Chattanooga, TN, EPB’s directors have finished a job they started back in February.
In an Aug. 19 meeting, Chattanooga EPB’s Board of Directors named David Wade the utility’s CEO. Six months earlier, EPB’s directors had named Wade president.
So designated, Wade took over Sept. 1 for the retired Harold DePriest. The three-time TVPPA chairman, who served as Chattanooga EPB’s CEO for 20 years, announced his retirement plans in late July.
“David is a visionary leader with a deep understanding of technology,” said EPB Chairman Joe Ferguson. “He is uniquely qualified to build on EPB’s record of success.”
Wade earned an undergraduate degree in Engineering from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He began his career at EPB in 1983 as a line helper and quickly developed his leadership skills and hands-on knowledge of the city’s electric system.
Wade has served as senior manager and vice president of the EPB’s electric system as well as executive vice president and chief operating officer. He led the design and deployment of Chattanooga’s 100-percent fiber optic network.
“I’m honored to lead a team that is committed to serving our community and working with our partners to improve quality of life and promote economic development for the people in our service area,” Wade said. “My goal is to continue the EPB culture of customer service established under Harold’s leadership while challenging the EPB team to continuously find new ways to maximize the community benefit from our cutting-edge fiber optic and electrical infrastructure.”
A Perry Co., TN, native, DePriest served three one-year terms (2003-04, 2011-12, 2012-13) as TVPPA chairman. He won TVPPA’s highest individual honor, the Richard C. Crawford Distinguished Service Award, in 2011, the same year he was elected to his second term as chairman.
“Harold’s support and leadership of TVPPA and its efforts have been invaluable in our work to influence TVA, Congress and the TVPPA membership at large,” said TVPPA President/CEO Jack Simmons.
“Under Harold’s leadership, EPB has set a high bar of performance as a public-power provider of traditional products and services, and led the way with innovation and excellence in the evolving non-traditional services market for electric systems,” Simmons said.
DePriest earned his undergraduate degree in engineering at Tennessee Technological University. He started at EPB in 1971, signing on as a junior engineer, and later earned an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In 1996, he succeeded Ken Baxter as EPB’s chief executive.
“I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to grow and work with the best team in the utility business and a visionary board of directors that encourages us to be an outstanding organization,” DePriest said.