SPP has filled two vice presidential vacancies, naming David Kelley as its CFO and finance vice president and promoting Casey Cathey to Kelley’s former engineering VP position. 

“I’m very excited to have both of them in these roles as SPP continues to grow, advance and mature in response to our stakeholders’ needs,” SPP CEO Barbara Sugg said in an April 29 statement. 

Kelley was acting as SPP’s interim CFO following Deborah Sterzing’s surprise resignation in March after a little more than a year on the job. (See “CFO Sterzing Resigns,” SPP Board Approves Markets+ Phase 1 Tariff.) 

He will be responsible for developing and executing SPP’s financial strategy. Kelley has more than 20 years of utility industry experience, having served in various engineering and market leadership roles at SPP since joining in 2008. 

“I’m keenly aware [of] how critical it is to consider affordability and financial responsibility in everything we do as a service provider,” Kelley said. 

Cathey will lead SPP’s evolving approach to consolidated transmission planning and will oversee the ongoing development of a transmission expansion plan and the advancement of regional resource adequacy policies. He previously was senior director of grid asset utilization, where he led a group responsible for developing and implementing novel industry policies, tools and procedures aimed at preparing it for the grid of the future. 

“Our industry is navigating an evolving landscape with many challenges and opportunities, and I am eager to work with our stakeholders to develop and implement strategies that will safeguard and prepare our region’s energy future through innovative system planning,” Cathey said.