Keith Hayward
When Keith Hayward earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Mississippi in 1987, he found employment as an engineer and assistant to the general manager of North East Mississippi Electric Power Association. Twenty-six years and many promotions later, the successful alumnus is general manager and chief executive officer of the cooperative.
Remembering where he came from, Hayward readily acknowledged the role Ole Miss engineering faculty played in his professional development and career longevity.
“Charles Smith (the late chair emeritus and professor emeritus of electrical engineering at UM) was a very good person, as well as professor,” Hayward said. “He was instrumental in my decision to change from chemical engineering to electrical engineering. That decision that allowed me to land at NEMEPA, continue with our families’ farming business and remain in Oxford to take care of my parents, who have both recently passed.”
A lifelong resident of Oxford, Hayward briefly worked for a lighting manufacturer in Tupelo before joining NEMEPA in 1988. At the time, the utility had approximately 10,000 meters, 1,600 miles of line and a net utility plant value of $16 million.
“I was promoted to manager of operations at the age of 27 and was soon in charge of overseeing restoration from the largest disaster ever to strike north Mississippi, the 1994 ice storm,” he said. “In 2006, I was promoted to manager of engineering, operation and IT, and began the implementation of many new technologies that have made North East Power one of the most advanced distribution systems in the Tennessee Valley.”
As general manager-CEO, Hayward oversees the total operations of the fastest-growing cooperative in Mississippi and the Tennessee Valley.
“We now provide electric service to nearly 24,000 meters over 2,000 miles of line and have a net utility plant of $83 million,” he said. “My duties have moved away from engineering, although I am still heavily involved in the final decision on expansion and upgrade projects.”
NEMEPA is constantly working on forecasting models to make sure its capital projects will meet the needs of the current and future members of the association, Hayward said. In doing so, he designs rates and secures financing to pay for the projects, while maintaining the association’s good financial health.
“I am also responsible for making sure I am providing a productive, safe work environment for the 60 employees that are the backbone of NEMEPA,” he said. “We have embraced new technology as long as the technology helps and does not hinder.”
Hayward said he manages to do all this while keeping up with a rapidly-changing electric industry.
“I must stay on top of developments in regulations, distributed generation, grid security and smart grid technology, just to name a few,” he said.
Hayward considers becoming general manager-CEO by far his greatest career achievement.
“Having grown up in this area, I feel like I am giving back to the community in which I live,” he said. “Sometimes, it is difficult working for a public entity, but in the end, it is very rewarding.”
Hayward is married to the former Cheryl Caffey, a 1988 UM graduate. They have two daughters: Allison, who plans attend Ole Miss in 2015; and Mary Clark, who also plans to attend in 2018. The Haywards enjoy travel and spending time on their farm just outside town.