Education Session
Energy companies are balancing growing demand with changing expectations around sustainability, reliability, and affordability. This panel will explore how organizations are building diverse energy portfolios and navigating the opportunities and challenges presented by the ongoing energy transition.
Vanessa received her master’s in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and has over 13 years of experience in energy, education, and nonprofit leadership. She has worked across the public and private sectors to advance pragmatic, bipartisan energy solutions grounded in data, stakeholder collaboration, and responsible resource development.
Over the past year, Vanessa has focused on advancing geothermal energy policy at the state, local, and federal levels—coordinating cross-sector engagement, supporting policymakers with technical and market insights, and building coalitions among industry, Tribal governments, agencies, and community partners to accelerate responsible geothermal deployment. She also leads national education and outreach initiatives, including workforce development programs, student mentorship and scholarship efforts, and regional geothermal education events designed to strengthen the talent pipeline and broaden industry participation across the United States.
With over two decades of experience as a Landman in oil and gas, renewables, and other alternative energies, Natalie brings an ability to see how each different energy sector works independently and how they can be strategically woven together to power the next generation of infrastructure. As Director of Alternative Energies & Infrastructure at Dudley Land Company she has helped build a thriving national practice with a portfolio of projects for premier energy and infrastructure companies nationwide. Natalie also serves as a Managing Director for Seven Ranges Development, helping derisk and develop properties for future data center locations. Personally, she is an adopted mother of two grown daughters, a grandmother, mentors young adults and professionals, and is a proud Rotarian. She believes that What We Do Matters and the strongest legacy we can leave is built through service to others and intentional sharing of our most precious asset, time.
Kara Altenbaumer-Price is a securities litigator turned executive risk insurance broker. After seven years practicing law at Hughes & Luce and Andrews Kurth in Dallas, Kara decided to take a short detour to the world of executive risk consulting and insurance while she expanded her family. That detour has now lasted almost 15 years. After leaving law practice, she spent almost ten years at USI Southwest where she led the Executive & Professional Services practice. As team lead, she personally handled many of the group’s more challenging clients, such as those with tough balance sheets, claims history, new IPOs, and hard-to-place industry classes. In late 2019, she decided to transition to sales, joining insurance broker McGriff as a producer in the Executive Risk Advisor practice. Between her insurance brokerage career and prior legal practice, she has developed a unique expertise in management liability insurance with a keen understanding of how to marry coverage terms with how management liability insurance ultimately gets utilized by companies. She is cum laude graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and a summa cum laude graduate of Texas Tech School of Law. Kara offices in Dallas.
