Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Report

From our CDIO

Working toward a just future starts with looking in the mirror

As the mother of two teenagers, I want my children to grow up in a just world – a world where every human being is valued for who they are. Unfortunately, that’s not the world we live in today. It should be. It can be. But all of us need to do our part to make it so.

I am proud to work at TVA, which takes a stand on issues that matter and encourages employees to work together to advance diversity and inclusion in our workplace.

Sometimes the work can be messy. It takes courage, tough skin and the willingness to have hard conversations. It takes a commitment to making sure everyone has a seat at the table.

I often say, “Inclusion is a journey, not a destination.”

This past year, we’ve marked some milestones. We’ve increased the visibility of Inclusion with Diversity (IwD) internally and externally – from training every leader at TVA on IwD topics to supporting new community programs that give hope to our neighbors in need.

We’ve taken intentional steps to strengthen the diversity of our talent pipeline, including identifying new recruitment strategies. And I am personally excited about a new agreement we signed with TVA and the Trades and Labor Council for Annual Employees that widens the hiring pool by ensuring external diverse candidates are considered alongside union referrals for externally posted Trades and Labor jobs.

We are making progress, but there is so much more to be done. It starts with looking in the mirror and being honest about what we see. It requires us to continue asking the tough questions, having the challenging conversations – within our organization and outside as well.

For me personally, I will not be an ally on the sidelines. I will live my values by fighting to ensure that the structures are in place, the conversations are being had, and the work is being done that makes TVA a more diverse, inclusive employer. Collectively, we will also do the same for the communities we serve.

We are stronger together than we are as individuals. And we are stronger in our diversity than we are in our sameness.

Working together, we can ensure that future generations inherit a world where diversity is sought, valued and celebrated as the asset it truly is.

Megan Flynn TVA Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Vice President, Talent & Culture

Megan Flynn and Jeff Lyash, President & CEO, strive to make TVA a more inclusive employer.

Megan Flynn, TVA Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, is shown here with her daughters.

Stronger together

TVA was built for ALL the people

Shaping an organization’s culture requires intent. And commitment.

For TVA, building a more diverse, inclusive work environment has become a way of being, an imperative that starts with leadership and cascades through the organization – while at the same time empowering employees to play a critical role in the change.

“TVA was built for the people … ALL the people,” said Angela Sims, director of Diversity & Inclusion. “We want every employee to feel respected and valued for who they are, and we want our customers and the people we serve to feel the same way.”

Creating that environment takes focus and planning – work that over the past several years has included:

• Establishing a formal Diversity & Inclusion structure

• Forming Inclusion with Diversity (IwD) Councils at executive and business unit levels

• Heightening the role of Employee Resource Groups, which support diverse populations and all employees

• Increasing the visibility of IwD through communications and at meetings

• O ffering leadership training on IwD topics

• Setting goals and capturing metrics to measure progress

• Ensuring that the individual needs of our workforce are met and benefits are accessible

In 2022, TVA identified equity and accessibility as a fourth focus area, building upon the original focus areas of sustaining diversity as an imperative, continuing to shape an inclusive work environment and advancing IwD in our communities.

“Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) is an integral part of how we do business,” said Tequilla Hurt, senior manager of Diversity & Inclusion. “We have incorporated it into our business decisions across the enterprise, and the journey will continue for many years to come.”

TVA has made strides over the past year. Significantly, TVA established representation goals aimed at increasing the number of women and people of color in leadership to match the available workforce by 2033. While TVA has identified the number of women and people of color in leadership as the largest known gaps, it plans to look for additional gaps and increase leadership numbers in other diverse segments of the workforce as well.

It incorporated performance goals focused on both inclusion and diversity for every leader and non-represented employee. And TVA reached an agreement with the Labor Council for Annual Employees that will further strengthen the ability of both TVA and its union partners to deliver a pipeline of diverse Trades and Labor talent.

To ensure transparency and strengthen accountability, TVA hired a third-party firm to conduct an independent equity review to assess inclusiveness and identify biases, and has begun addressing identified gaps. TVA also increased

the depth of its dashboard, which is available to employees and measures IwD core metrics.

To drive progress across TVA, leaders from each strategic business unit have been trained to deliver IwD content and will host forums that cover a wide range of DEIA topics for all managers. Sustainable culture change happens at the local level; it can’t be driven solely from the corporate level. That’s why TVA’s strategic business units have been given freedom within the structured IwD framework to include topics and have discussions relevant to their businesses. The forums will include powerful presentations from leaders on the importance of working in a diverse, inclusive environment.

Greg Henrich, vice president of Transmission Operations & Power Supply, chairs the Chief Operating Officer IwD Council. The IwD Council structure across TVA enables the councils to work together on issues while also addressing the unique needs of their strategic business units.

