​​​​​​Meet the Board of Directors

Wendy Montoya Cloonan 

Experience

• Houston Office Managing Partner (Jan. 2023 – Present) at Cantu Harden Montoya LLP, a public law and public finance firm
•  Founder and Sole Shareholder (Aug. 2019 – Dec. 2022) of The Law Office of Wendy Montoya Cloonan, PLLC, a public law and public finance firm based in Houston, Texas
• Senior Program Officer in Education, Assistant General Counsel and Director of Legal (Feb. 2015 – July 2019) at the Houston Endowment, Inc., a private foundation that partners with other organizations in the non-profit, public and private sectors to improve quality of life for the residents of greater Houston
• Attorney at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP (formerly Andrews Kurth LLP) (2013 – 2015), Schwartz, Page & Harding, L.L.P. (2011 – 2013) and Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. (2006 – 2011)
  

Other Experience (For profit and Non-{Profit Entities)

• Commissioner (2019 – Present), Port of Houston Authority
• The Young Center (2020 – Present)
• Board of the Harris County Hospital District Foundation (2021 – Present)
• Executive Board Member, ALMAAHH: Advocate of a Latino Museum of Cultural/Visual Arts and Archive Complex Houston/Harris County (2021 – Present)
• Houston Downtown Management District (2019 – 2022)
  

Earl M. Cummings 

Experience

• Managing Partner (2012 – Present) of MCM Houston Properties, LLC, a real estate fund that invests in single family residential properties in Houston, Texas
• Served in various positions, including currently as Chief Executive Officer, at The BTS Team (1997 – Present), that started as an information technology and staffing firm providing solutions and services across various regions and evolved into a company that also invests financial resources in various industries

Other Experience (For Profit and Non-Profit Entities)

Public Company

• Halliburton Company (2022 – Present)
  

Other

• Texas Children's Hospital (2022 – Present)
• UH Energy Advisory Board (2021 – Present)
• Board of Visitors of University of Houston (2016 – 2018)
• Yellowstone Academy (2004 – 2017)
• C-STEM Robotics (2002 – 2017)

Christopher H. Franklin 

Experience

• Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President (2015 – Present) of Essential Utilities, Inc., a public company providing regulated utilities, including water, wastewater and natural gas, to customers in 10 states; Has served in various roles of increasing responsibilities at Essential Utilities, Inc. (f.k.a. AquaAmerica, Inc.) since 1992

Other Experience (For Profit and Non-Profit Entities)

Public Company

• Chairman, Essential Utilities, Inc. (2015 – Present)
• ITC Holdings (2011 – 2016)

Other

• University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees (2015 – Present)
• Franklin Institute of Philadelphia (2017 – Present)
  

David J. Lesar 

Experience

• Chief Executive Officer and Director (Jan. 2023 – Present); President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (July 2020 – Dec. 2022); and Director (May 2020 – June 2020) of CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
•  Interim Chief Executive Officer (July 2019 – June 2020) of Health Care Services Corporation, the largest privately held health insurer in the United States
• Held various positions (1993 – 2018) of increasing responsibilities culminating in holding the position of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (2000 – 2017) and Executive Chairman (2017 – 2018) of Halliburton Company

Other Experience (For Profit and Non-Profit Entities)

Public Company

• Executive Chairman (2017 – 2018) and Chairman (2000 – 2017), Halliburton Company
• Agrium Inc. (2010 – 2015)
• Lyondell Chemical Co. (2000 – 2007)
• Mirant Corp. (2000 – 2005)
• Southern Co. (1999 – 2000)
• Cordant Technologies (1998 – 2000)

Other

• Health Care Services Corporation (2018 – 2020)
  

Raquelle W. Lewis 

Experience

• Held various positions (2008 – Present) of increasing responsibilities including the position of Southeast Texas Director of Communications & Public Information Offices (2017 – Present) of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), a state government organization that plans, constructs, operates and maintains Texas' integrated transportation system including highways and multimodal programs
• Served as Special Advisor to TxDOT Executive Director and the Executive Administration (2015)
• Held various positions (1998 – 2008) of increasing responsibilities including the position of Supervising Planner/Program Manager at Parsons Brinkerhoff, Inc., a multinational engineering and design firm that specializes in strategic consulting, planning, engineering, construction management, energy, infrastructure and community planning

Other Professional Experience and Community Involvement

• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) – Houston Branch
• WTS International
• Leadership Women, Inc.

Experience

• Co-Chief Executive Officer (2013 – Present) of The Vistria Group, LLC, a Chicago-based investment firm focused on the education, healthcare and financial services industries
• Chief Executive Officer (1996 – 2012) of PRG Parking Management (known as The Parking Spot), an owner and operator of off-airport parking facilities

Other Experience (For Profit and Non-Profit Entities)

Public Company

• American Airlines Group (2015 – Present)
• Chewy, Inc. (2020 – Present)
  
• Jones Lang LaSalle (2011 – 2020)
• Norfolk Southern Corp. (2013 – 2019)

Other

• Chairman, Barack Obama Foundation (2013 – Present)
• Trustee, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
  

Phillip R. Smith 

Experience

• Chief Financial Officer (2023 – Present) and previously President and Chief Executive Officer (2019 – 2022) of Marathon-Sparta Holdings, Inc., a private company involved in non-healthcare related employee benefits programs and affiliated through common ownership with Torch Energy Advisor Inc.
• President and Chief Executive Officer (2013 – 2019) of Torch Energy Advisor Inc., a private energy company with interests in oil, gas and renewable energy, including the development of wind and solar renewable projects
• Partner (2002 – 2012) at KMPG LLP, a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax and advisory services

Other Experience (For Profit and Non-Profit Entities)

• Health Care Service Corporation (2021 – Present
• Oilstone Energy Services, Inc. (2014 – 2016)
   
  

Barry T. Smitherman 

Experience

• President and principal attorney (2017 – Present) of Barry Smitherman, P.C., a law firm specializing in water, electricity and natural gas
• Managing Partner (2017 – Present) of Smitherman + Associates, a firm providing consulting services to energy infrastructure-related entities
• Adjunct Professor (2016 – Present) at The University of Texas School of Law
•  Partner (2015 – 2017) at Vinson & Elkins LLP, an international law firm
• Managing Director and National Head of Tax-Exempt Securities (1999 – 2002), Banc One Capital Markets (later acquired by J.P. Morgan)

Other Experience (For Profit and Non-Profit Entities)

Public Company

•  NRG Energy, Inc. (2017 – 2018)

Other

• Chairman and President, Texas Geothermal Energy Alliance (2022 – Present)
• Chairman, Brookwood in Georgetown (2018 – Present)
• Centric Infrastructure Group, LLC (2019 – 2021)
•  Chairman (2012 – 2014) and Commissioner (2011 – 2014), Railroad Commission of Texas
• National Association of Regulatory Utility Commission (2011 – 2014)
• Southern States Energy Board (2011 – 2013)
•  Member, Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (2011 – 2013)
•  Southwest Power Pool (SPP) Regional State Committee (2008 – 2011)
•  Member, U.S. Department of Energy Electricity Advisory Committee (2008 – 2011)
• Vice-Chair, Texas Advisory Panel on Federal Environmental Regulations (2008 – 2009)
• Chairman (2007 – 2011) and Commissioner (2004 – 2011), Public Utility Commission of Texas
• Electric Reliability Council of Texas (2007 – 2011)
• Member, Texas Public Finance Authority (2002 – 2004)