GridLiance GPLLC, a transmission company backed by affiliateBlackstone Energy Partners, announced on April 11 that 25-year industry veteranJ. Calvin Crowder has been appointed as the company's president for the SouthCentral Region.

The region includes the Midcontinent Independent System Operator Inc. southparts of Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana, ,and New Mexico. Earlier in April, the company the acquisition of transmissionassets from an Oklahoma electric cooperative.

In his new role, Crowder will oversee the region's businessdevelopment activities including establishing new partnerships with municipal,cooperative and joint action agency utilities, sourcing transmission assetacquisitions, and recruiting top business development talent.

Crowder most recently served as executive director ofElectric Transmission Texas LLCfor American Electric Power Co.Inc. and president of ETT, a joint venture between AEP andBerkshire Hathaway Energy.He also held a variety of executive and policy leadership roles at Central andSouth West Corp., including director for restructuring support team and forregulatory services. He began his career in the electric utility industry atCentral Power and Light Co. in Corpus Christi, Texas, as a regulatory analyst.