John P.(JACK) Dienna, Jr.
Executive Director & Founder of the Geothermal National & International Initiative (GEO-NII)
Mr. DiEnna, the Executive Director & Founder of the Geothermal National & International Initiative (GEO-NII), is a business development and marketing professional with over forty years combined experience in the electric utility industry and the renewable energy industry. He is a nationally recognized authority on all aspects of renewable technology and specifically geothermal heat pumps (ghp), including marketing, creative financing, and the resulting positive economic and environmental impact that can be derived from the use of renewable technologies. His expertise is internationally acknowledged as a valued resource by not only the renewable & geothermal heat pump industry but also by government officials, both national and international, trade allies, and all major market segment associations in the promotion of renewable technologies.
Mr. DiEnna, is the originator of the “Road to 30%”, a program designed to increase the market share, of ghp’s to 30%. Mr. DiEnna is involved in about 40% of all commercial geothermal heat pump projects in the North America and consults to numerous companies and trade associations. He has worked on proving that renewable energy technologies can provide our nation with a “Triple E” solution of, Energy Independence, Environmental Security and Economic Prosperity, now and for generations to come and has participated in developing Renewable Portfolio Standards in over 8 States.
In January of 2010, Mr. DiEnna, working under a contract to the Department of Energy, through Oak Ridge National Laboratory, developed a trade mission to India in support of the GHP Industry. While there he established an Indian Chapter of the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) and was instrumental in getting the Indian Government to exempt ghps from basic customs duty, central excise duty and special additional duty. He continues to work with DOE & ORNL on the development of a sustainable infrastructure, through training, to support the advancement of GHP technology in India. Mr. DiEnna is also working for the Department of Energy as a peer reviewer for geothermal projects nationally. He was recently named a “Legend in Energy” for 2010 by the Association of Energy Engineers.
Mr. DiEnna is working with the US Commerce Department to assist them in their negotiations of an environmental goods agreement within the World Trade Organization that would liberalize tariffs on climate change addressing products and services such as geothermal heat pumps.
In 2006, Mr. DiEnna was appointed by the Secretary of Energy, to serve as a member of the Federal Energy Management Advisory Committee (FEMAC), representing renewable energy. FEMAC was formed to advise the Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) on defining strategy for meeting their mandates and objectives. In 2007 he was appointed to the Asian Pacific Partnership (APP) on the Renewable Energy & Building Efficiency task forces and is currently working with them to promote the increased use of renewable technology in China, India and Australia. He is also working with the Federal Ministry for the Environment of the German Government on the increased use of renewable technology. He is also working for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to support the development & training of a sustainable infrastructure for geothermal heat pump technology in the State of New York.
Previously, as Key Accounts Director for the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium, a group formed by the Clinton Administration, Mr. DiEnna was responsible for the development and implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with numerous Federal, State and Local government agencies. He also developed a State, as well as the Federal Schools Initiative Program which promoted ground source energy technologies at the State Department of Education level.
Mr. DiEnna was responsible for the multi year, million dollar contract, with NYSERDA, to promote renewable energy technologies in New York State. He has spearheaded state wide projects in California, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Illinois. Mr. DiEnna, is currently working with numerous other states to develop similar initiatives for a market transformation, driven by state sponsored, IGSHPA certified, training programs.
Erika is VP of Business Development at ThinkEco, a NY based start-up developing smart plug-load technologies, as well as the Co-Founder and President of the Harvard Business School Green Business Alumni Association. She has 10+ years in business development and marketing for green companies and investors. Previously, Erika consulted for an environmentally focused private investor group as well as various online businesses, developing market opportunities, sourcing companies and managing partner relationships. She worked with the strategy and marketing consulting firm Green Order, where her clients included GE and Office Depot. Erika worked in Belize for the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment, including three years as the Director of Tourism Business and Development. She earned a BA in environmental studies from Vassar College, a MESc from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.