PJM Board of Managers
The 10 members of the PJM Board of Managers are responsible for maintaining PJM's independence and, by exercising their prudent business judgment, ensuring that PJM fulfills its business obligations and legal and regulatory requirements.
The Board also is responsible for ensuring that PJM maintains the reliability of the power grid and operates a robust, competitive and non-discriminatory electric power market, preventing any market participants from having undue influence over the operation of PJM.
To establish PJM's neutrality, Board members must adhere to a strict Code of Conduct PDF.
The members of the PJM Board may have no personal affiliation or ongoing professional relationship with, or any financial stake in, any PJM market participant.
In addition, all communication received by the PJM Board is handled in accordance with the rules relating to “ex parte” communications as outlined in the Code of Conduct. Written communication to members of the PJM Board is reviewed by an appointed staff liaison to the Board to ensure prompt disclosure of any “ex parte” communication in accordance with the Code of Conduct.
Bylaws of the PJM Board of Managers PDF
Master Charter and Committee Charters of the PJM Board of Managers PDF
Manu Asthana
President & CEO – PJM Interconnection
Contact Manu Asthana
PJM Interconnection
PO Box 1525
Southeastern, PA 19399-1525
Manu Asthana is the president, chief executive officer and a member of the Board of Managers of PJM Interconnection, which oversees the largest power grid in North America and one of the largest electricity markets in the world. He is responsible for the reliable operations, competitive markets and transmission planning for the organization serving 65 million people in 13 states and the District of Columbia.
Asthana joined PJM in January 2020. Under his leadership, PJM has implemented significant risk management reforms and established a clear path for defining the grid operator’s role in the energy transition to a cleaner, more efficient grid while maintaining reliable electric service.
Asthana has extensive leadership experience across the electricity industry, including the areas of electricity and natural gas trading, power generation, competitive retail electricity, grid operations and risk management.
Asthana earned a Bachelor of Science in economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Benjamin Franklin Scholar and a Joseph Wharton Scholar. He serves as a member of the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council. Additionally, he is a member of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council, a trustee at Texas Children’s Hospital and a member of the board at The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.
Paula Conboy
Chair | Regulatory Committee
Member | Board Governance Committee, Competitive Markets Committee, Finance Committee
Contact Paula Conboy
PJM Interconnection
PO Box 1525
Southeastern, PA 19399-1525
Paula Conboy is an energy economist with more than 25 years of experience as an executive, consultant and regulator in Canada, Australia and Singapore. She currently sits on the board of directors at the Energy Market Authority of Singapore. She recently served as chair of the Australian Energy Regulator and board member of the Australian Energy Security Board, established to help steer the transformation of the Australian energy sector. In 2024, Conboy was appointed to an Expert Panel leading a review of Australia’s National Electricity Market.
Conboy holds undergraduate and master's degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Guelph, Ontario (Canada) and the GAICD designation from the Australian Institute of Corporate Directors. She is also certified by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).
Robert “Bob” Ethier
Contact Robert Ethier
PJM Interconnection
PO Box 1525
Southeastern, PA 19399-1525
Robert "Bob" Ethier has over 30 years of experience in electricity markets, market operations, and planning. A long-time executive at ISO New England, his roles have included vice president of market development, vice president of market operations and vice president of system planning, as well as director of market monitoring and chief economist. He is currently a principal at Stickney Brook Consulting, working as an advisor to the New England States Committee on Electricity and other groups on planning and market design issues. Before joining ISO New England, he was an energy-sector consultant focused on the development of asset valuation models.
Ethier has a B.A. in economics from Yale University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in resource economics from Cornell University.
Jeanine Johnson
Chair | Nominating Committee
Member | Reliability & Security Committee, Risk & Audit Committee, Human Resources Committee, Finance Committee
Contact Jeanine Johnson
PJM Interconnection
PO Box 1525
Southeastern, PA 19399-1525
Dr. Jeanine Johnson has over 25 years of experience in cybersecurity, technology innovation and executive leadership. She is CEO and cofounder of Immutaverse, Inc., a cybersecurity AI company securing cyber-physical systems. Johnson previously led product security at Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and NETGEAR; consulted with McKinsey & Co.; and cofounded several technology startups, including ventures in sustainable water technologies. She teaches cybersecurity and AI as an adjunct professor at George Washington University and Dominican University of California and contributes to national security initiatives through the SANS CISO Network and the President’s Council of Cornell Women (PCCW).
Johnson earned dual Bachelor of Science degrees in computer science and computer engineering from the University of Missouri, a doctorate in engineering (cybersecurity with AI/ML) from George Washington University, and an MBA from Cornell University. She is a National Association of Corporate Directors Board Leadership Fellow and holds their Directorship Credential (NACD.DC).
