NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sallie Rainer, president and CEO of Entergy
Texas Inc., will be retiring effective November 14, 2021, after more than 37 years with
the company, Entergy announced today. Rainer, who assumed her
current position in 2012, is responsible for the company's customer
service, resource planning, economic development, charitable
contributions, regulatory and governmental affairs, and financial
performance of Entergy's Texas
service territory.
"With her focus on improving our customer service and regulatory
relationships in Texas, Sallie has
been a champion for enhancing the lives of our Texas customers," said Rod West, group president, utility operations.
"From her charitable and community efforts to leading the
modernization of our generation fleet with the construction of the
Montgomery County Power Station, Sallie was dedicated to creating
outcomes that benefitted southeast Texas. Her friendship and commitment to
helping our key stakeholders will be sorely missed, and we thank
her for her invaluable contributions to the Entergy family."
Under Rainer's leadership, Entergy Texas has executed a robust
capital plan to modernize infrastructure and strengthen
reliability, including more than $2
billion in new generation, transmission and distribution
assets. Completed in 2018, the Montgomery County Power Station is
the company's first power plant in Texas since 1979. Entergy Texas has been
recognized three times by JD Power & Associates as the top
midsized utility brand across the Southeast, and customer rates
have been among the lowest in the nation under Rainer's tenure.
"It's been a privilege and the highlight of my career to serve
southeast Texas in this role,"
said Rainer. "I am grateful and humbled by the excellent work of
the men and women who provide electric service to our Texas customers, and I know their outstanding
work along with Eli's experience and leadership will be the right
combination going forward."
Rainer joined Entergy in 1984 in the generation planning
department working in various long-term planning roles. In 1997,
she joined the energy management organization in The Woodlands, and in 2005, she was named
director of regulatory affairs and energy settlements. Prior to
joining Entergy Texas as president, she served as vice president,
federal policy where she led the company's effort to join the
Midcontinent Independent System Operator.
Viamontes to lead Entergy Texas
Replacing Rainer is Eliecer "Eli" Viamontes, who currently
serves as vice president of utility distribution operations.
Viamontes is an 18-year industry veteran who has spent the bulk of
his career focused on grid modernization, improving reliability,
developing customer solutions and storm response. While at NextEra
Energy's subsidiary, Florida Power
& Light, he served as incident commander during Hurricane Irma
overseeing 3,000 personnel consisting of lineworkers, line clearing
professionals and logistics personnel.
"Eli's wide array of industry experience and keen focus on our
customers make him the right choice to lead our Texas utility into the future," said West.
"Throughout his career, Eli has provided an important voice for
customers and solutions that solve complicated matters. His
insights and understanding into the needs of our customers will
benefit all of our stakeholders as he helps us create the premier
utility."
During Viamontes' nearly 17 years at FPL, his experience
included reliability engineering, operations and vegetation
management, customer and employee experience, enterprise strategic
initiatives, and key and governmental accounts. Prior to joining
Entergy, he served as NextEra Energy's senior director of labor
relations and corporate safety.
"I've become very familiar with our Texas territory and the men and women of
Entergy who work in the Lone Star State," said Viamontes. "I look
forward to partnering with them and all of our stakeholders to
build on the progress started by Sallie to improve the lives of our
Texas customers through safety,
reliability, philanthropic and economic development programs."
Viamontes joined Entergy in January
2020 as vice president of utility distribution operations.
In this role, he led a team of 2,300 employees in Entergy's five
utility companies focused on the safe, reliable and
customer-centric delivery of electricity across the company's
distribution system including leading storm restoration efforts
during last year's record-setting season.
Viamontes has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and
a master of business administration from Florida International University. He also attended
the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. He is a licensed engineer
and a certified six sigma black belt. Viamontes and his family will
reside in The Woodlands, TX.
A replacement for Viamontes' current position will be named at a
future date.
Entergy Texas, Inc. provides electricity to approximately
473,000 customers in 27 counties. Entergy Texas is a subsidiary of
Entergy Corporation, an integrated energy company engaged in
electric power production, transmission and retail distribution
operations.
Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) is an integrated energy company
engaged in electric power production, transmission and retail
distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million
utility customers in Arkansas,
Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the
cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with
approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity,
including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in
New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy
has annual revenues of $10 billion
and approximately 12,500
employees.
entergy.com
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SOURCE Entergy Corporation