[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 13, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E138-E139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF DANIEL FREDERIC PACKER, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TROY A. CARTER

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 13, 2024

  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, today, I stand to honor the 
life of Daniel Frederic Packer, Jr., who was born December 8, 1947, in 
Mobile, Alabama and peacefully transitioned to be with the Lord 
surrounded by his wife, children and grandchildren on January 31, 2024. 
Dan was preceded in death by his parents, Daniel F. Packer, Sr., and 
Algie Ervin Packer; his sister, Debra Packer Albright; and his first 
wife, Carlene Banks Packer. He is survived by his loving wife, 
Catherine August Packer, and devoted children, Timothy Packer (Nicole), 
Vanice Packer Zenon (Alfred), Randall Ross (Natasha), Dr. Reginald Ross 
(Leslie), and Maria Michelle Ross Burke. He was the loving grandfather 
of nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
  Dan learned the value of hard work at an early age. Dan was raised in 
a hard-working household along with his younger sister, Debra. During 
the summer, he joined his cousins on a family farm where he did 
everything from churning butter to grinding corn. ``Work was never 
something we were afraid of,'' Packer told New Orleans City Business. 
Packer inherited a strong sense of self and a strong work ethic from 
his parents. Like most of the South during Packer's childhood, Alabama 
was segregated, but his mother's motto was, ``Don't let anything defeat 
you,'' Packer recalled to Black Collegian. His father also imparted 
words of wisdom that resonated with Packer. ``Some days peanuts, some 
days shells,'' Packer recalled to the Times-Picayune. The result was a 
can-do attitude that helped Packer overcome the inequities of 
segregation and racism. ``The fact that (the South) was a segregated 
place didn't mean we couldn't find a way to be successful,'' Packer 
told New Orleans City Business. ``It never dawned on us to use (our 
race) as an excuse to not be successful.''
  Packer graduated from Mobile's Central High School in 1965 with high 
enough grades to land several college scholarships. Unfortunately, 
Tuskegee Institute--the school Packer had his heart set on--was not 
among them. Tuskegee, a historically black college, was one of the few 
in the South that offered an engineering program for African Americans. 
Packer scraped enough money for tuition and enrolled in the five-year 
engineering program. After three years, his father fell ill, and the 
money ran out. In 1969, Packer left Tuskegee and joined the United 
States Navy. His high entrance marks and engineering training helped 
land him a position in the Navy's nuclear power program. During an 
intense one-year course at a secret base in Idaho, Packer learned to 
operate nuclear reactors used to power submarines, aircraft carriers, 
and destroyers. After training, he was posted on the USS Truxton, a 
missile destroyer based in the South China Sea during the Vietnam War.
  During his military training, Packer met his first wife, Carlene 
Banks. After he left the Navy in 1975, the pair moved briefly to 
Washington state, where their first son, Timothy, was born. The family 
moved to Connecticut, where Packer landed a job as a training 
coordinator with Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company. Packer's 
second child, Vanice, was born soon after. The birth happened quite 
suddenly, and Packer delivered the baby at home. ``It wasn't a problem 
because I knew how to operate a nuclear reactor,'' he told New Orleans 
City Business. ``Both are very procedure oriented.'' Packer juggled his 
job and fatherhood well enough to earn an associate degree in 1978 from 
Middlesex Community College and a bachelor's degree in business from 
Charter Oak College in 1980.
  Tragedy struck Packer's life in 1980 when his wife Carlene died 
suddenly of a rare liver disease. Left alone to care for his two 
children, Packer decided it was time to move back home to the South. 
The closest he got, however, was Columbia, Maryland, where he landed a 
job as a senior engineer at General Physics Corporation. It was a good 
job, but he wanted to be closer to the family with two young children. 
With his background in nuclear power, including a senior operator's 
license--a highly specialized license for the nuclear industry--he 
looked for a power plant near Mobile, Alabama. The closest was 
Entergy's plant in Taft, Louisiana. He called the plant, and though 
there were no openings, his credentials made him a great candidate as a 
consultant. He joined the plant as a consultant in 1982 and helped 
Entergy build the Waterford III plant. His expertise landed him a 
position as training manager of the plant.
  Dan met Catherine upon his arrival at Waterford, and they later 
married on July 22, 1983, recently celebrating 40 years of marriage. It 
was ``love at first sight'' when their

