Greeneville Water Commission Superintendent Laura White was elected to the Tennessee Association of Utility Districts (TAUD) Board of Directors earlier this month.
TAUD reportedly serves over 500 utilities and businesses in Tennessee and provides technical, legal, and operational support to more than 500 members. The board of Directors includes 13 members.
Laura White told Radio Greeneville News the board had two open positions as one person was retiring and another moved into the Executive Director position. There were 16 people nominated and it was narrowed down to four, including White. During a conference on August 7th, 2024, votes were cast on the ballot and White was one out of two people elected.
White said there’s only one woman on the board that’s with a gas and electric utility, but there was no other representation east of Jefferson County. She expressed the importance of having someone representing the nine counties in Upper East Tennessee and having female representation from a water and sewer utility standpoint. She stated since she started in the industry 25 years ago, there were not many women, but the industry has grown.
“TAUD started a Women in Water group that promotes women in the water/wastewater industry. We started with about 15 women and at our last conference earlier this month, we had over 200 attendees.”
“The Board assists in dissimilating information on issues affecting members, helps provide education and training opportunities for the industry, provides technical assistance and most importantly serves as an advocate for member utilities through the formulation of federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations and administrative procedures that are set forth by regulatory agencies in the State and in the Country.”
Laura White is now the only voice representing Upper East Tennessee. There was one nominee from East Tennessee other than White. White is excited and honored to be a part of the organization and added it was humbling to be elected by her peers. As a female in this industry, she’s looking forward to helping make a difference.
White’s term expires in 2027.
