Richard A. (Rick) Zapalac
Senior Vice President, Gas Operations
Current Position: senior vice president, Gas Operations. In this role, he has financial and operational responsibilities for the natural gas distribution utility in a six-state region.
Previous Positions: Rick began his career with Houston Lighting and Power in 1977 as an office manager trainee. He progressed to various supervisory positions and in 1986, was named manager of the Fort Bend service area. In 1992, he assumed additional responsibility for the Wharton service area. In August of 2000, Rick was promoted to vice president of the South Texas Division in Gas Operations. He was named regional vice president over all of Gas Operations in Texas in November 2006, a region that includes approximately 1.5 million customers in about 350 communities. In April 2010, Rick was promoted to senior vice president of Gas Operations and he was named division senior vice president of Gas Operations and Engineering in 2011. He was named to his current position in 2014.
Education and Accreditation: Rick earned a BBA in Finance/Economics from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1975.
Affiliations and Honors: Rick has served on the Texas Legislative Advisory Board; Board member of Texas Gas Association and is a member of the Southern Gas Association. He has held many positions in the Rosenberg/Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce including President.
Personal: Rick and his wife JoAnn currently reside in Houston. They have two children and twin grandchildren.
