Those words were spoken by the late Wayne Leonard during Entergy’s inaugural Low-Income Summit in New Orleans in 1999. Earlier that year, Entergy’s new president and CEO had joined President Clinton and a delegation of CEOs and elected officials on a trip through the Mississippi Delta as part of Clinton’s “New Markets” initiative to improve the region’s economy.��

The experience hit home for Leonard, whose company served a large population of customers living in poverty.

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Within a few years, Entergy had formulated a new vision for the future that included a renewed commitment to do more for low-income customers. Today, Entergy is regarded as a leader in corporate social responsibility for providing solutions for low-income customers that address the root causes of poverty.

“Everybody knew Wayne Leonard was different,” said Lawrence Johnson, who retired in 2021 as Entergy Mississippi’s manager, public affairs. “He touched on something that employees really cared about—their communities—and gave them ways to get involved and give back. He shook up the fabric of the company, and it made a huge impact that can still be felt today.”

Assistance efforts continue to gain momentum

After Leonard retired in 2013, low-income efforts continued gaining momentum. In 2014, Entergy hosted the first poverty simulation in the U.S. Capitol for congressional staffers, members of Congress and nonprofit leaders. Since that time, the company has hosted more than 50 simulations that have helped key stakeholders throughout its service area better understand the plight of America’s working poor.

Since 2018, Entergy has delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits annually to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. In 2023, Entergy was named one of the most community-minded companies in the U.S. for the eighth consecutive year for driving meaningful social impact in its service area. 

Years before Entergy’s low-income focus became a corporate priority, company leaders and employees in Mississippi had established a legacy of community service and customer support.��

In 1982, Mississippi Power & Light launched the “Concern” program in partnership with local communities to help customers with special economic needs. It eventually became The Power to Care, an Entergy-wide program that provides emergency bill-payment assistance for low-income elderly and disabled customers.

Entergy Mississippi employees and community volunteers also have weatherized scores of customer homes, mostly for low-income seniors, to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy costs. As part of the “Beat the Heat” program each summer, employee volunteers distribute box fans to elderly and disabled customers who lack adequate air conditioning.

Providing solutions for Mississippi families

Entergy Mississippi has always worked closely with customers who are experiencing economic hardships. Solutions include deferred payment plans that give customers more time to pay bills; and Level Billing, which averages bills over a rolling 12-month period so amounts are similar each month, making budgeting easier.��

By providing , Entergy Mississippi has helped eligible customers throughout its service area receive the Earned Income Tax Credit, one of the most effective means of lifting Americans out of poverty. The company also works with Low Income Home ���ϳԹ��� Assistance Program or LIHEAP agencies which help customers get federal energy bill assistance.

Helping families build assets and achieve economic stability has been another strategy to reduce poverty. In January 2023, Entergy Mississippi partnered with the Children’s Foundation of Mississippi to launch , which enables families to establish savings accounts for their children to attend a two- or four-year college, trade school or technical school.

Those are just a few of the many ways that Entergy’s low-income outreach continues improving lives and futures in Mississippi.

“Some people assumed that the very necessary emphasis we put on low-income customers would disappear—that it was a fad,” Johnson said. “Now it’s a normal part of doing business that has also strengthened other areas, like customer service, economic development and diversity and inclusion. Today, the company has closer relationships with customers and communities and is more responsive to their needs. I think employees take pride in being part of a company that does so much to help others.”

Entergy Chairman and CEO Leo Denault is fond of saying, “Entergy was focused on ESG before ESG was cool.” He has good reason—the energy company has been a leader in sustainability and environmental stewardship for two decades. While Denault has been instrumental in advancing Entergy’s commitment to corporate responsibility since taking office in 2013, he gives credit for the company’s early adoption of the philosophy to its previous chairman and CEO, J. Wayne Leonard.

“Wayne quickly emerged as a visionary with the courage to challenge an electric utility’s traditional role in society and position Entergy as a successful Fortune 500 company with a conscience,” says Denault. “We have long understood that our role transcends creating shareholder value. Our business strategy is built on the concept that every decision we make at Entergy is intended to serve not just the needs of one stakeholder but create sustainable value for all stakeholders. We think holistically about who we are creating value for—our customers, employees, communities and owners.”

“We think holistically about who we are creating value for—our customers, employees, communities and owners.”

