Trump's makes his last marks on TVA board

Noland sworn in while Harwell prepares to take oath; Cook's nomination resubmitted for consideration

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd/ The Tennessee Valley Authority logo adorns offices in downtown Chattanooga on May 7, 2019.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd/ The Tennessee Valley Authority logo adorns offices in downtown Chattanooga on May 7, 2019.

President Trump renominated Charles W. Cook, Jr., of Mississippi, on Sunday to serve on the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors after the 116th Congress adjourned last week without acting upon the president's recommendation for the TVA appointment.

Cook, the CEO of Cook Consulting, LLC, in Mississippi who has more than 30 years of experience in telecommunications networks and business, had his confirmation hearing before a Senate subcommittee on Dec. 9th. But Cook's nomination was never acted upon by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee before Congress adjourned at the end of the year. Trump resubmitted Cook and 29 other nominees on Sunday to the new Congress which convened over the weekend.

If confirmed, Cook would fill the seat of the TVA board previously held by former Oxford, Mississipi, Mayor Richard Howorth, who also served as chairman and vice chairman of the TVA board. In August, Trump removed Howorth and the then chairman of the board, James "Skip" Thompson, from the TVA board for outsourcing TVA information technology jobs and raising the pay of TVA's CEO contrary to what Trump wanted.

President-elect Joe Biden will begin appointing directors to the TVA board after he takes office on Jan. 20. There are still two vacancies on the nine-member board, but Cook could still fill one of those as the last of the Trump appointees to the agency, if the Senate confirms his appointment.

Last month, the Senate confirmed two other new Trump nominees to the TVA board - East Tennessee State University President Brian Noland and former Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell. Noland was sworn into his new job last Thursday and Harwell is expected to take her oath to join the TVA board sometime this week.

- Compiled by Dave Flessner

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