Technology Innovation Luncheon
Our panel of distinguished state and community leaders from business, academic, and the public sector will explore alternative energy trends and opportunities.  

Topics of discussion include:

1. Technology trends for Alternative Energy (short-term and longer-term)
2. The role of government (state and federal)
3. Business start-up challenges and opportunities
4. The impact and availability of capital
5. Competition and an international perspective

Please join us on May 27, 2010 as the Regional Growth Partnership moderates this panel of state and community thought leaders.

 

The distinguished panelists include:

 

Dr. Mark R. Shanahan  - Special Technology Advisor to Governor Strickland and Executive Director, Ohio Air Quality Development Authority

Mark R. Shanahan is the executive director of the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA) and its Clean Air Resource Center.  Appointed in 1989, he oversees the management of approximately $3.3 billion in outstanding bond issues as well as the Authority’s research and special project programs.
 
 On January 17, 2007, Governor Ted Strickland created the position of Governor’s Energy Advisor through Executive Order 2007-02 and appointed Dr. Shanahan to the position.  In that role, he is responsible for coordinating state agencies’ efforts to develop a comprehensive Ohio energy policy and to implement the Governor’s order to significantly reduce state agency energy consumption.

 Mr. Shanahan oversees the work of the Ohio Coal Development Office, one of the nation’s leading clean coal technology research, development and deployment programs. Since 1994, he has served as Ohio’s Clean Air Ombudsman for small business.

 He is the Governor’s delegated representative on the Third Frontier Commission. An active member of the Air & Waste Management Association, he has just completed a term as group coordinator for the Technical Council’s Environmental Management Group.

 Shanahan earned his Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University.  He received his M.A. (with honors) from the University of Pennsylvania and graduated from Boston College (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa).

Dr. Xunming Deng - CEO, Xunlight Corporation

Dr. Xunming Deng is President, CEO and Co-founder of Xunlight Corporation, a leader in the development of low-cost and flexible thin-film silicon solar modules and high-throughput roll-to-roll photovoltaic manufacturing equipment. He is a recognized authority in the thin-film silicon photovoltaic industry. Dr. Deng received his PhD in physics in 1990 from the University of Chicago and later worked as Senior Scientist and Project Manager for Photovoltaic Development at Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.’s Machine Division, building roll-to-roll PV production lines. Dr. Deng joined the University of Toledo (UT) faculty in 1996 and founded UT’s amorphous silicon PV program. In 2002, Dr. Deng and his wife Dr. Liwei Xu founded Xunlight to commercialize UT-developed PV technologies. 

To date, Xunlight has received over $40 million of institutional investments from leading venture capital and private equity firms. The Company has also received $20 million R&D grants and loans from the US federal and the State of Ohio governments to improve and demonstrate its technologies. Xunlight has been featured on Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, CNN, FOX News, The New York Times, the Associated Press and ABC World News.

 

 

Fred Deichert - Chief Financial Office, Red Lion 

As CFO of Red Lion, Deichert is primarily responsible for the financial and administrative functions of the company. He focuses on financing, due diligence, business planning and general management for the bio-energy company.

Deichert has served as CFO of Midwest Terminals of Toledo since 2000 and is a co-founder of Red Lion. Fred previously served as CFO for two start-up companies in the basic materials industries (steel and non-ferrous metals), and has considerable experience with private company management. One of these firms, Chase Brass Industries, launched a successful IPO in 1994. Prior to that, he had eleven years of experience in public accounting with a concentration in the basic materials and oil and gas industries. Fred earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in accounting from The Pennsylvania State University and has completed executive management courses at Harvard and Michigan State Universities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Details of the Event