WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., today welcomed the nomination of Richard Howorth of Oxford to be a member of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board of Directors for a second term. Howorth was first appointed to the TVA Board of Directors in 2011.

“This nomination ensures that Mississippi will continue to have a voice in the future of TVA for the next five years,” Wicker said. “Richard has been a steadfast advocate for ratepayers and a supporter of the agency’s economic development projects in North Mississippi. I look forward to the Senate’s swift approval of his nomination.”

“Richard Howorth, in his first term on the board of directors, has demonstrated an understanding of the TVA, its future and its importance to Mississippi.  I appreciate his good service and support his reappointment to serve a new term on the board,” Cochran said.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, of which Wicker is a member, could take action on Howorth’s nomination as soon as September. President Obama submitted Howorth’s nomination to the Senate late Monday. With Senate confirmation, Howorth would serve a term expiring in May 2020.

Howorth served two terms as the mayor of Oxford and is the founder and owner of Square Books. As mayor, he was chairman of the authority overseeing the Oxford Electric Department. He also served eight years as a director and officer of the North Mississippi Industrial Development Association and is a former president of the American Booksellers Association.

In 1934, Tupelo became the first city to receive electrical service from TVA and still prides itself as the “First TVA City.” For more than 80 years, TVA has played an important role in providing reliable power and promoting economic development in North Mississippi.