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TECO Chief Nancy Tower to be the Next Guest at Conversation with a CEO

By Keith Morelli

TAMPA (February 13, 2019) -- Nancy Tower was instrumental in the 2015 acquisition of Tampa Electric Company by Emera, a Canadian conglomerate, in 2015. At the time, she was the chief corporate development officer for Emera, focusing on mergers and acquisitions.

So, it was only natural she be appointed president and chief executive officer of the public utility that had provided power to West Central Florida for more than a century. She assumed the leadership role two years ago.

“When I came to Tampa Electric, I set three priorities,” she said. “No. 1, safety – we must be a company where no one gets hurt. Ever. No. 2, best-in-class customer service. If we focus on our customers and do what is right, then everything else will fall into place. And finally, responsible environmental stewardship – we will continue our move away from coal as we safely provide reliable, affordable and clean energy.”

“I am proud of the significant progress we’re making on each of these.”

Tower will be the next guest at the University of South Florida Muma College of Business’ Conversation with a CEO set for March 26 in the USF Center for Advanced Medical Learning Simulation, 124 S. Franklin St., in downtown Tampa. The 8:30-10 a.m. event is free and open to the public but registration is required. To register, click here.

Tower has spent her entire career working in the utility business.

Since she joined Emera, headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1997, she has held senior positions in corporate finance and operations, including controller, CFO and vice president of customer operations for Nova Scotia Power, a subsidiary of Emera. She was instrumental in the effort that, in 2014, culminated in the approval of the Maritime Link undersea cable, a $1.6 billion project to connect the island of Newfoundland to the North American energy grid for the first time in history.

Now, most of her attention is focused on Tampa Electric, an investor-owned electric utility with 2,000 employees that takes in nearly $2 billion in annual revenue and serves 750,000 customers across Florida.

A graduate of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Tower was the 2011 recipient of Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award. She serves on the Dalhousie University Faculty of Management Advisory Board. She previously served as the campaign co-chair of the United Way's Halifax Region.

Here, she is a member of the Florida Council of 100, Enterprise Florida, the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. and the University of Tampa board of trustees.

“My parents were entrepreneurs and I learned from them at a very young age about the importance of being generous to the community where you do business,” Tower said. “I’ve carried that lesson into my own career and I’m proud to serve and strengthen the community of Tampa Bay.”