Management Team
Navasota Energy is run by a team of experienced, professional managers with broad industry experience.
Executives
President Frank Giacalone coo@navasotaenergy.com
As a principle owner of Navasota Energy, Frank Giacalone guides Navasota Energy as it focuses on the development of new power and energy assets and as it seeks to acquire specific assets from the portfolio shifting that has driven the power industry in recent years. With a focus on electric energy in both retail and wholesale markets, Giacalone’s 25 years of executive and management industry experience includes commercial and technical assignments. His extensive background in the natural gas and electric power industries consists of executive management of geographically dispersed organizations, business and asset development, acquisitions and divestitures of power assets and companies, financial structuring, investment management and enterprise restructuring.
Prior to forming Navasota Energy, Montgomery Energy, and Montgomery Resources, Giacalone served as Vice President of Development and Asset Management for NRG Energy Inc. where he led expansion efforts in south and southwest wholesale power markets. Giacalone had similar success as SVP and Chief Development Officer of CHI Energy, Inc. where, as executive team member, he saw the company move from bankruptcy to profitability and successful sale to Italian utility ENEL. Frank has similar executive experience with companies such as JWP, Tenneco, and General Electric.
Chief Financial Officer Dan Hudson cfo@navasotaenergy.com
Dan Hudson is a principal owner of Navasota Energy, as well as Managing Member and CFO of Navasota Energy Partners LP and Navasota Holdings Texas Partners LP. He is responsible for M&A, capital formation/ management from private equity, third party debt and equity-raising. During 18 years of industry experience, Hudson has focused on wholesale electric and gas markets. His background includes asset acquisition and divestiture strategies, implementation and financing at Navigant Consulting, Duke Energy North America and NRG Energy. Hudson has successfully completed electric generation and gas transmission asset acquisitions totaling in excess of $10 billion including asset valuation, due diligence, purchase and sale agreement negotiations, and transition closing activities. His experience also includes financing more than $7 billion for power and gas assets via bond offerings, traditional project financing, fixed income trusts, construction loan revolvers and large corporate credit facilities.
Prior to joining Navigant, Hudson served as Managing Director of Acquisitions and Divestitures for Duke where he led the company’s acquisition and divestiture program. Hudson’s industry achievements also include his role as VP of NRG Energy where, as executive team member, he was responsible for the company’s Energy Markets group which included acquisitions, electric trading, origination, acquisition implementation and integration, and financing support.
Officers
Vice President of Construction Kyle Woodruff KWoodruff@navasotaenergy.com
As Vice President of Construction, Kyle Woodruff oversees construction for the company, including the recent completion of the 275 MW Phase I Wharton and the 275 MW Phase I Odessa projects. Presently Woodruff has oversight of the ongoing construction of the two 275 MW Phase II expansions at Wharton and Odessa. He also provides site evaluations, preliminary construction estimates, constructability reviews and other construction support for projects under development by Navasota.
Woodruff has over 25 years of engineering and construction experience in the electrical generation business with 15 years in the IPP business. Prior to joining Navasota, Woodruff was Vice President of Engineering and Construction for Panda Ethanol, Inc. where he was responsible for the engineering and construction of a 100 MMGY ethanol plant with a 250,000 lb/hr refuse boiler fueled by manure in Hereford, Texas. He also oversaw Panda’s merchant electrical power projects, including the 2300 MW Panda Gila River project and the 2300 MW Union Power Partners project. As Senior Project Director of Project Development, Woodruff developed the $1.1 billion, 2300 MW Union Power Partners project in Union County, Arkansas. Woodruff served as VP of Operations for Panda and as Project Engineering Manager on Panda’s Luannan Power Plant, a 100 MW coal fired cogeneration facility located in China. Woodruff was Senior Mechanical Engineer for CSW Energy and worked as Project Engineer for Sargent and Lundy performing capital improvement projects for gas and lignite fired power plants. He served as Start-up and Results Engineer for the Lower Colorado River Authority at their 1600 MW coal fired power plant in Texas.
Woodruff graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and is a Registered Professional Engineer.
Vice President of Engineering and Operations Dee Woodruff DWoodruff@navasotaenergy.com
As Vice President of Engineering and Operations, Woodruff provides construction and engineering project management from conception to the completion of a project. This involves aiding clients with the selection of design professionals; coordinating clients, architects, and design professionals; overseeing estimating, value engineering and scheduling; reviewing construction documents for quality assurance; assisting in the contractor bid process and evaluation; and providing contractor process oversight.
