AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Dolores J. Lowery has been named vice president of Corporate Affairs and Community Involvement for FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: [ FE ]), and president of the FirstEnergy Foundation. She succeeds Mary Beth Carroll, who retired on October 1, 2011, following a 17-year career with the company.

"Dee has tremendous experience working with key community leaders and decision makers," said FirstEnergy President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony J. Alexander. "I am confident that she will continue the company's tradition of supporting programs and agencies that improve the quality of life for people in our service area and plant communities."

Since 2007, Lowery has served as director of External Affairs for Pennsylvania Electric Company (Penelec), a FirstEnergy utility serving more than 580,000 customers within a 17,600-square-mile area of western and central Pennsylvania. She began her career with Penelec in 1982 as an energy management representative in Lewistown, Pa. After holding a series of management positions in customer service and marketing and sales, she was named regional director of Customer Service in 2001. In 2005 she was promoted to FirstEnergy's manager of Compliance & Customer Choice, where she helped manage relationships with public utilities commissions in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Lowery graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor of science degree in consumer services. She is president of the American Heart Association in Erie, Pa.; a board member of the American Red Cross in Erie, Pa.; a member of the Erie County United Way capital campaign; and a member of the Blair County, Pa., Executive Roundtable.

Carroll joined Ohio Edison in 1994 as coordinator of customer and community services of the former Bay Division. She was appointed vice president of Corporate Affairs and Community Involvement for FirstEnergy following the 1997 merger of Ohio Edison and the former Centerior Energy.

"Mary Beth's genuine concern for helping meet the needs of our communities made her a highly effective company ambassador," Alexander said. "She helped create the FirstEnergy Foundation, and she oversaw $50 million in contributions to our communities while she was at its helm. It has been a pleasure to work with her and I wish her the best."

Carroll earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications from Dominican University, completed the Energy Services Executive Program at the University of Michigan, and holds a Certificate in Corporate Community Relations from Boston College.

Her professional honors include Business/Professional Woman of the Year from the Erie County Chamber of Commerce; the Distinguished Alumni Award from the National Association for Community Leadership; and the Summit County YWCA 100 Women of Distinction. She was named one of Northern Ohio Live's 500 Most Influential Women and has been recognized by the Ohio House of Representatives for service to the state. She also was honored by the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio with the Inaugural Women of Influence Award in 2010.

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies comprise the nation's largest investor-owned electric system. Its diverse generating fleet features non-emitting nuclear, scrubbed baseload coal, natural gas, and pumped-storage hydro and other renewables, and has a total generating capacity of approximately 23,000 megawatts.

[ www.firstenergycorp.com ]

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

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FirstEnergy Names Dolores J. Lowery Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Community Involvement

FirstEnergy Names Dolores J. Lowery Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Community Involvement