McAulay Smith Successfully Recruits (Nuclear) Plant Manager

BIRMINGHAM, AL, June 29, 2020 – McAulay Smith successfully recruited Johnny Weissinger from his role as Director Site Engineering at Exelon’s Clinton (Nuclear) Power Station to be the Plant Manager at Hatch in Baxley, GA.

Weissinger brings 18 years of nuclear Engineering and Operations experience along with a Senior Reactor Operation License.  He has an MBA from Webster University and a B.S. from Thomas Edison State College.  Both degrees were earned during his 11 years of service in the U.S. Navy.

Steve Smith managed the search.  This is the 9th search in the last 2 years McAulay Smith has conducted for Southern Company.

The McAulay Smith Firm is a performance-based retained executive search firm that partners with clients to recruit for executive management positions.  Established in 1995, The McAulay Smith Firm has completed hundreds of engagements for numerous client companies in 32 states and 10 countries.

McAulay Smith Successfully Recruits SVP & Vice General Counsel

Knoxville, TN – June 1, 2020 – McAulay Smith successfully recruited David Fountain from Duke Energy to be the new SVP & Vice General Counsel. 

Please continue reading the Press Release published by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) below for further details:

Publication Date: April 6, 2020

KNOXVILLE – The Tennessee Valley Authority today announced the appointment of David Fountain as senior vice president and vice general counsel. He will officially join TVA on June 1.

In this newly created role, Fountain will oversee the administrative and operational functions of the Office of General Counsel, as well as lead TVA’s litigation, enterprise records and ethics and compliance efforts. He will report to Sherry Quirk, TVA’s General Counsel.

“As the energy and environmental landscapes rapidly evolve, it’s more critical than ever to ensure the highest levels of legal counsel and guidance are available to assist with TVA’s vital mission,” said Quirk. “David’s 20-plus years of legal and leadership experience within the utility industry further strengthens our organization and improves our abilities.”

Fountain is currently Duke Energy’s senior vice president, legal, chief ethics and compliance officer and corporate secretary. In that role, he oversees communication with the company’s board of directors to ensure they remain apprised of corporate governance and compliance matters.

Previously, Fountain served as Duke Energy’s North Carolina president, serving approx. 3.3 million electricity customers and 717,000 natural gas customers. He coordinated the company’s response to hurricanes Matthew in 2016 and Florence in 2018.

While serving in a former role as vice president of Progress Energy’s legal department, Fountain oversaw all regulatory approvals associated with Progress’ merger with Duke Energy in 2012.

Fountain holds Juris Doctor, Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He remains active with UNC as an Energy Advisory Board member of the University’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, as well as serving on the boards of the Shepherds Table Soup Kitchen in Raleigh and the Alexander YMCA.

To read the Press Release in its entirety, please go to:

https://www.tva.com/Newsroom/Press-Releases/TVA-Appoints-New-Vice-General-Counsel

Steve Smith managed the search.

The McAulay Smith Firm is a performance-based retained executive search firm that partners with clients to recruit for executive management positions.  Established in 1995, The McAulay Smith Firm has completed hundreds of engagements for numerous client companies in 32 states and 10 countries.

McAulay Smith Successfully Recruits Senior Vice President & Head of Procurement

DALLAS, TX, April 6, 2020 – McAulay Smith successfully recruited Marcie Dennison from GM Financial, where she was the Vice President of Purchasing, to be the new SVP & Head of Procurement at Hilltop Holdings. 

Dennison has 9 years of experience of leading and executing procurement strategies; focusing on developing policy; and serving as the Category Manager for IT, real estate and other indirect sourcing areas.  She also brings early career experience in Accounting and Finance, which provided a good foundational background for cost management and avoidance aspects of procurement.

Dennison earned a B.A., Accounting from Illinois Wesleyan University and an MBA from The Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.

Steve Smith managed the search.  This is the 5th executive search engagement McAulay Smith has conducted for Hilltop Holdings in the past 3 years.

The McAulay Smith Firm is a performance-based retained executive search firm that partners with clients to recruit for mid- and senior-level executive and management positions.  Established in 1995, The McAulay Smith Firm has completed hundreds of engagements for numerous client companies in 32 states and 10 countries.

McAulay Smith Successfully Recruits Wealth Advisor

BIRMINGHAM, AL – March 25, 2020 – Luke Fargason joins Oakworth Capital Bank, a leading financial institute that provides commercial banking, wealth management and private banking services across the U.S., as a Wealth Advisor.  Oakworth Capital Bank is headquartered in Birmingham AL with offices in Montgomery and Mobile.

McAulay Smith recruited Fargason from Wealth Strategies, where he served as a Financial Advisor. Fargason’s most recent experience is within Financial Planning; Retirement; and Tax; Estate; and Protection Strategies.  He also brings business development and sale experience from earlier in his career.

Fargason earned a B.S., Business Administration from Auburn University and an MBA from University of Alabama.  He also obtained licenses for Series 7, Series 66 and Life, Health & Variable.

Steve Smith managed the search.  This is the 2nd search McAulay Smith has conducted for Oakworth Capital Bank in the past 18 months.

The McAulay Smith Firm is a performance-based retained executive search firm that partners with clients to recruit for mid- and senior-level executive and management positions.  Established in 1995, The McAulay Smith Firm has completed hundreds of engagements for numerous client companies in 32 states and 10 countries.

