JEA Managing Director and CEO Paul McElroy notified employees Wednesday he was promoting Melissa Dykes to his former position of chief financial officer of the public utility.
Dykes was serving as JEA's treasurer.
"Melissa is a premier energy finance professional, with industry knowledge and experience in finance, investment banking and energy development," said McElroy.
According to McElroy, her list of career accomplishments includes being responsible for more than $26 billion in new debt issuance, including financings for municipal electric and water systems across the country. With the JPMorgan Chase team, she led the $12 billion financing of state power purchases during the California energy crisis, the largest municipal bond offering ever. As chief financial officer at an energy development company, she was responsible for raising capital, investor and rating agency relations, budgeting, cash management and financial reporting.
Before joining JEA, Dykes was chief financial officer at NTE Energy, located in St. Augustine, a portfolio company of a large energy private-equity firm. She also was a principal in a renewable energy development company, and vice president of investment banking at JPMorgan Chase. She is a graduate of the University of Florida.
Other staff announcements include:
• Jenny Alvarado will replace Dykes as JEA treasurer. Cash, debt, investments, financial planning and rates departments will report to her.
• Janice Nelson has been promoted to controller. The financial reporting, project accounting, operating budgets, capital budgets and tax departments will report to her.
• John McCarthy will continue his role as senior executive. Procurement, facilities, fleet, accounts payable and emergency preparedness departments will report to him.
• Vickie Cavey will continue in her new role directing JEA's strategy development and execution.
JEA staff conducted a nationwide search to find someone to fill McElroy's previous post, but found the candidate in its own ranks, which has become a trend among McElroy's hires since being appointed managing director and CEO on Sept. 7 by the JEA board of directors.
McElroy's executive staff includes Mike Brost, vice president and general manager of electrical systems; Brian Roche, vice president and general manager of water and wastewater; Dykes; Ted Hobson, chief compliance officer; Angelia Hiers, chief human resources officer; Wanyonyi Kendrick, chief information officer; and Bud Para, chief public affairs officer.
The lone remaining open executive position is chief customer officer, which McElroy expects to fill by March.
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