Our Team

Patricia Zavala

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Patricia Zavala is the Executive Director of the Texas Energy & Climate Caucus and PowerHouse Texas, where she has built two of the state’s leading bipartisan platforms for shaping Texas’s energy future. With nearly 15 years of experience in policy and leadership, she develops programs that train emerging leaders, connect stakeholders with decision-makers, and advance practical, evidence-based solutions. She has helped convene a bipartisan coalition of more than 60 Texas legislators and previously worked with the United Nations on international policy initiatives, as well as directing statewide programs focused on workforce and civic engagement in Texas. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Patricia holds dual master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, a bachelor’s from UC Santa Barbara, and serves on the boards of the Texas EV Education Project and the Clean Energy Fund of Texas, working to ensure Texas stays strong, competitive, and energy-resilient.

Anagha Uppal

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Anagha Uppal designs, implements, and oversees PowerHouse’s flagship programs — including the Energy Policy Advisory Council, Energy Policy Fellowship, Energy Academy, Texas Energy Tours, and Innovation Forums. As a former PowerHouse Fellow herself, she brings a unique blend of insider understanding and technical rigor to her leadership.

A computational social scientist and geographer, Anagha has long focused on spatial data, agent-based modeling, and scalable tools for accessible analysis. She has worked across sectors — from academic labs to NGOs to international organizations — and has applied her skills to pressing challenges in infrastructure, resilience, and environmental systems.

Prior to PowerHouse, Anagha was the project manager for a $5M DOE–funded electric vehicle charger deployment, coordinating 40+ partner organizations. Among projects, she has the privilege of co-authoring work published in Nature.

At PowerHouse, Anagha leverages her technical, policy, and project experience to build programs that are both rigorous and accessible. She is committed to strengthening energy policymaking capacity in Texas and cultivating the next generation of leaders who will guide the state’s transition to a more sustainable, equitable energy future.

Matthew de la Cruz

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Matthew De La Cruz is PowerHouse Texas’ Development Director. He joined the team full-time after working as PowerHouse’s fundraising consultant.

Matthew got his start in fundraising through Latino youth civic engagement at Jolt Initiative. After becoming Development Director, he went on to work as a fundraising consultant for Mas Alla Consulting and Violet Crown Funding Solutions, specializing in narrative development, strategic planning, and CRM systems. He is passionate about working with nonprofit leaders in civic engagement, climate change, and community arts organizations. 

Matthew has a BA from Brown University in Comparative Literature and Philosophy.

Megan Thompson

DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Megan Thompson is the Development Coordinator at PowerHouse Texas. She joined the team in January 2025 as a Policy and Program Intern, where she gained experience in legislative research, grant writing, and donor engagement before transitioning to Development Coordinator in August 2025.

Megan is a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with dual degrees in Government and Sociology. Prior to joining PowerHouse, Megan worked as a Lead Consultant with the Global Sustainability Leadership Institute, analyzing state-level environmental legislation and advising clients on sustainable practices, and at the Ramos Research Institute, where she published research on the environmental impacts of fast fashion and developed policy recommendations to help state legislatures regulate the industry.

Brianna Schaff

Consultant

Brianna Schaff is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin majoring International Relations and Global Studies with a focus in Science, Technology, and the Environment, with a minor in Government. She is a Liberal Arts Honors/Plan I Scholars student. In her final year of study she will pursue a senior thesis concerning international climate change mitigation with a focus on international energy security.

Brianna has previously held executive and volunteer positions for several nonprofit organizations in Austin, including Project Princess and Citizens Climate Lobby. She regularly participates in grassroots advocacy and lobbying activities to promote civic engagement in local climate change resolutions. She is passionate about learning and working towards policy initiatives for energy innovation, sustainable development, and environmental protection.

  • Anthony Gonzalez

    Fall 2025 Intern

    Anthony Gonzalez is a student at The University of Texas at Austin, studying Economics and Government with a Business minor. His research on the impact of Bitcoin mining on the Texas power grid highlights his interest in how innovation and policy shape Texas’s energy future.

    He has gained experience in both legislative and legal settings. During the 89th Texas Legislative Session, Anthony served as a Legislative Intern for Representative Harold V. Dutton, where he conducted research, analyzed legislative materials, and supported the development of policy initiatives. He later worked as a Legal Intern with Wauson | King in Sugar Land, Texas, assisting attorneys across commercial, bankruptcy, consumer, insurance, and real estate litigation. In this role, he conducted legal research, prepared case materials, and contributed to trial preparation and filings.

    A Houston native, Anthony understands the vital role energy plays in the state’s growth and is eager to help explore solutions that strengthen its future. In his free time, he enjoys tennis, Formula 1, and traveling.

  • Diego Guerra

    Fall 2025 Intern

    Diego Guerra is a Junior at the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Environmental Science on the Biology Track with the College of Natural Sciences. In addition to being a student and now intern with PowerHouse Texas, Diego is also the treasurer for the largest co-ed prelaw organization on campus, the Texas Prelaw Honor Society. Diego hopes to begin his capstone this coming year working with PhD candidate Elena Leander in the Wolf Lab at UT Austin researching mycorrhizal networks and the specificity of plant-fungi relationships in soil microbiomes. Diego spent this most recent summer interning at the Law Office of Jorge Luis Ortegon II in his hometown of McAllen, Texas where he accompanied Mr. Ortegon to court, sitting in on and learning about the Family Law process and aiding in the formation of a basic information sheet for future clients at the firm. After undergrad, Diego plans on going to law school and becoming an Environmental Lawyer with a focus in land-use and resource management law. In his free time Diego likes to read books, play Mario Kart, explore Austin’s creeks, and put together playlists.

