Community Teleconference: Accelerating Solutions in Response to COVID-19

Sustain SoCal presents

a Weekly Community Teleconference Series

Thursday, April 16, 2020, 2 pm – 3 pm

April 16 2020 Teleconference Recording

Topic:

Accelerating Solutions in Response to COVID-19

Featured presenters:

Rick Azer, Assoc. VP, Growth Accelerator, Black & Veatch
Jeff Neemann, D. Eng, PE, Client Director, Water, Black & Veatch
Randal Kaufman, Sales Director, Transformative Tech, Black & Veatch

Moderated by:
Scott Kitcher, President & CEO, Sustain SoCal

Sustain SoCal invites it members, strategic partners and guests to dial-in to our weekly Community Teleconference. Held each Thursday at 2 pm Pacific time, these informal interactive discussions are led by Sustain SoCal members and address strategies and solutions within our recovery and beyond as they relate to energy, supply chain management, transportation, water, human capital management, agriculture, smart cities, cybersecurity, waste stream management, Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), cleantech economic development, ESG and impact investing and more.

For our April 16 teleconference session, Sustain SoCal member Black & Veatch will describe applying methodologies they have developed for their cleantech infrastructure and sustainability initiatives to respond rapidly to the COVID-19 crisis and accelerate solutions that safeguard communities. This includes actions they have taken to focus on technologies and infrastructure related to modular health systems, facilities, testing and capabilities, and infrastructure resiliency.

Black & Veatch will also outline their IgniteX COVID-19 Response Accelerator program  The IgniteX program is a virtual, remote initiative open to startups and others with emerging solutions that can mitigate the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on communities. The program features an allocation of up to $250,000 in funding in the form of grants and/or in-kind services, along with a wealth of connections and resources to bring an idea to reality.

To participate in this week’s teleconference, please pre-register at your earliest convenience. Each upcoming teleconference will require a separate registration.

Sustain SoCal looks forward to having you join us for our next weekly Community Teleconference on April 16.

Registrants will receive the dial-in teleconference phone number and an access code a few days before the dial-in event. For questions or assistance in registering, please Email info@sustainsocal.org

About the Presenters:

Rick Azer is Associate Vice President for Black & Veatch and a founding member of the company’s Growth Accelerator – a team that champions cultural innovation and technological disruption.  Rick commercializes new technologies and service offerings that extend the company’s position as a leader in critical human infrastructure, with a focus on resilient, sustainable technologies.  Rick has led many of Black & Veatch’s advanced transportation initiatives,  including a nationwide network of high power EV Charging stations, multiple Hyperloop feasibility studies, projects related to the implementation of connected, autonomous vehicle and smart city mobility infrastructure.  Prior to joining Black & Veatch, Rick worked for a number of years at Qualcomm.  He is presently Chair of the Board of Directors at Cleantech San Diego.  Rick has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design from ASU and a MBA from Washington University, Saint Louis

Jeff Neemann, D. Eng, PE, is Client Director, Water, Black & Veatch. He is involved in the development and application of advanced water process technologies with experience in evaluation, pilot testing, design, and operation of UV, ozone, chlorine dioxide, granular activated carbon, and membrane technologies. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering and his M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology. He is a licensed engineer in the state of Kansas and a member of IUVA, IOA, IWA, WEF and AWWA.

Randal Kaufman is Sales Director for Black & Veatch’s Transformative Technologies business. With over 15 years of experience in the electrical power industry, Randal has expertise in electric vehicle charging infrastructure and complimentary energy delivery systems, data centers, distributed generation, energy management, power quality, and backup systems. He also spent two years in the stationary fuel cell power generation business, with special focus on application engineering and product development. His previous work experience includes ABB, ClearEdge Power, and Schneider Electric. Randal holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from California State University-Chico, and an MBA from the University of California-Irvine. Randal is currently working on resilient, zero emission, efficient, available, and secure energy infrastructure to support clean transportation and facility power applications, including hydrogen generation and fueling infrastructure.