Data Center Investment Conference & Expo (DICE): Southwest

Mr. McClarty is an accomplished senior executive with extensive experience in information technology and computer networking. He has a proven track record in relationship building, vendor management, network operations, and colocation and data center administration, along with project methodology and processes, both on strategic and tactical levels. He has been instrumental in transforming startup organizations into highly successful and profitable corporations while maintaining high client satisfaction levels. His strong management and leadership skills are complemented by his ability to motivate and engage all levels of an organization to maximize productivity and drive positive results. He is an excellent communicator who puts a special emphasis on building solid vendor, client, and employee relationships. Mr. McClarty holds an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management, and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. He also holds a BS in information technology and a BS in electronics engineering technology, both from DeVry Institute of Technology.

Jeff heads our Real Estate and Communications practices in New York and has significant experience in general commercial real estate law. Jeff’s general real estate practice includes acquisitions, sales, development, leasing, and borrower’s side financing. He also has a particular focus on real estate challenges facing communications, technology, and energy companies, and represents property owners and telecom companies in telecom real estate matters, such as data center leases. His clients include both large national companies and smaller, local clients. He is frequently invited to speak on real estate, data center, and telecom topics. He also writes for several industry publications, and he is regularly quoted in national media. Jeff was a Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and led many of its major real estate and telecom transactions.

John Regan serves as the Chief Investment Officer and has been in the technology and facilities infrastructure space for over three decades. In his most recent role as SVP of Acquisitions and CTO for Landmark Dividend, he executed on over a $1 billion in Digital Infrastructure acquisitions. Prior to Landmark, Mr. Regan worked with Carter Validus (CV) Advisors where he was instrumental in the development and execution of the CV Mission Critical REIT I & II data center platforms from inception. Mr. Regan made CV’s first acquisition in July 2011. By October 2017, pipeline development and management led to closing over 50 deals amassing $2 billion of data center assets totaling more than 4.5M sf. Mr. Regan is a data center industry leader frequently speaking and moderating at conferences across the U.S. having a number of articles published by and about him. Mr. Regan’s experience spans over 35 years within information technology, facilities infrastructure, business development, sales and acquisitions serving in various leadership positions while also providing advisory services and consulting for multiple startups. Mr. Regan served in leadership positions for 18 years with PWC, LLP as National Director of Data Center Services, National Director of Network Services, and Director of Infrastructure Delivery. In these roles Mr. Regan led technology and facilities infrastructure engineers and project managers through the execution of more than 26,000,000 square feet of real estate projects spanning renovations, restacks, retrofits, consolidations, new builds and the merger of technology and facility infrastructure of Coopers & Lybrand and Price Waterhouse. Mr. Regan achieved recognition by ComputerWorld for PWC as the number one Green IT organization worldwide in 2010 after completion of a state of the art Tier III LEED Gold certified data center and driving other conservation practices organizationally. Mr. Regan is also an expert in BCDR having developed and executed a multi-tiered program creating PWC’s firm-wide Disaster Recovery program. Mr. Regan has a Bachelor’s in Accounting from St. Leo University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. Mr. Regan holds several certifications in the infrastructure space having achieved Accredited Tier Specialist (ATS), Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) credentials. He holds multiple certifications and various systems designations through Digital Equipment Corporation, Research Triangle Institute, and NCSU.

Mr. Busch is the CEO of BigData Southwest & Chairman of Az4Solar.Org. Mr. Busch has over 25 years experience in the Global Semiconductor Industry. For the last decade, Mr. Busch has focused on Economic Development in the Energy and Data Center Industries. Mr. Busch currently serves on the Board of AzSTEM & Arizona Energy Consortium.

Roni Ahmed is the Senior Critical Environment Mechanical Engineer (ME) who plays a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of the data center critical infrastructure. Working closely with the onsite team, Roni oversees the maintenance and reliability of critical and essential equipment. Additionally, Roni takes charge of managing projects, collaborating with various teams, and implementing best practices to optimize the performance and reliability of the data center’s mechanical systems. With a diverse background in engineering and management, Roni holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from CUNY City College and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from BUET in Bangladesh. As a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) and Project Management Professional (PMP), Roni brings a wealth of expertise to the table, ensuring the campus operates seamlessly and efficiently.

Ryan Gruver is a native Phoenician, with over 16 years of experience in the IT field, 14 years of that being in the data center. He holds a Master’s of Science in Information Management from Arizona State University, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Software Engineering from the University of Advancing Technology. Ryan has served in a variety of roles in IT from a Data Center Operator, System Admin / Engineer, and now as an IT Director. He has a passion for continuous improvement of services he manages, enabling employees to do their best, and ensuring customers get an excellent experience.

