Cheryl Campbell

Chair of the Board

Cheryl Campbell has more than three decades of experience in interstate pipelines and utilities including spending 14 years at one of the nation’s largest electric and gas utilities, Xcel Energy. Ms. Campbell developed Xcel Energy’s risk management, regulatory and operating plans for its gas assets while improving operating and financial results across the enterprise. She also implemented a more sustainable footprint for gas operations, aligning with their overall strong environmental programs. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President of Gas and built a strong and engaged team at Xcel Energy that is recognized throughout the gas industry. Prior to her roles at Xcel Energy, Ms. Campbell worked for El Paso Corporation with a variety of roles in regulated and unregulated businesses, including strategic planning, operations, technical, financial and customer focused areas. Ms. Campbell was named one of Denver’s Top Women in Energy 2014 and awarded the Natural Gas Leadership Award in 2019 for her gas industry leadership. Ms. Campbell holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering and business from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Masters of Science degree in finance from the University of Colorado at Denver.


Thomas H. Graham

Thomas Graham has spent more than three decades in the utility and nonprofit sector. He retired from Pepco Holdings, Inc. (PHI) in June 2016, the parent company of Pepco, an electric utility; Delmarva Power, an electric and gas utility; and Atlantic City Electric, an electric utility. During his 30-year career, Mr. Graham held several leadership positions at PHI. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Human Resources and People Strategy. During his tenure, Mr. Graham received numerous prestigious energy industry, business, higher education and civic awards. In 2016, he founded a boutique government affairs firm, T.H Graham & Associates, focused on Utility construction, supplier diversity and community relations consulting . Mr. Graham is a director for the University of Tampa, WMATA, Green Branch Foundation, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington Prince George’s County Chapter, Business Roundtable, Summit Utilities, and Midwest Reliability Organization. Mr. Graham holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Tampa. In 2005, he completed the Senior Executive Leadership Certificate Program at Georgetown University.


Kathleen Alexander

Kathy Alexander is an Arkansas native and former advisor at the Roberts Law Firm in Little Rock, Arkansas, prior to retiring in July 2017.

Kathy brings a wealth of experience in Arkansas and in the field of natural gas to the board, having held positions as Attorney and Corporate Officer for Southwestern Energy Company, Senior Vice President and General Counsel to CenterPoint Energy Arkla, and having represented corporations before state regulatory commissions, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and in state and federal courts.

Kathy has also served on the Alternative Fuels Commission, the Entergy Arkansas Advisory Board, as a Special Member of the Alcohol Beverage Control Board and as a Special Justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court. In addition, she was appointed by the Arkansas Governor as the Utility Representative to the State Energy Advisory Board and is active in her local and state-wide community.


Benny Petrus

Benny Petrus is a lifelong Arkansan, businessman, and former Speaker of the House from Stuttgart, Arkansas. He’s spent the last four decades helping run his family automobile business in Stuttgart and The Grand Prairie.

He currently serves as President and CEO of Adams Fertilizer Equipment Company in Dewitt, Arkansas.

Petrus was Arkansas Time Magazine Dealer of The Year in 2003.

In addition to his private sector work, Petrus served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2002 – 2008 and was elected by his peers as Speaker of the House in his final term.

Petrus attended the University of Central Arkansas and, in addition to the Summit board, currently serves on the Stuttgart branch of the Baptist Hospital Foundation board.

Kurt W. Adams

Kurt Adams has served as President and Chief Executive Officer for Summit Utilities, Inc. since October, 2015, a Director of Summit Utilities, Inc. from 2014 to present and as a Member of Board of Trustees of University of Maine System from 2010 to 2015.

