Duke Energy names Melissa Seixas as Florida state president

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy today said it will elevate Melissa Seixas to serve as president of Duke Energy Florida, effective Feb. 16. Currently vice president government and community relations for Duke Energy Florida, Seixas will succeed Catherine Stempien, who is leaving at the end of February for a position outside of the company.

Seixas, 55, will lead the company's work with customers, employees, policymakers and others to advance the clean energy vision for the state, expand electrification efforts, and focus on strategic philanthropic initiatives and community relations. She will have responsibility for managing state and local regulatory and government relations across the Sunshine State.

"Melissa's many years of experience with the company have prepared her well for this important role," said Doug Esamann, executive vice president energy solutions, president Midwest and Florida Regions and natural gas business unit. "She is well-known throughout our Florida communities and will build on the great progress the team has already accomplished. She will continue to advocate for policies and practices that meet the energy needs of our customers to ensure we deliver the safe and reliable service they expect and deserve."

In her role as vice president government and community relations, Seixas directed Duke Energy Florida's efforts to strengthen relationships with local municipal, community and civic organizations, as well as business leaders throughout the company's 35-county service area. Her team worked closely with leaders to help communities achieve their energy, growth and sustainability goals.

In 1986, Seixas joined Florida Power (which later became Progress Energy and then Duke Energy) in distribution engineering. Over her 34-year career with the company, she has served in numerous roles with increasing leadership responsibilities.

Seixas holds a bachelor's degree in American history from Eckerd College and a master's degree in American history from the University of South Florida. Her executive training includes a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) certification from Johns Hopkins University, and programs with the Edison Electric Institute and Georgetown University'sMcDonough School of Business.

Seixas has a strong tradition of supporting her community. She has served on numerous boards for nonprofit and business organizations including the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and the Pinellas County Urban League, and she served as immediate past chair of the board of directors for the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership. She also has a long history of service to the University of South Florida and was honored as the 2019 recipient of the USFSP Regional Chancellor Award for Civic Leadership. She currently serves as a member of the USF St. Petersburg Campus Advisory Board and was recently appointed to the board of trustees for the University of South Florida.

"We're excited to have Melissa as the new state president as our company continues its clean energy transformation journey, and we deeply appreciate Catherine's leadership and contributions to our company. We wish her all the best," said Esamann.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit's regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2020 "World's Most Admired Companies" list, and Forbes' 2019 "America's Best Employers" list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media contact: Valerie Patterson
Media line:  800.559.3853
Cell: 704-577-1821
Email: valerie.patterson@duke-energy.com

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SOURCE Duke Energy