Celerity Advisory Board

Collaborating with some of the greatest minds in the utility consulting industry, Celerity’s esteemed Advisory Board brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and critical thinking to the Celerity table across multiple areas of expertise.

Please take a moment to meet the people who empower our company, services and reputation for excellence in the marketplace.

PHIL RAYMOND – OWNER, PR CONSULTING, LLC

Phil Raymond is the founder and owner of PR Consulting, LLC, a firm specializing in utility regulation and management strategy. With more than 40 years of experience in the utility industry, Raymond brings extensive knowledge and expertise to his clients.

Before launching PR Consulting, Raymond served as executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer of Alabama Power, where he oversaw the company’s finance, accounting and treasury departments. During his tenure as CFO, he managed all financial operations for the second-largest subsidiary of Southern Company, overseeing $35.8 billion in total assets and $7.1 billion in operating revenues. He led a team of approximately 225 accounting, finance and treasury professionals and drove a compound annual growth rate of 7-8% for net income. His cost-containment efforts resulted in $140 million in savings, while maintaining top-tier financial results with a return on equity of 12-13%. Raymond also managed rating agency relationships to maintain a strong “A” credit rating and oversaw enterprise risk management as chief risk officer. In addition, he was responsible for treasury management services, including the oversight of $1.6 billion in investments and cash management activities.

His career with Southern Company began in 1991 at Georgia Power, with leadership roles at Southern Company Services, Mississippi Power, Alabama Power, Gulf Power and Southern Company. In addition to serving as executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer of Alabama Power, Raymond also served as the vice president and chief financial officer of Gulf Power. Prior to joining Southern Company, he worked for eight years at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in the office of the chief accountant.

Raymond earned a degree in accounting from the University of Maine at Machias in 1982. He completed the Emory Goizueta Executive Education program at Emory University in Atlanta in 2002. He is a certified public accountant in Texas and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

He and his wife, Linda, have two daughters, Lacey Townes (Gil) and Kara Snider (Miles); a son, Michael (Elizabeth); and four grandchildren: Tim, Daniel, Emily Louise and Annie.

MARK JOHNSON – PG&E

At PG&E I orchestrated the consolidation of 15 remote transmission control centers into a single state of the art facility. In addition, I led efforts to improve the overall operational and human performance proficiency of the transmission and distribution business. This entailed establishing an ongoing training effort for lineman on critical activities that could lead to safety mishaps.​

At LG&E/KU I was tasked with the effort to provide a pathway for the company to withdraw from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). The task required FERC approval and successfully achieved by negotiating separate agreements for reliability coordination and tariff administration for the company.​

At TVA the transmission maintenance and construction organization I led achieved 3 consecutive years without a recordable injury and lost workday case. Achieved this result by establishing clear expectations around safety, empowering employees to monitor their peers to eliminate unsafe acts and to stop a job if there were concerns around process and/or procedures to execute.​

Currently serve on the Board of Directors for the Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO). MISO is the electric grid operator for the central United States. MISO ensure power flows reliably and affordably cross 15 states and the Canadian province of Manitoba. Current Chair of the Board’s System Planning Committee and serve on the Technology, Human Resources and Corporate Governance /Strategic Planning Committees. 

CHRIS KELLY – FORMER CEO, NATIONAL GRID, US ELECTRIC NATIONAL GRID

Chris Kelly’s most recent role was the Chief Operating Officer for National Grid, US Electric. National Grid is one of the world’s largest investor-owned energy companies focused on transmission and distribution of electricity. It plays a key role in accelerating the growth of renewables and low carbon generation across the United States and Great Britain. ​

When Chris became National Grid’s COO, he brought the experience of more than thirty years of service in the Energy and Telecommunication industries. ​

He has spent many years managing and directing the delivery and commissioning of electric transmission and distribution systems and substations. ​

Chris is a graduate of Rutgers University’s Electrical Engineering program (B.S.E.E.), and holds an M.B.A. degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. He is a Registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the state of Massachusetts, and also a Registered Chartered Engineer (CEng) for Engineering and Technology, United Kingdom​.

RON ADAMS – OWNER, RIGHT-WAY UTILITY SOLUTIONS

Ron Adams is Principal Owner of Right-Way Utility Solutions, LLC, which specializes in providing strategic advisory services with a focus on utility Vegetation Management to organizations supporting the electric utility industry. Ron has 39 years of experience in the utility industry and prior to founding Right-Way Utility Solutions, held various leadership positions in engineering, governance and T&D construction, maintenance and vegetation management at Duke Energy.​

Ron led the T&D Vegetation Management (VM) operations after the merger between Duke and Cinergy. After the merger with Progress Energy, Ron lead the VM Governance team that was responsible asset management, standards, specifications, processes and strategic business planning and tracking of the enterprise VM business plans for T&D across a six-state footprint (130,000 miles of overhead Distribution and 32,000 miles of overhead Transmission lines). Two years after that merger, he was recipient of the Delivery Operations Leadership Award for Enterprise Vegetation Management program success.​

Later in his career, Ron served as General Manager of Transmission VM where he initiated a digital transformation of the Transmission VM program. This was recognized by corporate leadership and was integrated into a corporate digital transformation initiative. This transformation led to developing a “threat and condition-based” management strategy along with scenario planning tool and work management system to drive operational efficiency and reduce operational risk.​

