Bernhard Announces Multiple Hires in Development Division

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Bernhard announced today multiple hires in their Development Division. The hires include Christopher Benson named vice president of business development, Devon Kalkbrenner named vice president of contract management, Christopher Workman named vice president of pre-engineering and energy analytics, and Leighton Wolffe named vice president of demand management.

Wolffe has more than 25 years of experience in the facilities and energy industries. His interest in technologies led to leadership positions with energy companies, manufacturers and systems integration firms designing and developing innovative hardware and software applications. Leighton provides expertise and domain knowledge to help clients navigate their way through the highly dynamic intersection of energy markets, emerging technologies and industry players. In a previous position as VP Strategy for Constellation Energy, Leighton founded the NewEnergy Alliance and formed commercial relationships with more than 40 energy technology companies to develop applications and deliver solutions around Constellation’s VirtuWatt Platform, which connected buildings directly to energy markets and Constellation’s trading desk. Leighton is co-developer for this ground-breaking platform.

Benson is responsible for leading the development team in the execution of long-term Energy-as-a-Service partnerships. A broad blend of experience in business management and engineering has allowed Benson to play an important role in energy and sustainability projects across 58 million square feet of buildings and saving millions of dollars in operational costs during his career. He holds an MBA from the David Eccles School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Utah. He is a licensed engineer, certified energy manager, LEED accredited professional, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

Kalkbrenner joins Bernhard’s legal team and will work with developers on closing EaaS transactions. She joins Bernhard after 11 years as corporate counsel at VCC in Little Rock, Ark. and brings significant experience in recognizing, mitigating and resolving risk issues. She was awarded a Juris Doctor from the William H. Bowen School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is licensed to practice law in Arkansas and Texas.

With more than a decade of engineering experience, Workman joins Bernhard from Willdan Group where he was the Director of Project Development in the Performance Engineering Division. His new role will see him responsible for scoping cost savings opportunities and facility improvements for project development. He received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University California, and a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering with a specialization in energy systems from the University of Utah.