McAulay Smith Successfully Recruits Chief Operating Officer

Knoxville, TN – May 21, 2021 – McAulay Smith successfully recruited Don Moul from NextEra to be Chief Operating Officer.

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

Publication Date: June 1, 2021

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ― The Tennessee Valley Authority announced Tuesday that it named Don Moul its newest executive vice president and chief operating officer. Moul will join TVA in late June, assuming his leadership position from Mike Skaggs, who announced his plans to retire in January 2022.

In his role, Moul will lead key areas of TVA’s business, including: Safety; Transmission and Power Supply; Coal, Gas, and Hydro Generation; Integrated River System Management; Natural Resources; Environment; Supply Chain; Major Projects; Facilities Management; TVA Police and Emergency Management; and Enterprise Improvement.

“Don brings nearly 35 years of experience across all facets of power generation and operations with a proven track record of improving operational performance and teamwork,” said Jeff Lyash, TVA president and chief executive officer. “His background, skill sets and leadership approach will be a great addition to our team.”

As Moul and Skaggs transition chief operating officer duties, Skaggs will serve as executive vice president and advisor to the CEO until his retirement from TVA in January 2022.

“Under Mike’s leadership, TVA’s Operations performance has been very strong and continues to improve through a disciplined approach to asset planning and operational execution,” said Lyash. “Through his strong character, dedication and integrity, Mike has built a legacy that will endure for years to come.

“Mike has helped make TVA a leader in our industry, and Don is well-prepared to continue that leadership into the future.”

Most recently, Moul has served as executive vice president and chief nuclear officer at NextEra Energy. From 2004 to 2019, he served in a variety of leadership roles at FirstEnergy Corporation, including leading the nuclear and fossil generation, transmission and distribution, commodity operations and environmental compliance functions.

At FirstEnergy, Moul led the company’s nuclear fleet as president and chief nuclear officer, served as president, FirstEnergy Generation, and served as vice president, Commodity Operations, focused on power production and retail supply in the

PJM Markets. He also served as president of Ohio Edison and Penn Power – two of FirstEnergy’s operating companies.

Moul holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering from Penn State and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame.

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

https://www.tva.com/newsroom/press-releases/don-moul-named-tva-chief-operating-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 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 Vice President, Federal Affairs

Washington, D.C. – May 31, 2021 – McAulay Smith successfully recruited Jessica Hogle from PG&E Corporation to become the Vice President, Federal Affairs.  

 Please see the Press Release published by TVA below for further details:

 Jessica Hogle has been named as the vice president of TVA Federal Affairs to lead efforts to inform and engage D.C. stakeholders.

June 22, 2021 – Jessica Hogle was named today the vice president of TVA Federal Affairs. Hogle brings significant experience developing and implementing strategies to advance national energy and economic policies. In her role as vice president, she will build and deepen relations with federal stakeholders, NGOs, trade associations and advocacy organizations. She will be based in Washington, D.C.

“Our federal stakeholders are critical to ensuring TVA’s continued ability to execute our mission of service for the communities and people of this region,” said Jeannette Mills, TVA executive vice president and chief external relations officer. “We’re thrilled to have Jessica on our team to lead efforts to keep our Washington, D.C. colleagues informed and engaged with the Tennessee Valley.”

TVA’s focus on federal affairs aims to educate and inform, build champions for public power, enhance transparency, and demonstrate TVA’s industry leadership.

Hogle comes to TVA from PG&E Corporation, where she served as Vice President of Federal Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer. In this dual role overseeing both federal government relations and corporate sustainability, she was responsible for building relationships at the national level with NGOs, trade associations, advocacy organizations, and other key stakeholders, and integrating sustainability into the company’s business strategy. PG&E Corporation is the parent company of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California.

“It’s an honor to join a mission-driven organization with such a strong culture of service,” Hogle said. “TVA has both a rich legacy of improving life for the people it serves and a clear path ahead to continue bringing prosperity to the Tennessee Valley. I’m excited to be part of it.”

Hogle has held several other roles of national significance, including as Director of Political and Legislative Affairs for the Portland Cement Association. She also serves on several boards of directors, including Future Forum Foundation, Women’s Energy Resource Council, and Running Start, an organization dedicated to encouraging more young women to pursue political office. Hogle has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the South in Sewanee, TN.

As a part of TVA’s External Relations Team, Hogle will work alongside TVA’s regional vice presidents, which include Justin Maierhofer (North region), Jared Mitchem (South region), Carol Eimers (East region), and Mark Yates (West region), as they focus on district, state, and local government relations.

One of TVA’s long-term strategic priorities is strengthening the powerful partnerships that are critical to helping our region grow. TVA’s External Relations organization has developed a new long-term vision to build on our relationships with all of our key stakeholder groups to play a more active role in local communities and support TVA’s mission to make life better for the people we serve.

