Board of Directors


Bobby Garner - (Chairman)

Sr Engineering Project Manager

Piedmont Natural Gas

Bobby has been employed at Piedmont Natural Gas since 1987.  Currently, he works in the major projects group and has worked in the marketingengineering,construction and field customer service departments.  He is a graduate of Tennessee Technological University with a BS in mechanical engineering, is a registered professional engineer in Tennessee and is a certified Project Management Professional.  He is a member of several organizations and previously served as chairman of the Nashville Area Utility Caucus and TN811 Damage Prevention Committee.  Bobby has served as a board member since 2004.

 

Edward Kelley - (Vice Chairman)

Vice President of Operations and Customer Service and Company Operating Officer

Middle Tennessee Natural Gas

Ed Kelley has been with Middle TN Natural Gas for over seven years and is responsible for all construction, maintenance and service.  Middle Tennessee Natural Gas serves 55,000 customers in 20 counties and has over 3,000 miles of underground mainline piping the Middle TN area.  Ed attended the University of Tennessee and completed the Executive Development Program.  He has served on numerous state and national committees including the Tennessee Gas Association and American Public Gas Association.  Ed has been a board member since 1990.

 

Jeff Brake - (Treasurer)

Charter Cable

No Data at this time.

 

Frank Travis

Vice President - T & D Operations

Nashville Electric Service

Frank has been with NES for over 35 years and is responsible for transmission and distribution operations, which include construction, maintenance and service work for all overhead facilities.  This also includes responsibility for vegetation management activities. NES serves over 370,000 customers and is the 12th largest public electric utility in the nation.

 

Dan Canter - (Accountant)

CPA

Daniel Canter, CPA Inc.

Dan Canter is a Certified Public Accountant and currently has two offices, one in Tennessee and one in Ohio.  Dan is responsible for all phase of practice management, audit planning, fieldwork and supervision.  He graduated from Youngstown State University with a BS in Business Administration, is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants & serves as consultant for 6 One Call Centers and has been the accountant for over 10 years for TN811.

 

Craig Jensen

Sr. Environmental Health & Safety Manager

AT&T

Craig Jensen currently serves at the Sr. Environmental Health & Safety Manager, Damage Prevention for AT&T.  Craig’s current responsibilities include the oversight and protection of AT&T’s network infrastructure for the states of Tennessee and Louisiana. Craig started his career with AT&T as a Network Technician and over the past 15 years he has held various positions within AT&T in Michigan, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Tennessee.  These positions include Network Service Manager for Western Kentucky and most recently, Occupation Safety Manager for the States of Wisconsin and Illinois. Craig currently sits on various boards and committees representing TN811 and LA811 in their damage prevention efforts.

 

Monte Cooper

Vice - President of Operations

Jackson Energy Authority

Monte Cooper has worked with Jackson Energy Authority for 16 years. He is the Vice President of Operations and oversees System Operations, the Metering Department, Building & Grounds, Water and Wastewater Maintenance and Operations, and Electrical Substation Maintenance. Jackson Energy Authority is a supplier of Electricity, Gas, Water, Wastewater, and Broadband services to Jackson-Madison County and parts of surrounding counties. Monte graduated from the University of Tennessee with a BS in Electrical Engineering and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Tennessee. He received a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee at Martin. Monte is a member of various utility and professional organizations and has been a member of the TN811 Board since 2011.

 

James Robbins - (Secretary)

Operations Supervisor

Atmos Energy

James has over 38 years in the Natural Gas & Construction Industry with 28 of those years with Atmos Energy Corporation.

Relocating to Murfreesboro from Kentucky in 2006, James is responsible for all aspects of the Murfreesboro Operation

Meter Reading, Service, Construction, Compliance, Customer Service and Public Relations.

The Murfreesboro Operation including Nolensville and Southeast Brentwood is Atmos Energy's largest operation in TN. with over 32,400 customers.

 

Donnie Coward

Damage Prevention Supervisor

Kinder -Morgan

Donnie Coward has responsibilities in damage prevention, public awareness, and one-call representation as the Damage Prevention Supervisor for Kinder-Morgan, Inc. His coverage area includes northern Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, southeast Arkansas, and southern Kentucky. He has worked in the pipeline industry since 1989 for Kinder-Morgan (formerly El Paso Corporation) and its subsidiaries. Donnie is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He is also certified with the State of Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners as Engineer Intern with a career history of seven years in pipeline construction engineering, and fifteen years in DOT compliance services.

 

Donald Mingus

President / Owner

Team Construction L.L.C.

Donnie Mingus is the owner of Team Construction which is an underground utility contractor that specializes in gas utilities which include renewal, relocation, new main and service installations of those utilities.  Donnie started the company in January 2002 and currently has 62 employees that serve Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.  He has over 24 years in the gas industry and is a member of the Tennessee Gas Association. He also serves as a board advisory individual on the TN811 board.

 

Dewey Branstetter

Attorney

Sherrard,  Roe,  Voigt & Harbison

Dewey Branstetter announced he will join the firm as a partner.  Dewey is a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School.  He has represented Tennessee 811 since it converted from a vender-run organization, and represents numerous utilities across Tennessee.  Dewey has served as counsel to a number of non-profit entities as well as serving as a board member on numerous non-profit boards.

 

 Reggie Bowlin 

Manager-Electric Const. & Maint.

 Memphis Light, Gas & Water

Reggie currently serves as Manager - Electric Construction and Maintenance for Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW). His present responsibilities include oversight of MLGW’s electric transmission, distribution, and network construction/maintenance; troubleshooting and system restoration; facilities location; and contracted tree trimming.  A 19- year veteran, he has served MLGW in such capacities as Assistant Manager - Customer Service & Field Operations, Assistant Manager – Work Center, Supervisor - Customer Engineering, and Electric Lead Planning Engineer. He is graduate of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with a B.S.E.E. and of the University of Memphis with an MBA concentration in finance. He is also a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Tennessee. He has successfully completed the MLGW Managerial Executive Development Program.

 

Don Scholes
General Counsel
Tennessee Assoc. of Utility Districts
  Before coming to TAUD in 2017, Don was a partner in the firm of Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, PLLC, where he practiced utility law for 30 years.  Before joining that firm, he was Assistant General Counsel of the Tennessee Public Service Commission (now Tennessee Public Utility Commission).  Don has represented utility districts and municipal and county utilities across the state of Tennessee for many years.  He has been a frequent presenter at TAUD seminars and conferences, and has written numerous articles over the years on legal issues affecting utilities.

 

Paul Randolph, P.E.

Vice President

Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB)

Paul Randolph has been with KUB for over 35 years & is currently a Vice President.  He is responsible for all aspects of construction and maintenance of the gas, water & wastewater systems along with the safe, reliable & efficent operations of all KUB water & wastewater plants serving over 250,000 customers in & around Knoxville, TN. Paul graduated from the University of Tennessee with a BS in Civil Engineering & is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Tennessee. Hs is a member of various utility & professional organizations & has been a member of the Tennessee 811 board since 1995.