TVA today announced that the board of directors has a process underway to recommend a new president and CEO for TVA. The board panel is retaining an executive search firm to identify candidates to succeed Tom Kilgore, who announced his retirement by year end at a TVA board meeting Thursday in Knoxville.
He will continue to serve as president and CEO until completion of the search process and a successor is hired.
Mr. Kilgore serves as the first president and CEO for the country’s largest public power utility. He joined TVA in 2005.
“I look forward to working more on my farm,” said Mr. Kilgore, who grew up in northeast Alabama. “And I am proud of TVA’s focus on low rates, clean, realiable energy and enhancing the economic growth in the Tennessee Valley.”
Bill Sansom, chairman of the TVA board, said, “All of us across the Tennessee Valley appreciate the vision and leadership that Tom has brought to TVA. Our job is to identify the next experienced leader for TVA.”
Senator Bob Corker said, “I really do appreciate Tom’s hard work and have enjoyed working with him during his tenure at TVA. One of my greatest concerns about TVA’s future is having a board with the qualifications to deal with the many issues TVA will face in the years to come. While I think TVA’s entire governance structure should be questioned at this time, it’s possible we should look at TVA’s overall business modelin general.”
Senator Lamar Alexander said, “Tom Kilgore is an experienced utility executive who has led TVA through challenging times. Now the TVA board's job is to find a strong manager for its nuclear plants and clean-air objectives, a manager who can ensure that TVA will continue to provide reliable electricity at a cost low enough to help create jobs in the Tennessee Valley.”