Michelle Moore is author of “Rural Renaissance” and CEO of Groundswell, a 501(c)(3) that builds community power by eliminating energy burdens and increasing economic opportunity with community solar, resilience centers, residential energy efficiency, and pioneering research. A social entrepreneur and former White House official with roots in rural Georgia, Michelle is a relentless agent for change. Her accomplishments range from cutting the government’s energy bill by $11 billion and deploying 3.2 Gigawatts of new renewable energy for President Obama, to developing LEED into a globally recognized brand for USGBC.

Michelle also serves as a Senate-confirmed member of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors and as Secretary of the Board for the Interdenominational Theological Center. Her work is rooted in her faith and the commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Robert Burns is director of the Home Region Program at the Walton Family Foundation. In this role, he leads the foundation’s work advancing economic and cultural vibrancy, opportunity and inclusion in Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta.

Robert has more than 25 years of experience in workforce housing, philanthropy, community development and governmental affairs. Most recently, he led efforts to promote financial inclusion and economic empowerment as senior vice president of Citi. In previous roles, Robert partnered with nonprofit and public agencies to build more inclusive cities; managed a Community Development Financial Institution; directed nonprofit solutions for an affordable housing organization; and served in local government in four states. Robert has a master’s in public administration from the University of Kansas and a bachelor’s in political science from Appalachian State University.

Reverend Mitchell L. Johnson has been a Chicagoland community leader for over two decades. He is a nationally recognized economic development expert who has helped hundreds of churches serve as catalysts for economic growth and empowerment in their communities. Johnson’s focus on community economic development and collaboration has led to roles serving as Executive Director of Developing Communities Project (DCP) – a position previously held by Former President Barack Obama. Johnson has served as a consultant for Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi), the world's largest Jewish college fraternity, operating chapters on more than 190 college campuses in seven countries. Johnson also serves as an Associate Minister at Hillcrest Baptist Church.

• Choice of: Chorizo, Bacon, Egg, and Cheese (vegetarian), or beans and rice (vegan)

Michelle Moore is author of “Rural Renaissance” and CEO of Groundswell, a 501(c)(3) that builds community power by eliminating energy burdens and increasing economic opportunity with community solar, resilience centers, residential energy efficiency, and pioneering research. A social entrepreneur and former White House official with roots in rural Georgia, Michelle is a relentless agent for change. Her accomplishments range from cutting the government’s energy bill by $11 billion and deploying 3.2 Gigawatts of new renewable energy for President Obama, to developing LEED into a globally recognized brand for USGBC.

Michelle also serves as a Senate-confirmed member of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors and as Secretary of the Board for the Interdenominational Theological Center. Her work is rooted in her faith and the commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Adaora Ifebigh is the Senior Director of Impact at Sol System and leads efforts to execute Sol’s comprehensive Impact and Infrastructure strategy. In this role, she builds community partnerships and collaborates with local organizations that are driving positive change in their communities in their efforts to address systemic challenges to sustainability. Ms. Ifebigh has over 15 years of program management and leadership experience across the energy sector with specific experience in energy access and community impact work in rural cooperative territory. As Program Director for Energy Access at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), she started and led the Advancing Energy Access for All initiative that spotlights cooperatives' involvement in facilitating healthy communities, explores the innovative ways they do it, and uncovers new directions community assistance programs are taking. The initiative created a sustainable practice around supporting cooperatives as they holistically serve their members, especially low- and moderate-income households and to ensure that rural communities are not left behind in the transition to clean energy.

Bill Inman is the Vice President of Member & Strategic Services at Aiken Electric Cooperative. With over three decades of experience in the industry, he has been instrumental in providing reliable energy solutions to the community. Bill holds a B.S. in Administrative Management from Clemson University and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University. Before joining Aiken Electric, he worked in banking. Bill is actively involved in community organizations such as the Rotary Club, Salvation Army Board of Directors, and Savannah River Site Redevelopment Authority. He has also served as the Aiken Chamber of Commerce Chair and United Way of Aiken County Chair. Bill enjoys traveling with his family and staying active in his free time.

Autumn Long directs the Appalachian Solar Finance Fund, a regional financial and technical assistance program designed to catalyze solar development in coal-impacted Central Appalachian communities. She previously served as a Regional Director at Solar United Neighbors, a national nonprofit dedicated to grassroots solar advocacy and education. Ms. Long holds a NABCEP PV Associate certification and teaches a course on solar PV technology and policy fundamentals at West Virginia University. She co-chairs the Central Appalachian Network’s Clean Energy Working Group and chairs the advisory board of New Roots Community Farm in Fayetteville, West Virginia. Ms. Long lives in the New River Gorge region of West Virginia, where she enjoys climbing, trail running, paddling, swimming, hiking, and playing music.

