I served five consecutive three-year terms as an employee-elected director of the TVA Retirement System (TVARS) from November 1, 2003 through October 31, 2018. This blog contains my personal opinions and not official opinions of the full seven member TVARS board or TVA management. I worked very hard during my terms to keep TVA employees and retirees informed of matters that could affect their system and their benefits. I voted and campaigned against the two TVA last minute “take it or leave it” proposals for benefit reductions in 2009 and 2016. These were both approved by 4 to 3 votes without TVARS board deliberations, negotiations, or attempts to form a consensus. I repeatedly proposed proper funding per industry best practices and GAO recommendations, public board meetings, open elections among all retirees for the retiree 7th director position, and rules to keep board members free of conflicts of interest arising from contractual TVA relationships and TVA executive retirement be...