Our Presenters

Carl Garofalo, Director of Sustainability and Renewable Gas Solutions at Southern Company Gas,

Carl supports the development of renewable natural gas (RNG) and hydrogen sustainability solutions for Southern Company Gas and its customers.  Carl collaborates with internal and external stakeholders on federal, state, and local policy, outreach, and communications efforts, and manages the energy and sustainability needs of Southern Company’s national accounts are met.  Carl has engineering experience in the gas appliance industry designing water heaters, boilers, and space heating systems as an applications engineer for Rinnai America Corporation.  Carl graduated from Boston University with a mechanical engineering degree and a master’s degree in biology with a concentration in biomechanics.

Tim Echols, Georgia Public Service Commissioner

After building a national non-profit organization, Tim ran for and was elected to statewide office in 2010 serving as Public Service Commissioner. His primary job is energy regulation.

When Tim took office, Georgia was 34th in solar power.  Now, eleven years later the state is 4th in the nation in approved solar. Tim’s commitment to promoting clean energy has resulted not only in millions of solar panels being installed but an increase in electric vehicles with Georgia now ranking fourth in the nation in electric vehicles.

Tim, earned a master’s degree in Non-Profit Organizations, considers the charities in his state of Georgia a great resource.  Tim founded “TeenPact” and grew the mock legislative youth program for teens to 38 states in his tenure. He continues to serve on the Board of Directors, and TeenPact is now in all 50 states.

Joel Gilbert, P.E., President and Chief Software Architect, Apogee 

Joel Gilbert personally directs the design and development of energy analysis applications utilizing the highest standards in building science, engineering, operational patterns, weather data and pricing to ensure analytical integrity.

Every Apogee application undergoes the rigors of his mathematical and engineering training, strategic management evaluation, and bottom-line business pragmatism having worked with energy companies and large energy consumers directly for nearly three decades.

Prior to co-founding Apogee, he built his career in energy consulting, being retained by over 200 gas and electric utilities and over 100 industrial and commercial firms across the United States to help them clarify and implement successful customer energy programs. His client roster included virtually every major investor-owned utility in the US and their key trade associations including the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the Electric Power Institute (EPRI), the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and the American Public Power Association (APPA).

Joel holds both bachelor and master degrees in chemical engineering and a masters in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. He is also a licensed professional engineer in New York State.