TVA welcomed six new board members Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
Beth Geer of Brentwood, Tennessee, Bobby Klein of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Michelle Moore of Midlothian, Virginia, Bill Renick of Ashland, Mississippi, Joe Ritch of Huntsville, Alabama, and Wade White of Eddyville, Kentucky, took the oath of office from United States Magistrate Judge Jill E. McCook in Knoxville.
Geer, Klein and Moore were initially nominated by President Joe Biden in the spring of 2021 and re-nominated by the President in January 2022. Renick and White were nominated by the President in June 2022 and Ritch was nominated in July 2022. The U.S. Senate confirmed all six on Dec. 21, 2022.
“We are delighted to have Beth, Bobby, Michelle, Bill, Joe and Wade join the TVA team during this challenging but exciting period,” TVA Board Chair Bill Kilbride said. “They each bring diverse perspectives and experience to the Board that will help guide TVA as it plans for the future while entering its 90th year of service to the region.”
The six additions complete the TVA Board of Directors, bringing the total to nine members. In addition to Kilbride of Chattanooga, Tennessee, the new board members will join current members Beth Harwell of Nashville, Tennessee, and Brian Noland of Johnson City, Tennessee, at the next quarterly meeting in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, on Feb. 16, 2023.
New Board Members
Beth Geer of Brentwood, Tennessee, serves as the chief of staff for former Vice President Al Gore and participated in the Nashville Sustainability Advisory Committee. She applied her policy experience in climate change and environmental justice to previous positions in the Clinton-Gore White House, the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Senate. Her term expires May 18, 2026.
Bobby Klein of Chattanooga, Tennessee, served as a vice president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers after a decades-long career as a lineman and foreman with the Electric Power Board of Chattanooga. He also served 14 years as president of the Tennessee Valley Trades and Labor Council, as well as on the TVA Labor-Management Committee. His term expires May 18, 2026.
Michelle Moore of Midlothian, Virginia, is author of “Rural Renaissance” and CEO of Groundswell, a nonprofit that builds community power to reduce energy burden and expand economic opportunity. From her roots in rural Georgia, Michelle has worked to connect clean energy with affordability and quality of life for more than 25 years, including leading federal sustainability and infrastructure project delivery for the Obama White House. Her term expires May 18, 2026.
Bill Renick of Ashland, Mississippi, is the chair of the Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi and previously served 13 years as the Workforce Division Directors at Three Rivers Planning and Development District. A longtime public servant, Renick has served in multiple local and state elected and appointed positions. His term expires on May 18, 2027.
Joe Ritch of Huntsville, Alabama, practices law with the firm of Dentons Sirote, PC, in Huntsville. He also serves as chairman of the Redstone Regional Alliance and remains active in the community. He has received numerous business and community awards and was inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame in 2021. A previous TVA Board Chair, his term expires on May 18, 2025.
Wade White of Eddyville, Kentucky, completed his 12th year as Lyon County Judge Executive and is now employed with Farmers Bank and Trust Co. of Princeton and Eddyville in business development and public relations. He is the recipient of multiple awards. An avid supporter of recreational fishing, he led initial efforts to raise the alarm about the invasive Asian carp species that threatens the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers and was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 2016. His term expires on May 18, 2027.
