Gary Parsons
Mr. Parsons grew up in Marlin, Texas and graduated from Texas A&M University
in 1979 with a Bachelor of Business Administration. His career began as an Internal
Auditor for Texas Eastern Corporation in 1979 in Houston, Texas. He performed various
financial, operational, and joint venture audits while at Texas Eastern. During
his four-year tenure from 1979 to 1983 he was promoted on three occasions from Staff
Auditor to Senior Lead Auditor and was the In-charge Auditor on two overseas assignments
in England and Norway involving several auditors from other companies.
Gary joined the Texas Municipal Power Agency as Internal Auditor in November 1983,
one month after commercial operation began. During his 25+ year tenure, he has served
in various capacities during vacancies. These included Treasurer, Financial Services
Director, and Acting General Manager. He was also the Project Manager on several
key assignments, including the turbine failure in 1985 and plant information and
financial management system implementation project in 1990. In addition, he participated
in most of the Agency’s financings over the years. He was responsible for reducing
auditing costs by developing a cooperative approach between the internal/external
audit functions and has reduced Agency operating costs over his tenure through audit
findings and recommendations by several million dollars. He played a key role in
assisting TMPA in the sale of its 6.2% ownership in the Comanche Peak Nuclear Plant
back to TXU, resulting in a return to TMPA of its $500M investment.
In December 1999 Gary was named Acting General Manager upon the retirement of Scott
McGough and was named General Manager in July 2000 by the TMPA Board of Directors.
Since being named General Manager, Gary has had responsibility for ensuring compliance
with key provisions applicable to TMPA in Senate Bill 7, the Texas deregulation
bill, and which also included the deregulation of the Agency’s transmission function.
He has also been responsible for the TMPA debt reduction plan approved by the Public
Utility Commission using excess TCOS revenues. Gary was instrumental in developing
a five year Strategic Planning tool for the Agency as well as initiating life assessment
studies of the plant and transmission systems, which have established that TMPA’s
assets should have a life of beyond 2030 with its current plan of capital reinvestment,
which is at least 12 years beyond the debt service. In July 2001 the TMPA Board
named Gary the Owners Representative under the plant operation and management contract,
making him responsible for managing and administering the contract.
Gary is a Certified Internal Auditor and a Certified Fraud Examiner. He has been
very active in local community affairs including President/Treasurer of the Copperfield
Homeowners Association, President of Harvey Little League, President of the Bryan/College
Station Knife & Fork Club, and was a board member on the Bryan Main Street Advisory
Board. He also has assisted the City of Bryan on special projects, including assisting
in a management transition in the Finance Department in 1996 for several weeks,
chairing a Committee in the selection of outside auditors for the City, and participating
in a search for a key management position in the City.
Gary was named to the Board of Directors of the Texas Public Power Association (“TPPA”)
in July 2002 and presently serves as Vice President.