Our Management Team

Phillip P. Gennarelli - Austin, TX - President - pgennarelli@firstpowerenergy.net
Mr. Gennarelli manages the day-to-day commercial activities and has been active in sales, marketing and business development activities. Over those thirty years in senior management experience in the energy sector, he was associated with BP Amoco, Unocal, Reliant Energy/HL&P, Indeck Energy, Hadson Gas Systems, and Kinder Morgan/Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America (NGPL).  In the early ‘80s, he was selected by Midcon’s Chairman to participate in the American Gas Association’s Loaned Executive Program. Based in AGA’s Washington, DC headquarters, as AGA’s Manager of Regulatory Affairs he was instrumental in testifying and representing the trade association before the FERC, DOE, and Congress on several interstate natural gas pipeline open access initiatives (Order 436 et al) during the first Reagan administration.  He led several industry task forces that included Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA), Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA), financial institutions, and local PUC staffs.  As a Senior Vice President, he managed the fuel supply and transportation operations and development groups of several US energy companies: Hadson Gas Systems, Amoco Energy Trading, and Indeck Energy.  In addition to his domestic US experience, he was Vice President Business Development for the international business units of Reliant/HL&P’s Europe region and Unocal’s Europe/Middle East regions.  Mr. Gennarelli received his Professional Engineer license in Illinois, an MBA from Illinois Institute of Technology, and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University. 

Benny Jay – Chief Technology Officer - Austin, TX - benny.jay@firstpowerenergy.net
Educated in the natural sciences and engineering at Abilene Christian University, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Texas at Austin (B.S. Physics-magna cum laude; M.S. Engineering Mechanics - Tau Beta Pi), Mr. Jay has accumulated over forty years' experience in research, development and manufacturing, project management, commercial and military, domestic and international business development, SBU (i.e. P &L) management, and Corporate management in public companies, having allocated roughly equal amounts of his experience to each of these business disciplines. During a twenty-two year tenure at a NYSE Fortune 500 Company, his responsibilities ranged from engineer-scientist to Systems Engineering Manager in the research and development disciplines, Division Vice President for Business Development to Group Vice President for the $240 million Aerospace Group, and Corporate Vice President for Strategic Planning and Special Projects for the $700 million Corporation. His management experience includes SBU project, line and general management, acquisition, turn-around management and corporate-management. During his tenure as President and CEO of a new public Corporation founded by Jay in 1988 and listed on NASDAQ in 1992, the Company market capitalization appreciated 2200% within two years after listing and was recognized as one of the 100 fastest growing U.S. public companies in 1994.  In mid-1994, Jay turned over general management of the new Company to a joint-venture partner, and focused on setting up production of the first product.  The Company’s first advanced-battery product was recognized in 1996 by R & D Magazine as one of the 100 most Technologically Significant New Products of the year.  In August 1999, following a period of declining business, Jay was asked by the Board of Directors to resume his former position as President, CEO and Director of the Company. Under Jay’s leadership, the newly capitalized Company has been acquired by Eagle Picher Horizon Batteries, LLC, and is building new manufacturing facilities in China and the US in response to renewed, international demand for its advanced energy storage products Benny and wife Nancy have reared four children, all of whom live and follow their dreams in Austin, Texas.  

David Walden – Chief Development Officer – Austin, Texas - dave.walden@firstpowerenergy.net
Mr. Waldon is the President of Enterprise Utility Solutions, LLC of Austin, Texas.  He brings over 30 years of of experience in power generation and utility management. His previous experience included senior positions with Southern California Edison, Edison International, Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA), Innovari, and PA Consulting.  He is co-inventor of the Innovari Process Control System (PCS) System Integration module and related numerous patents.  While at SCPPA, he directed over 3,000 MWs of renewable energy deployment and integration, the first of its kind in the US. While at Innovari, he developed over 200 MWs of real-time demand-side load management, micro-grid applications, and batter energy storage in US and International markets.  Mr. Walden has a BS of Electrical Engineering from University of Redlands. 

Advisory Board

Tim Unger – Partner, Hunton Andrews & Kurth, LLP
Mr. Unger is a member of the Policy Committee and co-chair of the Business Transactions practice. Tim represents a variety of corporate and institutional clients. In recent years, his practice has focused on mergers and acquisitions and project development and financing, including project finance and structured finance as well as mergers and acquisitions primarily in the energy (both upstream, midstream and downstream) and chemical business both domestic and international. He has worked on numerous energy transactions in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Projects include acquisition and financing of oil and gas properties, pipelines, electric transmission, power generation, petrochemical, LNG, and renewable generation.  

Tim has been recognized as The Best Lawyers in America, Energy and Project Finance Law (2006-2014); Texas Super Lawyer in Securities and Corporate Finance and Energy & Natural Resources, Texas Monthly (2003-2009);Profiled as one of the leading Projects and Energy & Natural Resources lawyers in Texas and the United States, Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers(2005-2014); Profiled as one of the leading Project Finance lawyers, The US Legal 500 (2014); Who’s Who in the Project Finance Industry, International Who’s Who of Oil & Gas Lawyers (2005).