Lead Technical Trades Program Manager at Rivian

My name is Natalie Flores and I am the Lead Program Manager for Rivian Technical Trades. Ever since I became a mom, I’ve been extremely passionate about sustainability and renewable energy, which is why I made it my life goal to obtain a career in the Electric Vehicle space. Although I had a passion for the automotive industry, it was an uphill battle to gain success. During my early career, I faced many challenges securing entry-level technician positions due to many employers often doubting my ability to excel in the field. With every denial, my passion for success grew stronger and stronger, and I eventually secured an internship with the Tesla START program. This opportunity changed my life. Being a single mother and working several jobs to keep us afloat financially, I was finally given a chance to showcase my talents and apply the knowledge I received throughout my automotive program. Since then, I have progressed from a Service Technician to a START Instructor to an Associate Service Manager and eventually a Service Operations Manager. Now, in my current role, I have the privilege of reaching out to prospective students and providing them with the same life-changing opportunities that were once extended to me. 

Here is the website for the Rivian Technical Trades program:

Technical Trades Program (riviancareers.com)

Senior Energy Efficiency Program Manager at Pepco/Exelon

Angie Bivens is an Energy Professional with over 15 years of marketing, sales and public relations experience. When she entered the field of energy-efficiency, she had a proven track record of implementing leadership, creative outreach and great communication skills to yield successful programs for non-profits. Angie is a Senior Energy Efficiency Program Manager with Pepco Holdings/Exelon, performing program oversight and community engagement for programs in Delaware and New Jersey. Angie’s hard work led to her recognition as one of Delaware’s Top Women in Business, 2023 Emerging Professional of the Year by the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) and additional awards for her community engagement including Community Partner of the Year from Central Delaware Habitat for Humanity. Outside of work, Angie manages a virtual teen leadership program for girls, was a past local Jefferson Award recipient for volunteerism and recently joined the Delaware Advisory Board for Multiplying Good. 

CEO and Owner of WECS Renewables

Theresa Eaton is the CEO, Owner & Chairperson of WECS Renewables, a national electrical and mechanical products distributor to the utility-scale solar, wind, battery storage, and data center industries, with a particular specialty in medium voltage products. WECS has grown by 72% under Eaton’s leadership in the last two years and has a diverse management team, with 71% of the company’s leadership as individuals coming from diversity-based backgrounds (women or people of color). Last month WECS was selected from 20,000 suppliers to be $70 billion revenue Iberdrola’s Global Diverse Supplier of 2023.

Prior to WECS Renewables, Eaton was the youngest Partner of SCF Partners, an energy focused private equity firm, where she was an investment professional for twelve years, with a focus on energy companies in North America and the Middle East. She was responsible for strategic development of ongoing investments, serving on several SCF corporate boards, including three US based businesses and one in Dubai.

Eaton has been elected to the board of the American Clean Power Association’s (ACP) Board of Directors for the last three years in a row. ACP is the leading clean energy trade association, comprised largely by the largest clean energy developers in the United States. Eaton’s company, WECS, is the only distributor in the United States who has ever been selected to be on the board of American Clean Power.

Eaton is featured as one of 4 “Energy Trailblazers” in the children’s book focused on “Woman Energy Superheroes”, written by the author Erin Twamley, released July 2022.

In her role as CEO of WECS Renewables, Eaton is passionate about advancing the renewables industry with a skilled, technical workforce. She is on the board of CREATEenergy, www.createenergy.org, a non-profit that recently received $7.5 million of funding from the National Science Foundation and promotes training of teachers at two-year technical colleges, who teach new wind technicians and solar installers, two of the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. CREATE has trained over 900 faculty.

Eaton is a board member of Duke University’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation board and the Broach Foundation for Brain Cancer Research, an organization she co-founded focused on glioblastoma research. www.thebroachfoundation.org

Eaton graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts dual degree and a J.D. from Duke University Law School.

Corporate and Plant Applications Supervisor at Energy Northwest

Stacey Presnell is an Energy Professional with 25 years of experience working in the nuclear power industry. Upon graduating from college with an AS in Nursing and a BS in Business Administration, Stacey found herself wanting a career that would provide autonomy with travel.  A career as a traveling Health Physics Technician fit just that desire. Stacey has 14 years’ experience working as a Health Physics Technician. I was fortunate to have worked over 20 different commercial nuclear power plants in the United States, with numerous traveling adventures after each job.  Some of her experiences included 6 steam generator replacements, 4 head replacements, and countless refueling outages.  Stacey also has enjoyed many years as a member of the National Ski Patrol, instructing Emergency Medical Response Courses, as well as survival skill sets for Search & Rescue. Currently, Stacey is employed with Energy Northwest (Columbia Nuclear Generating Station) as the Plant & Corporate Applications Supervisor and works plant outages as a Health Physics Supervisor. Other positions include Nuclear Technology Program Manager happily assisting to bring the next generation of nuclear workers to our 100 nuclear operating power plants in the United States.  EN’s Human Performance Program Manager, and Nuclear Instructional Technologist. My education has continued and now includes a master’s degree in Leadership and Organizations Learning. My biggest accomplishment is two-time cancer surviving champion. 

Apprentice Electrician at Northwind Solar

I am an alumnus of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) who graduated with an associate degree in Solar Energy Technology. I became interested in renewable and sustainable energy after volunteering at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association’s Annual Energy Fair in 2014. I continued volunteering there, and then in 2016, I enrolled in my first year of college ever at 29 years old. I completed my degree with a 4.0 GPA and highest honors in 2020. Soon after graduating, I started working at Northwind Solar, a local residential and commercial solar installation company. I started as a Photon Technician (DC installer), moved into a DC Lead position, and now I am an apprentice electrician about to take my Journeyman exam.