Raymond Tran is a seasoned Electrical Engineer with more than 40 years of global and domestic experience in the power generation industry. His expertise spans commissioning, operations & maintenance, project management, and NERC Reliability Standard compliance for steam turbines, gas turbines, combined-cycle plants, generators, excitation systems (AVR), and balance-of-plant equipment.

Ray’s career began as a Field Engineer for GETSCO and PenPower, subsidiaries of General Electric (GE), where he served power generation clients across the world—including Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North Africa, Oceania, South America, and throughout North America. This extensive international experience built the foundation for his ability to solve complex engineering and operational challenges in today’s demanding power generation landscape.

When the NERC Reliability Standards became mandatory in the United States in 2007, Ray was serving as a Project Manager for an O&M services company overseeing more than 32 power plants across the U.S. and Canada. He led the successful establishment of NERC compliance programs and long-term compliance maintenance strategies for these facilities, supporting owners and operators through the transition to mandatory enforcement.

Over his career, Ray has held a wide range of technical and leadership roles, including:

• Project Manager / Contract Performance Manager / Resident Engineer Lead Commissioning Engineer
• Electrical Field Engineer
• Requisition Engineer 
• Lead Quality Control Engineer 
• Instructor & Technical Trainer
   

His work with GE and its subsidiaries encompassed virtually every aspect of power generation:

• Lead Commissioning Engineer: Responsible for commissioning turbines and generators ranging from 5 MW combustion turbines to 1,000 MW nuclear steam turbine-generators.
• Electrical Field Engineer: Specialized in commissioning generators, AVRs, PSS systems, protection systems, and BOP electrical equipment. 
• Quality Control & Requisition Engineer: Oversaw turbine control software requisitions, testing, and quality assurance for GE control systems. 
• Manager: Directed O&M services for pre-commercial, transitional, and commercial power stations, ensuring safe, reliable, and compliant operations.
• Instructor: Delivered high-level training in turbine controls, operations, generator excitation, and protection systems at the prestigious GE Energy Learning Center in Schenectady, NY.
   

Today, Ray blends decades of hands-on engineering experience with deep expertise in NERC compliance. He integrates the letters and intent of the NERC Reliability Standards seamlessly into each facility’s operations and maintenance procedures, building compliance programs that are practical, sustainable, and facility-specific.

Ray’s extensive global experience, technical depth, and proven leadership make him a trusted advisor to power plant owners, operators, and executives seeking reliability, operational excellence, and compliance confidence.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno, and is a proud U.S. Navy veteran.

Thomas Welch is a senior security leader with more than 35 years of experience in information technology, physical security, and cybersecurity across the utility, financial, healthcare, communications, academic, and government sectors. He specializes in designing, assessing, and strengthening both physical and logical security countermeasures to protect critical infrastructure and support strict regulatory compliance, including the NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Standards.

Tom has spent over 15 years providing NERC CIP compliance services to power generation entities, supporting clients with compliance planning, cyber and physical security assessments, secure architecture design, policy development, and ongoing compliance maintenance. His expertise spans a wide range of high-impact disciplines, including:

• Physical and logical security countermeasures
• Cybersecurity program development
• Secure network and facility architecture
• Information protection and data classification
• Personnel risk assessment program development
• High-tech crime investigations & computer forensics
• Strategic security planning
• Security training and awareness
• Pre-audit gap analysis, security self-assessments & spot-checks
• Cybersecurity policies, procedures & exceptions management

Tom’s deep knowledge of both security operations and regulatory requirements allows him to deliver practical, effective, and sustainable solutions tailored to each client’s risk profile and operational environment.

Tom holds some of the most respected credentials in security, audit, and risk management:

• CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional 
• CPP – Certified Protection Professional
• CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor
• CISM – Certified Information Security Manager
• CFI – Certified Fraud Investigator
• CHS-III – Certified Homeland Security, Level 3
• IAM – InfoSec Assessment Methodology Certified
   

These certifications reflect his commitment to professional excellence and his mastery of both technical and operational security disciplines.

Before transitioning into IT security, Tom served as a Crime Analyst for the City of Orange, New Jersey, and as a Public Safety Officer (cross-trained Police Officer and Firefighter) for the City of Coconut Creek, Florida. This foundation in public safety and investigative work gives Tom a unique, mission-driven perspective on risk, threat mitigation, and incident response.

Tom is also an accomplished author and lecturer, frequently presenting on computer crime, cybersecurity, investigations, and computer forensics. His work helps organizations and professionals better understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape and the practical steps required to protect critical systems.

With more than three decades of multidisciplinary experience, a comprehensive blend of physical and logical security skills, and an extensive background in NERC CIP compliance, Thomas Welch brings unmatched expertise to AES and to every client he serves. His leadership, technical depth, and commitment to ethical security practices make him a trusted advisor to organizations seeking resilience, compliance, and long-term protection.