Southwest Power Pool President and CEO Barbara Sugg announces retirement after 35 years of service
Southwest Power Pool President and CEO Barbara Sugg announces retirement after 35 years of service
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) President and CEO Barbara Sugg announced on August 8 that she will retire in April 2025 following 35 years of service to the organization. SPP’s board of directors has engaged search firm Heidrick & Struggles to assess internal and external candidates to identify Sugg’s replacement. The board will name a new CEO prior to Sugg’s departure, allowing ample time for a smooth, effective transition.
Sugg joined SPP in 1997 and was appointed President and CEO in April 2020. Her career has spanned every level of leadership, including roles as SPP’s Senior Vice President of IT and Chief Security Officer in which she led complex and strategic technology initiatives while protecting the organization from cyber risk. Under her guidance, SPP has earned designations as one of the best places to work in Arkansas in 2021, 2022 and 2023; significantly expanded its service offerings and territory into new parts of the country; and garnered consistently high stakeholder satisfaction ratings. These accomplishments all came as the organization also successfully navigated historic challenges that include the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting changes to workplace norms, extreme weather events that threatened regional electric reliability to a degree previously unseen, and growth in the demand for electricity that coincides with numerous challenges to resource adequacy.
“Barbara’s dedication, passion and support of SPP’s mission and people have been evident throughout her tenure,” said SPP board chair John Cupparo. “Her impact as a CEO will be felt for years to come, and the board joins SPP’s stakeholders in thanking her for the high standard of leadership she’s set. We offer our assurance that in selecting Barbara’s successor, we’ll be looking for someone equipped to continue SPP’s work toward the goals identified in our Aspire strategic plan and who is committed to fostering the traits of our organization that our stakeholders value the most, most notably our governance process grounded in transparent and robust stakeholder engagement.”
“It’s been an exciting and rewarding time to be part of the electric utility industry,” said Sugg, “and it’s an honor to have played a part in SPP’s growth along the way. Working with our dedicated staff and diverse stakeholders, we’ve accomplished a lot together throughout my career, and there’s still much to do. I look forward to the next chapter in my own life, but for now I remain energized, committed and focused on ensuring SPP’s success and partnering closely with my replacement to ensure she or he is prepared to take the reins.”
Sugg’s announcement comes as SPP moves forward with a comprehensive plan to address resource adequacy challenges across its 14-state footprint, awaits responses from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regarding RTO expansion and Markets+ tariff filings, is in the process of implementing significant enhancements to its consolidated transmission planning processes, and continues work with neighboring systems to optimize seams in the interest of reliability and affordability. In October, the organization will celebrate its twentieth anniversary as a regional transmission organization (RTO).