Southern States energy leader retires after 50-plus years

The Southern States Energy Board, of which Oklahoma is a member, announced the retirement of Kenneth J. Nemeth, Secretary and Executive Director, whose extraordinary career spans more than 54 years of service to the organization and the Southern region. Nemeth will retire on July 31, 2026, after notifying SSEB Chairman Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi of his intention to retire earlier this year.

Nemeth joined the Southern States Energy Board in 1972 and was appointed Secretary and Executive Director in 1974. In over five decades of executive leadership, he guided the Board through periods of significant change in the nation’s energy landscape while expanding SSEB’s role as a trusted interstate compact serving governors, legislative leaders, the energy industry, state and federal agencies, universities, and communities across the South.

Created by interstate compact in 1960 and consented to by Congress, the Southern States Energy Board serves 16 Southern states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands by advancing collaboration on energy policy and security, new and innovative energy technologies, economic development, environmental stewardship, workforce development, and international partnerships.

The Southern States Energy Board (SSEB) is a nonprofit interstate compact organization created in 1960 and established under Public Laws 87-563 and 92-440. Sixteen southern states and two territories comprise the membership of SSEB:

Each jurisdiction is represented by the governor and a legislator from the House and Senate. A governor serves as the chair and legislators serve as vice chair and treasurer. Ex-officio non-voting Board members include a federal representative appointed by the President of the United States, the Southern Legislative Conference Energy and Environment Committee Chair, and SSEB’s executive director, who serves as secretary.

SSEB was created by state law and consented to by Congress with a broad mandate to contribute to the economic and community well-being of the southern region. The Board exercises this mandate through the creation of programs in the fields of energy and environmental policy research, development and implementation, science and technology exploration, and related areas of concern. SSEB serves its members directly by providing timely assistance designed to develop effective energy and environmental policies and programs and represents its members before governmental agencies at all levels.

Oklahoma’s members include Gov. Kevin Stitt, Sen. Casey Murdock, Rep. Brad Boles and Oklahoma Energy Secretary Jeff Starling.

“For more than five decades, Ken’s leadership has left a lasting imprint on this Board, our member states and territories, and the broader energy landscape of the Southern region,” said Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi, Chairman of the Southern States Energy Board. “Institutions are strengthened by steady leadership over time, and Ken’s tenure has provided that stability and vision. Today, we express our gratitude for his exemplary service while recognizing the culmination of a remarkable chapter in the Board’s history.”

Under Nemeth’s leadership in 1978, SSEB expanded its mission beyond its original focus as an early driving force in the development of nuclear energy and nuclear medicine to encompass the full spectrum of energy and environmental issues affecting the Southern region. The Board has become a nationally recognized leader in energy policy, fossil energy and carbon management, nuclear energy, energy infrastructure, critical minerals, environmental stewardship, advanced technology applications, workforce development, and interstate policy coordination.

Throughout his tenure, Nemeth cultivated lasting collaborations and partnerships among state governments and energy industries, universities, federal agencies and national laboratories, international partners, and nonprofit organizations. His leadership positioned SSEB to secure and manage over two billion dollars in partnership investments supporting energy research, technology demonstrations, workforce augmentation, and regional economic growth. Nemeth fostered international collaborations with Brazil, Thailand, Mexico, Vietnam, Hong Kong, UK, Australia, Italy, and Uzbekistan during his long career.