Louis W. Blessing

As the only professional engineer and NSPE-Ohio member currently in the legislature, State Senator Bill Blessing will be sharing an overview of what has been accomplished so far in the 136th General Assembly and provide a closer look at legislation specifically impacting PEs in Ohio.

Participants will learn:

• An overview of important legislation from the 136th General Assembly.
• Legislation in Ohio specifically impacting PEs.

Biography:

State Senator Louis W. Blessing, III, PE, is serving his first term in the Ohio Senate. He currently represents Ohio's 8th Senate District, which encompasses a portion of Hamilton County.

He began his career in the legislature serving as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, representing the 29th Ohio House District.

Senator Blessing has an extensive background in electrical engineering. He currently works as an engineer at Super Systems, Inc. in Cincinnati and previously worked at Duke Energy and Nova Engineering.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering at the University of Cincinnati. The Senator is a licensed professional engineer and is a member of the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers. He currently resides in Colerain Township with his wife Heather and their three sons.

Sydney Sanders

The General Assembly often enacts legislation granting executive branch agencies authority to adopt administrative rules to carry out certain policies or to administer programs. This presentation will provide an overview of the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) and the legislature’s role in the administrative rulemaking process.

Participants will learn:

• To understand the administrative rulemaking process and its importance in Ohio.
• The legislatu

Biography:

Sydney Sanders is the director of policy and communications for Governmental Policy Group, Inc. Sanders is a graduate of Xavier University where she studied political science and communications. She began her political career as a Legislative Service Commission Fellow in the Ohio House of Representatives where she served in the office of the Speaker of the House and with the Majority Communications Department.

Sanders and the team at Governmental Policy Group, Inc., represent a wide range of clients as legislative and executive lobbyists to support their efforts in dealing with national, state, and local governments. Sanders is a member of the Ohio Lobbying Association and Ohio Women in Government.

Phil Yoder

The seminar will provide a review of the mid-air collision between an American regional jet and a military Blackhawk helicopter. It will cover the circumstances leading up to the collision, the contributing factors involved, the event itself, and the immediate results. The seminar will also discuss the outcomes of the collision, including any changes in regulations or procedures that were implemented as a result.

Participants will learn:

• Human factors in current training & flying
• Aviation/navigation technology
• Airspace regulations

Biography:

Phil Yoder, MBA, FAA/Airline Transport Pilot, is an FAA/AGI (advanced ground instructor) and an FAA/IGI (instrument ground instructor) with five FAA type ratings. He retired from NetJets in 2023 following an 18-year career as an international captain.

While with NetJets, he flew the Gulfstream, Embraer, and Citation fleets. He developed several online training courses for crews and served as a temporary management pilot, monitoring international flight planning activities and teaching associates on the use of cockpit navigation and communication tools.

Currently, Yoder is an adjunct professor of aviation at Ohio University. He is also the founder, owner, and chief pilot of ICOM Multimedia in Columbus, Ohio. Yoder has received the FAA Wright Brothers "Master Pilot Award" and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) 15,000 Hour Safety Award. He is a member of many aviation organizations, reflecting his ongoing passion and dedication to the field.

Matthew Flagler

On November 1, 2024, a major fire broke out underneath the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge between Kentucky and Ohio (I-471). This session will discuss how more than two dozen entities have worked together since the fire to design the demolition and reconstruction of the bridge.

Participants will learn:

• Background on the fire and the immediate emergency response.
• The demolition and reconstruction of the bridge since the accident.
• How state and local entities partnered together to rebuild the bridge.

Biography:

Matthew Flagler has been in the fire service for more than 30 years. Flagler currently serves as the Assistant Fire Chief of Emergency Management for the City of Cincinnati, serving as the city’s emergency manager, coordinating the Emergency Operations Center, disaster and special needs planning for all city agencies. In this role he also oversees the Fire Dispatch center, information technology, special events and Homeland Security units.

Chief Flagler has a Bachelor of Science in Fire Science Technology from the University of Cincinnati, and a Master of Divinity degree from the Hope International University of Anaheim, California. He is a certified Paramedic, Fire Service Instructor and Trainer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Chief Flagler lives in the Cincinnati area and is the proud husband of wife, Sarah, and father of two, Daniel and Gracie.

Hassan Hayat

As data center demand surges, transmission networks face growing challenges in capacity, reliability, and sustainability. This session explores grid constraints, interconnection complexities, and strategic planning considerations to ensure resilient, efficient, and future-ready power solutions for critical data infrastructure.

Participants will learn:

• Identify key challenges in integrating data centers with electrical transmission networks, including capacity constraints and grid stability.
• Explore strategies for enhancing grid resilience, managing interconnection complexities, and mitigating transmission risks.
• Understand planning considerations for optimizing transmission network design to support data center expansion while ensuring efficiency and reliability.

Biography:

Hassan Hayat, M.Eng., director of regional transmission planning at American Electric Power (AEP) in Columbus, Ohio, holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in electrical engineering. With more than 14 years of experience in the electrical utility industry, Hayat is responsible for directing regional, interregional, and competitive transmission planning activities across the PJM (Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection), MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator), and SPP (Southwest Power Pool) regions. He also oversees the identification of transmission and telecom asset renewal portfolios in AEP’s eastern and western footprints, covering the PJM, SPP, and ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) regional transmission organizations.

Prior to his current role, Hayat served as the regional transmission planning manager from June 2020 to August 2024, where he managed transmission planning activities in the PJM, MISO, SPP, and ERCOT regions. His earlier roles include planning and engineering supervisor in New Albany, Ohio, from February 2018 to June 2020, transmission planning engineer in Columbus, Ohio, from March 2012 to February 2018, and transmission planning engineer at Aerotek in Dublin, Ohio, from March 2011 to February 2012. Hayat's extensive experience and leadership in transmission planning have consistently driven progress and innovation within the energy sector, making him a valuable asset to AEP.