BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) President and Chief Executive Officer Kenneth W. DeFontes Jr. has announced that he will retire from the company on Feb. 28, 2014, after a 42-year tenure. DeFontes joined BGE in 1972 as an associate engineer and over his career was promoted to several key positions in company operations, including vice president, electric transmission and distribution. He was named president and CEO in 2004.
“Ken led BGE through some times of great change for the energy industry, and his contributions have been extremely important to the company’s success,” said Denis O’Brien, chief executive officer of Exelon Utilities. “Ken is tremendously respected throughout the company, the utility industry and in Maryland. He has served as a mentor to many and is known for his passion, integrity and service.”
Upon DeFontes’ retirement, Calvin G. Butler Jr., BGE’s senior vice president, regulatory and external affairs, will become BGE’s chief executive officer. Butler, an attorney, was named to his current role in February 2013, to oversee the company’s strategic direction and relationships with government, regulatory, community and other key stakeholders. Prior to this role, Butler served as Exelon’s senior vice president of corporate affairs and held other leadership positions within Exelon and BGE’s sister utility, ComEd. Butler, who led the merger approval process between Exelon and Constellation Energy in Maryland, began his career working for a utility holding company and later ran operations for a national manufacturing company.
Stephen J. Woerner, currently BGE’s senior vice president and chief operating officer, will become president and chief operating officer. Woerner, who will report to Butler, will oversee the day-to-day operations of the company. Woerner joined BGE in 1990 and has held numerous technical and leadership roles at BGE and Constellation. He served as vice president and chief integration officer at Constellation Energy prior to being named BGE COO in 2012.
“This company means a great deal to me and I’m so proud of what we have accomplished over the years,” said DeFontes. “I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working with some of the best professionals in the business, and I’m confident that we have the right leadership team in place to ensure BGE's success. I’m excited for the future of BGE and what comes next for me personally.”
DeFontes plans to continue his local community involvement, including serving as chair of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra board of trustees. He is also a member of the national advisory council of the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering and serves on the board of ClearEdge Power, a fuel cell company based in northern California.
A Baltimore native, DeFontes attended Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering. He went on to earn a master's degree in business administration from Loyola University Maryland.
BGE, headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest gas and electric utility, delivering power to more than 1.2 million electric customers and more than 655,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. The company’s approximately 3,400 employees are committed to the safe and reliable delivery of gas and electricity, as well as enhanced energy management, conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with 2012 revenues of approximately $23.5 billion. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