Woodruff’s experience includes 25 years as a Professional Engineer in the Petro Chemical and Energy industry. Her project management experience, spanning from plant retrofits to construction of 1200+ MW plants, combines for more than $3 billion in construction projects.
Woodruff holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&I University.
Vice President of Process Design and Technology Bill Skinner BSkinner@navasotaenergy.com
As Vice President of Process Design and Technology at Navasota, Skinner provides engineering support to all existing operating, construction, and development projects.
Skinner has over thirty years of experience in the chemical and energy industries as an engineer, plant manager, and constructor. Before joining the Navasota companies, Skinner worked for multinational corporations such as Allied Chemical, Tenneco, Lonza AG, Enel Spa, and Jacobs Engineering. He has been involved in the operation, design, and construction of chemical, petrochemical, pulp and paper, and power plants in North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East.
Skinner received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson College of Technology and a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Syracuse University. He is also a Registered Professional Engineer.
Vice President of Purchasing Howard Duckworth Hduckworth@navasotaenergy.com
Howard Duckworth is Vice President of Purchasing for Navasota Odessa and Navasota Wharton. He is responsible for all procurement functions.
Duckworth has over 28 years of engineering, commercial, finance, and supply chain operations experience, specializing in purchasing and contract management. Before joining the Navasota companies, Duckworth provided PB Power purchasing management support for a variety of projects. Prior to PB Power, he served as purchasing manager for materials and services at Sasol North America. In this capacity, Duckworth was responsible for developing and implementing corporate strategies to optimize plant and ex-plant purchasing for North America.
Duckworth received his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Oklahoma State University and is a member of the National Association of Purchasing Managers.
Vice President of Energy Markets Vignesh Gulasingam vignesh@navasotaenergy.com
As Vice President of Energy Markets for Navasota Odessa and Navasota Wharton, Vignesh Gulasingam is responsible for all energy market related strategic and commercial activities for the Navasota companies.
Gulasingam has 14 years of experience in the energy industry with a focus on wholesale electric markets. Prior to joining the Navasota companies, he worked at Navigant Consulting where he successfully advised numerous financial and strategic investors in several recent generation asset/ portfolio transactions, representing clients both on the buy-side and sell-side of transactions. Gulasingam previously served as a Manager in the Utilities Practice at Accenture where his primary responsibility was to support strategic trading and risk management activities.
Before joining Accenture, he held various managerial roles at Entergy Corporation where he performed competitive analysis, power market analysis, price forecasting, pricing and structuring, portfolio optimization, strategic planning, litigation, and regulatory studies.
Gulasingam received his Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma.
Vice President of Finance and Controller Kurt Keller kkeller@navasotaenergy.com
Vice President of Finance and Controller for Navasota Odessa and Navasota Wharton, Kurt Keller is responsible for the accounting and financial reporting, as well as the treasury functions of the Navasota companies. He also assists with M&A and capital raising activities.
Keller has more than 13 years of financial analysis experience with a focus in the energy industry. Before joining the Navasota companies, he worked for 7 years at Deloitte Financial Advisory Services where he performed corporate and asset valuations, provided litigation support on construction and energy projects, and assisted buyers and sellers in M&A transactions. Prior to Deloitte, Keller spent two years at Sonat Energy Services serving as project manager in business development and risk strategy for long-term gas supply contracts and structured commodity transactions. He has additional work experience as a sell-side securities analyst for an investment bank, and as a project accountant and treasury analyst for an engineering firm focused on the electric utility industry.
Keller received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Baylor University and graduated with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Vanderbilt University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Vice President of Asset Management Andy Morris andy.morris@navasotaenergy.com
As Vice President of Asset Management for Navasota Odessa and Navasota Wharton, Andy Morris is responsible for optimizing asset performance and new generation development. Morris has over 18 years of professional experience, 8 of which have been in the energy industry with a focus on wholesale electric and gas markets. His experience includes asset management, mergers and acquisitions, asset acquisitions and divestitures.
Prior to joining Navasota companies, Morris held management roles at Entergy Corporation, Duke Energy, and Navigant Consulting. His experience also includes engineering and environmental consulting.
Morris holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Virginia and a Master’s in Business Administration from Emory University. He is a Registered Professional Engineer.
