If Hugh McDonald were a power source, heâd have to be more than a wall outlet. About half a dozen organizations plug-in to his intellect and career experience, and he never disconnects from his duties as chief executive officer of Entergy Arkansas. When a power outage hits, after all, heâs often the one on local airwaves doing the explaining. That means the father of three constantly stays up-to-date on any menacing weather patterns that could disrupt power from flowing when customers flip the switch, what he calls âthe most amazing engineering achievement in history.â
So when we interviewed McDonald, a graduate of North Dakota State University and University of New Orleans, it came as no surprise that he was all business. In fact, out of all the questions we asked, he elaborated the most on the challenges he faces at work. Mainly, at least now, he said, the economy has been the biggest puzzler: Like any of its customers, Entergy Arkansas is trying to do more with less, and McDonaldâs the one trying to squeeze pieces of the budgetary jigsaw into others that donât quite fit.
But McDonald had plenty of positives to talk about too. âI love to visit with our customers and employees. I like to know whatâs on their minds and how Entergy can make their lives better or solve a problem for them.â And it feels pretty rewarding to restore power after natural disasters, he said. The day last February when he announced at a news conference that Entergy Arkansas had restored power to all of the 111,000 customers who lost power during the most damaging ice storm in the companyâs history was one of his best days on the job, he said.
And as for being the one who takes responsibility in customersâ minds for power outages, well, that position also has its perks. This year, the utilityâs employees are the American Red Cross of Greater Arkansasâ 2009 Clara Barton Distinguished Humanitarians of the Year, and McDonald will accept the award on their behalf. The association between the Red Cross and Entergy Arkansas is as natural as AC and DC â” the two launched Project Deserve, a program that helped elderly and handicapped customers pay their energy bills during difficult times, and frequently work together to return normalcy to peopleâs lives in the wake of natural disasters. But itâs for their work preparing Arkansans for emergencies and responding to weather-related disasters that they were chosen for the award, and McDonald said it couldnât be more fitting.
When I see our folks working the long hours in tough conditions to restore power for the benefit of our customers after tornadoes, ice storms and hurricanes, doing whatever it takes to get the job done safely and efficiently, I have no doubt these are the truly heroic efforts and Iâm honored to represent them as the heroes of Entergy Arkansas.â
Hugh Unplugged
Soirée: What is a typical day like for you?
McDonald: Lots of meetings and phone calls. Providing guidance, removing barriers, making decisions and preparing for the future.
Whatâs the best piece of advice youâve ever been given?
Thatâs a tough one. Iâve been fortunate to work with and for very smart people over the course of my career. For me there is not one best piece of advice Iâve been given but a broad set of behaviors and actions on how one approaches different situations. If there is one, it has to start with the people you work with â” competent, trustworthy and committed to the cause.
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I wanted to be in the business of building things â” roads, bridges, buildings.
How did you get interested in energy?
My first job after college was for an engineering firm that designed and managed the construction of power plants, which led me to come to work for Entergy in 1982 in New Orleans.