Lighthouse Consulting Group

Prior to establishing Lighthouse, Ms. Ayres was CEO of the National Independent Energy Producers where she played a leading role in framing the national debate over increased competition in the electric power industry. Previously, she had been the Director of Government Affairs for Champion International, a major forest products company.

She also served as a press and public affairs officer for the National Commission on Air Quality and as a staff member to the late Congressman William R. Cotter, a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and its Trade Subcommittee. Ms. Ayres began her career in journalism as a staff reporter at The Hartford Courant (CT). In addition, she served as a contributing reporter to the New York Times, Connecticut Section.

A prominent expert on energy issues, Ms. Ayres has testified before Congress and appeared before numerous industry and public policy forums. She has been quoted and profiled by national newspapers and leading industry publications, including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, National Journal, The Energy Daily, Independent Energy Magazine, Public Utilities Fortnightly and Association Management Magazine.

Ms. Ayres serves on the Board of Directors of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), a Michigan-based electric and gas utility. She is also a Board Member of the United States Energy Association (USEA). Her professional affiliations include: The Aspen Institute’s Energy Forum, the Edison Electric Institute, the World Affairs Council, and Eurelectric (the European Union of the Electricity Industry).

She is currently a member of the National Press Club, the Women’s Foreign Policy Group, and the Dean’s Alumni Leadership Council of the Harvard Kennedy School. She was previously a member of the Advisory Council of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Ms. Ayres is an honors graduate of Bryn Mawr College, holds a post-graduate degree from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and received advanced leadership training at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Before joining Lighthouse, Mr. Anderson served as Director of Legislative Affairs for the Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), where he guided government relations strategies for the competitive power supply industry. Prior to that, he directed government relations and served as Deputy Director for the National Independent Energy Producers (NIEP), one of two national trade groups that merged to form EPSA in 1996. While at NIEP, Mr. Anderson was a recognized leader in coalition efforts that led to enactment of the landmark Electricity Title of the Energy Policy Act of 1992.

Prior to joining NIEP, Mr. Anderson served as counsel and Legislative Director for United States Senator Kent Conrad (ND) while the Senator was a member of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. He was also a political volunteer and advisor in Conrad’s 1986 campaign that led to his election to the Senate, an upset race in which Conrad defeated a long-term incumbent.

Before coming to Washington, Mr. Anderson served as Assistant Attorney General for the North Dakota Tax Department, where he specialized in oil and gas tax litigation. During that time, Mr. Anderson argued and won a $6 million assessment case before the Supreme Court of North Dakota. He began his career as a law clerk for the Supreme Court of North Dakota.

Mr. Anderson, a recognized authority on the politics of energy and the environment, is a frequent speaker at related seminars and conferences. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the National Energy Resources Organization (NERO) in Washington. An accomplished writer, Mr. Anderson for many years authored the Lighthouse Washington Outlook, a weekly summary and analysis of energy and environmental issues, which Lighthouse produced for clients and subscribers.
Mr. Anderson holds an honors degree in Political Science and a J.D. from the University of North Dakota.

In that capacity, she directed all office functions, implemented company policies, and planned congressional visits for company executives. She routinely organized high-level meetings, including visits with Prime Ministers of various countries.

Ms. Wong graduated from the Hong Kong College, and earned a degree in Business Administration from the Hawaii Pacific University. Ms. Wong is fluent in Cantonese and conversant in Mandarin Chinese.