Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence | Congratulations to 2026 McWherter Leadership Award Recipient Wes Kelley!

25 Jan Congratulations to 2026 McWherter Leadership Award Recipient Wes Kelley!

Posted at 11:15h in Uncategorized by Amanda Yanez

The Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE) is proud to announce that Wes Kelley, President & CEO of Huntsville Utilities, is the recipient of the 2026 Ned R. McWherter Leadership Award. The Ned R. McWherter Leadership Award annually recognizes an individual who exemplifies outstanding leadership in the pursuit of performance excellence and has worked to further performance improvement beyond the boundaries of his or her organization.

“Wes Kelley embodies the spirit of servant leadership and public power, with a steadfast commitment to continuous improvement,” says Dan Pratt, Senior VP of Regional Relations for Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). “I’ve witnessed his transformative impact on the local power companies he has led, the industry he champions, and the communities he serves. He continually seeks innovative solutions and fosters an environment where collaboration and communication thrive.”

Kelley’s dedication to performance excellence is not limited to his leadership of Huntsville Utilities (HU). Over the course of his career, Kelley has served as CEO of three public power companies, making significant improvements in fiscal responsibility and building a respectful workplace culture in each organization. He supported the establishment of the Huntsville Utilities Innovation Dividend Fund, which to date has provided approximately $1M in grants to non-profit organizations across the utilities’ service area. Kelley is a vocal advocate at the state and national level for public power and the necessity of securing a reliable and efficient energy future. He has served on numerous Boards of Directors, with a previous tenure as the Chair of the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association (TVPPA) in which he was instrumental in negotiations with the TVA on renewable options and ensuring the stability of the public power model.

Heather Schoch, President and CEO of TNCPE, agrees that “Wes Kelley is the kind of leader others naturally look to for guidance and perspective. Throughout his career, he has consistently elevated the organizations he serves, guiding three public power companies toward outstanding performance and accountability. His influence, insight, and unwavering commitment to excellence have made him a trusted voice in his community and across the Southeast, and we are proud to honor his lasting impact.”

Kelley will accept the award at the 2026 Excellence in Tennessee Awards Celebration on Wednesday, February 25^th at the Hilton Franklin Cool Springs in Franklin, TN.

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Category	Points	Level 4 50 pgs.	Level 3 35 pgs.	Level 2 15 pgs.
1 \| Leadership	115	7	4.2	1.8
2 \| Strategic Planning	90	4	2.9	1.3
3 \| Customer Focus	85	5	2.9	1.3
4 \| Measurement, Analysis, Knowledge Management	90	4	3.2	1.3
5 \| Workforce Focus	85	4	2.9	1.3
6 \| Operations Focus	85	6	2.9	1.3
7 \| Results	450	20	16	6.7
Totals	1,000	50	35	15

Assessment Level	Number of Employees	*Site Visit/Workshop Fee -** Member	*Site Visit/Workshop Fee -** Non-Member
Excellence Award (Level 4)	Less than 100	$2,160	$2,700
	100-500	$3,120	$3,900
	501-1,500	$5,040	$6,300
	More Than 1,500	$6,000	$7,500
Achievement Award (Level 3)	Less than 100	$1,920	$2,400
	100-500	$2,640	$3,300
	501-1,500	$4,080	$5,100
	More Than 1,500	$5,280	$6,600
Commitment Award (Level 2)	Less than 100	$1,680	$2,100
	100-500	$2,400	$3,000
	501-1,500	$3,840	$4,800
	More Than 1,500	$5,040	$6,300
Interest Award (Level 1)	Less than 100	$680	$850
	100-500	$920	$1,150
	501-1,500	$1,400	$1,750
	More Than 1,500	$1,880	$2,350

