Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said Nashville Electric Service (NES) was discussing internal diversity initiatives even as tens of thousands of customers remained without power following Winter Storm Fern.
On Thursday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, as more than 86,000 NES customers were without power, Pappert reported that a draft board agenda from the Wednesday, January 28 meeting showed NES considering whether to renew a consulting contract focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
“Nashville Electric Service is under scrutiny across the nation because they have up to 90,000 now, people still without power five days after an ice storm. And what were they discussing? They were discussing whether or not to renew and extend the contract of an individual…who was consulting for Nashville Electric Service on DEI projects and initiatives,” Pappert said.
According to Pappert, the consultant, Tony Williams, is not only advising NES on DEI initiatives but also serves as a field superintendent involved in recruiting new employees.
Pappert also discussed the background of NES President and CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin during Wednesday’s show, noting that she does not come from an engineering or utility operations background.
“Before going to work for the electric company, Teresa Broyles-Aplin worked for a nursing home and she was their accountant,” he said, explaining that she later became NES’s chief financial officer before being promoted to CEO in April 2022, where he says her public focus quickly shifted toward climate and renewable energy priorities.
Pappert said Broyles-Aplin has been outspoken about renewable energy, public transit, and sustainability initiatives, including support for Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s transportation referendum.
He also pointed to her promotion of solar energy and federal tax credits under the Biden administration, stating, “She wanted to make sure everybody in Nashville got their credits to get solar energy.”
Pappert further connected the current storm damage to Broyles-Aplin’s previously stated approach to tree maintenance, which emphasized preserving Nashville’s urban canopy.
Citing the CEO’s past remarks defending restrained trimming practices, he quipped, “Those trees might not be doing so right now as they’ve all snapped from a little bit of ice and wind.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Diversity Change Agent Training” by Bureau of Safety.
