Speakers at the Energy and Critical Materials Summit

Dr. Scott W. Tinker is a global energy explorer and educator bringing industry, government, academia, and nongovernmental organizations together to address major societal challenges in energy, the environment, and the economy. Following a 17-year career in the energy industry, Dr. Tinker spent 24 years as an Endowed Professor and Director of the 250-person Bureau of Economic Geology at UT Austin. He is CEO of Tinker Energy Associates and Chairman and CEO of the nonprofit Switch Energy Alliance. With Director Harry Lynch, Tinker co-produced and is featured in the award-winning documentary films Switch and Switch On, screened to millions of viewers globally. Tinker is the host of Energy Switch, an energy and climate point-counterpoint show appearing on over 80% of PBS stations and on major podcast channels, and the voice of Earth Date, featured on over 460 public radio stations nationwide. His writing appears from Forbes to Fortune to Scientific American. In his visits to some 60 countries, Tinker has given over 1100 keynote and invited lectures and presented a TEDx on The Dual Challenge: Energy and Environment. Tinker has been president of several international scientific societies, serves on many public, private and academic boards and councils, and is an angel investor bringing companies from startup to sale. He is an AGI Campbell Medalist, AAPG Halbouty Medalist, GCAGS Boyd Medalist, AIPG Parker Medalist, and a Geological Society of America Fellow.

Bob Morris is a Butte native who earned his bachelor’s degree in geophysical engineering from Montana Tech in 1984. He went on to earn a master’s in engineering science from Montana Tech in 1991. Morris started his professional career in the oil and gas exploration business before pivoting into the electric power systems industry. When Morris retired five years ago, he became a power systems consultant specializing in energy and materials. He collaborated with Montana Tech, mining companies, and tribal governments on projects involving carbon-free energy sources including wind, solar, and nuclear power. Morris decided to apply for the position as the Lance Endowed Energy Chair after seeing the work the University, Montana Tech Foundation, and Lance family were doing to make a difference in the world. In addition to forming critical partnerships with industry partners, academics, agencies, and trade organizations, Morris looks forward to bringing the next generation to Montana Tech to tackle pressing engineering problems that impact nearly all of mankind. 

Paul E. Roege, P.E. is a principal of Creative Erg, LLC, a consulting partnership in energy, resilience, and education, and serves as executive director of the Advanced Nuclear and Production Experts Group (ANPEG).  He has led technology-based research, engineering, and construction projects and organizations for over 45 years, and continues to research and publish on topics of energy and resilience.  As an active and reserve US Army engineer officer, Paul managed construction programs in Europe, Asia, Africa and Central America and developed military energy doctrine. In his civilian career, Mr. Roege led engineering and nuclear safety activities in nuclear fuel cycle, special nuclear material stabilization, waste management, and infrastructure systems on the U.S. Department of Energy sites.  Paul is a registered professional engineer and a West Point alumnus with graduate degrees from Boston University (Business) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Nuclear Engineering).

J.P. Gallagher, a lifelong resident of Butte, Montana, has built a distinguished career in education, public service, and community leadership. A graduate of Butte Central High School (1984), he served honorably in the U.S. Navy until 1987 before earning a B.S. in Education from the University of Montana Western (1992). He later completed a master’s degree in education from Graceland University (2008) and a master’s certification in School Administrative Leadership from Montana State University (2011).

Gallagher began his teaching & coaching career in 1992 at Choteau High School, followed by roles at Flathead High School and the Butte School District. His leadership was evident during his tenure as principal of Whittier Elementary School (2010–2015), where he fostered academic growth and community engagement.

In 2015, Gallagher became Director of Parks & Recreation for Butte-Silver Bow, spearheading transformative projects including Ridge Waters Waterpark and major upgrades to Stodden Park and local trails—investing over $20 million in public amenities.

Elected Chief Executive of Butte-Silver Bow in 2020 & re-elected in 2024, Gallagher has driven historic economic growth, including a record-low unemployment rate of 3.2%, over 1,150 new jobs, and more than $40 million in secured grants. He currently leads a team of 500+ employees and elected officials, championing initiatives that preserve Butte’s heritage while advancing its future.