  • Tommy Wan

    Fall 2025 Intern

    Tommy Wan (he/him) is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, studying Civil Engineering, Government, and Plan II. He works on youth civic engagement, urban policy, community development, and voter education in Houston. Tommy has worked in the U.S. Congress with Congresswoman Fletcher, the Texas House with Representative Ray Lopez, the Texas Senate with Senator Johnson, the UT System, and as a council aide at the Houston City Council for five summers. He has also been an E Pluribus Unum Fellow, a Future Leaders Fellow at Harvard Law School, and a participant in the Texas Mock Trial program, participating as both an attorney and treasurer. His experience includes research with Dr. Kasey Faust at the Cockrell School, writing as an opinion columnist for The Daily Texan, engaging in AANHPI advocacy with OCA-Greater Houston, working on environmental justice initiatives with Mi Familia Vota, and now focusing on energy policy with PowerHouse Texas. He’s most interested in policies around infrastructure, urban planning, transportation, aviation, climate-resilient systems, and Texas energy. In his free time, Tommy enjoys running, flying planes, playing pickleball and saxophone, reading nonfiction, and mentoring students in Alief ISD.

  • Zoey Kaul

    Fall 2025 Intern

    Zoey Kaul is a recent graduate from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Sustainability Studies and a Bridging Disciplines Certificate in Smart Cities. During her time in school, she completed an Honors Government Thesis that explored how city-level policy promoting composting can mitigate the effects of climate change by reducing landfill methane emissions.

    Zoey also spent her undergraduate years in multiple leadership roles advancing sustainability and climate action: Creative Director and President of Longhorns Don’t Litter, Founder and President of UT’s chapter of Plant Futures Initiative, Director of Education for Students Fighting Climate Change, Campaign Coordinator for the Texas Public Interest Research Group, Zero-Waste Consultant for the Campus Environmental Center’s Green Events Team, Legislator for Student Government’s Sustainability Caucus, and Member of Longhorn Urbanists. She’s most interested in how policy can be used to promote a less wasteful, and more sustainable society for all. Next, she’s aspiring to attend law school to become an even more effective actor in the environmental justice movement.

Board Members

Doug Lewin

BOARD CHAIR

Doug Lewin founded Stoic Energy, LLC, an energy advisory consulting firm focused on markets, technology, and policy in 2018. Previously, Doug led government and regulatory affairs work for CLEAResult, an energy efficiency program implementer for over 250 utilities in 40 states and provinces. Prior to joining CLEAResult, Lewin was the founding Executive Director of the South-central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource (SPEER). SPEER was recognized by the US Department of Energy as the regional energy efficiency organization for Texas and Oklahoma, working with a network of similar organizations throughout the US to advance energy efficiency. 

Lewin worked at the Texas Legislature for five years as a legislative aide, primarily on energy, environment, and climate issues for three different elected officials in the House and Senate. There, he established a successful bipartisan energy policy working group which deepened the knowledge base of a wide group of Capitol staffers and members by bringing in guest speakers from industry and academia. 

Lewin is a nationally recognized energy expert, particularly in the electric grid, renewable energy, energy efficiency, demand response, utility regulation, and pollution reduction. He is contributor of articles on Texas energy to Renewable Energy World and has been featured in newspaper articles and TV/radio segments throughout Texas and nationally, including the Texas Tribune, the New York Times, the Austin American Statesman, the Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, Texas Monthly, the Texas Observer, Texas Public Radio, and more. Lewin earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and is a proud husband and father of four children.

Lanson Burrow Jones, Jr.

VICE CHAIR

Lanson Burrows Jones Jr. is the Founder and CEO of Everlast Energy, one of the fastest growing energy brokerage companies on the market. Lanson is a passionate entrepreneur with experience in launching early stage innovative companies in the energy and technology sectors.

He has extensive transitional experience before and after a successful Mergers & Acquisitions in the deregulated energy sector and brings key thought leadership in understanding, recognizing, establishing and staying ahead of market trends by leveraging technology and unique go to market strategies. 

Raina Hornaday

BOARD MEMBER

Raina Hornaday is an accomplished leader in the renewable energy sector and the General Manager and Co-Founder of Caprock Renewables. With extensive experience in wind and solar energy development and expertise in the ERCOT market, she has successfully led numerous projects.

As a landowner, developer, and Board Member at CleanTX, she actively promotes clean energy initiatives and environmental sustainability. Raina holds a Bachelor’s from Eastern New Mexico University and a Master’s in Energy from Texas Tech University.

Pat Wood III

BOARD MEMBER

As a former Chairman of the Federal Regulatory Commission and the Public Utility Commission of Texas, Pat has championed customer-focused, technology-driven competition and infrastructure.

Now as the CEO of Hunt Energy Network, he oversees a portfolio of distributed power assets, including 25 grid-connected batteries in Texas, while serving on boards of leading energy companies including Dynegy and SunPower. A Texas A&M Civil Engineering alum and Harvard Law School graduate, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the U.S. energy landscape.

BOARD SECRETARY & TREASURER

Micalah Spenrath

Micalah Spenrath brings expertise in energy policy, science, engineering, and project management to PowerHouse Texas. As Deputy Director of Policy & Energy at the Houston Advanced Research Center, she leads legislative engagement and contributes to ERCOT’s ADER Pilot Project.

With prior experience managing federal projects and advancing energy policies, she is a trusted voice in Texas’s energy sector. A Stanford engineering graduate with a PMP Certification, Micalah combines technical expertise with strategic leadership.

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