Meet The Team

Staff Directory

First Name Last Name Title Details
Michele
Abrell
Sales Support Analyst

  Michele
Phone: 219.647.5276
Fax: 219.647.5297
Email: mabrell@nisource.com
Duties: Internal support and special projects for the sales staff
Experience: New to the energy market. Before embarking on this new voyage, I worked in the medical and pharmaceutical industry since graduating from the University of Toledo in 1984.
Personal: Married to Gene (the truck drivin’ boy next door) since 1986. We have one daughter in college.
Hobbies: I love to bake and cook, snow ski, travel, shop and go on Harley adventures with my husband.

Randy
Adams
Customer Accounts Manager

  Randy
Phone: 219.647.5282
Fax: 219.647.5297
Email: randyadams@nisource.com
Duties: Responsible for managing customer accounts behind Vectren North (Indiana Gas), Vectren South (Sigeco) and Vectren East (DPL). Managing the account includes monitoring daily gas nominations vs. daily usage and balancing the difference to avoid daily and monthly penalties.
Experience: In the gas industry since 1978.
Personal: Married since 1981 with 4 children ranging in age from elementary age to early adult. Wife, Cheryl is a “domestic engineer”, or in other words, a stay at home mom.
Hobbies: Enjoys landscaping since wife is an avid gardener, antique fairs and woodworking.

Melissa
Aton
Director of Risk

  Melissa
Phone: 219.647.5283
Fax: 219.647.5298
Email: maton@nisource.com
Duties: Risk management including evaluation of all purchases and sales, physical and financial deals.
Experience: In the energy industry since 2001.
Personal: M.S. in Applied Statistics from Purdue University, 2 children – 1 in college and 1 almost.
Hobbies: Reading, Purdue basketball, movies and spending time with family and friends.

Robert
Barsic
Revenue Manager

  Robert
Phone: 219.647.5280
Fax: 219.647.5297
Email: rbarsic@nisource.com
Duties: Responsible for Revenue, Billing and Customer Service activities.
Experience: Well over twenty years in the energy industry.
Personal: Married to Jayne, my high school sweetheart, with two adult children Melanie & Curt.
Hobbies: Golfing, Fishing, Biking, Reading and Making Wine. Enjoy spending time with my family, we do almost everything together!

Tom
Biller
Gas Schedule / Cash Trader

  Tom
Phone: 219.647.5880
Fax: 219.647.5298
Email: tsbiller@nisource.com
Duties: Responsible for maximizing portfolio value in the spot market, and scheduling reliable supplies of gas on numerous pipelines.
Experience: Involved in the energy industry since 1998.
Personal: Married in May 2009.
Hobbies: Reading about and visiting historical places, playing guitar (poorly), and playing golf (very poorly).

Richard
Haave
Gas Scheduler

  Richard
Phone: 219-853-5240
Fax:
Email: rhaave@nisource.com
Duties: Gas Scheduler
Experience: CBOT & CBOE - Trade Checker, Clerk, Broker, Market-Maker, DPM E-USA - WCE manager, MISO contact, Gas Scheduler
Personal: Illinois Native, Sox/Bears fan.
Hobbies: Going to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Going to Movies, Competition Target Shooting.

Tom
Jania
Vice President of Supply and Trading

  Tom
Phone: 219.647.5970
Fax: 219.647.5298
Email: tjania@nisource.com
Duties: The EnergyUSA Trading Porfolio.
Experience: Involved in the energy business since 1994, both regulated and unregulated environments and the trading sector.
Personal:
Hobbies: Watching my very young family grow, running and playing baseball.

Karen
Josephs
Administrative Assistant

  Karen
Phone: 219.647.5929
Fax: 219.647.5297
Email: kjosephs@nisource.com
Duties: Responsible for coordination of all administrative duties in the EnergyUSA office. Also responsible for coordination of events and conferences and for various marketing materials.
Experience: In the energy field since 2004.
Personal: Married since 2005.
Hobbies: Enjoy playing softball and a variety of other sports. Also enjoy hanging out with family and friends.

Cheryl
Millen
Senior Revenue Specialist

  Cheryl
Phone: 219.647.5289
Fax: 219.647.5297
Email: cmillen@nisource.com
Duties: Responsible for accounting related functions for EnergyUSA.
Experience: Involved in the natural gas business since 1998.
Personal: Mother of 4 wonderful children Lauren (20) Kyle (17) , Justin (15) and Nick (7). Two parakeets (Sugar and Spice).
Hobbies: Enjoy a variety of sports, watching my children at their games, enjoying spending time with family and friends. I also participate and raise money for the 3-Day 60 mile Breast Cancer walks.

Jacob
Mozolik
Customer Accounts Manager

  Jacob
Phone: 260.637.2564
Fax: 219.647.5297
Email: jmozolik@nisource.com
Duties: Responsible for managing customer accounts behind Nicor, North Shore & Peoples in Illinois and Columbia of Kentucky, Ohio & Pennsylvania. Tasks include daily and month gas nominations, daily usage and balancing storage assets.
Experience: Working in the retail natural gas business since 2005.
Personal: Married to Amy
Hobbies: Enjoys fishing, football, golf and traveling.

