BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Gulf South Business Roundtable is an executive-led 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing industrial growth and economic development in the Gulf South. Its governance structure ensures robust representation and leadership through an Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
Executive Committee
John Hudson (Co-Chair)
Entergy, Chief External Affairs Officer
John Hudson is Chief External Affairs Officer for Entergy and President of the Entergy Charitable Foundation. In this executive leadership role, he is responsible for federal policy, regulatory and government affairs, social responsibility, sustainability and environmental policy, corporate affairs and communications, and utility strategy and regulatory initiatives.
He also oversees the company’s efforts to pursue all available supplemental funding sources, including state and federal grants and loans, to support the company’s infrastructure and resilience improvement efforts. As part of this work, his team collaborates closely with local and regional stakeholders to ensure funded projects align with community needs.
Hudson previously served as President and CEO of Nicor Gas Corporation, Illinois’ largest gas distribution company with more than 2.2 million customers. Previously, Hudson was Executive Vice President and Chief External Affairs Officer at Southern Company Gas, where he was responsible for the company’s external affairs, customer operations, environmental affairs, corporate communications, and marketing efforts. He serves on the Boards of Directors for A.G. Gaston Enterprises, Bronze Valley Corporation, Propel Center and Trillion Communications. He also serves on the Advisory Board for Posse New Orleans.
Hudson earned his Juris Doctor from Miles College School of Law, an MBA from the Scheller College of Business at Georgia Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Alabama A&M University. He also completed the executive accounting and finance program at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and the Young American Leaders Program at Harvard Business School.
Jeff Peoples (Co-Chair)
Alabama Power, Chairman, President & CEO
Jeff Peoples is Chairman, President and CEO of Alabama Power Company, which provides electricity to more than 1.5 million customers across the state.
With more than 40 years of experience, Peoples began his career as a chemical technician at Alabama Power’s Plant Miller and has held many leadership positions within Southern Company and its subsidiaries, including Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Southern Company Gas and Senior Vice President of Operations Services for Southern Company Services.
Most recently, Peoples was Executive Vice President of Customer and Employee Services at Alabama Power, where he oversaw customer services, marketing and economic development strategy and operations, as well as the company’s six geographic business divisions. In addition, he was responsible for Alabama Power’s labor relations, human resources, safety, wellness, health and disability management functions. Peoples is recognized as a national leader in labor relations and workforce development. He is Chairman of the Board of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. He serves on numerous industry and nonprofit boards, including the Alabama Power Foundation, Business Council of Alabama, CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training and TradesFutures. In addition, he was appointed by the governor to both the Alabama Growth Alliance and Alabama Workforce Board Executive Committee, where he serves as Chairman.
A native of Alabama, Peoples earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biological science from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. He and his wife, Rhoda, have two daughters.
Phillip May
Entergy Louisiana, President & CEO
Phillip May is President and CEO of Entergy Louisiana, an electric utility that serves more than 1.1 million customers in 58 Louisiana parishes. He is responsible for the company’s safe and reliable service, financial performance, customer service, regulatory and public affairs, resource planning, economic development programs and charitable contributions.
May is actively engaged in capturing Louisiana’s unprecedented economic growth opportunities. To achieve this, he strategically aligned the company to meet evolving customer expectations by transforming the grid for greater resilience, reliability and sustainability. This includes Louisiana’s first ever $1.9 billion comprehensive grid resilience plan along with the modernization of the generation fleet to meet our customers’ demand for low-carbon and carbon-free energy.
He led the successful effort to combine the Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana operating companies to form a single, stronger utility to serve Louisiana’s customers. In addition, he is implementing Entergy’s long-term strategy to modernize its power generation fleet while helping meet Louisiana’s future energy needs. Under his leadership, Entergy Louisiana has replaced approximately half of its older, less efficient generation capacity with cleaner more modern units since 2004. The company has also overseen the construction and commercial operation of approximately 3,000 megawatts of modern, efficient generation units, including Nine Mile Unit 6 – Louisiana’s first new power plant in nearly 30 years, along with adding solar and renewable resources.
In 2024, May played a key role in Entergy Louisiana’s partnership with Meta to support the development of a major data center in Richland Parish. This project, which involves a significant investment in infrastructure, will provide reliable, clean energy to power Meta’s growing operations in the region. May’s leadership in facilitating this collaboration underscores his commitment to driving sustainable energy solutions while fostering continued economic growth in Louisiana. May also helped bring to Louisiana a nearly $6 billion Hyundai Steel plant and CF Industries’ approximately $4 billion, world’s largest low-carbon ammonia facility in early 2025.
