The board of directors of Florida public power utility JEA on Nov. 2 selected Jay Stowe to be the utility’s new managing director and CEO. Contract negotiations between Stowe and JEA will now start.
Stowe’s selection is the culmination of a five-month search process led by the board, which interviewed Stowe and two other finalists for the top job at its Oct. 27 meeting, JEA noted.
Stowe will succeed Paul McElroy, who previously served as JEA’s CEO from 2012 to 2018 and returned on an interim basis in May.
Most recently the CEO of Stowe Utility Group LLC in Chattanooga, Tenn., Stowe has more than 25 years of experience in the utility industry.
He also served as a Senior Vice President at Tennessee Valley Authority, where he was responsible for resources and operations support, and as vice president of operations and president and CEO of Huntsville Utilities in Huntsville, Ala.
To find qualified candidates, JEA hired utility industry executive search firm Mycoff Fry Partners LLC on May 26, 2020. The new CEO search began on July 20.
JEA is a not-for-profit, community-owned utility located in Jacksonville, Fla., which serves an estimated 478,000 electric, 357,000 water, 279,000 sewer customers and 15,000 reclaimed water customers.