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

https://www.tva.com/newsroom/articles/jessica-hogle-named-tva-vice-president-federal-affairs

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 Director - Nuclear Training

NEWPORT, MI - April 19, 2021 - McAulay Smith successfully recruited Justin Angel from his role at Entergy as Training Lead to be the new Director, Nuclear Training at DTE Electric Company.

Angel brings nearly 9 years of experience in the nuclear utility industry from progressive training roles such as Senior Operations Training Instructor, Special Assignment Assessor and Fleet Operations Training Manager at Duke Energy and Training Lead at Entergy.  Additionally, Angel has earned a B.A.Sc., Finance from Mount Mercy College and an MBA from North Carolina State University Poole College of Management.

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 Director of Human Resources

TEMPLE, TX – March 1, 2021 – Leahna Wenger joins Texas Hydraulics, Inc. (THI), a preferred global provider of engineered hydraulic solutions, as Director of HR with responsibility for the Human Resources function enterprise-wide.  THI is headquartered in Temple, TX and currently has over 400 employees.

Wenger is an accomplished HR Professional with over 15 years of progressive Human Resource experience within the manufacturing industry. Her most recent role was Director of Human Resources for MooreCo., Inc., a private equity owned furniture manufacturing company.

Wenger earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Organizational Leadership from Texas A&M University and has her PHR certification.

Steve Smith managed this 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 Successfully Recruits Senior Vice President, Nuclear Engineering Ops & Support Executive

Chattanooga, TN – December 21, 2020 – McAulay Smith successfully recruited Bob Duncan to be the new Senior Vice President, Nuclear Engineering Operations & Support for a $10B electric utility company.

Bob is an accomplished leader in the nuclear industry having served as Senior Vice President of Nuclear Operations for Duke Energy as well as Vice President of Plant Operations and Emergency Management at INPO (Institute of Nuclear Power Operations).  He received his B.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering from University of Florida and an MBA from University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. 

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 Recruits New Chief Operating Officer

Charlotte, NC – September 21, 2020 – McAulay Smith successfully recruited Jeff Richardson from Ontario Power Generation, where he was the Senior Vice President of Nuclear Projects, to be the Chief Operating Officer at EnergySolutions.

Please find the Press Release published by EnergySolutions below for further details:

Publication Date: August, 2020

EnergySolutions Hires Industry Leader as COO

Salt Lake City, UT – August 3, 2020 – EnergySolutions announced today the company has hired Jeff Richardson as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and will start September 21, 2020.  Jeff joins EnergySolutions after serving as SVP of Nuclear Projects for Ontario Power Generation (OPG) in Canada responsible for OPG’s $12.8 billion nuclear megaproject.

Jeff has more than 25 years of nuclear industry experience, having started with Entergy Operations, Incorporated and later moving into Entergy Nuclear, Incorporated where he was responsible for developing, leading and managing complex, multidiscipline projects, teams and initiatives including construction megaprojects.

“I am very pleased Jeff has agreed to join the EnergySolutions team,” stated Ken Robuck, President and CEO of EnergySolutions.  “With Jeff’s industry knowledge and network, combined with his unique drive and focus on safety, he’ll make an excellent addition to the team. His critical thinking, strategic planning, customer focus, and organizational agility position him uniquely to do an outstanding job leading the Company’s growth initiatives moving forward.”

“This is a tremendous opportunity for me and I am excited about the future with EnergySolutions,” stated Jeff Richardson.  “EnergySolutions’ longstanding reputation as the industry leader in both nuclear power plant decommissioning and nuclear waste management make this an especially humbling and exciting transition. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to serve as COO for a company that places its employees, operational excellence, and safety as its top priorities,” added Richardson.

Jeff will be responsible for companywide strategic initiatives and execution for both the D&D and Waste Management divisions.  He will report directly to President and CEO Ken Robuck and will work out of the EnergySolutions Charlotte, North Carolina office. 

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 Director of Human Resources

LENOIR, NC – August 3, 2020 – Lori Thrower joins Fairfield Chair Company, a major U.S. manufacturer of fine upholstered seating for the home, office and hospitality industries, with distribution throughout the U.S. and internationally.

McAulay Smith recruited Thrower from Avadim Health, Inc., where she served as Human Resource Director.  She brings over 19 years of Human Resources experience.

Thrower earned a B.S in Organizational Management and Leadership from Friends University in Wichita, KS.

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 (Nuclear) Operations Director

BIRMINGHAM, AL, June 29, 2020 – McAulay Smith successfully recruited Matt Busch from Exelon, where he was the Maintenance Director for Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station to be the new (Nuclear) Operations Director for Plant Hatch in Baxley, GA.

Busch brings over 25 years of nuclear plant/nuclear facility Operations, Engineering and Maintenance experience.  Busch has a Senior Reactor Operation License, an MBA from Washington State University and a B.S., Electrical Engineering degree from the U.S. Naval Academy.  He served 8 active years in the U.S. Navy and continued to serve an additional 16 years as a Reservist.

Steve Smith managed the search.  This is the 10th 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.