About US

Andreea Colosino, Office Manager

Andreea Colosino coordinates the operations of the US Wind Inc. main office and its various departments. She provides administrative support, maintains the company meetings and appointment schedule, manages office resources, and serves as our frontline greeter. With over five years of management experience, Andreea previously served as the Chief Operating Officer at Howard Johnson Hotels, which received “Best of the Best Hotels” awards consecutively during her tenure. Andreea earned her MBA and BA in Economics from Zaragoza University in Spain. Her support and coordination ensure the efficiency of our daily operations.

Benjamin Cooper, Director of Marine Affairs

CAPT Benjamin Cooper, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired), joins US Wind after a distinguished 30-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard. As Director of Marine Affairs, he is responsible for coordination of US Wind activities with federal, state, and local maritime agencies, commercial mariners, and recreational fishermen during project development, construction, and operations to support safe and productive shared use of the waterways in the vicinity of the US Wind Lease area. As a Coast Guard officer, CAPT Cooper last served as the Chief of Staff for District Nine in the Great Lakes region and is a former Sector Commander and Captain of the Port of Philadelphia. Ben has an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, and a Master of National Security and Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Naval War College.

Renée Cooper, Director of Operations

Renée Cooper specializes in developing and implementing corporate supplier diversity strategies that aim to achieve supply chain diversity and inclusion, meet customer expectations, and deliver internal results. In her role, she oversees administrative and human resources, information technology, develops Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), directs compliance efforts, and strategizes outreach initiatives. With over two decades of management and compliance experience, Renée previously served as the Director of Operations and Process Improvement for the Maryland Department of Transportation Office of Minority Business Enterprise. She has experience supervising certification officers’ training, conducting fraud investigations and commercially useful function audits, managing reporting, and grant administration. Renée remains an active member of the broader MBE community and maintains partnerships with various MBE stakeholders throughout the state of Maryland.

Renée earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Maryland.

Michael Dunmyer, Delaware Development Manager

Mike Dunmyer serves as the Delaware Development Manager for US Wind. Mike is an ocean environmentalist with an extensive business background. After a long career as a senior executive for a Fortune 50 company, he served as executive director for Ocean Champions, a bi-partisan political organization focused solely on ocean health. Mike was elected and served as a Commissioner in the Town of Dewey Beach, where he partnered with the Center for the Inland Bays to address Dewey’s tidal flooding problems. Mike served on the Board of Directors for the Center for the Inland Bays, and for the National Aquarium in Baltimore where he chaired their Conservation Committee. He is active with the Delaware Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, and serves as the President of the Greater Millsboro Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors.

Mike has an MBA from Duke University and a BA in Economics from Washington and Lee University.

Matthew Filippelli, Technical Director

Matt Filippelli joins US Wind from Natural Power Consultants, where he served as principal engineer & offshore services lead. Prior to Natural Power Matt worked at UL Renewables (previously AWS Truepower), where he was the director of offshore services and principal engineer. Matt has been active in the field of offshore wind energy engineering since 2003, with a particular focus on site assessment, wind technology, and project design. Matt’s work over the past 18 years has advanced wind projects across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Gener Gotiangco, Sr. Director of Transmission & Development

Gener Gotiangco is an energy industry professional with over 30 years of experience in Development, Operations, Asset Management, and Construction. Most recently, Gener was engaged as an advisor to several North American power generation companies and was Vice President of Operations for Kindle Energy, a Blackstone Portfolio Company, managing a 6000+ MW generation portfolio. Gener is experienced in development and transmission interconnection projects, which has included the development and operation of a number of onshore windfarms in the United States. During his career, Gener has served as an officer of a number of operating and development companies, involved in all facets of the project development and operation. Gener received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University and held a Virginia Professional Engineer’s license. Gener brings his strong technical background, expansive commercial and development experience to US Wind in support of interconnection efforts and the onshore elements of the US Wind development program.

Jeffrey Grybowski, Chief Executive Officer

Jeff is the Chief Executive Officer of US Wind, Inc. and a leader in the offshore wind industry in the United States.  He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Deepwater Wind from 2012-18, where he led the company’s pathbreaking efforts to launch the offshore wind industry in the United States.  He was intimately involved in the development of America’s first offshore wind farm, the Block Island Wind Farm. Under his leadership, the company developed a portfolio of 1,000 MW of awarded offshore wind revenue contracts, including the first offshore wind projects for the states of New York, Maryland, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. After the acquisition of Deepwater Wind by Ørsted, Jeff served as Co-CEO of Ørsted US Offshore Wind until 2019.

Jeff has served on the boards of a number of leading industry organizations, including the American Wind Energy Association, the National Ocean Industries Association, the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook University, and Roger Williams University.

Jeff previously served as Chief of Staff to the Governor of the State of Rhode Island and practiced corporate law at Hinckley, Allen & Snyder in Providence, Rhode Island and at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York, New York.