—Entergy Chairman and CEO Leo Denault

Entergy, which delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, began living that credo early on. In 2001, the company was the first U.S. utility to voluntarily commit to stabilizing carbon dioxide emissions. The following year, the company established a power generation portfolio transformation strategy to better meet customers’ needs by replacing older, less efficient generation with cleaner, more efficient resources—a program it has continued to expand on ever since.

In 2020, Entergy celebrated its 19th consecutive year on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and, in September, announced a new climate commitment of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The company is also investing an estimated $1.4 billion toward growing its renewable energy portfolio through 2024.

Entergy’s dedication to corporate responsibility has long extended beyond environmental issues. In 1987, Entergy became the first utility company in the nation to commit to the NAACP’s Fair Share Principles, notes Denault. “Since that time, we’ve spent more than $5 billion with minority and women suppliers who provide a wide range of goods and services,” he says. “In 1999, we established our first low-income customer assistance initiative to address the needs of our most vulnerable customers: the 25 percent of the population in our utility service territory living at or below the poverty level who make daily tradeoffs between things like food, medicine and power. As they rise, we all rise, something for which we can all be thankful.”

Entergy is also taking part in strategies to develop both the workforce of tomorrow and job growth in the regions in which it operates through a $5 million investment in a five-year workforce readiness program. Since the initiative’s launch in 2015, 1,025 certifications have been awarded, nearly 1,200 individuals enrolled in workforce development programs and more than 7,500 individuals were served indirectly. Additionally, Entergy has contributed more than $7.4 million to historically Black colleges and universities in its service area to fund facility and curriculum improvements, technology upgrades, scholarships and internship and mentoring programs.

Entergy’s site development program focuses on helping communities compete for development opportunities.

Entergy is home to the largest industrial base in the U.S. and maintains electricity rates that are some of the lowest in the country. The company has also played a vital role over the past 10 years supporting projects that brought $92.5 billion of capital investment and nearly 68,000 new jobs to the region.

Such actions to help prime the South for business growth have won accolades, with Site Selection magazine recently naming Entergy one of the Top 10 U.S. electric utilities in economic development for the 13th consecutive year and the Points of Light organization naming it a top 50 community-minded company in the U.S. for the fifth consecutive year.

Entergy’s story serves to underscore a realization that more and more businesses are embracing—that commitment to purpose is a viable path to sustainable growth across all stakeholders. “Our vision goes much further than powering the grid,” says Denault. “Together, we are on a journey with our stakeholders to improve lives, build businesses and create prosperity. Our vision at Entergy is ‘We Power Life.’ When we say, ‘We Power Life,’ we are talking about the human power that comes from working together to create opportunities, strengthen communities and proactively find solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow.”

To learn how Entergy powers business, visit .

Article originally published in the Winter 2021 issue of����magazine.

Entergy Chairman and CEO Leo Denault presented the Leonard family with a plaque commemorating the official dedication of the facility. An in-person dedication ceremony was canceled based on guidance from health officials and out of an abundance of caution. The 980-megawatt plant began commercial operation in May 2019.

“For customers, communities, employees and owners alike, this power station is a significant milestone along the clean energy journey we began more than 20 years ago when Wayne Leonard became CEO. The J. Wayne Leonard Power Station is one of the cleanest and lowest cost natural gas-powered plants in our Louisiana fleet and is part of an integrated solution that allows us to bring a whole portfolio of cleaner generation to our customers. It will complement our generation operations by providing an efficient and reliable backup source to our growing renewable power portfolio. And the construction and operation have been and will continue to be a source of well-paying jobs in the community for many years,” said Denault.

“The J. Wayne Leonard Power Station is a testament to the environmental commitment Leonard adopted nearly 20 years ago. Combined-cycle gas turbine units like the J. Wayne Leonard facility emit on average about 40% less carbon dioxide than Entergy’s older natural gas-powered units. This unit will supply reliable, clean energy to our growing customer base in Louisiana,” said Phillip May, president and CEO of Entergy Louisiana.

“Entergy Louisiana has always been a valuable partner in helping build healthy, vibrant communities of the future. Not only do they provide the clean and affordable energy that helps drive economic development, but they also support our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “We’re proud to support them as they provide yet another source of clean energy that gives our state a competitive advantage and helps our communities grow.”

