Dwayne Norris

Co-Founder and COO of Soulful Synergy

Dwayne R. Norris is a distinguished leader and ardent proponent of sustainable community development. As Co-Founder and COO of Soulful Synergy, Dwayne has driven the creation and execution of impactful multimillion-dollar workforce development programs that equip individuals in underserved communities with crucial skills for careers in green construction and clean energy. His leadership has seen the transformation of over 8,000 lives through education and employment opportunities in high-demand sectors. Dwayne’s dedication to community service and economic empowerment has been recognized widely. Soulful Synergy was honored as a 2020 recipient of Clean & Healthy New York’s Bold Vision for Environmental Justice award, he is a 2021 Business Council of Westchester 40 Under 40 Rising Stars award recipient, a 40 under 40 Young, Gifted, and Green award winner from Black Millenials for Flint in 2023, the New York Energy Consumers Council's Justice Equity Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) award winner in 2024, named Trailblazers in Clean Energy by City & State New York in 2025, and his ongoing contributions have earned him a respected place as a Business Council of Westchester (BCW) Ambassador since 2021.

Dr. Donovan Thompson

Executive Director & Dean of Energy Sciences at River Parishes Community College

Dr. Donovan L. Thompson is an Innovative Academic Leader and Technology Executive with 10+ years of experience bridging cutting-edge research with practical workforce development. Currently serving as Executive Director & Dean of Energy Sciences at River Parishes Community College, where he has successfully created the Energy Partners for Innovation and Collaboration (EPIC) consortium and secured over $650K in funding from NSF and other sources. Dr. Thompson's unique background combines deep technical expertise in organic and polymer chemistry (Ph.D., University of Florida) with proven leadership in corporate R&D environments, having managed teams of up to 35 professionals and delivered products generating $250MM+ in annual revenue at Fortune 500 companies including Albemarle Corporation and Nouryon Chemicals. He excels at building strategic partnerships between academia and industry, having established collaborations with LSU, University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Texas A&M, and national laboratories. His track record includes developing new academic programs with industry-relevant certifications, leading innovation strategies for emerging markets, and championing process improvements that drive measurable results.

Sarah Pidgeon

Executive Director, STEP-UP Solar

Sarah is the Executive Director of STEP-UP Solar, a nonprofit solar education and workforce organization based in Asbury Park, NJ. Prior to launching STEP-UP Solar, Sarah was the Director of Workforce Development at Solar Landscape and was the Chief Program Officer at Solar One, a NYC based nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to the benefits of clean energy to all through K-12 education, solar technical assistance, and workforce development. She holds an MBA in management for mission driven organizations from Marlboro College in Vermont.

Jalaal Hayes, PhD

CEO and Founder, Evince, Inc.

As a native of North Philadelphia, Dr. Jalaal A. Hayes was recognized as the youngest individual to earn a Ph.D. in Applied Chemistry in 2016. His research concentrates on lightweight metal hydrides for hydrogen storage applications, including fuel cells and clean energy generators. His work is documented in four peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings from the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) among other platforms. In March 2017, Dr. Hayes was awarded a patent based on his research conducted at the university. In 2019, he served as a keynote speaker at the International Conference on Innovative Applied Energy hosted at the University of Oxford. In 2020, he established Evince Innovations to commercialize the patent for offshore applications and to generate broader impacts within underserved communities interested in clean energy and sustainability markets through workforce development.

Grant Shmelzer

Executive Director at Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Chesapeake

Grant Shmelzer has served as the CEO for IEC Chesapeake & IEC Chesapeake Apprenticeship & Training for nearly 30 years. He has had the pleasure of watching our organization grow to over 200 member companies representing more than 50,000 electrical professionals in the Mid-Atlantic. In addition to being the chapter Executive Director, Grant serves on several state and national apprenticeship councils and coalitions, as well as state and county Workforce Development initiatives.