Rudy D. Garza is the President & CEO of CPS Energy, the nation’s largest electric and natural gas public utility, overseeing an energy portfolio of over 10,000 megawatts, over $15 billion in assets, close to $4 billion in annual revenue, and a workforce of over 3,600 employees. CPS Energy is the fourth-largest energy provider in Texas and the fifth-largest in the nation for solar capacity.

Rudy is responsible for CPS Energy’s diverse energy portfolio, which includes nuclear, solar, wind, battery storage, natural gas, and coal, powering over 1.4 million homes and businesses in South Texas. Rudy's leadership team has led innovative initiatives, including grid modernization, customer experience enhancements, and community resiliency.

Rudy has 30 years of experience in the utility industry, serving in both the public and private sectors. He previously served as Chief Customer & Stakeholder Engagement Officer, Senior Vice President of Distribution Service & Operations, and Vice President of External Relations. Prior to joining CPS Energy, Rudy served as Assistant City Manager of Business Support Services and Director of Intergovernmental Relations for the City of Corpus Christi, driving advocacy efforts before the Texas legislature and U.S. Congress.

He has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Texas.

Rudy currently serves on the national board of directors for the Keystone Policy Center, the American Gas Association, and the Large Public Power Council, and regionally on the boards of the Brooks Development Authority, the Texas Public Power Association, and the University of Texas at Austin Cockrell School of Engineering. He recently served as the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County Campaign Co-Chair, where he exceeded a fundraising goal of $46 million.

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Elaina Ball leads strategic planning for CPS Energy. A key part of her role is the oversight and execution of CPS Energy’s Vision 2027. She has over two decades of experience working with both investor-owned and public power utility companies. She has provided effective leadership in power generation, transmission & distribution, market operations, technology, and business development functions.

Elaina has previously served as CEO for Fayetteville PWC in Fayetteville, NC, as Chief Operating Officer for El Paso Electric and Austin Energy, as Senior Vice President of Power Delivery at Entergy, and is a CPS Energy alumnus serving as Vice President of Technical Services & Energy Solutions in 2012. She also has extensive leadership experience with the South Texas Project (STP), having served on their Board of Directors, Owners’ Committee, and Benefits Committee.

Elaina has been actively engaged with multiple utility organizations, including the Alltricity Network, the Association of Women in Energy, and the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) Board of Directors. She has also served with many community non-profits such as the Austin Science Education Foundation, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, and Fayetteville Tech Community College.

Elaina holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. She is also a graduate of the University of Idaho Utility Energy Executive program and a certified Six Sigma Black Belt

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Benny Ethridge is the to Executive Vice President of Energy Supply for CPS Energy. He oversees operation of CPS Energy’s 11,000 megawatts of generation capacity which includes a portfolio of over 2,100 megawatts of renewable generation, and over 1,000 megawatts of nuclear generation from the South Texas Project nuclear plant.

Benny joined CPS Energy in 2015, bringing over 30 years of experience in the energy industry. He began his career as a construction engineer with Houston Lighting & Power Company.  Following industry deregulation, he served in various technical, commercial, and operational leadership roles with Reliant Energy, Topaz Power Group, and NRG Energy. 

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master of Business Administration from Houston Baptist University. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Texas. Benny serves on the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies Executive Committee.

DeAnna Hardwick leads the Customer Strategy teams composed of Community Impact, Customer Experience Operations, Customer Value Optimization, Enterprise Customer Experience, Resolutions & Solutions, and Corporate Communications & Marketing.

Prior to her current role, she served as Executive Vice President of Customer Strategy. DeAnna has been instrumental in developing innovative approaches to serving customers. Under her leadership, an enhanced, streamlined tool was launched that makes it easier for customers to apply for bill assistance and has been a transformative resource for many customers.

Before joining CPS Energy, DeAnna spent 15 years working at various Fortune 100 companies, where she was charged with delivering easily accessible and exceptional customer experiences. 

DeAnna holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. She is also a graduate of the University of Idaho Energy Executive Course and the Rice Advanced Management Program. She has participated in multiple leadership programs, including, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, San Antonio Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Texas Class of 2022, and Leadership San Antonio Class 47. In 2025, she was named a recipient of the San Antonio Business Journal's Women's Leadership Award and recently joined the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) Board of Directors.

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Cory Kuchinsky oversees Accounting & Financial Reporting, Finance, Financial Planning, Budgeting Analysis & Management Reporting, Treasury, Strategic Pricing & Cost Recovery, Financial Operations, and Financial Information Systems Management.

