AEE SoCal Chapter Leadership
AEE SoCal Officers / Board of Directors / Committees
The AEE SoCal Chapter is led by volunteers that serve as elected Officers and members of the AEE SoCal Chapter Board of Directors.
Board of Directors members also serve as Committee Chairs, with various Standing Committees overseeing key Chapter activities such as Memberships, Scholarships and the Chapter's Annual Conference. Ad Hoc Committees are formed on an as-needed basis to address emerging issues and opportunities not covered by the various Standing Committees.
AEE SoCal is a dynamic organization focused on the hot topics of energy efficiency and energy security in Southern California. Volunteering to assist the Chapter is fun and rewarding on personal and professional levels. It can also greatly enhance your efforts to network with other Chapter members.
Chapter members are encouraged to be active participants in helping lead, manage, staff and promote the wide variety of ongoing Chapter activities and events.
The easiest way to volunteer to determine which Committee help is to contact the Committee Chair, who is a Board of Directors member that has been appointed by the Chapter President to lead a particular Standing Committee.
Current Committees include:
- Awards
- Publications/Communications
- Membership
- Education Outreach & Internship
- Scholarship
- Annual Conference
- Professional Development
Officer and Board member profiles below include current Committee Chair assignments.
AEE SoCal Chapter Officer Profiles
AEE SoCal Chapter President
Cynthia Martin
Southern California Edison
Over 37 years of marketing and Business development experience, Ms. Martin began her career in the rapidly moving computer industry from 1980 to 1992. She held the position of Regional Manager at Enable Software, Albany New York, as well as Senior Account Manager at Ashton Tate in Torrance, CA. While working on a Master’s in Business from the University of Phoenix, Ms. Martin was asked to join the Southern California Edison Company in 1995. Cynthia took the position and then graduated in 2001, achieving her MBA degree. During her 26 years of experience with Southern California Edison, Ms. Martin has driven attainment of individual, team and company goals, deliverance of excellent customer satisfaction, and successful resolution to complex regulatory customer impacts and projects.
AEE SoCal Chapter Vice President, Annual Conference Co-Chair
Nolan Sambrano
ADEPT Group, Inc.
Nolan Sambrano is a Director and Senior Project Engineer at the ADEPT Group, Inc. where he manages operations and business support functions. He consults on business development and strategy; and leads energy and engineering projects for public and private sector clients involving R&D, technology transfer and commercialization, and project management. His experience in the energy industry includes work in alternative fuels, geothermal power, high altitude wind, PV, and energy efficiency. Nolan is a Certified Energy Manager and has a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from UCLA.
AEE SoCal Chapter Treasurer
Mike Martin
Lockheed Martin
Mike has more than 40 years of experience in gas and electric utility management, marketing, program design, system analysis & integration, customer service, project management and program implementation. He currently serves as a Project Manager for Lockheed Martin Energy’s Heavy Industrial Energy Efficiency Program, providing energy efficiency services to large industrial customers served by PG&E and SCE. Mike has a B.S. in Industrial Technology from California State University, Fresno.
AEE SoCal Chapter Secretary
Agatha Vaaler
Newcomb | Anderson | McCormick
A Willdan Company
Agatha Vaaler has over 12 years of experience in energy management and environmental industries, having worked for utilities, local government, schools and private industry. She is currently a Director for Newcomb Anderson McCormick, an energy engineering firm, working with public sector clients across California. Ms. Vaaler holds a Masters in Architecture from the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, UK.
AEE SoCal Chapter Director at Large
John McCabe
MEHS Consulting
John McCabe, Managing Principal with MEHS Consulting, has over 30 years’ experience in national and international environmental management and safety risk working in industry and consulting. Mr. McCabe started his career in 1979 with large oil and gas exploration and production companies and transitioned to global pharmaceutical/medical device organizations (Baxter Healthcare and Grifols Biologicals) where he managed Corporate and Division EHS programs and teams. He joined AECOM (Retec) in 2005 where he supported Fortune 50 oil and gas organizations in their risk reduction and regulatory compliance assurance for downstream, midstream, and upstream sectors. In 2009, he formed GHG Climate Team LLC, a partnership that focused on implementing California’s new climate change programs and requirements for oil and gas, manufacturing, and utility clients. He holds degrees in biological sciences and environmental engineering from SDSU and USC and holds accreditations in energy management (CEM), safety (CSP), and environmental areas (QSP).
AEE SoCal Chapter Director at Large
Education Outreach & Internship Committee
Don Musser
Searles Valley Minerals
Mr. Musser is the Energy Manager for Searles Valley Minerals. He has over 40 years industrial experience in Operations, Instrumentation & Electrical Maintenance, Project Management, Engineering, Maintenance Management & Energy Project Development.
AEE SoCal Chapter Director at Large
Judy Kniss
Southern California Edison
Judy Kniss is a Senior Account Manager for Southern California Edison. Judy has 34 years of account management experience, serving Southern California Edison’s largest Commercial and Industrial customers. Judy has a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration, is a Certified Energy Manager and Business Energy Professional.
