FirstEnergy Announces Management Changes

Moves Broaden Roles and Responsibilities of Key Personnel


AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 12  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) today announced changes that support continued management development and further align finance, operations and strategic planning.

Tony C. Banks, FirstEnergy vice president Business Development, Performance and Management, has been named vice president, Product and Business Development for FirstEnergy Solutions (FES), the company's competitive subsidiary.  Gary D. Benz, Associate General Counsel, has been promoted to director, Business Development, for FirstEnergy.

John W. Judge, currently director of Integrated Business Planning, has been promoted to director, Supply Chain for FirstEnergy.  Kelley E. Mendenhall, who was promoted to Assistant Treasurer earlier this year, will assume responsibility for Integrated Business Planning, in addition to her current duties.  The moves are effective today.

"These moves are part of our ongoing effort to broaden roles and responsibilities of key management personnel and further support financial planning and business operations," said Mark T. Clark, executive vice president and Chief Financial Officer.  "With the newly created position to lead product and business development for FES, we also are enhancing our focus on long-term strategic planning in our competitive subsidiary."

Banks joined FirstEnergy in 2004 as director of Marketing for FES.  He was promoted to vice president of Sales and Marketing for FES in 2005 and to his current position later that year.  Prior to joining FirstEnergy, Banks was a consultant to utilities and energy services and technology companies, president of RAI Ventures and chairman of the board of Optiron Corporation, an energy technology subsidiary of Atlas America.  Banks earned his bachelor of science degree in Accounting and Computer Science from Point Park University.

Benz joined the Ohio Edison Legal Department in 1989, after several years in private practice.  He was promoted to his current position in 2000, responsible for legal matters related to environmental; mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; antitrust; tax; and real estate.  Benz earned his law degree from The University of Toledo College of Law, and his bachelor of science degree in journalism and political science from Bowling Green State University.

Judge began his career with FirstEnergy in 1998 as a senior staff analyst and has held management positions in Generation Strategy and Cross Business Initiatives.  He was promoted to director of Business Solutions in 2001, director of Commodity Supply Planning for FES in 2004 and to his current position in 2007.  Judge earned his bachelor of arts degree in economics and international studies from Miami University and a master of business administration degree from Georgetown University.

Mendenhall joined FirstEnergy in 2000 as executive director of Sales and Marketing for FES and was named director, Strategic Business Performance in 2004.  She was promoted to Controller for FES in 2007.  Prior to joining the company, Mendenhall was an area marketing director for Honeywell.  She earned her bachelor of science degree in Engineering from Ohio University.

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company headquartered in Akron, Ohio.  Its subsidiaries and affiliates are involved in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, as well as energy management and other energy-related services.  Its seven electric utility operating companies comprise the nation's fifth largest investor-owned electric system, based on 4.5 million customers served within a 36,100-square-mile area of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey; and its generation subsidiaries control more than 14,000 megawatts of capacity. 

DATASOURCE: FirstEnergy Corp.



CONTACT:  Ellen Raines, FirstEnergy Corp., [phone]



Web Site:  http://www.firstenergycorp.com/ 

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