David Dernar, C.P.A, is the operating manager of Dernar & Associates, LLC, a public accounting firm located in Murrysville, Pa. Licensed in both Pennsylvania and Georgia, Mr. Dernar has been practicing public accounting, with a concentration in auditing, since 1968. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ state education committee and is also a past chairperson.
Mr. Dernar sits on the executive board of the Regional Development Funding Corporation and the Murrysville Economic Community Development Corporation. He is also the president of EMS Southwest, Inc., an ambulance service located in Waynesburg, Pa., as well as the operating manager of Dependable Ambulance Billing, LLC, located in Murrysville, Pa.
David Derner
Donald started in the propane industry in the family’s business working during his summer breaks in high school. He learned the basics of the propane industry as a teenager and also watched his older sister help convert vehicles to propane gas in the late 70’s & early 80’s. In 1990, after years in the family propane business, Donald went to work for one of the largest retailers of propane in the USA, AmeriGas, where he started as a Service Technician building and installing propane pump stations, then was promoted to the Operations Manager. He then relocated to the retail welding supply store side of AmeriGas’ business as a Store Manager. In June of 2004 Donald started at ProGas, Inc. delivering propane gas, installing propane tanks and selling propane gas to new customers. In 2012 along side Ron Schramm, he became the design specialist for building propane AutoGas infrastructures. Donald remains the Propane AutoGas Specialist at ProGas, Inc. managing over 30 Propane AutoGas Fueling Facilities and continues to educate about propane gas as an Alternative Fuel.
Donald can be contacted at 724-822-4587 or don.schons@myprogas.com.
Don Schons
Manager of Environmental Programs, Office of Strategic Initiatives and Policy SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA COMMISSION (Corp.), Pittsburgh, PA
· Responsibilities include managing SPC’s existing environmental programs, including the well-established Water Resource Center, as well as developing future planning & programming
initiatives centered on sustainability, resiliency, land conservation and preservation, and other regional environmental concerns.
Catherine Tulley
Emily Phan-Gruber is the Associate Manager for Transportation Electrification with Duquesne Light Company. Since joining Duquesne Light in 2019, she has helped to develop and advance Duquesne Light’s transportation electrification strategy, developed new products and services for EV customers, and helped to facilitate the installation of EV charging infrastructure in the Pittsburgh region.
Prior to joining Duquesne Light, Emily worked for D+R International, an energy consulting firm in the Washington, DC area. At D+R, Emily consulted for a number of clients including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy, and was instrumental in the formation of the DOE-funded Attachments Energy Rating Council, a national rating and certification organization.
Emily earned a B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University and a MPA and MAIR from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.
Emily Phan-Gruber
Raymond Roberts is an attorney with the law firm of Rothman Gordon, PC, where he serves as the Chair of the Estates, Trusts and Taxation Practice, and is a member of the firm’s Business and Corporate Law, Commercial Real Estate and Oil & Gas Practice Groups.
Raymond has represented landowners in the negotiation of oil and gas leases, surface use agreements, pipeline right-of-way agreements and related matters. He also works with those same landowners with respect to estate planning and the formation of family limited partnerships or trusts to protect the financial interests of the landowners and future generations of their families.
Raymond also represents buyers and sellers in asset and stock purchases, merger and acquisition negotiations, and the drafting of related agreements, as well as negotiation, analysis, and drafting of commercial contracts. In addition, he advises clients with respect to corporate governance issues and assists clients with federal trademark and copyright registrations.
Raymond has represented both borrowers and lenders in commercial finance transactions. He also has advised municipalities and municipal authorities on taxable and tax-exempt municipal finance and has served as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, trustee counsel and borrower’s counsel on multiple taxable and tax-exempt municipal bond transactions. Raymond has also served as solicitor to municipalities and municipal authorities.
Raymond also has extensive experience working with and advising tax-exempt, charitable and community organizations with respect to formation, tax exemption and governance issues.
Raymond is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from Duquesne University and his Juris Doctor from Duquesne University School of Law. Raymond is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, Greene County Bar Association, and the Pennsylvania Land Title Association.
