Board of Directors

Katie Coleman is a Partner in Thompson & Knight’s Austin office and serves as the Firm’s Government and Regulatory Practice Group Leader.  Katie has more than a decade of experience representing large customers on energy matters in Texas and has extensive experience with both ERCOT’s competitive market and rate regulation under the PUCT.   Katie also routinely assists companies with regulatory compliance and diligence in contracting and infrastructure projects, including structuring energy agreements, joint ownership agreements for privately owned electrical facilities, energy supply agreements, and cogeneration agreements.

Katie has been recognized for her energy regulatory work by The Legal 500 US 2018, selected as a leading state regulatory lawyer by Chambers USA 2018, honored among The Best Lawyers in America^®, selected as “Lawyer of the Year – Energy Regulatory” by The Best Lawyers in America^® for 2019, and recognized as one of Texas Lawyer’s 2018 Lawyers on the Rise.  Katie served as President of the State Bar of Texas Public Utility Law Section for the 2016-2017 term.  She is also on the Board of Directors for the Gulf Coast Power Association (GCPA) and is currently serving as Vice President.

Mark Dreyfus has over two decades as a Texas electric industry leader with extensive experience in electric regulatory policy, legislative policy and representation, ERCOT market design, stakeholder collaboration, problem solving, communications, and executive leadership.

Mr. Dreyfus holds a Ph.D. in resource economics and public finance.  He has worked as a consultant in the electric sector and been employed in federal, state and local government positions. 

Mr. Dreyfus has served as Chief Economist in the policy office at the Public Utility Commission of Texas, as a Commissioner’s assistant, and at Austin Energy, as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Corporate Communications.

During his time at Austin Energy, Mr. Dreyfus was responsible for regulatory and market policy before the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, for legislative policy and representation, corporate communications, marketing, and rate policy and processes.  He represented the municipal utility sector in the ERCOT stakeholder process, including serving on the ERCOT Board of Directors and as Chair of the ERCOT Technical Advisory Committee.

At MD Energy Consulting, Mr. Dreyfus provides electric sector regulatory and legislative consulting and representation in Austin and ERCOT.

Rebecca Bollenbach serves as a Partner at Essentia Advisory Partners bringing seventeen years of experience in deregulated power and gas. She has worked closely with a range of clients on systems and process optimization in physical and financial power across ERCOT, SPP, SERC, PJM, CAISO, NYISO, ISO-NE, Ontario, and Alberta.

Rebecca has led the design, build and implementation of trading, forecasting, and ETRM systems for multiple wholesale and retail power clients, including nodal trading system suites for FTR trading desks in North America. Rebecca also leverages her extensive knowledge of ISO operations to develop strategies, process and systems for Essentia's clients in Mexico’s emerging energy markets.

Beth Garza served as the Director of the ERCOT Independent Market Monitor from 2014 - 2019 after serving as the Deputy Director since 2008.  Beth was responsible for monitoring market participant activity, evaluating wholesale market operations and recommending improvements to the wholesale market design. Over the course of her 35-year career in the electric utility industry, Beth has held a variety of leadership roles in generation and transmission planning, system operations, regulatory affairs and market design for both regulated and competitive entities. Prior to joining Potomac Economics, Beth led ERCOT’s Congestion Analysis division for four years.  In this role, she was the business lead for the development of ERCOT’s inaugural Congestion Revenue Rights market implemented as part of the conversion to a nodal energy market.  Beth served as the Manager of Market Affairs, representing NextEra’s (then FPL Energy) interests in ERCOT for five years.  Beth’s initial exposure to ERCOT was during her long tenure with Austin Energy. Beth received her Engineering degree from the University of Missouri and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas. 

Tom Anson, a partner at the law firm of Clark Hill Strasburger has a regulatory and administrative law practice that spans over three decades.  He studied energy law and regulated industries in law school and upon graduation clerked for Judge Sam Johnson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth District (who served on the “Gas Panel” which reviews Federal Energy Regulatory Commission decisions). Tom’s primary area of practice is state and federal energy and utility law, including regulatory, contract, administrative, and litigation matters. His practice encompasses representation of clients on a variety of licensing, rate, enforcement, rulemaking, and other regulatory matters before state and federal bodies and officials, such as the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Railroad Commission of Texas, and the FERC. It also involves assisting clients with wholesale power matters and retail electric services in the restructured Texas electric market, and advising clients on various regulatory and quasi-regulatory matters. Tom joined the GCPA Board of Directors in 1997. He served as Secretary from 1997-2003, Vice President in 2004, and President in 2005. He was the Fall Conference Chair in 1992, and the Fall Conference Co-Chair in 2011. In addition he has served as a panel moderator and speaker at several GCPA conferences.

