Alumni Panel

Speakers:
Nick Pappas, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Outreach, CalCCA
Sandesh Rallapalli, Sr. Manager II, Asset Digitization Strategy, Walmart
Host: Energy Graduate Group
Date: 12/6/2019
Time: 10:30am to 11:50am
Location: 1605 Tilia Street, Room 1103, West Village, UC Davis
Watch Video of Seminar

Nick PappasNick joined CalCCA in 2019 as the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Outreach, a role which blends energy policy development, stakeholder engagement, project management, and data science. A former Capitol staffer and energy lobbyist, Nick has spent much of the last decade negotiating, developing, and informing legislation impacting every segment of California’s clean energy transition, from utility-scale renewable development and criteria pollution regulation to non-residential rate design and income-qualified solar programs. Nick left the Capitol community in 2016 to pursue an MS in Energy Systems from the UC Davis College of Engineering, where he was reminded that his enthusiasm for the electric drivetrain is matched only by his enthusiasm for the electric bicycle. Nick is an ardent advocate for decarbonization and focuses his professional efforts on developing policy solutions which support grid decarbonization, energy and fuel efficiency, and the electrification of transportation, industry, and the built environment.

Sandesh Rallapalli: Sandesh is an IoT Business Strategist who leads asset digitization strategy for the Energy and Facilities Maintenance division at Walmart. He started his career as an undergraduate intern at the UC Davis Energy Efficiency Center, where he worked on software automation for the Proposition 39 and MTLC projects. After graduating from UC Davis with a BS in electrical engineering, Sandesh was recruited by Walmart as an energy intern. He has held multiple roles over the last 4 years, from the management of engineering design for Walmart’s remodel program to the development and execution of the interior LED retrofit program for Walmart and Sam’s Club. He has partnered with teams across the organization as well as consultants, contractors, and vendors to drive change at scale. Sandesh is currently on the steering committee for the UC Davis Emerging Energy Professionals program and is a mentor for the College of Engineering.

Nick Pappas: Nick joined CalCCA in 2019 as the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Outreach, a role which blends energy policy development, stakeholder engagement, project management, and data science. A former Capitol staffer and energy lobbyist, Nick has spent much of the last decade negotiating, developing, and informing legislation impacting every segment of California’s clean energy transition, from utility-scale renewable development and criteria pollution regulation to non-residential rate design and income-qualified solar programs. Nick left the Capitol community in 2016 to pursue an MS in Energy Systems from the UC Davis College of Engineering, where he was reminded that his enthusiasm for the electric drivetrain is matched only by his enthusiasm for the electric bicycle. Nick is an ardent advocate for decarbonization and focuses his professional efforts on developing policy solutions which support grid decarbonization, energy and fuel efficiency, and the electrification of transportation, industry, and the built environment.

Sandesh Rallapalli: Sandesh is an IoT Business Strategist who leads asset digitization strategy for the Energy and Facilities Maintenance division at Walmart. He started his career as an undergraduate intern at the UC Davis Energy Efficiency Center, where he worked on software automation for the Proposition 39 and MTLC projects. After graduating from UC Davis with a BS in electrical engineering, Sandesh was recruited by Walmart as an energy intern. He has held multiple roles over the last 4 years, from the management of engineering design for Walmart’s remodel program to the development and execution of the interior LED retrofit program for Walmart and Sam’s Club. He has partnered with teams across the organization as well as consultants, contractors, and vendors to drive change at scale. Sandesh is currently on the steering committee for the UC Davis Emerging Energy Professionals program and is a mentor for the College of Engineering.