COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. (September 06, 2023) — Warner L. Baxter, executive chairman of St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation, today was awarded the Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI’s) Distinguished Leadership Award. The award recognizes the commitments, contributions, and individual achievements of investor-owned electric company leaders. Recipients are chosen by their peers. The award was presented during EEI’s fall board of directors and chief executives meeting.
“Throughout his distinguished career, Warner has been a remarkable and dedicated leader for our industry. His sustained engagement and clear commitment to clean energy were instrumental as we worked with leaders in Congress and the Administration to ensure that industry priorities were included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and in the robust clean energy tax package included in the Inflation Reduction Act,” said EEI President and CEO Tom Kuhn. “Taken together, these historic laws are helping electric companies deliver the resilient clean energy that customers want and need, affordably and reliably.”
Baxter served as EEI chair from June 2022 to June 2023. He continues to serve as executive chairman of Ameren Corporation and recently announced that he will retire on November 2.
“Warner is steadfast in his commitment to providing our customers with reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy, and we are honored to present him with this prestigious award,” Kuhn added.
During his more than 25-year tenure at Ameren, Baxter has served in a variety of leadership roles, including chairman, president, and CEO of Ameren, a role he held from 2014 through 2021. He previously had served as chief financial officer and president of Ameren Missouri.
Baxter sits on several industry boards, including the Electric Power Research Institute’s board; he was past chairman of the EPRI board. He has played an active role in the community as well. In 2020, he served as co-chair of the United Way of St. Louis campaign. In addition, Baxter was the founding chair of the American Cancer Society’s (ACS’) CEOs Against Cancer of Missouri and currently serves as the vice chair of ACS’ Coaches vs. Cancer Council. Baxter is also a member of the University of Missouri St. Louis Chancellor’s Council and University of Missouri 100 Board of Directors. Further, he was past chair of Civic Progress of St. Louis where he helped lead the integration of several civic organizations to form Greater St. Louis, Inc., which is focused on inclusive economic development throughout the region. He is a member of the board of directors of Greater St. Louis Inc., BJC Healthcare, and U.S. Bancorp.
Baxter earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and has made meaningful and long-lasting contributions to higher education through his involvement with the University of Missouri System.
