Meet Our Members

Jackie Flowers was appointed Director of Utilities in 2018. She has 30 years of professional experience, with 15 of those managing public utilities, including hydropower generation, power supply, power transmission and distribution, energy efficiency, engineering, operations technology, fiber optic networks, and traffic signalization. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County, the Large Public Power Council, and Grid Forward. She is also a member of the American Public Power Association CEO Climate Change Task Force.

The Board of Commissioners appointed John Haarlow to serve as CEO and General Manager beginning October 8, 2018. He joined Snohomish County PUD No. 1 in February 2017 as Assistant General Manager of Distribution & Engineering Services, bringing nearly 30 years of experience in the electric utility industry. In that role, he was responsible for construction, engineering, operations, and maintenance of the utility’s transmission, substation, and distribution assets. He also oversaw fleet, real estate, and environmental functions.

Before joining Snohomish County PUD No. 1, Mr. Haarlow worked for the Public Service Company of New Mexico, serving as both Director of Safety and Transmission and Distribution Engineering and Operations. He began his career at the Central Illinois Light Company where he was an IBEW journeyman for 10 years. Mr. Haarlow also worked as Vice President of Power Delivery for the AES Indiana. He attended University of Illinois and holds a B.A. in Accounting.

Debra Smith is the General Manager and CEO of Seattle City Light, one of the nation’s largest community-owned electric utilities. City Light serves more than 480,000 meters and 955,000 people across Seattle, parts of eight surrounding communities and unincorporated King County.

Debra believes in transparency, accountability, and intentionality as well as the value of teamwork, partnerships, and collaboration. As a long-term public employee, she prioritizes customer needs while acknowledging that great customer service starts with engaged and committed employees. Under her leadership, City Light is focused on electrification, equity and improving the customer experience.

Previously, Debra served as Central Lincoln PUD’s General Manager from July 2013 to October 2018. She brought 17 years of experience to that role from the Eugene Water and Electric Board, where she held a variety of positions, including Assistant General Manager. Debra earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Arizona State University and she served as the first Chairwoman of the Public Power Council (PPC). Currently, Debra serves as Vice Chair of Long-Range Planning for PPC, and is on the board of the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee (PNUCC), the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI), the American Public Power Association (APPA) as well as APPA’’s Climate Change Task Force, the Large Public Power Council’s Steering Committee, Puget Sound Energy’s Beyond Net Zero Advisory Committee, the Columbia Basin Collaborative, and the Pacific Northwest National Lab’s Energy and Environment Directorate Advisory Committee.

Debra and her husband Dale have raised three sons and two daughters. They love city life and are committed to being part of downtown Seattle’s post-pandemic recovery. They also have a home in Eugene, Oregon where three of their kids live as well as their six-year-old grandson Oliver, and his soon to be new baby brother. In her spare time - there really isn’t any - Debra enjoys travel, time with friends and family, and hanging out on her and Dale’s favorite pandemic purchase - their pontoon boat/party barge.

As President and CEO of Santee Cooper, Jimmy D. Staton is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the state-owned electric and water utility, advancing Santee Cooper’s mission to be the leading resource for improving the quality of life for all South Carolinians.

Prior to joining Santee Cooper, Mr. Staton served for more than five years as the President and CEO of Southern Star Central Corporation, a leading transporter of natural gas, with approximately 5,800 miles of natural gas transmission pipeline in the Midwest and Mid-Continent regions of the United States. He also has served as Executive Vice President and Group CEO for NiSource Inc., one of the largest fully regulated utility companies in the United States, with approximately 3.5 million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers across seven states; as Senior Vice President for Dominion Energy Inc.; and as President of Asset Operations for Consolidated Natural Gas Company (CNG) prior to its acquisition in 2000 by Dominion Energy.

Mr. Staton is on the Board of Directors for The Energy Authority (TEA) and a member of the Large Public Power Council (LPPC). He graduated from Louisiana State University with a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering. Mr. Staton enjoys sporting events, live music, golf, and the great outdoors. He and his wife, Karen, have two adult sons and a granddaughter. The Statons currently reside in Pinopolis and have a home in North Myrtle Beach, where they have been Santee Cooper customers for 15 years.

