Louise L. Francesconi Joins UniSource Energy Board of Directors
TUCSON, Ariz., Aug 19, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- UniSource Energy Corporation (NYSE: UNS) has named Louise L. Francesconi to the company's board of directors. Francesconi, the former president of Raytheon Missile Systems, also has been named to the boards of directors of Tucson Electric Power (TEP) and UniSource Energy Services (UES), UniSource Energy's primary subsidiaries.
Francesconi served more than a decade at the helm of Raytheon Missile Systems, steering that company through record sales growth and an expansion that solidified the company's position as Tucson's largest employer. She oversaw Raytheon's $5 billion missile systems business, including more than 50 programs in various stages of development and production, and a work force of more than 12,500 employees.
"With more than 30 years of experience in the defense industry, Louise brings a great deal of expertise and wisdom to our board," said James S. Pignatelli, Chairman, President and CEO of UniSource Energy. "She's one of the true leaders of Southern Arizona's business community, and she's going to be a real asset for this company."
Francesconi, a Tucson resident, began her career in 1975 in a financial management position for Hughes Missile Systems Company, which was acquired by Raytheon in 1997. After advancing to serve as the company's Chief Financial Officer and, later, its Chief Operating Officer, she was named President of Hughes Missile Systems Company in 1996. Following the Raytheon acquisition, she was elected a Raytheon vice president and appointed general manager of Missile Systems in November 1999, and was subsequently appointed president in August 2002. Francesconi stepped down from that post on July 1, 2008, in preparation for her retirement on Sept. 1, 2008.
Francesconi serves on the boards of directors of the Tucson Airport Authority and Stryker Corp., a medical technology company. She also is a member of the Tucson Medical Center HealthCare Board of Trustees and the University of Arizona Eller College of Management's National Board of Advisors.
UniSource Energy's primary subsidiaries include TEP, which serves nearly 400,000 customers in the Tucson metropolitan area, and UniSource Energy Services, provider of natural gas and electric service to about 236,000 customers in northern and southern Arizona. For more information about UniSource Energy and its subsidiaries, visit uns.com.
SOURCE: UniSource Energy Corporation
UniSource Energy Corporation, Tucson Joseph Barrios, 520-884-3725 (Media) Jo Smith, 520-884-3650 (Financial Analyst)
Copyright Business Wire 2008
News Provided by COMTEX