About

Jim Saber is President & CEO at NextEnergy. Saber previously lead the business and technology development and demonstration activities to support commercialization and business growth of NextEnergy’s advanced energy clients and stakeholders. Saber’s experience includes the development of over $150 million in technology development and demonstration programs within e-Mobility, Smart Grid, Buildings and Infrastructure, MicroGrids, Energy Storage, Renewable Energy, and Alternative Fuels. He has lead NextEnergy’s work in establishing new technology development and demonstration platforms within next generation energy efficiency and transportation applications. Prior to joining NextEnergy, Saber spent more than a decade in the energy-storage industry, where he held product- and business-development positions with Fortune 500 and start-up companies. Jim holds a B. S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Lawrence Technological University.

Angella Durkin is COO at NextEnergy. Durkin joined NextEnergy in 2015 as Vice President of Finance and Administration. Since that time she has established herself as a key leader at NextEnergy with a broad capacity for operations including accounting and finance, administration, human resources, project management and program compliance. In 2018, she was named Chief Operating Officer of the organization. Prior to joining NextEnergy, she held several positions in finance and accounting during her eight years at Delphi. As manager, global liquidity & America’s treasurer at Delphi, Durkin was responsible for global financial forecasting and funding strategy. Durkin interned at Henkel Technologies, where she assisted the global sales and marketing team on a project focused on redefining customer profitability and implementing new market challenges. She also served four years at Plante & Moran where she provided clients with assurance and consulting services. Durkin holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Central Michigan University, and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Durkin participated in the American Heritage Association Exchange Program at Universita Degli Studi de Macerata in Macerata, Italy.

Latonya Binford is the Accountant at NextEnergy. Binford has years of experience in financial analysis. In the past, she served as a Budget Analyst at Wayne State University where she analyzed and created budgets for university-wide central revenue and expenditure sources. She also served as a Business Analyst at Compuware Corporation where she reported financial data used in European negotiations for a major automotive customer. Binford holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration in Accounting from Central Michigan University and she is currently pursuing an MBA from the University of Detroit Mercy. She is also a member of the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers.

David Jackson is Director, Business Development and Industry Partnerships at NextEnergy. In this role he leads NextEnergy’s business Development strategies with solution partners in the private and public sectors.

Jackson is an accomplished energy executive management professional with leadership experience in business development, sales and marketing and engineering. During his time with industry leaders Siemens, Schneider Electric, and DTE Energy his teams deployed or were awarded 56 projects with a total capacity of 485 MW in 15 countries.

His energy experience included working on compressed energy storage, wind, fuel cells, hybrid plant solutions, decentralized power generation, micro hydro, and industrial plant monitoring solutions. He has consulted and orchestrated energy projects with 240 of the Fortune 500.

Jackson holds a BA in Economics and Business Administration from Hanover College in Indiana. Throughout his career, his projects have received numerous energy awards.

Alisha Kiovanni is the administrative assistant at NextEnergy. Kiovanni has years of experience as an administrative professional providing high level administrative support to managers and executives by determining their requirements along with executing tasks and projects within deadlines. Kiovanni also has vast experience in office management and project coordination while demonstrating proficient multitasking skills, exceptional communication and customer service acumen.

Kiovanni holds a certification in entrepreneurial business management, a culinary degree with a specialization in pastry arts, and was the proprietor of Alisha K’s Signature Cheesecake for over 10 years.

Eric McDonald is Director, Facilities and Infrastructure Development at NextEnergy where he is responsible for upgrades to the infrastructure and ongoing operation of NextEnergy’s campus. McDonald has over twenty years experience in management of capital improvements and infrastructure development and redevelopment for major construction managers and property owners. He has been involved on a diversity of projects including complete mechanical and electrical upgrades to industrial and commercial buildings; industrial backup power generation; civil, commercial,and industrial construction; landfill inspection and planning; and environmental remediation. McDonald has a Bachelor of Arts in Design from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Wayne State University and is a LEED Accredited Professional.