Powerful Experts that Energize Operations

Lindsay P. Sharp, M.A.

President, CEO, & OwnerAdult Learning, Information Technology, & Government Institutions

Lindsay has a distinguished career in public education and now transcends into a private joint venture within the utility space. Her leadership and passion for impactful stakeholder relationships drives her success at executive levels. Lindsay has consistently achieved meaningful organizational change and sustainable educational outcomes in various school districts, holding senior leadership roles and managing large-scale initiatives.

She excels in budget-constrained environments, focusing on stakeholder relationships and gaining local businesses to contribute needed resources that weren’t available within the school district budget. Within 2 years time, she’s transformed reactive cultures into proactive, data driven ones. At SESC, Lindsay leads critical solicitations and negotiations, particularly in the public sector. Her business acumen ensures compliance and profitability. She has successfully navigated complex regulatory landscapes, ensuring that all projects adhere to legal standards while maintaining financial viability. Her strategic vision and meticulous planning have resulted in numerous successful project completions, generating significant value for stakeholders.

Lindsay holds a Bachelor's in Education and a Master's in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida. She is known for her unwavering dedication to professional development, continuously seeking opportunities to expand her knowledge and expertise. Her academic background, coupled with her practical experience, positions her as a highly effective leader capable of driving both educational and business success. Within SESC she heads up project management, training programs, regulatory filings, & accounting efforts.

Christopher Sharp, P.E.

Principal Engineer & OwnerUtility Operations, Compliance & Control Centers

Regularly described by clients as a true innovator, Chris naturally introduces meaningful change to his work. By constructively challenging the status quo, he fosters transformative enhancements in control center operations. His efforts to reduce human performance errors and automate manual processes, all while prioritizing safety and reliability, make his counsel highly valued.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) from the University of North Florida and a Master of Engineering in Engineering Management from the University of Florida. He is a registered Professional Engineer in several states and is eligible for licensure in all jurisdictions.

Furthermore, Chris has a proven track record of leading cross-functional teams to achieve strategic goals and implement innovative solutions. His dedication to excellence, combined with his profound technical knowledge and innovative mindset, positions him as a leader in the field of consulting engineering. His clients benefit from his proactive approach, which not only addresses immediate concerns but also paves the way for long-term sustainable success.

Ryan Martin, M.S.

Transmission Operations ManagementReal-Time Control Center Expert

Ryan's 17-year tenure in system operations has endowed him with a rich blend of experience and expertise. His adeptness in control room operations, outage planning management, iTOA software deployment, SCADA implementation, and his leadership within Transmission Operations underscore his adaptability and proficiency across different areas of the sector.

Ryan's academic background further strengthens his skill set, with a B.S. in Resource Economics from the University of Delaware and a M.S. in Management from the University of Maryland Global Campus. This combination of practical experience and academic grounding equips him with a holistic understanding of both the technical and managerial aspects of his field.

David Carlson, BSEE

Chief of ComplianceNERC, ISO, RTO Audits & Operations

After a distinguished career with ComEd (Chicago, IL) of over 32 years, David brings those talents to build our clients success in regulated utility space. He is a recognized industry expert in compliance program evaluation, 693/ISO/RTO/NERC audit preparation, remediation of audit findings of non-compliance, recommendations, and deficiencies. David holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois - Chicago, was a Certified NERC System Operator for more than a decade, and served our country in the United States Navy.

Stephany Fletcher, CCMP, PMP & PROSCI certified

Organizational Change & Implementation Management

Stephany is an experienced change management professional, skilled in managing employee behavior change to help clients realize the full benefits from system upgrades and implementations. She brings about a decade's worth of change experience and started her career in Accenture's Management Consulting Talent & Organization practice, where she spent 7+ years specializing in leading change efforts for various Midwest and South utility clients. She has experience serving as an iTOA Enterprise Change Lead, consolidating work processes across 6 Operating Companies utilizing agile best practices.

Patrick Palompo, P.E.

