PALO ALTO, Calif., April 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) today announced changes to its Board of Directors that will take effect April 14.

Stanley W. (Stan) Connally, Jr., Southern Company's Executive Vice President of Operations and Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of its Southern Company Services (SCS) subsidiary, will succeed Edison International President and CEO Pedro J. Pizarro as Chairman of EPRI's Board.

"EPRI's effectiveness in leveraging collaboration and technical expertise to solve the energy industry's challenges is unparalleled. This is an important period for our industry and for EPRI as we continue to decarbonize and also work to ensure the reliability, resilience and affordability of our service," said Connally. "I look forward to continuing this important work as EPRI and its members harness research and development to deliver solutions for the customers and communities who rely on us."

Douglas F. Esamann, Executive Vice President of Energy Solutions of Duke Energy, will become First Vice Chair of EPRI's Board, and Paula Gold-Williams, President and CEO of CPS Energy, will be the new Second Vice Chair.  

"The new additions to our Board already provide EPRI valuable insight and perspective that guides our society-focused R&D for the long term. They are stalwarts with deep understanding of our industry and what's at stake in our clean energy transition," said EPRI President and CEO Arshad Mansoor. "I am grateful for our directors' leadership, which is essential to helping us achieve our mission—to deliver clean energy technology solutions for the benefit of all."

Connally oversees Southern Company's systemwide operations. This includes generation, transmission, engineering and construction services, commercial operations, supply chain management, system planning and environmental affairs, as well as Southern Wholesale Energy and the company's Southern Linc and Southern Telecom telecommunications businesses. As CEO of SCS, he is responsible for its primary shared-services activities, administration functions and budget management for SCS, as well as for ensuring the alignment of information technology and operations functions to create strategies that deliver increased value to customers. Previously, he served as Chairman, President and CEO of Southern Company subsidiary Gulf Power from 2012 through 2018. Connally joined Southern Company in 1989.

Connally has been a member of EPRI's board since 2017, serving on the executive committee and the compensation and leadership development committee. He is currently the lead independent director of Capital City Bank Group's board, serves on its audit committee and is immediate past-chair of the governance and nominating committee. 

As EVP at Duke Energy, Esamann oversees corporate and regulatory strategy, emerging technology and the company's regulated and commercial renewable energy operations. Esamann is also president of Duke Energy's Midwest and Florida regions and its natural gas business, where he oversees all of the company's natural gas operations in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. He previously served as President of Duke Energy Indiana. Esamann joined Public Service Indiana, a predecessor company, in 1979. Over the course of his career, he has held a variety of leadership roles.

Gold-Williams has been the President and CEO of CPS Energy since late 2015. CPS Energy is a municipally owned electric and gas utility located in San Antonio, Texas, the seventh largest city in the nation. Prior to becoming the CEO, Gold-Williams held numerous leadership roles at the company, including Group Executive Vice President – Financial and Administrative Services, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and Chief Administrative Officer and Controller.

An additional nine directors were elected by the Board, beginning four-year terms: John R. Bear, CEO, MISO; Samuel Belcher, Senior Vice President and President, FirstEnergy Utilities; Anthony Campbell, President and CEO, East Kentucky Power Cooperative; Michael A. Innocenzo, President and CEO, PECO; Patrick O'Loughlin, President and CEO, Buckeye Power, Inc. and Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives; John Pettigrew, CEO, National Grid; Patricia Poppe, CEO, PG&E Corporation; Gil C. Quiniones, President and CEO, New York Power Authority; and Scott Seu, President and CEO, Hawaiian Electric Company.

The Board also appointed Sherina Maye Edwards, CEO, INTREN, and Arun Majumdar, Jay Precourt Provostial Chair Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University, as external directors.

In October 2020, John Hairston, Administrator and CEO of Bonneville Power Administration, was appointed to a permanent board seat. Matthew Ketschke, President of Consolidated Edison of New York, was appointed to an interim term in January 2021.

Contact
Tim Leljedal
980-229-5964
[email protected]

About EPRI  
The Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI, www.epri.com) conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public. An independent, nonprofit organization, EPRI brings together its scientists and engineers as well as experts from academia and industry to help address challenges in electricity, including reliability, efficiency, health, safety and the environment. EPRI's members represent more than 90 percent of the electricity generated and delivered in the United States, and international participation extends to 40 countries. EPRI's principal offices and laboratories are in Palo Alto, Calif.; Charlotte, N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Lenox, Mass.

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SOURCE Electric Power Research Institute