Prior to joining Summit Utilities, Inc, Mr. Adams served as the Chief Development Officer at SunEdison and First Wind (which was purchased by SunEdison in Q1 2015). At First Wind and SunEdison, Mr. Adams led utility scale renewable energy development. Prior to joining First Wind, Mr. Adams was Chairman of the Maine Public Utilities Commission from 2005 to 2008, where he served as Maine’s primary energy regulator. As Chairman, he served as a member of the New England Conference of Public Utilities Commissions, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissions (NARUC), the NARUC Electricity Committee, and the NARUC Competitive Procurement Committee. He was also Maine’s representative on the New England State Committee on Electricity. Prior to his position with the Maine PUC, Mr. Adams was Governor John Baldacci’s chief legal counsel from 2003 to 2005. Before joining the Governor’s staff, Mr. Adams was a non-equity partner in the law firm of Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson in Portland, Maine. At Bernstein Shur, Mr. Adams was the Vice Chairman of the firm’s energy practice. Mr. Adams represented independent power producers in all facets of project development. Mr. Adams also represented national and international private and public sector clients on energy projects, and lenders on energy project financings.

Kurt holds a B.A. in Government from Skidmore College, an MA in International Affairs from George Washington University and J.D. from the University of Maine Law School.


Andrew Gilbert

Mr. Gilbert is a Managing Director and an Investment Principal for the Infrastructure Investments Group at J.P. Morgan Asset Management – Global Real Assets.

Mr. Gilbert joined J.P. Morgan from Centrica, PLC’s US subsidiary Direct Energy, where he headed the company’s power generation operations and corporate development. Under his leadership, Direct Energy significantly improved operations of the existing portfolio and developed strategies for upstream gas and power investment while investing over $1bn in North America.

Prior to Direct Energy, Mr. Gilbert spent five years at International Power, PLC as Vice President – Business Development focusing on expanding IP’s North American business through acquisitions and asset development. Mr. Gilbert also spent ten years at PSEG in corporate development within the company’s power generation business where he led the expansion of the company into New England, developed several new generation facilities and was a key member of the integration teams for the PSEG-Exelon transaction.

Mr. Gilbert began his career at General Electric after completing a BSME at the University of Massachusetts.


Carmen Perez-Carlton

Carmen Perez-Carlton was appointed to the Summit Board of Directors in December 2023. She is also an independent director on the Board of Uniti Group, Inc and a member of the Board of Trustees of Baptist Health of South Florida. Ms. Perez-Carlton has over 30 years of experience in the energy and communications industries, having held several executive positions at NextEra Energy (NEE), the largest electric utility and renewable energy company in the US. From 2007 to 2017, she was president of FPL FiberNet, a fiber infrastructure communications subsidiary of NEE. As president, she was responsible for the vision and strategy to drive growth organically and through M&A. Under her leadership the company grew exponentially by building new networks, opening new markets and deploying new technologies. FiberNet was sold to Crown Castle in 2017. Prior to FiberNet, Ms. Perez-Carlton served as Assistant Controller and later as Director of Revenue Recovery at Florida Power & Light, the largest subsidiary of NEE. After the sale of FiberNet, Ms. Perez-Carlton retired from NextEra and joined Crown Castle as an advisor on growth strategies and M&A. Ms. Perez-Carlton was recognized as one of the top ten women in telecommunications in 2013 and as one the top women-led business leaders in Florida in 2017. Perez-Carlton began her career at Deloitte LLP, where she spent eight years serving large clients as an Audit Manager. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Florida International University and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive status).


Kevin Crass

Kevin A. Crass is a senior partner in Arkansas’ largest law firm, Friday Eldredge & Clark LLP, where he also serves on the management committee. Kevin’s practice is primarily in business and complex litigation and includes the defense of class actions. For many years, he has provided legal counsel to Arkansas constitutional officers and is recognized in the areas of political and ethical laws. He has been consistently recognized among the Best Lawyers in America and is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel. He is a community leader, having served as chairperson of a number of nonprofit institutions including the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce and the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Foundation Fund Board. In 2022, he served as Executive Director of the transition team for Arkansas Governor Elect Sarah Sanders who, in March 2023, appointed Kevin to the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees. Kevin has also served four governors as a member of the War Memorial Stadium Commission, including service as chairman. Kevin is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University and the University of Arkansas Little Rock School of Law.