Gallagher’s civic involvement is extensive. He serves on the Executive Board of the Montana League of Cities and Towns, the Montana Association of Counties, and the Butte Local Development Corporation. He is also a board member of the Butte Chamber of Commerce, Montana Technological University Foundation, the Digger Athletic Association, and represents Montana on the EPA Local Advisory Committee. From 2016 to 2019, he served as a trustee for Butte School District #1 and in 2024 was selected for the Hunt Institute’s Early Learning Nation Fellowship, representing Montana at a national level.

A proud alumnus of the University of Montana Western, Gallagher was inducted into the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002 and honored with the Distinguished Service Award in 2022, recognizing his lifelong dedication to education and public service.

Gallagher is also a member of the Montana Ambassadors; a statewide network of leaders committed to promoting economic development and innovation. He was a featured speaker at the Montana Festival in Bozeman in both 2024 and 2025, sharing insights on leadership, community revitalization, and the power of public-private partnerships.

A passionate advocate for veterans, Gallagher supports initiatives such as veterans’ court and roundtable discussions to ensure access to vital VA resources. He shares his commitment to education and service with his wife, Erna, Principal of Emerson Elementary School. Together, they are proud parents of five children.

Rob Corbin, SVP, Energy Development, has over 35 years of experience specializing in nuclear technology and high-energy materials testing. With extensive experience in computer modeling and hands on testing, he also holds multiple patents, including innovations for nuclear fuel systems and self-extinguishing sodium coolant for cooling loops. Known for blending theoretical designs with practical applications, his career is marked by identifying and implementing innovative, realistic solutions.  Currently as SVP for Energy Development, he contributes to the overall success of Sabey Data Centers by creating, implementing and updating SDC’s comprehensive energy strategy, including on-site generation and utility planning. This position plays a pivotal role in ensuring Sabey data centers have reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective power supply.  Prior to being part of the Sabey team, Rob served as Director of Technology Development at TerraPower, where he managed the development of critical nuclear technologies and oversaw the Test and Fill Facility (TFF) for the Natrium Demonstration Plant. Previous roles include Chief Engineer for Sodium Fast Reactor technologies and managerial roles focusing on component testing and equipment qualification for sodium fast reactors. His career also spans leadership roles in technology development and qualification for companies such as Global Innovation Nuclear Energy Technology and Columbia Energy and Environmental Services.  He served as Principal Scientist and held various senior roles in environmental and nuclear technology firms, contributing significantly to advancements in nuclear reactor systems and radioactive material handling. With multiple degrees in Chemistry and Physics, his background includes positions at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, and other organizations, where they established a foundation in chemistry, explosives, and engineering research.  

Jack Standa has been the President of Montana Resources in Butte, Montana, since October 2020. Prior to Montana Resources, Jack spent over 20 years internationally, primarily in Indonesia and Australia. He is a (proud!) 1989 graduate of Montana Tech and a 1984 graduate of Granite County High School in Philipsburg. Jack also holds a MS in Geotechnical Engineering from UC Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Chicago. His wife, Nia, is from Indonesia and they have been married for over 25 years. In 2017, they moved back to the United States when Jack began working for Westmoreland Coal in Colstrip and their son Jacob entered the University of Chicago. Jack and Nia enjoy living in Butte and are especially grateful to be living near Jack's family in Philipsburg.

Dr. Scott W. Tinker is a global energy explorer and educator bringing industry, government, academia, and nongovernmental organizations together to address major societal challenges in energy, the environment, and the economy. Following a 17-year career in the energy industry, Dr. Tinker spent 24 years as an Endowed Professor and Director of the 250-person Bureau of Economic Geology at UT Austin. He is CEO of Tinker Energy Associates and Chairman and CEO of the nonprofit Switch Energy Alliance. With Director Harry Lynch, Tinker co-produced and is featured in the award-winning documentary films Switch and Switch On, screened to millions of viewers globally. Tinker is the host of Energy Switch, an energy and climate point-counterpoint show appearing on over 80% of PBS stations and on major podcast channels, and the voice of Earth Date, featured on over 460 public radio stations nationwide. His writing appears from Forbes to Fortune to Scientific American. In his visits to some 60 countries, Tinker has given over 1100 keynote and invited lectures and presented a TEDx on The Dual Challenge: Energy and Environment. Tinker has been president of several international scientific societies, serves on many public, private and academic boards and councils, and is an angel investor bringing companies from startup to sale. He is an AGI Campbell Medalist, AAPG Halbouty Medalist, GCAGS Boyd Medalist, AIPG Parker Medalist, and a Geological Society of America Fellow. 

