Thomas J. Kent graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering in 1985 and a master’s degree in Business Administration in 2005. He completed the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) Reactor Technology Course for Utility Executives at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kent joined the District in May 1990 as an environmental qualification coordinator at Cooper Nuclear Station, and he has served in many positions during his more than 30-year career. He was appointed NPPD president and chief executive officer on May 1, 2020.
Kent serves as a board member for several energy-related organizations, including the Nebraska Power Association, Nuclear Energy Institute, American Public Power Association, Large Public Power Council, and The Energy Authority. He is first vice-chair of the Electric Power Research Institute and co-chair of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council board of directors. He also currently serves on the Southwest Power Pool Members Committee and is a past chair of the Midwest Reliability Organization Board of Directors, as well as a past president of the RMEL Board of Directors. Finally, Kent is on the Mid-America Council for the Boy Scouts of America.
Kent is a U.S. Navy veteran and a certified high school football official in the state of Nebraska. He and his wife, Dacia, live in rural Lancaster County, Nebraska. They have two adult children.