With close to four decades of dedication to the Public Service Commission Board of Commissioners, the late Dr. William Nelson certainly left an impact. And when Dennis McFee, CEO and general manager of PSC, reflects on Nelson’s commitment to the entity, one word comes to mind…passionate.
“After almost 40 years of service to the PSC board, it’s easy to lose that fire,” McFee said. “Dr. Nelson never lost that fire. It only burned brighter. Every idea, every project, he showed a high interest and was eager to see things through.”
Looking over the many years of Nelson’s accomplishments with the PSC board, McFee said, in essence, he “was the board.”
“Some of the biggest accomplishments were the establishment of MDEA, which he was an intricate part of it,” McFee said. “There was the operation of a full gas power plant and investments in new infrastructure and technology. However, his biggest accomplishment was his leadership and influence.”
McFee also added that the strongest impact Nelson brought to the PSC board was his compassion and concern for the Yazoo City customers.
“That’s something he instilled in us all and that will always continue,” he said.
But many efforts implemented by Nelson will continue to bring success and progress to the local entity. McFee said before his passing, Nelson was instrumental in the installation of several new water tanks, the AMI/AMR meter projects, and The Power Project, which is PSC’s multi-year strategy to increase service reliability for customers of Yazoo City.
Alderman Macklyn Austin also took a moment to reflect on Nelson’s legacy during a recent city council meeting. He also added that respect should be provided for the time being as the PSC post remains vacant.
“Everybody has been blessed to have experienced some kind of service from him,” Austin said. “I really appreciate all the hard work he did for this city. But, please, no one contact me or this board for the matter of who we will decide to replace him out of respect for his family.”
