Bruce Albright is the 5G Business Line Manager at Burns & McDonnell, where he leads the firm’s national 4G/5G wireless initiatives. He works closely with utilities to modernize their communications infrastructure by designing and deploying private LTE networks that enhance reliability, security, and long-term cost effectiveness. With over 30 years of experience in wireless telecommunications, Bruce has delivered critical infrastructure for both utilities and public safety organizations.

He played a key role in launching Burns & McDonnell’s private LTE business line, creating foundational business models, deployment strategies, and RFP frameworks now used by numerous investor-owned utilities across the U.S. His work spans architecture design for LTE and IMS core networks, development of total cost of ownership models, and operational planning for complex utility-grade systems.

A recognized leader in LTE EPC/IMS architecture, RF engineering, transport design, and network operations, Bruce brings deep technical insight and strategic vision to every engagement—helping clients navigate emerging technologies with confidence and clarity.

Daniel Allnutt is an Sr. Technical Consultant at Burns & McDonnell. He builds and maintains a portfolio of devices that can support various wireless technologies, electrical utility requirements and unique radio frequency spectrum requirements. He has more than 14 years of experience in the engineering field focusing on security, product deployments, software development, electrical design, testing and verification, and LTE/5G device integrations.

Victor Atkins is the Director of Security Strategy & Risk Advisory Services for Industrial Cybersecurity in 1898 & Co., a part of Burns & McDonnell, where he consults with executives across critical infrastructure sectors on strategies and initiatives to reduce risks to control system environments posed by advanced cyber threats.   

Atkins was previously the Associate Deputy Director for Operations within the Cyber Intelligence Directorate of the Department of Energy’s Office of Intelligence & Counterintelligence (DOE/IN), where he led and managed the Department’s cyber intelligence mission to deliver all-source intelligence products and services relating to foreign cyber threats to the DOE Enterprise and U.S. sector networks. In this role, Atkins led initiatives at the National Laboratories to develop unique capabilities that discover and characterize sophisticated foreign cyber threats with the potential to disrupt energy sector operations, which required collaboration with stakeholders across the Intelligence, National and Homeland Security, cybersecurity, and private energy sector communities.

Since joining the Department of Energy in 2009, Atkins also performed key roles in counterterrorism and counterproliferation. Assigned to the White House National Security Council in 2011, he served three years as the Director of Countering Nuclear Terrorism where he led multiple policy coordination efforts to respond to WMD-Terrorism threats to U.S. interests at home and overseas. He also served three years on detail at the Central Intelligence Agency’s Weapons and Counterproliferation Mission Center leading Community Engagement efforts. 

Atkins holds a Master of Arts in Philosophy from the University of California at San Diego, and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, graduating with distinction from the University of Virginia.

Mike Brozek is a 30-year veteran of the Energy Sector. As VP of Customer Success, he is ensuring Anterix 900 MHz spectrum customers realize the full transformative value of PLTE in support of their decarbonization, digitalization, and operational efficiency efforts to modernize our nation's electric grid.

Avishag is the VP of Product Management at OneLayer, with a decade of experience in cybersecurity. Avishag previously was a senior product director at Guardicore (Now an Akamai company) and Head of Product at Aporia. Avishag is an active advocate and mentor for women in cybersecurity and product management and had previously led a curriculum of studies for high school minorities focusing on cybersecurity.

Richard Donaldson serves as vice president and chief information officer for Duke Energy. He is responsible for the company’s digital strategy, including technology initiatives, reliability, vulnerability and life cycle management, as well as oversight of infrastructure operations and telecom. His current focus is on leveraging digital capabilities and artificial intelligence to transform the company’s internal operations, modernize customer experiences and help the company achieve its energy transition goals.

Donaldson joined Duke Energy in 2001 as an engineer in enterprise applications. He took on progressively expanding roles, including leading application infrastructure/architecture for the corporate applications domain until 2010, when he joined the telecom organization. While in telecom, Donaldson had responsibility for the company’s wireless communications systems, including land and plant mobile radio systems used by Duke Energy's operations fleet. In 2013, Donaldson joined the Program Management Office (PMO), where he was named division manager in 2014. After leading the PMO through the Progress Energy merger integration projects, Donaldson assumed the role of leading the digital transformation function.

