The BTES Board of Directors announced today the appointment of Clayton Dowell, current BTES Vice President of Engineering, as the next Chief Executive Officer of the organization. The board retained outside consultant services to conduct a rigorous and comprehensive nationwide search. Extensive interviews were conducted before Dowell was selected. Dowell will take the role of Interim CEO on November 11, 2022 and will assume the role of CEO on January 1, 2023.
“There is no better person to lead BTES into the future than Clayton Dowell,” said Erin Downs, Chair of the Board of Directors. “Clayton is a proven leader with a clear vision and deep understanding of the business.”
Dowell will succeed Dr. R. Michael Browder who will retire at the end of this calendar year after a 50 year career at BTES.
“I am honored to have been selected as BTES’ next CEO,” said Dowell. “It is a privilege to be a part of an organization that works to deliver excellent services to our community. I feel honored and humbled to be chosen to serve and lead our exceptional team of employees.”
Dowell is a native of Northeast Tennessee and joined BTES in May 2009. He has served as Vice President of Engineering since 2011 where he is responsible for the Electric Engineering Department, Networks Department, and Television Production Department. Dowell attended Northeast State Community College and obtained an Associate of Science degree in Pre-Engineering. He also holds degrees in Electrical Engineering from Tennessee Tech University, a Masters in Engineering Management degree from the University of Tennessee, and is a registered Professional Engineer.
Downs continued, “Clayton’s expertise in the planning, direction, and control of BTES’ electrical transmission and distribution systems and fiber optic network will help BTES continue to grow and improve.”
Dowell is very active in the Bristol community serving on the Bristol TN/VA Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since 2012 and as a member of the Rotary Club of Bristol VA-TN. He served as a leader on the Baldrige team at BTES, which led the organization to earn the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2017 - the nation’s highest honor for quality. He was on the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE) Board of Examiners in 2010, was a 2011 graduate of the LEAD Bristol program, and was part of the 2011 class of Tri-Cities’ 40 Under Forty.
