Meet Our Professional Consulting Team

We live in a "quick fix" business culture that does not seem to value consistency and long term employment. The negative societal consequences are severe and measurable.

Seven - Utility Management Consultants Ltd., was founded so that other people can grow and prosper. It is a firm with the foundations of serving others. We have built an environment in which our professionals can continually grow, both professionally and personally. I believe that it is my calling to help other men and women be the best that they can be.

I put my heart and soul into training and building the right people. I believe all people have different gifts. My mission is to create an environment where people can grow into their own gifts. I believe this is the best way to be the best team in the nation.

I believe that the prize belongs to those who remain and build something righteous.

I believe that in creating an environment of high caliber personnel, each with a common mission of service, will ultimately be in the best interest of our clients. I also believe that a direct result of this are our long term clients, some of which we have served for nearly 10 years.

I welcome any new high caliber candidate that shares these values.


Jason A Mass, C.P.M. CEP
Managing Director
Seven Utility Management Consultants, Ltd.

Jason A. Mass, C.P.M., CEP
Managing Director, Houston
jmass@sevenutility.com

Mr. Mass is a Detroit native and 12 year Houston resident. He graduated Cum Laude from Hillsdale College, a top ranked conservative liberal arts college in the Judeo-Christian heritage, known for its independence and free market thinking, with a dual degree in Economics (Classical Economic Theory) and Business Administration/Finance. At Hillsdale College, Mr. Mass lettered in three collegiate sports, Baseball, Track and Field - Decathlon, and Golf.

He has achieved the distinguished status of Certified Energy Procurement Professional (CEP) by the Association of Energy Engineers and Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.) by the National Association of Purchasing Management. He is currently pursuing the rigorous designation of Certified Energy Manager and Certified Management Consultant.

In 1997, Mr. Mass founded J. Andrew Associates, Inc., a professional Cost Reduction and Purchasing Consulting firm which specializes in negotiating savings for clients in multitudes of areas. Upon widespread deregulation of the Retail Energy Industry, Mr. Mass recognized the future Consumer confusion in the marketplace and the demand for a consulting firm which can "sort it all out" and serve the client. To this end, he co-founded Seven - Utility Management Consultants, Ltd., which specializes in the procurement of Electricity and Natural Gas.

Mr. Mass has a very diverse skillset of leadership qualities that include: personal and professional integrity, analytical ability, customer service, oral and written communication, accounting and finance, problem solving ability, decision making, building of strategic partnerships and supplier certification, broad understanding of human nature and the dynamics of teams, strategic planning, the ability to analyze and evaluate business situations, and the nebulous ability to simply, "get things done" quickly and accurately.

It has been said that Mr. Mass brings a Blue-Collar work ethic into a White Collar world. He is very proud of the industry leading team that he has built which share his values of perseverance, service and applying God-given gifts to your everyday life. He has worked for several industry leading corporations such as Service Corporation International, Guardian Industries Corp, and Team Management. During his tenure with these companies, he has served as Purchasing Manager, Manager of Glass Raw Materials, Financial Analyst and Controller. Having worked in Service, Manufacturing, and Consulting, Mr. Mass has developed Best Practice Purchasing Skills which cross many industries. As a result, Mr. Mass has become highly competent in business negotiations, supplier certification, customer service and most importantly, the reduction of expenses.

Mr. Mass is married and is the proud father of three young sons. He takes an active role in raising his children, spiritually, academically and physically.

Mr. Mass's personal interests include: playing golf, reading, instructing little league teams on hitting, actively participating in his church, http://www.foundrychurch.org/, mountain biking, motorcycle riding (on and off road), amateur boxing, personal physical training, camping with his family, being outdoors and socializing.

Because of his belief in continuing education, Mr. Mass founded a complete business library for all employees. Through its Book of the Month club, we encourage active reading, discussion and debate of a wide range of business and leadership issues. To see a listing of the volumes in the library, click here. If you have a business book that has positively affected your career, please email it to jmass@sevenutility. Your book will be added.

And yes, Renee Mass, on the evenings and weekends, is Jason's wife. During the day, Mrs. Mass is his capable business partner. Mr. and Mrs. Mass, after 11 years of being in business together and simultaneously building a family, are currently co-authoring a book, “Should I Go Into Business with my Spouse?” - A must read for anyone considering working with their spouse. Alternative titles include, “...and that is why I HAD to kill him, Your Honor”

Renee Mass
Owner & Managing Partner
rmass@sevenutility.com

In 1997, Ms. Mass was co-founder of Seven-Utility Management Consultants, Ltd and J. Andrew Associates, Inc., a successful purchasing consulting firm. Ms. Mass currently serves as the President and Operations Manager at Seven - Utility Management Consultants, Ltd and J. Andrew Associates, Inc., Seven's parent company. Ms. Mass assumes an active role with Seven through advising on the overall direction of the company and overseeing the day to day operations.

