Board of Directors

Paul Foster is the President of Franklin Management LLC and the founder and former Executive Chairman of Western Refining Inc. He has previously served as Chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents as well as a member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the University of Texas System Lands Advisory Board, and the El Paso Branch of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank. Mr. Foster holds a degree in accounting from Baylor University.

Bill Flores is an entrepreneur, business leader, and public policy leader. He most recently served as the U.S. Representative for the 17th Congressional District of Texas from 2011 through 2021. Mr. Flores has also served in board governance and senior leadership positions for numerous public and private entities. His work has emphasized job creation and retention while generating significant value for investors, 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 Baptist University.

Dr. Carlos Aguilar is an engineer with a PhD and MSc in Economics (corporate/business strategy and finance). Dr. Aguilar has served as a President/CEO and on the board level with some of the world's largest engineering and construction firms specializing in clean-energy, power, transportation, real estate, industrial water, and technology start-ups in the United States, Latin America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Dr. Aguilar has a combined understanding of both multi-party negotiations and complex financing structures and on-the-ground challenges of engineering and construction management and safety.

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.

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.

Robert “Bob” Flexon is a seasoned energy executive with expertise in the power generation and energy marketing, oil and gas, and chemicals sectors. He most recently served as President and CEO of Dynegy Inc. from 2011 through 2018. Before his leadership role with Dynegy, he was CFO of UGI Utilities and CEO of FosterWheeler, a global engineering and construction firm, and COO and CFO of NRG Energy. Mr. Flexon currently serves as Chair of the Pacific Gas & Electric Board of Directors, Chair of Capstone Green Energy, and member of Charah Inc.

Ms. Heeg is an experienced corporate director and business leader who serves on the board of WhiteWater Midstream, a privately held natural gas infrastructure company. She previously served as a Commissioner on the Texas Lottery Commission and has also been a director on numerous boards in the energy sector. Before retirement, Ms. Heeg managed successful law practices with Reed Smith and Norton Rose Fulbright. In her law practice, she advised leading companies on complex energy, regulatory, and corporate governance matters. Ms. Heeg holds an undergraduate degree and law degree from the University of Louisville.

Governor Greg Abbott appointed Kathleen Jackson to serve as Interim Chair of the Public Utility Commission on June 7, 2023. She was appointed as a commissioner on Aug. 5, 2022 and confirmed by the Texas Senate on May 26, 2023.

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

Ms. 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.

Ms. 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 joined ERCOT in October 2022 as President and CEO. He has a long history of service in both the electric and gas industries. 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, Executive Vice President and President of Columbia Gas Group, and Chief Customer Officer. Mr. Vegas had profit and loss accountability for NiSource’s six gas and electric utility companies as well as responsibility for strategy, planning, operations, construction, engineering, regulatory, environmental services, and federal government affairs for NiSource.

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 regulated utility industry, Mr. Vegas served in senior leadership positions with IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Andersen Consulting.

While with NiSource, he was also chairman on the board of directors for One Columbus and a board of trustees member for the American Gas Foundation.  Mr. Vegas currently serves on the board of directors at Northwest Bancshares, Inc.

Mr. Vegas attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, completed the AEP Strategic Leadership program at the Ohio State University, and graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan with a BS degree in mechanical engineering.