Eliecer Viamontes
Entergy Texas, President & CEO
Eliecer "Eli" Viamontes is Chair, President and CEO of Entergy Texas, an electric utility that serves approximately 524,000 customers in 27 counties. He is responsible for the company’s safe and reliable service, financial performance, customer service, regulatory and public affairs, resource planning, economic development programs, and charitable contributions.
Before assuming his current role in November 2021, Viamontes served as Vice President, utility distribution operations for Entergy Corporation, where he was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the electric distribution infrastructure for all of Entergy’s state jurisdictions. Viamontes has 21 years of experience leading and working in customer-centric initiatives, including designing reliability programs, utilizing data analytics and driving operational improvements.
Prior to joining Entergy in 2020, Viamontes served as Senior Director of labor relations and corporate safety at Florida Power & Light Company, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc., where he spent the entirety of his career prior to arriving at Entergy. His previous roles included a wide array of experiences from across the utility business, including various leadership positions in the areas of electric distribution operations, key account management, engineering and construction, vegetation management, incident command and emergency management, reliability, quality/process management and human resources.
Viamontes earned an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Florida International University in Miami. He completed an executive leadership course from the University of Virginia, is a registered professional engineer and a certified six sigma black belt.
He serves on the Board for the Texas Association of Business, the United Way of Greater Houston and the CEO Leaders Advisory Council for Memorial Hermann in The Woodlands. He is also a member of the Texas Private Sector Advisory Council, a position appointed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Bill Newsom
Mitsubishi Power Americas, President & CEO
William “Bill” A. Newsom, Jr. was appointed President and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas on December 1, 2021. He leads two global businesses headquartered in the United States and three regional businesses in North, Central, and South America. Mitsubishi Power Americas, headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida, employs more than 2,700 power generation, energy storage, and digital solutions experts and professionals. The company’s employees are focused on empowering customers to affordably and reliably combat climate change while also advancing human prosperity throughout North, Central, and South America.
Mitsubishi Power’s power generation solutions include gas, steam, and aero-derivative turbines; power trains and power islands; geothermal systems; PV solar project development; environmental controls; and services. Energy storage solutions include hydrogen energy storage, battery energy storage systems, and services. Mitsubishi Power also offers intelligent solutions that use artificial intelligence to enable autonomous operation of power plants. Mr. Newsom has been with Mitsubishi Power since 2004 and has extensive leadership and wide-ranging experience across the core gas turbine combined cycle business and new growth segments such as renewable fuels. He began his career at Mitsubishi Power with the power generation service team, holding various leadership roles, from service sales manager to director of service sales and transactional sales. During his tenure Mr. Newsom has been instrumental in reaching number one market share for advanced class gas turbines in the Americas and for launching new growth initiatives, including hydrogen infrastructure, that now define the path to the company’s decarbonization strategy. Mr. Newsom is well known for his customer focus and ability to build partnerships, which are key to executing Mitsubishi Power Americas' long-term strategy and driving the organization toward a decarbonized future.
Prior to joining Mitsubishi Power, Mr. Newsom held several leadership positions at Westinghouse, Siemens, and Calpine. Mr. Newsom holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) from the University of Florida, and he completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Sital Mody
Kinder Morgan, President, Natural Gas Pipelines
Mr. Mody is President of the Natural Gas Pipelines Group for Kinder Morgan, Inc., one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America.
Mr. Mody is responsible for all commercial and operational activities of the Kinder Morgan Natural Gas Pipelines Group, which encompasses approximately 70,000 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines and gathering lines, plus storage, treating and processing facilities. Kinder Morgan transports about 40 percent of the natural gas consumed in the United States.
Mr. Mody joined KMI as part of the El Paso acquisition and has previously served as president of the Midstream Group. He has 24 years of experience in the energy sector and holds an MBA from the University of Houston and a BBA in accounting from the University of Texas at Austin.
Board Members
Laura Landreaux
Entergy Arkansas, President & CEO
Laura Landreaux is President and CEO of Entergy Arkansas — a company that has helped power life in Arkansas for 110 years.
She ensures that Entergy Arkansas meets the power needs of approximately 730,000 customers in 63 Arkansas counties. She is also responsible for driving the company’s financial performance and operational business results, customer service, regulatory and public affairs, resource planning, economic development programs, employee development, regulatory and governmental affairs, and charitable contributions.
