Board of Directors
CHAIR TREASURER
Steven J. Levy, Managing Director Donna DeCostanzo, Lawyer
Sprague Energy National Resources Defense Fund
SECRETARY
Luis Torres, Lawyer
The Law Offices of Luis Torres
DIRECTORS
Louis Calcagno, PHD, Assistant Deputy Commissioner
NYC Department of Transportation
Patrick Gerdin, Principal Transportation Planner
Rockland County
Ronald J. Gulmi, Managing Director
Emerald Alternative Energy Solutions, Inc.
Joseph “Bud” Nicoletti, Jr., P.E., Commissioner of Public Works
City of White Plains
BOARD EMERITUS
Ruth Horton, NYSERDA
Tria Case, Center for Sustainable Energy
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Steven J. Levy; NYCLHVCC Board President; Sprague Energy
Steven J. Levy leads Sprague’s clean fuels product and business development activities. Having led the introduction of Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel in the United States, Mr. Levy and Sprague are now pioneering the introduction of Biodiesel, BioHeat, and Ethanol (E85) as well as providing fuel management and sustainable energy solutions to end-users. Mr. Levy has pioneered the clean diesel initiative for Sprague and other industry partners. His industry expertise, which began in 1973, includes the governmental, commercial, wholesale, utility and industrial consumer. Mr. Levy’s experience includes forming partnerships with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, United States Department of Energy, and environmental organizations. At the federal, state and local level, Mr. Levy works closely with legislators, policy makers, environmentalists, equipment manufacturers, aftermarket manufacturers, and, most critically, the end-user to introduce and further the use of clean products and technologies, and plays a very active role with multiple environmental organizations, including the National Biodiesel Board and Clean Cities. As Co-President, Mr. Levy is actively engaged in the air quality agenda for the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County (FCWC), an advocacy group located in the State of New York. Mr. Levy has presented at over 250 national, regional and local conferences promoting mobile clean air alternatives and technologies. Mr. Levy’s responsibilities also include managing major government and commercial customer relationships affording Sprague unique opportunities to introduce new products and technologies.
Donna DeCostanzo; NYCLHVCC Board Treasurer; National Resources Defense Council
Donna De Costanzo is a Senior Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) where she focuses on New York energy policy, energy efficiency, and renewable energy programs, as well as smart growth and sustainable communities. Prior to the NRDC, Donna was Counsel to the New York City Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection, where she advised the Council on environmental policy and drafted legislation regarding various issues, including air and water quality, energy efficiency, clean vehicles, climate change and green procurement. Before joining the Council, Donna was an Assistant Regional Counsel in the Waste & Toxic Substances Branch of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region II. She is a graduate of New York University School of Law and received a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Cornell University. Donna currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
Luis Torres; NYCLHVCC Board Secretary; The Law Offices of Luis Torres
Luis Torres, currently serves as the Associate Director for Community and Public Affairs. In this role, Luis helped a Bronx fleet secure NYSERDA funding to get the first medium-duty all-electric delivery truck. Since 2006, Luis has also been instrumental in putting together the Center for Sustainable Energy’s annual Alternative Fuel Vehicle conference and expo, which has become a premier regional transportation event. Previously, he served as a consultant, program associate and senior associate to the Center. In 2005, Luis was awarded the Sustainable Energy Pioneer award by the Center. From 1998 through 2002 Luis served as Special Counsel to Congressman Jose E. Serrano of the Bronx. During his tenure in the Congressman’s office, Luis worked primarily on environmental justice issues, particularly the advancement of alternative fuel use in the South Bronx, the predominant area of Rep. Serrano’s congressional district. Luis aided in the Congressman’s role as champion for clean fuels legislation at the national level, but also worked on regional and local efforts to promote alternative fuel use. On behalf of Congressman Serrano, Luis facilitated in the development of a coalition of organizations committed to the reduction of pollution caused by fossil fuel-burning vehicles and power plants. Luis helped organize alternative fuel events aimed at advancing the alternative fuel choices of business and government. These events included the Clean Fuels in the Bronx conference in 2000 at Bronx Community College, as well as a similar program in 2002 at Hostos Community College in the Bronx.
Louis Calcagno, Phd; New York City’s Department of Transportation’s (NYCDOT) Alternative Fuels Program
Louis Calcagno, PhD is an Assistance Deputy Commissioner with the New York Department of Transportation responsible for the City’s Alternative Fuel Program and Emission reduction strategies in the transportation sector. The original focus of these programs were to introduce alternative fuels including compressed natural gas, ethanol, electric and hybrid technology into the City’s municipal fleet. At present this fleet has over 3,500 alternative fuel vehicles. Mr. Calcagno has worked in several capacities for the City of New York for over 30 years. He holds a PhD in government and public administration and has taught as an adjunct professor for 20 years.
