Interview with Thomas Hunter, August 8, 2017

Interview Summary

Thomas Hunter, a former TVA employee and the Executive Director of the Appalachian Regional Commission from 1994-2014, begins the interview by discussing how he was hired at the TVA. Hunter's first job in Regional Planning is detailed, including the development of mitigation plans for communities where nuclear power plants were being built. Reasons for TVA's decision to downsize its nuclear energy initiative are listed. The interviewee's work as the Director of the Special Opportunity Counties Program for rural economic development is examined. The specifics of the Special Opportunity Counties Program are considered. Hunter recalls the Triana, Alabama social-environmental mitigation effort. Other Special Opportunity Counties Program projects are explored, including one involving tourism in North Georgia, and an attempt to create a local natural gas pipeline in North Tennessee. The level of cooperation allowed between TVA offices in comparison to other federal agencies is considered. A Special Opportunity Counties Project to promote tourism with a recovered Civil War ship is examined. Hunter describes his promotion to the Chief of the Community Growth and Jobs branch, and the programs that he oversaw. Initiatives in this branch during Hunter's tenure as branch chief are listed, such as Small Business Development Week, and the River Heritage Project. Hunter then shares his most vivid memories of working at the TVA, focusing on his work on the Triana, Alabama project. Hunter explains what prompted his departure from the TVA. How the original mission of TVA could have assisted in fixing modern problems is addressed. To conclude the interview, Hunter characterizes his time spent as the Executive Director of the Appalachian Regional Commission and how the TVA prepared him for success in that role.

Interview Keyword

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Special Opportunity Counties Program Appalachia Community Growth and Jobs Branch Small Business Development Week Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Nuclear construction mitigation Social-economic mitigation

Interview LC Subject

Tennessee Valley Authority Tennessee Regional planning Regional planners Cooperation Nuclear power plants Nuclear energy Power Electricity Communities Rural Economic development Community development Poverty Job creation Triana (Ala.) Environmental disasters DDT (Insecticide) Georgia Natural gas Federal government Tourism Appalachian Regional Commission Rural development Environmental justice Environmental health

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Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.