Ms. Mass received her Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts from Hillsdale College with specialties in computer training, graphics and fine arts. Her professional background includes managing a Help Desk for a water management company in Houston, a software trainer for Catapult Software Training, MascoTech and New Horizons. Ms. Mass founded her own Software Training Company, before co-founding J. Andrew Associates, Inc.

Tim Krajenke
Senior Energy Consultant - Director of Midwest Office
tkrajenke@sevenutility.com

Tim Krajenke is the Director of Seven's Midwest Office. Tim oversees the entire Midwestern regional operations in a territory that stretches from Illinois up through the New England states. He is also an active Sr. Energy Consultant specializing in property management and large industrial clients.

Tim graduated with an MBA from Oakland University in Michigan and also has a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University, formerly General Motors Institute. Prior to joining Seven, Mr. Krajenke spent 11 years working for Parker Hannifin Corporation. During his career at Parker, his responsibilities greatly increased. He spent time in a variety of functions; ranging from Engineering, Program Management, Territory Sales Manager, and lastly Market Manager in the Energy, Oil, and Gas market. He also helped successfully increased Parker's presence in Asia by spending a year living in Shanghai, China. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge in customer service, contract negotiations, manufacturing, and marketing.

Mr. Krajenke recently completed his second marathon and hopes to run another in the next year. He also enjoys golf, the stock market, socializing and reading mystery novels. Tim and his wife Cathy reside in Lexington, Kentucky, but are considering a move to the Chicago area in the near future.

Please contact Tim and he will happily spend a few minutes talking about your energy concerns.

Robert (Chip) Matthews
Advisory Board, Houston
cmatthews@sevenutility.com

For nearly 9 years, Robert (Chip) Matthews has served as an advisor to both Seven - Utility Management Consultants, Ltd and J. Andrew Associates, Inc. He has been instrumental in a wide array of topics including strategy, tax, regulatory law, finance, growth and planning. Since selling his interest in the largest privately held consulting firm in the US., Mr. Matthews will be taking on a greater role at Seven. He is excited to help Seven - Utility Management Consultants, Ltd. achieve its goal of becoming the Nations Leading Energy Management Firm.

Mr. Matthews is licensed in Texas as both an attorney and a CPA. He received B.A. (Mathematics/Economics) and Master of Accounting degrees from Rice University and a J.D. from the University of Houston. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of General Business and Finance of the School of Business Administration at Sam Houston State University. Immediately prior to that, he spent 14 years as Vice President with the largest privately-held consulting firm in the areas of accounting, finance, and information technology in the United States. Previous positions include 6 years with two major international public accounting and consulting firms, where he reached the level of senior manager, 3 years as senior analyst in utility and municipal finance with an engineering and construction management firm, 1 year as manager of plans and budgets with a multi-national manufacturing company, and 7 years as sole practitioner with his own accounting and law practices. His primary client service areas have included merger and acquisition due diligence and assistance, regulatory and environmental law and accounting, utility and municipal finance, bankruptcy and turn-around advisory services, tax and business planning, commercial arbitration, and corporate governance.

Mr. Matthews clients have primarily been in the energy, public utility, government, healthcare, financial institutions, real estate, and construction industries. He has led or played a significant role in over 30 rate, regulatory, and litigation matters involving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), the Railroad Commission of Texas (RCT), the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and various municipalities in Texas and Arkansas. He is a retired Commander, U.S. Naval Reserve, and his leisure interests include sports, travel, and music.

Alex Toutounchi
Manager of Consulting, Houston
atoutounchi@sevenutility.com

Mr. Toutounchi oversees the consulting team and coordinates the pricing department for Seven's Houston office. He is also an active Senior Energy Consultant with over 150 clients. His client focus includes large industrial clients and clients with multiple locations across the country.

Mr. Toutounchi is a Certified Energy Procurement Professional, CEP, by the Association of Energy Engineers. He scored in the top 2% nationally, on this difficult and competitive exam. (He would add that his score was slightly higher than his boss, Jason Mass, whose leadership he still respects).

His expertise lies in both the Electricity and Natural Gas markets, and his in depth knowledge about the futures markets insures that his clients' energy spend is consistently below market price levels. Alex has comprehensive knowledge about how deregulated energy markets operate, and has become a recognized industry expert on a national level due to his innovative methods of identifying and negotiating savings opportunities for his clients.

