HOLYOKE, Mass. – Roberta S. Brown and Richard E. Kessel have been elected to the board of directors of ISO New England Inc., effective today. They replace Mary Sharpe Hayes, who is retiring today after a decade on the board, and Richard A. Abdoo, who resigned in March.
“The leadership and expertise Roberta and Richard have demonstrated throughout their careers make them a welcome addition to the ISO New England board of directors,” said Vincent M. O’Reilly, chairman of the board. “I am confident their collective experience will benefit ISO New England, the states and stakeholders.”
Brown – who spearheaded the recent effort to form the region-wide reliability council ReliabilityFirst, from the previous three separate councils – is the president of energy consulting and investment firm Sassafras River Associates LLC, a post she has held since 2005. She previously served for 24 years at Pepco Holdings Inc., in the Delmarva Power, Pepco and Conectiv Inc. subsidiaries, rising to vice president of transmission. A graduate of Immaculata College, with a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics, Brown is a registered professional engineer in five states.
Kessel is the president and CEO of Environmental Power Corp. AMEX:EPG), a company focusing on developing and managing renewable energy facilities. He previously has worked for companies including Bedford Partners, Suez Environment North America, Trigen Energy Corp., Ebasco Services Inc. and Sithe Energies, where he was chief operating officer. A graduate of Manhattan College with a degree in electrical engineering, he also holds an executive management degree from Wharton.
ISO New England (www.iso-ne.com) is a Regional Transmission Organization charged with operating the regional power system and wholesale electricity markets. Its board members are elected via a process that includes nominations by representatives of the ISO New England Board, the New England Conference of Public Utilities Commissioners and the New England Power Pool, as well as endorsements by the NEPOOL Participants Committee.
