James Rossman Named 2008 Ike Zeringue TVA Engineer of the Year

February 15, 2008

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- TVA employee James Rossman has been selected as the Ike Zeringue TVA Engineer of the Year for his work in the field of power quality, which helps eliminate voltage fluctuations and is vital to an industry’s electric power supply.

Rossman was recognized by the TVA Board at a meeting in Chattanooga on Friday, Feb. 15. He is one of 10 finalists for the Federal Engineer of the Year.

Rossman is a senior manager for power quality in TVA’s Power System Operations and is based in Hopkinsville, Ky.

“James Rossman is a national leader in the field of power quality,” said TVA President and CEO Tom Kilgore. “His work during the past three years has helped TVA reduce the number of power quality events affecting large industries by 40 percent.”

“As computerized and robotic systems continue to become the norm in industrial processes, power quality is a critical requirement that helps eliminate minute fluctuations in voltage. If the voltage serving an industry surges, sags or flickers beyond a narrow tolerance, it can cost the U.S. economy an estimated $15 billion to $24 billion annually.”

Rossman has worked closely with industrial customers and federal installations in the TVA service area for 28 years. He is familiar with the processes, production methods and technologies employed by a wide cross-section of American industry. He has worked with the Electric Power Research Institute to develop innovative monitoring equipment to track and quantify power quality problems resulting in the installation of more then 350 monitors at industrial sites across the TVA region.

Rossman has helped federal facilities served by TVA achieve higher power quality, including identifying the root cause of failures at a wind tunnel needed for recertification of the space shuttle.

Rossman is a resident of Hopkinsville and is a registered engineer in Kentucky.

Rossman has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee and a MBA from Austin Peay State University.

Media Contact

Gil Francis, (865) 632-8031
TVA News Bureau, Knoxville (865) 632-6000

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