Changes were announced this week to the executive team in charge of the Southwest Power Pool, the 14-state group of which Oklahoma is a member.
The SPP, headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, said the changes were meant to further strengthen its position as a leader in electric reliability and affordability as it named David Kelley as Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. It also promoted Casey Cathey to Vice President of Engineering.
“David’s background in engineering and markets equips him with a unique perspective and problem-solving approach that will be invaluable in advancing financial strategies that ensure the continued success of our organization,” said SPP President and CEO Barbara Sugg.
“And Casey’s proven track record as a results-driven thought leader in the space of regional planning is exactly what our organization needs as we plan the grid of the future. I’m very excited to have both of them in these roles as SPP continues to grow, advance, and mature in response to our stakeholders’ needs.”
As Chief Financial Officer, Kelley will be responsible for developing and executing a financial strategy aligned to SPP’s vision and objectives. He will oversee the financial settlement of all transactions occurring under SPP’s tariff and lead SPP’s accounting, settlements, finance and credit departments.
Kelley previously served as SPP’s Vice President of Engineering and has more than 20 years of utility industry experience, having served in various engineering and markets leadership roles at SPP since joining in 2008.
As Vice President of Engineering, Cathey will lead SPP’s evolving, innovative approach to consolidated transmission planning, and he will oversee the ongoing development of the organization’s transmission expansion plan, administration of generator interconnection and transmission service study processes, and the advancement of regional resource adequacy policies.