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Liz Carlisle is an Associate Professor in the Environmental Studies Program at UC Santa Barbara, where she teaches courses on food and farming. Born and raised in Montana, she got hooked on agriculture while working as an aide to organic farmer and U.S. Senator Jon Tester, which led to a decade of research and writing collaborations with farmers in her home state.

She has written three books about regenerative farming and agroecology: Lentil Underground (2015), Grain by Grain (2019, with co-author Bob Quinn), and most recently, Healing Grounds: Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming (2022). She holds a Ph.D. in Geography, from UC Berkeley, and a B.A. in Folklore and Mythology, from Harvard University. Prior to her career as a writer and academic, she spent several years touring rural America as a country singer.

Tyler Swanson is a graduate assistant at the University of Arizona studying the social dimensions of agrivoltaics. Tyler began studying agrivoltaics in the context of policy and rural economic development at the University of Illinois and has since published his work in Q Magazine, the Chicago-Kent Journal of Environmental and Energy Law, and the Agrisolar Clearinghouse. Tyler's goal is to assist in the development of sustainable transitions for rural communities. In place of Greg Barron-Gafford, Tyler will present Agrivoltaics as a Tool for Rural Communities.

In her own words, “COURAGE is the catalyst for change,” and Dianne Dillon-Ridgely is the very definition of a changemaker. Shattering glass ceilings and claiming her place at the table to be a voice for equity and sustainability throughout her life Dianne leads with courage and passion. In the last forty years Dianne has been a dedicated Environmentalist and Human Rights Activist at the forefront of society's shift from an industrial one to one focused on sustainability. Appointed by three US Presidents across three Administrations, she has served on twenty-three US Delegations at the UN and other global meetings. By appointment of the White House she attended the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the 1997 General Assembly Special Session and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa, making her the only person to serve on all three US delegations. From 1997 to 2014 she was a director on the board of Interface, Inc., a global leader in sustainable design. For more than a dozen years she was a trustee at CIEL (the Center for International Environmental Law) including being the first female or person of color to chair the board. In recent years continuing to fight for all, Dianne helped found "The 100 Grannies for a Livable Future" and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science for Innovation in Sustainable Design by Illinois Institute of Technology. Dianne is committed to establishing the "Age of Sustainability", facilitating the changes needed in our societal architecture, democratizing institutions, expanding human rights for gender, ability/access issues and racial equity/equality, breaking down barriers and opening minds as well as doors-creating the new language and frames to catalyze society.

Aubrey Germ is the Climate and Resilience Planner for Baltimore’s Office of Sustainability. She oversees and manages hazard mitigation, climate adaptation, and community resilience plans and projects including Baltimore’s Climate Action Plan, Hazard Mitigation Plan, and Community Resiliency Hub Program. She hails from Cleveland, Ohio and holds a Master’s in Urban Planning from Harvard University as well as a BS in Environmental Health Sciences from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she was a Morehead-Cain Scholar.

Aubrey is passionate about improving urban and ecological resilience through thoughtful planning, equitable community engagement, and forward-thinking environmental and sustainable design. In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, ceramics, traveling, and spending time outdoors.

Tiffani Lawson contributes a strong background in youth and community development, community engagement, and community outreach to Groundswell’s Energy Programs team in her role as the Resiliency Program Manager. With more than 12 years of experience in the nonprofit youth development sector, Tiffani is dedicated to creating safe and equitable spaces for socioeconomically disadvantaged youth and communities by advocating for access to safe spaces, opportunities for growth and development, and the resources necessary for success.

Prior to joining Groundswell, Tiffani held leadership positions in various organizations, including The City of Houston, YMCA of Greater Houston, Grand St. Settlement, Inc., and The Children's Aid Society, working in community engagement and outreach, program management, program development, and youth development across Houston and New York City, including Washington Heights, the Bronx, and Brooklyn. Tiffani earned her Bachelor's degree in Communications from Tennessee State University and her Master's degree in Youth Development from The City University of New York (CUNY). Outside of work, Tiffani is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She loves animals and international travel.

Dan Slone is an attorney, author of fiction and non-fiction works, and an international speaker and TEDx alum. He has been honored over the years to represent some of the leading green and pedestrian scale building organizations, including the US Green Building Council, the World Green Building Council, EcoDistricts, Congress for the New Urbanism, Groundswell, and Building Transparency. He has written chapters in nine books, co-authored A Legal Guide to Urban and Sustainable Development, and is on sabbatical finishing Saving the Dark Night and Her Children, due out in 2024. Dan has also authored a series of fantasy novels centered on human relationships with the world around them. Most of Dan’s practice and writing these days focuses on the design of human habitat and that design’s impact on interactions among humans and with other living creatures.