Mike Hummel was named as Salt River Project’s (SRP) General Manager and Chief Executive Officer in March 2018. Mr. Hummel has 40 years at SRP and has served in several executive level positions. Prior to his selection as GM/CEO, he was SRP’s Deputy General Manager, Resources & Finance and responsible for activities associated with Financial & Corporate Services; Strategy, Resource Planning & Acquisitions; Environmental Management, Policy & Compliance; Power Generation; and Power Delivery. He was named Associate General Manager & Chief Power System Executive in July 2011. In that role, he was responsible for activities associated with electric system planning, engineering, and operations, and electrical generation, including coal, nuclear, natural gas, and renewable resources such as hydroelectric, solar, wind, and geothermal.

Mr. Hummel holds an MBA from Arizona State University and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arizona. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Arizona and Nevada and he also successfully completed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Nuclear Reactor Technology Program. As an active leader on professional, technical, and community boards, Mr. Hummel currently serves on the Board of Directors for Teach For America (TFA), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Greater Phoenix Leadership (GPL), Large Public Power Council (LPPC), and Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (NEIL).

Paul Lau, who previously served as SMUD’s Chief Grid Strategy & Operations Officer, was named Chief Executive Officer & General Manager in October 2020. He reports to the SMUD Board of Directors. As CEO, he leads the sixth largest community-owned electric utility in the nation serving a population of 1.5 million residents and managing a $1.7 billion budget. 

As Chief Grid Strategy & Operations Officer, Mr. Lau was responsible for the operations of SMUD’s power markets, transmission, and distribution grids, including the Balancing Authority of Northern California, the development of a holistic smart grid strategy, and SMUD’s research and development programs. In this role, he served as executive sponsor for SMUD’s deployment of advanced metering infrastructure and smart grid initiatives.

A 40-year SMUD veteran, Mr. Lau has held several other executive leadership positions, including Assistant General Manager of Power Supply & Grid Operations and Assistant General Manager of Customer, Distribution & Technology. 

Mr. Lau serves on the boards of the Large Public Power Council, American Public Power Association, California Municipal Utilities Association, Business Council for Sustainable Energy, Smart Electric Power Alliance, Electric Transportation Community Development Corporation, and the California Mobility Center and as a Commissioner of the Balancing Authority of Northern California. He serves on the boards of a number of Sacramento-area community organizations, including the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, Greater Sacramento Economic Council, and Valley Vision. He serves as Director-at-Large and is Past Chair of the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce.

Active in international energy issues, Mr. Lau serves as a delegate with the United States Energy Association, where he has helped with electrification, operations, and demand-side management in countries such as Bangladesh, India, and Jordan. 

A registered professional electrical engineer in the state of California, Mr. Lau received his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Power Engineering from California State University, Sacramento. He also is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum.

Josué A. Colón Ortiz, P.E. joined the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) in 1988 as a Mechanical Engineer in the Mechanical Design Section, where he designed mechanical systems for power plants, including troubleshooting and designing proper solutions. Mr. Colón Ortiz grew steadily through various positions including Maintenance Engineering, Project Administration, Outage Manager, Head Power Plant, and Electric System Director where he was responsible for directing and supervising integrated operations as well as preventive and corrective maintenance of the entire Electric System and the successful direction of all efforts and resources related to Y2K. 

Mr. Colón Ortiz served as the Electric System Technical Advisor for seven years, where he was responsible for advising PREPA’s governing management in critical technical and administrative areas. Mr. Colón Ortiz then became Generation, Transmission and Distribution Director, overseeing a new organizational model that consolidated the functions of design, construction, operation, maintenance, and protection of the Puerto Rico electric system infrastructure.

From 2010–2012, Mr. Colón Ortiz became the Generation Director. He was responsible for the successful direction of all efforts and resources related to the transition to natural gas and renewable sources of energy. Mr. Colón Ortiz was appointed Executive Director from 2012–2013. After serving as the Executive Director, he became an Energy Consultant to various Puerto Rico government officials, mayors, legislative representatives, and senators, as well as private companies assisting in matters related to Puerto Rico’s Electrical Power Systems.

Under Mr. Colón Ortiz’s leadership, PREPA was recognized with an outstanding achievement award in mechanical and electrical engineering from the Engineer and Surveyor College of Puerto Rico for two projects developed at the Palo Seco Power Plant and for the conversion to natural gas project developed at the Costa Sur Power Station.