Replacing older, less efficient plants with new, cleaner natural gas units will improve system reliability, reduce environmental impacts and produce substantial customer savings over the long term. Because of the plant’s high efficiency, it has been projected that customers will save up to $1.3 billion over the anticipated 30-year life of the unit. Customer savings are expected to exceed the plant’s construction cost in less than 10 years.

During his tenure as chairman and CEO, Leonard changed the company’s strategic direction while setting ambitious goals for the company that extended beyond the balance sheet – protecting the environment, working to eradicate poverty and investing in education to help the communities Entergy serves prosper.

Entergy is proud to operate one of the cleanest large-scale power generating fleets in the nation. In 2001, the company became the first U.S. electric utility to voluntarily cap its carbon emissions at year 2000 levels. Entergy’s latest commitment is to cut its carbon emission rate by 50% below year 2000 levels by 2030. Leonard’s legacy includes Entergy being named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for 18 consecutive years, the only U.S. utility to achieve that record.

Leonard also began the company’s low-income customer assistance initiative to provide resources to customers and community partners to help lift low-income families out of poverty. The initiative has served as a model for other utilities.

Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 1 million customers and natural gas service to more than 93,000 customers in the greater Baton Rouge area. With operations in southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the company is a subsidiary of ���ϳԹ���.

���ϳԹ��� is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 9,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of $11 billion and approximately 13,600 employees.

Before long, the entire U.S. utility industry knew about his commitment to the issue after he wrote “The Most Important Customer,” the cover story in the September/October 2002 edition of Electric Perspectives, the magazine of the Edison Electric Institute.

“With the launch of Entergy’s low-income initiative in 1999, we began questioning misconceptions about the poorer customers in our region, and we moved to rebuild our customer service policies based on all our customers’ needs,” wrote Leonard, who at the time was Entergy’s new chairman and CEO, a position he held until his retirement in 2013.

On Sept. 18, Leonard died following a long battle with cancer.

“We’re so thankful to have had Wayne both as our leader and as a friend,” said Entergy’s current Chairman and CEO Leo Denault, who succeeded Leonard. “He helped our company refocus on what it does best. He led us not only to profitability, but also to repeated recognition among American’s most trustworthy companies and best-performing utilities. More importantly, he was a man of deep personal integrity and kindness, whose strong values were foundational to establishing the family culture that we still enjoy to this day.”

During his Entergy career, Leonard spearheaded the company’s corporate social responsibility program, sharpening its focus on educational, health and financial empowerment opportunities for the 25 percent of customers living in poverty.

After Leonard’s retirement, the of the United Way of Southeast Louisiana presented him with its highest award for exemplary leadership in philanthropy, the Alexis de Tocqueville Award. At the October 2017 event honoring him, he presented the United Way with his personal contribution of $1 million, which was matched by a gift from Entergy’s shareholders.

In further recognition of Leonard’s longstanding commitment to fighting poverty, the United Way announced that it was naming its new prosperity center in Leonard’s honor. The J. Wayne Leonard Prosperity Center in New Orleans supports the efforts of low-income individuals and families to move out of poverty and into financial stability.

“It has been an honor and privilege to play a role in powering people’s lives, whether by providing electricity or offering a helping hand,” said Leonard after the announcement. “I am pleased that Entergy has contributed to the sustainability of the Prosperity Center, which will give local residents access to the kind of critical services that can be life changing. As lives change for the better, so do communities.”

On Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018, former Entergy Chairman and CEO J. Wayne Leonard died following a long battle with cancer.

Leonard joined Entergy in 1998 as president and chief operating officer and was elevated to CEO later that same year. He immediately spearheaded a financial turnaround of the business and positioned the company as an industry leader in financial performance, utility customer service, nuclear power and corporate social responsibility.

Leonard was born Nov. 22, 1950, and grew up in Greenfield, Indiana. He rose from humble childhood beginnings, delivering newspapers by bicycle in that Midwestern town, to become the plain-spoken CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and a thought-leader for companies seeking to improve their environmental stewardship and fight poverty.

“We’re so thankful to have had Wayne both as our leader and as a friend,” said Entergy’s current Chairman and CEO Leo Denault, who succeeded Leonard following his retirement in 2013. “He helped our company refocus on what it does best. He led us not only to profitability, but to repeated recognition among American’s most trustworthy companies and best-performing utilities. More importantly, he was a man of deep personal integrity and kindness, whose strong values were foundational to establishing the family culture that we still enjoy to this day.”

