Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Bob Decensi , Executive Chair

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Mr. Decensi was recently the CEO and Board member of BHI Energy, a utility service company that provides engineering, construction, and maintenance to the power generation and power delivery markets. Driven by his vision, BHI Energy grew from a single service offering platform to an industry leading integrated platform capable of servicing every asset owned by a utility from the point of generation through the entire power delivery life cycle. During Mr. Decensi’s tenure as BHI Energy’s CEO, he directed the company through nine mergers and acquisitions and five successful transactions. As of 2022, BHI Energy recorded over $1.2B in annual revenue and operated across North America with more than 8000 employees. Prior joining BHI Energy, Mr. Decensi spent 18 years in the utility power generation and power delivery business filling positions in both middle and senior level management. He has worked for several of the largest U.S. blue-chip utilities, including Northeast Utilities, Dominion Energy, Connecticut Light & Power, and Entergy. During his utility tenure, he was part of two major power plant recovery efforts with Northeast Utilities and Entergy. Mr. Decensi served on the Board of Directors for NEI (Nuclear Energy Institute) and has served in several capacities supporting the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). He is a graduate of Millersville University of Pennsylvania and attended the University of New Haven Executive MBA Program.

Jonathan Batarseh, Director, President and CEO

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Mr. Batarseh is a licensed Certified Public Accountant with more than 25 years of corporate finance and operations experience in the engineering and construction industries. He joined Charah Solutions in October 2022 as the CFO. Prior to Charah Solutions, Mr. Batarseh was the CFO at Brown & Root Industrial Services, where he led strategic planning, acquisitions, and optimizing operational effectiveness in addition to overseeing all financial management and reporting, treasury, and information technology. Prior, Mr. Batarseh served as Vice President, Tax at KBR and in senior financial leadership roles in various industrial service companies including The Shaw Group and Atkins. He began his career with 10 years at KPMG serving clients in the manufacturing and industrial sectors. Mr. Batarseh received his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Louisiana State University and is a member of the Society of Louisiana CPAs.

Jack A. Blossman, Jr., Director

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Mr. Blossman has been a practicing attorney for 25 years, primarily focusing his practice on the utility regulatory field. He is Of Counsel at the New Orleans law firm of Milling Benson Woodward LLP, which he joined in 2017. Prior to his current role, Mr. Blossman worked as a solo practitioner and general consultant. He was a member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission from 1996 to 2008, and served two terms as its Chairman from 2002-2003 and 2007-2008. Mr. Blossman has extensive previous board experience, having been served on the Board of Directors for Parish National Bank before it was acquired by Whitney Holding Corp. from 1993 until 2008. Mr. Blossman graduated with a bachelor’s degree in general studies from Louisiana State University in 1987 and a J.D. from Southern University School of Law in 1991.

Mignon Clyburn, Director

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Ms. Clyburn served as a Commissioner of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from 2009 to 2018, including as acting chair during the last five years of her tenure. While at the FCC, she was committed to closing the digital divide and championed the modernization of the agency’s Lifeline Program, which assists low-income consumers with voice and broadband service. In addition, Ms. Clyburn promoted diversity in media ownership, initiated Inmate Calling Services reforms, supported inclusion in STEM opportunities, and fought for an open internet. Previously, she served 11 years on the Public Service Commission of South Carolina and worked for nearly 15 years as publisher of the Coastal Times, a Charleston weekly newspaper focused on the African American community. Ms. Clyburn holds a bachelor of science degree in banking, finance and economics from the University of South Carolina.

Robert C. Flexon, Director

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Mr. Flexon served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Dynegy Inc. from June 2011 to June 2018, until its merging with Vistra Energy Corp. in April 2018. Prior to joining Dynegy, Mr. Flexon served as Chief Financial Officer, UGI in 2011, President and Chief Executive Officer of Foster Wheeler from 2009 to 2010. Mr. Flexon also served as Chief Financial Officer of NRG Energy, Inc. from March 2009 to November 2009 and from March 2004 to March 2008 as well as its Chief Operating Officer from March 2008 to March 2009. Prior to joining NRG, Mr. Flexon served as a Vice President in various capacities at Hercules Inc., which he joined in 2000. Previously, Mr. Flexon served with Atlantic Richfield Company for more than 10 years, including as General Auditor from 1998 to 2000, Franchise Manager of ARCO Products from 1996 to 1998 and Controller of ARCO Products from 1995 to 1996. He began his career with the former Coopers & Lybrand public accounting firm in 1980.

Mr. Flexon also serves as Chair of the Board of Pacific Gas and Electric (NYSE: PCG) since July 2020, Director and Chair of Capstone Green Energy (NASDAQ: CGRN) since April 2018, and Director of Charah Solutions Inc. since 2018.

Mr. Flexon previously served on the Boards of Dynegy from 2001 to 2018, TransAlta Corporation from 2018 to 2020 and Westmoreland Coal Company from 2016 to 2019 and currently serves on the Board of Genesys Works Houston since 2016, providing career education and professional experience to High School students in the underserved communities of Houston. Mr. Flexon is a certified public accountant (inactive) and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Villanova University.