Jeff earned an A.B. with Honors in Public Policy from Brown University and a J.D. with High Honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.

David R. Hang, Chief Operating Officer

David is the Chief Operating Officer of US Wind and joined the team in October 2021. He has worked in the private equity and renewable industries for nearly 25 years, having held positions at the private equity groups of J.P. Morgan and the D. E. Shaw group. While at the D. E. Shaw group, David was responsible for the investment in Deepwater Wind where he served as a Board Member and CFO. He was responsible for the contracting and financing of the Block Island Wind Farm, the first offshore wind farm in the United States. Upon the sale of Deepwater Wind to Orsted, David became the President of Orsted’s U.S. Offshore Wind business until December 2019 where he oversaw all US offshore wind development activities.

David serves on several corporate and non-profit boards, including the boards of the Dorado Beach Resort, a portfolio of the Metro Development Group, Delta Biofuel and Choate Rosemary Hall. David earned a B.S. in Commerce with Distinction from the University of Virginia

Chris Hanrahan, Finance & Development Director

Chris Hanrahan serves as the Finance & Development Director for US Wind. Chris supports US Wind’s executive team through financial analysis, investor relations, and project finance. Prior to joining US Wind, he worked in Pine Gate Renewables’ Project Finance department raising tax equity, permanent debt, and construction financing for utility-scale solar projects in the North America. Chris also worked for Barings Private Equity Real Assets as a financial analyst and evaluated large scale infrastructure investment opportunities. Chris has a BA from Davidson College.

Laurie Jodziewicz, Sr. Director of Environmental Affairs

Laurie Jodziewicz joins US Wind from Kindle Energy, a Blackstone portfolio company, where she served as Vice President, Environmental. Earlier in her career, she worked as Director of Permitting for offshore wind at NRG Energy when they proposed an offshore wind project for the Delaware lease area, and on permitting and regulatory issues at the American Wind Energy Association. She brings more than 20 years of experience in both onshore and offshore wind permitting, regulatory issues, and environmental consulting to the US Wind team.

Timothy Mack, Foundation Package & Localization Manager

Tim joins US Wind from EEW AOS, LLC, where he most recently served as US Business Development Manager for Offshore Wind. Mack brings 25 years of experience in the steel industry and 14 years of experience in the offshore energy industry to the US Wind team. His vast knowledge and experience in working with wind developers, labor unions, government officials, steel manufacturers, and technology and service providers makes him uniquely positioned to advance US Wind’s development efforts.

Albert Ploeg, Construction Manager

With over 35 years of experience in offshore engineering and construction including 16 years in the offshore wind sector, Albert Ploeg is a leader in the design and installation of offshore structures and offers a unique combination of engineering skills and hands-on construction experience. In 2005, while an engineering manager at Shell Wind Energy, Albert became responsible for foundations design and all offshore construction activities of the first Dutch offshore wind park, Noordzeewind. In 2009 he became Engineering Manager Offshore for Vattenfall. From 2011 – 2014, Albert acted as Independent Engineer for the DOE on the Cape Wind project. In 2016, Albert was Turbine Installation Manager for Deepwater Wind, building the first offshore wind park in the US near Block Island. For HSM, Albert was responsible for all marine operations related to installation of the Borssele-A OSS. In recent years Albert has worked as Construction Manager for Westermeerwind and Package Manager balance-of-plant for Windpark Fryslan. In 2020, he worked in the Shell Mayflower team as T&I manager.

Paolo Sammartino, Executive Vice President

With a doctorate in geological studies and subsurface modeling and 15+ years in renewable energy business development, Paolo brings his vision for offshore wind in the US and passion for renewables to launch a new industry in offshore wind for the US. Paolo leads the team in evaluating new opportunities and is the leader for the team in participating in lease auctioning process for offshore wind development sites around the globe. Paolo received his BS in Computer Science, his Masters in Geology and Geotechnical Science, and his PhD from D’Annunzio University in Chieti, Italy.

Maynard Smith, Maryland Business Engagement Manager

Maynard Smith is a business development and diversity & compliance consulting expert, having supported diversity inclusion projects for MGM National Harbor, Woodrow Wilson Bridge, Prince George’s County Maryland Supplier Development & Diversity Division, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cyber Security Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and 2020 Black Farmers’ Cooperative. Maynard volunteers on several community boards, including the Family Justice Center and Progressive Life Center of Prince George’s County, Maryland, and Visit Baltimore. Maynard is also a member of the NAACP Baltimore, Prince George’s County Supplier Development & Diversity Division, Southern Maryland Minority Chamber of Commerce, Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council, Bi-County Roundtable, and People for Change.

Maynard holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and a Master of Business Management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California.

