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Kathleen Jackson takes her oath of office as son Tommy Jackson and daughter Thea Etlinger watch. Chairman Peter Lake administers the oath.
Governor Greg Abbott announced Aug. 5 that he had appointed Kathleen Jackson to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) for a term set to expire on September 1, 2027, and on Aug. 9, the Beaumont resident was joined by her son and daughter as she took the oath of office. The PUC regulates the state's electric, water, wastewater, and telecommunications utility industries, implements respective legislation, and offers customer assistance in resolving consumer complaints.
Jackson was sworn in as commissioner of the Public Utility Commission of Texas in Austin.
“I’m grateful for Gov. Abbott’s continued confidence in me to serve the people of our great state and I’m honored to continue my service with the Public Utility Commission,” said Commissioner Jackson. “Just as Texas needs a dependable water supply, we also need a reliable power supply to ensure a vibrant and resilient future for our children and our children’s children.”
Jackson has a diverse background representing agricultural, environmental, industrial and wholesale-supply interests, which includes developing and implementing water management strategies for Southeast Texas. As a registered professional engineer, Jackson served as public affairs manager for many years for ExxonMobil, one of the world's largest petroleum and petrochemical producers.
Additionally, she was involved in production agriculture with her late husband, who ran a cattle operation and farmed rice. She served as a past member of the Lower Neches Valley Authority Board of Directors, the Texas Water Conservation Association, and participated on the Sabine and Neches Rivers Bay and Estuary Environmental Flows Assessment Program Stakeholders Committee.
In August 2021, Governor Abbott appointed her to the Environmental Flows Advisory Group. She is also a board member and past president of the Lamar Institute of Technology Foundation, a sustaining member of the Junior League of Beaumont, a member of the Texas Farm Bureau, past president of the American Cancer Society of North Jefferson County, and a past board member of Junior Achievement of the Golden Triangle.
Jackson received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University.