Dave Whitehead is president of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL), overseeing global operations in Research & Development (R&D), Sales and Customer Service, Engineering Services, and Marketing. He is responsible for translating executive vision into effective corporate strategies that prioritize quality, innovation, service, and growth.

He received a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Washington State University and a Master of Science in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He holds an honorary doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Idaho in recognition of his contributions to the electric power industry.

Dave joined SEL as a hardware engineer in 1994 and has held various positions, including research engineer, chief engineer of government services, vice president of R&D, and chief executive officer.

He served in R&D for more than a decade, leading the 800-person R&D division while its multidisciplinary teams designed and tested systems that manage, monitor, and control critical infrastructure. He continues to be instrumental in the development of new innovations at SEL and has been credited with 106 worldwide patents to date.

Dave is a recognized leader in cybersecurity for industrial and utility control systems and is credited with inventions that have led to breakthroughs and cybersecurity advances throughout the energy sector. He currently serves on the board of directors and as an advisor for Veracity Industrial Networks, a developer of industrial software-defined networking (SDN)-based technology for operational networks. In 2019, he testified before the U.S. Senate and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the importance of proactivity and innovation in cybersecurity. He has also presented at numerous conferences and authored multiple papers on the topic.

Dave serves on the board of directors for SEL and the National Association of Manufacturers. He’s a senior member of IEEE, and the past chair of the IEEE Power & Energy Society Substations C6 committee.

SEL is a 100 percent employee-owned company that serves the power industry worldwide through the design, manufacture, supply, and support of products and services for power system protection, monitoring, control, automation, and metering. SEL offers unmatched local technical support; a worldwide, ten-year product warranty; and a commitment to making electric power safer, more reliable, and more economical.

Brian Bird was named President and Chief Executive Officer of NorthWestern Energy on January 1, 2023. Prior to this role, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer for two years, overseeing operations including electric and natural gas transmission and distribution, energy supply, customer care, technology, and corporate development.

Previously, Brian was Chief Financial Officer of NorthWestern Energy for 17 years. During that time, he played a key role in guiding the company out of bankruptcy and significantly improving its financial performance through a disciplined growth strategy. This transformation led to a threefold increase in rate base investment, earnings per share, and market capitalization. It also resulted in credit rating upgrades from non-investment grade to the current Baa1/BBB unsecured ratings. A major milestone in this growth was the $900 million acquisition of the Montana hydro generation portfolio. Brian also fostered a strong corporate governance culture and built a world-class finance leadership team.

Before joining NorthWestern, Brian was Chief Financial Officer and Principal at Insight Energy, an independent power generation development company. Prior to that, he served as Vice President and Treasurer at NRG Energy, a global power company that experienced tenfold growth during his five-year tenure. Earlier in his career, he held finance roles of increasing responsibility at Land O’Lakes, Northwest Airlines, Minnesota Viking Ventures, and Deluxe Corporation.

Brian contributes his leadership and financial expertise as a board member of the Edison Electric Institute, American Gas Association, Energy Insurance Mutual, Feeding South Dakota, and North Central Electric Association (Past President).

He holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Skye A. Callantine has nearly three decades of experience in a variety of roles in the oil and gas business. He is currently the founder and Executive Chairman of Validus Energy II, a private onshore E&P company based in Denver. Over the past decade, Mr. Callantine founded, built and led numerous large private companies in upstream, midstream and minerals generating ~$10 billion in proceeds, with industry leading returns, across multiple basins. Prior to Validus II, Mr. Callantine served as founder and Chief Executive Office of Validus Energy, leading the company to a $1.8 billion sale of Eagle Ford assets to Devon Energy in 2022. Prior to Validus, Skye served as Felix Energy’s founder and Chief Executive Officer starting in 2013. Under his leadership, the Felix platform built and sold numerous assets consisting of $4.4 billion in upstream projects, $2.1 billion of midstream assets and $500 million of mineral interests over an 8-year period. In parallel with the Felix platform, Skye founded and served as CEO/Chairman of Fortis Minerals, a billion-dollar multi-basin mineral portfolio. Prior to his private experience, Mr. Callantine worked for Chesapeake Energy starting in 2005 where he led the building and development of Chesapeake’s Eagle Ford and Haynesville assets, including leading large, multi-billion-dollar JV agreements. Skye began his career as a geophysicist in 1996 with ConocoPhillips and served in numerous roles in exploration and production in North America, South America and Asia. Skye served in the United States Air Force. He received a B.S. in Geophysical Engineering from Montana Tech and an M.B.A. from Oklahoma State. Skye is on the Montana Tech Foundation Board, several advisory boards and on numerous controlled private company boards through his family office, Vigeo Investments.