Senior Compliance EngineerNERC Cyber Security Auditor

Patrick is a licensed Professional Electrical Engineer with 17+ years of experience in power systems and mission-critical infrastructure. His expertise includes energy generation, transmission, and distribution, along with operations and maintenance, SCADA/EMS, substation automation, protection and controls, and regulatory compliance.

His career includes several years at the Northeast Power Coordinating Council as a senior compliance engineer, auditor, and Manager of Operations & Planning Compliance Monitoring. His background also includes several roles at JEA, a municipal in Jacksonville, Florida, including SCADA/EMS Engineer, Protection & Controls Specialist, and Interim Manager of the System Protection & Controls Department. He has also worked for Worley as a Principal Electrical Engineer leading utility upgrade projects, Pacific Gas & Electric as a System Substation Automation Engineer, and FERC’s Office of Electric Reliability in the Division of Cyber Security.

Patrick holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida and is a licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states. He has completed NERC training in Fundamentals of Auditing, Gathering Quality Evidence, and Find, Fix and Track for Auditors, and is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Jose Santiago, P.E.

Senior EngineerReal-Time Transmission Operations, Compliance & Training

Jose brings to the team over 22 years of technical expertise in control room operator & support. He's served as the SME for NERC & RTO compliance. Designed and delivered transmission operator training, including drafting and gaining regulatory approvals for new ILA's so students can earn NERC CEH's. Live real-time desk SCADA operation and electrical system troubleshooting. He's worked the 24/7/365 desk performing steady state monitoring and disturbance response. Jose has controlled energy systems for transmission switching and generation dispatch. He's recently expanded his experiences into distribution planning as well.

Jose holds a BSEE from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and registered as a Professional Engineer. He is highly known for his problem-solving assertiveness and quality mindset.

Emily Lehner, B.A.

Enterprise Data AnalyticsAsset Performance, & Dynamic Reporting

With years of experience in utility data analytics, Emily has a proven track record of driving efficiency and innovation. Her ability to develop key metrics, KPIs, and reporting solutions showcases a logical yet creative approach to problem-solving and has streamlined reporting processes to save 100's of manual hours per month. Additionally, she is a industry-wide expert in Power BI, leading training sessions and developing advanced-level courses to up-skill colleagues. Emily brings acute focus to the details of large data sets to spur new insights.

Emily graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Statistics and Legal Studies, combining her analytical expertise with a solid understanding of legal frameworks. This diverse educational background and utility experience has enriched her problem-solving approach and her ability to address complex business challenges.

Lieutenant Raymond Beltz, MBA

Chief Physical Security Officer(CIP) Critical Infrastructure Protection

Raymond Beltz brings more than 26 years of command and operational experience in law enforcement, providing a strong foundation in physical security, critical infrastructure protection, investigations, emergency management, and organizational leadership. Throughout his law-enforcement career, Lt. Beltz has commanded diverse operational and investigative units and worked extensively with public- and private-sector partners to identify risks, improve security practices, and develop effective responses to complex incidents.

His experience includes serving as Administrative Lieutenant and Task Force Commander, Patrol Watch Commander, and Commander of the Burglary and Economic Crimes Unit and the Computer Forensics and Internet Crimes Against Children Units. In these roles, he led complex investigations, critical incident responses, security-focused operations, grant-funded initiatives, and multi-agency partnerships. He also oversaw an $80,000 Railroad Trespassing Grant, developing strategies to address infrastructure security and trespassing risks while improving coordination among law enforcement and infrastructure stakeholders.

Raymond also conducts professional assessments of law-enforcement agencies throughout Florida through the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA). In this capacity, he evaluates agency policies, procedures, practices, and supporting documentation to verify that agencies are meeting established accreditation standards and that documented practices accurately reflect actual operations. His assessment experience includes elements of physical security, facility protection, access control, operational readiness, and policy compliance, providing a practical perspective on the difference between having a security program on paper and effectively implementing that program in the field.

