John L. RyderNearly a year after first nominating John Ryder to the Tennessee Valley Authority board, President Trump is renominating the Memphis attorney for the 9-member TVA board after the 115th Congress failed last year to confirm Ryder’s appointment.
Ryder, a former chief counsel to the Republican National Committee from 2013 to 2017, was among nearly 200 nominations for different federal agencies Trump sent to Congress Thursday. Many of the nominations were for those previously nominated but never acted on last year because of partisan squabbles and the year-end partial government shutdown.
If confirmed, Ryder would serve for the next two and half years for the seat previously held by Michael McWherter, the former Democratic gubernatorial candidate and son of former Gov. Ned McWherter.
Trump has named four of the current seven members on the TVA board. One other position is vacant, but Trump has yet to nominate anyone for the TVA post.
TVA’s part-time directors are paid $51,005 a year and oversee the operations of the federal utility. The board meets for public sessions four times a year and the board is currently searching for a successor to CEO Bill Johnson, who announced last year he is retiring as head of TVA once his successor is picked.