Russ Steward Appointed Vice President of TVA Supply Chain

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Jun 09, 2010, 05:23 ET

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., June 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Tennessee Valley Authority has named Russ Steward, a procurement executive at American Electric Power Co. Inc., as TVA's new vice president of Supply Chain.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100304/TVALOGO)

Steward, a contract administrator for major projects at Columbus, Ohio-based AEP, will oversee identification, acquisition and distribution of goods and information through TVA's complete supply chain system.

He succeeds Terrell Burkhart, who is retiring with 34 years of TVA service.

Steward will report to TVA on June 21 and will be based in Chattanooga.

"Russ is a seasoned utility procurement executive who is highly qualified to lead our supply chain function," Treasurer John Hoskins said. "He has demonstrated strong leadership during his career, including the development of a variety of key sourcing strategies."

Steward also served as AEP's procurement director, responsible for managing more than $3 billion in purchases for 11 AEP operating companies. He managed procurement for generation, transmission, distribution and enterprise requirements, including material, equipment and related services. He also facilitated strategic sourcing profiles for major commodities within AEP.

In addition, Steward serves as first vice chairman of the Utility Purchasing Management Group, an 86-year-old industry organization that shares emerging practices to improve supply chain management.

The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for utility and business customers in most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia – an area of 80,000 square miles with a population of 9 million. TVA operates 29 hydroelectric dams, 11 coal-fired power plants, three nuclear plants and 11 natural gas-fired power facilities and supplies up to 36,000 megawatts of electricity, delivered over 16,000 miles of high-voltage power lines. TVA also provides flood control, navigation, land management and recreation for the Tennessee River system and works with local utilities and state and local governments to promote economic development across the region. TVA, which makes no profits and receives no taxpayer money, is funded by sales of electricity to its customers. Electricity prices in TVA's service territory are below the national average.

SOURCE Tennessee Valley Authority