James L. Connaughton, former chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and former partner in the environmental practice group at Sidley Austin, has been named executive vice president of corporate affairs and public and environmental policy for Constellation Energy.
In this position, which is brand new, Connaughton will direct all environmental and energy policy matters related to the company. He will report to Michael J. Walace, vice chairman of Constellation Energy.
“Jim has an extraordinary track record as a visionary environmental and energy policy leader,” said Mayo A. Shattuck III, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Constellation Energy. “He brings a well-earned reputation as a bipartisan problem-solver, who can manage the complexities of critical business, economic and policy matters from the strategy phase through implementation. To be an energy leader, our company must be an environmental leader – they are one in the same, and that’s the commitment we make to all of our stakeholders.”
While at Sidley Austin, Connaughton played an integral role in the creation of the ISO 14000 series of international environmental management and performance standards.