John Dakarian

About John Dakarian

I am a Program Manager with the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program, where I lead the development and implementation of income-eligible weatherization and energy efficiency initiatives designed to support customers most in need.In my current role, I oversee a $17M+ portfolio of income-eligible energy efficiency programs, coordinating implementation contractors, internal teams, and partner utilities to deliver energy savings, health and safety improvements, and equitable access to critical services. My work also contributes to the development of strategy and policy for income-eligible energy efficiency programs across Illinois.I also lead innovative pilot initiatives, including the Healthy Homes program and the Community Comfort Pilot in Elgin and Rockford, which explore new approaches to improving energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and customer engagement for underserved households.Prior to this role, I worked across multiple functions within Nicor Gas including energy efficiency, resource management, and pipeline integrity programs, where I leveraged GIS and infrastructure data to support system modernization and risk management.I began my career as a GIS consultant supporting municipal governments across the Chicago region, designing geospatial solutions that improved infrastructure planning, asset management, and operational decision-making.I am currently pursuing an MBA at the University of Illinois Gies College of Business and remain deeply interested in the intersection of utilities, infrastructure, data analytics, and innovative approaches to serving communities.

Experience

1. Program Manager

   Nicor Gas

   Jun 2023 — Present · Naperville, IL, US

   Lead management of Nicor Gas’s $17.25M Income Eligible Weatherization portfolio, coordinatingimplementation contractors, internal teams, and partner utilities to deliver energy savings, equity, andregulatory performance goals. Contribute to strategy and policy development for income-eligible energyefficiency programs across Illinois while overseeing large-scale weatherization initiatives throughoutNicor Gas’s service territory.

Education

• Marengo Community High School

  High School

  2004 — 2008

• Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Business Administration and Management, General

• University of Iowa

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Political Science and Government & Geography

  2008 — 2012

Skills

• Arcgis
• Gis
• Geography
• Spatial Analysis
• Cartography
• Arcmap
• Data Analysis
• Lidar
• Microsoft Office
• Customer Service
• Teamwork
• Microsoft Excel
• Arccatalog
• Archydro
• Databases
• Esri
• Local Government
• Microsoft Word
• Powerpoint
• Project Planning