Dedicated to corporation’s, customers and state’s continued growth
With his youthful looks and unbridled enthusiasm, one would easily assume that Haley Fisackerly is nowhere near the age of 60.
Yet, the President and CEO of Entergy Mississippi, an electric utility that serves more than 459,000 customers in 45 Mississippi counties, is indeed entering his sixth decade. But he is doing so as one of the state’s—and South’s—most prolific and productive executives. And doesn’t look to stop anytime soon.
Responsible for overseeing the company’s long track record of safe and reliable service, financial performance, customer service, regulatory and public affairs, resource planning, economic development programs, and charitable contributions, Fisackerly is indefatigable.
However, in spite of his workload and schedule, his easygoing and friendly nature challenges the oft-usage adage to describe men like him: in Fisackerly’s case, nice guys finish first.
A Columbus native who grew up on a farm, Fisackerly has led Entergy Mississippi to a steady rise in customer satisfaction scores, as well as increased recognition of economic development efforts and community support. Under his leadership, the company played an integral role in securing Amazon Web Services’ historic $10 billion investment in Mississippi, which he considers one of the defining moments in his career since assuming his current role with Entergy in 2008.
Prior to taking over the helm, Fisackerly served as Vice President of Customer Operations at Entergy Mississippi and Vice President of Governmental and Regulatory Affairs at Entergy Nuclear. He previously served as Director of System Regulatory Strategy for Entergy, a natural role given the fact that, prior to joining Entergy in 1995, Fisackerly was a staff member of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran’s office in Washington, D.C.
“It’s interesting: I grew up on a soybean and cattle farm that my late father, Howard, ran while he also worked as an insurance agent for Farm Bureau,” he said. “He and my mother, Doris, kept me and my older brother, Howard, and younger brother, Barrett, working hard on the farm to keep us out of trouble. Or that’s what they said later,” said Fisackerly.
Fisackerly said he and his brothers learned the value, discipline and importance of work while performing those farm chores. Playing football and being involved in high school government, at Heritage Academy, also fortfied those traits—and got the young Fisackerly interested in leadership.
“My interests were elsewhere and dad actually didn’t want me and my brothers to farm for a career,” he said. “I loved, and still love, hunting and fishing and outdoors but I sensed early on that politics, or some type of business leadership role, was my true calling.” That “sense” turned out to be correct.
Fisackerly claims that a trip to Europe he took with friends after graduating high school opened his eyes to a larger world and broadened his mental horizons.
“It was my first time on a plane,” he recalled. “And, honestly, there was something about that trip, in which we saw most of Europe for an entire month, that really encouraged me to reach higher in my life and career. I had always loved history and that trip influenced me on so many levels. I vividly remember how affected I was seeing Auschwitz, for example.”
Fisackerly went on to obtain a Master’s Degree in Public Policy Administration from George Washington University after receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Mississippi State University after briefly toying with the idea of majoring in Sports Medicine. Later, he was named the Mississippi State University College of Business Alumnus of the Year in 2016.
“I actually got a position as a trainer for a few seasons while at MSU through the help of Kent Hull, a State alum who went on to have a storied career as a center for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills,” said Fisackerly. “In fact, because of that experience, I got a job one summer working for the Indianapolis Colts in 1985 and let me tell you—it was hard. I knew I wouldn’t want to do this kind of work for the rest of my life, which is why I switched my major to Business Administration.”
While at MSU, Fisackerly continued to be drawn to the world of politics while serving in student government, so he took a job after graduating to work for the school’s Alumni Association. “That was after I graduated in the summer of 1987,” he said. “So, my first job was in outreach for the Association across the nation.”
Still, Fisackerly said he wanted to go to Washington, D.C. and work in politics, although his parents had told him that an unpaid internship wouldn’t be acceptable. “And, at that point, I agreed,” he said. “But, in the back of my mind, I was even thinking I might run for political office one day and I knew I needed to move to the nation’s capital. I had known G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery for most of my life because he was close friends with one of my uncles from Indianola, James Robertson and a fellow Bulldog.”
That relationship would play into Fisackerly’s eventual job with Entergy. But a chance meeting with a well-known relative finally did get the young man where he wanted.
