New Positions:

Great Plains Energy Inc. named Michael Chesser as chairman and chief executive officer, effective Oct. 1. He succeeds Bernie Beaudoin, who is retiring at year's end. Chesser formerly served as president and COO at Atlantic Energy Inc. and as president and CEO at GPU Energy. He also served as chairman and CEO of Itron Inc., a maker of meter-reading and automated communications equipment, where he continues to serve on the board. Great Plains also named William Downey president, chief operating officer and a director. He also will serve as president and chief executive officer of its Kansas City Power & Light unit. Downey joined the company in 2000 and has served as executive vice president of Great Plains Energy and president of Kansas City Power & Light.