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.

Alex Johnson - CEO, Red Lion Bio-Energy

As CEO and founder of Red Lion, Alex drives the strategic development of the business. Alex organized the design and build of the company’s first unit and is working to provide newer, cleaner solutions for customers to eliminate their waste. According to Johnson, Red Lion’s proprietary carbon recycling process provides industry leading efficiency and flexibility by allowing consumption of multiple feedstocks.
Johnson is the CEO and founder of Ohio Holdings, Inc, which operates two successful intermodal transportation facilities in Toledo, Ohio. Midwest Terminals of Toledo Inc., and Midwest Terminals of Toledo International Inc., operate 330 acres of dock front property for the Toledo Lucas County Port Authority. These facilities are multiple-year recipients of the St. Lawrence Seaway’s Pacesetter Award For Excellence in increasing cargo tonnage into North America.
Midwest Terminals also developed and supplied a clean coal additive to the utility industry in a recently completed seven year contract.
Alex has successfully owned and operated businesses since 1996, and earned a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree from Heidelberg College.