Raymond brings extensive experience in physical security and critical infrastructure protection, with a particular focus on helping organizations identify vulnerabilities, strengthen security programs, coordinate with law enforcement and emergency management partners, and develop practical strategies for protecting personnel, facilities, and critical assets. His background supports SESC clients with NERC CIP compliance, physical security assessments, infrastructure crime investigations, emergency preparedness, storm and disaster response planning, and security and leadership training.

As an experienced Incident Command System practitioner, Raymond has served in key operational roles during major hurricane responses, including Operations Section Chief. He holds advanced certifications including ICS-300, ICS-400, L-958 Operations Section Chief, and Enhanced All-Hazards Incident Management.

Raymond earned an MBA and a B.A. in Criminal Justice from the University of North Florida and graduated as Class President from both the Southern Police Institute’s Administrative Officers Course (153rd Class) and Command Officers Development Course (90th Class). His combination of law-enforcement command experience, physical security expertise, critical infrastructure knowledge, accreditation assessment experience, and emergency management provides SESC clients with a practical, operational perspective on protecting the infrastructure, facilities, and people they depend upon.

Justin W. Smith, P.E.

Protection, Instrumentation & Controls EngineerCybersecurity, Relay Protection & Control Systems

Justin is a licensed Professional Electrical Engineer in North Carolina who has been designing, setting, and testing utility protection and control systems since 2011, across transmission, distribution, generation, and microgrid applications. Since 2020 he has owned the consulting firm Power System Analytics PLLC, which helps utilities and municipalities solve protection issues for microgrids and grid-tied DER using hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation in the Typhoon and MATLAB Simulink Real-Time environments.

His career includes seven years at Duke Energy Progress (2013–2020) in P&C Transmission Engineering and Distribution Protection, Automation & Control, where he served as DER Protection Team Lead for Distribution Protection Standards. There he led development of direct transfer trip (DTT) screening criteria and designed both the Duke Energy Permit-to-Run scheme and Duke Energy’s standard RoCoF anti-islanding protection setting. Before that, he worked at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (2011–2013) on protection and automation projects for Progress Energy, PPL, Duke Energy, Dominion Power, NYSEG, and the City of Cayce Water Treatment Facility. His hands-on work spans SEL relays and RTAC automation controllers, relay templates and logic design (SEL, Basler, GE), RTDS anti-islanding and IEEE 1547-2018 ride-through studies, custom Omicron CMEngine test scripting, a custom automatic source transfer test simulator built with C microcontrollers, and end-to-end field testing and commissioning.

Justin holds a Bachelor of Science (2009) and a Master of Science (2013) in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University, where he earned undergraduate magna cum laude honors and worked as a research assistant on distribution-connected generation and microgrid protection. His M.S. thesis addressed PQ database fault locating for large-scale distribution feeders, and his technical papers include work on model-based fault locating for distribution systems, DER ride-through and anti-islanding protection, and protection and control challenges of three-phase electric vehicle charging stations.

Hector Lopez, J.D., CISSP

Cybersecurity Expert & Compliance StrategistCyber, IT/OT & Legal

Hector brings over 20 years of leadership in cybersecurity, governance, and compliance, supporting critical infrastructure, public agencies, and high-security digital platforms. His regulated-entity cyber, IT/OT, and legal experience combines vulnerability and security standards across IT and OT with the legal and funding case a utility without a compliance bench has to make before it will spend. His CISSP covers the domains CIP actually tests: access control, network architecture, incident response, and risk. His J.D. is the reading of exposure: what a self-report commits the entity to, what a region or FERC will open later, and how a CLE or Category 2 registration changes the client’s legal posture.

He works the assessment and the inside-the-utility argument together. Smaller entities fail CIP and 901 programs as often on governance and funding as on technical findings, and Hector writes the change in language a board, a city commission, or a co-op board can act on. He is called in when 901 data-sharing crosses BES Cyber System Information, when a computational-load or data-center site sits next to a registered function, or when IT and OT ownership of a finding is still being fought internally.

Hector holds a Juris Doctor from Tulane University School of Law, and a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Florida. His certifications include CISSP, CGRC, CIPT, CIPM, CIPP/US, CIPP/E, AIGP, CECI, CFE, and CCEP.