During his leadership at Entergy, Leonard was named CEO of the year in 2003 by Platts Global ���ϳԹ��� Awards, which also honored him as a finalist for that honor for an unprecedented 11 straight years. He also received top CEO honors from Institutional Investor, Diversity Best Practices and other leadership programs.

Under his guidance, Entergy launched a remarkable era of recognition for excellence in governance, sustainability, storm and emergency response performance. The Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Newsweek, Carbon Disclosure Project, Business Week, Edison Electric Institute, Platts Global ���ϳԹ���, Forbes List of Most Trustworthy Companies and many others acknowledged Entergy’s successes during Leonard’s tenure.

Before joining Entergy, he held several leadership roles at Cinergy and PSI ���ϳԹ���, where he began his career in the energy industry.

Leonard earned a B.S. in accounting and political science at Ball State University and a MBA at Indiana University. His academic honors and distinctions included being named to Ball State’s College of Business Hall of Fame, being named 2003 Business Leader of the Year by Georgetown University, and receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Law Degree from Ball State in 2004. He served on the boards of directors at Emera and Tidewater.

Leonard is survived by his wife, Jackie, his three daughters, Allison, Rachel and Rebecca, and one granddaughter, Elizabeth.

The family has provided the following information regarding funeral arrangements to be held at the Lakelawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, La. 70124 (504-486-6331). Service times:

• Thursday, Sept. 27: Visitation, friends and family: 4-8 pm.
• Friday, Sept. 28: Visitation, friends and family: 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 28: Private memorial service: 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donations to Ochsner’s Precision Cancer Therapies Program or The United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s J. Wayne Leonard Prosperity Center.

Opportunity knocks on a new door in New Orleans: the United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s J. Wayne Leonard Prosperity Center. Named in honor of ���ϳԹ���’s longest-serving chairman and CEO, the center was established with the support of generous donors, including a��$2 million contribution comprised of a personal gift of $1 million from Wayne Leonard matched by Entergy.

The center is a one-stop resource connecting low-to-moderate-income individuals and families to employment and financial capability services. UWSLA and its partner, the City of New Orleans’ Network for Economic Opportunity, expect to assist approximately 2,000 participants in its first year.

Learn what local leaders have to say about the center .

Leonard is recognized as the center’s namesake for serving as a champion for underprivileged customers during his 14 years of leadership before retiring in 2013. At the same time, he streamlined Entergy’s interests to the core objective of providing affordable, reliable electricity, led recovery from Hurricane Katrina and steered Entergy to record profitability.

Realizing the Fortune 500 company could make a real difference for customers and communities, Leonard also spearheaded Entergy’s corporate social responsibility program, sharpening its focus on educational, health and financial empowerment opportunities for the 25 percent of customers living in poverty.

Today, Leonard’s vision continues to have a positive impact on customers and communities as Entergy shareholders invest approximately $16 million annually in community improvement programs through partners like United Way. The company is regularly noted on lists like The Civic 50 and 100 Best Corporate Citizens.

“It has been an honor and privilege to play a role in powering people’s lives, whether by providing electricity or offering a helping hand,” said Leonard. “I am pleased that Entergy has contributed to the sustainability of the Prosperity Center, which will give local residents access to the kind of critical services that can be life changing. As lives change for the better, so do communities.”

NEW ORLEANS – ���ϳԹ��� today announced the creation of a $5 million endowment to honor retiring Chairman and Chief Executive Officer J. Wayne Leonard and continue efforts to address the issues of climate change, poverty and social justice.

“Wayne has been a passionate advocate on each of these issues during his years at Entergy, so we could think of no better way to honor him than by creating the J. Wayne Leonard Poverty, Climate Change and Social Justice Fund,” said Leo Denault, who will assume the role of Entergy’s chairman and CEO when Leonard retires Jan. 31. “To a great extent, his compassion for people from all walks of life and his desire to protect the environment for future generations have defined his tenure at Entergy.

“We see this fund as a vehicle for Wayne, as an adviser to the fund, and Entergy to continue making important contributions in these areas for years to come,” added Denault.

The fund is being endowed through shareholder-funded donations to the Entergy Charitable Foundation.��

When Leonard was named CEO of Entergy in 1999, he began calling for action by business, community and political leaders to break the cycle of poverty that has stunted economic growth in the mid-South region for generations.�� During Leonard’s tenure, the company has donated more than $50 million to charitable initiatives and advocacy efforts that successfully helped move low-income residents toward self-sufficiency. Among them were campaigns to improve early childhood education programs and financial support of a matched-savings program that has helped 19,000 people and created an economic impact of $69 million over the last 10 years.

