My father vividly remembers being among the thousands present at Tupelo's Robin's Field in 1934 when President Franklin Roosevelt ceremoniously turned the switch illuminating the first electric light in the first city in the region to contract with TVA for its power supply. The TVA family prioritizes not only its internal relationships with employees and distributors, but also its external relationships with customers and Congress itself. I understand TVA's valuing personal relationships. My faith in God is the anchor of my life. I treasure my friendships.
Strong relationships require faith and support to thrive.
I believe in the wisdom and feasibility of the TVA Act. If confirmed, I pledge to honor its principles of environmental stewardship, power generation, and development to serve the public interest. I respect TVA's relationships with you and your colleagues, and I will seek to fortify those relationships by listening to you and learning from you. The core of TVA is public service. As Mayor of Tupelo and a member of the Appalachian Regional Commission, I have learned how TVA's development projects have improved our region so that people, through their own initiative and industry, can attain a better quality of life.