had responsibility for establishing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Office of Market Oversight and Investigations during the Enron/California electricity crises and being the first energy budget analyst at the U.S. Congressional Budget Office. He earned an M.S. in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Notre Dame. He also holds a professional degree (M.P.P.) from the University of California, Berkeley.
William’s Resume
Jim Reynolds, PE, BS Civil
Jim brings extensive experience in all aspects of water utility operations to the project. Jim held the position of Executive Director of the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) from 2001 through 2012 where he had responsibility for all aspects of utility finance, operations, and construction. Jim has been actively involved with all phases of the water and wastewater industry. He his experience ranged from engineering and production to that of Executive Director of the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) for almost a decade. Before his tenure with FKAA and since leaving that position in 2012, he has worked on a number of major projects with small utilities throughout the US.
Jim’s Resume
Susan M. Hayslip BA, JD
Susan’s Resume