During his career, Mr. Colón Ortiz has worked in both the government sector and academia. From 2006–2009 he served as Faculty Professor in mathematics at John Dewey College. 

Mr. Colón Ortiz studied at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus where he obtained his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Mr. Colón Ortiz has over 30 years of experience in the electrical engineering field.

Jason Frisbie joined Platte River Power Authority in 1982 as a college intern and upon graduating began a full-time career at the Rawhide Energy Station. Mr. Frisbie held various positions in facilities, maintenance, fuel handling, and power production before becoming plant manager in 1999. He transitioned to division manager of power production in 2001 and was promoted to chief operating officer in 2010, overseeing generation and transmission assets, power sales, fuel, water, and system engineering. Mr. Frisbie became general manager/chief executive officer of Platte River in 2016 and is committed to leading the organization during a transformational time in the utility industry.

Mr. Frisbie is a tireless advocate of public power and of transitioning to a new energy future while maintaining system reliability and financial sustainability. He represents Platte River’s interests on a regional basis and serves on the Trapper Mine Board of Directors, chairs the Trapper Compensation Committee, and is a member of the Yampa Coordinating Committee. As an industry leader, Mr. Frisbie is a sought-after panelist and public speaker on the topics of transitioning energy portfolios from fossil fuels to noncarbon resources, the value of joining an organized market, and the benefits of public power and local community control. Mr. Frisbie also contributes his industry and leadership expertise to the American Public Power Association and the Large Public Power Council.

Mr. Frisbie earned a B.S. in Industrial Technology from Colorado State University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Clint P. Bullock is the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer for the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC—The Reliable One), the 14th largest public power utility in the United States. In this leadership role, Mr. Bullock oversees a utility that employs more than 1,200 highly specialized professionals and provides electric and water services to more than 400,000 accounts spread across Orlando, St. Cloud, and parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola counties. OUC generates nearly $1 billion in annual revenues from its core services and a diverse array of products, including indoor and outdoor commercial lighting, chilled water services, electric vehicle charging stations, backup generation, and dark fiber. 

Mr. Bullock joined OUC in 1989 and has worked in many aspects of the company, including Customer Service, Sustainability, and Strategic Planning. Before moving into his current position, he served as Vice President of Electric & Water Delivery. In this role, he was responsible for all electric and water engineering, construction, maintenance, and operations of the transmission and distribution system, including substations and communications. He led a team charged with maintaining the high standards that ensure OUC lives up to its name as The Reliable One. OUC has consistently been recognized as one of the most reliable electric utilities in Florida.

During his tenure with OUC, Mr. Bullock has worked on numerous major, company-wide initiatives, including the development and implementation of a strategic plan and an electric integrated resource plan, the latter focused on expanding OUC’s renewable energy portfolio and electric and water conservation programs. Under his leadership, OUC set a goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with interim CO₂ reductions of 50% by 2030 and 75% by 2040. Included in this initiative are plans to retire OUC’s two coal units—one by 2025 and the other by 2027—and significantly expand its reliance on solar power and other clean energy technologies like battery storage.

Mr. Bullock is very proud of the high praise OUC has garnered from its customers: OUC was named the "2020 Most Trusted Brand" among electric utilities in a nationwide independent customer survey, followed a year later with being named the nation’s highest-ranked midsize water utility based on an annual water utility residential customer satisfaction study conducted by J.D. Power. And 2022 brought OUC its fifth consecutive annual Environmental Champion award and its first No. 1 ranking among U.S. electric utilities for "environmental dedication." Both recognitions were the results of an independent customer survey. 

Mr. Bullock himself also was honored to be named a "2021 CEO of the Year" by Orlando Business Journal and was included on the 2019, 2020, and 2021 Florida Trend 500 list, a compilation of the 500 most influential business leaders in different economic sectors throughout the state. Additionally, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando and Prospera recognized him as the 2021 Hispanic Community Champion.

His community involvement includes serving on the Boone High School Athletic Association, University of Central Florida (UCF) Foundation and Alumni Boards, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida’s board, the Central Florida regional housing trust, Orlando Economic Partnership’s Governors Council, and the After-School All-Stars, a program dedicated to providing comprehensive youth development programs that keep children safe and help them succeed in school and in life.