Nabeel Mahmood is a Technologist, Futurist and a Keynote Speaker. His career is driven by one question – what’s next? He is passionate about the power of technology to deliver competitive and transformational change and the need to develop digital leadership that will create the enterprise of the future. He believes strongly in simplification, with a purpose. Nabeel brings 18 plus years of experience leading large-scale global technology organizations through seasons of explosive growth via M&A, global expansion, implementing new business models and technology innovation. His expertise includes leading organizations through transformation changes, connecting IT to the needs of the business, technology innovation, Big Data, Cloud, ERP, IoT, Mobility and Data Centers. He brings a unique blend of experiences spanning the entire breadth of technology from Grid to Chip. At, heart he’s a true technologist and futurist, he is a proven strategist, winsome communicator and leader with extraordinary vision and operational expertise within very large, complex organizations. Nabeel is a strategic CIO identifying opportunities that are being underpinned by emerging technologies. He serves on multiple boards and is an advisor to CIOs and CEO across a number of industries.

Melissa Olson has over 20 years of experience in mechanical and control systems. In her current role with Belimo Americas, she is responsible for supporting data center owners and operators through application assistance, solution development, training, and global support. Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Davis.

Chris has a combined 20 years of leadership and energy industry experience. Prior to his time at PEAK+, Chris was the Vice President of Business Development at NRG Energy, Inc. where he originated contracts for new gas-fired generation and battery storage technologies. Chris is a U.S. Army veteran with operational deployments to Kosovo and Iraq. He has a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

Russ Dailey is the Global Business Development Manager of Data Centers for Distech Controls, a subsidiary of Acuity Brands Inc. Russ's role is to grow the Data Center vertical within the Distech Controls brand and the Atrius ESG software. He joins Distech with more than 15 years of experience in the data center space in various roles, including owning multiple startups in the data center industry. After starting in Fintech, he moved into the data center arena, where he purchased a Micro Data Center company and its patents. Russ is excited to build the Data Center business in a company connecting people with advanced, open, scalable BMS and HVAC solutions.

After getting his B.S. in Chemistry Michael began his career in Industrial Water Treatment for 16 years. For the next 14 years he served in the Data Center industry, advising Data Center owners, engineers, and operators regarding cooling and power designs and solutions. Michael has managed multiple Data Center Design/Build projects, from greenfield to brownfield, including live Data Center upgrades. He has Top Secret DOD clearance and has performed Data Center energy and Tier Reliability audits for the US Government and private industry. He also has experience in doing forensic analysis of Data Center equipment failures and implementing solutions for remediation. In 2020 Michael joined Nalco Water in the Global High Tech business group, responsible for advising and supporting Data Center engineers and owner/operators regarding water related issues. This includes site selection water assessment, cooling system design, water consumption and treatment, water conservation, water reclaim, water pre-treatment equipment design, water related Capex/Opex, and newer sustainable water strategies and technologies. He also leads the Nalco CDCWT Certification effort to educate Data Center industry members about best practices with water and the wise stewardship of water. Michael is married with four children and serves on the leadership teams of two ministry groups.

 In Law Enforcement with the State of Arizona for 36 years.  Over 20 Years with Corrections, 3 years with Capitol Police and over 13 years with the Department of Public Safety.  Identified and assisted with validating gang members.  ATF TASK Force member for Project ARROW- Armed Repeat Offenders and Gang members.  US Marshall’s Task Forces for sex offenders and escapees.  Assisted multiple agencies with intelligence gathering on serial offenders.  Investigator.  Executive Protection, Backgrounds, Security Threat Groups, Audits and Polygraph Supervisor.  Threat Mitigation Supervisor.  Acting Squad Supervisor for Patrol with DPS.  Acting Commander for Threat Mitigation Unit, Backgrounds, Security Threat Group, Polygraphs and Audits Units.  Mobile Field Force.  Terrorism/Threat Liaison Officer- ALL Hazards.  Field Training Officer.  ALICE Trainer.  Behavioral Threat Assessment Master Trainer for Department of Homeland Security.  Threat Vulnerability Assessments on critical infrastructure sites and private industry.  Support Observer for staff involved in critical incidents and/or investigations.  Crisis Intervention Officer.  Supervisor and acting manager for multi-million-dollar recreation facility.  Security and acting security supervisor for resort.