Mr. Toutounchi graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a major in Finance with a minor in Marketing. Prior to joining Seven, Alex worked as a inventory analyst in the gas industry. In addition, Mr. Toutounchi has served as a financial operations analyst for the Houston Astros Baseball Club, specializing in cost reduction.

Michael Babich
Pricing Analyst, Energy Consultant
mbabich@sevenutility.com

Michael Babich, a 10-year Houston resident, graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a specialization in persuasion.

Mr. Babich is a Certified Energy Procurement Professional, CEP, by the Association of Energy Engineers. At Seven - Utility Management Consultants, Ltd., he is responsible for overseeing the Competitive Procurement Process as well as Managing the Pricing Team.

Before entering the energy industry, Mr. Babich worked as a Field Sales Leader for Vector Marketing Company. While at Vector Marketing, Michael received several awards, but the most exciting was the All-American Award, which was given to the top 10% in sales in the southwest region.

Mr. Babich has had 3 years of experience in the energy industry prior to Seven - Utility Management Consultants, Ltd. He has worked as a consultant, analyst and a business development representative.

Mr. Babich's goals at Seven are to increase his knowledge in the national energy industry and to serve customers.

In his spare time, Michael enjoys Frisbee golf, table tennis and other various outdoor activities.

Lynn Coburn
Energy Consultant
lcoburn@sevenutility.com

Lynn Coburn graduated from Northwood University in Michigan with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing and Management and an Associates Degree in Advertising.

Her business experience includes work in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. She has had the honor of working for a U.S. Congressman in Washington D.C., Coors Brewing Company in their Nationals Affairs group, and in economic development for MidTown Cleveland, a non-profit organization in Ohio.

Lynn joined Seven because of the company’s integrity and strong marks in customer service. Her background in economic development, marketing and sales helps her understand the competitive environment companies operate in, and their need to reduce cost. For this reason, Lynn is excited to introduce the value added service Seven provides.

Ms. Coburn took a few years away from the workplace to start a family and now has three children. She has stayed active with school, church and community service activities. Now that her children are in school, she is excited to reenter the workforce.

Kevin Hammon
Aggregation Manager of Churches, National Accounts, Houston
khammon@sevenutility.com

A native of Houston, Texas, Mr. Hammon has worked in the Energy Industry for 20 years for CenterPoint Energy.

In 2001 Mr. Hammon was called to the mission field. He has actively served in local and foreign missions. In 2001 - 2002 he served as a budget counselor for Bear Creek Assistance Ministry, where he has held a seat on the Board of Directors and made numerous home repairs for the needy. He is a member of Backyard Missions team, Leader of Foundry Disaster Response Team, and annual U. M. Army trips. He has helped build three homes with Habitat for Humanity. He spent three months building a portable medical clinic for the Tsunami flood. He has worked on several projects in Juarez, MX, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Mexico City, and Alaska.

He has received a calling to use his skills and strong work ethic to assist all houses of worship in lowering one of their largest expenses, energy. His mission is to build the largest aggregation of houses of worship in the country, and continually lower and manage their energy expenses.

In doing so, he firmly believes that he will be freeing up more money for churches to use to do the Lord's work, and grow their ministries.

Mr. Hammon is married with one grown daughter and one grandson. He is an active member of Foundry United Methodist in Houston.

Liliana Herrera
Pricing Analyst
lherrera@sevenutility.com

Liliana Herrera, an Illinois native, moved to Houston with her family at a young age. She worked at Vinson & Elkins, LLP one of the largest and most prestigious law firms in Houston before entering the Energy Industry. During her 5 years at Vinson & Elkins, LLP she received several awards, including 3 rare spot bonuses for her excellent work. With the career change her goal was to apply her people skills along with her business skills. Liliana is fluent in Spanish; spoken, written and translation.

Miss Herrera's goals are to learn more about the energy industry and deregulated markets and to specialize in the growing Latino market.

In her spare time, Liliana enjoys traveling, shopping, and investing in remodeling homes.

Rick Joppru
National Account Manager
rjoppru@sevenutility.com

Rick graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Over the past 20 years, he has directed the operations of financial services and technology manufacturing businesses. His client satisfaction rating— as measured by a pool of 3,721 respondents over an eight year period— was 99.7% positive. During the same period, through global outsourcing and stringent procurement methods, client costs were greatly reduced.

With the exception of a four year tour of duty in the United States Air Force, Rick has been a life long Minnesota resident. Married 21 years, he spends much of his free time on the sidelines watching his son play football, hockey, and baseball. Additionally, he enjoys current events, sports, and learning Spanish.

