TVA Honors Engineer of the Year

ATHENS, Ala., Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Randal Petty, a senior project manager in the Tennessee Valley Authority's Power System Operations' Electric System Projects group, has been honored as TVA's Ike Zeringue Engineer of the Year.

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The award, presented to Petty at the TVA board of directors meeting on Nov. 4, 2010, is named for TVA's retired President and Chief Operating Officer Ike Zeringue and is the highest honor given to a TVA engineer.

Petty, a TVA employee for 12 years, was selected by the TVA Engineering Peer Team Selection Committee. The panel's decision was based on Petty's engineering achievements, training, continuing education, professional and technical engineering activities, awards and honors, and his involvement in civic and humanitarian activities.

He was nominated for directing the design and construction of a transmission-infrastructure project that included a new 500-kilovolt substation, the expansion of an existing substation and the construction of more than 60 miles of 500-kilovolt and 161-kilovolt transmission lines. The project presented unique engineering challenges and incorporated environmentally friendly concepts, saving TVA about $15 million.

Petty, a resident of Ooltewah, Tenn., holds bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering from Tennessee Technological University. He also has a master's degree in business administration from Colorado State University. In July, he completed the Leadership and Management for Accelerated Performance program at Vanderbilt University.

He is a certified professional engineer in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, belongs to several honor and professional societies, and is an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America.

As the recipient of the TVA Engineer of the Year award, Petty is eligible for the national Federal Engineer of the Year award, which will be selected and announced in February 2011.

The other finalists for TVA's Ike Zeringue Engineer of the Year were: David Baker, Information Technology; Michael Browman, Environment & Technology; Kent Brown, Nuclear Power Group; James Kilgore, Fossil Power Group; Justin Kuhlers, Customer Relations; Roger Milstead, River Operations, and Roberto Sanchez, Fossil Generation, Development & Construction.

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 33,700 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.

Note: Photos of Randy Petty are available on TVA's website at www.tva.com/news.

SOURCE Tennessee Valley Authority