Rhett has worked as a servant leader and mentor across multiple lines of business and around the world with his family accompanying him whenever possible. His 24+ year military career as a U.S. Army Military Police Officer, non-commissioned officer and commissioning through Officer Candidate School and retiring as the Director of Emergency Service, senior law enforcement officer partnering with Homeland Security and Customs and Border patrol at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. This progression laid the foundation for Rhett of seeing things from the ground up and developing a “task deliverable empathy and mindset. Some highlights include nuclear weapons physical security; Senior Law Enforcement executive supporting Multi-national Operations including United Nations /Combined Forces Command, Eighth United States Army, Korea; Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps / North Atlantic Treaty Organization / Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. He and his family served overseas for 13 years not including deployments. Post retirement Rhett remained in uniform as the Executive Officer / Asst Professor of Military Science as faculty for Claremont McKenna Colleges. Transitioning from the military he worked in Crisis Planning and Emergency Management then as a Program Manager for 10 years as a vendor delivering Protective Services for the following Government agencies; NASA HQ, Ames, Goddard, and Langley; Securities and Exchange, Federal Trade and Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions; and National Parks Service (Liberty Bell Center and Independence Hall). Nominative Assignments include the 57th Presidential Inaugural Committee, Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Fusion Center, Homeland Security Advisory Committee and FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. Rhett has worked most recently in the Data Center Security arena and developed an appreciation and Love for the cross functional, one-team approach to success in this environment. Similar to a military garrison, this “small town vibe” and shared success strategy is a key component to operating and securing this part of our National Critical Infrastructure. Rhett is a subject matter expert based on work/ life experiences in Phyiscal Security, Contracts and Requests for Proposal, Service Agreements/Key Performance Indicators (KPI) / Service Level Agreements (SLA). The whole team approach to security is enhanced when the vendor team knows the expectations and requirements. OPS office serves as the focal point for policy formulation, oversight, coordination and management of the Agency Protective Services, fire and security services, counterintelligence (CI), counterterrorism (CT), emergency management planning, and continuity of operations functions Rhett’s fun facts: Married 42 years, Service oriented family, Katrina our 3 impactful daughters, sons-in-law and 2 grandkids I adore. Retired after 24 years US Army Military Police Corps as the Commandant and Director of Public Safety / Emergency Services, Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Transitioned into a Protective Services contract Program Manager delivering Physical, Technical and Uniformed Security Services with NASA Ames and Langley Research Centers, Goddard Space Flight Center, and NASA Headquarters. The past 7 years Rhett has worked in the data center security world. I enjoy spending time living and discussing topics I am passionate about; family, friends, travel, and being a valuable ally in navigating the private sector or corporate security environment.

Amy Dunton is a business development professional with a focus on developing business, relationships, and strategies with her customers. Her nearly 20 years of experience in the data center industry began with time spent punching down 66 blocks in a data center with her father. This experience served as the foundation for what now is a consultative wholistic data center approach. Her experience in structured cabling, power/cooling, connectivity, security, network, storage, and compute brings a well-rounded and unique perspective to the data center industry. Her roles have included working for distribution, manufacturing, manufacturing representatives, and a leading Enterprise IT Solutions provider. Her expansive network and understanding of IT infrastructure, Facilities and Data Centers has fuelled a passion for creating an environment with more collaboration as IT Infrastructure trends can greatly impact how we design and build our data centers. Amy is committed to her professional growth through continued learning and involvement in industry associations. She currently serves as a Boardmember of the Greater MN AFCOM chapter, is a member of Women in Data Centers, Women Leading in Technology, WiMCO and ASIS. Last year Amy also served as VP of PR for her Toastmasters group in Minneapolis.

Hani Noshi is a Senior Program Manager at Microsoft. Hani has 20+ years of Projects, Operations, Strategy, and Business Transformation experience. In the Operations Excellence space, Hani focused on the full life cycle of operations transformation: from target operating model design through to operations transformation delivery, change management and implementation. Hani has led projects in Oil & Gas, Resources, and Consumer Products operating groups in 4 continents and 36 countries. In consulting, Hani has provided services involving supply chain lean transformation and process excellence for several large clients. He prides himself on his ability to help clients through complex transformations. A few noteworthy examples include: Helping an Energy Supermajor organization to develop a multi-million dollar business case to streamline their Capital Projects and Engineering processes resulting in $200M in savings and a 15 times return on investment. Advising a public utility company through a full core business transformation and helping an executive team through the development of one of the most ambitious business transformation strategies in their industry resulting in an $148M in cummulative savings over 3 years. During this time Hani was also involved in innovative thought leadership where he published white paper articles in the Lean New Product Introduction and Rapid & Sustained Cost Management space. Prior to joining Accenture, Hani started his career in industry with General Electric Company in 1999, where he joined their Operations Management Leadership program. He then held various functions in hard core manufacturing, supply chain, and product development with increasing levels of responsibility. Throughout Hani’s career in GE, he was promoted throughout several GE businesses where he invented five US and European patents.

