Professional Profile

PROFILE

  • An internationally respected executive with proven performance in business, industry, electric power utility, finance, economic development, and governmental responsibilities
  • Proven leadership abilities; solid track record of goal-setting and results
  • Skilled in achieving consensus — optimizing teamwork to accomplish goals
  • Valuable working knowledge of corporate business, industry, finance and governmental operations, processes, and protocol

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) · Knoxville, TN

TVA Board of Directors
Chairman of the Board
11/99-5/05
7/01-5/05

Began serving on the TVA Board on November 19, 1999, following nomination by President Bill Clinton and confirmation by the U.S. Senate to a term ending on May 18, 2005. After serving two years on the Board, President George W. Bush named him Chairman of the TVA Board on July 19, 2001.

TVA, a federal corporation, is America's largest public power company.

  • 12,754 employees
  • 11 fossil plants, 3 nuclear plants, 29 hydro electric dams, 5 combustion turbine installations, a pumped storage hydro plant, wind, solar sites for 31,658 megawatts generation capacity
  • 17,000-mile transmission system
  • 62 large industries directly served, 158 municipal and cooperative customers serving 8.5 million people
  • Tennessee Valley, 80,000 square miles — TN, AL, MS, KY, GA, NC, VA

During 1999-2005, TVA achieved:

Record power generation

  • Met record electric power demand of 29,878 megawatts on July 13, 2004.
  • Approved restart of Browns Ferry Nuclear Unit 1, currently on-budget and on-schedule
    for restart in May 2007. BFN1 successfully restarted on schedule.

Record power sales

  • Created $7.5 billion in power sales revenue for 2005.
  • Achieved a $950 million increase in power sales from 1999 to 2005.

Record system reliability

  • Achieved 99.999%
    system reliability over the past five years.
  • Reduced the number of customer interruptions by 53%

Record clean air improvements

  • Implemented aggressive clean air plan, spending $1.7 billion from 1999-2005 on controls to reduce sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter.

Record economic and community development

  • Transformed TVA's economic development department into a focused regional development organization, achieving record goals for capital investment, job and income growth.
  • Made record annual in-lieu of tax payments to Valley communities totaling $1.6 billion since 2000.

Record debt reduction

  • Achieved $2 billion in long-term debt reduction from 1999-2005.
  • Reduced interest cost as a percent of revenue by 32%.
  • Administered comprehensive performance reviews as part of TVA's Strategic Plan to reduce costs and improve financial flexibility; restructured Management and Executive Committees.

City of Tupelo · Tupelo, Mississippi

Mayor
6/97-11/99
  • Elected June 1997 as Tupelo's 23rd mayor with 61% of the vote.
  • Led successful historic downtown revitalization effort, including leadership of the Fairpark
    District project, a 50-acre downtown development.
  • Formed citizen task forces and community-oriented policing effort which led to the John
    C. Stennis Institute of Government's "Innovations in Municipal Government" award.
  • Led City of Tupelo's successful effort to earn "All-America City" designation from the National Civic League in 1999.

Office of the Governor· State of Mississippi· Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)

Director
1993-1997
  • Enhanced the state's commitment to economic development and to technical skills training, physical infrastructure improvements and industrial-park development.
  • Strengthened understanding and trust between Congressional leaders and ARC.
  • Leadership role resulting in a $600 million Red Hills mine-and-power plant near Ackerman, Mississippi.

McCullough Steel Products, Inc · Tupelo, MS

President, Vice-President, Sales Manager
1981-1993

Master distributor of industrial pipe, valves, fittings, and related piping materials.

  • Added more than 500 active customer accounts in 26 states.
  • Developed sales incentive program for employees.
  • Increased sales more than 300%, reduced expenses, added profit.

PROFESSIONAL INVOLVMENT

Current

  • NuVision Engineering, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, Chairman of the Board
  • Mid-Columbia Engineering, Richland, WA, Chairman of the Board
  • Community Development Foundation, Tupelo, MS, Board of Directors
  • Community Bank, Board of Directors
  • SmartSynch, Inc., Board of Directors
  • Advance Mississippi, Chairman of the Board
  • Mississippi Technology Alliance, Board of Directors
  • Fox Business News Contributor

Previous

  • Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), Board of Directors and Executive Committee 2001-2005
  • Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), Board of Directors and Executive Committee 2001-2005
  • Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Board of Directors 2001-2005
  • U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Advisory Council 2001-2005
  • Alabama Partnership for Economic Development, Board of Directors 2001-2005
  • Coal Utilization Research Council (CURC), Past Co-Chairman 2001-2004
  • Mississippi State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumnus of the Year 2002
  • Leadership Memphis Graduate 2001
  • Bellsouth Leaders of the 21st Century Conference 1997

SPEECHES & PRESENTATIONS

  • Fox Business News Contributor, 2010
  • Tennessee Tombigbee-Waterway Development Authority Annual Meeting, 2009
  • Appalachian Leadership Program, Mississippi State University 2007
  • Institute of Clean Air Companies Annual Meeting, Austin, TX 2006
  • Rotary International Conference, Starkville, MS 2006
  • Mississippi State University Commencement 2006
  • Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference, Honolulu, HI 2004
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute, University of Georgia 2004
  • Emerging Leaders – Owen School of Business Management, Vanderbilt University 2003
  • North Alabama Public Power Association, Florence, AL 2003
  • Mississippi State University Commencement 2002
  • Southeast U.S. – Japan Trade Conference, Charleston, SC 2002
  • Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Annual Meeting, Boston, MA 2001
  • State of Tennessee-Japan Trade Mission, Tokyo, Japan 2001
  • Tennessee Valley Association of Valley Governments, Nashville, TN 2001
  • Community Development Institute, Nichols State University 1995
  • Mississippi-Alabama Sociological Society, University of Alabama 1994

TESTIMONY

  • U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Energy and Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy, Topic: "TVA's Nuclear Program and the Restart of Browns Ferry Unit 1" 3/4/04
  • U.S. House Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Water Resources
    and Environment, Topic: "TVA Update" 2/26/04
  • U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate
    Change, and Nuclear Safety, Topic: "Clear Skies Act" 4/8/03
  • U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, Topic: "The Electric Supply and Transmission Act of 2001" 12/12/01

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science · Agricultural Economics · 1977
Mississippi State University · Starkville, Mississippi

New South Economic Development Course · 1993
University of Southern MS · Hattiesburg, Mississippi