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Biographical
profile Director Bill Baxter |
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Bill Baxter was appointed to the Board of the Tennessee Valley Authority
by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. On November
30, 2001, he took the oath of office to become the 27th Director in the
history of TVA.
Prior to his TVA appointment, Baxter was chairman and chief executive officer of his family’s business, Holston Gases Inc., a distributor of industrial, medical, and laboratory gases that is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and serves portions of Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, and Kentucky.
From December 1, 1997, until December 31, 2000, Baxter was commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development for the state of Tennessee. During his tenure as commissioner, the state achieved three consecutive years of record private capital investment and job creation, attracting $5 billion in 1998, $6 billion in 1999, and $7 billion in 2000. In addition, Tennessee was chosen for the first time as State of the Year for its significant economic development accomplishments during 1999.
Baxter has long been active in community and charitable activities in his hometown of Knoxville. He currently serves on the boards of directors of The Development Corporation and Friends of the Smokies. He is also a member of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s National Advisory Council.
Baxter graduated cum laude from Duke University in 1975 and earned a degree from the University of Tennessee School of Law in 1978. He and his wife, Ginger, have four children: Elizabeth, Jennifer, Joe, and John.