“This work across TVA provides diversity of perspective and diversity of experience, which enables us to solve business challenges more creatively and innovatively and to function at higher levels of efficiency,” Henrich said. “We are stronger for having people from diverse backgrounds working together to make life better for the people of this region.”

“At TVA, we are powered by our people. We call it our People Advantage. Building an inclusive workplace and diverse workforce today is the only way we’ll be able to meet the energy, environmental and economic challenges of tomorrow.”

Sue Collins

Executive Vice President and Chief People & Communications Officer

Angela Sims

TVA Director of Diversity & Inclusion

Tequilla Hurt

TVA Senior Manager of Diversity & Inclusion

Creating a diverse and inclusive work environment requires a comprehensive approach – one that stretches from enterprise leadership to the newest employee to retirees volunteering at TVA visitor centers. At TVA, we have a strategic framework in place, and we continue to seek innovative ways to

Leading the way

The Inclusion with Diversity (IwD) Council is comprised of executives from each strategic business unit. The Council’s co-leads — Allen Clare, vice president of River and Resources Stewardship, and Aaron Melda, senior vice president of Transmission and Power Supply – share their thoughts on the significance of building a culture that values inclusion with diversity.

What are TVA’s top IwD objectives?

CLARE: We are working to build a culture where everyone feels valued, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual preference or other differences. Ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to reach their maximum potential allows TVA to achieve its mission of making life better for all the people of the region. Also, as a public power company, it is important that our workforce and leadership team reflect the people and communities we serve.

MELDA: As a federal agency with a mission of service, diversity in the traditional sense and diversity of thought are consequential to our mission. Harmony is not the goal; creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable being candid and expressing diverse viewpoints is our goal. That’s where solutions and successes lie.

What does it take to be an IwD leader?

CLARE: Effective leaders in this space need to have the courage to challenge, professionally and emphatically, what has been less than desirable traction in the area of diversity. No matter who leads the effort, there are certain qualities that are important, the most significant being willingness to learn more and engage on the subject. We all need to be comfortable voicing opinions and have the courage to have difficult conversations in a civil way.

MELDA: Effective leaders connect well with people, are willing to be vulnerable and have the courage to step into difficult conversations for the greater good. As individuals and as an organization, we need to stand up to injustice. As an organization, we have taken a stand on external events when people have been targeted for their background. By speaking up, TVA can set a leadership tone for others to follow.

strengthen Inclusion with Diversity in our workforce, supply chain and the communities we serve.

“Ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to reach their maximum potential allows TVA to achieve its mission of making life better for all the people of the region.”

Allen Clare, Vice President of River and Resource Stewardship

Aaron Melda Senior Vice President of Transmission and Power Supply

What are TVA’s 10-year representation goals and why are they important?

CLARE: TVA has set enterprise diversity goals that will align our leadership representation for women and people of color to the diversity of the available qualified workforce by 2033. These goals are important because you can’t manage what you can’t measure. Just as our engineers, scientists and technicians measure and track their work to address technical and business challenges, we also have to measure and track our long-term progress in IwD. That is why we have set the 10-year goals, and it will take work and everyone leaning in to make this goal a reality.

MELDA: It is important with any work to set a goal. We will always hire the best talent and the strongest candidates. We are simply broadening our selection pool.

How does TVA benefit from IwD?

CLARE: Bringing in new perspectives is helpful, because sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know. Diversity and the fresh perspectives that come with diversity help us question the status quo and how things have always been done. It prompts us to think differently, which brings new, innovative ideas to the business and ultimately helps us be more successful in meeting the challenges of the industry.

MELDA: The power of diversity was on full display during the arctic storm that came through in December 2022. We put a team with diverse backgrounds together and empowered them to find solutions. Thanks to the diversity of the team – their capabilities, their skills, their backgrounds and what they brought to the table – they were able to find solutions.

10-Year Enterprise Diversity Goals

‘Critical to our mission’

TVA expands recruiting efforts to attract diverse candidates

As an undergraduate student at Alabama A&M University, Kiara Miles attended a career fair and learned about intern and career opportunities at TVA.

Today, just a few years later, she is again attending career fairs at her alma mater –this time as a TVA Financial Services employee.

Miles, who holds an undergraduate and master’s degree from the historically Black university in Huntsville, Alabama, talks with students about her time as a TVA intern, her current job, and the work she sees TVA doing to build a more inclusive workforce.

“TVA is being intentional about its diversity work, but it doesn’t happen overnight,” Miles said. “To me, being intentional means creating spaces where people can be comfortable, seen and heard. It starts with our leaders, managers, colleagues, training and how we recruit and hire.”

Currently, TVA has more than 300 interns, and projects it will have 550 by this summer. In FY 2022, 47.5% of its interns were hired as full-time employees, and 56.2% of intern new hires were diverse candidates.

