Mark Rawson Email & Phone Number

United States

North America

Responsible for day-to-day administrative and operational activities within Rhythmos including corporate strategy, product, engineering, customer deployment and service, and human resources.

North America

Responsible for creating the company’s vision, executing the business initiatives, and sustaining implementation efforts. Duties include analyzing the competitive market; finding important projects, ventures, potential targets, and other partnership opportunities; ensuring metrics are in place to measure all progress; and identifying strategic risks and mitigation measures to reduce these risks.

Sacramento, California

On loan from SMUD, was responsible for leading multi-disciplinary, multi-organization team of professionals in the commercial launch of the new non-profit California Mobility Center whose mission is to accelerate commercialization of electric mobility technologies and business models. Responsible for day-to-day operations of the corporation reporting directly to the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Work with Board of Directors on business strategy and planning, budgeting and contracting. Led team of fourteen professionals in negotiating service contractor and related vendor agreements for support services to the corporation; developing client relationships leading to initial cohort of projects; establishing corporate policies, procedures and related administrative functions; working with community partners doing outreach and education about the California Mobility Center; and development of marketing strategy, corporate brand and media campaign.

Sacramento, California Area

Manager responsible for development and negotiation of new lines of business for SMUD to diversify revenue. This SMUD corporate-wide initiative requires careful coordination of multiple business units and strategic communications with Board of Directors, Executive Team, Management and external partners. Built this new business unit from scratch by defining mission, business processes, performance metrics, employee staffing requirements and job descriptions. Built up team and successfully launched new business unit. Negotiated various strategic partnerships with Fortune 500, mid-size and start-up companies to co-develop new products and services, and to monetize SMUD’s brand and intellectual knowledge of the utility enterprise. Led regional partners in the design and incorporation of the new non-profit California Mobility Center whose mission is to accelerate commercialization of electric mobility technologies and business models. Helped establish Board of Directors, corporate bylaws, governance and business models, and business plan. Center will provide SMUD with channel to invest in startup companies while promoting electrification of transportation to generate new electric sales revenue. Served as utility expert in testimony before California legislature on legislation to allow SMUD to make investments in private corporations resulting in Governor approval of Assembly Bill 689.

Sacramento, California Area

Manager responsible for research strategic planning and portfolio management for utility’s Energy Research and Development Department. Responsible for preparing and presenting annual status report on research portfolio to SMUD’s Board of Directors. Acted as subject matter expert to help define corporate vision and strategy for transforming the utility to a full energy services provider for its customers and implementing a distributed energy-oriented grid for the utility. Research program areas included technologies such as renewable energy, distributed generation, storage, electric transportation, energy efficiency, demand response, climate change and grid modernization. Also managed research and demonstration projects in the areas of energy storage, microgrids and demand response.Reviewed proposed state and federal legislation in order to inform SMUD on implications of proposed legislation to utility. Included making recommendations on position utility should take on legislation.Authored SMUD’s 2014 Storage Procurement Report and made compliance filing to the California Energy Commission in accordance with legislative requirements.Served at Acting Director of Research and Development Department in 2015 and was responsible for over 30 staff, eight research program areas, and $12 million annual budget.Served on the Electric Power Research Institute Energy Storage Program Advisory Committee, helping provide strategic research guidance on utility perspectives for storage development and deployment. Founding board member of the Modular Energy Storage Architecture (MESA) Standards Alliance Board of Directors. MESA is an open, non-proprietary set of specifications and standards for energy storage in development by an industry consortium of electric utilities and technology suppliers.

Sacramento, California Area

Served on renewable power purchase agreement (PPA) assessment teams responsible for assessing wind, solar and biomass PPAs. Conducted site assessments for solar and solar thermal power projects independently and with utility collaboratives for projects in California and Arizona. Technologies included PV, central receiver solar thermal and parabolic trough solar thermal power.Research project manager responsible for program in areas of renewable and natural gas distributed generation, microgrids, storage and demand response including district heating and cooling, combined heat and power, biomass, landfill gas to electricity, and small hydro. Activities included technical and economic feasibility, and environmental benefits such as greenhouse gas quantification. Managed diverse teams comprised of engineers, economists, analysts and contract staff. Responsible for strategic planning, project and contract management, scheduling, implementation and budgeting. Worked regularly with top management on program development, implementation and execution.Led groundbreaking work in energy storage for SMUD. Responsible for SMUD’s first utility-scale storage deployment coupled with a 3MW PV plant. 500kW/125kWh lithium ion storage system was used to address intermittent solar power production and alleviate voltage issues on the distribution circuit. Led SMUD’s investigation of bulk scale storage known as Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES). Principal investigator for SMUD’s DOE-funded PV and Storage Demonstration at Anatolia. This project which was the largest of its kind to date, deployed residential and community scale lithium ion energy storage in an all solar homes community to assess the effectiveness of customer and utility-sited storage to address grid integration issues in high penetration PV situations.

Sacramento, California Area

Research team leader responsible for $42 million program in areas of renewable and natural gas distributed generation, microgrids, storage, advanced transmission and distribution, and demand response load control. Managed diverse team comprised of engineers, analysts and contract staff. Responsible for strategic planning, project and contract management, partnership building, scheduling, implementation and budgeting. Worked regularly with Commissioners and top management on program development, implementation and execution. In 2005, was lead staff on development of state-level policy for promotion of combined heat and power distributed generation and co-authored the 2005 California Integrated Energy Policy Report.

Sacramento, California Area

As distributed generation R&D Program Manager, directed all planning, budgeting, scheduling, implementation and reporting for $21 million program. Credited for developing nationally recognized R&D program relevant to California policy issues in areas of distributed generation and microgrids. Duties included understanding policy and technology issues facing implementation of distributed generation in California’s power system including interconnection, grid effects and market integration. Also, worked extensively on evaluating advanced, alternative transportation technologies and infrastructure. Developed and directed revisions to California Electrical Code for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Conducted analysis, evaluated policy, and developed and implemented training on alternative fuel infrastructure and vehicles for building officials and emergency responders.

Sacramento, California Area

Analyzed, evaluated and managed projects for development and commercialization of advanced transportation energy technologies and fuels.

Oxnard, California

Led diverse technical teams in failure analysis, repairs and maintenance on advanced propulsion and weapons systems. Designed and tested electro-mechanical devices.

Business Acumen For Emerging Leaders

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Mechanical Engineering

Minor, Mathematics