ST. LOUIS, Aug. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today The Laclede Group, Inc.'s (NYSE: LG) board of directors voted to increase the size of the board from nine to 10, and elected energy industry veteran Maria Fogarty as its newest member effective August 1, 2014.

Fogarty, 55, served as senior vice president of internal audit and compliance for NextEra Energy, Inc. from 2011 through June 30, 2014. NextEra Energy, Inc. is a leading clean energy company with $15 billion in revenues and the parent of Florida Power & Light, the largest rate-regulated electric utility in Florida.

"We are delighted to have Maria join our board. Her expertise in both regulated utilities and compliance make her an excellent addition at a time when we continue on our path of growth," said William E. Nasser, chairman of the board of The Laclede Group. 

During her more than 30 years with NextEra, she held positions of increasing responsibility across a number of functional areas, including audit, accounting, rates and industrial customer relations. Her roles included director and then vice president of internal audit, commercial customer service, supervisor of pricing, supervisor of fuel/materials and supplies, and coordinator of recovery clauses. Fogarty holds an accounting degree from the University of Florida and is a certified public accountant. She is a member of the Florida Institute of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs.

ABOUT THE LACLEDE GROUP, INC.
The Laclede Group, Inc. (NYSE: LG), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a public utility holding company. The Gas Utility segment serves St. Louis and eastern Missouri through Laclede Gas and serves Kansas City and western Missouri through Missouri Gas Energy.  Together they provide more than 1.13 million residential, commercial and industrial customers with safe and reliable natural gas service. Laclede's primary non-utility business, Laclede Energy Resources, Inc., included in the Gas Marketing segment, provides non-regulated natural gas services. Laclede Group is committed to pursuing growth through 1) developing and investing in emerging technologies; 2) investing in infrastructure; 3) acquiring businesses to which the Company can apply its operating model, and 4) leveraging its current business unit competencies. For more information about Laclede and its subsidiaries, visit www.TheLacledeGroup.com.

SOURCE The Laclede Group, Inc.