Timothy J. Poché , Director

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Mr. Poché is the Chief Financial Officer & Chief Compliance Officer at Bernhard Capital Partners Management, LP (BCP). He serves as a member of the Investment Committee and Portfolio Company Review Committee at BCP, a private equity management firm. Since joining BCP in 2013, he oversees all aspects of finance, compliance, and financial reporting. Prior to joining BCP, Mr. Poché served as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer for The Shaw Group. Along with this role, Mr. Poché served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the largest operating segment at Shaw, Shaw Power. Before his time with Shaw, Mr. Poché spent 22 years as a Partner with Deloitte & Touche LLP. During his tenure at Deloitte, Mr. Poché served as Office Managing Partner and Professional Practice Director in New Orleans, Louisiana. Prior to that, he was a Lead Client Service Partner in Houston, Texas where he worked with multi‐national, Fortune 500 companies operating in the utility, services, and midstream sectors of the energy industry. Mr. Poché received his B.S. in Accounting from Louisiana State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Timothy Alan Simon, Director

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Mr. Simon, Commissioner Emeritus, was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in February 2007 ending his term in December 2012. During his time as commissioner, Mr. Simon served on the Board of Directors of the University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley Energy Collaborative (BERC) and the Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) Regional Taskforce. He also served as Chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Gas Committee, Chair of the LNG Partnership between the Department of Energy (DOE) and NARUC, founding member of the Call to Action National Gas Pipeline Safety Taskforce with the U.S. DOT, member the NARUC Board of Directors, Critical Infrastructure and Consumer Affairs Committees, the Wireless Task Force, and Vice-Chair of the Utility Marketplace Access Subcommittee and member of the National Petroleum Council.

Prior to his CPUC appointment, Mr. Simon served as Appointments Secretary in the Office of the Governor, the first African American in California history to hold this post. He also served as Adjunct Professor of Law at Golden Gate University School of Law and the University of California Hastings. Prior to public service, Mr. Simon was an in-house counsel and compliance officer with Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Robertson Stephens.

In 2013, Mr. Simon created TAS STRATEGIES where he remains Principal today, serving as an attorney and consultant on utility, infrastructure, financial services, and broadband projects. He is a frequent public speaker, expert witness and panelist on energy, infrastructure, diversity, and inclusion.

In 2019, Mr. Simon was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors for the California African American Chamber of Commerce and elected to the University of San Francisco (USF) Board of Trustees. He currently serves on the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) Advisory Council and is a member of the National Bar Association, Energy Bar Association, The Saint Thomas More Society and the National Board of Directors for the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE). Mr. Simon received a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of San Francisco (Distinguished Alumni), and a Juris Doctor from the U.C. Hastings College of the Law. He is an active member of the State Bar of California.

Mark Spender, Director

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Mr. Spender is a Managing Director and member of the Investment Committee at Bernhard Capital Partners (BCP). Since joining BCP in October 2015, Mr. Spender has led the firm’s investments in the environmental and utility services industries. Prior to his roles at BCP, Mr. Spender was a Managing Director in the Global Industrials Group in the Investment Banking Department at Credit Suisse, where he began his career in 2000. Mr. Spender held numerous roles in the Investment Banking Department at UBS from 2004 to 2011. During his more than 15 years in investment banking, Mr. Spender focused on a variety of industrial subsectors, including engineering and construction, building products and construction materials, and industrial distribution. Mr. Spender holds a B.B.A. in finance with highest distinction from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

Bill Varner, Jr., Director

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Mr. Varner was most recently the CEO and Board member of Select Interior Concepts, a premier installer and nationwide distributor of interior products, leading the company from June 2020 to October 2021 where he increased share value 600% and successfully took the public company private with a divestiture to Sun Capital Partners. Previously, he was CEO of United Subcontractors, Inc. (USI), the third largest insulation services provider in the United States, from July 2012 to May 2018. During his tenure, he led a transformation of the business through organic growth and strategic M&A that resulted in USI achieving double digit EBITDA margins and an eventual sale of the business, creating significant value for shareholders. From 2004 to 2012, Mr. Varner served as President and CEO of Aquilex Corporation, a leading provider of specialty services to the energy sector. Under his leadership, the company grew revenues by fivefold and achieved record earnings. Prior to joining Aquilex in 2004, Mr. Varner served as President for several global businesses in various equipment/component manufacturing and service industries, orchestrating their growth in new markets through expansion of service and product offerings. Mr. Varner is a graduate of The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, and has served on various philanthropic, industry, and community boards. Currently, Mr. Varner serves on the board of directors for Acousti Engineering, Strada Services, and Outdoor Living Supply. He previously served on the boards of Bartlett Holdings, Aquilex, USI, Select Interior Concepts, and The Identity Group.

Dennis Whalen, Director

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Mr. Whalen retired as Senior Partner with KPMG in 2020 with expertise in driving innovative growth, aligning risk with strategy, and developing dynamic talent. He served as the lead audit partner on key clients, including GE Healthcare, Pfizer, The Shaw Group, Halliburton, and Koch Industries. Mr. Whalen brings more than 35 years of global experience and an exceptional record of delivering results for his broad technical, operational, and business experience to serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and board members across the energy, construction, industrial manufacturing, and life sciences industries in both developed and emerging markets as well as shaping governance strategy to create long-term value and unlock the power of diversity. As the founder of KPMG’s Board Leadership Center, Mr. Whalen is nationally recognized as a thought leader in governance strategy, fostering best practices that support growth, managing risk, and exceeding investor and stakeholder expectations. Mr. Whalen is a Board Leadership Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), recently attained the distinction of Directorship Certified by successfully passing NACD’s new exam and has been consistently named as one of the most influential people in governance in America by NACD’s Directorship magazine.