PJM has asked FERC to grant it more time to find candidates to fill two Board of Managers positions vacated when the Members Committee (MC) voted against reelecting two incumbents May 12. (See PJM Stakeholders Reaffirm Board Election Results.) 

The May 30 filing states that the RTO’s Nominating Committee (NC) needs more than the one-month period permitted by its Operating Agreement (OA) to select new candidates after the MC fails to elect a full board. It seeks instead to impose a Sept. 25 deadline for the NC to bring new candidates for members to vote on. The committee is composed of one member from each of the five member sectors and three from the Board of Managers. 

“While the Nominating Committee has already been reconvened and met, this waiver request is necessary to ensure sufficient time to identify potential board members and to complete appropriate due diligence, including background checks, prior to announcing the proposed nominees to be considered and voted on by the Members Committee,” the filing states. 

The MC voted against re-electing then-Chair Mark Takahashi and board member Terry Blackwell during PJM’s Annual Meeting on May 12. When stakeholders sought to reconsider the vote the following day, Takahashi removed his name from the running; a subsequent motion to reconsider Blackwell’s election failed. (See PJM Stakeholders Vote Out 2 Board Members.) 

PJM wrote that the current board meets OA requirements for the “size, the expertise and experience, and the composition of the board” and can continue operations until the membership votes on new members. 

In a May 29 notification, PJM announced the NC had decided to continue working with Korn Ferry International in the search for the two new candidates. The firm was brought on to aid in finding candidates to replace outgoing board member Dean Oskvig, who retired from the board and was replaced by Matthew “Matt” Nelson, principal of regulatory strategy at Apex Analytics in May. 

Those interested in applying can submit resumes to Korn Ferry at PJMBoard@KornKerry.com. The announcement states the firm will not reach out to state commission members or government employees without their consent “to avoid the appearance of impropriety.” Officers and employees of PJM members or their affiliates are prohibited from serving on the board, as are those with financial interests in PJM members. Prospective candidates are encouraged to submit applications by June 30. 

“The Nominating Committee seeks to consider a broad and diverse field of candidates who possess the appropriate expertise and experience to oversee PJM as it fulfills its public service responsibilities in a complex and changing industry and regulatory environment,” PJM said in the notification.