Fabio Ficano is an eclectic entrepreneur, investor, and tireless business development partner, recognized for his passion in creating and advancing new businesses, ventures and partnerships. He excels at bringing together complex projects with multiple stakeholders to successful ideation and growth. He is known for his expertise in clean/green technology, hard tech, renewable energy, large infrastructure, security technology, mass transportation, intermodality, and Intelligence Augmentation.

Before joining BootstrapLabs as Head of the Venture Studio for Climate and Energy he was part of the founding team at MODOS, a distributed mobility-on-demand solution, and an investor at Baruch Future Ventures. He also co-founded and chaired the International Relations and Renewable Energy Initiatives for the Silicon Valley Italian Executive Council (SVIEC) and is a former member of the “US–Italy Bilateral Climate and Energy Partnership”, an agency created by the U.S. Department of State and the Italian Government to pursue joint research programs on climate change and low-emission technology.

Fabio is founder of Elettranova, and LufraRise, a firm specialized in seed investments, business development, government and industry affairs and bi lateral investments between U.S. and European enterprises, including scouting emerging technologies on behalf of the largest European Utilities and Transmission System Operators. He co-founded and is Partner of Moncada Energy USA and Moncada Energy Malaysia & Philippines (now under Moncada Energy Group) and was co-founder and Managing Director of VM Relazioni Istituzionali USA, a legislation monitoring firm.

Jen Cole has extensive experience driving social impact and sustainability initiatives with early-stage companies, Fortune 500s, and NGOs. Her background includes partnership development between smallholders, multinationals, government, and civil society organizations. Jen has a deep understanding of social and environmental challenges and her passion is spearheading sustainable, equitable growth for complex global systems.

Glen Hooks is Policy Manager for Audubon Delta, a regional arm of the National Audubon Society encompassing Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, where he focuses largely on climate and clean energy issues. Prior to joining Audubon in late 2021, Glen served as Director of the Arkansas Sierra Club, as Executive Director of the Arkansas Democratic Party, and as an attorney in public and private practice. He is a graduate of Hendrix College and the UALR Bowen School of Law.

Lauren Waldrip currently serves as the Executive Director for the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association and Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation. Through this role, Lauren oversees communications, media relations, trade association management, event planning, government relations, grassroots engagement and activities for state and federal PACs. She regularly engages in advocacy efforts regarding regulatory issues through the Public Service Commission and policy issues through the legislature.

Lauren previously acted as partner at Campbell Ward, a Little Rock based public affairs and public relations firm. While at Campbell Ward, Lauren served as the Executive Director of the Arkansas Rice Federation and testified on behalf of farmers before the Public Service Commission regarding net metering.

She has worked as Project Coordinator for the Razorback Foundation, where she created and implemented a program that increased membership by 20%. Lauren assisted with the re- branding of the Razorback Foundation and aided in planning events for current and prospective donors. She has provided public relations assistance for U.S. Senator John Boozman and for the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation.

Lauren serves on the Arkansas Foodbank board and recently served on the Little Rock Water Reclamation Commission. She has been named to Arkansas Business’ 20 in their 20’s and Arkansas Money and Politics’ Future 50 lists and is a Leadership Arkansas graduate.

As Director of Subscriber Services, Rashad Williams is at the helm of Groundswell’s effort to provide low-to-moderate-income households with access to clean energy resources, information, programs, and products that empower them to mitigate both the physical and financial barriers to going solar. As an advocate for social and environmental justice, Rashad is committed to advancing equitable clean energy solutions that center the people closest to the problem.

Rashad provides strategic direction, project governance, and general program oversight to Groundswell’s subscriber services delivery. He uses a people-centric approach to coordinate various elements of the program including customer support, marketing & communications, software development, and data analytics. With over 5,000 income-qualified subscribers under management, this work directly drives Groundswell’s ability to build community power and share solar savings where they are most needed. Prior to joining Groundswell, Rashad was a development and communications associate at Atlanta Legal Aid Society, where highlights of his work include conducting a legal needs study to identify and address unmet civil legal issues, planning and promoting fundraising campaign events, and producing the monthly newsletter for a listserv audience of over 20,000 subscribers.

A native of Atlanta’s south side, Rashad attended Georgia State University, where he earned a master’s degree in public policy and a bachelor’s in sociology. When he’s not working to identify solutions that benefit marginalized communities, you can find him reading a good book, discovering new ways to stay active, or traversing the D.C. food scene.

