Mr. Rhode’s term officially begins on April 1, 2026, and will expire on Sept. 1, 2027. Gov. Greg Abbott announced his appointment of Mr. Rhode on March 12.
________________________________________________
Patrick Rhode
Patrick Rhode, a former top official for NASA, has been appointed to the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
Mr. Rhode’s term officially begins on April 1, 2026, and will expire on Sept. 1, 2027. Gov. Greg Abbott announced his appointment on March 12.
An Austin resident, Mr. Rhode is the Founder and President of Patrick Rhode Strategies. Previously, he served as Special Assistant to the President of the United States and Senior Advisor to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, according to the governor’s office. Mr. Rhode also served in senior roles at the United States Department of Homeland Security after 9/11, and as Vice President of an international infrastructure company.
Mr. Rhode received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Arkansas (UA), Fayetteville, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from UA at Little Rock.
With his appointment, the PUC now will have a full complement of five commissioners. He joins PUC chair Thomas Gleeson and fellow PUC commissioners Kathleen Jackson, Courtney Hjaltman and Morgan Johnson
The PUC regulates the state’s electric, water, wastewater, and telecommunications utility industries and implements respective legislation and offers customer assistance in resolving consumer complaints.