DT | CEO Series: Terry Bassham, Chairman, President, & CEO, Great Plains Energy & KCPL - 11:45 a.m.

Terry Bassham is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Great Plains Energy and KCP&L. He was appointed to these roles in June 2012.

Previously, Mr. Bassham served as KCP&L's executive vice president of finance & strategic development and chief financial officer. In his strategy role, Mr. Bassham was instrumental in leading KCP&L through its Comprehensive Energy Plan (CEP). The CEP was an innovative and collaborative approach that resulted in a transformative plan that positioned KCP&L to meet the region’s current and future energy needs. The CEP included a strategy to build additional fossil fuel capacity, while developing a cleaner, more sustainable generation portfolio through renewable energy investments, environmental retrofits at several power plants and energy efficiency programs.
 
Before joining KCP&L in March 2005, Mr. Bassham was executive vice president, chief financial officer and chief administrative officer for El Paso Electric Company (EPE) in Texas, where he oversaw the financial, treasury, and regulatory and administrative functions. He joined EPE in 1996 as general counsel with responsibility for legislative affairs, regulatory affairs and corporate governance.
 
Active in the Kansas City area community, Mr. Bassham serves on several boards, including the Commerce Bancshares Inc., the Urban Neighborhood Initiative, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, the Linda Hall Library and the winlwin Board for the advancement of women in business.

Mr. Bassham holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting from the University of Texas-Arlington and a Juris Doctor degree from St. Mary’s University Law School in San Antonio, Texas.