ARES Management Team
Francesca Cava, COO of ARES, shares this, "The genesis of ARES was in response to the global environmental challenges facing our planet. How can we provide energy without continued contribution to global climate change and how can we reduce our need to use one of our most precious natural resources, water. ARES innovative use of gravity for energy storage emerged to both reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and our use of water. Our company believes that we have a responsibility to help guarantee a reliable electric grid AND to help protect our environment. With this approach, ARES promotes the concept of environmental integrity in our business model."
Meet the ARES management team:
James Kelly, Chief Executive Officer – James Kelly worked at Edison International for 38 years. Prior to his retirement he was the Senior Vice President of Transmission & Distribution for Southern California Edison (SCE), and was responsible for the operation and maintenance of an electrical grid comprised of about 12,000 miles of transmission and 100,000 miles of distribution lines spread across a 50,000-square-mile service area.
Mr. Kelly was also President of Edison ESI, a subsidiary company that operates one of the largest electrical and mechanical repair facilities in the U.S. Prior to that position, Mr. Kelly was the Vice President of Engineering & Technical Services, responsible for planning, engineering, and designing SCE's electrical grid, as well as research and development, safety and training.
Francesca Cava, Chief Operating Officer and Board member for ARES – Prior to this position, she served as the Arctic Policy Project Manager for the Aspen Institute Dialogue and Commission on Arctic Climate Change. She also served as the ocean literacy project manager at the National Geographic Society and was a submersible pilot and project manager for the 5-year exploration of the ocean during the Sustainable Seas Expeditions.
She was appointed as a Coastal Commissioner on the California Coastal Commission for 4 years. Additionally, she completed a 21-year career in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA], where she served as the Director of the U.S. National Marine Sanctuary and National Estuarine Research Reserve Programs, overseeing over 200 employees.
William Peitzke, Founder and Director of Technology Development and Board member for ARES – Bill has 29 years of experience in the energy business. He founded Williams Resources Corporation, a California company providing a wide range of energy, strategic alliance and project conceptualization services in the deregulated California utility marketplace.
In the mid-1980's he pioneered private brokering of long-term natural gas contracts to large co-generation facilities in California as well as providing the enabling economic studies for many significant pipeline expansions and generation facility acquisitions. Before deregulation of the California gas and electricity marketplace, his investment banking practice successfully consummated the sale of numerous large oil and gas reserve packages including major utility natural gas reserve portfolios.
Matt Brown, Director, Engineering and Board member for ARES – As President of Matt Brown Performance Design, Mr. Brown provided advanced concept design and managed prototype construction, testing and analysis for clients including Clipper Windpower, Gyroton and Aquantis.
Mr. Brown provided engineering, construction supervision and testing of an experimental, wave-piercing boat for Transonic Hull Company; and both designed and engineered racing yachts for Reichel-Pugh Yacht Design. As Vice President of Engineering for CBTF Co., co-invented, designed, engineered, tested and brought to market the patented Canting Ballast Twin Foil (CBTF) for sailboats; and designed and tested the M-Ship. As Associate Designer for Advanced Aeromechanisms Corp., provided engineering design, construction supervision and testing for both the 1992 and 1995 America's Cup Race entry Stars and Stripes.