Cris Eugster of CPS Energy to Chair SEPA Board

Mary Kipp of El Paso Electric named Chair-Elect

RANCHO MIRAGE, CA — The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) announces the results of recent officer elections for the educational nonprofit’s Board of Directors.

Cris Eugster, Chief Operating Officer of CPS Energy, will be the Board’s new Chair for a one-year term. Mary Kipp, President and CEO of El Paso Electric Co., will become Chair-Elect; which means that, in 2019, she will become the first sitting utility president and CEO to serve as chair of the SEPA Board.

“SEPA is fortunate to have a Board of Directors who are all active and engaged thought leaders in our industry’s transition toward a clean and modern energy future,” said President and CEO Julia Hamm. “Similarly, as SEPA continues to grow and our membership evolves, the diversity of our board will keep us nimble and focused on the changes that are necessary for moving the industry forward.”

In other election results:

• Outgoing Chair Caroline Choi, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs for Southern California Edison, will become Past Chair.
• Current Treasurer John Hewa, Vice President of Corporate Services at the Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, was re-elected to another term, as was current Secretary Seth Frader-Thompson, President of EnergyHub.
• Jim Alberts, Senior Vice President, Customer Service at Hawaiian Electric Company, will serve as Chair of the Board’s Nominating Committee.
• Joe Hoagland, Vice President, Stakeholder Relations at the Tennessee Valley Authority, has been elected to the at-large seat on the Executive Committee.

“CPS Energy is at the forefront of clean energy initiatives, and I look forward to sharing our experiences in working with my colleagues on the SEPA Board and its leadership in the coming year,” Eugster said. “Together, we will work toward bringing innovation to the development of a clean energy future.”

“At this time of technological change in our industry, SEPA is one of the organizations that is really making a difference,” Kipp added. “As we evolve to meet new challenges, I want to make sure SEPA continues to serve as a platform for balanced, cross-industry communication and collaboration.”

SEPA’s Board of Directors helps guide the development SEPA’s mission to facilitate the electric power sector’s transition to a clean and modern energy future. The SEPA Board of Directors is comprised of 19 members representing a cross-section of energy industry representatives, including executives from utilities, distributed energy technology developers, as well as former policy makers. Each board member serves a three-year term.

The bios of all Board members are available here.

Photo of Board leadership here: SEPA’s changing Board leadership (left to right): Cris Eugster of CPS Energy, incoming Chair; Mary Kipp of El Paso Electric, new Chair-Elect; SEPA President and CEO Julia Hamm; and Past-Chair Caroline Choi of Southern California Edison.

Media contact: K Kaufmann, [email protected] or 202-494-4386.