Leadership
Lance Pettigrew, P.E.
Chief Executive Officer
Lance began his career working in the utility construction as a project manager/Engineer and estimator for J.C. Evans Construction Underground Electric Systems in Austin, Texas. Prior to joining Schneider Engineering in 2002, Lance worked as a consulting engineer performing utility relay and control design/ automation, grounding studies, motor starting studies, short circuit and protective device coordination studies, reliability studies, and commercial/industrial planning and design projects for both Cooperative and Municipal Clients.
Lance served as principal project engineer for the substation engineering group and provided technical and managerial oversight to the engineering and electric utility substations, including transmission ring bus and breaker-and-a-half schemes and numerous distribution bus configurations to include operate/ transfer and double breaker/double bus. With over 20 years of experience in the electrical engineering industry, coupled with his background in construction and extensive project budgeting experience, helps ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget constraints.
Lance has also provided technical and project management oversight for a number of service areas, including Smart-Grid/AMI planning and implementation services, overhead and underground distribution engineering practices and standards development. Lance also managed construction bidding and inspection practices, system planning, and utility business and operations consulting support. Lance has managed utility financial forecast projects, and represented our Clients in a variety of capacities in transmission and substation planning to regional G&T’s.
As CEO of Schneider Engineering, Lance is responsible for all engineering and business consulting project delivered by the firm. Lance provides strategic direction and management to all Company divisions and project teams.
Lance is responsible for ensuring our Clients’ project expectations are met, that all projects are staffed with qualified technical and administrative resources, and that our Clients receive quality projects within budget and on schedule.
Nakee Laws, P.E.
Vice President of Engineering Operations / Partner
Nakee joined Schneider Engineering, LLC after his graduation from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1999. Nakee began his career at Schneider Engineering as a substation design engineer. His responsibilities included the overall electrical and structural design of distribution substations and transmission switching stations, coordination of relay and control engineering, major equipment specifications, construction bidding/contracting, and overall project management.
In 2001, Nakee began working in the system planning department. His responsibilities included Milsoft WindMil database modeling and analysis, transmission load flow analysis using PowerWorld, sectionalizing studies, capacitor placement and reactive studies, motor start analysis, and voltage drop studies which include new service supply plans. In addition, Nakee was responsible for both RUS and non-RUS Construction Work Plans, Environmental Reports and Long Range Plans. Nakee has also prepared RUS-compliant Load Forecast Studies, which include historical analysis and projections for system peak demand, consumers by rate classification, and MWh purchases and sales by rate classification.
Nakee has also project managed many distribution projects ranging in size from short line extensions to major rebuilds and voltage conversions. He has been involved in ROW acquisition, TXDOT and railroad permitting, self-supporting structures and construction management. Nakee also oversees all 219 work order inspections and routinely certifies 219s as well as prepare annual certifications for CFC borrowers.
Today, Nakee oversees the daily operations of distribution engineering (overhead and underground), transmission engineering, substation engineering and system planning engineering.
Nakee is a Partner at Schneider Engineering and Vice President of Engineering Operations. In his role as Vice President, Nakee is responsible for all Transmission, Substation and Distribution Engineering. In addition, Nakee directly manages the System Planning Engineering department.
Steve Moffitt
Vice President of Business Development and Consulting Services / Partner
Steve has over 20 years of experience in the electric utility industry with extensive work experience in rates and pricing, power supply planning and related financial services for a diverse group of Electric Cooperatives and Municipally-owned Utilities throughout the State of Texas. Steve has experience in the role of Client Company representative before Boards of Directors and City Councils and has gained the respect of upper management in the Client Companies he serves. Steve has been an active participant in industry organization such as TPPA, TEC, GCPA, and APPA.
Steve developed the Cost of Service / Rate Study / Pricing model for Schneider Engineering to employ on all rates and costs of service study projects. He brings full knowledge of utility rate design and cost allocation, as well as alternative types of rate design that engage the latest developments in the utility industry.
Steve oversees all aspects of SE projects involving Cost of Service and Rate Design, Power Supply Planning, Financial Forecasting and Planning, Reporting (ERCOT, EIA, PUCT), as well as Contract Development and Negotiation.
As Vice President, Steve’s responsibilities include oversight and management of all Cost of Service, Rate Design and Rate Studies, along with ordinance revisions and tariff development as they relate to retail rate design. On behalf of power supplier Clients (Co-ops, MOUs), Steve negotiates wholesale power supply agreements and contracts, structures joint participation options, develops power supply procurement strategies, and performs ongoing maintenance/review of existing contracts. Steve prepares financial forecasts for municipal utilities and electric cooperatives, and helps Clients assess future borrowing needs, developing retail rate strategies that will support plans for system investments, maintenance, and upgrades.
He also oversees and manages projects related to Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy and Smart Grid Planning. Such projects have included Smart Grid implementation plans and deployment strategies, Energy Efficiency implementation strategies, evaluations of renewable energy alternatives, and Distributed Generation implementation plans.
