The Board of Directors of Texas Central Partners, LLC (Texas Central), the company developing a new high-speed train that will connect North Texas, the Brazos Valley and Houston, has named Carlos F. Aguilar chief executive officer of Texas Central and its subsidiaries, effective December 12, 2016. Tim Keith will be president, leading capital raising and external affairs.
“Carlos brings a significant mix of construction management and engineering experience, making him an ideal fit for our team as we move forward on this transformational project,” said Richard Lawless, chairman of the Texas Central board. “He has proven a leadership record in the management of large-scale infrastructure projects and has excelled in the energy, transportation and rail industries. We look forward to his many contributions as we continue to set the pace on providing a new and much-needed transportation alternative.”
Aguilar, formerly a senior vice president at the engineering company of CH2M Hill, has a background in industrial and infrastructure work. At CH2M, he served on its management committee and was chairman of the CCPP Project Consortium for the Ichthys LNG Facility. Prior to CH2M, he was president of BrightSource Construction Management and senior vice president at BrightSource Energy. Aguilar led the development, engineering, procurement and construction of the company’s portfolio of projects, including the development and construction of Ivanpah Solar Electricity Generating System.
Aguilar held several leadership roles at Bechtel Corp., including principal vice president, Bechtel Power Corp.; president, Bechtel Financing Services; and COO of Bechtel’s United Infrastructure Company. He also served as regional operations manager, chief engineer and environmental officer for the private sector equity and financing arm of the InterAmerican Development Bank Group.
Aguilar earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, mechanical engineering and materials science from Duke University, a Master of Science degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in technological economics from the University of Stirling in Scotland.
“The Texas Central project is a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop the country’s first true high-speed train and I look forward to leveraging the great team in place and excited to be a part of it,” stated Aguilar. “This is a project that not only will address the state’s growing transportation demands but also will provide an economic catalyst and jobs in local communities for generations to come.”
Tim Keith has served as the Texas Central CEO For the last 16 months, where he was responsible for managing the development phase of the project, which included planning, government relations, public and business community engagement; regulatory processes; and the raising of equity capital. He will continue as Texas Central president, reporting to Aguilar and will focus on capital markets and financing, operations and external affairs.
Keith stated, “I’m proud to be part of this innovative project with the tremendous progress we have made and look forward to partnering with Carlos and using his experience to accelerate the pace of the overall project development.”