The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council’s Executive Director Cortney Piper recently reflected on her long-time mentor Tom Ballard, Chief Alliance Officer of PYA. Piper wrote about the lessons she has learned from Ballard over the years and the importance of asking the simple question, “What would Tom Ballard do?”

Ballard served as TAEBC’s first president upon its launch in 2014 and on the board of directors until 2019. The annual Thomas B. Ballard Advanced Energy Leadership Award is also given in his honor. The award honors exemplary leadership and success in championing, connecting, and strengthening Tennessee’s advanced energy economy.

TAEBC champions the state’s advanced energy economy as an economic development and job creation strategy through sharing information, connecting stakeholders, and strengthening the industry. These pillars are personally exemplified by the tireless work of Ballard, an unparalleled leader, educator, mentor, and advocate of Tennessee’s advanced energy economy.

“From helping in the early days of the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council to fostering the Innov865 Alliance, I and so many others in this community could not be more grateful for Tom Ballard. If there was a way to capture and replicate Tom’s approach to making things happen and forging and fostering relationships in this city, our community would be set for life,” wrote Piper.

Read more on the Piper Communications blog here.

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