John Hopkins, President and CEO, NuScale Power

Emily Nichols, Project Coordinator, GAIN

Lori Braase, Business Development Executive, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) 

Bleau LaFave was named vice president of asset management and business development of NorthWestern Energy on June 14, 2023. He currently oversees the management and planning of distribution gas and electric assets and energy supply planning. His duties also include project development, project management, and business development for the gas, electric, and supply operations. Previously, as the director of long-term development, his responsibilities included overseeing the long- term energy supply growth strategies for NorthWestern, including large project development and acquisitions.

Bleau shares his leadership experience as a member of the member board committee of Southwest Power Pool. He also served 17 years on the South Dakota One Call Board including two years as board chair and six years on the Southwest Power Pool market and operations policy committee.

LaFave holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 1994. He joined NorthWestern Energy as a project engineer and has served in many operations and administration functions with a focus on operations management, procurement, logistics, contracts, fleet, facilities, utility engineering, measurement, and customer service.

Gary Parry 

Will Jensen is a Nuclear Energy Economist at Idaho National Laboratory, providing research and analytics to support the national and global nuclear industry. His work focuses on the role of nuclear energy as a reliable and clean energy source, especially as reactor designs evolve and existing plants near their end of life. In addition, he conducts technoeconomic analysis related to the nation's nuclear path forward, with areas of focus including regional and labor economics, as well as industry market analysis. Previously, Will served as the Director of Business Research at the Research & Business Development Center in Rexburg where he directed the efforts of nearly 500 business consulting teams. He is certified in business strategy from Cornell University, holds a Master’s degree from Utah State in Applied Economics with a specialization in community and regional economic development, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Utah State University’s Huntsman School of Business. Will taught economics in a full and part-time basis at BYU-Idaho and Idaho State University for over 10 years.

Sonja Nowakowski serves as the Director of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Under Sonja’s leadership, DEQ continues to protect Montana’s environment and to work toward a healthy and thriving way of life for all Montanans today and into the future. For the last three years, Sonja served as the Administrator for the Air, Energy, and Mining Division at DEQ. Prior to joining the DEQ team, Sonja worked for the Montana Legislature for 15 years. She served as a nonpartisan research analyst in the Legislative Environmental Policy Office and as the Research Director for the Office of Research and Policy. Sonja’s nonpartisan work for the Legislature focused on environment and energy policy. She staffed Energy and Natural Resources standing committees and in the interim assisted both the Environmental Quality Council and the Energy and Telecommunications Interim Committee. 

Mike Cashell is responsible for all NorthWestern Energy’s electric transmission, natural gas transmission and storage operations, NERC compliance and physical security.  Mike has held his current position since May 2011 and has nearly 40 years’ utility industry experience in the areas of transmission system and balancing authority operations, planning and maintenance, compliance, hydroelectric and thermal power system operation, independent power production, gas transmission and storage system operation and business management.

Mike received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Science in 1986 from Montana Technological University and attended the Public Utilities Executive Course at the University of Idaho in 1997. Mike is active in state and regional transmission and energy forums and represents NorthWestern Energy at the Western Electricity Coordinating Council.

Brant Johnson, Senior Vice President, Development, Grid United

 Dr. Dan Trudnowski's expertise is in power system dynamics, modeling, and control; robotic manipulator control; and application of signal processing. Within these areas, he has participated in and led funded research and development projects resulting in analysis software, control system designs, and laboratory and field prototypes. He has published over 100 professional research papers, three patents, and a 2017 R&D 100 award. Dr. Trudnowski has been awarded over $4 million in research grants and advised approximately 30 graduate-student projects. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers for being recognized as a world’s expert in power-system stability.