[[Page E139]]

blended families met. By 1990, Packer had moved up the ranks at 
Waterford to become the plant's general manager. His promotion made him 
the first African American to manage a nuclear power plant. He was 
responsible for the entire operation of the site, from nuclear safety 
to profitability. It was a massive job, performed under the shadow of 
the immense environmental damage that could happen if an accident 
occurred. Dan believed there was nothing more complicated than being 
the plant manager of a nuclear power plant. Under Packer, the Waterford 
plant received some of the highest ratings in the country.
  After 27 years in the nuclear industry on the technical side, Packer 
made the move to the executive offices. In 1996, he became a director 
of Entergy New Orleans. In that role, his main task was dealing with 
local government regulators. ``He moved into a very political 
environment when he moved downtown,'' another Entergy executive told 
the Times-Picayune. ``It was an interesting move. The stereotype of 
technical people is that they don't mix well in the political area, but 
he did an excellent job of understanding politics.'' Packer landed in 
New Orleans in the middle of a simmering pot of discontent. Since the 
early 1980s, New Orleans and Entergy had been brewing trouble. Rising 
energy costs, poor customer service, and over-billing charges plagued 
the company. In addition, the city of New Orleans and Entergy had 
engaged in a legal battle that went up to the federal level over the 
shared costs of building a Gulf Coast nuclear facility. Packer 
impressed those on both sides of the debate by using an approach that 
has become a hallmark of his leadership--diplomatically building 
bridges between opposing parties. ``At the beginning, he was a quiet 
guy. He had been in nuclear before that, but obviously, he was a quick 
learner,'' a city council member told the Times-Picayune. ``I think he 
learned early on that the way to get things done was to develop a 
relationship with the council and consumers, and I think he did a 
pretty good job of that.'' Entergy Corporation's CEO Wayne Leonard was 
also impressed. ``[Packer] never came to me once and said: `This was 
unfair; I shouldn't have been held accountable,' '' Leonard told the 
Times-Picayune. ``The bottom line was that he was an adult. A lot of 
times, you look around, and you see a lot of talented people, but you 
don't see a lot of grown-ups.'' The result was that Packer was 
appointed president of Entergy New Orleans in 1997. The CEO title was 
added in 1998. As CEO, Packer is responsible for all aspects of the 
company: power distribution, customer service, economic development, 
financial performance, and regulatory and governmental affairs.
  As CEO, Packer continued to impress people within and outside the 
industry. In 2001, gas prices surged, leaving many New Orleanians 
struggling to meet payments. Packer announced that Entergy would not 
cut off power for non-payment. ``It may sound like it was a natural 
thing to do, but, from a business standpoint, it was an extraordinary 
move,'' an Entergy executive told New Orleans City Business. ``Dan's 
decision was, for some people, the difference between waking up in the 
dark and being able to turn the lights on. That was a defining moment 
in my professional relationship with him. In business school, you learn 
to make sure you can earn and collect on any amount. What you don't 
learn in school are the leadership traits it takes to make a tough 
decision.'' Packer's most challenging job arrived on August 29, 2005, 
in the form of Hurricane Katrina. The storm flooded half of the 
utility's substations and two power plants. Nearly 100 percent of its 
clients were left without power. In September, Entergy New Orleans 
filed for bankruptcy protection. By the end of the year, almost 70 
percent of Entergy New Orleans's client base was gone, and large swaths 
of the region were still without power. History has watched to see 
whether Packer's renowned strategic skills and unflappable attitude 
could save his company and restore regular services to its clients. He 
proved successful and retired from Entergy year-end, 2006. Though 
retirement was never in his plans, Dan continued his skills as 
President and CEO of Urban Solutions Inc., a multi-faceted firm 
involved with projects associated with an urban environment.
  Key appointments and memberships included the American Association of 
Blacks in Energy, president emeritus; NFL Stadium Advisory Commission, 
chairman, 2001; New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce, chairman, 
2001; New Orleans Aviation Board, chairman, 2002; Bring New Orleans 
Back Commission, member; Prince Hall Free and Accepted Masons Acacia 
Lodge No. 248 and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Alpha Boule (New 
Orleans Chapter). Notable awards include YMCA, Black Achievement Award, 
1988; Tulane University, Weiss Award, 2001; Boy Scouts of America, 
Southeast Louisiana Council, Whitney Young Service Award, 2004; and 
King of the Mobile Mardi Gras.
  The Man, the Legacy, will never be forgotten. He touched so many in 
every facet of his life, fulfilling opportunities and dreams throughout 
his career. I am honored to say he was my dear friend and mentor. Rest 
well friend. His legacy will live on forever.

                          ____________________