The Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Doug Brown has been selected as the organization's new President and CEO. Brown will succeed Kevin Gaden who has led IMEA with distinction for 14 years and has announced his retirement. Brown is currently the Chief Utility Engineer and Acting General Manager of City Water, Light, and Power (CWLP), the municipal utility of Springfield, Illinois. Brown will retire from CWLP and step into his new role at IMEA on April 1, 2026, leading the nonprofit Joint Action Agency that provides wholesale power and energy services to member municipalities throughout the state who own and operate their electric systems.
Brown stated, “I'm honored to lead IMEA, an agency with a history of operational excellence and sound financial decision making, as we build the energy system of the future to power our communities.” He added, “Having worked at, and led, a municipally owned utility, I know the value of local control and the many benefits public power provides communities. Joining IMEA allows me to continue working for the success of public power but on a larger scale—with 32 municipally owned utilities as members.”
Doug Brown brings a wealth of experience and leadership to IMEA having previously served a 31-year tenure at CWLP, culminating as Chief Utility Engineer. Brown started his career in 1994 as an electrical engineer at CWLP, a utility that serves 71,000 electrical customers and 53,000 water customers annually. He has worked on numerous key projects for the utility through the years including developing and implementing a power purchase hedging policy; directing a 20-year Integrated Resource Plan; and continuously pursuing and negotiating power purchase agreements for energy and capacity.
As the President and CEO of IMEA, Brown will also lead the Illinois Public Energy Agency, a wholesale natural gas supplier for 11 communities and two electric cooperatives, and the Illinois Municipal Utilities Association, a statewide association dedicated to providing value added services and advocacy for the state's nonprofit municipal utilities.
IMEA Board of Directors Chair Dan Cook of Highland, Illinois, stated, “With more than 31 years of experience in the electric utility industry, Doug Brown will be a tremendous asset at the helm of the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency. He has the leadership skills, industry experience, and many other qualities that we were searching for. I look forward to working with him as IMEA continues to provide affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy to our member municipalities.”
In August, President and CEO Kevin Gaden announced his plan to retire. Soon after, IMEA's Board of Directors planned and executed a nationwide search to find Gaden's replacement, hiring an external executive search firm to work with the Board of Directors and ensure a thorough and smooth hiring process. At the conclusion of the selection process, Doug Brown was chosen and will join the Agency as the fifth leader since its inception.