Jim Barkley is a partner at Baker Botts where he focuses his practice on the regulatory counseling of energy industry clients in agency proceedings, projects, corporate transactions and civil litigation. He represents electric utilities, pipelines, power generators, and energy consumers before the Texas Public Utility Commission, Texas Railroad Commission, ERCOT, Texas Reliability Entity, and other federal and state agencies, as well as in state and federal courts. Before joining Baker Botts, Mr. Barkley was a consultant in Washington, D.C., advising several major non-U.S. utilities on U.S. energy and environmental legislation. He also held several positions, including research associate, in the Arms Control and Crisis Management Program at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Jim received a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. in History & Economics from Baylor University.

Donna Benefield serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer at NRG Energy, Inc. In this role, Donna leads the Supply Chain & Procurement organization, is responsible for integration strategy for mergers and acquisitions and spearheads key enterprise programs. As NRG has transformed to an integrated power company with its purposeful generation providing energy solutions to millions of customers, Donna plays a pivotal role defining and implementing programs to further advance the company’s strategy. Leveraging over twenty years of experience in energy and technology industries, she leads enterprise programs such as corporate transformation, strategic customer focus and the workplace of the future initiatives.

Previously, Donna served as the Senior Vice President of Information Technology. During her seventeen years of leading technology at NRG and its legacy companies, Donna defined digital strategy and delivered innovative, scalable platforms and processes. Donna led the technology teams through significant change in the power markets over the last twenty years including technology for generation and retail operations across the deregulated power markets: ERCOT, PJM, MISO, NYISO, NEISO, CAISO. Donna is a graduate of Milwaukee School of Engineering with a B.S.in Business and Computer Science, earning her Master’s in Business Administration, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
 

Barbara Clemenhagen is the Vice President of Market Intelligence for Customized Energy Solutions. Based in Austin, Texas, Barbara is an expert in regulatory advocacy and market design, with a focus on the North American energy markets.

Barbara has extensive experience advocating for fair and efficient market rules and regulations that enhance competitive power markets for investors, operators, retailers and consumers. Barbara has experience with leading strategic initiatives for generators, power marketers and retailers to enhance competitive markets, including the design and establishment of markets, and the introduction of new rules, structures, services and products. During her extensive career she has taken on projects that range from strategic to operational, and include strategy and business planning, market design, regulatory, project finance, acquisitions and divestitures. Her work is often conducted in complex environments with limited resources and under extremely tight timelines.

Prior to joining Customized Energy Solutions, she was the Vice President of Commerical and External Relations for Topaz Power, a power generation company in Texas. During her tenure at Topaz Power, she served on the ERCOT Board of Directors representing the Independent Generator market segment. She previously served on the ERCOT Technical Advisory Committee and chaired the ERCOT Wholesale Market Subcommittee for several years. From 2009 to 2013, Barbara was the President of the Texas Competitive Power Advocates; a trade association representing power generators and wholesale power marketers who owned and/or operated ~3/4 of the total electric generating capacity in TX.

Barbara was the Director of Regional Regulatory Affairs for Sempra Global and the Sempra Global lead on Electricity Market Design issues. In her role, Barbara actively advocated for fair and rational rules that promote merchant activities in a robust wholesale energy market. Barbara was a Commissioner at the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) appointed by the Premier of British Columbia by Order-in-Council. During her tenure at Utilities Commission and prior to her appointment, Barbara served as Vice-Chair of the Canadian Institute of Energy. Barbara started her energy career at BC Hydro and Power Authority as a Strategic Planner. Barbara has an undergraduate degree in Commerce, graduate degree in Economics and in Law and Administration.

