Robert M. Chiste has served as our Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer since September 2001. From 1998 to September 2001, Mr. Chiste was a private investor and co-founded three technology start-ups: TriActive, Inc., a provider of hosted systems management solutions, FuelQuest, Inc., an on-demand software provider for the fuel industry, and iMark, Inc., an internet industrial products auction company. From 1994 to 1997, Mr. Chiste served as Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Allwaste, Inc., a publicly-traded provider of industrial, energy and environmental services, until its acquisition by Philip Services Corp., where he served as President of the Industrial Services Group from 1997 to 1998. From 1986 to 1994, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of American National Power, Inc., a successor to Transco Energy Ventures Company, an independent power company and a subsidiary of publicly-traded Transco Energy Company. At Transco Energy, he also served as Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning from 1986 to 1988 and headed its corporate venture capital activities from 1986 to 1994. From 1980 to 1986, Mr. Chiste held several executive officer positions with Belco Petroleum and its successor, Enron Oil and Gas Corporation. Mr. Chiste currently serves on the board of directors of publicly-traded Franklin Credit Management Corporation, a specialty lender, as well as private companies AisRe, FuelQuest, Inc. and TriActive, Inc., and he is a former board member of publicly traded Innovative Valve Technologies, Inc., a service provider for industrial valves, and Pentacon, Inc., a distributor of military/aerospace fasteners and component hardware. He received a B.A. in mathematics from the College of New Jersey and J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Rutgers University.
Nora M. Brownell became a member of our board of directors in December 2006 and serves on our Compensation Committee. In May 2001, Ms. Brownell was confirmed as Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission where she served until the expiration of her term in June 2006. During her time as Commissioner, Ms. Brownell was an advocate for the development of regional transmission organizations, markets for wholesale power and national energy infrastructure development. Prior to her time as Commissioner, she served as a member of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission where she took an active role in the rollout of electric choice in Pennsylvania, helped to establish a framework for one of the most successful retail electric markets in the country and worked towards a public policy to develop a robust competitive telecommunications market in the state. Ms. Brownell is the former President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. Ms. Brownell attended Syracuse University.
Alec G. Dreyer became a member of our board of directors in January 2008. Based in Houston, Texas, Mr. Dreyer, until recently, served as Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Wind Energy LLC, a Company that developed, built and operated wind farms in Washington, Oklahoma, New York, Texas and Illinois, USA. Preceding this, Mr. Dreyer served as President of Dynegy Inc.'s Generation Division where he managed approximately 13,000 megawatts of generation with 10 officers and approximately 1,200 employees. Mr. Dreyer is also on the board of EcoSecurities, one of the world's leading companies in the business of sourcing, developing and trading carbon credits. EcoSecurities structures and guides greenhouse gas emission reduction projects through the project cycle, working with both project developers and buyers of carbon credits. Mr. Dreyer is a Certified Public Accountant, registered in the state of Illinois.
William J. Grealis became a member of our board of directors in March 2006 and serves as Chairman of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and as a member of our Audit Committee. Mr. Grealis is currently retired. From April 2000 to May 2005, Mr. Grealis was Executive Vice President of Cinergy Corp., a gas and electricity service provider. Over Mr. Grealis' ten years at Cinergy, he held numerous offices with profit and loss responsibility for Cinergy's largest divisions. Mr. Grealis began his career as the legal advisor to the Vice-Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and later became a partner at the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer Feld LLP from 1979 to 1994. Mr. Grealis has served as chairman and member of the board of directors for numerous entities, including The Ohio Electric Utility Institute.
Robert F. McCullough became a member of our board of directors in August 2006 and serves as Chairman of our Audit Committee and also serves on our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. McCullough served as a senior partner of AMVESCAP PLC, an independent global investment manager, from May 2004 to December 2006, and he served as the Chief Financial Officer and member of the board of directors of AMVESCAP from 1996 until May 2004. From 1987 to 1996, he was the managing partner for the Atlanta office of Arthur Andersen LLP. From 1972 to 1987, he was a partner for the New York office of Arthur Andersen. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. McCullough currently serves on the board of directors and audit committees of publicly-traded Acuity Brands, Inc., a provider of lighting fixtures and specialty chemicals, and publicly-traded Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc., a diversified producer of specialty papers.
R. Blake Young became a member of our board of directors in August 2006 and serves on our Compensation Committee as Chairman and also on our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Young became head of technology and administration of BG North America, an integrated energy major in January 2007. Mr. Young had previously held various senior management positions with publicly-traded Dynegy Inc. from 1998 to 2005, including Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. He also served as President of Illinois Power Company, Dynegy's electric and gas transmission and distribution company. He was also a member of Dynegy's six-member executive management team. Mr. Young was responsible for corporate strategy and development, human resources, information technology, corporate communications and other major functions. Prior to such assignment, he was Executive Vice President & President of Global Technology at Dynegy. Prior to Dynegy Mr. Young was with Campbell Soup Company at their World Headquarters and served as Chief Information Officer of the US Grocery Division. Prior to Campbell Soup, Mr. Young had a 14 year career with Tenneco Energy, a large integrated natural gas transporter and marketer and served in a number of senior administrative and commercial management positions including Chief Information Officer and Chief Of Staff to the Chairman and CEO.
= Chairman of the Board
= Chair
= Member
= Independent Director