Eric Jacobsen is the BKV President, Upstream.  Eric has over three decades of experience in oil and gas and currently serves as the President of Upstream at BKV Corporation.  In addition to full accountability for BKV’s upstream business, Eric also directs various aspects of BKV’s dCarbon Ventures (carbon capture) and Midstream entities.   Eric further serves on the BKV-Banpu Power Company Joint Venture Board of Directors and on the BKV-CIP Carbon Capture Company Joint Venture Board of Directors. For his first 5 years at BKV, Eric served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) through the company’s IPO in September, 2024, before being named President of Upstream.  Prior to BKV, Eric served as Senior Vice President at Extraction Oil and Gas (now Civitas) and as Director of Planning and Development and Director of Exploration and Production at Noble Energy, where he led both the pioneering and full-scale shale development efforts of the DJ Basin in Colorado for nearly a decade. He has also worked with BP and its heritage companies—ARCO and Vastar—in Montana, Houston, Lafayette, Gulf of Mexico, Algeria, Azerbaijan and other locations.   Eric’s career has spanned roles in engineering, operations, major projects, asset management and executive leadership. Eric received a BS in Environmental Engineering and an MS in Petroleum Engineering from Montana Tech.  Eric enjoys spending time with his adult children and his wife, who currently serves as the Secretary of State for the state of Montana.

Ray Byrne is manager of the Energy Storage Technology & Systems department at Sandia National Laboratories where he has been employed since 1989. Prior serving as manager, he was a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff. He completed a B.S. in electrical engineering at the University of Virginia, an M.S. in electrical engineering at the University of Colorado, and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering at the University of New Mexico. He also completed an M.S. in financial mathematics (financial engineering) at the University of Chicago. Awards include the IEEE Third Millennium Medal, Time Magazine invention of the year in robotics in 2001, as well as the Prize paper award at the 2016 IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting for a paper on maximizing revenue from energy storage in grid applications. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, and Sigma Xi. He was elevated to IEEE Fellow in 2017 for contributions to miniature robotics and grid integration of energy storage. He serves as an ABET program evaluator for IEEE and is a member of the IEEE Committee on Engineering Accreditation Activities (CEAA). He is a board member of Sigma Xi, the scientific research honor society.

Chelsea Loomis is a Montana native and two-time Montana Tech graduate.  With her MS in Electrical Engineering from Montana Tech, Chelsea has spent the last 14 years in electric transmission planning and currently manages the regional transmission planning services team at the Western Power Pool. Chelsea is co-chair of the RAC at WECC and has been integral in the facilitation of the NorthernGrid FERC 1000 planning process.

​Josh Laurandeau P.E. is a Senior Engineer in the Electric Transmission Planning Department with NorthWestern Energy. He holds a B.S. from Montana Tech in General Engineering with a Control Systems Option, M.S. from Montana Tech in Electrical Engineering, and is a Licensed P.E. with State of Montana. He worked with Bechtel on the construction and operations of Natural Gas generation facilities, and worked at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station. He has been with Northwestern Energy in Engineering and Operations for the last 19 years. He has taught as an adjunct professor at Montana Tech since 2011.  

Dr. Thomas Lograsso, Director of the DOE's Critical Materials Innovation Hub and Ames Laboratory's Division of Critical Materials, has recently led transformative efforts to secure and innovate the U.S. critical materials supply chain. Under his direction, the Hub receives over $30 million annually to advance research in rare earth recycling, substitutions, and efficiency. In 2024, he received the DOE AMMTO Visionary Award for renewing the Hub. He has been a materials scientist at the Amesthomas National Laboratory since 1988. Tom is a co-inventor of a rare-earth free substitute for the magnetostrictive alloy, Terfenol-D (contains the critical elements Tb and Dy), used in high precision machining operations for small engine components and as an ultrasonic driver in petroleum exploration. 

Heather McDowell is the Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Legal and External Affairs for Sibanye-Stillwater in the Americas where she leads the company's legal and sustainability strategies, including the Good Neighbor Agreement, a collaborative venture with Northern Plains Resource Council that promotes responsible mining practices to protect the environment and the rural vitality of local communities.  She was raised on her family's ranch in Bridger, Montana and graduated summa cum laude from Gonzaga University School of Law.  When not behind her computer or driving the beautiful vistas around Sibanye-Stillwater's Montana operations, she can be found watching her son on the basketball court and saddling her twin daughters' horses at local Little Britches rodeos.  Heather is passionate about the responsible mining and recycling of domestic critical minerals and is working to create a fair global playing field for Sibanye-Stillwater's Montana-made metals.