L. Javier Fernandez joined Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) in June 2017 as vice president and chief financial officer. He was selected by the OPPD Board of Directors to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer starting in July 2021.

Mr. Fernandez came to OPPD from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), U.S. Department of Energy, in Portland, Oregon. He had been with the federal power marketing organization since 2012, most recently serving as executive vice president and chief financial officer. 

Before joining BPA, Mr. Fernandez served for three years as senior vice president with D.A. Davidson & Co., a financial services firm, and seven years with Seattle-Northwest Securities, where he performed public finance banking and financial advisory services for municipal jurisdictions, primarily in Oregon.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) in Mexico City, an MBA from Yale University, a Utility Management Certificate from Willamette University, and a Utility Executive Certificate from the University of Idaho.

He currently serves as a Board Member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Omaha Branch, Bellevue University, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and Habitat for Humanity of Omaha.

Justin E. Driscoll is the Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of the nation's largest state-owned electric utility. He is responsible for developing and implementing the statewide utility's strategic vision and mission and for supervising its operations, legal and financial matters, and relationships with external stakeholders.

Mr. Driscoll previously served as the chief legal officer of the New York Power Authority (NYPA). He also supervised the activities of the Hydropower Licensing Group, the Regulatory/Energy Markets functions, Legislative and Community Affairs Group, Environmental Justice, and held the roles of Corporate Secretary and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer. He also served on the Enterprise Risk Management Committee and was management’s liaison to the Cyber and Physical Security Committee of the Board of Trustees.

Before joining NYPA, Mr. Driscoll was engaged in the private practice of law and represented clients that included Fortune 500 companies, governmental entities, and energy companies in complex commercial litigation and regulatory matters.

Mr. Driscoll serves on several Boards including The Alliance to Save Energy, New York City’s Urban Green Council, the Large Public Power Council, and the World Resources Institute’s Global Energy Advisory Board in Washington, DC.

Mr. Driscoll is a graduate of American University in Washington, DC with a bachelor’s degree from the School of Public Affairs. He received his law degree from the New York Law School and attended the New York University School of Law LLM Program in trade regulation. He is a member of the New York City Bar Association and the Energy Bar Association.

Tom Kent was appointed Nebraska Public Power District's (NPPD) President & Chief Executive Officer May 1, 2020. Mr. Kent graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering in 1985 and an MBA in 2005. He has also completed the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) Reactor Technology Course for Utility Executives at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Leadership at the Peak, and holds certification as a Situational Leadership® trainer. Mr. Kent is a registered professional electrical engineer in the State of Nebraska. He joined the District in May 1990 as an Environmental Qualification Coordinator at Cooper Nuclear Station and has served in many positions during his career at NPPD. He was appointed Vice President & Chief Operating Officer in May 2011, and then named Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer in January 2020. Mr. Kent is very active in the electric utility industry and his community, serving on the Southwest Power Pool Members Committee, and as a board member of the following: Nebraska Power Association; Nebraska Chamber of Commerce; Nuclear Energy Institute; The Energy Authority (TEA), currently serving as chair; Large Public Power Council; American Public Power Association; and the Mid-America Council, Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Kent is a veteran of the United States Navy, and he and his wife, Dacia, live in rural Lancaster County, Nebraska, and have two adult children.

Jim Fuller serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of MEAG Power. He has more than 40 years of utility experience and has been with MEAG Power since 1997. Before being elected President and CEO in 2016, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining MEAG Power, Mr. Fuller worked for the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company in various finance and audit positions. He is a Certified Public Accountant, received his undergraduate degree from Western New England University, and holds a master’s degree from Bentley University. 

Mr. Fuller currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Public Power Association (APPA); serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Energy Authority, the nation’s leader in public power energy trading, risk management, and advisory services; serves on the Board of the Large Public Power Council, an organization comprising the 27 largest public power utilities in the United States; and serves on the Board of Governors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

Phil Wilson became Lower Colorado River Authority's (LCRA) 11th general manager on February 3, 2014. LCRA’s general manager serves as the organization’s chief executive officer and carries out LCRA Board policy, manages LCRA's relationships with its customers and stakeholders, appoints and directs executive staff, and oversees projects and operations that support LCRA’s public service mission.

