TVA names new chief counsel
TVA’s chief counsel announced Wednesday she is retiring from the federal utility after heading its legal department for nearly six years.
Sherry A. Quirk, the 66-year-old attorney who helped integrate the Office of General Counsel across TVA’s business units and worked to promote diversity and inclusion by creating the “Generating Justice” pro bono program, will retire effective March 5, 2021.
She is being succeeded as chief counsel by David Fountain, a senior vice president and vice general counsel at TVA. Fountain will be transitioning into the general counsel role as part of TVA’s succession planning process.
Since joining TVA in 2015 after working on energy issues at a Washington D.C. law firm, Quirk has helped enhance TVA’s ethics and compliance efforts and encouraged her attorneys to do pro bono work in on a variety of non-utility related matters, from eviction and debt relief to minor infractions that could create barriers to good jobs and housing, according to TVA CEO Jeff Lyash.
“As successful as she has been in her official role, one of Sherry’s greatest contributions has been her commitment to TVA’s Diversity and Inclusion efforts,” Lyash said. “Thanks to her leadership, we have improved our focus on these important areas in every aspect of our mission.”
In fiscal 2020, Quirk received total compensation of $2.6 million, including direct salary and bonus pay of $2.25 million.