Currently, TVA has more than 300 interns, and projects it will have 550 by this summer. In fiscal year 2022, 47.5% of its interns were hired as full-time employees, and 56.2% of the new hires were diverse candidates.

TVA employee Kiara Miles (far right) works with TVA colleagues to recruit students at her alma mater, Alabama A&M University.

Building a Diverse Pipeline

“Our internship program serves as a pipeline for diverse, high-quality talent,” said Amanda Johns, director of Talent Planning & Performance. “Our interns do real work; they aren’t just shadowing employees. They are an important part of our mission.”

Interns range from sophomores, juniors or seniors in college to first- or second-year graduate students. TVA is taking a comprehensive approach to building its talent pipeline – from assigning mentors to each intern so they are comfortable in the workplace, to initiating the “Do Good Here” recruiting campaign that promotes career possibilities and TVA’s mission of service.

“It is critical to our mission that we hire the best talent available, and expanding our recruiting efforts to attract diverse candidates is important to TVA and necessary to where we want to be,” said Ashton Adams, the recruiter for TVA’s intern program.

TVA’s recruiting efforts work to attract women, people of color, individuals from all ethnic backgrounds, veterans, people in the LGBTQIA+ community and differently abled individuals.

Camden Nussear, an associate in Financial Services, completed an internship before being hired in early 2022. Nussear, who has autism, said TVA encourages diversity of thought and ability.

“Based on my experiences, the most important thing is, if you want to help someone, listen to them, and take the time to understand what they want and need,” he said. “TVA does that.”

‘Casting a wider net’

TVA and union agreement designed to improve talent pipeline

In a groundbreaking effort, TVA and the Trades and Labor Council for Annual Employees reached a historic agreement in December 2022 that has the potential to create a more diverse talent pipeline and help TVA meet increased energy demands in the region.

This significant agreement widens the hiring pool by ensuring external diverse candidates are considered for externally posted Trades and Labor entry-level jobs alongside union referrals.

“The Council has always stood shoulder to shoulder with TVA to meet the needs of the people of the Valley,” said David Beckler, administrator of the Trades and Labor Annual Council. “This agreement enables us to cast a wider net for recruiting, which will help us attract more people and better reflect the communities we serve.”

TVA and its union partners face a unique labor challenge. TVA’s success in attracting additional industry and bringing economic growth to the region is increasing its need for skilled labor. At the same time, the country is facing a long-term skilled labor shortage.

“To meet these demands, this needs to be an ‘everybody’ solution – one that considers a broad potential workforce,” said Will Trumm, director of Labor & Employee Relations. “This agreement is historic, and it has the potential to bring about generational change and provide life-changing career opportunities for residents of the region and beyond.”

The TVA Trades and Labor Council consists of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Machinists, Boilermakers, UA Steamfitters, Laborers and Operating Engineers.

“The workers represented by the TVA Trades and Labor Council are the backbone of TVA,” said Jeff Lyash, TVA president and CEO. “The work of these employees enables TVA to keep power costs low and to deliver energy to customers across our seven-state region.”

TVA offers entry-level training programs for skilled workers such as operators or technicians with the potential to make six-figure salaries after graduating from the program. The training combines classroom and on-the-job training.

“We have work to do to attract applicants, but this joint agreement is a fundamental first step toward creating a more diverse pipeline of highly trained, skilled professionals,” Trumm said. “We are proud of our partnership with unions over our 90-year history, and we look forward to working together over the next 90 years as well.”

“The workers represented by the TVA Trades and Labor Council are the backbone of TVA. The work of these employees enables TVA to keep power costs low and to deliver energy to customers across our seven-state region.”

Jeff Lyash, TVA President and Chief Executive Officer

Kiara Miles

TVA Financial Services associate

‘A huge opportunity’

Ready Now mentoring program prepares diverse small businesses for work at TVA

As a woman-owned small-business supplier in the construction industry, LeTonia Hardin is often the “only” in the room. Only woman. Only African American.

Since opening LH Global Resources LLC in 2018, she has continued to look for ways to grow the business, which sells products and materials to customers such as the Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) and defense contractors.

When Hardin was invited to participate in TVA’s Ready Now supplier program, she was excited for the opportunity. The program walks diverse small business owners through every step of what’s needed to do business with TVA.

“This is a huge opportunity for me,” Hardin said. “It would be hard for me to break into TVA as a newbie, but this program provided all of the information I needed and introduced me to people inside the organization. It adds credibility and validates my company. The potential is invaluable.”

TVA started Ready Now after a senior manager in Construction Projects suggested a program like this would be a win-win for increasing TVA’s pipeline of available suppliers and offering business opportunities for small diverse businesses.

The program, which launched in December 2022, offered daylong sessions in four locations –Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis. TVA plans to expand the program, both

geographically and within other business areas.

