ISO New England elects 2022 board slate

ISO New England, operator of the region’s bulk power system and wholesale electricity markets, today announced the election of the 2022 Board of Directors slate. Board Chair Cheryl LaFleur was re-elected to a second term, joined by new director Melvin G. Williams, Jr. Their three-year terms will begin October 1, 2022. Board members Barney S. Rush and Vickie A. VanZandt will retire this fall.

“The election of Mel and re-election of Cheryl will continue the region on its transition to a clean energy future,” said ISO New England President and CEO Gordon van Welie. “Their breadth of experience in energy, government, academia, and beyond will serve all New Englanders well.”

Williams elected

Melvin G. Williams, Jr. is a former United States Navy nuclear-trained submariner, who held positions as a submarine commander and a fleet commander, completing his service as a Vice Admiral.  As a presidential appointee in the Obama Administration, he served as the Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy where he was responsible for the day-to-day management and operational excellence at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Following his career in public service, Williams is completing 10 years in academia, where he currently serves as the Associate Dean of Engineering at the Catholic University of America and previously served as Associate Provost at the George Washington University and the Research Nuclear Reactor Consultant at the University of California, Davis.

Williams has received a number of awards, including the U.S. Department of Energy Outstanding Service Award, the Catholic University of America Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award, the Black Engineer of the Year Award for Professional Achievement and induction into the STEM Hall of Fame, the National Society of Black Engineers Award for Lifetime Achievement in Government, and the Thurgood Marshall Award for Service and Leadership.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from the United States Naval Academy, a Master of Science degree in engineering management from the Catholic University of America, and a certificate in national and international security from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

LaFleur re-elected

Cheryl LaFleur joined the ISO New England Board in 2019 and was named Chair in 2021. Previously, LaFleur was one of the longest-serving commissioners on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), serving from 2010 to 2019 and chairing the commission for approximately two years during that time. Before her FERC tenure, LaFleur served as Chief Operating Officer and Acting CEO at National Grid USA.

LaFleur is a Nonresident Fellow with the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy and also serves on its advisory board. In addition, she serves on the advisory boards of the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), the Princeton University Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

She holds a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University.

About the board

The ISO elects its Board members through a nominating process that involves representatives from the ISO New England Board of Directors, the New England Power Pool (NEPOOL), and the New England Conference of Public Utilities Commissioners. Candidates also receive the endorsement of the NEPOOL Participants Committee.

ISO New England Board members are subject to the company’s code of conduct, which includes a non-affiliation provision designed to maintain the independence of the company from participants in New England’s wholesale markets and their affiliates.

Last year, to capitalize on a trio of highly-qualified candidates, the ISO New England Board of Directors temporarily expanded to 11 members. The board will return to 10 members following the retirements of Rush and VanZandt.

More information on ISO New England’s governance structure, as well as its Board of Directors, is available on the ISO’s website.