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Featured
speakers for the ITE Western District 2010
Annual Meeting |
Keynote Speaker
Sven Thesen, Utility Operations & Sustainability
Strategy Manager, Better Place
 Sven
Thesen, who joined Better Place in April 2008, is responsible
for driving the company’s sustainability vision and
strategic relations with key utility companies. In his
role, Thesen leverages his deep technical expertise in electric
transportation and environmental engineering to help Better
Place achieve its greater goal of global oil independence.
Prior to joining Better Place, Thesen managed the Pacific
Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) sulfur hexafluoride
(SF6) emission reduction team and assisted the United Nations
in revising the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories.
As a result of his contributions to the IPCC, he, other contributing
engineers and scientists, and former US Vice President Al
Gore, were awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
In his most recent post at PG&E, Thesen
served as Electric Drive Supervisor within company’s
Clean Air Transportation Department. Under his direction,
the Electric Drive Group secured its leadership position in
utility-based EV initiatives by being the first utility to
demonstrate Vehicle to Grid (V2G) technology.
Thesen received a Bachelor of Science degree
in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University
and has been recognized by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s
administration with the 2006 Governor's Environmental and
Economic Leadership Award. As an avid cyclist and zero emission
activist, sets a good example for his two children and wife
by biking to and from work and their residence in Palo Alto,
California.
Better Place, a venture-backed company,
aims to reduce global dependency on oil through the creation
of a market-based transportation infrastructure that enables
electric vehicles. Better Place is the world’s
leading electric vehicle (EV) services provider, catalyzing
the transition to sustainable transportation.
They deliver services to enable confident adoption and use
of EVs, by building and operating the infrastructure and systems
to optimize energy access and use.
Better Place partners with ecosystem players
to enable a compelling and integrated solution. Better
Place has made significant progress in building critical partnerships,
developing technology and making the vision a reality. Their
operating companies in Israel, Denmark and Australia are leading
the way in deployment, and their efforts in US, Canada, Japan
and other markets continue to develop. For more information,
check out
http://www.betterplace.com/.
Kick-Off Luncheon Speaker
Randell Iwasaki, Director, California Department of Transportation
 Randell
"Randy" Iwasaki is the Director of the California Department
of Transportation (Caltrans), in Sacramento, CA.
Iwasaki was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger
in August 2009 and is in charge of the operation of the California
state transportation system, including more than 50,000 lane
miles of state highway, intercity passenger rail, state support
for local mass transportation systems, 12,400 bridges and
more than 250 general aviation airports. He oversees
an annual budget of almost $14 billion and a staff of nearly
21,000 maintenance, planning, right of way, environmental,
administrative, and engineering personnel.
A licensed civil engineer, Iwasaki has been
with Caltrans for more than 26 years serving in a number of
high profile engineering and management positions.
From November 2004 to August 2009, Iwasaki
was appointed as the Department's Chief Deputy Director.
During his Caltrans career, Iwasaki has spearheaded
a number of transportation engineering innovations in California
including the use of old tires in rubberized asphalt, the
installation of LED red lights saving the state taxpayers
more than $2 million a year in power costs, and conversion
of the Caltrans equipment fleet to clean burning fuels.
Iwasaki also serves on a number of national
transportation panels. The panels include chairing the Technology
Coordinating Committee Chair for the renewal portion of the
Strategic Highway Research Program and AASHTO’s Special
Committee on Transportation Security and Emergency Management.
He is the past Chairman of ITS America.
In 2009, he was named to Government Technology’s
list of 25 “Doers, Dreamers and Drivers,” and
in 2008 was the recipient of the Thomas H. McDonald Memorial
Award, which is considered the highest award presented by
the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials for "rendering continuous outstanding service over
an extended period of time or have made some exceptional contribution
to the art and science of highway engineering.”
Iwasaki earned his bachelor's degree in Engineering
from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo,
and a Master's in Engineering from California State University,
Fresno.
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