Under Leonard’s leadership, in 2001 Entergy became the first utility in the U.S. to commit to voluntarily reduce greenhouse gas emissions.�� Entergy performed better than promised, cutting carbon emissions by 455.5 million tons through 2011, 12.6 percent better than its goal. Entergy has become a fixture on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, a respected measure of economic, environmental and social commitment, for more than a decade.

���ϳԹ���, which celebrates its 100^th birthday this year, is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including more than 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power, making it one of the nation’s leading nuclear generators. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.8 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $11 billion and approximately 15,000 employees.

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Entergy.com

NEW ORLEANS –�����ϳԹ��� (NYSE:��ETR) today announced that��J. Wayne Leonard, 61, the company’s chairman and chief executive officer, has informed the board of directors of his decision to retire on��Jan. 31, 2013.��Leo Denault, 52, currently executive vice president and chief financial officer, has been elected to succeed Leonard as chairman and CEO at that time. Leonard is the longest serving CEO in company history beginning with his election in��October 1998.��Andrew Marsh, 40, currently vice president, system planning, will succeed Denault as executive vice president and CFO.

Also retiring in January is Entergy Wholesale Commodities President��Richard Smith, 60, who joined Entergy in 1999.��William Mohl, 52, currently chairman, president and CEO of Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, will succeed Smith and relocate to the Northeast.

Said Leonard, “We have worked hard to build value for all stakeholders and adapt to a changing marketplace. I am proud of our track record overall and confident that our team is focused on the right things to ensure that we meet and ultimately exceed the expectations of our shareholders, customers and all stakeholders. The board’s constant focus on developing the next generation of leadership is, of course, key to achieving Entergy’s broader goals. I believe we have the most bench strength in our industry and an extraordinarily strong senior management team that has been tested time and time again. They are more than ready to lead this company into the future. Over the next several months, we will all be focused on a seamless transition as we increase the momentum on our value-creation initiatives.”

Leonard continued, “Having worked closely alongside Leo for almost 25 years, since his early days at PSI ���ϳԹ��� and then through the merger that formed Cinergy, I know he is absolutely the right person to lead the team. I have seen firsthand his strategic vision and leadership, financial acumen and in-depth knowledge of the business, and he has more than proven himself in challenging environments.

“And, in��Drew Marsh, who will become CFO, we have a leader who is extremely well-versed in all aspects of our business, including corporate finance and strategic and system planning. He is not only extremely intelligent but also well-respected throughout the company, serving as the “go-to guy” on tough assignments with proven practical knowledge to add value. He has been groomed for this role for a long time, and has the skills and experiences that will support and complement those of the leadership team.”

Leonard concluded, “I would be remiss without expressing special recognition for my longtime friend and colleague��Rick Smith, who joined me at Entergy from Cinergy, and who has also announced his plans to retire at the end of January. We are all grateful for his enormous leadership and dedication over 13 years. Always focused on results, Rick has led with integrity and passion and he will be missed by many – both inside and outside the company.

“At the same time, Rick and I are both pleased that��Bill Mohl��has agreed to step into Rick’s current role. Bill will be moving to the Northeast, and neither Rick nor I can think of a leader more perfectly suited to dealing with the challenges and opportunities ahead. He knows the generation business very well and will expertly apply that knowledge to our EWC business.”

In previous capacities, Smith served as Entergy’s group president of utility operations from 2002 to 2007 and chief operating officer from 2007 to 2010 before assuming his current position as president of Entergy Wholesale Commodities business in 2010.

Said��Gary Edwards, presiding director, “While Wayne will continue to serve as chairman and CEO for several months, the entire board expresses its strong, unanimous and deep gratitude to him for his years of dedication and service. Wayne has had an outstanding career, working tirelessly on behalf of so many and winning the respect of all, and we salute him for his numerous accomplishments. His bold vision, his willingness to take a stand and speak out on issues important to the company, its stakeholders and our industry, and his unbridled focus on principles-based leadership and ‘doing the right thing,’ are unmistakable hallmarks of his tenure with Entergy.”

