CHICAGO, Dec. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Integrys Energy Group, Inc. board of directors has selected Charles A. (Charlie) Schrock, president and CEO of Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, to be president and CEO of the Chicago-based energy holding company, effective January 1, 2009.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081222/AQM057)
At that time, current Chairman, President and CEO Larry L. Weyers will become executive chairman of the board. Schrock, 55, and Weyers, 63, will have an extensive transition period as Weyers prepares for retirement once the transition is successfully completed.
"The selection team was impressed with the strength of the internal candidates who stepped up," said Jack Meng, who, as chair of the board's Compensation Committee, led the selection process that began in late September. "It's a testament to the strength of the company's leadership team that our candidates compared so well to others presented by our advisors from SpencerStuart."
"The board has made a great decision in selecting Charlie for this position," said Weyers. "I have had the privilege of working with Charlie for many years. He has excelled in every position he's held with us and worked hard to prepare himself for this role. I am extremely confident in his ability to lead Integrys. Charlie is not only an astute manager with tremendous business acumen, he's a very down-to-earth person."
Schrock comes to the presidency of Integrys from his role as president and CEO of Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, a position he has held since Integrys was formed in early 2007. His career with WPSC began in 1979 when he joined the company as an Associate Engineer. Since that time, he has held numerous leadership roles, including Senior Vice President of Generation, Senior Vice President-Nuclear Management Company (NMC), Plant Manager, Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant, President of WPS Power Development, Inc., Senior Vice President of WPS Resources Corporation, President and Chief Operating Officer of Generation at WPSC and President of WPSC.
A Detroit native, Schrock has both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan. He has completed graduate courses in Business Management at Cardinal Stritch College and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University. He is a member of the American Nuclear Society.
Schrock is a member of the board of directors for the Association of Electric Illuminating Companies and is a former board member for both the Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company and the Wisconsin River Power Company. Schrock also serves on boards of the New North Corporation and the Neville Public Museum, both in Green Bay. He is a member of the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce executive committee and also chairs the Chamber's Partners in Education executive committee. In addition, he is a member of the University of Michigan College of Engineering Advisory Committee and serves on various education task forces in the Green Bay area.
"I am grateful to the board and to Mr. Weyers for the confidence they have placed in me," said Schrock. "They have positioned Integrys well and I hope to build on that work to create even more value for our customers, our shareholders and our employees."
Schrock and his wife, Liz, who are residents of De Pere, WI, are expected to relocate to Chicago in the spring.
About Integrys Energy Group, Inc.
Integrys Energy Group, Inc. , headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is a holding company for energy related subsidiaries, which includes regulated utilities and nonregulated subsidiaries.
The six regulated utilities consist of:
-- The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company, a natural gas utility serving approximately 830,000 customers in the City of Chicago.
-- Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, an electric and natural gas utility serving approximately 433,000 electric customers and 314,000 natural gas customers in northeastern Wisconsin and an adjacent portion of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
-- Minnesota Energy Resources Corporation, a natural gas utility serving approximately 207,000 customers throughout Minnesota.
-- Michigan Gas Utilities Corporation, a natural gas utility serving approximately 165,000 customers in lower Michigan.
-- North Shore Gas Company, a natural gas utility serving approximately 158,000 customers in the northern suburbs of Chicago.
-- Upper Peninsula Power Company, an electric utility serving approximately 52,000 customers in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
The company's principal nonregulated subsidiary is:
-- Integrys Energy Services, Inc., a diversified nonregulated energy supply and services company serving residential, commercial, industrial, and wholesale customers in developed competitive markets in the United States and Canada.
For more information, visit the company's Web site: http://www.integrysgroup.com/.
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN10
PRN Photo Desk,
