TECA recommends two members for TVA’s board of directors
The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association is recommending Chris Jones from Middle Tennessee Electric and Anthony Kimbrough from Duck River Electric Membership Corporation as nominees for the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Board of Directors. While the President of the United States is the one who appoints members to the board, a letter has been submitted to both Senator Marsha Blackburn and Senator Bill Hagerty for consideration.
“On behalf of 25 private sector, not-for-profit, local utilities who collectively purchase over $3 billion worth of electricity from TVA each year, we ask for your assistance in guiding the Administration’s appointments to ensure only highly qualified individuals of great business judgment and long and valuable experience are nominated to these positions,” said Mike Knots, TECA’s CEO, in the letter.
TVA currently has three vacant positions, and the term of a fourth member is soon to expire on their board of directors. At a minimum, President Donald Trump will have the opportunity to appoint four new members this year that will have to be confirmed by the Senate.
“The TVA Board plays an essential role for the region’s economic vitality. By setting policy and ensuring adherence to its statutory mission, the Board is ultimately responsible for TVA’s successes or failures,” Knotts said.
Alongside the nominations, the letter also lays out three important points for the senators’ consideration when making the recommendations. Those include career experience, industry expertise and the governance structure of a cooperatively owned generation and transmission utility.
As any developments arise, TECA will keep you updated on this important matter.
More about Chris Jones:
Chris Jones is Middle Tennessee Electric’s President, and just the fifth CEO in the cooperative’s 89-year history. A 26-year veteran of MTE, he is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, where he earned his degree in communications. He is responsible for stewarding one of the largest electric cooperatives in America – ranked first in the U.S. by energy sales, and second in the U.S. by number of members – and is the primary provider of critical energy infrastructure in Cannon, Rutherford, Williamson, and Wilson counties. Chris serves MTE members, and the community in general, through several avenues. He is a board member of United Communications and the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association, past chair of both the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and the Williamson County Chamber of Commerce, chair of Destination Rutherford, and a board member of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce. Chris served on the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council as the state’s utilities representative; this council was created by Governor Bill Lee to position the state as a national leader for nuclear energy innovation and advancement. His contributions to the Council have contributed to policy improvements and multi-billion-dollar economic development investments, cementing Tennessee’s place as the premier location to locate Nuclear Industry-related businesses. Chris is a native of Manchester, TN and lives in Murfreesboro with his wife, Bonita, who is a retired teacher. They have two grown daughters, Cayln (pronounced Kay• lin) and Chrisln (pronounced Chris• lin).
More about Anthony Kimbrough:
Anthony Kimbrough is a popularly elected member of the DREMC Board of Directors, representing Zone 6. His district includes the cooperative’s service territory in Maury County, the fastest growing area in DREMC’s 16 county service territory. He began service on the DREMC board in 2011 and was elected chairman in 2023. Anthony is a multi-talented servant and leader with a unique history of political involvement, organizational communications, and executive leadership roles. He retired at the end of 2023 after a two-decade plus executive career with the Tennessee Farm Bureau organization, the last 11 years as Chief Executive Officer of Farm Bureau Health Plans (FBHP). He guided the company through tremendous industry challenges while maintaining consistent growth and helped forge an expanded company footprint into multiple states. Previous roles with FBHP included leadership roles in sales and marketing, as well as government relations. He began his Farm Bureau insurance career as a joint employee of FBHP and Farm Bureau Insurance, leading all government relations and political efforts on behalf of the two Farm Bureau-affiliated insurance companies. Prior to his 23-year career with Farm Bureau, Kimbrough spent six years in the administration of Governor Don Sundquist, handling all government relations and communications work for the Tennessee Department of Safety. His strong communications background includes a four-year stint as editor of The Daily Herald (1990-1994), in Columbia, TN. Prior to his time there, Kimbrough established and managed a Capitol News Bureau for Donrey Media newspapers in Little Rock, Ark., covering state politics for six daily newspapers. Anthony is a graduate of the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications. He and his wife of 35 years, Michele, have two daughters and three grandchildren. He has long been active in community and church-related activities, including previous board seats for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, American Heart Association, Columbia State Community College Foundation, Zion Christian Academy and other organizations.
