Corporate Communications Veteran David Avery Joins Southwest Power Pool

Southwest Power Pool (SPP) announced Thursday that longtime local media relations executive David Avery has been appointed director of corporate communications for the local grid operator. Avery has more than 25 years of experience in public relations and media, and will be responsible for SPP’s internal and external communications. He began work at SPP today (April 16).

“David is a veteran communications professional with a diverse background in corporate public relations, state government media relations and broadcast journalism. We are pleased he has chosen to join our team and lead our communications efforts at Southwest Power Pool,” said Mike Ross, SPP’s senior vice president of government affairs and public relations.

“I am honored to join the talented team at Southwest Power Pool,” Avery said. “Arkansas is fortunate to have SPP headquartered in our state. I look forward to leading the communications team as Southwest Power Pool grows from all or part of eight states to 14 states this year.”

Avery joins SPP after 17 years with Windstream Communications and the former Alltel Corp. As vice president of corporate affairs for Windstream, he oversaw internal and external communications, and philanthropy.

Previously, Avery served as news operations director at Little Rock’s ABC affiliate KATV, assistant press secretary in the Arkansas governor’s office and as a media specialist with the Arkansas State Police.

Avery serves on the boards of the Arkansas Deaf and Hearing Impaired Telecommunications Services Commission, the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Foundation Fund.

He holds a bachelor’s of science degree in radio/TV from Arkansas State University, and he is a native of Magnolia.