Before retiring from Duke Energy , Ron served as General Manager of the Transmission VM Strategy team that included responsibilities for regulatory interface across six-states where he served as an expert witness in rate cases and commission hearings as well as the implementation of the new planning and work management tools. He also had responsibility for the overall asset management strategy for the Transmission VM program including the Asset Protection team that managed and protected the legal rights associated with the Transmission easements.​

During his career, Ron chaired the NERC Standard Drafting Team for Reliability Standard FAC-003-4 “Vegetation Management” and has been recognized by EPRI with two Innovators Awards. Ron is a graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science (BS) Electrical Engineering and is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the state of South Carolina, Senior Member of IEEE and a member of the Utility Arborist Association. He is also a graduate of Duke Energy Strategic Leadership Program at UNC Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School.​

JERRY CAVALIERI – FORMER MANAGING DIRECTOR, UTEGRATION

Having worked his entire 40-year career in the utility and energy industry, Jerry retired in April after 25 years advising energy companies on SAP finance and work management implementations with his most recent role as Managing Director at Utegration – a Cognizant Company.​

Jerry was the former CEO of HPC America, a boutique consulting firm, prior to being acquired by Utegration in 2020. Utegration was subsequently acquired by Cognizant two years later after which Jerry decided to retire in 2024.  ​

Having spent 15 years in various financial roles including Principal at Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Jerry led the SAP financial implementation (the first at a regulated U.S. utility) in the mid-1990s to satisfy regulatory reporting to the FERC and CPUC. After SAP go-live, Jerry left PG&E to become a consultant with HPC America as VP of Utility Consulting then later as CEO and business owner implementing the SAP FERC module and proprietary add-on software at utilities across the U.S.​

While CEO at HPC America, Jerry served on the board of ACRT (a vegetation management company) for 9 years.  He also served for 10 years on the board of HCIM Inc. (a healthcare software company) acquired last year.  Jerry has volunteered his time for over 12 years as an IT advisory board member and guest lecturer at San Francisco State University, College of Business where he helped the college establish the SAP certificate program for undergrads and MBA students.​

Jerry has been married to his wife, Cynthia, for 34 years and has two (now adult) children that are living on their own, affording time to enjoy travel and leisure in this new retirement phase of life.​

ROGER GRAY – FORMER CEO, PNGC POWER

Roger is a retired utility executive who consults part time. His career spanned over 40 years in California and the Pacific Northwest. He served as CEO of three different utilities and has broad background.​

His most recent experience was CEO at PNGC Power. Past experience includes, NRU, Eugene Water and Electric Board, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Southern California Edison Company, Bechtel, IP Networks and his own consulting business. ​

His work background includes: executive management, utility operations, power resource planning and risk management, finance & rates, regulatory and strategic planning.​

He has served on a variety of boards and committees in the Northwest including: PPC, Northwest RiverPartners, PNUCC and the Oregon Governor’s 10 year Energy Plan taskforce.​

Roger has degrees in Electrical Engineering-Power Systems and Computer Science from the University of California at Berkeley.​

GREG KIRALY

Greg is a proven business leader with a multi-decade track record developing strategies, driving  execution, and delivering value across four of the largest investor-owned utilities in North America – Public Service Electric & Gas Company in New Jersey, Commonwealth Edison (Exelon) in Illinois, Pacific Gas & Electric in California, and at Hydro One in Ontario, Canada.

Greg has led performance improvements and business turnarounds; built and developed teams achieving record performance in employee safety, electric system reliability, and cost position; and spearheaded  massive infrastructure upgrades and flagship technology projects.

Greg now serves as Board Advisor for Enfragen, senior advisor for the Glenfarne Group, Advisory Board member for Celerity, and principal consultant for dss+.  Greg also created and hosts a leadership podcast called “The REAL DEAL.”

Greg holds a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology and an MBA in finance from Seton Hall University.  He is also a graduate of Harvard University’s Advanced Management Program.  Greg has three adult children and currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife of over 30 years.

STEVE TANKERSLEY – CEO CLEAR PATH UTILITY SOLUTIONS

Steve Tankersley, founder of Clear Path Utility Solutions in 2015, brings over 40 years of experience in the gas and electric utility industry. He has a comprehensive background in utility engineering, construction operations, vegetation management, contract management, project management, and business system design.

A recognized expert in wildfire and public safety, Steve has developed strategic partnerships with regulators, governmental agencies, community and environmental groups. His pioneering concepts and continuous process improvements have had a significant impact on utility infrastructure and vegetation management practices across the industry.

Key Career Accomplishments

• Founded Clear Path Utility Solutions, growing it from a one-person operation to over 150 employees with $25MM in annual revenue before its acquisition by Hastings Private Equity in 2023 as a subsidiary of Celerity Consulting Group.
• Led the design, development, and implementation of a $25MM business system for the utility engineering and construction business unit.
• Directed a $200MM vegetation management program covering 135,000 miles of electric transmission and distribution infrastructure, achieving top-tier performance in all program areas.
• Designed and managed a fleet and rental system across 24 locations in California, overseeing an asset value of $500MM.