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.

Brie Schaff

Communications Manager

Brie Schaff is the Communications Manager for PowerHouse Texas, leading organization-wide communications and public education. Her work spans policy research, public relations, digital platforms management and brand execution, translating complex Texas energy, infrastructure and environmental policy issues into clear, nonpartisan materials for legislators, staff, partners, funders, media and public audiences.

Brie holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin, graduating in 2026 with a major in International Relations and Global Studies and a minor in Government. Her undergraduate thesis evaluated how regional environmental institutions in Central Asia are addressing transboundary air pollution challenges through effective urban governance.

Brie began as a Policy & Program Intern with PowerHouse Texas in Spring 2025, and has held positions with the Strauss Center for International Security as a Brumley NextGen Scholar, along with several nonprofit organizations in Austin, including Project Princess and Citizens Climate Lobby. She enjoys integrating her studies to promote grassroots solutions and strives to develop and implement policy initiatives for energy innovation, sustainable development and environmental protection.

Zoey Kaul

MEMBER COORDINATOR

Zoey Kaul is the Member Engagement and Operations Coordinator at PowerHouse Texas, where she supports energy policy education and legislative engagement across the state. Her work spans stakeholder communications, program coordination, and content development, connecting policymakers and industry leaders with the information they need to advance a reliable, affordable, and clean energy future for Texas.

Zoey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Sustainability Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Bridging Disciplines Certificate in Smart Cities.

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 Executive Chairman of Hunt Energy Network, he and his team have developed and operate a portfolio of distributed power assets across Texas, including 31 grid-connected batteries and a new peaking power station.  He also chairs the board of the joint venture rebuilding and operating Puerto Rico’s power grid.  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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