Friday, August 7, 2026
20103 Pusok Road, Tomball, TX 77377, United States
Days
Hours
Minutes

MADE IN TEXAS POWERING AMERICA
SEG SOLAR 4GW EXPANSION GRAND OPENING

Agenda

Friday, August 7, 2026
9:00-10:00 CDT
Registration & Networking Breakfast
10:00-11:30 CDT
Keynote Speech

10:00 CDT

Welcome and Introduction of the Factory

Jun Zhuge

Founder & COO
SEG Solar

10:10 CDT

Company strategy and blueprint
Jim Wood

CEO
SEG Solar

10:20 CDT

Michael Eden

CO-Founder & General Counsel
SEG Solar

10:20 CDT

Timothy Johnson
Timothy Johnson

VP of Operations
SEG Solar

10:30 CDT

Natasha Cherenkova
Natasha Cherenkova

Senior Vice President
DEPCOM Power

10:40 CDT

Bobby Lieb

CEO
NW Houston Chamber of Commerce

10:50 CDT

Craig Rhodes
Craig Rhodes

Senior Vice President, Economic Development
Greater Houston Partnership

11:00 CDT

Juliet Stipeche
Juliet Stipeche

Executive Director
Gulf Coast Workforce Board

11:10 CDT

Paul Wormser
Paul Wormser

Senior Vice President -Technology Intertek

11:20 CDT

Nico Johnson
Nico Johnson

CEO
SunCast Media

11:30-11:40 CDT
Grand Opening Ceremony
11:40-13:00 CDT
Factory Tour / Live Band
13:00-14:00 CDT
Lunch and Closing
Jun Zhuge

Founder & COO of SEG Solar

Mr. Zhuge has over 30 years of experience in the technology industry, working at Forbes 500 companies such as Schlumberger, KLA Tencor, and Linde Gas. Mr. Zhuge served as the Chief Technology Officer of another Tier 1 solar company from 2012 to 2016 and has held various other senior executive officer positions in the solar industry. Mr. Zhuge holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from California Polytechnic State University and a Master of Business Administration in technology management. In addition, he holds multiple patents in both the U.S. and China and authored a chapter titled “Solar Manufacturing” in the American Semiconductor Manufacturing Handbook published by McGraw and Hill.
Jim Wood

CEO of SEG Solar

Jim Wood is the President and Chief Executive Officer of SEG Solar Inc., a Houston, Texas–based, 100% U.S.-owned solar module manufacturer headquartered in Houston, widely recognized as the energy capital of the United States, where he resides. He is a co-founder of the company and is responsible for overall corporate strategy, operations, and commercial activities.

Mr. Wood has over 20 years of experience in the solar industry. Prior to founding SEG Solar, he held senior sales and commercial leadership roles at two Tier 1 solar module manufacturers, with experience spanning utility-scale, commercial, and distributed generation markets. He began his career on the installation side of the industry and was previously a NABCEP-certified solar installer, providing practical experience across both project development and manufacturing.

Michael
Michael Eden

Co-Founder & General Counsel of SEG Solar

Mike is an original founding member of SEG Solar. He brings to the company over 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry and over 25 years of experience working as a transactional lawyer. Mike has worked as outside and general counsel for tier-one PV module manufacturers, major wind turbine equipment suppliers, and solar project developers. In addition to providing support for module sales, Mike is responsible for leading a number of different initiatives within the company, including those for debt financing, tax credit transfers, real estate acquisition, factory development, insurance and regulatory and tax matters. Prior to joining SEG, Mike was a partner at the international law firm of Reed Smith LLP in San Francisco and an associate at the law firms of Thelen LLP in San Francisco and Proskauer Rose LLP in New York City. Mike received his J.D. degree from Cornell Law School and his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Timothy Johnson
Timothy Johnson

VP of Operations
SEG Solar

Timothy Johnson is VP of Operations at SEG Solar, leading the construction of the company’s Tomball, TX PV module factory — a 4GW capacity expansion expected to create over 400 jobs — and will oversee the facility’s production once operational. He brings 15+ years in clean energy procurement, quality, manufacturing and category management, most recently as Head of Sourcing, GIS and Design Engineering at ENGIE North America, managing $500MM-$800MM procurement spend and 6GW of solar module purchases. His career spans REXEL USA, TENK Solar, and Seagate Technology. He holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota and a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Oklahoma.
Natasha Cherenkova
Natasha Cherenkova

Senior Vice President
DEPCOM Power

Enterprise executive with a track record of leading transformation and building scalable organizations in complex, global environments. Works across the enterprise, connecting strategy, leadership, and execution to help teams navigate change and grow with confidence.

Bobby Lieb

CEO
NW Houston Chamber of Commerce

Bobby Lieb is CEO of the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce, a role he has held since 2019. He previously served as VP of Economic Development at the Chamber. Before relocating to Houston, Bobby led economic development in Durango, Colorado, and served as a La Plata County Commissioner. He holds a BS in International Marketing from Arizona State University. Bobby and his wife Meredith have three children.
Craig Rhodes
Craig Rhodes

Senior Vice President, Economic Development
Greater Houston Partnership

Craig has worked at the Greater Houston Partnership for over 10 years. In his current role, Craig leads the Partnership’s domestic regional economic development team. This team works to attract new jobs and capital investment to the 12-county Houston region across multiple industry sectors. Craig is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) with over 15 years of economic and community development experience. In addition to his experience at the Partnership, Craig also worked at CenterPoint Energy, helping lead the utility’s regional economic development activities.

Craig currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Texas Economic Development Council. He is an active member of the International Economic Development Council and has held multiple Board and leadership roles in economic development across the Houston area. Craig is a graduate of the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife Kristi have three children.

Juliet Stipeche
Juliet Stipeche

Executive Director
Gulf Coast Workforce Board

Juliet is a native Houstonian who graduated as valedictorian of the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. She earned a B.A., magna cum laude, in Political Science, Policy Studies, and Religious Studies from Rice University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law. Her legal career focused on medical malpractice defense and civil litigation, culminating in her role as president of Nagorny & Stipeche, P.C. in 2007. She was elected to the Houston ISD Board in 2010 as the District VIII Trustee. In 2016, Mayor Sylvester Turner appointed her as Houston’s inaugural Director of Education, where she spearheaded initiatives for educational equity and was a key advisor during crises including Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, Juliet transitioned to the Houston-Galveston Area Council as the Director of Human Services, overseeing Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions and the Area Agency on Aging. As the executive director of the Gulf Coast Workforce Board, she drives strategies to meet the region’s diverse employment and training needs, supporting economic development and workforce competitiveness in a service area encompassing thirteen counties and over 7.2 million residents.
Paul Wormser
Paul Wormser

Senior Vice President -Technology Intertek

Specialties: Executive leadership / Engineering / P&L / Manufacturing: renewable energy, photovoltaics, market-driven product development, open innovation, new venture creation, technology transfer, entrepreneurship

Nico Johnson
Nico Johnson

CEO SunCast Media

Nico Johnson is a master storyteller, trusted advisor, and pioneer in the clean energy industry. Since 2006, he has invested in, coached and helped build some of the most impactful solar and renewable energy companies. As the creator and host of SunCast, the industry’s go-to podcast, Nico has drawn out the raw, unfiltered stories of more than 900 founders, investors, and innovators—revealing insights and truths they rarely share elsewhere. SunCast Media now helps the clean energy sector turn storytelling into strategy, transforming how leaders earn trust, build influence, and accelerate business growth in a world where attention is the ultimate currency