THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 8, 2010

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key administration posts:

·         Cheryl A. LaFleur, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

·         Lawrence J. Pijeaux, Jr., Member, National Museum and Library Sciences Board

President Obama said, “I am grateful that these distinguished individuals have chosen to join my administration as we work to solve the problems our nation faces. Their dedication and skill will serve the American people well, and I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key administration posts:

Cheryl A. LaFleur, Nominee for Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Cheryl A. LaFleur has more than 20 years experience as a leader in the electric and gas industry. She retired in 2007 as Executive Vice President and acting CEO of National Grid USA responsible for the delivery of electricity to 3.4 million customers in the Northeast.  Her previous positions at National Grid USA and its predecessor New England Electric System included Chief Operating Officer, President of the New England distribution companies, General Counsel, Senior Vice President of Retail Marketing, and Vice President of Demand-Side Management.  She helped lead the company through several regulatory and corporate transformations including the deregulation of energy supply, the transition to performance-based ratemaking, and mergers with National Grid, EUA, Niagara Mohawk, and KeySpan.  She has been an active leader in the growth of energy efficiency and demand response programs for customers, the introduction of competitive energy markets, and efforts to strengthen service reliability and employee and public safety.  Since retiring from National Grid, LaFleur has been active as a nonprofit board member and leader.  She serves or has served on the boards of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, United Way of Central Massachusetts, Massachusetts Business Roundtable, and numerous other organizations.  During 2008, she served as President and CEO of the Steppingstone Foundation, an educational nonprofit in Boston. Before joining National Grid in 1986, LaFleur was a lawyer at Ropes and Gray in Boston from 1978 to 1986. She has an A.B. with high honors from Princeton University and a J.D. with honors from Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Lawrence J. Pijeaux, Jr., Nominee for Member, National Museum and Library Sciences Board

Dr. Lawrence J. Pijeaux, Jr. is President and CEO of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a multi-media facility housing exhibitions of historical events from post-World War I racial segregation to present-day racial progress. Dr. Pijeaux is a member of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra Board, Alabama Tourism Department Advisory Board, the Executive Committee of the Greater Alabama Council Boy Scouts of America, the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel Advisory Board, and the Rotary Club of Birmingham. He holds a doctorate in Education from the University of Southern Mississippi, a master’s in Teaching from Tulane University, and bachelor’s degree from Southern University.

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