GNA has built team of changemakers that are helping the transportation and energy industries redefine what is possible.
Working at GNA means collaborating beyond technical background, specialty, or expertise. Our team members all bring integrity, passion, and curiosity to GNA—traits necessary to change the world around them. We begin every challenge knowing we will find a solution. We always start with yes.
- All
- Sustainability Strategy
- Clean Fleet Strategy
- Funding & Incentives
- Market Analysis & Development
- Policy & Regulatory Support
- Creative & Events
Our Leadership Team
Erik Neandross
Chief Executive Officer & GNA Partner
As one of the alternative fuel industry’s most knowledgeable, engaged, and trusted professionals, Erik has been at the forefront of some of the nation’s largest alternative fuel vehicle projects–working with numerous Fortune 500 companies and public sector representatives. He has led the development of several of the nation’s most successful planned clean fuel corridors and is actively engaged with leading manufacturers and end-use commercial fleet operators in the transition to zero and near-zero emission technology in both the on-road and off-road sectors. He is the visionary who has launched some of the nation’s leading alternative fuel conferences, including the nation’s leading event for advanced clean transportation technologies and low carbon fuels, ACT Expo.
Sean Turner
Chief Operating Officer & GNA Partner
Sean oversees GNA’s technical team, manages a number of GNA’s day-to-day operations, and personally works directly on a host of engineering and advanced technology projects. He provides senior technical oversight to GNA’s clients on alternative fuel initiatives, air quality improvement, fleet planning, and vehicular technology. For more than 30 years, Sean has worked in international engineering consulting and government affairs on automotive emissions, alternative fuels, and air-quality issues.
Cliff Gladstein
Founding President
Since founding GNA in 1993, Cliff has been instrumental in the development of environmental programs and policies that have improved air quality, increased the use of clean fuels and advanced technologies in transportation, and spurred the creation of innovative public-private partnerships in a variety of sectors. It is for these reasons that he has become one of the most sought after leaders within the environmental and energy communities—he offers unparalleled experience, insight, and perspective on critical issues at the very heart of our transportation and energy systems.
Karen Mann
Senior Vice President, Programs & GNA Partner
Karen has led GNA’s grant writing effort for 22 years and heads the Programs and Policies department. Her team aggressively pursues incentives that accelerate the market for low-emission technologies. Her work focuses on implementing cost-effective and technically viable projects that reduce environmental impacts. Karen’s responsibilities include analyzing the feasibility of low-emission technologies based on current operations, tracking regulations and funding opportunities, market studies, leading research for and writing of grant applications, and facilitating successful implementation of low-emission strategies.
Sarah Gallagher
Senior Vice President, Creative & GNA Partner
Sarah Gallagher has nearly 20 years of experience developing communications strategies for both small businesses and globally recognized brands spanning the transportation, energy, and financial sectors. She led the launch of GNA’s creative division — a full-service in-house agency that supports clean transportation and energy stakeholders in developing marketing strategies, building brand awareness, influencing key decisionmakers, and developing outreach campaigns that result in tangible change. Her team also created Advanced Clean Tech News, an online media publication spotlighting the trends driving the future of commercial transportation. Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Capital University and a master’s degree in communications management from the University of Southern California. She is a member of the Coalition for Clean Air, Women in Clean Tech & Energy, Heal the Bay, and Women of Renewable Industries & Sustainable Energy.
Patrick Couch
Senior Vice President, Technical Services & GNA Partner
Patrick both leads and collaborates on a wide range of projects and market development initiatives for GNA’s clients and brings extensive experience in the research, development, and demonstration of a broad range of advanced mobile and stationary power technologies to the firm. With over 18 years of experience in the clean energy space, Patrick’s work includes a mix of technical, business, and policy expertise from leading fleets through the evaluation of alternative fuel technologies to assisting policy makers with the development of practical and successful strategies for clean transportation. Patrick holds a B.S. and M.S in Mechanical Engineering from University of California, Irvine.
21 years
of Average Industry Experience Per Senior Team Member (Transportation, Energy, Sustainability)
Joe Annotti
Senior Vice President, Programs & GNA Partner
Joe has aggregated over 15 years of industry experience across multiple sectors. He oversees a diverse team of program management, policy, and incentive specialists who drive innovative projects forward across the clean transportation industry. This includes GNA’s Funding 360 Program, which offers a comprehensive suite of grant tracking, writing, and management services to our clients. Building on his experience in the Gulf of Mexico’s oil and gas industry, Joe’s former leadership experience at the US Environmental Protection Agency supports clients seeking public affairs and policy guidance in the environmental arena.
