Tennessee Valley Public Power Association

Eleven Tennessee Valley professionals were recognized at our 80th Annual Conference last week for earning their Advanced Certified Power Executive (AdvCPE) and Certified Power Executive (CPE) certificates through Education & Training. Congratulations to these dedicated leaders!

AdvCPE Recipients (pictured left to right):
Stacey White, Arab Electric Cooperative
Hunter Allen, City of Athens Electric Department
Jaerica Troutt, Gallatin Department of Electricity
Michael West, Hopkinsville Electric System & EnergyNet

CPE Recipients (pictured left to right):
Austin Sockwell, Sheffield Utilities
Tony Yanessa, Tennessee Valley Authority
Jeff Wade, Fulton Electric System
Justin Thornton, Benton County Electric System
Beau Baggett, Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation
Derrick Moore, Russellville Utilities
Jesse Steenbergen, EPB of Russellville

Learn more about professional certifications like these ➡ tvppa.com/education-and-training.

Today, we remember and honor those who sacrificed themselves in service to our country and support the family members of those we have lost. We at TVPPA thank you for protecting our freedom.

Congratulations to Mark Iverson, the 2026 Richard C. Crawford Distinguished Service Award (DSA) recipient.

Mark Kimbell, the 2025 DSA recipient, presented Iverson with the award at our 80th Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

"The people who know him best, both at home and across the Valley – especially his Kentucky peers – will tell you that he has always been the first to step up when public power needs a champion, offering thoughtful insight on the issues that matter most to our Valley," said Kimbell. "They'll tell you he is not just a respected leader, but a trusted mentor, someone you call when you need wise counsel and keen discernment. And they'll tell you that his willingness to engage, in any capacity, at any table, has strengthened public power and the people we serve."

Thank you, Mark, for your many years of service and leadership at Bowling Green Municipal Utilities (BGMU) and across the Tennessee Valley.

Learn more about TVPPA's highest honor here: https://www.tvppa.com/news/mark-iverson-honored-with-tvppas-2026-distinguished-service-award

Today, we held our first "Women in Utilities" roundtable during our 80th Annual Conference in Louisville, Ky. ⚡♀️

Facilitated by Danette Scudder, TVPPA Executive VP & Chief Strategy Officer, local power company leaders from across the Valley came together to collaborate and share insights about effective leadership, emerging technologies, workforce development, and more. Thank you to everyone who joined us for these important conversations!

Good afternoon from our 80th Annual Conference!

Speakers are diving into the forces that shape local power companies today, including data centers, SMRs, workforce needs, and customer expectations. More insights will be shared today and tomorrow as leaders from across the Valley celebrate the legacy of our public power model and develop skills to lead in a new energy era.

We're kicking off our 80th Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky! TVPPA members hit the greens this morning at our Annual Golf Tournament to benefit Line Brother's Keeper, and we're now holding a welcome reception and networking event.

We're looking forward to more opportunities to connect and skill-build over the next two days.

Training classes at the renovated TVPPA office building have officially begun! This week, we are hosting the Business & Strategic Issues class, where students are developing skills related to leading an electric utility.

Tim Culpepper, Cullman Electric Cooperative CEO and class instructor, is providing a background of our industry, the fundamentals of rate making, a basis for developing a managerial accounting system, and more. We're excited to continue hosting TVPPA members and training classes at our home base in Chattanooga, TN!

Learn more about classes like this ➡ tvppa.com/education-and-training

One week away! 📅 TVPPA's 80th Annual Conference will be held May 18-20, at the charming and sophisticated Omni Louisville Hotel. Get ready to network with industry leaders, hear from subject matter experts, and develop your skills with top-tier learning experiences focused on both where we’ve been and what comes next. It's not too late to register.

🔗 Join your peers from power systems across the Valley and register today: https://cvent.me/WOZx9n?RefId=tvppaannual

Tip #1 to protect your utility's FEMA funding: Document. Document. Document. 📄 📷

According to disaster recovery attorney Wendy Huff Ellard, proper documentation will be critical to receiving the maximum amount of funding possible when disaster strikes.

🔗 Read more about the importance of documentation and discover nine more tips to protect FEMA funds in the Resilience and Recovery Issue of TVPPA Magazine: https://www.mydigitalpublication.com/article/Navigating+FEMA%3A+What+Utilities+Need+to+Know/5139906/863466/article.html