Ready Now covers a wide array of topics related to doing business with TVA, including TVA’s commitment to safety and ethical behavior, registering in the supplier portal for bidding, working with accounts payable, insurance requirements and security at TVA facilities.

“Having suppliers who have completed all of the paperwork and are Ready Now will help it flow so much better for us in the field, because we often need suppliers quickly and the paperwork and onboarding can be intimidating,” said Kevin Holbrook, the senior manager who approached the Supplier Diversity team about creating Ready Now. “We’re hoping this program builds longlasting relationships and helps them build their companies while also helping us provide low-cost, reliable power.”

To date, 33 diverse small businesses – including those owned by women, people of color, Native Americans and Veterans – have completed Ready Now. As TVA requests for proposal come up, they are among those ready to respond.

“TVA was built for ALL the people, and we want to represent all the people,” said Jan Cable, manager of Supplier Diversity and Development. “Our work with diverse small businesses supports our mission of improving life in the Tennessee Valley. We are creating jobs and opportunities for our neighbors and the people who live and work in the communities we serve.”

ABLED

ABLED (Awareness Benefitting Leaders & Employees about DisAbilities) seeks to engage, equip and elevate TVA’s workforce on issues and barriers facing individuals with disabilities. ABLED exists to improve the workplace environment and community for individuals with disabilities by creating a culture of access.

TVA & Amigos

TVA & Amigos facilitates the growth of the Hispanic/Latino employee population in numbers, professional development and engagement within the company and community. Our goal is to promote awareness of and participation in Hispanic/Latino interests—open to all—as part of TVA’s commitment to a sustainable, diverse and inclusive workforce.

Spectrum

Spectrum (LGBTQIA+ & Allies) seeks to engage, empower and educate TVA’s workforce on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQIA+) issues relevant to our communities in the Tennessee Valley. We exist to improve the workplace environment by providing support and advocacy to ensure equal civil rights for all employees. Spectrum aspires to be a presence in our community, working to promote diversity and inclusion on behalf of TVA.

ACTion

ACTion—the Asian Collaboration Team— focuses on helping TVA become an employer of choice in the Asian-American community and to collaboratively build greater inclusion and diversity across the organization and within our communities.

Council of Native Americans

The Council of Native Americans provides educational opportunities for the TVA workforce to learn and interact more with a focus on the cultural diversity of Native Americans, to help facilitate the growth of the Native American employee population in numbers, and to provide an avenue for Native Americans to share their cultural diversity.

Veterans Association

Through partnerships with TVA leaders and employees, TVA-VA supports a strong commitment to the brave men and women who have served—and continue to serve—our nation in the Armed Services. We strive to enhance TVA’s reputation as one of the nation’s most military-friendly employers, where veterans can continue to serve in a whole new way.

African American Voices

African American Voices provides a forum for employees to exchange ideas and to network within TVA and in the communities we serve. We seek to engage, educate and mentor our members, impact our diverse workforce and support TVA’s mission of service.

New Employee Network

The New Employee Network engages our team members from the beginning of their TVA experience. We connect new employees with networking, learning and career development opportunities while enabling organizational leaders to better understand emerging employee trends and needs.

Women Empowered

Women Empowered creates connections across TVA to foster professional and personal growth. We empower advocacy and opportunities to help women contribute to the TVA mission and to our communities in unique, powerful ways.

People do their best work when they feel safe and included. At TVA, our nine Employee Resource Groups are influential and serve as leaders. ERGs help build a more inclusive culture and community by offering networking, social gathering and volunteer opportunities for our employees. ERG members help with recruiting, and prospective interns and employees respond well, because candidates see themselves in TVA’s workforce.

LeTonia Hardin President & CEO LH GLOBAL RESOURCES, LLC

‘A seat at the table’

Employees work to empower women in the workplace

While relaxing with his three daughters at home one day, Phillip Crittenden heard one of them ask, “Can girls do what you do at work?”

The question stopped him in his tracks.

“It was alarming to realize they think there are limitations because they will be women in the workplace,” said Crittenden, who manages the Power Quality team for TVA Transmission Operations and Power Supply.

“It made me want to better understand the challenges women face in the workplace and to do what I can to help remove barriers and change the narrative for my female colleagues, especially

those in technical fields,” he said. “I don’t want my girls’ girls to be asking those same questions.”

Soon after that conversation, Crittenden contacted Ashton Lewey, the champion for Women Empowered, one of TVA’s nine Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). The ERGs work on issues related to culture, career and community for their members and the population at large.

Women Empowered has more than 900 members, including men as well as women. It provides a wide array of networking opportunities and programming, such as lunch and learns where female leaders discuss their career paths. They also work together on volunteer activities like the

Bookworm Club for Girls Inc. of Chattanooga, and Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, which Crittenden’s two oldest daughters attended.