McAulay Smith Successfully Recruits Chief Nuclear Officer & Executive Vice President for Bruce Power

ONTARIO, Canada, April 6, 2020 - McAulay Smith successfully recruited Chris Mudrick from his role as SVP, Operations – East Operations, Exelon / Chief Operating Officer Constellation Energy Nuclear Group to be the new Chief Nuclear Officer & EVP at Bruce Power. 

Chris brings 32 years of exemplary industry leadership with a track-record of reaching and sustaining industry excellence.  In his most recent role at Exelon, he was responsible for 10 of Exelon’s 21 nuclear reactors at 6 sites in the U.S.  Five of the sites under his leadership are currently operating at the level of industry excellence.

Chris had worked with Exelon since 1987 and held many senior roles including Senior Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Operations, Senior Vice President Operations Support, Site Vice President, Plant Manager as well as responsible roles in Engineering, Operations and Outages.

Chris has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University and has received management and leadership certifications from the Harvard Business School, Exelon Leadership Institute and INPO.  He also attained his Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) License early in his career.

Steve Smith managed the search.  McAulay Smith is the industry leader in Chief Nuclear Officer searches having conducted over 20 Chief Nuclear Officer engagements to include 4 in the past 18 months.

The McAulay Smith Firm is a performance-based retained executive search firm that partners with clients to recruit for mid- and senior-level executive and management positions.  Established in 1995, The McAulay Smith Firm has completed hundreds of engagements for numerous client companies in 32 states and 10 countries.

McAulay Smith Successfully Recruits Financial Systems Manager

DALLAS, TX, March 30, 2020 – McAulay Smith successfully recruited Jason Damstrom from his role as the Manager, Financial Systems Maintenance/Financial Applications Admin (Hyperion) at Toyota Financial Services to be the new Financial Systems Manager at Hilltop Holdings.  He brings over 14 years of financial experience to include progressive management roles.

Damstrom earned a B.S. in Finance and Operations Management from University of Massachusetts – Amherst.

Steve Smith managed the search.  This is the 4th search McAulay Smith has conducted for Hilltop Holdings in the past 3 years.

The McAulay Smith Firm is a performance-based retained executive search firm that partners with clients to recruit for mid- and senior-level executive and management positions.  Established in 1995, The McAulay Smith Firm has completed hundreds of engagements for numerous client companies in 32 states and 10 countries.

McAulay Smith Successfully Recruits EVP & Chief External Relations Executive

Knoxville, TN – February 3, 2020 – McAulay Smith successfully recruited Jeannette Mills from her role as SVP of Safety, Health, Environmental and Assurance for U.S. Region at National Grid Group to be the new Executive Vice President & Chief External Relations Officer.  

Please continue reading the Press Release published by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) below for further details:

Publication Date: January 13, 2020

KNOXVILLE ― The Tennessee Valley Authority has named Jeannette Mills its newest Executive Vice President and Chief External Relations Officer, effective Feb. 3.

In her role, she will lead TVA’s efforts to further strengthen its relationships with local power companies, elected officials, community leaders, economic development agencies and other stakeholders in TVA’s seven-state service area.

“Jeannette brings more than 30 years of energy and utility experience to TVA, both from a customer-focused and regulatory perspective,” said Jeff Lyash, TVA President and Chief Executive Officer. “She has a passion for high-quality customer service and a solid track record for driving economic development.”

Most recently, Mills served as the Senior Vice President of Safety, Health, Environmental and Assurance for the U.S. region at National Grid Group, the United Kingdom’s largest investor-owned utility. Previously, she had served as a Commissioner on the Maryland Public Service Commission, providing regulatory oversight of gas, electric, telephone, water, sewage disposal, and transportation companies.

Mills spent 25 years of her career at Baltimore Gas and Electric, starting as an associate engineer and steadily progressing through positions of increasing responsibility to ultimately serve as Vice President, Customer Operations and Chief Customer Officer.

She holds a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University.

To read the Press Release in its entirety, go to:

https://www.tva.gov/Newsroom/Press-Releases/Jeannette-Mills-Named-TVA-Chief-External-Relations-Officer

Steve Smith managed the search.

The McAulay Smith Firm is a performance-based retained executive search firm that partners with clients to recruit for mid- and senior-level executive and management positions.  Established in 1995, The McAulay Smith Firm has completed hundreds of engagements for numerous client companies in 32 states and 10 countries.

McAulay Smith Recruits Vice President of Governmental Affairs for Duke Energy

RALEIGH, NC, January 27, 2020 - McAulay Smith successfully recruited Kevin McLaughlin from his role as Policy Director for the U.S. Government and Education practice at SAS Institute to be the new Vice President of Governmental Affairs at Duke Energy, with responsibility of managing state government strategy and relationships in N.C.

McLaughlin brings 26+ years of experience from serving in prior roles such as Deputy of Staff to the Governor of N.C., Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for the Department of Administration and litigation attorney and partner at the Van Winkle Law Firm.

McLaughlin earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina and a J.D. from Wake Forest University.

Steve Smith managed the search.

The McAulay Smith Firm is a performance-based retained executive search firm that partners with clients to recruit for mid- and senior-level executive and management positions.  Established in 1995, The McAulay Smith Firm has completed hundreds of engagements for numerous client companies in 32 states and 10 countries.