Ken is an accomplished technical leader with 36 years of experience in the energy / power industry. Fifteen years of experience in the nuclear plant owner setting focusing on the safety and risk analysis technical area with rotations in maintenance, operations engineering, and equipment reliability. Over twenty years in global research and development (R&D) at Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) as the Director of Engineering and for Westinghouse as the Chief Technology Officer. Most recent experience is business development and growth as the Chief Revenue Officer for Structural Integrity Associates, serving the nuclear, fossil, oil and gas, and critical infrastructure industries.
Chloe oversees our program coordination and development, member engagement, and operational coordination. A North Carolina native, Chloe is proud to contribute to the region's growth and innovation.
Prior to joining E4 Carolinas, Chloe earned degrees in Marketing and Management from the University of South Carolina. She began her career in Salesforce administration and consulting before transitioning into event management for a prominent Charlotte-based venue company.
Lukas specializes in global value chains and energy-led economic development. He currently serves as the Research Director at E4 Carolinas where he works on federal grants and other initiatives to develop regional energy clusters. Brun has consulted and published widely on the topic of economic development and competitiveness, including recent research appearing in Globalisation, Human Capital, Regional Growth and the 4th Industrial Revolution (Edward Elgar Press, 2019), The Oxford Handbook of Local Competitiveness (Oxford University Press, 2015), and the Economic Development Quarterly.
Prior to joining E4 Carolinas, Brun taught and conducted research at Duke University where he led economic development research for governments, foundations, and international development organizations, primarily utilizing a value chain perspective. Energy-related research projects completed by Lukas include analyzing utility-scale solar power, lithium-ion battery energy storage, carbon capture and storage, energy efficiency, and the oil and gas services sector. Before moving to study and work in North Carolina, he was an energy economist for a Los Angeles consulting firm supporting expert witness testimony in Federal court.
Lukas received his Ph.D. from the School of Public and International Affairs at North Carolina State University, M.P.A and M.A. degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill, and a B.A. in Economics and B.S. in Political Science from Texas Christian University. He resides in Winston-Salem, NC.