Thermal Energy Corporation (TECO) is pleased to welcome Kimberla Lawson as vice president, finance. Kimberla joins TECO as a new hire, bringing with her more than 20 years of accounting, finance, and management experience from roles in public accounting, as well as the oil and gas industries, both in the U.S. and abroad.
Kimberla provides the management team with financial information, resource management, and financial planning recommendations to effectively carry out TECO’s mission. She also oversees TECO’s accounting, cash management, budgeting, debt strategy and management, procurement, and risk management programs.
“We are very pleased to have someone the caliber of Kimberla in this position,” said Mike Manoucheri, TECO president and CEO. “Ensuring that the business side of TECO is run as reliably as the plant side is a critical task, with impacts for both our customers and employees. Kimberla has stepped in and proven to be a strategic and engaged leader for her department, and brings a personal skill set that fits very well into TECO’s culture.”
In her role, Kimberla strives to improve upon existing internal controls and devise ways to optimize and make her department’s processes more efficient. As part of the leadership team, she also takes pride in her role as a mentor and enjoys supporting and seeing others succeed in their own roles and in their careers - cheering on their accomplishments.
“I wanted to work for an organization that gives back to the community,” said Kimberla. “I am new to district energy and the nonprofit sector and am enjoying the opportunity to dive in and learn as much as possible in all areas of the business. TECO is extremely well run with a strong internal control environment, and I look forward to continuing to drive process improvements.”
TECO’s combined heat and power based district energy system pipes chilled water and steam to 24.3 million square feet in 51 buildings in 16 different institutions on the pacesetting Texas Medical Center campus. Customers use TECO’s chilled water for space cooling, cold rooms, and refrigeration and TECO’s steam to meet space heating, dehumidification, humidification, sterilization, kitchen, sanitary and research requirements. TECO’s district energy system began operation under the ownership of Houston Natural Gas Co. in 1969, with TECO acquiring the system in 1978. TECO’s chilled water network is the largest district cooling system in North America.