Prior to joining LCRA, Mr. Wilson was executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation. Under the direction of the Texas Transportation Commission, he managed, directed, and implemented TxDOT policies, programs, and operating strategies. He also represented TxDOT before the Texas Legislature and other entities. Before joining TxDOT in 2011, Wilson served as senior vice president of Public Affairs and as a corporate officer for Luminant, Texas’ largest electric generation company. In 2007, then-Governor Rick Perry appointed Mr. Wilson as Texas’ 106th Secretary of State. In that position, he was the chief elections officer and the chief international protocol officer for Texas. Wilson also served as chair of the Governor’s Competitiveness Council and on the Texas Border Security Council.

Mr. Wilson currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Large Public Power Council, and he serves on the Texas Lyceum Advisory and Development Council. He previously served as the Board chair of the Austin Chamber of Commerce and as the chair of the Chamber’s Opportunity Austin initiative, in addition to having served on the Chamber’s executive committee. Mr. Wilson has an MBA from Southern Methodist University and a bachelor’s degree from Hardin-Simmons University.

Marty Adams is the General Manager and Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). 

Mr. Adams brings to the post nearly 37 years of experience, leadership, and understanding of LADWP operations. Mr. Adams was previously the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the LADWP. Prior to that, he served as Senior Assistant General Manager - Water System. He has been involved in local and regional water issues for more than 30 years with a career that has touched on almost every aspect of Los Angeles’ water system, including planning, design, and operation. Prior to leading the Water System, he headed the LADWP Water Operations Division, which is responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the City’s water supply system.

A civil engineer by training, Mr. Adams is a native of Glendale, California, and attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Outside of work, he also serves as Chairman of the Board of the new San Fernando Community Health Center and recently completed nine years on the Water and Power Board for the City of Burbank.

Tom Falcone is the Chief Executive Officer of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), the third-largest publicly-owned electric utility in the United States. Mr. Falcone joined LIPA in 2014 as Chief Financial Officer and became CEO in 2015.

Since 2014, LIPA has reduced power outages by 35%, signed agreements for over 1,000 megawatts of clean and distributed energy, reformed and strengthened its management services contract with PSEG Long Island, obtained four credit-rating upgrades, and invested over $4.9 billion in Long Island's electric grid while keeping electric rate adjustments below the rate of inflation.

Mr. Falcone serves on New York's Climate Action Council, the 22-member board that adopts the plans to achieve the State's greenhouse gas reduction targets, including a zero-carbon power sector by 2040 and an 85% reduction in state-wide emissions by 2050.

Mr. Falcone is Vice Chair of the board of the Large Public Power Council and a member of the executive committee of the board of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook University. Mr. Falcone also participates in the Energeia Partnership, a think tank organization focused on challenges facing Long Island.

Prior to joining LIPA, Mr. Falcone was an investment banker and advisor to publicly-owned utilities and state and local governments. In that role, Mr. Falcone raised more than $25 billion for infrastructure investments across the country. Mr. Falcone received a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Jay Stowe was named JEA’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer in November 2020 and has served in the not-for-profit utility sector for more than 25 years. He has been focused on building a team of leaders to deliver on the mission of JEA of improving lives and building community, which he believes is critical to JEA’s ability to best serve its customers in the Northeast Florida region.

Before joining JEA, Mr. Stowe served municipal utilities in direct roles and as a consultant. He served in senior vice president roles over distributed energy resources and operations for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Prior to TVA, he spent more than a decade at Huntsville Utilities in Alabama, where he served as vice president of operations and chief operating officer, before becoming president and CEO. He also served two municipal utilities in North Carolina and started his career as a consultant for Black & Veatch. Mr. Stowe serves as an American Public Power Association (APPA) representative on the national Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC), as a member of the Florida Municipal Electric Association’s (FMEA) Large Public Power CEO Advisory Group, as a board member to the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC), as a board member and vice chair of The Energy Authority (TEA), and as a board member and vice chair of TEA Solutions.

Mr. Stowe earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University.

Henry Martinez serves as Imperial Irrigation District’s (IID) chief executive, managing the largest irrigation district in the nation and the third largest public power provider in California.

