SUMMIT DAY 1 — April 14th – Industry & Policy Summit
8:30–10:00 AM (Pecan Tree Galleria)
Breakfast Networking + Posters
9:00–9:45 AM (Mahler Hall)
GNEM Partner Group & Board Meeting – Closed Door session; By Invitation Only
10:00–10:10 AM (Mahler Hall)
Welcome & Opening Remarks:
- Alton Standifer – Vice Provost & Chair, The University of Georgia E-mobility Executive Council, The University of Georgia
- Alessandro Orso – Dean, College of Engineering, The University of Georgia
- Jaime Camelio – Executive Director, Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM), The University of Georgia
10:10–10:35 AM (Mahler Hall)
Plenary – GA State of e-Mobility 2026:
- Gaby Pierre, Director of Strategy & Partnerships, Editor in Chief, GNEM
10:35–11:15 AM (Mahler Hall)
Panel – From Mine to Motor: Critical Minerals, Recycling & Securing the Battery Supply Chain:
- Moderator: Ryan Powers, UGA School of Public and International Affairs Professor and CITS Director; GNEM Research Partner Group Lead
- Speakers:
- Lea Malloy — Head of EV Battery Solutions, Cox Automotive
- Jacob Clayton — CEO, SAGINT Inc.
11:15 AM- 11:55 AM (Room K, Room L, Room Q, Room F/G)
Networking Salons
4 topics: Fleet electrification, Autonomous Mobility, Charging Infrastructure, Mine to Motor (Critical Minerals and Supply Chain)
- Mine to Motor (Critical Minerals and Supply Chain) Room:
- Adam Milewski — Professor & Department Head, Department of Geology, The University of Georgia
- Ryan Powers — Professor, School of Public and International Affairs Professor and CITS Director; Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM) Research Partner Group Lead, The University of Georgia
- Fleet Electrification Room:
- Sumner Pomeroy — Executive Director, Clean Cities Georgia
- Julia Dietz — Public Service Faculty, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, The University of Georgia
- Autonomous Mobility Room:
- Yu Wang — Lead Autonomy Engineer, May Mobility
- Tejas Santanam — Head of Research and AI Product Manager, Beep Inc.
- Charging Infrastructure Room:
- Folashade Alao — Principal Transportation Planner, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Lynn Abdouni — Associate Research Scientist, College of Engineering, The University of Georgia
5 min TRANSITION BUFFER
12:00–12:15 PM (Magnolia Ballroom)
Lunch Keynote:
- Arthur Tripp Jr. — Vice President, Economic Development, Georgia Power
12:30–1:00 PM (Magnolia Ballroom)
Lunch Fireside Chat – Market Shifts & Dealerships
- Moderator: Zohaib Rahim, Senior Manager, Economic & Industry Insights, Cox Automotive Inc.
- Speakers:
- Greg Flythe – Statewide/Multi-Area General Manager, Tesla Georgia; Former General Manager, Car Max
- Grene Baranco – Operator, Audi Forsyth; Former NADA Committee Member, EVP, Mercedes Benz Buckhead
5 min TRANSITION BUFFER
1:05–1:50 PM — Concurrent Panel Sessions (Mahler Hall, Room K/L)
Fleet Electrification Across Sectors
- Moderator: Asher Dozier, Energy Lead, CVIOG
- Speakers:
- Jenna Van Harpen — Vice President of National Fleet Sales, Blue Bird Corporation
- Jonathan Colbert — Vice President of Marketing & Business Development, Voltera
- Justin Ellis — Sustainability Program Manager, University of Georgia Facilities Management Division
- Eric Smith – Fleet Sales Lead, Alpitronic
Innovation in EV & Battery Fire Safety
- Moderator: Cynthia Curry, Senior Director, Clean Tech Ecosystem, Metro Atlanta Chamber
- Speakers:
- Brian Morin — CEO & Founder, Soteria Battery Innovation Group
- Ron Butler – CEO & Founder, ESSPI
- Jake Hopkins – VP of Power Supply, Flint Energies (Flint EMC)
BREAK – 10 min break
2:00–2:55 PM — Concurrent Panel Sessions (Mahler Hall, Room K/L)
Fuel Stops & Power Plazas: Rethinking Convenience Infrastructure
- Moderator: Ryan Kerzner, Senior Associate, Merlin Group
- Speakers:
- Jason Powers — Senior VP of Sales Programs & Emerging Technologies, EVerged
- Jessie Hensley — President, PowerUp America
- Chris Kaiser — Director of Sales, EVSI, SiteLogIQ
Autonomous Mobility: The New EV Frontier
- Moderator: Emily Heintz, Executive Director, Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners
- Speakers:
- Prashant Doshi — Executive Director, Institute for AI, University of Georgia
- Tejas Santanam — Head of Research and AI Product Manager, Beep Inc.
- Justin Hatch — Assistant State Traffic Engineer, Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT)
- Yu Wang – Lead Autonomy Engineer, May Mobility
BREAK – 15 min break
3:05–4:00 PM (Mahler Hall)
C-Suite Power Panel: EVs & the U.S. Future Mobility Landscape
- Moderator: Andrew Capezzuto — Director of Corporate Affairs, Rivian
- Joe George — President, Cox Automotive Inc.
- Stuart Countess — President & CEO, Kia Georgia
- Linh Austin – CEO, Ascend Elements
4:00–5:00 PM (Pecan Tree Galleria)
Reception + Posters + Exhibitors
SUMMIT DAY 2 — April 15th – Workforce & Technology Demo Day
9:00–9:10 AM (Mahler Hall)
Welcome Back + Overview:
9:10–9:20 AM (Mahler Hall)
Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM) Partner Groups Lightning Updates
9:20–10:10 AM (Mahler Hall)
Factory of the Future: AI & Automation in Automotive Manufacturing
- Moderator: Beshoy Morkos, Director, Manufacturing Living Labs
- Speakers:
- Dr. Stephen Durham, Assistant Dean, CENGR, GNEM Academic and Workforce Partner Group Lead
- Manash Saha, Head of IT Solutions, Hyundai AutoEver America, supporting Kia Georgia
10:00 AM–12:00 PM
Live Tech & Testbed Demos (Lucid, Rivian, Kia, and Tesla vehicles on display)
AI & Manufacturing Living Labs Demos (Humanoid robots, Robotic arm etc.)
Fire Safety Hardware Showcase
