Gerry Cauley appointed President and CEO of NERC

The announcement comes at the conclusion of an extensive search that considered a wide range of candidates from inside and outside the electricity business, begun after current CEO Rick Sergel announced his intent to retire earlier this year.

“Of the many excellent and highly qualified individuals included in the search, we unanimously found Gerry’s experience, credentials, and vision to best fit with the requirements we have for NERC’s future direction,” commented John Q. Anderson, NERC Chairman. “We are enthusiastic about Gerry’s ability to lead NERC through the next phase of its work.”

Mr. Cauley comes to NERC from his role as the president and chief executive officer of SERC Reliability Corporation, a position he has held since 2007. Prior to acting in this capacity, he served for ten years in positions of increasing responsibility at NERC, culminating as vice president and director of standards.

Mr. Cauley previously worked as the program manager of the Electric Power Research InstituteÂ’s Grid Operations and Planning Program and prior to that as a training consultant. He holds a B.S. from the United States Military Academy at West Point and served five years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He has also earned an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Maryland and an M.B.A. from Loyola College. He is a licensed professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia and a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Mr. Cauley will officially assume his role as NERCÂ’s president and CEO on January 1. Over the coming month, Mr. Cauley, Mr. Sergel, and NERCÂ’s executive management team will work together to ensure a smooth and seamless transition of responsibilities.

“I am looking forward to working with NERC’s stakeholders in industry and government to continue the progress that’s already been made toward our mutual goal of building a lasting and successful self-regulatory model for ensuring the reliability of the bulk power system in North America,” commented Mr. Cauley. “We have many opportunities ahead of us, notably including continued focus on cyber security and other emerging reliability issues. I approach each of these with confidence that NERC, its technical committees, and our partners in government will work together to address concerns and find solutions. I’m eager to dive in and get down to work.”

“As we welcome Gerry back to NERC, we also recognize Rick for his leadership and dedicated service to the organization,” continued Anderson. “Rick has led NERC through a critical phase in its growth and has firmly established the organization as the North American Electric Reliability Organization. We have all appreciated his commitment to making this organization successful and wish him the best in his retirement.”