Dennis G. Fotinos, 2008-2009 chair of the
International District Energy Association,
is president and chief executive officer
of Enwave Energy Corp. in Toronto, Ont.
He joined IDEA in 1998 and has served
on its board of directors since 2004.
Enwave was named IDEA’s System of the
Year in 1999.
Robert P. Thornton is president of the
International District Energy Association,
a position he has held since 2000. Prior
to taking on this role, he was an IDEA
member for nearly 13 years, heading the
organization’s marketing committee before
joining its board of directors and finally
serving as IDEA chair from 1998 to 2000.
In 2006, Rob was named IDEA’s person
of the year, receiving the association’s
Norman R. Taylor Award.
Juan M. Ontiveros, PE, is chair-elect of the
International District Energy Association,
nominated to head the organization for
2009-2010. Juan is executive director of
utilities and energy management at the
University of Texas at Austin. He has been
an IDEA member since 1999 and joined
the board in 2003.
Within a year of becoming IDEA president, Rob briefed President George W. Bush on the benefits of district energy during a tour of District Energy St. Paul’s combined heat and power facility. Rob continues to work closely with the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Commerce, EPA and many other federal agencies and industry organizations. He has presented before Congressional staff and frequently supports industry legislative initiatives on Capitol Hill and nationwide.
At the helm of Enwave since 2001, Dennis
directs and manages the largest district
energy company in Canada and one of the
largest in North America, which supplies
heating and cooling services to more than
140 buildings in downtown Toronto. He
oversaw development of the company’s
renowned deep lake water cooling system.
Dennis became chair of the Toronto
District Heating Corp. in 1998 and led
the corporate reorganization creating the
private company known today as Enwave.
In 2000, he became Enwave’s executive
vice president, business development,
repositioning the company as an environmentally friendly energy provider. Prior to
working in district energy, Dennis served
as an elected member of regional and
local governments in the city of Toronto.
Juan oversees planning, operations and
maintenance for UT Austin’s campus utility
systems. They include district energy and
combined heat and power systems providing steam, chilled water and electricity
to 200 buildings totaling 16 million sq ft
of space. During his 11-year tenure at UT
Austin, Juan has directed several major
utility improvements, raising overall CHP
system efficiency to exceed 80 percent
and expanding capacity to serve 18 percent more square feet of building space
while increasing energy use just 2 percent.
Rob also is actively involved with Euroheat
& Power and is part of the International
Energy Agency’s International CHP/DHC
Collaborative.
Prior to his work at UT Austin, Juan was
facilities services director at the University
of Texas at El Paso. Previously he operated
and maintained test facilities as engineering department manager for Dynaspan
Services Co.
Dennis is also on the board of the
Canadian District Energy Association.
He earned an MBA from the Kellogg
School of Management-Schulich School
of Business program at York University,
and he holds a bachelor of arts degree
in international relations from the
University of Toronto. His email address
is dfotinos@enwave.com.
Previously Rob was president and chief
operating officer of Northwind Boston
LLC; director of sales and marketing for
Cleveland Energy Resources in Cleveland,
Ohio; and in charge of business develop-ment at Energy Networks Inc. (Hartford
Steam Co.) in Hartford, Conn.
A longtime member of APPA, Juan is on
the faculty of the organization’s Institute
for Facilities Management. He is a member and past president of the Texas
Association of Physical Plant Administrators
of Universities and Colleges.
Rob graduated with a bachelor’s degree
from Tufts University in Massachusetts. His
email is rob.idea@districtenergy.org.
Juan holds bachelor and master of science
degrees in mechanical engineering from
the University of Texas at El Paso. His email
is Juan.Ontiveros@austin.utexas.edu.