Before joining Duke Energy in 2001, Donaldson spent four years practicing civil and environmental engineering at a consulting firm in Charlotte. He earned a Master of Science in environmental engineering and a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He is a licensed professional engineer in the state of North Carolina.

Donaldson currently serves as vice chairman of the board of directors for Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. He is also an active former board chair of Apparo, a nonprofit in Charlotte that assists local nonprofits with leveraging technology to improve business processes to expand their social change in the community.

He and his wife, Aimee, along with their three daughters, live in Huntersville, N.C. In his spare time, Donaldson enjoys coaching and cheering on his daughters’ sports teams, hiking and skiing in the Banner Elk/Sugar Mountain area, and visiting Holden Beach.

Brad Doyle is a seasoned IT leader with over 18 years of experience driving digital transformation in the electric utilities sector. He currently oversees the Meter Delivery Team at Duke Energy, where he leads the delivery of advanced Meter to Cash and AMI solutions. Brad specializes in integrating enterprise systems with modern cloud technologies, with a strong focus on AWS-based microservices and AMI optimization.  At Duke Energy, he has played a key role in consolidating and modernizing metering platforms, integrating SAP across multiple regions, and leading the migration of AMI Head End data integrations to scalable cloud solutions. His work has earned him multiple awards and recognitions at Duke Energy, reflecting his impact on both strategic initiatives and day-to-day operations.

Earlier in his career, Brad served as a systems integration consultant with Accenture’s North American Utilities practice followed by years as an AMI Smart Grid independent contractor, delivering AMI and outage management projects for major utilities. In addition to his utilities work, Brad co-founded an agriculture technology startup, where he served as an Interim CTO and Technology Advisor from 2017 to 2024. There, he designed and implemented AI ML and cloud-based IoT solutions and integrated with SCADA and Work Management systems tailored for controlled environment agriculture.

Across industries, Brad is known for aligning technology with business goals to deliver scalable, sustainable solutions.

Mat is a Wireless Consultant with Burns & McDonnell and provides consulting to help utilities investigate, define and implement their future wireless network strategy. His recent focus has been on wireless security and mission critical services (3GPP MCPTT). Mat has 30+ years experience representing a blend of wireless carrier experience and network strategy and planning experience at a large U.S. investor owned utility where he championed the spectrum investigation and planning effort that resulted in the initial private LTE deployment. Mat is active in the utility industry and led the first three UBBA "Plugfest" events.

Jan Forslow is Itron’s Solutions Architect for its cellular solutions, encompasses millions of electric, water and gas meter deployments as well as a large fleet of streetlight network controllers. Jan has a degree in Electrical Engineering and Communications and a more recent Master of Data Science degree from UC Berkeley. Jan has 12 approved patents and has been a delegate for Itron in 3GPP, UBBA and Wi-SUN. Current focus is on how to leverage Cellular Networks with AI-infused SmartGrid use cases.

Bobbi Harris is a recognized leader and expert in the smart water and smart city industries, with over 20 years of experience driving innovation and transformation within the utility sector. As the founder of Smart Water Smart City, Bobbi has built a reputation for her deep knowledge of market analysis, strategic intelligence, and cutting-edge marketing strategies, positioning her as a visionary in the field.

Throughout her distinguished career, Bobbi has specialized in addressing the evolving challenges of the utility industry, with a particular focus on smart water solutions, energy management, and telecom infrastructure. She has played a pivotal role in identifying key business and technology drivers that shape the future of water and energy utilities. Her work has spanned across the development of innovative technologies and strategic initiatives aimed at optimizing resource management and enhancing operational efficiency within the utility sector.

In addition to her entrepreneurial endeavors, Bobbi led the creation and successful launch of the Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA), a pioneering effort aimed at improving broadband connectivity within the utility industry. Currently, she serves as UBBA’s Executive Director, where she continues to shape the future of broadband and utility integration.