Women Empowered includes a core team of 36 liaisons who brainstorm programming opportunities and launch programs that educate, create community and address issues that impact women.

Lewey said that Women Empowered and other ERGs are the “perfect platform” for people to have their voices heard.

“The ERGs serve as an excellent support and advocacy system for Diversity & Inclusion efforts at TVA because they provide a forum to share various backgrounds and experiences that help us spark new ideas,” said Lewey, strategic consultant for the East Region within TVA Regional Relations.

“We each bring different viewpoints and different opinions to the table,” she added. “We can be creative and challenge the status quo, and in doing so, TVA gets to hear from everyone – not just the people who typically have a seat at the table.”

Lewey said Women Empowered helps women connect with female leaders and enables open, honest conversations among members. Representation is important, she said.

“When people see themselves in the faces of leadership, it helps attract and retain talent,” she said. “When I see women in leadership, I feel like I can advance my career here, too.”

Phillip Crittenden with his wife, Nicole, and daughters, Baylie, Brenna and Braelyn.

“The ERGs serve as an excellent support and advocacy system for Diversity & Inclusion efforts at TVA, because they provide a forum to share various backgrounds and experiences that help us spark new ideas.”

Ashton Lewey, TVA

East Regional Relations Strategic

Consultant and Women Empowered Champion

Employee Resource Groups move TVA toward a more inclusive culture

People closely involved with TVA’s nine Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) say one of the best ways to introduce co-workers to their cultures and lives outside work is through food and social activities.

For example, TVA & Amigos – the ERG that serves Latino and Hispanic populations – has offered cooking classes presented by the nonprofit Centro Hispano de East Tennessee in Knoxville. And ACTion (Asian Collaboration Team), which serves Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, held a Diwali celebration that introduced employees to the festival of lights in the Indian culture.

“I meet people who’ve never known someone whose family was from India,” said Sheril Varghese, manager of Product Delivery, Technology and Innovation, and ACTion champion for five years. “After the Diwali celebration, people wanted to know more about the Indian culture. These types of events celebrate employees for who they are, which helps them bring their full selves to work.”

“By immersing ourselves in other cultures beyond our own, we can learn about each other – where people come from, what their traditions are, and what they struggle with as a community,” Varghese added. “It also forces us to recognize our own

assumptions in our daily lives and practices.”

The ERGs focus on career, culture and community, and the ERG champions, or leaders, meet monthly to collaborate and bounce ideas off each other. That synergy expands each ERG’s reach, encourages support for each other’s events and leads to collaborative programs hosted by multiple ERGs.

ERGs provide networking and educational opportunities as well. African American Voices recently coordinated Stay Connected meetings that enabled employees to meet with African American executives and managers at TVA.

ERGs also offer programs on topics such as mental health, heart health, home ownership and resume writing.

Overall, ERGs provide employees with a sense of belonging.

“Each ERG provides an avenue for a group of people who perhaps grew up the same way or deal with the same things to feel connected,” said Marlena Stacy, a strategic consultant in Human Resources & Communications, and the African

American Voices champion. “In turn, that helps people feel more comfortable at work. For me personally, it allowed me to open up a little bit. I realized I can be comfortable in my own skin here.”

All of TVA’s ERGs also have a community component. TVA & Amigos organizes community service projects such as food bank volunteering, fulfilling wish lists for local high schools who have a high Latino student population and sponsoring Hispanic and Latino heritage events at local colleges.

“TVA wants to attract the best of the best employees, and for today’s employees, having a job is about more than making money,” said Edith Perez, a risk and assurance analyst, and champion for TVA & Amigos. “ERGs build morale and a sense of community – inside and outside TVA.”

Each ERG supports employee development and has a sponsor who helps elevate priorities and suggestions.

“ERGs are moving TVA’s culture to a more inclusive and diverse space,” she said. “It is important work.”

Employee Resource Groups organize community service projects such as employee volunteering at local food banks.

Edith Perez

TVA Risk and Assurance Analyst and TVA & Amigos Champion

Sheril Varghese

TVA Manager of Product Delivery and ACTion Champion

Andrew Gordon

TVA Human Resources Technology Manager and Council of Native Americans Champion

Ashton Lewey

TVA East Regional Relations Strategic Consultant and Women Empowered Champion

‘A sense of community’

A group of ERG champions, from left:

Veteran draws on military experience for success at TVA

Bennett is involved with the TVA Veterans Association, the Employee Resource Group that serves as a hub for networking, professional and personal support for fellow Veterans, and a source of camaraderie among those who have served.

“It is a tight association,” Bennett said. “We all have something in common. It means a lot that people know where you come from and appreciate who you are.”

It’s a high-pressure job, and he credits his five years of service in the U.S. Navy for giving him the foundation he needs to work hard and get the job done.