Vice President of Asset Management Chandler Morris cmorris@navasotaenergy.com
Chandler Morris is Vice President of Asset Management for Navasota Odessa and Navasota Wharton. In this position, Morris is responsible for optimizing asset performance and new generation development.
Morris has 10 years of experience in the energy industry with a focus on the wholesale natural gas and electric markets. His experience includes power plant development, asset acquisition and divestitures, and marketing and brokering energy derivatives.
Before joining the Navasota companies, Morris brokered natural gas basis and NYMEX options for Choice Energy. Prior to Choice, he managed asset acquisition and divestiture due diligence teams at Duke Energy North America and was a project developer of natural gas combined cycle and simple cycle power plants.
Morris received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Kansas and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Denver.
Management
Financial Analyst Lee Gyomlai LGyomlai@navasotaenergy.com
Financial Analyst for Navasota Odessa and Navasota Wharton, Lee Gyomlai is responsible for accounting and financial analysis, reconciliation of accounts payable, and business analysis. He provides research and resolution of accounting related issues, develops financial models, and develops accounting policy for field locations including managing field accounting personnel.
Prior to joining Navasota Energy, Gyomlai served in the United States Air Force in the field of Avionics Technology where he performed as team leader for aircraft component operations. His work experience includes training and supervising incoming avionics personnel, and supply chain management for fighter aircraft components.
Gyomlai received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Mount Olive College in North Carolina. He also holds an Associate’s of Applied Science in Avionics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force and an Associate’s of Applied Science in Electronics Engineering Technology from ITT Technical Institute.
Purchasing and Procurement Mike Robinson jmiker@navasotaenergy.com
As a member of the Purchasing and Procurement team at Navasota, Mike Robinson assists the VP of Purchasing. His responsibilities include: tracking and expediting capital equipment purchase orders, coordinating incoming shipments between vendors and job sites, and purchasing and expediting spare parts. In addition to these activities, Robinson is also responsible for the logistics associated with keeping Navasota’s corporate office operational.
Prior to joining Navasota, Robinson spent more than 20 years gaining management experience in the food industry as a pastry chef. Before moving to Texas, Robinson served as Purchasing Agent for an OEM manufacturer in the Boston area.
Office Manager Dava Gordy Dgordy@navasotaenergy.com
As Office Manager for Navasota Energy Partners, Dava Gordy is responsible for building maintenance, new construction projects, executive support, inventory control, and coordination of office activities.
Gordy brings 18 years of professional experience in the areas of office management, accounting, security, and customer service, as well as 13 years of law enforcement experience. Prior to joining Navasota Energy, Dava worked for National Oilwell Varco, Arco Chemical, AIMCO, and JMA Properties. She is also a Background Investigator with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Division.
Gordy received her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Texas at Tyler.
Commercial Asset Manager Christie Wynn cwynn@navasotaenergy.com
As Commercial Asset Manager, Christie Wynn provides administrative assistance to Navasota’s Asset Management Team. Her specific duties include organizing and recording documents, facilitating and documenting communication between team members, compiling weekly reports, reviewing outside reports for accuracy, and other administrative tasks.
Before joining Navasota, Wynn served as Project Manager at Fast Track Specialties where she provided quotes and managed and scheduled installation of commercial equipment. She also performed administrative tasks such as billing, filing, organizing equipment, and managing office communication. Wynn also has background in teaching and early childhood development.
Project Administrator Ben Giacalone Benjg@navasotaenergy.com
As Project Administrator at Navasota, Ben Giacalone handles invoice tracking, maintenance of project websites, as well as oversight of computer equipment and software purchases. Giacalone’s background in administrative support and management includes 5 years in charge of project administration support for the $400 million construction company, Hale-Mills Construction, Inc. In this role he was primarily responsible for scheduling multiple projects totaling up to $350 million using Primavera Software. He also oversaw the use of project management software to streamline invoice tracking, PO’s and CO’s, RFP’s, email, and more.
Giacalone also spent 15 years at Schwan’s/Tony’s Red Barron Foods where he developed and utilized an inventory ordering program for the $8 million food warehouse, managed shipping and receiving, as well as truck and personnel schedules.
In addition to these roles, Giacalone is also the owner of Eagle Enterprises of Texas, LLC which has provided computer support services to small office networks for 20 years.