Margaret Loebl
Chair | Risk & Audit Committee
Member | Competitive Markets Committee, Regulatory Committee
Contact Margaret Loebl
PJM Interconnection
PO Box 1525
Southeastern, PA 19399-1525
Margaret Loebl joined the PJM Board of Managers in 2020 and chairs the Risk & Audit Committee, where she has overseen improvements in the “Know Your Customer,” Enterprise Risk Management, and Credit programs. She most recently served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. She has over 30 years of professional experience holding executive employment with Fortune 500 companies in the areas of finance, accounting and risk management.
With six years of CFO experience in complex global environments, Loebl has worked closely with the boards of AgroFresh, Quaker Chemical Corporation and TechTeam Global on acquisitions, strategy, controls infrastructure and risk management, while they confronted transformational events within the companies or disruptions in the economic markets, such as the 2008 financial crisis and increasing shareholder activism.
Previously, Loebl held officer positions in finance with Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), Nike, Inc. and General Motors Corporation. Loebl holds a Bachelor of Arts in German from Wellesley College and an MBA from the University of Chicago. While attending graduate school, she completed applied micro-economic analysis supporting antitrust litigation, and then moved to a second position as an options specialist working for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange while wrapping up her MBA. Loebl has earned both the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Directorship Certification and the NACD/Carnegie Mellon Cybersecurity Certification.
David E. Mills
Chair | PJM Board of Managers
Chair | Competitive Markets Committee
Member | Nominating Committee
Contact David E. Mills
PJM Interconnection
PO Box 1525
Southeastern, PA 19399-1525
David E. Mills is an energy consultant with a demonstrated track record of strategic leadership in the power and natural gas industries. He is the former senior vice president of policy and energy supply with Puget Sound Energy, where he also served as chief strategy officer. Mills previously worked for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). Mills is a veteran of the United States Navy, serving as a helicopter aircrewman and rescue swimmer from 1975 to 1979.
Mills holds a Bachelor of Science in economics from Portland State University and is certified by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).
Matthew Nelson
Member | Reliability & Security Committee, Risk & Audit Committee, Human Resources Committee, Regulatory Committee
Contact Matthew Nelson
PJM Interconnection
PO Box 1525
Southeastern, PA 19399-1525
Matthew “Matt” Nelson is currently a Principal of Regulatory Strategy at Apex Analytics, LLC.
Prior to Apex, he served as the Chair of the Department of Public Utilities for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and before that, he was the Department’s Director of the Electric Power Division. He also spent four years in regulatory policy at Eversource.
An economist by training, Nelson earned an M.A. in Economics from Tufts University, and a B.A. in Economics from Stonehill College.
Charles F. Robinson
Chair | Board Governance Committee
Member | Competitive Markets Committee, Nominating Committee
Contact Charles F. Robinson
PJM Interconnection
PO Box 1525
Southeastern, PA 19399-1525
Charles F. Robinson serves as the vice president of legal affairs and general counsel for the Regents of the University of California, where he is the chief legal officer. He previously served for seven years as vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary for the California ISO. Prior to that, Robinson was assistant general counsel and director of litigation for Packard Bell NEC, division counsel for Raychem Corporation, and was a partner at the Heller Herman White and McAuliffe law firm.
He graduated with his Juris Doctor from Yale University and earned his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University.
Vickie A. VanZandt
Chair | Reliability & Security Committee, Human Resources Committee
Member | Board Governance Committee
Contact Vickie A. VanZandt
PJM Interconnection
PO Box 1525
Southeastern, PA 19399-1525
Vickie A. VanZandt is an energy consultant and president of VanZandt Electric Transmission Consulting, Inc. Previously, she served as senior vice president and chief engineer of transmission services of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) where she was responsible for the planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, marketing and management of the high-voltage transmission system covering four states in the Pacific Northwest. VanZandt previously served on the ISO New England Board of Directors.
VanZandt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington, is a registered professional engineer and life member of the IEEE, and has been inducted into the National Academy of Engineering. She is certified by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).
Le Xie
Contact Le Xie
PJM Interconnection
PO Box 1525
Southeastern, PA 19399-1525
Le Xie is the Gordon McKay Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, where he cofounded and leads the Power and AI Initiative. His research focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence and power systems, advancing sustainable and efficient energy solutions. An IEEE Fellow and Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES), Xie has worked extensively with ERCOT, ISO-New England and utilities on electricity markets, grid operations and data-driven system planning. He is a senior editor of IEEE Transactions on Power Systems and founding chair of the IEEE PES Big Data & Analytics Subcommittee. Prior to Harvard, he served on the faculty at Texas A&M University, where he was recognized as a Presidential Impact Fellow. Xie received the NSF CAREER Award, the IEEE PES Outstanding Young Engineer Award, and multiple university teaching and research honors.
Xie holds a B.E. in electrical engineering from Tsinghua University, an S.M. in engineering sciences from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.