Dr. Ruth Shaw

Past President and CEO of Duke Power Company

Dr. Ruth Shaw has built her impressive career in energy and education.  She joined Duke Power Company in 1992, ultimately serving as President and CEO, among other positions at Duke Energy.  She served as President of Central Piedmont Community College from 1986—1992, and had been President at El Centro College, Dallas, Texas prior to that. She retired from Duke Energy in 2007, and continued to serve as Executive Advisor for the company until 2009.

She currently chairs the board of trustees of the University of North Carolina, Charlotte and serves on the boards of Foundation for the Carolinas and the Charlotte Merchants Foundation.  In addition to the corporate boards of Dow Chemical and Southwire, she serves on the board of directors for DTE Energy. Dr. Shaw is the founding and current chair of the Carolina Thread Trail governing boardand on the Advisory Board for Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment; on Davidson College’s Sustainability Council.

She received her A.B. and M.A. from East Carolina University, and her Ph.D. from the University of Texas Austin.  She resides in Davidson with her husband Colin. They have two sons and a daughter, and three grandchildren.