“The military gives you a sense of duty and responsibility, and I see my job at TVA the same way,” said Bennett, who worked as an aviation ordnanceman at the Naval Base in San Diego, California, and served six months on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln during Operation Desert Storm.

TVA currently employs more than 1,800 Veterans.

“We have high regard for all who protect our country,” said Allen Clare, vice president of River and Resource Stewardship and executive sponsor of the TVA Veterans Association. “It’s important for us to give back and find ways to support our Veterans, their families and Veteran-owned businesses in the Tennessee Valley.”

Bennett likened the all-hands-on-deck approach to operating a power plant during severe weather to a military operation.

“When there’s a serious storm, TVA operates like the military, with plant employees working 24/7 to keep the units running so we can provide electricity for the Valley,” he said.

Bennett said he works with people from all walks of life at the plant.

“We talk about everyone having a seat at the table and everyone being asked to dance,” he said. “It’s true. We all have input when it comes to the success of this site and the success of TVA.”

As a public power company, TVA’s mission throughout our 90-year history has been to make life better for people in the region. We partner with local power companies, directly served customers and community organizations to address people’s needs — from students, to smallbusiness owners, to Native American tribes … and so many more.

As the maintenance coordinator at TVA’s Allen Combined Cycle Plant in Memphis, Mikele Bennett plays an integral role in the day-to-day operations of the plant.

‘A sense of duty’

“The military gives you a sense of duty and responsibility, and I see my job at TVA the same way ... It means a lot that people know where you come from and appreciate who you are.”

Mikele Bennett, TVA Maintenance Coordinator, Allen Combined Cycle Plant and U.S. Navy Veteran

Candy Johnson President & CEO Urban League of Greater Chattanooga

Advancing Pride

Vocal allies help employees feel comfortable being themselves

‘A transformational gift’

TVA contributes $3 million to help Urban League’s business development work

Walter Lindsey had been running Unity One East Inc., a small security and investigations business, for five years when he was tapped in 2020 to participate in NextLevel Chattanooga.

The seven-month Urban League program provides diverse small business owners with the skills they need to grow their business.

“Looking back on it, I didn’t know much about business before participating in NextLevel,” said Lindsey, whose daughter and son also work at Unity One East. “NextLevel gave me the foundation I needed. I learned about finances, the need to hire an accountant and attorney, and how to improve my management style. The program was a lifesaver.”

Since 2020, Lindsey’s service-disabled veteranowned small business – which is licensed in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama – has grown from 31 to 42 employees, and in 2022, it increased its gross income by 25%.

TVA has long partnered with Tennessee Urban League Affiliates (TULA), which is affiliated with the National Urban League and works to help African Americans and underserved urban residents secure equity and economic self-reliance.

TULA has operations in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville.

In September 2022, TVA awarded a $3 million community contribution to TULA to grow statewide business development programs for people of color over the next three years. NextLevel is one of the programs that will benefit from the most-recent TVA funding.

“Our mission is Changing Lives, Empowering

Community, but it is hard to empower without the resources to affect change at scale,” said Candy Johnson, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga. “This is a transformational gift, because it is a longer-term investment that provides consistency and will enable us to serve more people. Systemic change takes time and commitment, and TVA has shown a deep commitment to our mission.”

U.S. Federal Reserve data shows that in 2019, the median net worth of white families was $188,200 – which was 7.8 times that of their Black peers, at $24,100. The data also shows that Black families who own a business have eight times the wealth of those who do not.

“Our work has an economic impact on entire communities,” Johnson noted. “Investing in people impacts the overall prosperity of our communities and our region. Wealth is what allows generations to raise the standard of living.”

The two-way partnership between TVA and TULA runs deep, with TVA employees serving on the Board of Directors at each Urban League affiliate in Tennessee and with Johnson serving on TVA’s Regional Energy Resource Council. TVA employees also participate in Urban League activities across the state.

“TULA and TVA share a common mission of economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for the communities we have the privilege to serve,” said Jeannette Mills, TVA Executive Vice President and Chief External Relations Officer. “This partnership will help create new opportunities for underserved communities to ensure no one is left behind during these challenging times of change and innovation.”

When Brandon Smith thinks about TVA’s participation in Pride events, he thinks about young people – and the hope they may feel knowing an employer like TVA is committed to supporting and celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community.

“For people who see us at Pride events, especially young people, our presence there is a visible sign that TVA is an inclusive and safe space,” said Smith, an analyst in TVA Financial Operations and Performance and a core team member of Spectrum, the Employee Resource Group that serves people in the LGBTQIA+ community.

TVA advances diversity and inclusion because it creates a healthier work environment for employees, helps build a stronger pipeline of talent and supports the people of the Tennessee Valley region.

