Entergy : Arkansas' Steve Strickland Retiring, Laura Landreaux to Succeed

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Entergy Arkansas, Inc. today announced Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Steve Strickland will retire in May 2014, after 35 years of service with the company. Strickland has led Entergy Arkansas' Regulatory Affairs group for more than half of that time. Entergy Arkansas has named regulatory attorney Laura Landreaux to succeed Strickland in the role of vice president of regulatory affairs. Beginning June 1, Landreaux will report directly to Entergy Arkansas President and CEO Hugh McDonald.

"Steve's broad experience across the regulatory affairs spectrum combined with his commitment and guidance have contributed to the success of Entergy Arkansas," said Hugh McDonald, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas, Inc. "Steve leaves a legacy of regulatory strength and the successful development of leaders, including Laura Landreaux, who will now sustain us moving forward," said McDonald. "Laura's regulatory expertise and development in the company make her a perfect fit for this key leadership role," said McDonald.

"Early in Steve's career, he was loaned to a project team for a rate case involving the System Agreement, the contract that governed the operation of Entergy operating companies as one power pool. Last December, Steve shepherded both our departure from the System Agreement and integration into the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, a move that will save Arkansas customers more than $250 million over the next 10 years," McDonald said.

Strickland began his career in 1979 as an engineer in the power plant group with what was then-called Arkansas Power & Light. Strickland was responsible for projects with coal plants and at Arkansas Nuclear One. In this role, Strickland also worked on engineering studies for a new generation of power plants and joint venture cogeneration projects with some of the company's largest customers.

During his tenure, Strickland served from 1987-1988 in New Orleans as executive assistant for Ed Lupberger, chairman and CEO of Middle South Utilities, the forerunner of Entergy Corporation. Upon his return to his home state, the Little Rock native took a job working in the regulatory area of the company. He was named director of regulatory affairs in 1996 and promoted to vice president of regulatory affairs 12 years ago.

A well-respected leader, Landreaux currently serves as manager of regulatory affairs and is responsible for all regulatory filings and proceedings at the Arkansas Public Service Commission. She joined the company in 2007 as a senior counsel with Entergy Services, Inc. and represented Entergy Arkansas in regulatory proceedings before the Arkansas Public Service Commission.

Prior to joining Entergy, Landreaux was an attorney for Salt River Project, an electric utility in Phoenix, Arizona, for five years. She joined Salt River Project after spending four years in private practice representing merchant generators and landowners in siting and permitting issues before Arizona administrative agencies. Landreaux received her bachelor's and Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Landreaux serves on the Board of Directors for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, the state's largest nonprofit professional theater company. She is also an officer and Founding Member of a new nonprofit organization called Arkansas Women in Power and is a member of the Arkansas Children's Hospital Women's Auxiliary.

Entergy Arkansas provides electricity to approximately 700,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, 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 14,000 employees.