UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) July 14, 2010
WESTAR ENERGY, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| KANSAS | 1-3523 | 48-0290150 | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
| 818 South Kansas Avenue, Topeka, Kansas | 66612 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (785) 575-6300
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| ¨ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| ¨ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
WESTAR ENERGY, INC.
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On July 14, 2010, S. Carl Soderstrom Jr. was appointed to our board of directors as a Class II director. Mr. Soderstrom has been assigned to serve on the Finance Committee and on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of our board of directors. Mr. Soderstrom will receive the standard compensation paid to, and will be eligible to participate in the Non-Employee Director Deferred Compensation Plan available to, our non-employee directors as disclosed in our 2010 Proxy Statement under the caption “Director Compensation.”
A press release announcing his appointment is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
| Exhibit 99.1 | Press Release dated July 14, 2010 |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Westar Energy, Inc. | ||||
| Date: July 15, 2010 | By: | /s/ Larry D. Irick | ||
| Name: | Larry D. Irick | |||
| Title: | Vice President, General Counsel | |||
| and Corporate Secretary | ||||
EXHIBIT INDEX
| Exhibit Number |
Description of Exhibit | |
| Exhibit 99.1 | Press Release dated July 14, 2010 | |
Exhibit 99.1
|
Media contact: | |
| Karla Olsen, | ||
| director, corporate communications | ||
| Phone: 316.299.7463 | ||
| karla.olsen@WestarEnergy.com | ||
|
Investor contact: | ||
| Bruce Burns, | ||
| director, investor relations | ||
| Phone: 785.575.8227 | ||
| bruce.burns@WestarEnergy.com |
WESTAR ENERGY NAMES NEW MEMBER TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TOPEKA, Kan., July 14, 2010 — Westar Energy, Inc. (NYSE:WR) today announced the appointment of S. Carl Soderstrom Jr. to its board of directors. As a member of the Westar Energy board, Soderstrom will serve on the Finance Committee, as well as the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
Soderstrom previously served as senior vice president and chief financial officer for ArvinMeritor, an automotive and commercial vehicle components manufacturer based in Troy, MI. When he left the company, ArvinMeritor was a Fortune 300 company with $9.1 billion in sales and more than 31,000 employees in 25 countries world-wide. He brings more than 25 years of experience in operations, finance and engineering/product development in the automotive and manufacturing industries to the Westar Energy board of directors. His experience includes executive and management positions at Rockwell International, General Electric Company and Emerson Electric.
“Carl’s professional experience as well as his board involvement and accomplishments are outstanding,” said Charles Q. Chandler IV, Westar Energy chairman of the board. “His judgment and guidance will be of great value to Westar Energy as the company moves forward.”
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| Westar Energy names new board member | Page 2 of 2 |
Soderstrom serves as chair of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance and Strategy and Growth Committees of FreightCar America, Inc. He also serves as chair of the Corporate Governance Committee and a member of the Audit Review Committee of Lydall, Inc.
Soderstrom is 57 and resides in Rochester Hills, MI. He has a degree in mechanical engineering from Duke University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
The Westar Energy board of directors was assisted by Heidrick & Struggles in the recruitment of Soderstrom.
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Westar Energy, Inc. (NYSE: WR) is the largest electric utility in Kansas, providing electric service to about 684,000 customers in the state. Westar Energy has about 7,100 megawatts of electric generation capacity and operates and coordinates more than 35,000 miles of electric distribution and transmission lines. For more information about Westar Energy, visit us on the Internet at http://www.WestarEnergy.com.