Dean Girdis, President

Dean Girdis is President of Downeast LNG, which he founded in the Spring of 2004.  He is responsible for the day to day operations of the company including project development, finance, commercial contracts, and LNG supply acquisition.

Dean has 20 years of commercial and advisory experience in energy project development and finance, market development, and strategy.  He has worked with a range of entities, including oil and gas companies, national oil companies, international financing institutions and Governments. 
                       
Prior to Downeast LNG, Dean worked at PFC Energy for three years as Director of Gas and Power focusing on strategy, competition and markets throughout the gas and LNG value chains principally with multinational and national oil and gas companies.  He also worked for five years with the World Bank on energy project development and financing, gas and power reform and sector restructuring, renewable energy, and development of competitive gas and power markets in Africa and Asia, with a focus on China.

Robert Wyatt, Environment and Permits Director

Rob Wyatt began advising the project on site identification, environment, and permitting in July 2004, when he joined as environment and permits director. He has been a professional environmental consultant for 30 years. His primary expertise lies in the strategic and technical management of major industrial development environmental permits, compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, and transactional due diligence.

Rob has managed hundreds of environmental studies and regulatory permitting programs for a number of Fortune 100 industrial clients. He has worked on projects in 39 states, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and the Caribbean.

In the port development and LNG industry, Rob is best known for his work as the Environmental Affairs Development Manager for the Puerto Rico Transshipment Port Project of Governor Pedro Rosello, and the successful grassroots development of the EcoElectrica LNG Import Terminal and Cogeneration Power Plant Project in Puerto Rico.

Cathy Footer, Office Manager and Community Relations

Cathy Footer has been project assistant/community coordinator with Downeast LNG since May 2006. Active in the community for the past 25 years, Cathy has been involved with many projects involving the Robbinston Grade School and Calais High School, including the Parent Teacher Committee, Athletic Boosters, Dollars for Scholars and countless other school and community activities.

Cathy's work experience has been as an office manager and bookkeeper in both the public and private sectors.  Prior to joining Downeast LNG, she served as a financial assistant in the Superintendent of Schools' office in Calais, a bookkeeper for area businesses, and the Robbinston town treasurer. She also is the former owner/operator of the Robbinston General Store with her husband of 27 years, Mike Footer. They reside in Robbinston and have two grown children and a 2 year-old grandson.

Cathy has an  associates degree in Accounting from the University of  Maine, Machias.

John Egan, Marine Operations

Capt. John J. Egan has 32 years experience in the marine industry, including 25 years at sea. He served 21 years, including six years as Master, on U.S. flagged, 125,000m3 LNG carriers in Southeast Asia. He was Marine Supervisor at the Dominion Cove Point LNG Terminal in Lusby, Maryland, from May 2003 through July 2005.

John is an adjunct instructor of LNG Fundamentals at the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) in Linthicum Heights, Maryland.

In addition to his seafaring career, John was a police officer for the City of Norwich, Connecticut for seven years, 1971 through 1978. He holds a B.S., Marine Transportation from the State University of New York Maritime College at Fort Schuyler and an A.S., Police Administration from the University of New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut.