Board of Directors

Bill Flores is an entrepreneur, corporate governance professional, public policy leader, former senior business executive, and frequent speaker on the subjects of energy, economics, and public policy. He most recently served as the elected U.S. Representative for the 17th Congressional District of Texas from 2011 through 2021. Prior thereto, Mr. Flores served in board governance and senior leadership positions for numerous public and private entities. His work has emphasized job creation and economic opportunity while generating significant value for stakeholders, including public company shareholders, private-equity investors, public sector pensions, and retirement funds. Mr. Flores is a Texas-licensed CPA, who earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from Texas A&M University and his MBA from Houston Christian University.

Ms. Heeg is an experienced corporate director and former energy company executive that brings years of specialized governance and energy experience to the board. Ms. Heeg has served on numerous public and private boards and currently serves as an advisory board member to two privately held pipeline companies. She previously served on the management committees of two international law firms and advised leading companies on complex energy, regulatory, and corporate governance matters. Ms. Heeg also served as a Commissioner on the Texas Lottery Commission.

Governor Greg Abbott appointed Benjamin Barkley as Chief Executive and Public Counsel of the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC) on December 2, 2024. OPUC represents residential and small commercial consumers in the electric, telecommunications, water, and wastewater utility industries in Texas. The Public Counsel oversees the overall operation of OPUC and leads OPUC’s representation of consumers in utility matters at state and federal regulatory agencies and courts.

Mr. Barkley of Austin was previously an assistant general counsel for the Office of the Governor (OOG) and has served as a policy advisor for the OOG, as general counsel and committee clerk to a Texas State Senator, and as an assistant district attorney for the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas. Barkley received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Honor Studies from The University of Texas at San Antonio and a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School.

Dr. Linda Capuano brings broad leadership experience in large corporations, small businesses, startups, academia, and government service. Her technical and organizational experiences span fossil and renewable energy, electric power, residential and industrial energy efficiency, advanced manufacturing, computers, electronics, aerospace, agriculture, and statistical data sciences. She has led start-up organizations in the development and commercialization of innovative technical products that included national and international collaborations with industry, government agencies and laboratories, academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and trade associations. She has served on more than 20 national boards, including the Peak Reliability Board of Directors and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) Board of Governors. At Rice University, Dr. Capuano served as a fellow at the Baker Institute, and currently focuses on energy in her faculty appointment as Professor and Advisor to the Dean on Energy Initiatives at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business. She holds a Ph. D. in materials science and engineering from Stanford University and is a National Associate of the National Academy of Sciences.

Mr. Cornelius has worked in the energy industry for nearly 45 years in a variety of senior management positions and accumulated a significant level of board experience. Most recently, he served as President of Freeport LNG Development L.P., and as a Board Member before retiring in 2023. From 1980 to 2010, he held various senior leadership positions in the upstream, midstream, and corporate functions at ConocoPhillips Company, retiring as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2010. He currently serves on the Board of Parex Resources and has previously served on the Board of multiple other public and private companies, including Western Refining Inc., NiSource Inc., Andeavor Logistics L.P., DCP Midstream L.P., Parallel Energy Trust, United States Enrichment Corporation, Carbo Ceramics Inc., Columbia Pipeline Group Inc., and Chevron Phillips Chemical Co.  

He received a BS degree from Iowa State University and MS degrees from both Purdue and Stanford Universities.

Ms. England currently serves on the board of TTM Technologies, a leading global RF and specialty components, advanced technology, and PCB fabrication solutions supplier. She served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas from 1997 to 2003. Ms. England has also served in executive roles in engineering and technology with Texas Instruments, Inc., including Vice President and General Manager of the company’s Radio Frequency Identification Division. Ms. England holds a BS in chemical engineering and graduate studies in business from Texas Tech University complemented with executive education at Harvard University and Stanford University. She earned a degree in studio art in 2018 from Southern Methodist University.

Thomas Gleeson was appointed Chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) by Gov. Greg Abbott on January 19, 2024. He previously served as the Executive Director of the PUCT, a position he held since December 2020. Mr. Gleeson has worked for the PUCT for over 15 years in various roles, including chief operating officer, director of finance and administration, and as a fiscal project manager. Mr. Gleeson also worked as a legislative analyst for the Texas Senate and a budget analyst for the Legislative Budget Board.

Mr. Gleeson is a graduate of the Governor's Executive Development Program at The University of Texas at Austin and served as the former chairman of both the City of Pflugerville Finance and Budget Committee and the First United Methodist Church of Round Rock Finance Committee. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Southwestern University and a Master of Public Administration from The Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University. Mr. Gleeson lives in Pflugerville with his wife, Elisa, and their three sons.

Mr. Hernandez has 20 years of experience in business formation, operations, executive leadership, and strategic advisory roles. Mr. Hernandez was founder and CEO of Cumulus Data, the first hyperscale data center platform directly connected to carbon-free nuclear power. Most recently, he served as CEO and Director of Talen Energy Corp and has also held a variety of senior management roles, including CFO of TerraForm Power Inc. and Managing Director at Goldman Sachs. He currently serves on the Board of Target Hospitality and is a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees. Mr. Hernandez also served on the Board and Executive Committee of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).

Hernandez received a B.A. in Economics from Rice University and the London School of Economics, and an MBA from Columbia University.

Governor Greg Abbott appointed Kathleen Jackson to serve as a commissioner on the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) on August 5, 2022, for a term set to expire on September 1, 2027. She served as Interim Chair from June 7, 2023 - January 23, 2024.

Since joining the PUCT, Jackson has spearheaded efforts to improve the energy efficiency of the state's electric grid. She previously served as a Board Member of the Texas Water Development Board, first appointed by Governor Rick Perry in 2014 and reappointed by Governor Abbott in 2017.

Throughout her career, Jackson has represented agricultural, environmental, industrial, and wholesale supply interests, including developing and implementing water management strategies for Southeast Texas. A registered professional engineer, Jackson served as a public affairs manager for one of the world's largest petroleum and petrochemical producers.

Jackson was also involved in production agriculture with her late husband, who ran a cattle operation and farmed rice. She was a member of the Lower Neches Valley Authority Board of Directors, the Texas Water Conservation Association, and participated on the Sabine and Neches Rivers Bay and Estuary Environmental Flows Assessment Program Stakeholders Committee. In August 2021, Governor Abbott appointed her to the Environmental Flows Advisory Group.

She is also a board member and past president of the Lamar Institute of Technology Foundation, a sustaining member of the Junior League of Beaumont, a member of the Texas Farm Bureau, past president of the American Cancer Society of North Jefferson County, and a past board member of Junior Achievement of the Golden Triangle.

Jackson received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University.

John Swainson is the Executive Chairman of Travelport, a business-to-business marketplace for travel information, and an Executive Partner at Siris Capital, a technology-focused private equity firm. Before serving in these roles, he was hired by Michael Dell to create and run an enterprise software division within Dell Inc., where he ultimately served as President of the Dell Software Group until its sale in 2016. Mr. Swainson’s career includes extensive experience in software, technology, and business management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in applied science from the University of British Columbia.

Pablo Vegas holds a life-long passion for learning, innovation, and growth. He has developed these passions over a 29-year career spanning the boardroom and the C-suite across the energy industry, financial services, and banking industry, as well as in management consulting and professional services.

Mr. Vegas is currently the President and CEO of ERCOT. In this role, he plays a critical part in ensuring the reliable and efficient operation of the Texas electric grid, enabling the energy transition and expansion that is supporting the fastest growing economy in the United States.

Prior to ERCOT, Mr. Vegas was Executive Vice President of NiSource, and Group President of NiSource Utilities, where he oversaw NiSource’s electric and gas business segments and championed outstanding service to NiSource customers. He served as a versatile executive at NiSource for six years, holding numerous roles, including Chief Operating Officer, President of Columbia Gas Group, and Chief Customer Officer.

Prior to joining NiSource, Mr. Vegas held a variety of senior executive positions with American Electric Power (AEP), including President and Chief Operating Officer of AEP Ohio, President and Chief Operating Officer of AEP Texas, and Vice President and Chief Information Officer of AEP.

Before his career in the energy industry, Mr. Vegas served in senior leadership positions with IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Andersen Consulting.

Mr. Vegas serves as an independent director on the board of Northwest Bancshares Inc. (Nasdaq: NWBI). He also serves on the Global Advisory Board for the Harvard Business School. He is a member of the Latino Corporate Directors Association and a member of the Austin Area Research Organization. He was appointed to the Texas Energy Reliability Council by Governor Abbott in 2022.

Mr. Vegas attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan with a BS degree in mechanical engineering.