Trump renominates former RNC chief counsel for TVA board

John L. Ryder
John L. Ryder
photo John L. Ryder

Nearly a year after first nominating John Ryder to the Tennessee Valley Authority board, President Trump is renominating the Memphis attorney for the 9-member TVA board after the 115th Congress failed last year to confirm Ryder's appointment.

Ryder, a former chief counsel to the Republican National Committee from 2013 to 2017, was among nearly 200 nominations for different federal agencies Trump sent to Congress Thursday. Many of the nominations were for those previously nominated but never acted on last year because of partisan squabbles and the year-end partial government shutdown.

If confirmed, Ryder would serve for the next two and half years for the seat previously held by Michael McWherter, the former Democratic gubernatorial candidate and son of former Gov. Ned McWherter.

Trump has named four of the current seven members on the TVA board. One other position is vacant, but Trump has yet to nominate anyone for the TVA post.

TVA's part-time directors are paid $51,005 a year and oversee the operations of the federal utility. The board meets for public sessions four times a year and the board is currently searching for a successor to CEO Bill Johnson, who announced last year he is retiring as head of TVA once his successor is picked.

Last year, both of Tennessee's GOP senators - Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander - voiced support for Ryder, who had his confirmation hearing in the Senate last March.

But his confirmation has never taken up on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

During his confirmation hearing last year, U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, questioned Ryder's lack of experience in electric power generation and asked Ryder to assure him he had "no preconceptions and (is) not as an agent for fossil fuel influence within TVA."

Ryder responded that he understands that his role as a TVA board member would be helping set strategic direction for the utility and allowing its officers to run the organization.

"I fully appreciate that the role of a member of the board of TVA is outside of politics," Ryder said.

At the same time, Ryder said, "my political experience has given me greater appreciation for the wants, needs and aspirations of those served by TVA."

Ryder, a partner in the Memphis law firm of Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh, was named the 2016 Republican Lawyer of the Year by the Republican National Lawyers Association and he was recognized by Business Tennessee magazine as among the best 101 lawyers in Tennessee.

He was elected as the National Committeeman for Tennessee for the Republican National Party in 1996 and again in 2008. Ryder is a widely acknowledged national expert on political redistricting and election law and was involved in a number of state legal cases.

Ryder's legal practice specializes in bankruptcy and commercial law and he has served as Shelby County Delinquent Tax Attorney, as a member of the Shelby County Home Rule Charter Commission, as chairman of the board of Opera Memphis and as co-chairman of the Southern Region and director of the Southern Republican Leadership Conference.

Ryder has been a delegate four times to Republican National Conventions.

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