Bobbi’s leadership and contributions to the smart energy sector have been recognized globally, with her being named one of the 2019 Global Smart Energy Elites by ESI. Her passion for the utility industry and its critical role in shaping sustainable cities and communities remains a driving force in all of her work.

A summa cum laude graduate from Campbell University, Bobbi further honed her expertise with an MBA from the same institution, cementing her foundation for continued leadership and innovation within the smart water and smart city sectors.

Possesses four decades of progressive experience in the utility industry, with a comprehensive background in communications technology across diverse roles.

Current position as Lead Portfolio Management Specialist with responsibilities related to grid connectivity strategy for grid modernization.

Providing strategic support for Duke Energy’s enterprise communications by formulating funding approaches and technology plans for telecommunications investments.

Steve Lowe is a Sales Director with the Ericsson Utilities team focused on the delivery of Private Wireless networks supporting their many use cases. He has over 30 years’ experience in the combined Utility and Telecommunications Industry.

In previous roles, he was responsible for leading a consultative sales team focused on Energy and Utility applications including connected devices, partner ecosystem, advanced metering infrastructure, distribution automation, distributed generation, Smart Cities and FirstNet IoT. This included successful solutions delivered in the Investor Owned, Cooperative and Municipal Utility verticals.

Alan McIntyre is the Vice President of Engineering & Operations for a team that is known for providing highly reliable, highly resilient wireless voice and data services for Southern Company systems and users, and for local and state government customers.

He helped develop the company's technology transformation plan that migrated Southern Linc's prior wireless network system to LTE.  The LTE project involved construction of two fully geographically redundant core network data centers and over 1,300 LTE cell sites, installation of VoLTE (Voice over LTE) and MCPTT (Mission Critical Push-to-Talk) sub-systems, and conversions of thousands of voice and data devices from iDEN to LTE.  During the project, he participated in the international 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards organization promoting specifications that were adopted to support Southern Linc's LTE deployment. 

He joined Southern Linc in 1995 as a RF site design and frequency planning engineer. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration degree from Auburn University.

Oleg Pachkovets is a global IoT leader with over 18 years of experience in business strategy, product development, and technical consulting. As Sr. Manager, Global Business Strategy, Intelligent Connectivity at Itron, he drives multi-network connectivity solutions—spanning LTE, 5G, eSIM, and FirstNet—to support smart grid innovation. His career includes leadership roles at Vodafone Business, Thales, and Gemalto, with a focus on B2B growth and international team leadership. Having worked across Europe, LATAM, and the U.S., Oleg brings a strong global perspective and frequently speaks at industry events like DistribuTECH, where he shares insights on utility transformation and connected infrastructure.

John Sala is a recognized infrastructure and IT leader with experience in experience in utility metering, operations, and communications technology. At Duquesne Light, he oversees metering and operational systems that keep the grid reliable, efficient, and smart. His deep technical background spans all aspects of utility technology—including business development, device manufacturing, technical implementation, and support. He’s driven large-scale smart-metering and IoT initiatives, delivering practical solutions across electric, water, and gas networks. John translates complex grid modernization topics into actionable insights. His wealth of experience and hands-on leadership make him a compelling voice on topics ranging from smart metering deployment to innovation in utility IT.

Mr. Spratt serves as the Manager of Cybersecurity Business Liaisons at Southern Company and leads the Cyber Security Program at Southern Communications. With a background in cybersecurity within the government and military contracting sectors, he has dedicated the past 13 years to safeguarding Southern Company’s telecommunications networks. Mr. Spratt is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional and holds a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity & Information Assurance from Western Governor’s University. Outside of work, he is a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and enjoys traveling with his wife and two children.

Ryan Sullivan, a Principal IT Business Analyst at Duke Energy, has been a key contributor since 2016. As the Product Owner and Lead of the PI Delivery team, he spearheads innovative solutions to help users extract maximum value from industrial data systems. His expertise spans enterprise architecture, data systems, and the AVEVA PI System, enabling seamless data collection and real-time monitoring across thousands of end devices. Ryan's work focuses on implementing near-real-time data collection systems, modernizing PI architecture, driving cloud migration strategies, and enhancing operational efficiency. His efforts have significantly improved decision-making processes, predictive maintenance, and overall system performance throughout Duke Energy. A recognized expert in utility operations, Ryan's innovative approach continues to drive operational excellence in the utility sector.

