CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (June 18, 2026) – EPB has named Robert Long to serve as President of Strategic Initiatives. He will lead efforts to identify, develop and advance forward-looking initiatives that leverage EPB’s advanced energy, connectivity and quantum infrastructure to benefit local customers while opening new economic opportunities for the Chattanooga area. Mike Kaiser, who previously served as Vice President, Finance, has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer, succeeding Greg Eaves who retired on May 29.

EPB President & CEO-elect Janet Rehberg emphasized how Long’s decades of leadership across a wide range of industries, along with his deep financial expertise, are tremendous assets in his new role. “In addition to being a successful entrepreneur, Robert has a long track-record of evaluating complex opportunities and determining how to leverage them for the greatest positive impact,” Rehberg said. “As EPB continues to explore new frontiers, from advanced energy and connectivity solutions to innovations like EPB Quantum℠, his leadership will help us integrate these technologies so that we can deliver greater value for our customers, help local companies create jobs and continue to position Chattanooga at the forefront of new opportunities.”

Long brings nearly three decades of leadership experience spanning energy, advanced manufacturing, consumer healthcare and emerging technologies. Most recently, he served as Chief Financial Officer of Novonix Limited, a publicly traded company focused on advanced battery materials, where he also stepped into the role of interim Chief Executive Officer during a period of transition. Prior to that, he was the entrepreneurial founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bridges Consumer Healthcare, leading the creation and growth of a private equity-backed platform through strategic acquisitions and operational development.

“As a lifelong Chattanoogan, I’ve seen EPB grow and evolve into a company that is constantly working to empower customers to enhance their quality of life with products and solutions like America’s most advanced, automated self-healing power grid, the world’s fastest community-wide internet and the only quantum technology hub in the U.S. that makes quantum networking and computing available to companies to advance real-world applications,” Long said. “I look forward to working with the EPB team to help guide the next phase as we continue to find new and innovative ways to serve our community.”

Earlier in his career, Long served as Senior Vice President of Strategic Development for Shaw Industries and held multiple executive leadership roles at Sanofi Consumer Healthcare, including Head of North America Region and Chief Executive Officer of Chattem, Inc. Over the course of his tenure, he helped guide significant business growth, including the expansion of a $500 million business into a $1.5 billion regional operation.

Long earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance with a minor in Economics from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He is a member of the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He has also been active in community and professional organizations, including being a past board member at the national level of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association and previously serving on the board of the United Way of Greater Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.

About EPB

Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, EPB is a nationally recognized energy and communications provider with a mission to enhance quality of life for the people it serves across its 600-square-mile service area. Starting in 2010, EPB gained notice as a national model for building and utilizing its 100% fiber-to-the-home network to deliver cutting-edge services such as the world’s fastest community-wide internet, now with service up to 25 Gig, and the nation’s most advanced automated electric grid.

As a pioneer in fiber optic innovation, EPB also launched EPB Quantum℠ to provide access to cutting-edge quantum technology platforms and help innovators bring paradigm-shifting solutions into the real world. With the launch of EPB Quantum Network® in 2023 and EPB Quantum Computing℠ (coming in 2026), EPB Quantum offers the most comprehensive, commercially available quantum technology platform in the U.S.

Learn more at epb.com and EPBQuantum.com.

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