Ronald J. Gulmi, Emerald Alternative Energy Solutions, Inc.
As the Managing Director of Emerald Alternative Energy Solutions, Mr. Gulmi establishes the business plan and market strategy and directs the mission of the company, which is to provide fleets with petroleum reduction strategies and solutions that will improve their bottom line, the nation’s energy security and the global environment. Mr. Gulmi has worked over 31 years in the energy industry for National Grid holding various positions in fleet management, gas engineering, sales and business development. He applies his experience as a fleet manager and 24 years in the AFV industry, including extensive work with electric vehicles and NGVs and related fueling infrastructure, to assist manufacturers and trade allies in the development of alternative fueled transportation technologies. Mr. Gulmi has served on the Board of Directors of the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) and the steering committee of the National Plug-In Initiative (NPVI). He also has served on the Board of Directors of the Natural Gas Vehicle of America (NGVA). In 2010, Mr. Gulmi was the recipient of the Natural Gas Vehicle of America and Clean Vehicle Education Foundation prestigious NGV Lifetime Achievement award for his long term contributions in fleet, engineering, sales and market development initiatives that provided advancements in the NGV industry. Ron is also the chairman of the Northeast Gas Association’s NGV Committee. From 2006-2010 Mr. Gulmi served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition (GLICCC) and is a member of the Board of Directors of the New York City/Lower Hudson Valley Clean Communities and the Ocean State Clean Cities, Inc., which are sponsored by the federal Department of Energy with a charter to increase the use of AFV’s to increase energy independence and improve air quality while facilitating technology development and economic growth. Mr. Gulmi holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics – Probability & Statistics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, a Masters of Business in Management from Adelphi University and a Masters of Science certificate in Management Information Systems (MIS) from Polytechnic University.
Tom Lubas, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Thomas Lubas joined the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey in 1972. and became the Director of the Operations Services Department in November 2010. During his 40 years of service with the Port Authority, Mr. Lubas has held progressively responsible management positions in several agency departments in the areas of engineering, finance, legal and regulatory matters, and Fleet and Materials Management. Tom has managed and continues to oversee the Port Authority’s automotive fleet operations, with more than 20 years of fleet management experience. The Port Authority’s Automotive Fleet consists of approximately 2,000 vehicles with a replacement value in excess of $200 million. Many of the fleet vehicles have very specialized and complicated functional components, such as high-speed airport multi-function runway snow clearing trucks, airplane refueling trucks, airport passenger buses, and airport rescue and fire-fighting emergency trucks. In 2011, the Port Authority Fleet was ranked “8th Best Government Green Fleet in North America”. 80% of the mobile fleet is green. Since the year 2000, the Port Authority’s Central Automotive Division has been a leader in the fleet industry in maximizing fleet vehicle utilization, fuel efficiency and its use of biofuels in its automotive fleet. CAD has been able to reduce the Automotive Fleet’s carbon footprint by more than 25% since 2005, and clean fleet initiatives continue to play a major role in achieving carbon footprint reductions. Mr. Lubas is a Board of Governors member, a past Vice President and current Honorary Member of the NAFA Fleet Management Association and he is also a member of the City University of New York’s Bronx Community College Foundation Board. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Degree with High Honors from the Stevens Institute of Engineering and he has completed postgraduate work at Columbia University and at Stevens.
Joseph “Bud” Nicoletti, Jr., P.E.; City of White Plains
Joseph “Bud” Nicoletti is the City Engineer and Commissioner of Public Works for the City of White Plains where, since 1985, he has been recognized for environmental initiatives that have reduced emissions, encouraged use of alternative fuels and saved significant tax dollars. As a result, in 1994, White Plains was designated the first “Clean City” in New York State, by the U.S. Department of Energy, and in 1996 was a municipal winner of the Governor’s Award for Pollution Prevention, an honor usually bestowed upon commercial entities. He administers the work of the Public Works Bureaus by exercising full supervision over a large number of personnel (approximately 275) and is responsible for the City’s public water supply, the entire fleet of 420 vehicles and all Municipal property, buildings, parks facilities and public rights-of-way. He received a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Manhattan College in 1973 and has been a Licensed Professional Engineer since 1979. He was named NY State Society of Professional Engineers – Metro Chapter “Engineer of the Year” in 2007, and American Public Works Association – New York Chapter “Public Works Official of the Year” for 2008.