MARISSA, IL – The Prairie State Generating Company (PSGC) is pleased to announce that Randy Short has been selected as the new President and CEO. Mr. Short will succeed current President and CEO, Don Gaston, who announced in 2021 his pending retirement after successfully leading the energy campus since 2014.
Mr. Short joined Prairie State in 2014 as the Chief Operating Officer with more than two decades of experience in the electric generation industry, having most recently served as plant manager to the coal-fueled Baldwin Energy Complex. He previously served as plant manager at the Wood River power plant and served as senior director for Generation Programs at Dynegy (now Vistra) corporate headquarters in Houston, Texas. Mr. Short holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University and a Master of Business of Administration from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Throughout his tenure at Prairie State, Mr. Short has worked alongside Mr. Gaston to deliver marked improvements in safety, culture, and operational performance, while building a first-class team of industry professionals.
“It is a great honor to be selected as Prairie State’s next President and CEO. I’m very proud of what our team has accomplished thus far, and I am confident we will achieve our vision of being the best coal mine and coal-fired power plant in the country. I look forward to working alongside each of our employees to make that vision a reality,” commented Short.
“It has been my honor and pleasure to lead the Prairie State team over the past seven years. The commitment to achieving high standards and establishing a winning culture has been embraced by our team across campus, for which I am most proud,” said Gaston. “The leadership team currently in place is the best I have worked with in my 40-year career. As I wind down my Prairie State career, I do so with great confidence in Randy’s leadership abilities and integrity.”
The Prairie State Board of Directors utilized an executive search firm to conduct a nationwide search to select the best qualified candidate to continue the Company’s progress.
“After a thorough and deliberate nationwide search, it was clear that Randy was the ideal candidate to build on the campus’ success and strategically propel Prairie State forward to the benefit of all the members. We look forward to his leadership of the Company,” said Jack Alvey, Prairie State Board Chair. “On behalf of the Prairie State owners, we also thank Don for his years of dedication and strong leadership. His commitment to serving the best interests of all the public power owners have well-positioned Prairie State for the future.”
Mr. Short will assume the responsibilities of his new role effective May 6. Mr. Gaston will be providing guidance and assistance to ensure a seamless transition.
Located in Washington County, Illinois, the Prairie State Energy Campus is a technologically advanced electric generation facility utilizing domestic Illinois coal resources from its adjacent underground mine to power its 1,600-megawatt power plant. Since 2012, Prairie State has been providing reliable, baseload electricity on behalf of its not-for-profit Owners to more than 2.5 million families across the Midwest.
Contact: Alyssa Harre
Vice President, External Affairs and Organizational Strategy
(618) 824-7667
aharre@psgc-llc.com