Board of Directors
Kean Register.
Kean graduated from Bryan High School in 1980 and received his B.S. in Industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University in 1986. From 1987 to 1993, Kean worked as the Sr. Marketing Representative in the Bryan District for Lone Star Gas Company. From 1993 to 1995, Kean moved to Arlington, Texas, as the Director of Business Development for Lone Star. In 1995 Kean was given the opportunity to move back to Bryan to head
up the district’s operations group and held that position through the merger with TXU in 1997. In 1998 Kean accepted the position of Region Manager with TXU, responsible for the overall gas business as well as electric services in TXU’s South Texas region. In September of 2000, Kean accepted a position with BTU, where he held positions responsible for Energy Services, Customer Service, IT, Fiscal Services, Regulatory Affairs, Power Production and Power Marketing. Kean also served as the Acting City Manager for the City of Bryan in 2006 and served in the same role from September 2010 to September 2012, when he was officially appointed to serve as City Manager on a permanent basis.
Buppy Simank
Mr. Simank joined the TMPA Board in June 2020, representing the City of Bryan, Texas.
He was elected to the Bryan City Council in November 2015 as the Place 6 – At Large Councilmember.
He has called the City of Bryan home for almost four decades and has been active in the community throughout his time there. He has held volunteer positions with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Brazos Valley and Brazos County Crime Stoppers while supporting other organization that includes Hospice Brazos Valley, Brazos County 4H, Salvation Army of the Brazos Valley, the Down Syndrome Association of the Brazos Valley, and the Bryan Independent School District. Mr. Simank is the owner of Buppys Catering, which serves the Brazos Valley.
Tom Jefferies
Mr. Jefferies has served as a board member from 1987 to 1991 and again since 2006. He has been Secretary and acted as Vice President twice and President twice. Tom also served as a Garland City Council member from 1985 until 1989. He received his accounting degree from Kent State and became a Certified Public
Accountant in 1969. He grew up in Brownsville, Tennessee, and is currently a residential
real estate investor.
James Ratliff
Mr. Ratliff has been active in city and state politics since 1983. He served on Garland City Council from 1983 to 1987 and again from 1989 to 1991. In 1994 he was elected Mayor of Garland and served two terms until 1998. During this time, he was instrumental in TMPA switch to Powder River Basin coal. Jamie started on the TMPA
board in 2004 and served as Secretary in 2007. He also serves on the Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board and owns an appraisal business. Jamie graduated from East Texas State and North Texas State.
Summer Spurlock
Summer is the City Manager for the City of Greenville. She began work with the City
in November 2015 as Director of Administrative / Finance Services. She received a Bachelor of
Science in Finance from TAMU Commerce in 2002 and a Master of Science in Finance in 2007 from the same institution.
Spurlock is a native of Roswell, NM, and has lived in the Commerce and Greenville areas for 15 years.
Bill Cheek
Mr. Cheek became a member of the TMPA Board of Directors in 2010, representing Denton. As Vice President/General Manager and formerly an owner of Jagoe-Public Company, he has extensive experience with energy and utility management and purchasing. Mr. Cheek sold his share of Jagoe-Public Company in 2008,
stayed on as General Manager and continues to enjoy success in business, real estate, and other investments.
His career began attending the University of North Texas, majoring in the field of finance. He has been a member of the Salvation Army Board, Denton Public School Foundation, First State Bank Board of Advisors, has served as a Special Commissioner for the Denton County Probate Court. His interests include time with family, fishing,
boating, and golf.
Sue Ann Harting
Ms. Harting’s history with TMPA began in 1995-1996 during TMPA’s lignite to PRB coal conversion. She returned in 1998 and served until 2002. Sue was appointed again in July 2004 and in 2011 was elected President of the TMPA Board. The former mayor of Greenville has had both a successful political career and success as
a business executive. In the ’80s, she was President and General Manager for the Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Greenville. Ms. Harting began at the company as the office manager, then served as Vice President and General Manager before working her way to the presidency. She was the first president in company history to attain
the title by appointment.