FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Announces Management Changes at Fleet Headquarters, Beaver Valley

AKRON, Ohio, March 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), announced today several management changes at its fleet headquarters in Akron, Ohio, and Beaver Valley Power Station in Shippingport, Pa.

Paul A. Harden, currently site vice president at Beaver Valley, has been promoted to senior vice president of Fleet Engineering, effective April 15, 2013.  Harden, who will report to FENOC President and Chief Nuclear Officer Peter P. Sena, succeeds Danny L. Pace, who has elected to retire effective July 1, 2013, following a 37-year nuclear industry career. 

Eric A. Larson, currently vice president of Nuclear Support for the FENOC fleet, will replace Harden as site vice president of Beaver Valley.  Larson will report to Senior Vice President and FENOC Chief Operating Officer Samuel L. Belcher.  David Hamilton, director of Fleet Project Management, will assume responsibilities for Nuclear Support until Larson's replacement is named.  

"Danny has been a key member of the FENOC management team and is known throughout the industry for his willingness to tackle any challenge," said FirstEnergy Generation President James H. Lash. "He was an instrumental part of implementing our fleet approach, which helped FENOC move toward industry excellence.  We will all miss his keen insights, honesty and guidance.  At the same time, I have every confidence in Paul's ability to continue to manage this important part of our nuclear operations."

Prior to joining FENOC in 2005 as senior vice president of Fleet Engineering, Pace held numerous management positions with Entergy, including vice president of Engineering for Entergy Nuclear Northeast, director of Engineering at River Bend Station in Louisiana, director of Strategic Planning and Development at Entergy's corporate headquarters, and general manager of Plant Operations and director of Engineering at the Grand Gulf Station in Mississippi.  He was a licensed senior reactor operator at Grand Gulf and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Mississippi, Louisiana and New York. 

"Paul and Eric's new roles in the FENOC organization provide opportunities for them to strengthen our fleet leadership team while supporting FENOC's mission of providing safe, reliable and cost-effective power," said FENOC Chief Nuclear Officer Peter P. Sena.  "Paul's extensive engineering background and solid understanding of plant operations will benefit the FENOC fleet engineering organization, and Eric's leadership abilities align well with Beaver Valley's tradition of excellence." 

Harden joined FENOC in January 2008 as vice president of Nuclear Support.  He was named site vice president of Beaver Valley in August 2009.  Prior to joining the company, he was fleet vice president of Projects and Engineering for Nuclear Management Company in Hudson, Wisconsin.  He also served as site vice president, director of Site Operations and director of Engineering at the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan, and recovery director at the Kewaunee Nuclear Plant in Wisconsin. 

Harden earned a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame.  He was a licensed senior reactor operator at the Palisades Nuclear Plant and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Michigan.  Harden also served in the U.S. Navy reserves as an electronics technician.

With more than 25 years experience in the nuclear power industry, Larson joined FENOC in May 2011 as vice president, Nuclear Support.  Prior to FENOC, he served as plant general manager at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Maryland and R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant in New York.  Previously, he held operations and maintenance leadership positions at the D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant in Michigan and Salem Nuclear Power Plant in New Jersey. Larson also has worked at General Electric and AREVA as well as the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in New York, where he assisted with the facility's two naval nuclear prototypes.

Larson received a bachelor's degree in Marine Engineering from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and graduated with honors from the Executive Master of Business Administration program of the University of Notre Dame.  He was licensed as a senior reactor operator at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant.

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company headquartered in Akron, Ohio.  Its FENOC subsidiary operates the Beaver Valley Power Station in Shippingport, Pa.; the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Perry, Ohio; and the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor, Ohio.

www.firstenergycorp.com

Editor's Note:  Photographs are available upon request.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.