LITTLE ROCK, AR --(Marketwired - January 26, 2016) - The members of Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a regional power grid operator that ensures access to reliable and affordable sources of electricity, today elected Graham Edwards of Isle of Palms, S.C., and Bruce Scherr of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to the company's board of directors during a meeting in Oklahoma City.
The appointments are effective immediately and expand the company's board of directors to nine members. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in August approved SPP's request to revise its bylaws to expand its seven-member board of directors by up to three additional seats.
"On behalf of our board, I am very pleased to welcome Graham and Bruce," said Nick Brown, president and CEO of SPP. "Graham has a distinguished career in public power and considerable knowledge of our industry from his service on the board and as the chief executive of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). Bruce expertly served for more than a decade on the board of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and has extensive compliance and critical infrastructure protection experience."
T. Graham Edwards Background
T. Graham Edwards, 62, served as Chief Executive Officer of ElectriCities of North Carolina from 2009 until his retirement in November 2015. Prior to joining ElectriCities, Edwards served as CEO of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) from 2006 to 2009 and served on the Board from 2001 to 2009. Prior to becoming CEO, Edwards served as the Board Chairman in 2005.
Edwards also served as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Santee Cooper in South Carolina, the nation's fourth largest public power utility in terms of kilowatt hours sold. During his 25 years at Santee Cooper, Edwards helped position the company for competition in a deregulated environment and was one of three CEO's that started The Energy Authority, a wholesale energy and marketing company.
In 2011, Edwards was elected to serve on the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) Board of Directors, and served on the Board until the company bifurcated in 2014. He now serves on the Peak Reliability Board of Directors, which is responsible for reliability coordination for the Western Interconnection.
Edwards earned a bachelor's of science in business administration from Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C., and a master's of business administration from The Citadel.
Bruce A. Scherr Background
Bruce A. Scherr, 67, is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Emeritus of Informa Economics, Inc., a world leader in comprehensive agriculture, food industry, agribusiness and commodity research, information, analysis and consulting. Scherr served at Informa Economics (formerly Sparks Companies, Inc.) from 1987 to 2014 in several executive capacities including President and CEO.
From 2002 to 2015 he served on the board of trustees of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), and during that tenure he was Vice Chairman, Chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee and Chairman of the Compliance Committee.
In addition, Scherr served as a member of the Global Strategy Institute Advisory Council of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and as a member of the Board of Directors for Desert STAR Inc., an electrical transmission Independent System Operator (ISO) for the Desert Southwest, from 2000 to 2002.
Currently, he is a member of the Boards of E. Ritter & Company; Santa Energy Company; and J. D. Heiskell & Company. He formerly served as Chairman of the Board of Legumex Walker, Inc.
Scherr received his bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and his master's degree and doctorate from Purdue University, all in agricultural economics.
About Southwest Power Pool, Inc.
Southwest Power Pool, Inc. manages the electric grid and wholesale energy market for the central United States. As a regional transmission organization (RTO), the nonprofit corporation is mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure reliable supplies of power, adequate transmission infrastructure and competitive wholesale electricity prices. Southwest Power Pool and its diverse group of member companies coordinate the flow of electricity across 56,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines spanning 14 states. The company is headquartered in Little Rock, Ark. Learn more at www.spp.org .
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Media Contact: Derek Wingfield 501-614-3394 dwingfield@spp.org
