Shay Bahramirad

Dr. Shay Bahramirad, IEEE Senior Member, the Director of Distribution System Planning, Smart Grid & Innovation, serves as a strategic business leader in Commonwealth Edison, the electric Utility in Illinois, working on the 21^st century power grid transformation and the new energy economy. Her major responsibilities include leading Smart Grid organization across ComEd to develop the vision, business models, and investment strategy of the grid of the future initiatives such as emerging technologies, microgrids, and smart city deployments. She is also in charge of Distribution Planning and Generation Interconnections, each working to provide technical leadership and expertise that impact the long term safety, reliability, and affordability of the electric grid. She is an Adjunct Professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, teaching Microgrids, Elements of Sustainable Energy, and Smart Grid and serves as an executive board member of IEEE/PES on New Initiatives and Outreach working with industry executives, policy makers and legislators globally on new energy economy.

Leslie Darling

Leslie Darling was appointed as the Executive Director of the Chicago Infrastructure Trust in September of 2015 by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The Chicago Infrastructure Trust assists the people of the City of Chicago in providing alternative financing and project delivery options for complex infrastructure projects. Leslie leads a skilled team of professionals who catalyze projects through financial and feasibility analysis, procurement services, and project management to bring economic development to Chicago neighborhoods. Prior to her role at the CIT, Leslie served as First Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago. She provided overall management of the Department of Law’s legal and administrative operations, comprised of 14 divisions and nearly 250 attorneys. Leslie provided advice on legal, legislative, and policy issues to the Mayor’s Office, City Council and City officials. Before returning to public service, she spent ten years in the private sector as a partner in the Government Group of Ungaretti & Harris, LLP and a senior associate at Mayer Brown.

Alex Holt

 Alexandra Holt served as the City of Chicago’s Budget Director from May 2011 through July 2017. She was a member of the Mayor’s senior leadership team with responsibility for financial, operational, and policy initiatives, including revenue enhancement and cost containment, labor and personnel management, and performance management. She oversaw development and management of a $9.8 billion operating budget, the City’s multi-year $400 million capital budget, and $1.5 billion grants program.

Over her tenure, Ms. Holt developed and implemented multiple financial reforms and operational controls, resulting in an 80 percent reduction in Chicago’s operating deficit. Ms. Holt also played a central role in the development and execution of long-term funding and reform legislation for the City’s four pension funds. She routinely communicated the City’s financial strategies to the press, elected officials, the public, and rating agencies.

Jana Wesley

Jana M. Wesley, Managing Director and Head of Public Finance at Loop Capital Markets rejoined the Firm in 2012. Ms. Wesley manages the Firm’s Public Finance Department overseeing over 30 senior and junior bankers that serve municipalities throughout the country. She has over 30 years of experience in public finance as an investment banker, executive director of a state authority and financial advisor and was one of the first investment bankers hired at the inception of Loop Capital Markets.

Ms. Wesley has been lead banker or advisor on over $31.5 billions of fixed and variable, long- and short-term transactions that include general obligation, revenue, lease, and special district credits. Her clients have included the State of Illinois, City of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, City and County of Denver and State of Connecticut. She earned her B.A. in Natural Sciences from George Williams College and a MBA from Columbia University of New York. She holds Series 52, 53, and 63 licenses.