An agenda published ahead of the Nashville Electric Service (NES) board meeting held on Wednesday includes a contract extension for a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consultant who also appears to work full-time for the municipally owned power company now facing scrutiny as 90,000 homes remain without power days after a winter storm.
Listed in the agenda under recommended purchases and contracts for the Wednesday meeting, the board was recommended to grant a six-month extension to the contract for Tony Williams, who currently provides “Consulting for DEI Projects and Initiatives” for NES.
No additional financial expense was reported in the agenda, and it is unclear how much Williams may have originally been compensated for his services as a DEI consultant for NES, but a LinkedIn account suggests he is currently employed by NES as a full-time Field Superintendent.
Williams was also identified as an NES Field Superintendent for Construction and Maintenance in a 2021 press release about the school’s “informational career session” at a Nashville high school.
According to the press release, Williams was one of three NES employees who, “spoke to a room full of recent high school graduates and current high school students about job responsibilities, like operating a padmount station or substation breakers.”
At the time, NES was recruiting for 15 newly established positions.
Williams appears to have been profiled for the company’s social media in 2019, revealing he had worked for NES for 32 years at the time of the post.
“I really believe our name Nashville Electric Service. Service is what we are here for,” NES quoted Williams in 2019. “It is really a good feeling when someone is out of power, and to know that you had a part to play in restoring the power.”
The company’s continued interest in DEI comes as interviews and public statements from CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin have resurfaced, showing that since being appointed to the position in 2022, she has focused on sustainability, renewable energy, and supporting the transportation plan successfully championed by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell in a 2024 referendum.
“NES already provides free bus passes and train reimbursements to our employees, and a better transit system will encourage more to take advantage of those options,” said Broyles-Aplin last August. “I’m excited to keep supporting this. It’s good for the city and for our workforce.”
In other recent comments, Broyles-Aplin said that NES prioritized preserving Nashville’s tree canopy while trimming limbs to prevent power outages.
“We care about the canopy,” said the top executive. “I don’t want us out destroying the canopy.”
Broyles-Aplin explained, “We do species specific trimming… We take a lot of pride in making sure that we are cutting the trees in a healthy fashion.”
As of Wednesday morning, NES reported that 91,000 customers remained without power in Nashville. The company serves about 470,000 customers and is one of the 11 top utilities in the country.
The number of reported deaths across Tennessee following the storm has risen to 14.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Nashville Electric Service” by NES.
DEI = Division Exclusion and Indoctrination. It is also another name for anti-white racism.
Perhaps if NES devoted more resources were invested in people who merit being hired and promoted instead of hiring women and people of color (that’s right I said it) then maybe, just maybe, NES would have better prepared for the winter storm and fewer people would be out of power,.