Michael Chang

Michael Chang serves as the Deputy Program Manager and Director of Strategy & Innovation. He brings a broad range of energy experience gained from 18 years in the energy industry, working for Hawaiian Electric Company, Johnson Controls and now Hawaii Energy. He has helped businesses and federal agencies identify ways to cut energy costs, implement energy-saving actions and achieve energy efficiency goals.

Michael has served as Honolulu branch manager and service manager at Johnson Controls as well as commercial energy efficiency program manager and federal account executive at Hawaiian Electric Company.

Michael holds a mechanical engineering degree and an MBA from the University of Hawaii. He is past-president of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Hawaii Chapter.

At his previous position, Michael planned and implemented $20 million in energy efficiency projects for city, state and federal facilities; each project saved at least 30% in energy use.

Kevin Fode

Kevin originally came to Hawaii with the Marine Corps in 1998. Choosing to remain in the islands after he got out of the military in 2001, Kevin worked as an assistant manager for a building supply company for seven years. Following that, Kevin got a position with Honolulu Habitat for Humanity, where he has been employed since October 2011.

Daniel Grabauskas

Daniel Grabauskas has more than 20 years as a senior public sector manager. Grabauskas was named executive director and CEO of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation on April 9, 2012. He heads the agency responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of the $5.2 billion rail project.

Grabauskas previously served as general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The oldest and fifth largest multi-modal transportation agency in the United States, the MBTA consists of subway, commuter rail, bus and boat operations throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Grabauskas also served as Secretary of Transportation for the state of Massachusetts, with oversight of a $1.4-billion annual administrative budget and an annual capital budget of more than $1.8 billion. In the cabinet-level role, Grabauskas had oversight of MBTA, highways and municipal airports.

Grabauskas is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and received his MBA from Cornell University.

Dr. James “Jay” Griffin

Dr. James “Jay” Griffin is the Chief of Policy and Research at the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and leads the PUC’s staff team implementing the on-bill financing program.  Joining the PUC through an intergovernmental agreement and temporary assignment, Dr. Griffin is on leave as a faculty member at the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) where he was the principal investigator of a Department of Energy-funded smart grid demonstration project on Maui.  He also was a member of the research team on several renewable energy integration studies focusing on the Oahu, Maui, and Big Island energy systems.

Robert (Bob) L. Hines

Bob Hines joined the Hawaii’s State Energy Office in January, 2012. He serves on the Permitting Team for the Renewable Energy Branch. His responsibilities include assisting utility-scale renewable energy projects navigate through the Federal, State and County permitting requirements. Bob also served as the Project Manager for Hawaii’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Ready Program that was funded by $4.5 million ARRA grant that the State of Hawaii received from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Before moving to Honolulu, Bob spent two decades working in Silicon Valley where he was involved in high-level government affairs, public policy and community relations, with a major focus on technology and clean energy. In his last position before relocating to Oahu, he served as the General Counsel and Vice President of Energy for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group where he worked closely with Valley’s leading clean tech and renewable energy companies. Founded more than 30 years ago by David Packard of Hewlett-Packard, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group is one of the most influential business trade associations in California. Notably, it was the first business group to publicly endorse and lobby for the passage of AB 32, California’s landmark global warming legislation.

Gwen S. Yamamoto Lau

Gwen Yamamoto Lau is President of the Hawaii Community Reinvestment Corporation (HCRC), a 501(c)3 Hawaii non-profit corporation designated as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and a Community Development Entity (CDE) by the United States Department of Treasury. HCRC’s mission and purpose is to facilitate affordable housing, community development and economic development throughout the state of Hawaii. HCRC accomplishes this by providing consulting services, technical assistance and below market rate, long-term financing for small business owners and for profit and nonprofit affordable housing developers. Since being organized in 1990, HCRC has provided over $198.0 million in resources available to more than 63 affordable rental housing projects containing over 3,300 rental units. As a Certified Development Company, HCRC has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration to source and process SBA 504 loans. Additionally, HCRC has been contracted by the state of Hawaii to administer its GreenSun Hawaii program for energy efficiency/renewable energy financing.

Representative Chris Lee

Chris Lee has represented Kailua and Waimanalo in the Hawaii State House of Representatives since 2008. Recently elected to a third term, he currently serves as Chair of the Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection and also serves on the Committees on Consumer Protection and Commerce, Judiciary, Ocean and Marine Resources and Hawaiian Affairs, and Water and Land. He is a graduate of Oregon State University and Iolani School.

Mary Shimizu