Former Mississippi Governor and D.C. legend, Haley Barbour, is a distant cousin of Fisackerly and they happened to bump into each other one day in Jackson. After a few calls were made, as well as a chance meeting with Wiley Carter who was State Director for Senator Thad Cochran, a job in D.C. became a reality in the summer of 1989.
“I got a call from Bill LaForge at that time who asked if I’d be interested in a job—that’s all he said,” recalled Fisackerly. “I immediately responded, ‘I’ll take it’ without even knowing exactly what was being offered. It turned out to be Systems Administrator and I signed on. Essentially, the job entailed me being over the mailroom for Senator Cochran and watching over the computer systems, very much in their infancy at the time.”
Fisackerly began rising in the ranks as it became obvious that he knew a lot of people in D.C. due to his past work with MSU’s Alumni Association. When Bill LaForge stepped down from being Senator Cochran’s Chief of Staff/Administrative Assistant, the two brought him into a meeting in September of 1991 and offered the job. “Actually, I thought I was in trouble and had done something wrong,” said Fisackerly. “But, it was a promotion.”
Fisackerly also worked on Roger Wicker’s first Congressional campaign, developing a lifelong friendship with the Senator and his wife Gayle, and helping to cement his goal of serving his community through leadership.
Regarding his time working in D.C., Fisackerly said, “We need good people to consider careers in public service. It’s rewarding work and you never know where it will take you. The six years I spent on Capitol Hill working for Senator Cochran serving the people of Mississippi was very rewarding and led me to where I am today.”
What also led Fisackerly to his current role was his increasing exposure to issues in the energy field while working for Cochran and he began tracking and understanding the issues as well as meeting leaders in the industry.
Entergy first approached Fisackerly for a job in the summer 1995, which he turned down. Eventually, however, due to another chance meeting with an Entergy executive and subsequent interviews—as well as a call from his friend “Sonny” Montgomery telling him he was not seeking re-election—created a dilemma for Fisackerly.
“But, you know, I eventually decided not to run for his seat. Especially not coming straight from the Hill which, nowadays, people do all the time,” said Fisackerly. That ultimately led him to join Entergy on December 5, 1995, in their Washington, D.C. office.
Almost 30 years later, after a series of leadership roles with the company in D.C. and Little Rock, Arkansas, Fisackerly came back to his home state in June, 2002 and is now the face of the company in Mississippi.
A noted and accomplished champion of workforce development, Fisackerly works with the Mississippi Economic Council and other economic developers and partners to improve educational opportunities and job growth for the state, and Entergy has committed millions of dollars toward workforce development in the Mississippi service territory. Entergy is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees.
Fisackerly said he is particularly proud of spearheading a partnership with C Spire and the Mississippi Public Service Commission to help bring rural broadband services to underserved communities in the state, among his many accomplishments. He is also an unwavering advocated for the state, having been integral to changing the state flag and serving on the Steering Committee for the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Mississippi History Museum.
Fisackerly serves on the boards of directors for the Mississippi Economic Council, Mississippi Energy Institute, Mississippi State University College of Business Advisory Board, BankFirst Financial Services, Woodward Hines Education Foundation, the Foundation for Mississippi History and the Nature Conservancy.
He is a past chair of the Mississippi Partnership for Economic Development, the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, Mississippi Economic Council and the USA International Ballet Competition. He was named to the inaugural class of the Mississippi Top 50 influential leaders in the state in 2016.
Entergy Mississippi is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation. The company produces, transmits and distributes electricity to power life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
“We’re investing for growth and improved reliability and resilience of our energy system while working to keep energy rates affordable for our customers,” said Fisackerly. “We’re also investing in cleaner energy generation like modern natural gas, nuclear and renewable energy. A nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship, we deliver more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to the communities we serve through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy and I’m very proud of that.”
Married to Allison for 25 years this November, Fiscakerly said whenever he gets any free time he enjoys hunting, fishing and cycling on land he bought not far from where he grew up in Crawford where he also has a cabin. He also enjoys attending Mississippi State sporting events and reading several books at one time, mainly dealing with history.
Fisackerly and his wife have two sons, Reeves, a 22 year-old about to graduate from Rollins College and Ryan, who is 20, a sophomore at his father’s alma mater.