Ram Swaminathan brings over three decades of experience in the telecommunications industry, with deep expertise in architecting, designing, testing, and troubleshooting cellular packet data core systems from 2G through to 5G Standalone. His career spans a wide range of technologies, including SONET systems, network security, risk and vulnerability assessments, and roaming solutions. Ram has played a key role in integrating business logic into packet core gateway systems for major carriers such as Sprint and T-Mobile. He has also been a pioneer in working with Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) and vendors to implement advanced features like online charging, IPSec transport for Lawful Intercept, and per-subscriber stateful firewalls. Currently, Ram is focused on helping utility companies design and deploy private 4G/5G networks tailored for distribution use cases. His areas of specialization include Data and Voice over LTE/NR, Push-to-Talk over 4G and 5G SA, IoT, Private APNs, roaming services, and cellular network security. He brings extensive hands-on experience with operating systems, network automation, cloud-native architectures, IP networking, and protocol analysis.

Bentina Chisolm Terry leads Southern Company’s telecommunications subsidiaries Southern Linc and Southern Telecom, Inc. which focus on providing mission critical LTE wireless and dark-fiber networks and services to electric utilities, businesses and public sector agencies.

Bentina has a track record of delivering transformational solutions that create value.  She leverages her extensive legal and regulatory expertise, her relationship orientation and her business knowledge to produce outcomes that benefit both customers and the company.

A versatile and strategic leader, Bentina serves on several boards of directors.  She is a board member of Mueller Water Products (NYSE: MWA), where she is part of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee and the Environment, Health and Safety Committee.  Additionally, she serves on the boards of the International Women’s Forum – Georgia and two wireless industry associations—CTIA and the Competitive Carriers Association as well as the advisory board for OnBoard.   She is also chairperson of North Carolina State University Foundation Board.

Terry came to Southern Linc and Southern Telecom from Georgia Power where she served as senior vice president of Customer Strategy and Solutions.  She joined Georgia Power in 2001 and during her career, held roles of increasing responsibility in External Affairs, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Community and Economic Development, Corporate Communication, Sales and Marketing, Customer Service, Compliance and Ethics, Corporate Services and Power Delivery at Gulf Power (now Florida Power & Light), Georgia Power and Southern Nuclear, where she served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.

For several consecutive years, Bentina has been recognized as one of Atlanta Magazine’s 500 Most Influential Atlantans and one of Atlanta Business League’s 100 Most Influential Women.   In 2025, she was recognized as a Director to Watch by Directors and Board Magazine.  She was named a Woman of Influence by Atlanta Business Chronicle (2024) and one of the Greater Atlanta YWCA’s Women of Achievement (2020).

Bentina is a member of the North Carolina State Bar and Georgia State Bar, Leadership Atlanta, Leadership North Carolina, Leadership Florida, the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the International Women’s Forum, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and the Links, Incorporated.  She is a founding member of Extraordinary Women on Boards (EWOB) organization.

John Toone is a Technical Sales Account Manager at Forsk, the developer of the industry-leading Atoll wireless network planning software. With over 30 years of experience in the wireless communications industry, John is a subject matter expert in wireless system design, network deployment, and performance optimization. His current focus is on supporting utility companies in the development of private LTE networks.

Carson Zerpa is a Senior Business Growth Manager for Grid Management at Itron, and an expert in smart grid, distributed intelligence, and utility operations. With a background in industrial and systems engineering, he has held roles in system engineering, consulting, and sales, supporting utilities across grid modernization initiatives. At Itron, Carson focuses on leveraging distributed intelligence and AMI to enhance grid resiliency, wildfire mitigation, and DER integration. He is a frequent speaker at industry events like Distributech and Utility Analytics Week, helping utilities translate innovation into actionable, data-driven outcomes.