Leonard became CEO and joined the board effective��Jan. 1, 1999��and assumed the additional role of chairman in 2006. Leonard’s many recognitions include a record 11 straight years as a finalist for CEO of the Year in the annual��Platts��Global ���ϳԹ��� Awards competition and being ranked as one of the top CEOs in the power industry for seven consecutive years by��Institutional Investor��magazine. Leonard was named top CEO in 2004 and 2010 and a member of the magazine’s “2010 All-America Executive Team.” In addition, he has been recognized with various awards from low income and environmental advocacy groups including the National Wildlife Federation Achievement Award for commitment to��Gulf Coast��restoration and addressing climate change and the first ever Community Action Partnership’s Corporate Champion Award for low income efforts.

Edwards continued, “The board has every confidence that Leo’s experience, deep knowledge of the business and proven leadership capabilities make him the ideal person to build on the solid foundation he inherits from Wayne to lead the company into the future. He has been the visionary leader behind a number of important strategic initiatives for the company and is superbly prepared for his new role. We look forward to working closely with him for years to come.”

Background Information

Leo Denault

Denault joined Entergy in 1999 as vice president, corporate development. In 2002, he assumed responsibility for the areas of strategic planning, the office of the chief risk officer, and strategic pricing and transmission services. He became executive vice president and chief financial officer in��February 2004. During his tenure of financial leadership as CFO, the company delivered the highest operational earnings per share and highest operating cash flow in company history in 2011 and 2010, respectively, and he was named to��Institutional Investor��magazine’s “2010 All-America Executive Team” and was ranked as the best CFO in the power industry in 2010 and 2009. Denault has a bachelor’s degree in economics and accounting from��Ball State University��in��Muncie, Indiana, and a master’s degree in business administration from��Indiana University.

“I am honored to be elected to this position, grateful to the board for the confidence it has placed in me, and humbled to follow in��Wayne’s footsteps,” said Denault. “He has been an outstanding mentor to me and the whole team. Our team is strong, our future is bright, and I look forward to working with the board and our talented executive team to build on our strong foundation, continue to align with and support the interests of our customers, employees and communities and deliver long-term, sustainable growth for our shareholders.”

Andrew Marsh

Andrew (Drew) Marsh��joined Entergy in 1998 and held multiple corporate planning roles before being transferred to Entergy-Koch, LP as vice president, strategic planning where he coordinated multiple acquisition processes for pipeline and generating assets. With Entergy’s decision to exit the partnership, Marsh was a key member of the transaction team for the sales of both Entergy-Koch Trading and Gulf South Pipeline, the two principal businesses of the partnership. Returning to Entergy, Marsh served in a series of financial planning and strategy roles, including vice president, planning and financial communications, where he reported to the CFO and was responsible for strategic planning, financial planning, the investment approval process, financial communications and commercial analytics. In his current role as vice president, system planning, he oversees a large organization with responsibility for executing commercial operations for the Entergy utility operating companies. In this role, he led the negotiation and/or identification of approximately��$3.8 billion��for acquisitions, new construction investment and long-term power purchase agreements through the process for request for proposals for utility supply-side resources and also directed the execution of other commercial transactions estimated at approximately��$7.8 billion��(all board-approved transactions and in nominal dollars). Marsh holds a master’s degree in management from Kellogg Graduate School of Management at��Northwestern University��and a bachelor of science degree, mechanical engineering, from the��University of Notre Dame��where he played for the��Fighting Irish��football team.

William Mohl

William (Bill) Mohl��began his career at Public Service Company of��Colorado, now an affiliate of Xcel ���ϳԹ���, before moving to Koch Industries where he held a number of leadership roles in various gas and power businesses. He joined Entergy in 2002 and was responsible for the procurement of all fuel and generation resources and in 2007 became vice president, system planning. He became chairman, president and CEO of Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana in��June 2010, with responsibilities for the��Louisiana��utilities’ electric and gas distribution systems, customer service, economic development, regulatory and governmental affairs. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance and a master’s degree in business administration from��Regis University��in��Denver. In his new role, Mohl will relocate to��New York State��and will be headquartered in the company’s��White Plains, N.Y.��office.

Marsh’s and Mohl’s successors will be named at a later date.

