Richard J. Ford Named Consumers Energy's Vice President of Energy Delivery
JACKSON, Mich., Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Richard J. Ford, who has more than
three decades of extensive experience at Consumers Energy, has been named the
vice president of energy delivery for the utility.
Ford will have overall responsibility for the engineering and planning for
the utility's electric and natural gas distribution systems to maintain safe
and reliable service to Consumers Energy's 2.9 million customers. Ford will
assume his new role on Nov. 17.
Ford succeeds Paul N. Preketes, who is retiring. Preketes has been the
utility's senior vice president of energy delivery services since 2006 and has
held a number of executive positions during his 36-year career at Consumers
Energy.
Ford, who holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from
Michigan Technological University, joined Consumers Energy in 1977. He has
held a variety of leadership positions at the utility, including electric
field manager, operations support manager, and network services manager. He
currently serves as the site business manager of the Karn/Weadock Generating
Complex, near Bay City.
"Rich is a proven leader who is known for working in a collaborative
manner to achieve consistent results. He brings broad operational experience
and background to this new position, plus a deep commitment to providing
excellent service to customers," said John Russell, president and chief
operating officer for Consumers Energy.
Dennis D. Dobbs, now the site production manager at Karn/Weadock, will
replace Ford and have overall responsibility for the complex, which has about
370 employees and can generate up to 2,100 megawatts, enough to power a city
of 1.3 million.
Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, provides natural
gas and electricity to nearly 6.5 million of Michigan's 10 million residents
in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
