Leadership

Ryan Kelso has served in public service at New Braunfels Utilities (NBU) since 2015, where he has led in a variety of roles. During Ryan’s tenure with NBU, he has served as Control Center Supervisor, Systems Control Manager, Director of Water Services, and Chief Operations Officer. In his most recent role, Ryan has been named Chief Executive Officer, where he looks forwarding to continuing to serve his community, in the CEO capacity.

Ryan is a graduate of Texas A & M University, with a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering and a Minor in Business Administration. He is proud to call New Braunfels home, with his wife Erika, and is very honored to serve his community.

Mark Steelman serves as Chief Operations Officer at NBU. In this role, he’ll be spearheading operational activities across our Electric, Water and Wastewater lines of business.  In his previous roles, Mark has led diverse teams and fostered a culture of innovation, efficiency, and continuous improvement. His expertise spans beyond strategic planning and execution, leadership and team development, financial management, and technology implementation, among others. Mark is adept at navigating the complexities of change management, emergency management, and project management, ensuring that operational goals are met with the highest standards of safety and compliance.

With his extensive background and expertise, Mark is well-equipped to drive operational excellence, and his insights will be invaluable to NBU.

Ragan Dickens is the Chief Communications Officer for New Braunfels Utilities (NBU). With more than 20 years’ experience in the public and private sector, Ragan is responsible for the strategic direction of communications, strategy, marketing, community relations and media relations for the utility. Before joining NBU, Ragan spent the last decade leading communications teams for Walmart, Tyson Foods and the oil and gas space. Prior to that, Ragan worked in state and federal government for a sitting governor and president.

His knowledge of the communications space, his ability to lead and serve during moments of crisis, and his love for people will help NBU in its journey of being the trusted utility provider for this community.

Jessica Williams brings more than a decade of leadership in municipal finance, budgeting and strategic planning. She holds a Master of Public Administration and is a Certified Public Finance Officer. She oversees NBU’s Finance and Energy Risk departments, which include accounting, budgeting and risk management. Williams previously served as CFO for the cities of Denton and Wichita Falls, TX, and for the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System.

Throughout her career, she has spearheaded major funding initiatives, implemented innovative financial systems and earned multiple Government Finance Officers Association awards for excellence in budgeting and financial reporting.

David Hubbard serves as the Chief Administrative Officer at New Braunfels Utilities (NBU), where he provides strategic oversight for Power Supply, Human Resources, Learning and Engagement, Safety, Resource Strategy, and Business Planning. He has dedicated his entire career to NBU, contributing to the development and resilience of the water, electric, and wastewater services for the New Braunfels community.

David holds a bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Technology from Texas State University San Marcos and has completed the University of Idaho’s Energy Executive course. With over 10 years of experience in the ERCOT power market, he brings deep expertise in energy systems and a passion for shaping the future of the industry.

Throughout his career, David has received several prestigious awards, including the 2018 Robert E. Roundtree Rising Star Award from APPA and the 2017 Skinner Legacy Award from the New Braunfels Parks Foundation. He was also recognized as part of the inaugural class of New Braunfels Rising Stars in 2017.

David is known for his strengths in analyzing complex situations, fostering employee engagement and development, and being a vocal team member who asks a ton of questions. He is a strong team player, leveraging his extensive institutional knowledge of NBU while maintaining a forward-looking approach to technology and market trends.

Outside of work, David enjoys reading fantasy and sci-fi, hiking, playing video games, watching movies, gardening, and rock tumbling.

Connie Lock serves as General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer for New Braunfels Utilities. In this role, she provides legal advice to NBU on a wide-range of legal issues impacting NBU, including public utility regulations, purchasing requirements, and open government compliance. Connie and the legal team have also developed the ethics program and provide advice and training regarding ethics matters.

Prior to joining the NBU Team, Connie served as Senior Counsel for Fulbright and Jaworski L.L.P. and practiced in the public finance and municipal law sections. She also served as an adjunct professor for Legal Research and Writing at St. Mary’s University School of Law.

Connie graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Trinity University, and she holds a J.D with honors from St. Mary’s University School of Law, where she served as Editor in Chief of the St. Mary’s Law Journal. Outside of working for NBU, Connie enjoys watching the San Antonio Spurs and spending time with her family, including watching her children play football, basketball, baseball, and golf.

Greg Brown serves as the Chief Technology and Security Officer at NBU, bringing over 27 years of extensive Information Technology expertise from the private and municipal sectors. In his role, Greg oversees the strategic direction of the New Braunfels Utilities, encompassing traditional information technology, operational utility technology, cybersecurity, and physical security. He has been serving NBU since 2019. Prior to joining NBU, he dedicated 7 years to the City of New Braunfels, Texas. He contributed 12 years of service to the City of Abilene, Texas, where he played a pivotal role in Information Technology.

Mr. Brown’s professional journey reflects a commitment to strategic planning and execution, emphasizing customer service. His adeptness at delivering solutions aligned with the organization’s business model enables him to provide critical technology support to the organization and the community.

With 15 years of dedicated service to the New Braunfels community, Rocío G. Hilliard has built a distinguished career at New Braunfels Utilities (NBU). Currently serving as Chief of Staff, Rocío has excelled in various roles across Customer Service, Operations, and Executive Services. In her current role as Chief of Staff, she acts as a vital liaison between the executive team and the broader organization, fostering collaboration and ensuring alignment with NBU’s long-term goals. Rocío’s strategic insight and commitment to planning for the future enable her to drive initiatives that enhance operational efficiency and community engagement.

Her passion for service, collaboration, and efficiency make her an invaluable asset to both NBU and the New Braunfels community.

Amanda brings more than 17 years of government experience, with expertise in customer operations, regulatory compliance, and organizational strategy. Most recently, she served as the Director of the Consumer Relations Division at the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. In this position, she led a high-volume customer contact center supporting more than one million customer touchpoints annually and implemented technology-driven solutions to improve service delivery and the overall customer experience. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Prairie View A&M University and an Executive Master of Public Leadership from The University of Texas at Austin. She is also a Certified Fraud Examiner and a graduate of the Governor’s Executive Development Program.

Rebekah brings extensive experience in power markets, resource planning, and energy portfolio management. Most recently, she served as Director of Global Power Market Intelligence for Wood Mackenzie, where she led an international team developing price and congestion forecasts across all seven U.S. power markets and delivered key insights to support strategic decision-making. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics from Texas State University and completed the Energy Executive Course through the University of Idaho.