Over the past 35 years, Fred Clark has been involved with energy policy development and advocacy. He has worked to build con- sensus during his years of experience with municipal electric util- ities, electric cooperatives in Alabama, and Alabama Power Company. From defeating taxes that focused solely on municipal utilities to protecting service territories from unnecessary regula- tions, Clark continues to successfully move the public power message forward.
In 2007, Mr. Clark became President and Chief Executive Officer of the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority (AMEA), which pro- vides wholesale electric power to 11 cities in the state of Alabama. AMEA’s Member cities serve approximately 350,000 customers.
In 1999, Mr. Clark became the first executive director of Electric Cities of Alabama in Montgomery, AL. Electric Cities of Alabama is the statewide association for the munici- pally-owned electric utilities. Alabama’s electric cities consist of 36 municipalities serv- ing over one million people statewide. In 2003, Mr. Clark established the Alabama Public Utilities Alliance, a state legislative monitoring service for Alabama’s public utilities.
In 1991, Mr. Clark accepted the position of President of the Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives (AREA) in Montgomery. AREA is a statewide association of Alabama’s electric cooperatives which serve approximately one million consumers in 60 of Alabama’s 67 counties. During his tenure, the Association created the Electric Cooperative Foundation for college scholarships and established new regulatory compli- ance programs and services.
In 1990, Mr. Clark accepted a position as State Director for U.S. Senator Richard Shelby. Mr. Clark’s responsibilities included management of Senator Shelby’s five in-state offices located in, Birmingham, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa. These responsi- bilities also included constituent relations and in-state political strategic planning.
In 1989, Mr. Clark accepted a position as a Washington Legislative Representative for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, a Washington, D.C.-based association representing the political interest of America’s 1,000 electric cooperatives. His primary legislative areas of responsibility included all authorizations and appropriations in the
U.S. Congress regarding rural electrification and energy issues.
In 1986, Mr. Clark accepted the position of Legislative Assistant for U.S. Senator Howell Heflin. Mr. Clark’s responsibilities for Senator Heflin included all legislation considered or developed in the Senate Agriculture Committee and directing staff work on the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development and Rural Electrification.
Mr. Clark is a member of the Business Council of Alabama Board of Directors and the Energy Institute of Alabama Board of Directors.
Mr. Clark is a member of the the Montgomery Rotary Club and the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100.
He is a a past chairman of the board for St. James School in Montgomery; a past chairman of the Auburn University Research Advisory Council; and a past president of the Alabama Agribusiness Council Board of Directors.
Mr. Clark is a past member of the American Public Power Association (APPA) Board of Directors (2015-2021). APPA, based in Washington, D.C., represents not-for-profit, com- munity-owned electric utilities that power homes, businesses and streets in nearly 2,000 towns and cities, serving 47 million Americans.
He is a member of the Transmission Access Policy Study Group (TAPS) Board of Directors and currently serves as its treasurer. TAPS was formed in 1989 to represent the interests of Transmission Dependent Utilities before Congress, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.
He is a past member of the Auburn University Research and Economic Development Board (1994-2021), the National Security Group Board (1994-2022), and the Montgomery YMCA Jimmy Hitchcock Memorial Award Committee.
In July 2013, Mr. Clark was presented the Electric Cities of Alabama (ECA) Public Service Award. The award is presented each year to an individual who has contributed significantly to the success of ECA and continues to work for the success of public power.
In July 2018, Mr. Clark was presented the ECA’s W. Wendell Cauley Award for dedicated service to furthering public power’s legal and legislative goals.
In June 2022, Mr. Clark received APPA’s Alan H. Richardson Statesmanship Award. The award honors public power leaders who work to achieve consensus on national issues important to public power utilities.
Mr. Clark is a graduate of Auburn University with Bachelor of Science and Master of Agriculture degrees.
A native of Elba, AL, he is married to Blake Guthrie Clark of Enterprise. They have two chil- dren: a daughter, Laura Catherine Clark Miaoulis (Michael); and a son, Fred Denson Clark, III.
The Clarks are members of First Baptist Chu