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Christi Craddick's Press Room

News Items - 2026

• Commissioner Christi Craddick Elected Chairman of the RRC

  August 18, 2026
  
  

  Chairman Christi Craddick

  AUSTIN, Texas — RRC Commissioners today unanimously elected Commissioner Christi Craddick to serve as Chairman of the three-member Commission, reaffirming her leadership of the state's oldest regulatory agency and one of the nation's most influential energy regulators.

  "I am deeply honored by the confidence my fellow Commissioners have placed in me," Chairman Christi Craddick said. "Texas is the energy capital of the world because of the hardworking men and women who produce the resources that fuel our economy, power our communities, and strengthen our national security. I look forward to continuing to work alongside my fellow Commissioners to ensure the RRC remains a fair, effective, and transparent regulator while protecting public safety and the environment."

  “I congratulate Commissioner Christi Craddick on her election as Chairman of the RRC,” said Commissioner Wayne Christian. “Her prior experience as Chairman will serve the agency well as we continue to improve agency efficiency, protect Texas’ natural resources, advance energy abundance and support Texas jobs.”

  "It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Chairman of the RRC over the past year, and as my tenure comes to an end, I know the RRC will be in good hands under the leadership of Chairman Craddick,” said Commissioner Jim Wright. “Commissioner Craddick has a long and proven record of capably leading the RRC as Chairman. Her leadership since joining the Commission has played an important role in the resurgence of Texas energy dominance. I congratulate her on her election as Chairman of the RRC and look forward to working together to ensure Texas remains a global leader in energy production."

  As Chairman, Craddick will continue leading the Commission as it oversees Texas' oil and natural gas industry, pipeline safety, natural gas utilities, critical energy infrastructure and the state's surface coal and uranium mining operations. The Commission regulates an industry that supports millions of jobs, generates billions in state and local tax revenue and plays a vital role in meeting the nation's growing energy needs.

  Since first being elected statewide in 2012, Craddick has focused on strengthening the agency by modernizing its operations, enhancing transparency and ensuring Texas maintains a predictable regulatory framework that encourages responsible energy development. During her tenure, the Commission has made significant investments in technology modernization, expanded efforts to address orphaned wells and continued to implement legislative priorities to improve efficiency and accountability.

  The RRC, established in 1891, is the state's oldest regulatory agency and has primary regulatory authority over the exploration, production and transportation of oil and natural gas, pipeline safety, natural gas utilities and surface mining operations throughout Texas.

• RRC Names New Critical Infrastructure Director

  November 02, 2026
  

  AUSTIN, Texas – The RRC has named Gilbert Herrera as the new Critical Infrastructure Division Director of Administrative Compliance.

  Previously serving as the Director of Field Operations with the CID, Herrera has extensive experience protecting the reliability and resilience of Texas natural gas infrastructure by supporting the reliable flow of natural gas to power generation facilities and helping ensure regulatory compliance, operational preparedness and the sustained operation of critical energy assets. 

  As Director of Administrative Compliance, he will focus on strengthening oversight of the natural gas supply chain, ensuring compliance with critical infrastructure designations and other regulatory requirements, overseeing Emergency Operations Plans and improving the accuracy and reliability of data used to evaluate critical natural gas infrastructure. 

  Since the division’s formation in response to 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, Herrera has played a vital role in developing the CID, helping establish the processes, procedures, training, and operational frameworks necessary for its success. His work helps prepare Texas’s critical natural gas infrastructure for extreme weather by developing an inspection program, coordinating with industry and other stakeholders and identifying vulnerabilities that could affect the reliability of the natural gas supply. 

  Joining the RRC in 2018, Gilbert has held several leadership and engineering positions, including Regional Director, where he established and led a new regional division responsible for field inspections and regulatory compliance within the Critical Infrastructure Division. He also served as Houston’s Well Plugging Manager, where he was involved in numerous challenging well plugging projects, including high-pressure and high-temperature wells, H2S operations and high-consequence well control events, including work associated with a blowout of a submerged well in the Gulf of Mexico. 

  Before joining the RRC, Gilbert worked as an Engineer at SLB, where he supervised field crews and conducted well integrity operations across the Permian Basin. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and has completed executive and managerial leadership programs at the Texas McCombs School of Business.