(Keynote)

W. Nim Kidd is the chief of the Texas Division of Emergengy Management, chairman of the Texas Emergency Management Council, the presiding officer of the Texas Grid Security Commission, and vice chancellor for disaster and emergency services of the Texas A&M University system. He is responsible for the state’s emergency and disaster preparedness, prevention, response, recovery, and mitigation programs that oversee over $25 billion in federal aid and disaster grants to Texas communities. Under Chief Kidd’s leadership, Texas has navigated through more than 80 gubernatorially-declared and 110 federally-declared disasters, including fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and more.

Chief Kidd holds a master of legal studies in cybersecurity law and policy from the Texas A&M University School of Law, a master of public administration from Texas State University, a bachelor’s degree from East Texas A&M University, and two associate’s degrees. He is a Texas Master Firefighter, Hazardous Materials Technician, and Emergency Medical Technician.

(Moderator)

Laura Hankins is an O&P compliance analyst at Texas RE with over 24 years of experience in the electric power industry. Prior to joining Texas RE, Laura worked at LCRA, Texas Municipal Power Agency, and Bryan Texas Utilities, with a focus on compliance. She earned a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University and a master of business administration from Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi. She is also an ASQ Certified Quality Auditor.

(Moderator)

Shana Horton is the manager of enforcement at Texas RE. In this role she oversees a team dedicated to analyzing potential noncompliances and presenting dispositions of those issues for submission to NERC and ultimately, FERC. Her work promotes accountability among registered entities, thereby enhancing the reliability of the Bulk Electric System.

Prior to coming to Texas RE she worked for the ERCOT Reliability Monitor, performing a similar function analyzing compliance with ERCOT and state-level regulations. She has been a practicing attorney since graduating from The University of Texas School of Law in 2003, working primarily in the state and federal regulatory sphere, including environmental and utility law.

(Moderator)

Mark Henry is the chief engineer and director of reliability outreach at Texas RE. He has experience in the electric power industry including generation, transmission, and control center assignments as an electrical engineer and engineering supervisor from the Lower Colorado River Authority where he worked for nearly 15 years. He has worked with the bulk power system compliance program since joining the ERCOT ISO in December 1999. Mark is a licensed professional engineer in Texas and holds a BSEE from the University of Texas at Austin.