John G. Russell served from May 2010 to July 2016 as president and chief executive officer of CMS Energy and Consumers Energy. Prior to that he served from 2004 to 2010 as president and chief operating officer of Consumers Energy. Russell previously served on the board of directors of Hubbell Incorporated. He has been a Director of CMS Energy and Consumers Energy since 2010.

Russell is qualified to serve on the Board based on the knowledge and experience acquired throughout his more than 30 years with Consumers. He has in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the utility. His vast experience within the regulated utility industry, hands-on experience and the leadership positions he has held have provided him with a perspective from which the Board greatly benefits. Russell serves on the board of directors of Grand Valley University Foundation and also serves as chairman of The Russell Family Foundation. Russell previously served as a director on the board of Grand Valley State University.

Garrick J. Rochow has served since 2020 as president and chief executive officer of CMS and Consumers. From 2016 through 2020, he was responsible for the company’s electric and natural gas distribution and transmission operations, generation and compression operations, regulatory compliance, planning and scheduling and operations performance. Prior to that role, he served in a variety of leadership positions across the business. He currently serves on the board of directors of Hubbell Incorporated. He has been a Director of CMS Energy and Consumers Energy since 2020.

Rochow is qualified to serve on the Board based on his more than 25 years of experience and knowledge gained in the utility industry. He has extensive utility knowledge, including 20 years with CMS and Consumers. The Board also benefits from Rochow’s prior leadership roles within the company. He currently serves on the boards of the American Gas Association and Edison Electric Institute, as well as the boards and executive committees of Business Leaders for Michigan and The Right Place. He also serves on the boards of Priority Health, New Community Transformation Fund, West Michigan Policy Forum and Grand Rapids Economic Club.

Deborah H. Butler retired in 2015 as the executive vice president of planning and chief information officer of Norfolk Southern Corporation (“Norfolk Southern”), which is engaged in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products and finished goods. Butler joined Norfolk Southern in 1978 and served in positions of increasing responsibility in operations until being named assistant vice president transportation customer service in 2000 and vice president customer services in 2002, a position she held until her appointment as executive vice president in 2007. She has been a Director of CMS Energy and Consumers Energy since 2015.

Butler’s qualifications for service on the Board include her extensive experience in operations, leadership, customer service, sustainability and environment, safety, regulatory environment, strategic planning and information technology derived from her varying roles at Norfolk Southern. Butler also serves as chairman of the board of Patriot Rail Company LLC and as an independent member of the board of Ports America.

Ralph Izzo retired in 2022 as the Chairman, President and CEO of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (“PSEG”), a publicly traded diversified energy holding company, a position he held from April 2007. He served from September 2022 until December 2022 as Executive Chair of PSEG. Izzo joined PSE&G in 1992 and held several executive positions within the PSEG family of companies. He currently serves on the boards of directors of Ovintiv Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. He has been a Director of CMS Energy and Consumers Energy since 2023.

Izzo is qualified to serve on the Board based on the knowledge and experience acquired throughout his more than 30 years in the electric and gas business. He serves on various boards and committees related to electric and gas services including Argonne National Lab, TerraPower, U.S. Department of Energy’s Fusion Energy Services Advisory Committee, Liberty Science Center, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Hackensack Meridian Health Network, Columbia University Engineering School Industry, Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.

Suzanne F. Shank has served since 1996 as president and chief executive officer and a co-founder of Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC, a full-service investment banking and financial services company. She currently serves on the boards of Rocket Companies, Inc. and White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. Shank previously served on the board of American Virtual Cloud Technologies, Inc. She has been a Director of CMS Energy and Consumers Energy since 2019.

Shank brings over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, including extensive experience developing strategies for new business growth nationally and managing financial, operational and regulatory matters. She currently serves as chair of the Detroit Regional Chamber. Shank also serves on the board of trustees of Spelman College as well as the Kresge Foundation. She is also a member of the International Women’s Forum.

Myrna M. Soto is the CEO of Apogee Executive Advisors, which she founded in 2021. From 2020 through 2021, she served as the chief strategy and trust officer of Forcepoint (a cybersecurity technology provider). Prior to joining Forcepoint, she served from 2019 through 2020 as the chief operating officer of Digital Hands (a Managed CyberSecurity Services Provider). Since 2019, she has been a venture advisor for ForgePoint Capital (‘‘ForgePoint’’), a venture capital firm investing exclusively in early-stage cybersecurity companies and has served as a partner at ForgePoint since 2018. Soto currently serves on the boards of Popular, Inc. and TriNet Group, Inc. and previously served on the board of Spirit Airlines, Inc. She has been a Director of CMS Energy and Consumers Energy since 2015.

The Board benefits from Soto’s vast experience, including her current role as CEO of Apogee Executive Advisors which is a boutique advisory firm focused on providing strategic consulting and advisory services in the areas of Technology Risk, CyberSecurity, Technology Integrations, Venture Capital & Private Equity Investments and Enterprise Risk Management. Soto brings more than 30 years of focused information technology and security experience from a variety of industries, including financial services, hospitality, insurance and risk management, gaming, and entertainment and currently serves numerous privately held technology and cybersecurity-focused organizations.

John G. Sznewajs is a Partner at Shore Capital (“Shore”), a Chicago-based private equity fund. He is a Partner in the Industrial Platform at Shore where he oversees the strategy and investments in industrial services and manufacturing companies. He served from 2007 until May 2023 as the vice president and chief financial officer of Masco Corporation, which operates as a global leader in design, manufacture and distribution of branded building products. He has been a Director of CMS Energy and Consumers Energy since 2015.

Sznewajs has more than 25 years of experience in business and corporate development. His extensive background and knowledge in financial matters, and previous oversight of information technology, along with in-depth experience in enterprise-wide strategy, qualify him to serve on the Board. He serves as director and treasurer of the Detroit Zoological Society and on the board of Teach for America - Detroit.

Ronald J. Tanski served as president and chief executive officer of National Fuel Gas Company (“National Fuel”), a diversified energy company from 2013 through his retirement in 2019. Tanski joined National Fuel as an attorney in 1979 and served in positions of increasing responsibility during his career. Tanski continues to serve as a Director of National Fuel. He has been a Director of CMS Energy and Consumers Energy since 2019.

Tanski brings more than 40 years’ experience in both the regulated and non-regulated gas business. Having begun his career as an attorney with National Fuel, the Board benefits from his legal knowledge and experience. He also previously served on the board of managers of the Buffalo Museum of Science.

Laura H. Wright retired from Southwest Airlines Co. (“Southwest”) in 2012 as senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer, positions she had held since 2004. During her 25-year career with Southwest, she held various positions, including vice president of finance and treasurer, treasurer, assistant treasurer and other financial roles. Southwest is based in Dallas, Texas, and is engaged in the operation of passenger airlines that provide scheduled air transportation in the United States. Until 2020, she consulted under GSB Advisory LLC, which she founded in 2012, to provide interim executive and financial management to growth and non-profit companies. Wright currently serves as a board member of TE Connectivity Ltd., Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. and Joby Aviation, Inc. She has been a Director of CMS Energy and Consumers Energy since 2013 and the Presiding Director since 2024.

Wright is an active certified public accountant in the state of Texas. The Board benefits from Wright’s extensive technical expertise and experience in financial accounting and reporting, corporate finance and risk management. She has extensive experience working in a consumer-oriented business environment. She is currently the chair of the University of North Texas System Board of Regents.