WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- James H. DeGraffenreidt Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of WGL Holdings, Inc., , and its subsidiary, Washington Gas Light Company (Washington Gas), announced today the election of two new corporate officers. Douglas Staebler has been named vice president of Engineering and Construction, and Lauren Foley was elected vice president of Consumer Services. The new officers will assume their positions at the close of business on Oct. 31 and at the close of business on Oct. 13, respectively.
"We our pleased that our company features such a strong and committed management team. Succession planning and leadership development have been central to our strategic objectives for many years," said Chairman James H. DeGraffenreidt Jr. "Doug and Lauren have distinguished themselves in their respective disciplines, and we welcome their insights and experiences as they begin their new leadership roles with Washington Gas."
Staebler succeeds Thomas Bonner, currently vice president of Engineering and Construction, who is retiring effective Nov. 1. Staebler joined Washington Gas in 2005 as division head of Corporate Engineering to lead the company's engineering operations. He is a 24-year veteran of gas utilities and brings an extensive background in engineering, operations and construction and maintenance.
He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Villanova University and holds an MBA from Rutgers University. In addition, Staebler sits on the American Gas Association's Operating Section Managing Committee and is an active member of several key industry and trade associations, including the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Society of Gas Operators.
Foley joined Washington Gas in 2002 as division head of Customer Services. She has 17 years' experience with gas and electric distribution companies across a range of professional disciplines. Her most significant experience includes customer service operations, financial controls and auditing, project management, and regulatory matters. She will succeed Jim White, currently vice president of Consumer Services. White will leave the company on Oct. 13. His retirement becomes effective in February 2007.
Foley holds a B.S. in Management from the University of Massachusetts, an MBA from Boston College and is a certified internal auditor. Her current portfolio comprises most customer service activities, including meter reading, billing, third-party gas supplier billing and support, call center operations, credit and collections, and walk-in services. She currently serves as vice chairman of the American Gas Association/Edison Electric Institute customer service committee.
Bonner joined Washington Gas in 2002, with a 30-year history of leadership in natural gas utility operations. From 1991 to 2000, he served in several executive capacities in the distribution and operations areas, including vice president of operations, at Boston Gas Co. Prior to his tenure at Boston Gas, Bonner served in executive positions in gas supply, customer services, operations, and engineering at South Jersey Gas Co. and Philadelphia Gas Works.
White's service to Washington Gas spans nearly three decades with responsibilities that covered many aspects of the utility and its unregulated holdings. He joined the company in 1977 as a financial analyst and has held a number of management and leadership positions in marketing, corporate planning, investor relations and consumer relations. During his tenure, he served as vice president of the former Virginia division of Washington Gas, New Business Development and Consumer Relations.
"Tom and Jim have made many significant contributions to the company over the years," said Terry D. McCallister, president and chief operating officer of WGL Holdings and Washington Gas. "During Jim's three decades with Washington Gas, his broad knowledge and expertise have helped us to grow and evolve to meet our customers' needs.
"Tom's operational expertise has driven many of our efforts to make process improvements as we continue our ongoing goal of achieving operational excellence. We wish Tom and Jim all the best as they begin this next phase of their lives."
Last month, WGL Holdings and Washington Gas announced another key leadership transition following news that Frederic Kline, current vice president and chief financial officer, would resign his position effective Sept. 29. His retirement will become effective on Feb. 1, 2007. Vincent Ammann has been tapped to succeed Kline.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Washington Gas is a wholly-owned subsidiary of WGL Holdings, Inc. . The parent company holds a group of energy-related retail businesses that focus primarily on retail energy- marketing and commercial heating, ventilating and air conditioning services. For more information about Washington Gas, visit http://www.washingtongas.com/. Additional information about WGL Holdings is available on its Web site at http://www.wglholdings.com/.
