The Lenoir City Utilities Board (LCUB) has appointed Leon Shields as chief operating officer and general manager. The board voted unanimously on March 17 to approve Shields’ promotion Shields will work directly with LCUB CEO Shannon Littleton.
LCUB serves Loudon County but its service area extends into West Knox County and Solway and into portions of Roane and Anderson counties. The utility was formed in 1938, one of the early partners of TVA. The electric department had four employees and 317 customers.
Aggressive growth followed, with LCUB adding water and sewer service in the mid-1940s, then natural gas, and fiber-optics recently.
Today, LCUB serves 65,430 electric customers in a four-county region, plus 9,005 water customers, 6,277 natural gas customers and 5,362 wastewater customers, making LCUB the eighth largest utility among the 154 TVA distributors, per the utility’s website.
The nine-member board of directors includes: Tony Aikens, chair; Eddie Simpson, vice chair; and Douglas “Buddy” Hines, Bobby Johnson, James Shields, Mike Henline, Jennifer Wampler, Joel Garber and George Bove.
Leon Shields’ career with LCUB spans more than three decades. After joining as a part-time employee in 1991, he was hired full-time in 1993 in the Water, Wastewater and Natural Gas Division. He steadily advanced through the organization, becoming supervisor of field operations in 2007 and director in 2022.
He also has a long history of civic involvement:
- Deputy with the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office
- Director of Loudon County Fire/Rescue
- Chair of the Lenoir City Planning Commission/Board of Zoning Appeals, and
- Commissioner for both the Lenoir City Housing Authority and the Loudon County Regional Planning Commission.
Additionally, he has held appointments from both Govs. Bill Haslam and Bill Lee.
Electric service area for LCUB (per company website)