Mark Egan is a leader in the Texas electricity market with over two decades of industry experience. Throughout his career, Mark has contributed commodity hedging solutions and financial structuring expertise to a variety of asset finance transactions including sponsor equity, term debt and tax equity partnerships.  Mark’s relationships span the industry from investor owned utilities, IPPs, private equity, asset managers, banks, consultants and trading houses. Mark has a B.A. in Economics from American University in Washington, D.C. He makes his home in Houston with his wife, three daughters and a modestly overweight beagle.

Keith Emery is vice president of Origination for Tenaska Power Services Co. (TPS). He is responsible for TPS' marketing and origination activities throughout ERCOT, focusing on developing creative energy management solutions for independent power producers, retail electric providers, and a variety of wholesale and industrial customers. Mr. Emery has 30 years of experience in the electric power industry, including 23 years focused on deregulated energy markets throughout the United States. Before joining TPS, Mr. Emery worked for 13 years with NextEra Energy Resources and Florida Power & Light Company in various power marketing, engineering and operation positions. Mr. Emery has served on the ERCOT Board of Directors since 2015, representing the independent power marketing segment.  Additionally he served five years on the ERCOT Technical Advisory Committee and three years on the ERCOT Wholesale Market Subcommittee. He has been actively involved with the ERCOT market for 20 years and serves on the board of directors of the Gulf Coast Power Association. Mr. Emery is a registered professional engineer and earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a master of business administration degree from Florida Atlantic University.

Todd Hillman is senior vice president and chief customer officer for MISO, leading all aspects of the regional transmission organization’s customer and external affairs activities. Hillman and his team are responsible for delivering MISO’s commitment to a quality experience for members, stakeholders and employees. Hillman’s team also guides stakeholder affairs, corporate communications and media relations.

Hillman is a veteran customer and business development and origination executive with proven leadership in corporate strategy, project coordination, customer management, product origination, and marketing and development. Most recently, Hillman oversaw the successful integration of the MISO South region, serving as vice president and South region executive for MISO, based in Little Rock. With the introduction of the Entergy system across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, the integration was the largest in RTO history.

Hillman joined MISO in 2004 from Houston-based Reliant Energy, where he worked in both Houston and abroad leading contract management and corporate development. Hillman has also worked for DuPont/Conoco and the New York Mercantile Exchange in contract development, and electricity and natural gas trading and origination.

Hillman is vice chairman of the Southeast Reliability Corp. (SERC), and a board member of the Gulf Coast Power Association (GCPA).

Hillman earned Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of the Pacific and is an Executive Institute graduate from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Brian Lloyd is regional vice president—external affairs for Sempra LNG and Sempra Energy. In this role, Lloyd leads Sempra LNG’s public affairs, communications and citizenship initiatives, and Sempra Energy’s public affairs in Texas.

Most recently, Lloyd served as director of regulatory strategy for Sempra
Energy. Prior to joining Sempra Energy, Lloyd served as executive director of
the Public Utility Commission of Texas, where he was responsible for the
daily operations and management of the agency, strategic planning, and policy development and implementation. Lloyd also served as Governor Rick Perry’s deputy director of budget, planning and policy; and served as the Governor’s primary energy policy advisor. Prior to that, Lloyd worked in a variety of roles at the Public Utility Commission and private industry related to electricity market restructuring and was the principal author of the 2008 Texas State Energy Plan developed by the Governor’s Competitiveness Council.

Lloyd has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Louisiana State University and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a master’s degree in economics.

Paul Schulze is vice president of public affairs for Hunt Consolidated, Inc., in Dallas. Schulze provides public affairs support and is responsible for government affairs activities on behalf of the Hunt affiliation of companies.

Prior to joining Hunt, Schulze spent almost nine years in Washington, D.C., working on and around Capitol Hill. During his time in D.C., he served as legislative assistant to Congressman Sam Johnson of Texas, as federal liaison for the Texas Education Agency, and later as legislative director and then chief of staff to Congressman John Culberson of Texas. A native of Austin, Schulze has also worked in the Texas Legislature.

Schulze is a 2009 Marshall Memorial Fellow and an alumnus of the Texas Lyceum. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Gulf Coast Power Association.

Schulze received a bachelor of arts in government from the University of Texas at Austin and a master of business administration from the University of Maryland.