Rev. Pastor Michelle Morris started as Lead Pastor here in July 2021. Prior to serving this church, she served churches in West Memphis, Fort Smith, and Conway. She also worked as the Lead Equipper in the Arkansas Conference Office where she helped launch the conference’s online learning system. Michelle is a perpetual student, holding a Bachelor of Arts in English and French and a Master of Arts in Comparative Literature (both from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville), as well as a Master of Divinity and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies with an emphasis in New Testament (both from Southern Methodist University). She also is the author of Gospel Discipleship: 4 Pathways for Christian Disciples, which includes both a participant and a congregation guide. Her philosophy for leading a congregation is to meet with each person and learn what your passions are, and then connect you with others with similar passions so that you can do the work that God is calling you to do.

Rachel Halfaker is an Associate Director at the Center for Financial Markets at the Milken Institute. Rachel leads the Community Infrastructure Center, developing strategic partnerships between communities, capital providers, and advisory firms for equitable, climate-resilient infrastructure deployment. Prior to her work at the Milken Institute, Halfaker worked at the intersection of urban technology and economic development. She worked as an Urban Development Consultant in Deloitte’s Smart Cities practice supporting clients with regional and national place-based economic development and later as the head of Launch in Washington DC for a Mobility startup utilizing machine learning and computer vision for curbside management. Halfaker holds a Masters in Urban Planning from Georgetown University and a BS in Information Systems from the University of Florida.

Keith Dennis is the President of the Beneficial Electrification League, a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to increase understanding of the benefits of electrification by promoting the market acceptance of beneficial electrification. He is also the CEO of Electrification Strategies, LLC. Keith has an interdisciplinary background in engineering, business, and law. He worked for nearly a decade at the trade association for 900 not-for-profit electric cooperatives (NRECA), where he was Vice President of consumer member engagement. In 2015, he coined the term “environmentally beneficial electrification,” which led to an industry movement around beneficial electrification.

Keith joined NRECA directly from the Department of Energy where he led a Policy and Guidance Team for a $3.2 billion energy efficiency and conservation grant (EECBG) program. He also served at The White House where he supported several large energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.

Keith holds three degrees from Dartmouth College and a Master of Studies in Environmental Law (M.S.E.L) from Vermont Law School. He is also licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) and holds multiple certifications in the energy field.

Josh Ewing leads the Rural Climate Partnership, a collaborative fund supporting working people, small businesses, and family farmers to implement rural-led climate solutions. RCP works to ensure rural communities have the tools and opportunities to benefit from all the economic and community benefits that flow from the transition to clean energy and regenerative agriculture. Born and raised in western Nebraska where the Ewing family runs a cattle ranch, Josh has lived and worked in rural America most of his life. With his wife Kirsten, Josh lives on the border of the Navajo Nation in the 150-person town of Bluff, Utah, where he serves as a volunteer firefighter and EMT.

Rachel Halfaker is an Associate Director at the Center for Financial Markets at the Milken Institute. Rachel leads the Community Infrastructure Center, developing strategic partnerships between communities, capital providers, and advisory firms for equitable, climate-resilient infrastructure deployment. Prior to her work at the Milken Institute, Halfaker worked at the intersection of urban technology and economic development. She worked as an Urban Development Consultant in Deloitte’s Smart Cities practice supporting clients with regional and national place-based economic development and later as the head of Launch in Washington DC for a Mobility startup utilizing machine learning and computer vision for curbside management. Halfaker holds a Masters in Urban Planning from Georgetown University and a BS in Information Systems from the University of Florida.

Keith Dennis is the President of the Beneficial Electrification League, a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to increase understanding of the benefits of electrification by promoting the market acceptance of beneficial electrification. He is also the CEO of Electrification Strategies, LLC. Keith has an interdisciplinary background in engineering, business, and law. He worked for nearly a decade at the trade association for 900 not-for-profit electric cooperatives (NRECA), where he was Vice President of consumer member engagement. In 2015, he coined the term “environmentally beneficial electrification,” which led to an industry movement around beneficial electrification.

Keith joined NRECA directly from the Department of Energy where he led a Policy and Guidance Team for a $3.2 billion energy efficiency and conservation grant (EECBG) program. He also served at The White House where he supported several large energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.

Keith holds three degrees from Dartmouth College and a Master of Studies in Environmental Law (M.S.E.L) from Vermont Law School. He is also licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) and holds multiple certifications in the energy field.

Josh Ewing leads the Rural Climate Partnership, a collaborative fund supporting working people, small businesses, and family farmers to implement rural-led climate solutions. RCP works to ensure rural communities have the tools and opportunities to benefit from all the economic and community benefits that flow from the transition to clean energy and regenerative agriculture. Born and raised in western Nebraska where the Ewing family runs a cattle ranch, Josh has lived and worked in rural America most of his life. With his wife Kirsten, Josh lives on the border of the Navajo Nation in the 150-person town of Bluff, Utah, where he serves as a volunteer firefighter and EMT.