Longtime executive Lanny Nickell will be the new boss at Southwest Power Pool of Little Rock.
The not-for-profit regional power transmission organization named Nickell as its new chief executive officer and president this morning, and he’ll succeed retiring CEO Barbara Sugg on April 1.
Nickell, 55, is currently SPP’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.
John Cupparo, chair of SPP’s board of directors, noted Nickell’s more than two decades of “exceptional service” at SPP, which oversees power transmission and wholesale electricity markets in 14 middle-American states.
“Lanny brings unparalleled experience, deep organizational knowledge and a passion for the organization’s stakeholder culture,” Cupparo said in a statement. “His leadership will ensure we continue to deliver on SPP’s mission and successfully navigate the generational challenges confronting our industry, region and organization.”
Background at SPP
Nickell joined SPP in 1997 as an operations engineer, where he helped establish the organization’s reliability coordination and tariff administration functions. He joined the management team the next year and became vice president of operations in 2008, vice president of engineering in 2011 and COO in 2020.
Sugg, who also joined SPP in 1997, announced in August that she would retire in 2025. She has been CEO since 2020.
“It’s been an honor to lead this organization through a transformative period of growth and maturation,” Sugg said in a news release. “I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity, and I’m thrilled to pass the reins to Lanny, a trusted colleague and partner whose leadership will undoubtedly take the company to new heights.”
Before joining the Little Rock grid operator, Nickell filled various engineering roles with Public Service Co. of Oklahoma and Central and South West Services. He has served on industry committees developing national and regional electric reliability and energy market policies throughout his career. He also has been active as a board member on the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas and North Louisiana and in other community and philanthropic roles, SPP said.
Grateful to Sugg
“I am deeply honored to be selected for this role and for the opportunity to serve the organization I’ve been proud to call home for nearly 28 years,” Nickell said. “I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from and work alongside Barbara for as long as I have, and I’m grateful for her visionary leadership. SPP’s mission of ensuring reliable electric service for millions of consumers remains my driving passion. I look forward to building on our strong foundation and continuing to work diligently with our stakeholders to meet our future challenges.”
Nickell earned a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the University of Tulsa and graduated from Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.
As the RTO’s chief, he will oversee its most ambitious transmission-building program ever, and guide SPP’s expansion in the west, where it is extending its RTO services and offering new wholesale electricity markets.
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