Maria Bocanegra

Maria Bocanegra serves as the President of Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas, where she has primary responsibility for managing the daily operations, strategy and administrative activities for the two Illinois utilities, which together provide safe, reliable natural gas service to nearly 1 million customers in Chicago and 54 communities in its northern suburbs.

Most recently, she was the Chief Legal & Government Relations Officer for the Port of Cleveland – the first in its 55-year history. She previously served as Commissioner with the Illinois Commerce Commission, regulating investor-owned electric, gas & water utilities in highly complex & technical matters. There, she gained national recognition in both the transportation electrification and water space and served as Chair of the EV Working Group and Chair for the standing Committee on Water. Her prior board service includes the University of Missouri’s FRI Advisory Council, New Mexico State University’s Public Utilities Advisory Council, the National EV Charging Initiative’s Advisory Council, WRI’s Electric School Bus Advisory Council as Co-Chair, Citizen’s Utility Board (CUB) Ohio, Council of the Great Lakes Region and the Cleveland Water Alliance.

Maria’s prior public service includes work as an ALJ at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission and as the Public Member of the Labor Advisory Board for the IDOL. Before entering public service, Maria practiced law focused on workers’ compensation, wage and hour and personal injury claims.

She has been recognized by Fortnightly’s Under 40, Negocios Now’s 40 Under 40, Negocios Now’s Who’s Who In Hispanic Chicago, Negocios Now’s Rising Star and by Latino Leaders Magazine. Her work has been featured in Utility Dive, T&D World, and Bloomberg Law & American Association of Port Authorities. She has presented/spoken before FERC, EPA and DOE, among others.