Entergy Arkansas CEO Hugh McDonald To Retire In 2016, Rick Riley To Succeed

Entergy Arkansas President and CEO Hugh McDonald will retire in 2016 after a 34-year career with the utility giant. He’s served 16 years at the helm of the state’s largest electricity provider.

Rick Riley, currently vice president of transmission for Entergy Services Inc., has been named group vice president of customer service and operations for EAI, and will transition to McDonald’s role as president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas when he retires in the first half of 2016, according to the company.

Jim Schott, vice president of supply optimization for Entergy Services Inc. succeeds Riley as vice president of transmission. Riley and Schott’s new appointments are effective June 14.

“Hugh’s 34 years of contributions to Entergy and its key stakeholders are immeasurable,” said Theo Bunting, group president, utility operations. “At every step of his career, Hugh’s leadership and vision have been instrumental in making the right decisions on so many critical issues. He has been a passionate voice for our Arkansas customers and our employees, and he always acted with integrity, respect and compassion.”

McDonald became president of Arkansas’ Entergy operations in 2000 and led the effort to transition the energy company out of its long-standing system agreement after a ruling that would have led to higher costs for Arkansas consumers. He also pushed Entergy Arkansas to join Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), a regional transmission coordinator that has since located a southern operations facility in Little Rock.

According to a company statement, McDonald will continue with Entergy Arkansas into the first half of 2016, “working closely with Riley to ensure a smooth transition.”

In his new responsibility as group vice president, Riley will oversee customer service, economic development and resource planning. Riley has been vice president of transmission since 2010 where he was responsible for development and governance of transmission regulatory, compliance, planning, and asset management strategies for Entergy. He began his utility career in 1985 at Gulf States Utilities.

“Rick embraces our vision for Arkansas’ growth and is the right choice to lead Entergy Arkansas in the future,” said Entergy Chairman and CEO Leo Denault. “His three decades of experience in a wide array of roles provide him with an excellent foundation to meet the needs of Entergy Arkansas’ stakeholders. Additionally, the plan we have in place to have Rick serve with Hugh over the upcoming months will ensure a smooth transition at a very important time for Entergy Arkansas.”

Entergy has been in a growth mode with assets in recent months. It has announced a $62 million grid investment in southeast Arkansas; acquired a $237 million plant in Union County; and launched the largest solar energy power plant in Arkansas by the end of the decade.

Currently, Entergy Arkansas is in the midst of a $167 million rate case increase in order to pay for many of the upgrades it has announced.