New Opportunities:
FERC Chairman Pat Wood III said he would leave the commission at the conclusion of his term of office June 30. Wood is the longest-serving appointee of George W. Bush, who as governor of Texas in 1995 appointed him to the Texas PUC.
Robert Gleitz has been named general manager of GE Energy's wind segment, reporting to Mark Little, vice president-Power Generation for GE Energy. He has served as director of GE Energy's European projects group, as commercial director supporting sales and commercial operations for GE, and more recently as managing director of GE Energy Products Europe.
Great Plains Energy named Terry Bassham as executive vice president and CFO. Bassham will succeed Andrea Bielsker, who plans to leave the company. Bassham joins Great Plains Energy from El Paso Electric, where he is executive vice president, and chief financial and administrative officer.
Charles Fisher, former Illinois Commerce Commission director, will lead James Lee Witt Associates' Utility and Critical Infrastructure Practice.
FirstEnergy Corp. announced that Daniel V. Steen, formerly director, environmental, has been promoted to vice president, environmental, effective March 6, reporting to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Richard R. Grigg.
Charles E. Bayless has been named president of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology effective April 4. A 1968 Tech graduate, Bayless has headed major utilities from New Hampshire to Arizona.