Before assuming her current role in 2018, Landreaux has held several leadership positions with the company, including finance director and vice president of regulatory affairs, where she was responsible for the interactions between Entergy Arkansas and the Arkansas Public Service Commission. She previously served as manager of regulatory affairs and as senior counsel, where she practiced regulatory law for five years.
Prior to joining Entergy in 2007, she worked for four years as an attorney for the Salt River Project, a water and electric utility located in Phoenix, Arizona, and in private practice with Quarles & Brady LLP.
An active member of the Arkansas non-profit community, Landreaux serves as Vice Chairman of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce board of directors. She serves as a Board Member for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business and the Arkansas Research Alliance. She is a founding member of Arkansas Women in Power and a graduate of Arkansas Leadership Class XIII and Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXX. Landreaux was named the Easterseals Arkansan of the Year 2020 and serves on the Easterseals board of directors. She was honored with the Women in Business Award in 2019 by the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas.
A native of Little Rock, Landreaux earned a doctorate in law from the University of Arkansas School of Law at Fayetteville, where she was a member of the Law Review, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
Haley Fisackerly
Entergy Mississippi, President & CEO
Haley Fisackerly is President and CEO of Entergy Mississippi, an electric utility that serves more than 459,000 customers in 45 Mississippi counties. He is responsible for the company’s safe and reliable service, financial performance, customer service, regulatory and public affairs, resource planning, economic development programs, and charitable contributions.
Fisackerly has led Entergy Mississippi to see a steady rise in customer satisfaction scores, as well as increased recognition of economic development efforts and community support. Under his leadership, the company played an integral role in securing Amazon Web Services’ historic $10 billion investment in Mississippi.
Before assuming his current role in 2008, Fisackerly served as vice president of customer operations at Entergy Mississippi and vice president of governmental and regulatory affairs at Entergy Nuclear. He previously served as director of system regulatory strategy for Entergy. Prior to joining Entergy in 1995, Fisackerly was a staff member of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran’s office in Washington, D.C.
A champion of workforce development, Fisackerly works with the Mississippi Economic Council and other partners to improve educational opportunities and job growth, and Entergy has committed millions of dollars toward workforce development in the Mississippi service territory. Fisackerly also spearheaded a partnership with C Spire and the Mississippi Public Service Commission to help bring rural broadband services to underserved communities in the state.
Fisackerly serves on the boards of directors for the Mississippi Economic Council, Mississippi Energy Institute, Mississippi State University College of Business Advisory Board, BankFirst Financial Services, Woodward Hines Education Foundation, the Foundation for Mississippi History and the Nature Conservancy. He is a past chair of the Mississippi Partnership for Economic Development, the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, Mississippi Economic Council and the USA International Ballet Competition. He was named to the inaugural class of the Mississippi Top 50 influential leaders in the state in 2016.
He has a master’s degree in public policy administration from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mississippi State University. He was named the Mississippi State University College of Business Alumnus of the Year in 2016.
Deanna Rodriguez
Entergy New Orleans, President & CEO
Deanna Rodriguez is President and CEO of Entergy New Orleans, an electric and gas utility that serves more than 211,000 customers in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is responsible for the company’s safe and reliable service, financial performance, customer service, regulatory and public affairs, resource planning, economic development programs and charitable contributions.
Before assuming her current role in 2021, Rodriguez served as Vice President of regulatory and public affairs for Entergy Texas. She previously served as vice president of regulatory affairs for Entergy New Orleans, where she worked closely with the New Orleans City Council to launch the first Energy Smart program. The comprehensive energy efficiency plan was developed in collaboration with the New Orleans City Council and continues assisting customers today.
As vice president of corporate contributions for Entergy from 1999 to 2003, Rodriguez oversaw the creation of the Entergy Charitable Foundation and the company’s volunteer program, Community Connectors. Earlier, she served as director of external affairs, where she led the effort to secure $200 million in community development block grant funding to help Entergy’s Louisiana, Mississippi and New Orleans operating companies rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.
Before joining Entergy in 1994, Rodriguez was the minority affairs liaison for the State Bar of Texas, where she created the Texas Minority Counsel Program, a corporate partnership responsible for increasing participation of minority and women lawyers in the State Bar of Texas.
She serves on the boards of directors for The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana’s International Women’s Forum, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, The Youth Empowerment Project and the Children’s Hospital of New Orleans.
Rodriguez received a master’s degree in public affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in government from The University of Texas at Austin.