Other Continuing Members of the Office of the Chief Executive are:

• Rod West, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, with responsibility for the office of general counsel, human resources and administration, federal regulatory and governmental affairs, public policy and corporate communications organizations.
• Theo Bunting, group president, utility operations, with responsibility for the utility businesses in��Arkansas,��Louisiana,��Mississippi,��New Orleans��and��Texas.
• Mark Savoff, executive vice president and chief operating officer, with responsibility for nuclear operations, the business operations of fossil generation, transmission operations, system safety and environment, supply chain, system planning, and performance management.

West, Bunting and Savoff will report directly to Denault when he assumes the chairman and CEO role, as will Marsh and Mohl.

• Marcus Brown, senior vice president and general counsel, responsible for all legal, ethics and compliance matters affecting ���ϳԹ��� and its subsidiaries. Brown reports to West.
• Renae Conley, executive vice president, human resources and administration and the company’s chief diversity and inclusion officer. Conley reports to West.
• John Herron, president and CEO of nuclear operations and chief nuclear officer reporting to Savoff.

���ϳԹ��� is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including more than 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power, making it one of the nation’s leading nuclear generators. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.8 million utility customers in��Arkansas,��Louisiana,��Mississippi��and��Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than��$11 billion��and approximately 15,000 employees.

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Additional information can be accessed online at

www.entergy.com.

NEW ORLEANS – Six entries by ���ϳԹ��� are included among the finalists in the prestigious annual Platts Global ���ϳԹ��� Awards, including Power Company of the Year and CEO of the Year.

The six finalists bring to 53 the total Entergy submissions to earn that honor during the past 12 years of the competition, significantly more than any other energy corporation worldwide.

Entergy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer J. Wayne Leonard was named a finalist for CEO of the Year for a record 10th consecutive year on the strength of his leadership, his commitment to the principles of sustainable growth despite economic turmoil and his advocacy of a robust federal policy to combat climate change. He won the award in 2003.

In addition, Entergy was included among the Power Company of the Year finalists for the ninth time for its financial, environmental and safety performance. Entergy won this category in 2002 and 2003.

Other Entergy entries included among the finalists were:

• Commercial Technology Project of the Year – Pioneering use of 3-dimensional visualization technology for engineering, work planning and training at Waterford 3 nuclear plant in Killona, La.
• Engineering Project of the Year – Development of a reactor head vessel degradation inspection device at Entergy’s Palisades nuclear plant in Covert, Mich.
• Engineering Project of the Year – Introduction of an innovative, new generation of tungsten radiation shielding at the company’s Arkansas Nuclear One nuclear plant in Russellville, Ark.
• Community Development Program of the Year – Destination Education, a pilot program run by Entergy Mississippi, Inc. to help improve the public education system. As part of the program, Mississippi became the first state in the country to adopt the “Power Path to Nuclear ���ϳԹ���” curriculum that instructs students in nuclear energy and related job opportunities.

The winners will be announced Dec. 2 in New York City.

���ϳԹ��� is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $10 billion and more than 15,000 employees.

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Entergy’s online address is www.entergy.com

NEW ORLEANS – J. Wayne Leonard, chairman and chief executive officer of ���ϳԹ���, is the top CEO in the power industry and a member of the “2010 All-America Executive Team,” according to rankings compiled by Institutional Investor magazine.

Entergy also was listed as the top electric utility in the country and among the top nine companies in the nation, making it one of the “Most Honored Companies” included in the magazine’s survey of more than 1,350 securities analysts representing more than 500 securities firms and financial institutions.

Included on the “All-America Executive Team” was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Leo Denault, who was ranked as the best CFO in the power industry.

Leonard has ranked as one of the top CEOs in the nation for seven consecutive years in the magazine’s survey. He is the only CEO included among the top four electric utility CEOs in the rankings every year since they began in 2004. He was named top CEO in the power industry in 2004.

The ranking by Institutional Investor follows Leonard being named a finalist in September 2009 for CEO of the Year in the Global ���ϳԹ��� Awards for a record ninth consecutive year on the strength of his leadership and his advocacy of a robust federal policy to combat climate change. He won that award in 2003.

It is the second straight year Institutional Investor‘s survey rated Denault as the best CFO in the electric utility sector. Denault was rated the top CFO by sell-side analysts with major brokerages, and he tied for first in the survey of buy-side analysts. He has finished among the top five CFOs in the industry in each of the last five years.

In addition, analysts said Entergy’s investor relations department was the best in the industry. It is the second straight year the department has been among the top performers.

���ϳԹ��� is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $10 billion and approximately 14,700 employees.

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Entergy’s online address is��www.entergy.com