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.

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.

Governor Greg Abbott appointed Lori Cobos to serve as Commissioner on the Public Utility Commission of Texas on June 17, 2021.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Cobos served as Chief Executive and Public Counsel for the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC) by appointment of Governor Abbott. During her tenure at OPUC, she elevated the agency's profile and strengthened the agency's legal representation, policy advocacy, and consumer outreach and assistance. Under her leadership, OPUC effectively represented residential and small commercial consumers before the PUC, State Office of Administrative Hearings, state court, and ERCOT, as an ex officio member of the ERCOT Board of Directors. Through the litigation of electric and water utility cases, OPUC helped achieve over $1.3 billion in utility bill savings for residential and small commercial consumers in Texas, which included an agency record of approximately $1.179 billion in 2020.

At the PUC, Ms. Cobos serves as an ex officio member of the ERCOT Board of Directors and serves on the Regional State Committee of the Southwest Power Pool. Ms. Cobos is the President of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (SEARUC).  She has also served on the Executive Committee of the Organization of MISO States and as President of the Entergy Regional States Committee.

Ms. Cobos has 20 years of broad experience in the Texas electric power industry in both the public and private sector. Ms. Cobos has served in several senior-level positions at the PUC, including serving as an advisor for two PUCT Commissioners, assistant counsel to the PUCT Executive Director, and senior policy analyst, and she has also served as in-house counsel at ERCOT. In the private sector, Ms. Cobos has served as a director of government and regulatory affairs for a power generation company and as principal owner of her own legal and consulting firm, where she assisted clients with legal, regulatory, public policy, legislative, and business development matters in the Texas electric power industry.

Ms. Cobos is a member of the State Bar of Texas and has served as the chair of the Public Utility Law Section. Ms. Cobos received a JD from Texas Tech University and was a member of the Texas Tech Law Review. Ms. Cobos received an MA in Public Administration and a BBA in General Business, with magna cum laude honors, from Sul Ross State University and served on Sul Ross’s Alumni Board. Ms. Cobos served on the Board of Directors of Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation by appointment of Governor Abbott. She is a native of Alpine, Texas.

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.

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.

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.

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.