Lori Hymel
Energy Consultant, Houston
lhymel@sevenutility.com

Joe Ramirez
Energy Consultant, National Accounts
JRamirez@sevenutility.com

Mr. Ramirez joins the Seven team with over 20 years of experience in the New Home Construction industry. Most of this time was spent with national homebuilder Pulte Homes where he rose through the ranks to V. P. of Construction and, most recently, V. P. of Customer Relations. It was at this platform that Joe was able to build a Customer Service team second to none. He is proud to have led the Houston Division to an unprecedented six years at the top of J. D. Power and Associates Award for New Home Satisfaction.

Given Seven’s unique approach to customer service in the energy industry, Joe is confident his experience will benefit his clients. He looks forward to becoming well versed in all aspects of the Energy Management business.

Mr. Ramirez earned his Bachelor of Science at Texas A&M University with a degree in Construction Science. He has been married 12 years and is a Galveston, TX native (BOI) and a lifelong Texan. He enjoys camping, hiking and that once-a-year ski trip with his family. The Ramirez family are members of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Houston.

Patrick Boulay
Energy Consultant, National Accounts
pboulay@sevenutility.com

Patrick Boulay, a native Arizonan and recent Houston transplant, graduated from Arizona State University Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Economics. Prior to joining Seven UMC, Mr. Boulay spent almost ten years in the mortgage banking industry in various capacities, working for both large national wholesalers as well as small mortgage banking firms. While there he became a Certified Knowledge Manager. Patrick is an avid writer and enjoys quality music, film and travel.

Laura Elwell-Ham
Business Development Manager
lelwellham@sevenutility.com

Mrs. Ham is a University of Houston Graduate with a degree in Business Administration. She managed restaurants, started a family, and launched an inside sales career earning Quarterly Sales Awards and the Vice-President's Club Award in her first 6 months. Laura fast tracked this career to a Project Manager position. Her attention then turned to her growing family; until now. Mrs. Ham enjoys working part time for Seven UMC and also teaches Jazzercise.

Christopher (Chris) Page
Pricing Analyst, Energy Consultant
CPage@sevenutility.com

Christopher Page, a native Houston resident, graduated from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX where he earned a Bachelor’s in Economics with a specialization in Applied Economic Theory and a Minor in Business Management and Mandarin Chinese. He is looking to further his education in the near future and earn a Master’s Degree in International Business or possibly a Juris Doctorate from one of Houston’s many prestigious universities.

Before joining Seven, Mr. Page was a branch manager with American General Financial Services, Inc. where he received several sales awards. He is excited to join the energy industry and looks forward to learning as much as he can about the Energy Management field.

In his spare time, Chris enjoys soccer, reading and working out and is an avid fan of the Houston Dynamo, Dallas Cowboys and Texas Tech Football teams.

Alan Bardwell
Energy Consultant, National Accounts
abardwell@sevenutility.com

Alan Bardwell, a Bloomington, IL native, attended Illinois State University where he earned a Bachelors degree in Finance with an emphasis in sales and marketing.

Alan has spent 6 years in the real estate business. First working for a family owned construction company, BLM Construction, as an estimator and on site construction supervisor. During that time, he was able to successfully rise to Director of Sales and Office Manager. After leaving BLM Construction, he co-founded BD Investments, a real estate investment company that buys and renovates properties. Under the leadership of Alan, BD Investments was able to generate over $500,000 in sales during its first year.

Alan joined Seven - Utility Management Consultants, Ltd because of its leadership position in the Energy Management Consulting industry, and more importantly, because of its outstanding reputation. Seven holds itself to the highest ethical standards and is truly a great company to be a part of.

Alan still resides in the Bloomington-Normal area with his wife Carrie. He is a sports fanatic that still plays golf on a competitive level.

Dale Snyder
Energy Consultant, National Accounts
dsnyder@sevenutility.com

Dale Snyder graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, majoring in Economics and Marketing.

Before entering the Energy Industry, Dale served 16 years as a Registered Representative with the NASD, allowing him to successfully build a strong foundation consisting of: analytical skills, fundamental and technical analysis of markets, and management of National and Regional Accounts. His securities licenses, which reflect on a diverse knowledge base, have included: Series 7, Series 24, Series 3, Series 52 and Series 63.

During his career, Mr. Snyder's broad study of economics and technical analysis has set him self apart from his competition. This expertise was beneficial in ensuring that large National and Regional Accounts could successfully manage interest rate risks, and profit from swings in the Bond Market.

He hopes to bring these skills to the Energy Industry, to help companies manage their exposure to the ever increasing volatility in the energy markets, and to serve clients in the complex world of retail energy.

Dale is proud of his customer retained loyalty and believes as Henry Ford did, that, “Coming together is a Beginning. Keeping together is Progress. Working together is Success”.

Dale resides in Little Rock, Arkansas and enjoys the fishing and hunting in the Natural State.

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