Thomas J Kent

Thomas (Tom) J. Kent assumed the position of President and Chief Executive Officer on May 1, 2020. He is responsible for the overall management and oversight of Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD).

Mr. Kent has 30 years of electric utility experience. Tom joined NPPD in May 1990 as the Environmental Qualification Coordinator at Cooper Nuclear Station. He was promoted to District Manager in 1994 and then Regional Manager in 1996 for NPPD’s Retail Division. Tom was selected as Retail Customer Care Manager in 1999 and appointed as NPPD’s first Chief Information Officer in November of 2001. In 2005, Tom returned to Cooper Nuclear Station as Project Manager for two strategic business projects, and then became NPPD’s Corporate Planning & Risk Manager in October of 2006. In April of 2008 he was promoted to Transmission and Distribution Manager. In April 2011 Tom was appointed Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, and then in January 2020 was named Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer.

Mr. Kent has served on the Board of Directors for RMEL, a not-for-profit energy trade association, where he served as President in 2017-2018. Mr. Kent also sits on the Board of Directors for the Midwest Reliability Organization where he currently serves as Chair, The Energy Authority Board of Directors, and the Southwest Power Pool Members' Committee.

Mr. Kent holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has completed the Reactor Technology Course for Utility Executives, Leadership at the Peak, and holds certification as a Situational Leadership® trainer. Mr. Kent is a registered professional electrical engineer and a veteran of the United States Navy.