| 1) | What makes PEC’s mission
meaningful to you, and what interest you about serving on the PEC Board
of Directors? For nearly two decades I worked for the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA), which is regional water and hydroelectric power utility. As Executive Manager of Science, Intergovernmental Relations, & Policy I learned the importance of providing reliable and affordable water and power to those who depend upon it. The PEC relies upon energy supplied from a mix of sources through the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). Each source has certain advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I am drawn to the challenge of providing reliable power to 8,100 square miles of service area with rising demands. |
| 2) | What education, skills, strengths or life experiences do you have that would benefit PEC? Through my experience in water and land conservation and management I have acquired skills that can benefit the PEC. My preparation for this work included a B.S. and M.S. in natural resources, eventually a doctorate in environmental geography from Texas State University and graduating from the Governor’s Executive Development Program. Today, I conduct water research and provide facilitation, mediation and training services for those navigating natural resource conflicts. I believe my accumulated education and experience will benefit the PEC board, which must reconcile competing interests to fulfill its mission to serve its customers. Through the executive search service, I provide to water utilities and other organizations I evaluate executive leadership and performance. This work has given me insight into how the changing workforce impacts organizations like the PEC that compete to hire engineers and other employees with skills that are in demand. |
| 3) | What other boards or committees have you served on or leadership positions have you held in the past? I have served on multiple boards, committees and councils including those at Texas State University and The University of Texas at Austin (UT). At UT I served on an advisory committee at the Jackson School of Geosciences, and with the Austin Technology Incubator. I was elected chair of the Texas Land Trust Council and Guadalupe Basin Coalition. |
| 4) | Are you familiar with the elements of the cooperative business model? As a former executive manager at a not-for-profit regional water and power utility, I understand the PEC’s business model and how utilities operate. Electric cooperatives are not-for-profit businesses owned and controlled by their members, who are also the customers. |
| 5) | How would you approach working with your fellow PEC Board of Directors to achieve collaboration and consensus? My education and experience in science and resource management would complement the abundance of business experience on the current board. Through my facilitation and mediation work I understand collaborative problem solving, which would be the foundation of how I would approach serving on the PEC board. |