Leading a workforce of about 1,400 employees, his focus as general manager is to chart a course to take IID where it needs to be in the 21st century. Prior to his role as general manager he led the district’s Energy Department. 

Mr. Martinez has more than 45 years of experience in the utility sector, assuming ever-increasing levels of responsibility in executive/senior level leadership of administrative, technical, and field organizations. His tenure includes nearly 25 years with Southern California Edison, 10 years with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and seven years with the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Prior to his work at IID, Mr. Martinez served as a senior vice president with Cordoba Corporation, a diversified engineering firm where he headed up business development and client management, developing the corporation’s presence in the water infrastructure industry. 

His experience includes work on several unique public projects. He was executive/principal-in-charge on the City of Industry Industry Public Utilities Commission project and capital improvement program and led efforts on projects sponsored by the City of Los Angeles, Department of Sanitation. He also oversaw work in support of the LADWP’s Owens Lake dust monitoring and compliance program.

While at LADWP, Mr. Martinez served six months as interim general manager and was chief operating officer of the electrical system.

At Edison International/Southern California Edison, Mr. Martinez served as vice president of power production; VP of safety, security, and compliance; director of strategic planning; director of grid operations; and in various senior management positions in electric plant operations.

While at the Tennessee Valley Authority, he served as vice president of hydro operations where he was responsible for 29 power plants and more than 40 main and diversion dams.

Mr. Martinez holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from California State University, Fullerton, and has completed executive training programs at Pepperdine University and the University of Virginia.

Rich Wallen joined Grant PUD in June 2017. His professional background includes 30 years of energy industry experience within nuclear, coal, gas, and hydro. He earned his bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University and received an MBA from Clayton State University.

Mr. Wallen is a veteran of the U.S. Navy where he served on board the USS Enterprise as a nuclear power plant operator. He holds a project management professional certification.

Dan Sullivan joined Grand River Dam Authority in 2011 as President/CEO. Prior to that he worked of counsel at Pierce Couch Hendrickson Baysinger & Green, LLP from 2005–2011, and he was Oklahoma State Representative for District 71 from 2004–2011. Mr. Sullivan received a B.S. in Business Administration from Northeastern State University and a J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law.

Roy L. Jones is the Chief Executive Officer of ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. Mr. Jones joined ElectriCities in 2009 as the Senior Vice President of Planning and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2011 before becoming CEO in November 2015. As CEO, he is responsible for executive leadership of ElectriCities, North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1, and North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency. Mr. Jones has more than 40 years of experience in the electric power industry, including public power, Independent System Operator, and investor-owned utility experience. He began his career with Entergy in 1981. Following his time with Entergy, he joined Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) in Indiana, where he was ultimately responsible for the design and implementation of its Energy and Ancillary Service Market and Balancing Authority consolidation. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from LaSalle University.

Rudy D. Garza is the President & Chief Executive Officer for CPS Energy, the nation’s largest municipally-owned electric and natural gas utility. Mr. Garza has more than 25 years as a leader in the electric and natural gas utility industry and has served in both the public and private sectors over the course of his career. He is the first Hispanic leader to hold the position.

Mr. Garza joined CPS Energy in 2012 and previously served as Chief Customer & Stakeholder Engagement Officer and as Senior Vice President of Distribution Service & Operations where he oversaw the maintenance and construction activity of the electric distribution system. He has also served the company in the role of Vice President of External Relations.  

Mr. Garza has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas in Austin and an MBA from the University of North Texas.

He continues to serve his community through multiple board positions and serves his UT Austin alma mater as an advisory board member for the School of Electrical Engineering.

Travas Deal will serve as acting CEO, effective December 1, 2022. Mr. Deal joined Colorado Springs Utilities in 2017 as Field Services manager. In 2018 he transitioned to the Energy Services Division, where he served as general manager and officer, prior to being named COO.

Lena Wittler is a 20-year veteran of the utility industry, having served in a variety of finance, human resources, and communications roles, most recently as the Director of Communications and Employee Resources overseeing all communications, public affairs, utility-wide research and analytics, human resources, and loss control. She was named CEO and General Manager in June of 2019.

Ms. Wittler holds a B.A. from Willamette University and an MBA from the University of Portland and prior to her work with the utility she worked in education and judicial support.

