UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 29, 2021
CENTERPOINT ENERGY, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2).
Emerging Growth Company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On September 29, 2021, upon recommendation of the Governance, Environmental and Sustainability Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (the “Company), the Board of the Company appointed Raquelle W. Lewis to the Board effective immediately. Ms. Lewis will serve as a director of the Board of the Company until the expiration of her term on the date of the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders in 2022 and until her successor is elected and qualified. Ms. Lewis is expected to stand for election as a director at the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders in 2022. Ms. Lewis will serve on the Board’s Compensation and Governance, Environmental and Sustainability Committees.
Ms. Lewis, 51, has served as Director, Southeast Texas Communications and Public Information Offices for the Texas Department of Transportation (“TxDOT”), a state government organization that constructs and maintains highway, aviation, rail and public transportation systems, since 2017. In this position, Ms. Lewis is responsible for overseeing the communication efforts of TxDOT and serving as TxDOT’s principal liaison to the media, elected officials and the general public in southeast Texas, including Houston. Ms. Lewis also serves as chief spokesperson for TxDOT during severe weather events and other emergencies in Houston and surrounding areas, including supporting strategic planning and crisis and risk management efforts. Additionally, she is responsible for communications and community outreach, strategy and implementation for various infrastructure projects in southeast Texas. Ms. Lewis joined TxDOT in 2008 and served in various other roles, including as Special Advisor to the TxDOT Executive Director and the Executive Administration. Prior to her service at TxDOT, Ms. Lewis spent 10 years at Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc., a multinational engineering and design firm that specializes in strategic consulting, planning, engineering, construction management, energy, infrastructure and community planning, serving in various positions, including Supervising Planner/Program Manager. Ms. Lewis has also held various positions, including Director of Information & Technology Transfer, at Texas Southern University Center for Transportation Training & Research. She is also a member of WTS International, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) - Houston Branch and Leadership Women, Inc.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Ms. Lewis and any other person pursuant to which she was selected as a director. The Company is not aware of any transaction in which Ms. Lewis has an interest requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Ms. Lewis will be compensated for her service on the Board under the Company’s standard arrangement for non-employee directors described in its proxy statement for the 2021 annual meeting of shareholders (which arrangement may be updated from time to time) and received an initial stock award approved by the Board under the CenterPoint Energy, Inc. Stock Plan for Outside Directors, as amended, valued at $90,877, which represents a prorated amount of the annual stock award valued at $155,000 received by each of the Company’s non-employee directors serving on the Board as of early May 2021, which awards were previously disclosed in related Section 16 filings.
A copy of the press release containing the announcement of Ms. Lewis’ appointment is attached as Exhibit 99.1.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
EXHIBIT NUMBER | EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION | ||||
| 99.1 | |||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File - the cover page XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document | ||||
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| CENTERPOINT ENERGY, INC. | ||||||||
| Date: September 30, 2021 | By: | /s/ Monica Karuturi | ||||||
| Monica Karuturi | ||||||||
| Senior Vice President and General Counsel | ||||||||
Page 1 of 2 For more information, contact Communications Media.Relations@CenterPointEnergy.com For Immediate Release CenterPoint Energy Appoints New Board Member Raquelle W. Lewis Houston – Sept. 30, 2021 – CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) today announced the appointment of Raquelle W. Lewis, an accomplished communications and community outreach leader with extensive experience in the transportation and infrastructure industries, to its Board of Directors, effective September 29. With more than 25 years of experience in communications, strategic project development, business operations, community outreach, and risk and crisis management in the transportation and infrastructure industries, Lewis has held positions of increasing responsibility over the course of her career. She currently serves as Director, Southeast Texas Communications and Public Information Offices for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), a state government organization that constructs and maintains highway, aviation, rail, and public transportation systems. In this capacity, Lewis leads communications for TxDOT’s Southeast Texas Region. She is responsible for communications outreach for numerous south Texas area districts including Houston, the largest of Texas’ 25 districts, and more than 50 Texas counties accounting for more than $9 billion in active projects. As chief Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Houston District, she leads communication planning, strategy and implementation for more than 200 construction projects totaling $5 billion. Lewis also serves as chief spokesperson for TxDOT during severe weather events and other emergencies in Houston and surrounding areas, including supporting strategic planning and crisis and risk management efforts. Prior to her role at TxDOT, Lewis was with Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global engineering and design firm that specializes in engineering, construction management, energy, infrastructure, and community planning. She managed project implementation, including public relations and community outreach programs, for major infrastructure projects with local, state and federal agencies. Prior to Parsons Brinckerhoff, Lewis served in positions of increasing responsibility with Texas Southern University’s Center for Transportation Training and Research Center. “Raquelle’s leadership experience with large public and private infrastructure projects and extensive background in communications and community outreach make her the ideal fit for our Board of Directors,” said Martin Nesbitt, Board Chair. “As the company continues to execute on its long-term growth strategy, including a new 10-year capital plan totaling more than $40 billion, Raquelle’s knowledge and expertise will be invaluable.” - more - Exhibit 99.1
Page 2 of 2 For more information, contact Communications Media.Relations@CenterPointEnergy.com For Immediate Release Regarding her appointment to the Board of Directors, Lewis said, "It is an honor to be joining CenterPoint Energy’s highly regarded Board. I am excited to work with my fellow directors and company leadership to help enhance the performance and value of the company for our customers, shareholders and communities. I also look forward to applying my experience with major infrastructure initiatives as the company executes on its growth plans.” Lewis earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a member of several community and civic organizations, including the WTS International, NAACP- Houston Branch, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Black Women of Greater Houston PAC, and Leadership Women, Inc. Lewis is a 2010 graduate of Leadership Texas and a past recipient of the Raymond E. Stotzer Award recognizing outstanding leadership, dedication and service to TxDOT. About CenterPoint Energy, Inc. As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. As of June 30, 2021, the company owned approximately $36 billion in assets and also owned 53.7 percent of the common units representing limited partner interests in Enable Midstream Partners, LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership that owns, operates and develops strategically located natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets. With approximately 9,500 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com. ###