Barb
Okonoski
Contract Administrator

  Barb
Phone: 219.647.5976
Fax: 219.647.5297
Email: bokonoski@nisource.com
Duties: Responsible for all aspects of contracts for wholesale and retail customers; from initiating, tracking, and maintaining.
Experience: Involved in the energy business since 1999.
Personal: Married with two daughters.
Hobbies: Plays in Chimes Choir at church. Enjoys canning salsa (her specialty!) and other garden produce.

Randy
Ryba
Corporate Relationship Manager

  Randy
Phone: 219-647-4012
Fax: 219-647-5297
Email: rfryba@nisource.com
Duties: Sales and service for industrial and commercial customers throughout northern Indiana and Illinois.
Experience: In the energy business since 1982 - both regulated and unregulated; electricity and natural gas.
Personal: Married to Janice; enjoy spending time with family and friends.
Hobbies: Golf!

Connie
Slocum
Local Production Manager

  Connie
Phone: 614.307.9180
Fax: 614.890.4896
Email: cslocum@nisource.com AOL IM:</strong> CSlocumEUSA
Duties: Acquisition and management of locally produced gas in the Midwest with a focus on Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Experience: My involvement in the energy business began in 1978. In addition to retail marketing, I have worked for various exploration and production companies in Ohio.
Personal: Married to the same wonderful man since 1979. We have one daughter.
Hobbies: Gardening, ballroom dancing, digital photography, watching hockey.

Erik
Suchak
Senior Customer Accounts Manager

  Erik
Phone: 219.647.5292
Fax: 219.647.5297
Email: ecsuchak@nisource.com
Duties: Responsible for managing customer accounts behind MichCon, Consumers, Aquila in Michigan and NICOR, Peoples and North Shore in Illinois. Managing the account includes monitoring daily gas nominations vs. daily usage and balancing the difference to avoid daily and monthly penalties.
Experience: Working in natural gas since 2001.
Personal: Married to Chris with a son, Joel.
Hobbies: Enjoys basketball, biking, gardening and woodworking.

Val
Trinkley
General Manager

  Val
Phone: 219.647.5293
Fax: 219.647.5297
Email: vtrinkley@nisource.com
Duties: General Manager for EnergyUSA - responsible for overall company operation including sales and account management.
Experience: In the energy business since 1982 - both regulated and unregulated activites.
Personal: Married with three children.
Hobbies: Music, golf, jogging and bicycling.

Dave
Trump
Senior Business Application Analyst

  Dave
Phone: 219.647.5294
Fax: 219.647.5297
Email: dtrump@nisource.com
Duties: Application & System Support.
Experience: Supporting and developing energy trading & marketing applications since 1998.
Personal: Raised on a farm and still enjoy wearing a good pair of boots.
Hobbies: Music & Fitness.

Matt
Tupta
Customer Accounts Manager

  Matt
Phone: 219.647.5288
Fax: 219.647.5297
Email: mtupta@nisource.com
Duties: Manage customer accounts in Illinois and Ohio. Monitor deliveries vs consumption to minimize penalties and monitor storage accounts.
Experience: In energy industry since 2004.
Personal: Married to Lisa. From Wisconsin, relocated to Indiana in 9/08.
Hobbies: Marathon running. I also enjoy playing the guitar when I have time. Family keeps me busy.

Jennifer
Villarreal
Customer Accounts Manager

  Jennifer
Phone: 219.647.5296
Fax: 219.647.5297
Email: jvillarreal@nisource.com
Duties: Responsible for managing customer accounts behind Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO). Managing the account includes monitoring daily gas nominations vs. daily usage and balancing the difference to avoid daily and monthly penalties.
Experience: With NiSource since 1980.
Personal: Married with 2 boys - Tyler and Zachary. Husband, Joe is a commerical diver.
Hobbies: Avid runner having competed in 4 marathons. Also loves to read, cook and play with the boys.

Ricki
Williams
Customer Account Manager

  Ricki
Phone: 219.647.5856
Fax: 219.647.5298
Email: rwilliams@nisource.com
Duties:
Experience:
Personal:
Hobbies:

Julie
Wojcinski
Senior Customer Accounts Manager

  Julie
Phone: 219.647.5498
Fax: 219.647.5297
Email: jwojcinski@nisource.com
Duties: Responsible for managing customer accounts behind NIPSCO. Managing the account includes monitoring daily gas nominations vs. daily usage and balancing the difference to avoid daily and monthly penalties. Also assists with invoicing, energy management and maintains the electronic metering system.
Experience: In the business since 1984.
Personal: Maintains a household, providing nourishment, janitorial and laundry services!
Hobbies: Enjoys reading, tole painting, basket weaving, needlework and has a \"garden in progress.\" Also, pianist for childrens and spring musicals.