YPE Denver Leadership
Young Professionals in Energy (YPE) is a global non-profit organization with more than 2,000 members in its Denver Chapter. YPE aims to facilitate the advancement of young professionals in the Denver and global energy industry by providing a forum for networking and career development through social, educational and civic service opportunities.
Join our LinkedIn Group to learn about what’s happening in the energy space in Denver and contribute to the evolving energy conversation in Colorado.
We’ve also started a podcast! Listen to it here. If you’re interested in talking to us about energy on the podcast, reach out to Carolyn or Mark.
Mark Hinaman
Executive Director
Mark is passionate about producing energy for America and the world. Growing up in western Colorado, he was raised in an entrepreneurial natural gas production company, Argali Exploration. The exposure to industry and business throughout his upbringing drove him to earn a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Energy and the Environment at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He went on to work in a myriad of engineering and project management roles at Encana, Anadarko, Sundance Energy, and OneEnergy Partners. He currently serves as Director of Engineering Innovation at the newly formed Franklin Mountain Energy where he’s helping to build a “Best in Class” Delaware Basin focused operator. Mark is a licensed Professional Engineer (Petroleum) in Colorado, and he actively volunteers for the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Denver chapter. When he’s not brainstorming about how to power pumping units with solar panels, Mark enjoys playing piano, snowboarding and climbing mountains of all sizes, most forms of fitness, beer of all flavors, and traveling the world.
Mark is passionate about producing energy for America and the world. Growing up ...
mark.hinaman@gmail.com
(970) 629-0668
Jake DiRe
Secretary
Jake is an energy professional with over 12 years of success in the energy industry. Jake started one of Colorado’s most recognized solar companies, EcoMark Solar, and has always been an advocate for energy independence. As an entrepreneur Jake has gained experience guiding the strategic direction of a company, restructuring business models, and aggressively pursuing new opportunities. Maximizing health, safety, and environmental standards have always been at the forefront of Jake’s work. Over the years he has served on the board of Colorado’s Solar and Storage Association (COSSA) and has gained invaluable experience building a company. Jake enjoys serving as a trusted advisor to executives, management teams, partners, and staff. Outside of work Jake is an avid skier, local artist, and enjoys any opportunity to eat, drink, and talk energy!
Jake is an energy professional with over 12 years of success in the energy ...
jakedire4812@gmail.com
720-998-8080
Carolyn Lucca
Treasurer
Carolyn currently serves as Operations Manager at Thoroughbred, an investment firm focused on acquiring and developing energy and natural resource properties. She is actively involved in redeveloping a 700-acre deep water port on the Louisiana Gulf Coast into a renewable energy campus. In support of these efforts, Carolyn is responsible for management of non-production facilities, financial planning and analysis, operational accounting, corporate development, and investor and community relations. Carolyn holds a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering from Michigan Technological University and a Master of Science in Applied Quantitative Finance from the University of Denver. When she’s not on an airplane, Carolyn enjoys all forms of skiing, hiking 14ers, and trying new cuisines.
Carolyn currently serves as Operations Manager at Thoroughbred, an investment firm focused ...
clucca@thoroughbredlp.com
(218) 343-0545
Brock Saylor
Director of Membership & Engagement
Brock is currently a Senior Project Manager at Langan Engineering and Environmental Services managing Langan’s Digital Solutions/Geospatial team for a variety of clean energy clients throughout the United States and is also the office leader for the newly established Salt Lake City office. He has over twelve years of experience designing, deploying, and managing Digital Solutions and Enterprise scale GIS solutions to a variety of industries and clients, with a focus on clean energy and renewables. He also manages and provides a variety of services to various clients throughout the industry focusing on site selection/suitability analysis, due diligence, customer data management, web application/tool development, smart utility networks, and asset management. When he is not bouncing back and forth between Denver and Salt Lake City, Brock enjoys mountain biking, off-road camping with the pup, wine of all sorts, and traveling.
Brock is currently a Senior Project Manager at Langan Engineering and Environmental ...
bsaylor@langan.com
(484) 363-0720
Maureen Evenson
Director of Yeti Activities
Maureen is an oil and gas professional with over nine years of experience in the completions space. She has an aptitude for spearheading complex projects and a passion for supporting growing organizations and teams. Her background in engineering, customer-focused environments, sales, and team leadership has enabled her to provide value in various environments. Maureen earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. In her free time, you can find Maureen outside skiing, camping, dirt biking, and traveling.
Maureen is an oil and gas professional with over nine years of ...
maureen.evenson@gmail.com
(612) 759-8688
Danielle Pucherelli, P.E.
DEN Talk Coordinator
Danielle Pucherelli has more than twelve years of experience in environmental engineering, compliance, health and safety, global program management, and sustainability. She has supported clients globally in the energy industry as well as in food & beverage, technology, retail, and manufacturing. Her leadership has focused on strategic EHS and sustainability planning for customer focused solutions that integrate creative oversight and technology. Her specialties in the energy industry include ESG program development and implementation, LDAR program implementation, developing spill prevention countermeasures and control (SPCC) plans, storm water monitoring and plan development, baseline groundwater sampling, Phase I investigations, remediation monitoring and implementation, and air quality permitting and compliance.
Danielle Pucherelli has more than twelve years of experience in environmental engineering, ...
danielle.pucherelli@anteagroup.us
303-886-7441
Ryan Fitzgerald
Director of Partnerships
Ryan has been in the oil and gas industry for over ten years and is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer for GreenFlare. Prior to working in the oil and gas industry he was a registered investment advisor and derivatives broker with Charles Schwab. As someone highly interested in the investment world, Ryan has closely followed and been active in crypto-investment since 2012.
Following his investment broker days, he began work as a landman in the oil and gas industry and has worked for a highly specialized broker, J.L. Obourn Jr. & Co since entering the oil and gas industry in 2010. Continuing his career, Ryan went on to manage and oversee due diligence on a number of projects totaling over $500 million in acquisitions and divestitures under his company Fitzgerald Capital. He has also consulted for numerous solar and wind energy companies in recent years as the renewable energy industry has evolved. Ryan holds a Certified Professional Landman Certification from the AAPL, is a member of the DAPL, RMMLF, RMIE, and has a B.S. in Finance & Economics from W.P. Carey School of Business.
When Ryan isn’t chasing down stranded energy or trying to close a deal, Ryan enjoys playing with his band, Hello Bourbon, shredding down mountains on his mountain bike, and traveling the world to visit wineries.
Ryan has been in the oil and gas industry for over ten ...
ryan@fitzgeraldcapital.com
720-260-1342
Sean McGhee
Podcast Producer
After earning degrees in physics and nuclear engineering from the Ohio State University, Sean spent six years performing probabilistic risk assessments (PRA) to support the safe operation of several commercial nuclear power plants. Although the allure of Colorado mountains led to a transition to the aerospace industry, Sean maintains his passion for the nuclear industry and providing clean energy to people across the world.
After earning degrees in physics and nuclear engineering from the Ohio State ...
seanmcgh@gmail.com
(814) 421-2700
Ariel Smith
Social Media Chair
With a specialization in energy risk analytics & accounting, Ariel has taken on a wide variety of roles encompassing aspects of agile software life-cycle management from initial scoping to development coordination to product launch/go-live. She is a subject matter expert in deregulated energy markets and extremely passionate about the clean energy evolution and its associated technologies: Smart Meters, Demand Response, Microgrids, Battery Storage, Renewable & Carbon-Free Generation, Blockchain & Digital Contracts.
Ariel’s currently using her energy expertise at Cleartrace to help companies quantify success in their 24/7 renewable energy and carbon-free initiatives. By matching company’s hourly energy demand to generation sources, Cleartrace creates an immutable audit trail across the energy supply chain enabling a truly digital and connected means of ESG reporting and compliance.
With a specialization in energy risk analytics & accounting, Ariel has taken on ...
ariel.smith@cleartrace.io