Saurabh Ladha is the Founder and CEO of Doxel, which provides automated progress tracking powered by AI. Inspired after seeing how construction delays impact lives and livelihoods, Saurabh brought his passion for cyber-physical systems to construction to help project teams stay on track in the face of constant change. Doxel powers construction on the world’s largest oil and gas facilities, mega data centers, hospitals, and other complex construction. Saurabh has been recognized by: Forbes 30 Under 30, 2018 Goldman Sachs Top 100 Builders + Innovators Award, 2019 Saurabh gives back to his alma mater Stanford as an entrepreneurship guest lecturer.

As a Co-founder in 1992, and currently the Director of Environmental Impact at MIRATECH Corporation, Jim provides leadership, strategy and product design expertise for their Power Generation division. Jim rejoined Miratech Corporation in 2019 heading up the ENP Concepts consulting arm after management positions at Rypos Corporation and leading the environmental department at PowerSecure’s microgrid group. In charge of tracking all Federal, State and Local emissions regulations as they pertain to backup generators located at Datacenters in North America and Europe, he ensures MIRATECH’s products and services offer ongoing compliance. Mr. McDonald has testified before the Federal EPA numerous times and is considered a valuable stakeholder on several rulemaking teams at the State Level. For 15 years he has been an instructor for the Advanced School of the Electrical Generating Systems Association on the subject of Emissions from Diesel engines and has authored the textbook chapter on the same. He has a Patent Pending on the use of wire mesh DPF substrates in the pre-heating of SCR catalyst blocks. As the originator of the ‘GVU’ measurement parameter, Jim performs analyses to show the relative comparison on Ultraclean diesel generators versus grid supplied power. As such he advocates for the environmentally justifiable use of stationary generators until emerging renewable technologies are proven and cost effective. Jim holds a B.S in mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware.

Site Selection, Economic Development & Real Estate professional with 11+ years experience in economic development, corporate site selection consulting, and real estate & labor analysis. Striving to find creative solutions for major relocation & expansion decisions, project-led work has resulted in the creation of over 3,700 jobs, $4.2B in capital investment, and more than 4.2M SF in absorbed or built space.

Ken Kremer, Founder and Chief Technical Officer, uses a methodical and measured approach to his work that has been instrumental in the growth of Involta’s national data center footprint. As one of Involta’s co-founders, Ken’s consistent leadership in technical services and operations has enabled the company to expand its data center and managed services portfolio. Prior to Involta, Ken held leadership positions in high-tech companies focusing on operational efficiencies, innovative solution engineering and regulatory compliance issues. Ken’s career has been focused on data center operations and managed services since 1997. Ken seamlessly integrates people, processes and services to help Involta deliver on its promise of ‘People Who Deliver.”

Arizona native Johnathan Meade, MBA, COO of Meade Engineering in Phoenix, carries extensive corporate finance, strategy development, digital product management and early set, hands-on industry experience under his father, Meade Engineering's original owner. Initially drawn to economics at Arizona State University, he redirected his educational path to business and finance. Johnathan then achieved his MBA at Pepperdine and began his journey through the corporate realm. Johnathan honed his financial expertise during a tenure at Charles Schwab, where he played a pivotal role in an internal team of consultants advising on Charles Schwab's strategic initiatives. His leadership and strategic prowess earned him recognition as an innovator within the company. In 2022, Johnathan Meade decided to return to his roots at Meade Engineering. Since then, he has assembled a team of highly experienced professionals = dedicated to crafting cutting-edge designs for electrical infrastructure. These innovations provide critical electricity solutions to mission-critical facilities nationwide, solidifying Johnathan's position as a leader in the field.

When Shad Sechrist joined Lynn in 2023, he brought more than 25 years of experience with him in the electrical and electronic manufacturing industry, including data center design, building infrastructure consulting and network design. He helps deliver comprehensive data center solutions to Lynn’s enterprise clients, specializing in product selection, logistics, project management and process improvement. His consultative approach not only gives clients the answers they need, but it also helps them learn more about their physical infrastructure.