JEA CEO Jim Dickenson Announces Retirement

2012-01-17

Jacksonville, FL - Ron Townsend, Chair of the JEA Board of Directors, announced today that JEA’s CEO Jim Dickenson has officially provided his letter of intention to retire. Dickenson’s contract runs through August 3, 2012; however, he has expressed to the board his willingness to continue for up to six months after that. 

Townsend said, “I have worked with many CEOs—both in the public and in the private sectors—and Jim Dickenson is definitely one of the best. Jim has an outstanding record at JEA. At the Board’s request, he has graciously agreed to stay on an additional six months, to take us through the budget process as well as through our bond rating agency trip, so that we may have a orderly transition.” 

The Board will engage a national search firm to assist them in the process of finding a replacement. This process will involve evaluation of both internal and external candidates. 

“The goal is to assure we choose the best possible candidate to lead JEA in the future,” added Townsend. 

The JEA Board of Directors named Dickenson the company’s sixth Chief Executive Officer on June 15, 2004. Among his accomplishments are the following:

• Recently completed the Greenland Energy Center, JEA’s newest and only electric generating facility south and east of the St. Johns River, which can be further expanded to increase generation with clean, low cost natural gas;
• Secured a contract for nuclear power for later this decade with an option for additional nuclear power in the next decade if it is determined to be in JEA’s best interest after a thorough Integrated Resource Plan Study which is already underway;
• Received a Consumptive Use Permit from the St. Johns River Water Management District that provides for a sustainable potable water resource for our community for the next 20 years;
• Met and even exceeded our Florida Department of Environmental Protection Total Maximum Daily Load allocation for nitrogen discharge from our wastewater plants into the St. Johns River;
• Built a structure of cash reserves to provide adequate liquidity for rate stabilization against volatile fuel prices and anticipated interest rate increases;
• Achieved the discipline of “pay-go” for recurring capital expenses which should, if continued, result in no new debt being issued for the next several years as well as facilitating accelerated debt pay down;
• Budgeted this year a record setting $237,000,000 for transfer to the City of Jacksonville’s General fund—a 60% increase since 2004, Dickenson’s first year as CEO; and
• Maintained an AA Credit Rating through very turbulent financial times.

Mr. Dickenson joined JEA in 1973 as an engineer in the Transmission Design Group and has served in many positions throughout his 39 year career with JEA. Prior to his appointment as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, he served as Chief Operation Officer for 16 months.

He is on the boards of Colectric Partners Inc., Florida Reliability Coordinating Council, the Northeast Florida Safety Council, and the City Rescue Mission and is a member of the Large Public Power Council, Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, United Way Campaign Cabinet and the Jacksonville Rotary Club. He serves on the American Public Power Association’s CEO Climate Change and Generation Policy Task Force. Mr. Dickenson also sits on the Executive Committee of The Energy Authority and was a member of the Leadership Jacksonville Class of 2006.

Dickenson attended Clemson University from 1969-1973 where he graduated with honors with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. There he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Tau Beta Pi and received the James H. Sams award in recognition of being selected the most outstanding senior in Mechanical Engineering. Jim Dickenson is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Florida.

Jim is married to Maureen Tice Dickenson and they have three grown children and two grandchildren.

JEA is the eighth largest community-owned electric utility in the United States and one of the largest water and sewer utilities in the nation providing electric, water and sewer service to more than 875,000 accounts in northeast Florida. 

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• board
• corporate