JACKSON, Mich., Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Richard J. Ford, who has more than three decades of extensive experience at Consumers Energy, has been named the vice president of energy delivery for the utility. Ford will have overall responsibility for the engineering and planning for the utility's electric and natural gas distribution systems to maintain safe and reliable service to Consumers Energy's 2.9 million customers. Ford will assume his new role on Nov. 17. Ford succeeds Paul N. Preketes, who is retiring. Preketes has been the utility's senior vice president of energy delivery services since 2006 and has held a number of executive positions during his 36-year career at Consumers Energy. Ford, who holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University, joined Consumers Energy in 1977. He has held a variety of leadership positions at the utility, including electric field manager, operations support manager, and network services manager. He currently serves as the site business manager of the Karn/Weadock Generating Complex, near Bay City. "Rich is a proven leader who is known for working in a collaborative manner to achieve consistent results. He brings broad operational experience and background to this new position, plus a deep commitment to providing excellent service to customers," said John Russell, president and chief operating officer for Consumers Energy. Dennis D. Dobbs, now the site production manager at Karn/Weadock, will replace Ford and have overall responsibility for the complex, which has about 370 employees and can generate up to 2,100 megawatts, enough to power a city of 1.3 million. Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, provides natural gas and electricity to nearly 6.5 million of Michigan's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. For more information about Consumers Energy, visit our Website at http://www.consumersenergy.com/ . DATASOURCE: Consumers Energy CONTACT: Jeff Holyfield, +1-517-788-2394, or Dan Bishop, +1-517-788-2395, both for Consumers Energy Web site: http://www.consumersenergy.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/203850.html

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