JoAnne Golden
Senior Vice President, Programs & GNA Partner
JoAnne brings over 10 years of experience in strategy development, policy analysis and advocacy, and clean transportation, specializing in electrification. As a trained policy and strategic initiatives expert, JoAnne pursues innovation-based solutions that will achieve client success with a focus on results and cost-effective solutions. She manages the agenda development for ACT Expo, oversees large and multi-faceted client projects, and leads a team of strategy, policy, and clean technology specialists. JoAnne has led large-scale funding efforts to accelerate transportation electrification, bringing her clients over $200 million in funding.
Tony Quist
Senior Vice President, Events & GNA Partner
Tony has 25+ years’ experience organizing, trade shows and leading sponsorship & exhibitor sales programs for national and international trade shows and conferences spanning the transportation, energy, technology, first responder, aviation, recreational sports, professional beauty, aviation, mixed-use development, online and publishing industries. Tony launched the annual Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT Expo), North America’s largest Advanced Transportation Technology and Clean Fleet Event.
Jon Leonard
Senior Vice President, Technical Services
Jon Leonard has 30+ years of experience with government-industry collaborations to assess, demonstrate, commercialize and deploy advanced low-/zero-emission vehicle technologies. He authored countless major studies involving low-/zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles using low-carbon transportation fuels. At GNA, Jon authored major studies on HDVs (on- and off-road) using renewable natural gas and renewable diesel. He also authored a study about sustainable aviation fuel as an emerging strategy to decarbonize commercial aviation. Prior to joining GNA in 2013, Jon spent 15 years at TIAX, 10 years at the South Coast AQMD, and 10 years conducing hands-on emissions motor vehicle testing programs at two different laboratories.
Kimberly Klonoski
Vice President, Events
Kimberly Klonoski oversees the management and execution of client-hosted workshops and ribbon-cuttings, as well as GNA’s conference series. She has more than 10 years of experience in the event and hospitality industries including contract negotiation, and the management of venue, hotel, audio/visual, and catering contracts. She is a professional with extensive logistics experience impacting the visibility, reputation and profitability of events through strategic planning and tactical details. Kimberly has a bachelor’s degree from Valdosta State University. She is a member of the Coalition for Clean Air and Young Professionals in Energy.
Nate Springer
Vice President, Market Development
Nate has nearly 20 years of experience in transportation and sustainability. He leads GNA’s sustainability and Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) practice to advise companies on setting goals, building strategies, and communicating results. Nate launched and runs the ACT Fleet Forum of top fleets who share best practice on clean tech and the State of Sustainable Fleets, the first neutral resource for fleet owners on leading sustainable fuel and vehicle technologies. Previously he managed more than 50 corporate sustainability projects with Fortune 500 companies and led global initiatives on clean vehicles and shipping. Nate is fluent in Spanish and holds an MBA with High Distinction and an MS in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan.
>45%
Have Worked for a Nonprofit or Public Agency
Brianna Lawrence
Vice President, Programs
Brianna Lawrence manages GNA’s Funding 360 Program, which delivers intelligence for more than 500 active incentive programs that support the development and deployment of advanced transportation technologies in the United States and Canada. With a background in private and corporate philanthropy, Brianna has nearly 10 years of experience in developing complex projects, preparing and reviewing applications, and managing project implementation. Brianna holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from UCLA and a master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from UNLV.
Celeste Griffy
Vice President, Communications Strategy
Our Team
Vernisa Allen
Senior Associate Programs
Hani Alsayad
Associate Programs, Compliance
Angela Amirkhanian
Senior Program Manager
Anthony Antonopoulos
Art Director
Stephane Babcock
Director, Editorial & Partner Marketing
Abdedaim Battioui
Program Manager
Jonah Berg-Ganzarain
Strategic Communications Manager
Rabia Billoo
Senior Associate, Programs
Mark Blakeley
Senior Associate
Bill Bliem
Senior Project Director
Sharon Boutin
Sponsor & Exhibitor Manager
Barbara Brentano
Manager, Engagement Marketing
Tiara Brown
Sr Technical Associate
7
Different Languages Fluently Spoken by GNA Team Members
Crystal Campbell
Senior Marketing Manager, Energy & Utilities
Jasmine Cannady
Digital Marketing Manager
Tony Choi
Database Coordinator
Rachel Clevers
Associate
Bob Coale
Senior Project Director
Sean Cocca
Director of Compliance
Mark Conolly
Sr Director, Programs
Erin Cornelius
Program Manager
Ty Cratic
Senior Program Manager, Public Affairs
Anna Curtis
Associate, Programs
Chris Davis
Associate
Tim Decker
Web Developer
Luis Dominguez
Senior Associate
115+
Total Countries Visited (We love to travel and gain global insights!)