Cory joined CPS Energy in 2006 and has served in multiple leadership roles. As CFO, he led CPS Energy through two rate increases and successfully stabilized the company’s credit outlook; in a previous role, he led the deployment of CPS Energy’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI).

In 2024, Cory was named a San Antonio Business Journal C-Suite Awards Honoree. He also led CPS Energy to receive the Bond Buyer Deal of the Year Award in 2023 for the company’s innovative financing structure following Winter Storm Uri. Cory is also on the board of the DoSeum, a local non-profit children’s museum, and was recently elected to the Trinity University Alumni Association Board (TUAAB) and the Texas Public Radio Board of Directors.

Prior to joining CPS Energy, he worked for the Ernst & Young LLC San Antonio office. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Accounting degree from Trinity University.

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Lisa Lewis leads the Administrative Services team, including human resources, safety & occupational health, labor relations, supply chain & logistics, facilities management, and real estate. She is focused on enabling our CPS Energy workforce to evolve with the fast-changing utility industry.

Lisa joined CPS Energy in 2000 and has worked in a variety of roles, last serving as Vice President of People & Culture from 2015 through 2020. She also served as Vice President of Corporate Communications & Corporate Responsibility from 2012 to 2015. She is an advocate for STEM education and workforce development and serves on the Board for San Antonio’s CAST public high schools. Until recently, Lisa served on the boards of Alltricity, an electric industry organization focused on training and safety, as well as the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG).

Before joining CPS Energy, Lisa worked in marketing, communications, and advertising for various service industry clients ranging from healthcare to public transit. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Texas State University.

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Richard Medina is responsible for the safe, reliable, and affordable delivery of electrical power and natural gas to our customers. He oversees the Engineering, Field Operations, Construction & Maintenance for Substation Transmission, Electric Distribution and Gas. He also serves over System Operations, customer reliability, and asset management programs associated with electric and natural gas delivery.

Richard has led many of our grid transformation initiatives including our electrification roadmap, optimization of EV infrastructure, and fostering alliances with local and national research leaders.

He has been with CPS Energy for over 30 years and has held various leadership positions at our utility. He has also served on several external boards and committees, such as EPRI, Texas A&M Smart Grid, Advanced Energy Economy, and others. 

Richard has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University and is a registered professional engineer in the State of Texas.

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Shanna Ramirez oversees CPS Energy's Legal Services, Audit, Compliance, Ethics, Integrated  Security, Transmission Rates & Revenues, and Government & Regulatory Affairs & Public Policy functions. She also provides leadership to Board Relations and serves as Secretary to the Board of Trustees. Shanna is responsible for driving strategic initiatives to advance the interests of our customers and community, including environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. Shanna also oversees cyber, physical, and data security, incident response, and business continuity.

Shanna joined CPS Energy in 2015 as Director & Senior Counsel and has extensive experience providing business and legal advice. She practiced employment litigation at Haynes and Boone, LLP and was Vice President & Deputy General Counsel for Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., supervising Legal Services, Safety & Risk, Claims, and Licensing & Compliance.

Shanna earned her Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Trinity University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law. She serves in many capacities, including as a member of the Keystone Energy Board and as a Director of the Association of Women in Energy. She serves as a Director and Incoming Chair with Clarity Child Guidance Center. She is also a graduate of the Executive Education Accelerated Development Program at Rice University.

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As Chief Information Officer, Evan O’Mahoney leads the Enterprise Information Technology (EIT) organization, overseeing Infrastructure & Operations, Enterprise Architecture, Business Solutions, Digital Experience, and Execution Excellence. He drives the development of digital and technology strategies that align with enterprise objectives and sponsors Evolve, our Digital Transformation program, focused on enhancing employee productivity and delivering customer solutions with personalized experiences and real-time information access.

Previously, Evan served as Vice President of Technology Services at CPS Energy, managing all aspects of technology operations. His experience includes serving as Chief Technology Officer for Bexar County, where he spearheaded modernization initiatives, and as Director of Solutions & Professional Services at Toshiba Corporation, leading large-scale technology implementations for national and global organizations.

A San Antonio native, Evan holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of the Incarnate Word, completed the Rice University Advanced Management Program, and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. He is deeply engaged in the community, having completed Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders Program and serving organizations such as the ALS Association, United Way of San Antonio & Bexar County, and San Antonio RoadRunners. Evan currently serves on the Board of Youth Code Jam, a nonprofit promoting computer science education for youth. In 2024, he was honored as a San Antonio Business Journal 40 Under 40 award recipient.

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