Raymond Roberts
Robert H. Beatty, Jr. is an award winning speaker, avid compressed natural gas (CNG) advocate, and CEO of “O” Ring CNG Fuel Systems, L.P.—a PA company dedicated to both promoting and providing a pathway for the use of CNG as a vehicle fuel. His accomplishments in the CNG industry have been featured on In View with Larry King, the PA Senate Film Channel, in the Pittsburgh Business Times, NGT News, NGV Today, as well as various other media outlets. He has helped clients recognize vast savings in fuel costs while utilizing cleaner, more efficient CNG for their fleets. Most notably, he has completed full-scale CNG projects for clients as well as building and operating three of his own public CNG stations. He serves on several industry-related committees providing direction on regulatory and safety concerns for CNG solutions, including Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities Board of Directors and Chairman of the PA Independent Oil and Gas Association’s Alternative Fuels Committee. Mr. Beatty received the 2013 Pittsburgh Business Times Energy Leadership Award and the 2014 International Clean Tech Award for his work in revolutionizing the US transportation industry. He holds certifications from the Natural Gas Vehicle Institute (NGVI) of America in both CNG Fuel Station Design & Construction and CNG Fuel Station Management and has over 30 years experience in the natural gas and compression industries. A staunch patriot, Robert is passionate about changing the landscape of the transportation sector by increasing the use of natural gas to provide a cleaner, more affordable, domestic fuel source for Americans.
Robert H. Beatty Jr.
Chuck Wichrowski is the owner of Baum Boulevard Automotive. His shop is an independent auto repair shop and Bosch Authorized Repair Center, servicing and repairing all types of vehicles with additional emphasis on European, Asian, diesel and alternative fuel cars. His technicians have advanced training in CNG, biofuels and hybrid propulsion systems. His business has been a retailer of B100 biodiesel for more than 12 years and have a continuing program of educating his customer base about sustainable practices and alternative energy through the company’s website, newsletter and Facebook page.
Baum Boulevard Automotive also partners with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Robotics Institute in its ChargeCar project. The plan is to convert sixth generation Honda Civics to 100 percent electric drive using a kit developed by CMU that could be installed by most auto repair shops.
Chuck Wichrowski
William Sapon has dedicated his career in the energy sector to ensuring our U.S. energy delivery systems are reliable, resilient, secure and sustainable through efforts to modernize and strengthen our energy grids. Currently, William serves as Clean Energy & Transportation Advisor at Peoples Natural Gas, the largest natural gas distribution company in Pennsylvania, specializing in grid-edge innovation and alternative fuel vehicle opportunities.
Prior to Peoples Natural Gas, William earned his MBA with a concentration in Strategy and Operations from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business. During his MBA program, he worked with the Environmental Defense Fund, Conservation International, and the Student Conservation Association (SCA) on topics ranging from applications of distributed energy resources (DERs) in commercial buildings to the commercial deployment of energy storage technologies.
William Sapon has dedicated his career in the energy sector to ensuring our U.S. energy delivery systems are reliable, resilient, secure and sustainable through efforts to modernize and strengthen our energy grids. Currently, William serves as a consultant for a number of companies in the tri-state area.
William earned his MBA with a concentration in Strategy and Operations from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business. During his MBA program, he worked with the Environmental Defense Fund, Conservation International, and the Student Conservation Association (SCA) on topics ranging from applications of distributed energy resources (DERs) in commercial buildings to the commercial deployment of energy storage technologies.
William has nearly 10 years’ experience in the energy sector. He previously served as Project Manager at OSCOMP Holdings’ energy storage and transportation practice, where his leadership was a key component to innovation efforts and to business development initiatives for new products.
William holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University. William is an influential sustainability advocate and steward of the environment.
William A. Sapon
Secretary
William A. Sapon
Mike Lickert is the former Giant Eagle’s Corporate Fleet Manager, as well as the project leader for its Compressed Natural Gas Project. The company has more than 200 vehicles in its fleet, more than 300 stores and 160 GetGo gas stations. In 2010, Giant Eagle used more than 113,000 gallons of B100.
In addition to serving on PRCC’s board, he is also a member of the Greater Pittsburgh Foodbank’s Board of Directors and the National Private Truck Council’s Board of Governors. Mr. Lickert has 31 years of experience in supply chain with Giant Eagle and earned a Certified Transportation Professional (CTP) Designation in 2006.
Mike Lickert
Founder & Executive Director 2021 Mobilify Southwestern Pennsylvania (Mobilify) Pittsburgh, PA Founded a new regional organization whose mission is to engage all communities in collaboration towards securing greater multimodal transportation choices, equitable transportation access and economic opportunity across Southwestern Pennsylvania. Organization provides a dedicated, singularly focused home for policy, advocacy, technical assistance, and stewardship of initiatives and projects that place people that benefit them the most at the top of the transportation hierarchy.
Chris Sandvig