ISO-NE elects 2025 board slate

ISO New England, operator of the region’s bulk power system and wholesale electricity marketplace, today announced the election of its 2025 Board of Directors slate. Current board chair Cheryl LaFleur and members Catherine Flax and Melvin G. Williams, Jr. were reelected to three-year terms that begin this October.

“The experience and expertise Cheryl, Catherine, and Mel bring to the Board will be invaluable in the years ahead,” said Gordon van Welie, ISO New England’s president and CEO.

LaFleur, Flax, and Williams re-elected

Cheryl LaFleur, elected to her third and final term, joined the ISO New England Board in 2019 and has served as chair since 2021. A former commissioner and chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), she served as executive vice president and acting CEO at National Grid USA. She held other executive positions at National Grid USA, and its predecessor, New England Electric System, including chief operating officer, president of the New England Distribution Companies, and general counsel. LaFleur began her career as an attorney at Ropes and Gray in Boston. Currently, LaFleur serves on the advisory boards of the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She holds a juris doctorate from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University.

Catherine Flax is president of private investing at X Machina Capital Strategies, focusing on investments related to energy transition in the oil and gas sector. She is an economist who has worked as a senior executive in the energy, power, and commodities businesses for several investment banks. During her career, Flax has served as global head of commodity finance at J.P. Morgan and managing director and head of commodities for the Americas at BNP Paribas. Flax earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and finance from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in economics from Brown University.

Melvin G. “Mel” Williams, Jr. is a retired U.S. Navy vice admiral and former associate deputy secretary of energy. A nuclear-trained submariner, he held multiple command positions during his military career including as fleet commander of 130 ships and 90,000 personnel. Following his service, Williams spent a decade in academia, including leadership roles at The George Washington University, University of California, Davis, and the Catholic University of America. Williams 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.

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.

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