Nancy Sopko, Sr. Director of External Affairs

Nancy Sopko is the Sr. Director of External Affairs at US Wind, Inc. In this role, Nancy leads the company’s government and public affairs initiatives, including key stakeholder outreach. Prior to joining US Wind, Nancy was the Executive Director at the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind (SIOW), an independent project at the University of Delaware where she led the industry’s collective engagement with the commercial fishing industry and, among other things, served as the Developer Coordinator on the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance’s (RODA’s) Joint Industry Task Force. Nancy has also been the director of offshore wind at the American Wind Energy Association; a policy advocate at Oceana, a nonprofit ocean conservation group; legislative counsel to former U.S. Rep. John Adler (NJ-03); counsel to the NJ Senate Judiciary Committee; counsel in the NJ Office of Legislative Services; and as staff attorney at Legal Services of Northwest Jersey. She is barred to practice law in the State of New Jersey.

Todd Sumner, Director of Permitting

Todd has a robust background and experience in the permitting and responsible siting of complicated project developments both as an environmental lawyer, consultant, and as a governmental affairs advocate. He has been engaged with the advancement of renewable energy policy and the growing US offshore wind industry for over a decade. As the Director of Permitting, Todd will play a critical role in assisting US Wind to secure the vast permitting and regulatory approvals from a myriad of governmental agencies as well as leading collaboration and outreach efforts with other resource stakeholders. Prior to joining US Wind Todd worked at an international law firm, a state regulatory agency and as a governmental affairs representative. Todd received his BS in Biology from Florida State University. He received his law degree from the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. Todd also received a Master of Law in Ocean and Coastal Law from the University of Miami.

Riccardo Toto, Director and President

Innovator and entrepreneur. Riccardo manages the company’s portfolio of offshore wind projects and oversees contracting and investor relations. As sole director and president of US Wind, Riccardo brings his 15+ years of experience in the fields of finance, corporate management and business to launch a new industry and Silicon Valley for Offshore Wind in the US. Riccardo has successfully led start-up companies in the aviation and renewable energy sectors, serving in previous roles as CEO of EAS and Managing Director of Air One. Riccardo is a graduate of the Institute for Technical Geometer in Foggia, Italy.

Salvo Vitale, General Counsel

With a strong background of over 15 years of legal experience in the areas of corporate governance, business law and extraordinary transactions, Salvo has worked in the fields of international commercial law and renewable energy. Salvo is responsible for the organization of the company in terms of general strategy, commercial development, operational structure and financial results. In addition to the above, he oversees all contracts, business commitments, formal legal arrangements and agreements for the portfolio of projects in the US and Europe. In 2023, Salvo was appointed by Governor Wes Moore to the Maryland Clean Energy Center’s Board of Directors. Salvo joined the Toto Group in 2011 and previously practiced law in Rome, Italy at Bonelli Erede law firm. Salvo attended Guido Carli International University (LUISS) in Rome, Italy, where he earned his Master Degree in Law and PhD in Commercial Law.

David Wilson, Maryland Development Manager

A longtime resident of Worcester County, Maryland, Dave Wilson has spent the past 28 years building bipartisan relationships with both businesses and the conservation community to restore the coastal bays watershed, promote tourism, and protect wildlife. He served as both public outreach coordinator of the Maryland Coastal Bays Program and as executive director of this National Estuary Program. Throughout his 18-year tenure, he collaborated extensively with media, elected officials, recreational and commercial fishermen, developers, scientists, and residents on projects benefiting Ocean City, Maryland, and the surrounding area.

Fluent in Spanish, Dave is the Vice President of Focus Conservation Fund and he sits on the Maryland Sea Grant External Advisory Committee. Dave is also the Breeding Bird Atlas Coordinator for Worcester County, a member of the Lower Shore Workforce Alliance’s Workforce Development Board, and the emeritus director of Delmarva Low Impact Tourism Experiences.

Dave holds a BS from Penn State University and an MA from Boston College. His family has owned residential and commercial property in downtown Ocean City, Maryland, since the late 1980s.

COMPANY HISTORY

US Wind was founded in 2011 and has established itself as Maryland’s leader in offshore wind development. In 2014, US Wind acquired an 80,000-acre federal Lease area off the coast of Maryland, which has the potential to generate more than 1,800 MW in offshore wind power. In 2017, Maryland approved the company’s 300 MW MarWin project and, in 2021, the state approved the 808 MW Momentum Wind project.

US Wind is majority-owned by Renexia SpA, a leader in renewable energy development in Italy and a subsidiary of Toto Holding SpA. Toto Holding SpA has more than 40 years of experience specializing in large construction and infrastructure projects, primarily in the energy, transportation, and aviation sectors. In 2020, Apollo Global Management became strategic investors in US Wind.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
410.727.4020
info@uswindinc.com

MAILING ADDRESS:
US Wind Inc.
World Trade Center
401 East Pratt Street, Suite 1810
Baltimore, MD 21202