Biographical profile

Preston D. Swafford

Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer

Preston Swafford was named TVA’s executive vice president and chief nuclear officer in February 2009.

He is responsible for managing operations to provide stable, base-load power from TVA’s six-unit nuclear fleet at Browns Ferry, Sequoyah, and Watts Bar plants. His responsibilities include power plant modification, nuclear support services, nuclear engineering activities, and compliance with Nuclear Regulatory Commission requirements.

Swafford had previously served for two years as executive VP of TVA’s Fossil Power Group, responsible for business, engineering and operation of 59 operating units at 11 fossil plant sites. He was also responsible for 87 peaking combustion turbines, six combined-cycle units, and 13 diesel generators.

Swafford joined TVA in 2006 as senior VP of Nuclear Support. He also held key roles in nuclear operations, filling in as chief nuclear officer in early spring 2007 and overseeing Sequoyah and Watts Bar nuclear plants in 2006.

Swafford has 25 years’ experience in the fossil and nuclear industry. In over 10 years with Exelon, he served as senior VP of Exelon Energy Delivery; senior VP of Energy Delivery Operations, directing all daily operations for the transmission and distribution systems of PECO and ComEd; VP responsible for gas, coal, and hydro fleet generation assets in four states; and maintenance superintendent, station manager, and site VP for Dresden Units 2 and 3.

Before joining Exelon, Swafford held various positions, including radiation protection manager and maintenance manager for Niagara Mohawk.

Swafford serves on the board of directors of Bruce Power of Canada. In that role he also serves on the Nuclear Safety Review Board.

Swafford holds a B.S. in chemistry from Truman State University and an M.S. in nuclear engineering from the University of Missouri. He is certified as a senior reactor operator for boiling water reactors.