President, ComEd; Exec. VP & Chief of Staff,
Exelon Corp.
Age: 59
After joining ComEd in 1966, Clark literally worked his way up the ranks. This Vietnam vet began his career at the Illinois electric company as a mailroom clerk and has since been responsible for leading several divisions within the company, including customer services operations, marketing and sales. energy acquisition, and distribution pricing. Today, as chief of staff for Exelon, Clark is accountable to the chairman and CEO on companywide legislative matters and regulatory strategies for a company that generated $15.8 billion in 2003. As president of ComEd, he oversees day-to-day operations of the company, which provides electricity for 3.6 million customers throughout northern Illinois. ComEd has 6,000 employees and revenues of $6.3 billion.
As head of ComEd, Clark oversees one of the largest electrical utilities in the U.S. A subsidiary of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation, ComEd serves 3.8 million residential and business customers in northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population.
Clark previously served as president of ComEd and was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company. He also was executive vice president and chief of staff of Exelon. Since joining ComEd in 1966, Clark rose steadily through the ranks, holding various positions in both corporate support and line functions. During his 43-year career at ComEd, he held key leadership positions at a number of business-critical functions across the company, including customer service operations; marketing and sales; regulatory, governmental and community affairs; information technology; communications; human resources; labor relations; and distribution services.
Clark serves on the board of trustees of the Museum of Science and Industry, the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, DePaul University, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the University of Chicago Medical Center; the board of directors of Metropolitan Family Services, Illinois Manufacturers Association, Big Shoulders Fund, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, Waste Management, Inc., Harris Financial Corp. and Aetna Inc.; and the executive committee of The Chicago Community Trust. He sits on the governing board of the Illinois Council on Economic Education and is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Economic Club of Chicago, The Commercial Club of Chicago, and the Executives’ Club of Chicago. Clark is a co-founder of the Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy on Chicago's west side.
Clark received his bachelor’s and law degrees from DePaul University.
John J. Benish, Jr. ’98 and Christie Benish will serve as Ball co-chairs.
