Energy West Inc., a natural gas, propane and energy marketing company serving the Rocky Mountain states, said Monday that Edward Bernica has resigned as president and CEO and as a member of the board of directors and that John C. Allen has been named by the board to take over the positions on an interim basis. The changes will take effect immediately. Allen has been Energy West’s general counsel, vice president and secretary since 1992. “All of us at Energy West will move forward to work to strengthen our financial position and to provide a solid basis for our company to operate in the new environment facing energy companies,” Allen said. “We will continue to work to strengthen our business operations with particular emphasis on our core businesses in the regulated natural gas and propane distribution businesses. For now, we do not anticipate expanding our involvement in other areas outside of those core businesses.” Chairman G. Montgomery Mitchell said Allen is a leading candidate for assuming the CEO post on a permanent basis.

The board of directors of Great Plains Energy said Monday that Michael J. Chesser will be appointed to the positions of chairman and CEO on Oct. 1, succeeding Bernie Beaudoin who, as previously announced March 13, will retire effective Dec. 31. Chesser has had a long career in the utility industry, initially at Baltimore Gas and Electric and subsequently as president and COO at Atlantic Energy Inc. and as president and CEO at GPU Energy. In addition, the board also announced that William H. Downey has been elected president, COO and a director of Great Plains Energy and president and CEO of Kansas City Power & Light. Downey joined the company in 2000 and has served as executive vice president of Great Plains Energy and president of Kansas City Power & Light. Headquartered in Kansas City, MO, Great Plains Energy is the holding company for three business units: Kansas City Power & Light Company, a regulated provider of electricity in the Midwest; Strategic Energy LLC, an energy management company providing electric load aggregation and power supply coordination; and KLT Gas Inc., a subsidiary specializing in coal bed methane exploration and development.

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