CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy's board of directors today elected William E. Kennard – former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair and U.S. Ambassador to the European Union – as a new board member, effective Jan. 1, 2014.
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Kennard chaired the FCC from 1997 to 2001, earning recognition from U.S. News & World Report as a "consumer champion for the digital age" for his efforts to expand broadband technology and bridge the digital divide.
As U.S. Ambassador to the European Union from 2009 to August 2013, Kennard worked to promote transatlantic trade and investment, and eliminate regulatory barriers to commerce.
Prior to his ambassadorship, Kennard served as managing director of The Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm, from 2001 to 2009, where he led investments in the communications and media sectors.
Kennard currently serves on the board of MetLife and as a senior advisor at Grain Management, a private equity firm.
He previously has served on the boards of The New York Times Company, Sprint Nextel Corporation and several companies owned by The Carlyle Group. He also has served on the boards of several non-profit institutions and organizations.
"Bill Kennard's deep federal regulatory and international experience, combined with his previous board experience, represent valuable additions to Duke Energy's existing board," said lead director Ann Gray, who becomes chair Jan. 1.
"Bill's innovative and thoughtful leadership at the FCC during a period of significant change in the communications industry will be particularly useful to our board as we position Duke Energy to meet the evolving needs of our customers, well into the future," added Lynn Good, Duke Energy CEO, president and vice chair.
Kennard, 56, also has worked as a partner at the Washington, D.C. law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand (now DLA Piper); general counsel at the FCC; and assistant general counsel at the National Association of Broadcasters.
He is a graduate of Stanford University and Yale Law School.
About Duke Energy
Duke Energy is the largest electric power holding company in the United States with more than $110 billion in total assets. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 7.2 million electric customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. Its commercial power and international business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at: www.duke-energy.com.
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SOURCE Duke Energy