In addition to supporting its LGBTQIA+ members, one of Spectrum’s key focus areas is building allyship through education. It created a four-class training course that employees can take to become more aware of LGBTQIA+ issues and how to be an ally for family, friends and colleagues. The first two classes were rolled out in 2022, and the second two will be rolled out by June 2023.

“Sometimes people in the LGBTQIA+ community can be afraid to be themselves,” Smith said. “Having vocal allies can help people feel more comfortable, and when we create that feeling at work, people can focus on their jobs and not worry about being judged for who they are.”

TVA leaders take allyship very seriously. They attend Spectrum events, participate in Pride parades and attend the Out & Equal Workplace Summit, a large LGBTQIA+ conference where executives, Employee Resource Group leaders and members, and Human Resources and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion professionals work together for LGBTQIA+ equality.

TVA’s allyship extends to its interactions with the community as well.

“By being an ally,” Smith said, “we’re supporting people in the community and telling the world we’re a welcoming company.”

“For people who see us at Pride events, especially young people, our presence there is a visible sign that TVA is an inclusive and safe space.”

Brandon Smith, TVA Financial Operations and Performance Analyst

TVA employees participate in Spectrum-led outreach efforts at Pride events.

‘Inspiring and motivational’

New council advances understanding of Native American culture

For TVA employee Andrew Gordon, advancing people’s understanding of Native American culture has deep personal meaning.

Gordon is a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, along with his grandfather, father and 7-year-old son. A technology manager in TVA Human Resources, Gordon is also champion of the Council of Native Americans, an Employee Resource Group that launched in November 2022. He proposed the new ERG to TVA leadership in Fall 2022, and the answer was an immediate “yes.”

Since forming, the Council has provided monthly forums to educate employees about the cultural diversity and history of federally recognized tribes as well as about TVA’s partnerships with more than 20 of those tribes.

“The preservation and protection work that TVA does is both inspiring and motivational, and it aligns with our mission and service commitment to the Valley,” Gordon said. “We are sharing information on the importance of protecting archaeological sites and what that means to everyone in the Valley.”

Next year, the Council plans to target job fairs at Tribal Colleges and Universities, which offer a wide range of programs – from apprenticeships and certificate programs to bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

“TVA and companies are trying to hire, and we can’t always find the talent we need,” Gordon said. “Tribal Colleges and Universities offer a lot of possibilities for additional talent.”

He also sees synergy between TVA’s environmental stewardship and tribes’ dedication to resource management and sustainability.

“Tribes talk about not just taking from rivers and lakes but also giving back to them,” he said. “They focus on how to take care of plants and living things native to the region. Who better to ask than Native Americans when it comes to sustainability and caring for our natural resources.”

Cultivating relationships

TVA’s regional model enhances community engagement

TVA shifted to a regional model in FY 2021 to strengthen partnerships with local organizations and better align priorities and resources to meet unique communities’ needs, particularly in areas where TVA may not have had a strong presence in the past. Highlights of that work in each region is shared on page 23.

WEST REGION

Mark Yates

Regional Vice President

With a major presence in West Tennessee, TVA donated $1 million toward the restoration of the Mississippi River shoreline and revitalization of Tom Lee Park in Memphis. The park’s innovative new design incorporates ideas from Memphis citizens and will feature recreation and entertainment space for people of all ages. Experts predict Tom Lee Park and associated riverfront projects will have a $1.1 billion economic impact on the area in the first decade. TVA stands alongside the City of Memphis, Shelby County, the State of Tennessee, Memphis Light, Gas and Water, and other partners in this project.

EAST REGION

Carol Eimers

Regional Vice President

TVA has teamed with partners to create a pathway for individuals from underrepresented communities to find a career in the energy and telecommunication industries. Through career exposure and hands-on learning opportunities, high school seniors or recent graduates will complete an eight-week program that will prepare them for a career with a local utility. Other participants in the partnership include the Southeast Lineman Training, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE), Electric Power Board (EPB) of Chattanooga, Hamilton County Schools, Chattanooga 2.0 and the Benwood Foundation –all of which, working together, have contributed to getting the program off the ground.

NORTH REGION

Justin Maierhofer Regional Vice President

TVA EnergyRight and Nashville Electric Service in December 2022 celebrated a joint milestone when the partners completed their 800th Home Uplift in the area. Home Uplift provides free energy upgrades in qualifying residents’ homes. For the average home, upgrades such as a new HVAC system, insulation and tighter seals around windows and doors reduce homeowners’ energy bills by as much as $500 a year. A well-insulated home also reduces the risk of illness, which means more days at work and fewer days at the doctor’s office.