Kirk Hudson began serving as the General Manager of Chelan County PUD No. 1 in January 2022. Mr. Hudson has 24 years of experience at Chelan County PUD No. 1 and during that time has been responsible for generation & transmission, reliability compliance, engineering, project controls, electric distribution, warehousing, fleet services, customer service, water/wastewater, wholesale telecommunications operations, and natural resources.

Mr. Hudson is also the President and Chairman of the Board for the Hydropower Research Institute, a nonprofit company formed in 2018 by Chelan County PUD No. 1 and Southern Company with the mission to ensure hydropower continues to be the premier carbon‐free, electricity‐generating resource by pursuing digital transformation and technological advancement.

Prior to joining Chelan County PUD No. 1, Mr. Hudson worked for three consulting firms in the Seattle and Tri‐Cities area of Washington, providing engineering and environmental consulting services mostly for aerospace, petroleum, Department of Defense, and Department of Energy clients from Alaska to California.

Mr. Hudson grew up in the Tri‐Cities area of Eastern Washington and graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Civil Engineering.

Jackie Sargent rejoined the Austin Energy team as General Manager in August 2016. She brings almost 30 years of utility experience to the job, as well as the focus and passion to continue the utility’s cutting-edge reputation while providing tremendous community benefits.

From 2010–2012, Ms. Sargent served as Senior Vice President of Power Supply and Market Operations at Austin Energy before joining Platte River Power Authority in Fort Collins, Colorado, as General Manager and CEO. Ms. Sargent also served as Vice President of Power Supply and Renewables Integration for Black Hills Corporation in South Dakota.

Throughout her career, Ms. Sargent has demonstrated leadership by working with teams to accomplish goals and plan for the future. Some notable accomplishments include managing major construction projects, developing resource plans, supporting acquisitions and mergers, leading utility rate cases, negotiating power purchase and sale agreements, developing and growing energy marketing departments, integrating renewable resources, and creating collaborative energy efficiency programs.

Ms. Sargent believes Austin Energy can be a great value to its customers by focusing on these five core values: safety, financial integrity, operational excellence and reliability, exceptional customer service, and engaged employees. A strong financial base along with operational excellence allow a publicly-owned utility to be competitive while creating value for the community. By continuing Austin Energy’s standard of exceptional reliability and advancements in grid technology, the utility will be able to offer new levels of communication and collaboration with its customers. But these achievements can only happen with engaged employees in a safe environment that extends to the customers the utility serves.

Ms. Sargent is a licensed professional engineer and holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Technology Management from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

Jolene Thompson was named AMP President/CEO in 2020. She also serves as the general manager of the Municipal Energy Services Agency (MESA). She has been with AMP since 1990, having previously served as executive vice president of member services and external affairs where she provided oversight of AMP’s government relations, communications, training, environmental affairs, sustainability initiatives, risk, insurance, strategic planning, member programs, and safety, environmental and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) compliance activities.

Thompson is active nationally. She is a member of the Boards of The Energy Authority (TEA) and Large Public Power Council (LPPC) where she is the CEO co-chair of the Government Relations Task Force. Notably, she served on the American Public Power Association (APPA) Board of Directors from 2015 to 2022, where she was Board chair from 2020 to 2021, a member of the executive committee from 2016 to 2022, an officer from 2018 to 2022, and Nominating Committee chair from 2021 to 2022. Thompson was previously a member of the Transmission Access Policy Study (TAPS) Group Board of Directors, where she served on the executive committee and as chair of the legislative committee. She also previously chaired the APPA Advisory Committee of State and Regional Associations and Legislative and Resolutions Committee and sat on the Consumer Federation of America Board of Directors.

Thompson is a recipient of APPA’s Harold Kramer-John Preston Personal Service Award and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Otterbein University. She was executive director of the Ohio Municipal Electric Association (OMEA) in a dual role with her AMP position from 1997-2020. Thompson led the environmental permitting and public relations teams that worked on AMP generation projects in multiple states. She directed the successful launch of the $26-million Efficiency Smart program for AMP members and has overseen major human resource and benefit program updates. Throughout her career, Thompson has worked closely with AMP members and advocated with state and federal policymakers on behalf of AMP and public power.

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