Carol Eimers is new vice president and chief human resources officer at TVA | Georgiana Vines

Carol Eimers, who has had nearly 23 years of experience with the Tennessee Valley Authority, including serving as an executive assistant to former Chairman Bill Baxter, is now its vice president and chief human resources officer.

She replaces Sue Collins, who has left TVA. Eimers was promoted from her position as executive leader of TVA’s East Region. That position has been filled by Bert Robinson, who has been with the federal utility 16 years.

Baxter was TVA's last full-time chairman when he resigned in 2007. At the time, the TVA board had three full-time members who served nine-year terms, with Baxter being appointed by President George W. Bush. In 2006, Congress restructured TVA in a legislative package pushed by former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Nashville Republican. The new board became part-time, with nine members serving five-year terms.

Baxter resigned before his term was over to return to his Knoxville business, Holston Gases. He previously served as state commissioner of economic and community development under Gov. Don Sundquist. Eimers served as a special assistant to Baxter in the state position.h

Eimers’ new position was announced only internally at TVA, but the information was provided to this columnist.

“Carol is a great choice to lead our HR organization moving forward,” Jeff Lyash, president and CEO of TVA, said. “She is a senior leader with demonstrated success fostering relationships, building organizational talent, and delivering measurable and sustainable results.”

Eimers started the new job on April 8. She was on vacation last week and unavailable to be interviewed. As the regional executive for the East Region, she was based in Chattanooga and will remain there in her new position. Robinson is working out of Knoxville.

“As Carol makes this transition, she will engage business leaders across TVA to get their input on how HR can best support the enterprise,” Lyash said.

She posted on LinkedIn that she is “thrilled” to be the chief human resource officer at TVA. “As I embark on my 24th year at TVA, it is an honor to be a part of this great organization.”

Eimers is a graduate of George Mason University in Virginia, with a B.A. degree in government and politics. She came to Tennessee in 1994 to serve as deputy finance director for Fred Thompson’s two successful U.S. Senate campaigns. She worked for the Tennessee Regulatory Authority as senior policy adviser before joining Baxter at the Economic and Community Development Department.

At TVA, she has led the agency’s ash management operations, overseen closure of the Kingston Recovery Project’s long-term monitoring plan, was senior adviser at River Operations and has managed Engineering Support Services, Performances and Operations, and Business Planning and Reporting.

∎ REMEMBERING FRAN: Fran Scheidt, a retired West High School English teacher, master of gardens and flowers, and supporter of progressive politicians, is being remembered for her optimism and connection with many individuals and groups. The 96-year-old died April 13 following a brief battle with lung cancer.

“Fran was a role model for me. She was active, informed, and engaged throughout her life. I always enjoyed being around her and was grateful for her support,” former Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero said in a statement to this columnist.

Rogero signed a proclamation on the occasion of Scheidt’s 90th birthday on Dec. 3, 2017, attended a celebration in a friend’s home and declared it Fran Scheidt Day. One paragraph in the proclamation said: ”Fran’s support of progressive political candidates and causes has, on at least one occasion, led to an outright liberation: In 2015, while attending a mayoral election victory celebration, Fran’s car became locked in a parking lot – and freeing her vehicle required a daring engineering feat performed by none other than the city’s First Gentleman, also known as the Mayor’s husband.”

“Fran and I always had a good laugh about this when we saw each other,” Rogero said.

Scheidt developed a garden at her West Hills home that won neighborhood awards. She became a Master Gardener in 1997 and received a Knox County Master Gardener Lifetime Award in 2011. She volunteered at the University of Tennessee Gardens and last year received its Lifetime Achievement Award. She also volunteered in arranging flowers at Random Acts of Flowers, where she met County Commissioner Larsen Jay, who founded the nonprofit that delivers flowers recycled from weddings and banquets to individuals in health care facilities. The two hit it off immediately.

“Optimism and happiness were always in abundance when spending time with Fran,” Jay said to this columnist. “No matter what was on your mind, Fran was genuinely interested in hearing about your day, your children and your passions. I don’t think I ever remember a time she wasn’t smiling and never had a cross word about anyone. When I brought her flowers in February (at a facility where she was getting physical therapy), she lit up, and the moment of joy was evident. We could all be so lucky to have such a life well lived.”

For years, Scheidt was editor of the Journal of the Holly Society of America, received top Society awards and registered three holly cultivars, “Frantastic,” “Volunteer Orange” and “Fran’s Jade,” all of which are part of the Elmore Holly Collection at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge.

Frances Bible Scheidt was born in Rome, Georgia, the daughter of the late Edward Jackson Bible and Willie Grace Christy Bible. A daughter, Carolyn (Carol) Denise Alford Ketelle, and granddaughter, Erin Ketelle, preceded her in death. She leaves a son, Benjamin F. Alford III, and daughter-in-law, Sarah Sheppeard of Knoxville; a daughter, Christine Louise Scheidt Campbell of Wilmington, North Carolina.; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

A memorial service was held April 22 at the Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan.

∎ NEW STATE DEMOCRATIC WOMEN’S LEADERS CHOSEN: Edee Webb of Morristown and Glenda Whitfield of Oak Ridge are the new chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Tennessee Federation of Democratic Women. They were elected at an annual convention in Memphis a week ago.

“We are excited about Edee being chair, especially in this most important presidential election year,” said Knoxville's Sylvia Woods, a long-time Democratic activist in women’s and Democratic Party organizations.

∎ LOOKING AHEAD TO AUGUST: Registered voters who plan to vote by a mail-in ballot may begin requesting a ballot application on Friday, May 3, for the Aug. 1 election, says Knox County Elections Administrator Chris Davis. Aug. 1 is the date for the federal and state primaries, county general and town of Farragut municipal elections.

Friday marks 90 days until the election. Requests for a by-mail ballot should be made no later than seven days before the election, but Davis recommends not waiting that long because of the turnaround required. The election commission must receive a by-mail ballot no later than seven days before the election.

The application tells registered voters what to do.

Georgiana Vines is retired News Sentinel associate editor. She may be reached at gvpolitics@hotmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Georgiana Vines: Carol Eimers is new vice president at TVA