William R. Ellis
Fort Washington
Summary
Dynamic leader with a proven track record at Pepco, excelling in strategic planning and relationship management. Spearheaded initiatives that achieved over $4.1 billion in customer savings while championing sustainability and equity advocacy. Renowned for building high-performing teams and driving impactful legislation in clean energy and customer engagement. Strategic Director known for high productivity and efficient task completion. Specialize in operational strategy, team leadership, and financial oversight. Excel in communication, problem-solving, and adaptability, ensuring effective team collaboration and project success. Motivational leader and organizational problem-solver with advanced supervisory, team building and customer service skills. Experience stepping into roles and quickly making positive changes to drive company success. Focused on using training, monitoring and morale-building techniques to maximize employee engagement and performance.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Director, Governmental and External Affairs
Pepco
01.2020 - Current
- Engaged state and local officials, community leaders, businesses, and nonprofit organizations across Maryland.
- Advocated for clean energy policies through strategic stakeholder mobilization to secure favorable legislative outcomes for Pepco.
- Served as industry thought leader on Climate Mitigation and Climate Equity as member of Climate Action Commission for Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties.
- Cultivated strong relationships through strategic engagement to promote legislation supporting transformational investments.
- Spearheaded key legislation on Electric Vehicle and Building Energy Performance Standards.
- Oversaw customer engagement related to financial priorities, including Rate Cases and Decarbonization Programs.
- Monitored stakeholder engagement to align legislative efforts with Company and Community objectives.
- Served as a public spokesperson at industry events or conferences.
Sr. Strategy Manager, Customer Solutions (Energy Efficiency & Marketing)
Pepco Holdings
01.2018 - 01.2020
- Oversaw PHI Demand Side Management programs for Residential and Commercial & Industrial Portfolios across Pepco, Delmarva Power, and Atlantic City Electric.
- Created award-winning portfolio by cultivating teamwork and accountability among over fifty employees and one hundred contractors.
- Implemented Energy Efficiency programs for low to moderate income customers, achieving over 20% reduction in bill impact.
- Managed portfolio generating over 350 million dollars annually in company revenue.
- Directed marketing strategy for customer programs including Solar, Electric Vehicles, Energy Efficiency, and Customer Analytics.
- Facilitated energy efficiency solutions for over 90% of residential customers over ten years, resulting in $4.1 billion in bill savings.
- Championed initiatives that enhanced customer engagement through analytics and program development.
- Streamlined operational processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness across diverse programs.
Utility Performance Assessment Manager
Exelon Utilities
01.2017 - 01.2018
- One of only three legacy PHI employees promoted to the esteemed Exelon Utilities division of the company after the merger.
- Responsible for developing and driving strategic priorities for core functions across all of Exelon.
- Identifying and ensuring adoption of best practices by benchmarking, analyzing industry trends, and drawing expertise from across the OpCo’s, the industry and outside the industry.
- Chairs Exelon Utilities 'peer groups' which includes Demand Side Management, Solar, and eChannels.
- Leads 'Side by Side' peer group comparisons with a focus on Critical Performance Elements.
- An Influential team member on core strategy initiatives including Exelon’s Digital Strategy, Exelon Customer Flight Path Initiative and Exelon’s Solar Integration Strategy.
- Washington D.C., Chicago IL, Philadelphia, PA, Baltimore, MD
Manager, Solar Department - Green Power Connection
Pepco Holdings Inc.
01.2014 - 01.2016
- Ensured compliance with regulatory standards for Net Energy Metering – Interconnection process.
- Transformed an underperforming department into a leading, high-energy team with exceptional customer satisfaction.
- Oversaw installation of over 2,000 net energy meter customers monthly across Pepco, Delmarva Power, and Atlantic City Electric.
- Managed customer experience for over 50,000 Net Energy Metering customers through a team of 25 coordinators.
- Answered over 2,200 phone calls and 750 emails monthly by account coordinators.
- Possessed extensive knowledge of engineering standards regarding Distributed Energy Resources' impact on power grid.
- Led implementation of two IT applications, reducing processing time by over 50% and complaints by 90%.
- Streamlined application processes through Customer Usage Request portal via Green Button Connect and Application Intake portal.
Education
Global Executive Master of Business Administration - Technology and Entrepreneurship
Georgetown University
Washington D.C.05.2017
Utility Executive Course - Three Week Utility Executive Industry Symposium
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho06.2015
Masters of Electrical Engineering - High Speed Communications and Networking
The Catholic University of America
Washington D.C.Masters of Science in Engineering Management - Project and Systems Engineering Management
The Catholic University of America
Washington D.C.Bachelor of Electrical Engineering - Computer Science
The Catholic University of America
Washington D.C.Skills
- Team building and leadership
- Strategic planning
- Relationship management
- Equity advocacy
- Sustainability initiatives
- Customer technology solutions
- Project management
- Visionary leadership
- Crisis management
- Charismatic leader
- Corporate social responsibility
References
Available upon request
Board Positions
- Past Chair, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC 8C-01) for Ward 8
- Past Chair, National Society of Black Engineers, DC Professionals Chapter
- Board Clerk, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership
- Board Member, Maryland Clean Energy Center
- Board Member, Leadership Montgomery
- Board Member, Bethesda Green
- Past Board Member, American Association of Black in Energy, DC Metropolitan Chapter
- Past Board Member, Clean Air Partners Board of Directors
- Past Board Member, The Catholic University of American Alumni Association Board of Governors
- Past Board Member, Association of Energy Service Professionals
Accomplishments
Energy + Environment Top 100 Leaders
Timeline
Director, Governmental and External Affairs
Pepco
01.2020 - Current
Sr. Strategy Manager, Customer Solutions (Energy Efficiency & Marketing)
Pepco Holdings
01.2018 - 01.2020
Utility Performance Assessment Manager
Exelon Utilities
01.2017 - 01.2018
Manager, Solar Department - Green Power Connection
Pepco Holdings Inc.
01.2014 - 01.2016
Global Executive Master of Business Administration - Technology and Entrepreneurship
Georgetown University
Utility Executive Course - Three Week Utility Executive Industry Symposium
University of Idaho
Masters of Electrical Engineering - High Speed Communications and Networking
The Catholic University of America
Masters of Science in Engineering Management - Project and Systems Engineering Management
The Catholic University of America
Bachelor of Electrical Engineering - Computer Science
The Catholic University of America