Requirement	Commitment Award (Level 2)	Achievement Award (Level 3)	Excellence Award (Level 4)
Intent to Apply/Eligibility Form	REQUIRED FOR ALL Submit by May 31 Intent to Apply due with $250 non-refundable fee
Organization Profile	REQUIRED FOR ALL 5-page maximum The Organizational Profile is submitted along with the Application Form, Application Fee, and Criteria Response. (see below)
Application Form & Fee	REQUIRED FOR ALL Submit by July 31 Applicants must use the Application Form via tncpe.org.
CEO Signature	REQUIRED FOR ALL
Criteria Response	1. Organizational Profile 2. Basic Item Questions 15-page maximum One electronic copy saved in PDF format	1. Organizational Profile 2. Overall Item Questions 35-page maximum One electronic copy saved in PDF format	1. Organizational Profile 2. Multiple Item Requirements 50-page maximum One electronic copy saved in PDF format
Site Visit*	One day, plus half-day workshop**	Two days	Three days
Recognition Eligibility	Commitment or Interest	Achievement, Commitment, or Interest	Excellence, Achievement, Commitment, or Interest
Applicant Responsibilities		Provide at least one TNCPE examiner*** Assistance to other organizations	Provide 2 or more TNCPE examiners† (a balanced combination of new and experienced) Assistance to other organizations Participation in annual Conference Best Practice tour

Number of Employees (Full-Time Equivalent)	Workshop Fee (L1) / Application Fee (L2,3,4) Member	Workshop Fee (L1) / Application Fee (L2,3,4) Non-Member
Less than 100	$920/$1,600	$1,150/$2,000
100-500	$1,640/$3,040	$2,050/$3,800
501-1,500	$2,600/$4,960	$3,250/$6,200
More Than 1,500	$3,800/$7,360	$4,750/$9,200

Assessment Level	Number of Employees	Intent to Apply / Administration Fee	Application/Workshop Fee - Member / Non-Member	Site Visit/Workshop Fee* - Member / Non-Member	Total with 20% Member Discount	Total at Regular Rate
Excellence Award (Level 4)	Less than 100	$250	$1,600/ $2,000	$2,160/ $2,700	$4,010	$4,950
	100-500	$250	$3,040/ $3,800	$3,120/ $3,900	$6,410	$7,950
	501-1,500	$250	$4,960/ $6,200	$5,040/ $6,300	$10,250	$12,750
	More Than 1,500	$250	$7,360/ $9,200	$6,000/ $7,500	$13,610	$16,950
Achievement Award (Level 3)	Less than 100	$250	$1,600/ $2,000	$1,920 / $2,400	$3,770	$4,650
	100-500	$250	$3,040/ $2,000	$2,640/ $3,300	$5,930	$7,350
	501-1,500	$250	$4,960/ $6,200	$4,080/ $5,100	$9,290	$11,550
	More Than 1,500	$250	$7,360/ $9,200	$5,280/ $6,600	$12,890	$16,050
Commitment Award (Level 2)	Less than 100	$250	$1,600/ $2,000	$1,680/ $2,100	$3,530	$4,350
	100-500	$250	$3,040/ $3,800	$2,400/ $3,000	$5,690	$7,050
	501-1,500	$250	$4,960/ $6,200	$3,840/ $4,800	$9,050	$11,250
	More Than 1,500	$250	$7,360/ $9,200	$5,040/ $6,300	$12,650	$15,750
Interest Award (Level 1)	Less than 100	$250	$920/ $1,150	$680/ $850	$1,850	$2,250
	100-500	$250	$1,640/ $2,050	$920/ $1,150	$2,810	$3,450
	501-1,500	$250	$2,600/ $3,250	$1,400/ $1,750	$4,250	$5,250
	More Than 1,500	$250	$3,800/ $4,750	$1,880/ $2,350	$5,930	$7,350

25 Jan Congratulations to 2026 McWherter Leadership Award Recipient Wes Kelley!

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Congratulations to 2026 McWherter Leadership Award Recipient Wes Kelley!

Level 1 assessment includes two interactive workshops:

Page Allocation Table

Site Visit Fee Table

Application Requirements

Application Fee Table

TNCPE Assessment Fee Table

Application Formatting

The Criteria response should follow these guidelines:

The Organizational Profile is a required part of all award applications and must be submitted along with the Application Form, Application Fee, and Criteria response.

A glossary of terms and abbreviations is highly recommended.