Hall is the former chief of staff of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

Thomas M. Welsh, senior vice president and assistant to the chief executive officer (CEO), also has elected to retire effective May 1, 2009, after 32 years with the company.

As chief of staff of CEQ, Hall oversaw the division of the White House that coordinates federal environmental efforts in the US and works closely with agencies and other administration offices to develop environmental and energy policies and initiatives. Prior to that, Hall was deputy chief of staff for the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works. Hall is a Findlay, Ohio, native and earned a degree in communications with a minor in political science from Northwestern University in 1988.

Steen began his career as a co-op engineer at FirstEnergy’s Ohio Edison subsidiary in 1966, and held a variety of engineering and management positions, including assistant plant superintendent at the R.E. Burger Plant near Shadyside, Ohio. He was promoted to director of the Environmental Department in 1997 and to his current position in 2005.

Steen earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering and a law degree from The University of Akron. He also is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University’s Advanced School of Power Systems Engineering, and attended the Program for Executive Development at Northwestern University’s Graduate School of Management. Steen is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve and is an Eagle Scout.

Welsh began his career with FirstEnergy subsidiary Ohio Edison, as director of Advertising in 1977. He was promoted to manager of Communications in 1989, vice president of Communications in 2001 and senior vice president of External Affairs in 2004. He was named to his current position in 2007 and is responsible for working as a liaison between FirstEnergy and community and national organizations, including the National Association of Manufacturers, the Council on Competitiveness and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Welsh earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from Kent State University in 1973. He completed the public utility executive program at the University of Michigan in 1990 and was named an Honorary Alumnus of The University of Akron in 2004. He is a member of the National Alumni Board of Kent State University and serves on the professional advisory board of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. He also serves on the board of directors of the American Red Cross of Summit and Portage counties, the Playhouse Square Foundation and the Summit county Historical Society.

“We are pleased to welcome Marty to our leadership team,” said Anthony J. Alexander, president and CEO of FirstEnergy. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience at a time when our industry is expected to face new and changing environmental policies and regulations. At the same time, we will miss Dan’s and Tom’s wise counsel and decades of knowledge and dedicated service. Their contributions to our company have been significant.”