Management Team

Frank A. Hoffmann

Mr. Hoffmann has more than 30 years experience in various facets of the energy industry, primarily associated with electric, natural gas, water and wastewater utility operations. His work experience includes providing management consulting services for Price Waterhouse to numerous energy companies throughout North America. Mr. Hoffmann has held various executive positions at DQE, the parent of Duquesne Light Company, and served as a Board member of each of DQE's first-tier subsidiaries. As president of DQE's multi-state water and wastewater service provider, he was responsible for improving the financial and operational performance and leading its divestiture. Mr. Hoffman received BA and BE degrees from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the University of Chicago. In addition, he was a licensed structural engineer and certified management consultant.

John W. Welch

Mr. Welch has more than 30 years of experience in the energy industry and has held senior positions in the fields of natural gas distribution, transmission, production, and storage; propane gas distribution; fiber optic telecommunications networks, electric generation, and energy services. After 21 years of service, he left Equitable Gas Company as president to launch DQE Holdings into several new complementary energy related businesses. As president of DQE Systems (a first tier subsidiary of DQE), he led the creation of ProAm (the nation's 14th largest propane gas company in the US) and the establishment of DQE Communications as the profitable and leading dark fiber optic network in Pittsburgh. Mr. Welch has been published in industry trade magazines. Mr. Welch has a BS degree from Pennsylvania State University and has completed the executive management program at the Kellogg Graduate School of Northwestern University.