Electrical People: Cosgriff Tapped to Lead NEMA

July 25, 2014
Kevin Cosgriff takes over at NEMA upon Evan Gaddis's retirement; Jim Clark named executive VP and CFO at Boston distributor Arthur J. Hurley Co.; Todd Roy promoted to national sales director at Progress Lighting, and more.

National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) (Rosslyn, Va.):  Kevin J. Cosgriff will take office as president and chief executive officer, effective Aug. 4. He replaces Evan Gaddis, NEMA’s current president and CEO, who is retiring. Cosgriff, a former vice admiral in the U.S. Navy, comes to NEMA after serving as senior V.P. of international business and government for Textron Systems Corp., a position he held from 2010 to 2013.

Cosgriff graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, N.Y., and had a long active-duty career that included a stint as a vice admiral where he commanded the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, overseeing roughly 30,000 sailors throughout a region encompassing 22 countries and the U.S. Fifth Fleet, and directed naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and off the coast of East Africa. Earlier in his career, Cosgriff served as the director of the White House Situation Room and director of Systems and Technical Planning for the National Security Council.

Arthur J. Hurley Co. (Boston): This 85-year-old family-owned distributor has appointed Jim Clark as the executive V.P. and CFO; Kevin Sodden as account manager for the utility/municipal/engineering market in New England; and Camilo Pereira as the company’s business manager in charge of key national accounts and overall expansion in the transit, utility and construction markets.

Clark will have overall responsibility for the company’s finances, and lead Hurley, already a supplier in Connecticut, in expanding that market by establishing a new Connecticut distribution facility to better serve its growing customer base in southern New England and beyond. He worked in the banking and finance industries for the past 20 years and holds a BA from Wesleyan University and an MBA from Babson College.

Sodden will be responsible for sales team leadership, driving revenue, contributions in product and vendor selection, as well as general account management. He joins the Hurley team from PLM Inc. where he served as principal engineer in the New York and New England territories. He holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and is licensed as a professional engineer in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New York.

Pereira has worked in a broad spectrum of industries such as manufacturing, distribution and aerospace where he specialized in communications, operations and strategy. He is a graduate of Tufts University and holds master degrees from the University of Southern California and London School of Economics. He is based in Danville, Calif.

Progress Lighting/Hubbell Lighting (Greenville, S.C.):  Todd Roy, director of builder sales and marketing, was promoted to national sales director. In other Progress news, Jennifer Kis was hired as key account marketing manager. Prior to directing marketing and sales initiatives for Progress Lighting’s builder segments, Roy served in the National Accounts department, after beginning his career as an account manager in 1999. He assumes the responsibilities of Bob Sale, who retired in mid-July after more than 20 years of service at the company.

Kis joins Progress Lighting with nearly 20 years of public relations, international marketing, agency and client relations experience. In her role, she will be responsible for leading marketing efforts to further accelerate growth on the rapidly expanding Ferguson and Build.com partnerships. Her recent work history includes developing and executing integrated marketing plans for a diverse client base at Jackson Marketing Group. She has also worked abroad in Munich, Germany, for Pepper GmbH, an international marketing agency. Prior to her work in Germany, she held communication positions at Greenville-based companies Erwin Penland and Michelin North America.

Metro Wire and Cable (Detroit): Matt Burtraw and Bruce Arnold have been hired as sales consultants. Burtraw comes to Metro Wire and Cable after serving in several direct selling capacities, including that of the industrial heating and cooling industry. Arnold has experience with consultative selling, cultivating new business in various geographic areas, and penetrating new industries. He will focus on new business development.

American Writers Museum Foundation (Chicago): Jerre L. Stead, once CEO of Square D Co., is the new chairman of the American Writers Museum (AWM) Foundation. The Museum has additional electrical ties, as Malcolm O’Hagan, formerly president of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Rosslyn, Va., is its founding chairman and president.

Stead is now executive chairman of the board of directors of the Colorado-based IHS Inc., a global provider of information and consulting services. He was recently named by the Denver Post as 2013 Business Person of the Year for his success as Colorado’s chief recovery officer, where he oversaw efforts to rebuild after the state’s devastating floods in September 2013.

 In addition to his leadership role at Square D, Stead served as chairman and CEO of Ingram Micro Inc., as the chairman, CEO and president of Legent Corporation, chairman and CEO of AT&T Global Information Solutions, and as president of AT&T Global Business Communications Systems. He also held numerous executive positions during a 21-year career at Honeywell.