SOUTH REGION

Jared Mitchem Regional Vice President

TVA has developed close partnerships in Bessemer, Alabama – an area that sits at the southernmost point of TVA’s territory in Alabama. Regional staff are members of the Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce, and TVA has provided financial support to the Jefferson County Family Resource Center for community services and programs. In 2022, TVA employees volunteered 200 hours in a monthly food distribution and vaccine clinic – resulting in more than 500 residents being served. To support workforce development initiatives in innovation and technology, TVA provided a financial contribution and two electric vehicle chargers to Lawson State Community College, a historically Black college, for the Bessemer campus’ Alabama Center for Automotive Excellence.

“The preservation and protection work that TVA does is both inspiring and motivational, and it aligns with our mission and service commitment to the Valley.”

Andrew Gordon , TVA Human Resources Technology Manager and Council of Native Americans Champion

Local partnerships are key for Dan Pratt, TVA Senior Vice President of Regional Relations (center), and regional vice presidents.

Focusing in on equity

TVA improves benefits to help workforce thrive

When Human Resources considers benefits for TVA’s workforce, the Benefits & Well-Being team often contacts Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) as part of its research.

Why?

Because as TVA strengthens its focus on equity, the ERGs – which create a forum for employees to share diverse backgrounds and experiences – offer a thoughtful approach and fantastic suggestions.

“We want to support all employees’ well-being, and the ERGs provide insight into unique needs that we might not have considered,” said Joe Galardi, director of Benefits & Well-Being.

“The ERGs broaden our lens.”

For example, based on feedback from ERGs, TVA incorporated surrogacy – as well as infertility treatments and adoption – into its new family-building coverage. It also added pet care and elderly care – along with childcare – to its emergency backup care policy.

Having focused for several years on Inclusion with Diversity and, more recently, on building an infrastructure to advance the diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) program, TVA has turned its attention to furthering equity and accessibility.

“Equity ensures that employees have the resources and capacity they need to do their job to the best of their ability,” said Angela Sims, director of Diversity & Inclusion. “Sometimes people talk about equality, but equality and equity are not the same, because I may not need what you need. Equity focuses on how to position people with the right tools to successfully do their job.”

TVA is also working to ensure accessibility for candidates who have different abilities – matching talent with roles that will highlight their strengths and ensuring they are supported in their transition into the workforce.

For example, TVA partners with colleges to offer internships and hiring opportunities for people who are neurodiverse. To set the stage for candidates’ success, TVA adapts the interview process and ensures the environment and team is ready to support the team member.

“Thinking differently about how one can be successful in a role has given us access to some really exceptional talent,” said Tom

Rice, vice president of Financial Operations and Performance. “We’ve hired several students from these programs full-time. They distinguished themselves in the intern program doing amazing work, and they continue to do amazing work today.”

In addition to benefits, TVA’s focus includes pay equity (providing the right pay and rewards compared to other employees performing similar work).

For compensation, TVA uses structured processes and guidelines to drive a consistent approach. Unions negotiate pay rates for represented employees, and TVA uses pay-grade ranges for non-represented employees.

“That doesn’t eliminate or prevent the potential for inequitable pay, but it drives leaders to be more consistent,” said Stephen Gaby, director of Compensation, noting that TVA reviews equity as part of program oversight and also hires third-party consultants to provide statistical pay-equity analysis.

Benefits & Well-Being is focused on continuous improvement, which includes looking at the accessibility policy in regard to diversity, equity and inclusion.

“We recently received results from a third-party DEIA assessment, and we appreciate that people who responded were candid in giving us feedback related to accessibility,” Galardi said. “We take it seriously and will incorporate it as we continue to improve.”

Angela Sims, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, and Joe Galardi, Director of Benefits & Well-Being, are working with their teams to improve equity and accessibility at TVA.

Workplace equity ensures that employees have the resources they need to do their jobs. Having focused for several years on diversity and inclusion, TVA has turned its attention to furthering Inclusion with Diversity – with more equity.

“We want to support all employees’ wellbeing, and the ERGs provide insight into unique needs that we might not have considered. The ERGs broaden our lens.”

Joe Galardi, Director of Benefits & Well-Being

Looking ahead

The future is bright … with all of us working together

For 90 years, TVA has stood as a force for good, lifting up a struggling region of our nation. TVA was built for the people – all the people. Today, we carry on this mission – serving every race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background.

In an effort to build on its commitment of serving each and every person in the region, TVA has significantly advanced its diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) efforts in recent years.

These efforts strategically and intentionally weave DEIA into all TVA business activities and decisionmaking processes.

As TVA looks to the future, there is more work to be done.

“We have made progress in diversity and inclusion, but we need to make more impactful change to achieve our goals,” said Sue Collins, Executive Vice President and Chief People & Communications Officer.

“Building a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace today is the only way we’ll meet the energy, environmental and economic challenges of tomorrow,” she added. “It makes sense from a business standpoint, but more importantly, it makes sense from a people standpoint. The future is quite bright … with all of us working together.”