Dr. Karen Wayland, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GridWise Alliance, is a recognized expert in national energy and environmental policy and served in leadership positions at the highest levels of government and nonprofits. Through her business, kW Energy Strategies, she has been providing strategic consulting on grid modernization policy, coalition building and communications for major clean energy companies, national environmental organizations, local officials, and foundations. At the U.S. Department of Energy during the Obama Administration, she established a team for Secretary Moniz to conduct analyses and develop strategies for DOE’s work with states, local authorities, served on leadership team for the Quadrennial Energy Review (QER), and was the primary author of the QER “Modernizing the Grid” chapter and policy recommendations. She also served as Senior Advisor for Domestic Energy Policy to the Deputy Secretary Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall. Dr. Wayland worked on energy and climate legislation for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senator Harry Reid when he was Majority Whip. She serves on DOE’s Electricity Advisory Committee, where she chairs the Smart Grid subcommittee. Wayland is a board member at the Energy Futures Initiative Foundation, Keystone Policy Center, and the Center for Sustainable Energy. She holds a Master of Science from the University of Connecticut and a Dual Ph.D. in the fields of geochemistry and resource development from Michigan State University.