Claire Duckett
Sr. Associate, Programs
Kaleigh Enriquez
Senior Associate
Riley Erion
Associate Programs
Amber Fearon
Vice President, Programs
Nick Fenstermaker
Senior Associate Programs
Nicole Fiel
Senior Director, Engagement Marketing
Emma Frantz
Program Manager
Owen Frazier
Program Manager
Chloe Friedheim
Associate
Zach Friedlander
Associate
Cass Garison
Senior Associate Programs
Tracy Garland
Senior Program Manager Programs
Harmony Gates
Senior Director of Compliance
Kristen Gifford
Senior Manager, Communications Strategy
Sandeep Gill
Senior Director of Programs
Joshua Goldman
Technical Director, Fleet Electrification
Elizaveta Golikova
Director Programs
Kylee Golzar
Associate Programs
Summer Grimmage
Front Desk Office Assistant
Carla Guerrero
Administrative Associate, Events
Bodi Hamdan
Senior Associate
Carlotta Harlan
Associate Programs
Nathan Hart
Senior Program Manager
Jo-Yee Ho
Senior Associate Technical
Carolyne Hogikyan
Senior Associate
Christian Hosler
Program Manager
Evangeline Hsu
Office Manager & Executive Assistant
Kristina Ishchenko
Digital Campaign Manager
Leah Izzett
Senior Associate, Programs
Justine Jackson
Senior Associate Programs
Dan Janosec
Sr. Director, Funding & Incentives
James Javelosa
Program Manager
Eleanor Johnstone
Senior Project Manager
Sarah Kacmarsky
Strategic Communications Specialist
Faraz Kazmi
Program Manager
Patricia Kemp
Public Relations Manager
Maguire Kilpatrick
Administrative Associate, Programs
Amanda King
Associate Programs
Rustam Kocher
Senior Director
Jarrod Kohout
Senior Director
Venkat Lakshmanan
Senior Associate Programs
Nolan Lee
Senior Associate
Sophia Liebert
CRM Database Manager
Peter Lopez
Program Manager
Rodger Lueras
Senior Art Director
Per Lundmark
Project Manager, LCFS
Mara MacDonell
Senior Associate Programs
Lawren Markle
Director of Media Relations
Mia Mayweather
Program Manager
Jaha McClean
Senior Associate Programs
Laura McElhaney
Program Manager, Compliance
Leigh Middleton
Project Manager
Mike Mitchell
Senior Director of Funding & Incentives
Rebecca Shields Moose
Program Manager
Joseph Navarro
Associate
Flora Naylor
Associate
Taylor Nixon
Program Manager
Peter Ogundele
Senior Program Manager
Colton Orr
Program Manager
Juliana Rodriguez Ortiz
Program Manager
Brennan Pastorek
Associate Compliance
Eleni Petrow
Senior Program Manager
Henry Pines
Program Manager
Brian Rice
Digital Designer
Hillary Rupert
Senior Director, Programs
Cacie Russell
Associate
Kathleen San
Sr. Associate, Programs
Amanda Sandoval
Events Coordinator
Rebecca Schenker
Senior Director, Programs
Fernando Ochoa Servin
Administrative Associate
Caren Shorthouse
Senior Associate Programs
Tanzee Silver
Senior Director Programs
Catherine Smith
Associate
Michael Somers
Senior Manager Sustainability Programs
Cindy Soria
Junior Accountant
Polly Spinassé
Senior Associate, Compliance
Kali Staniec
Program Manager
Emily Stephens
Sr. Associate, Programs
Natalia Swalnick
Senior Director
Rosa Vizcarra
Senior Associate Compliance
Shannia Wade
Junior Accountant
Sean Wald
Exhibitor Account Manager
Cary Welsh
Senior Program Manager
Elexiss Winslow
Programs Administrative Assistant