Our Management
Meet some of our decision-makers and see their professional backgrounds
Scroll down to learn a little more about the professional qualifications and backgrounds of WG+E management personnel.
Daniel Howard General Manager See bio
Andrew Banas Chief Business Officer See bio
Aaron Bean Operations Superintendent See bio
Beth Burns HR Coordinator / Records Manager See bio
Anthony Contrino Energy Supply Manager See bio
Thomas Balukonis I.S. Manager See bio
Dana Bein Operations Supervisor See bio
Kathy Black Energy Supply Analyst See bio
Sue Blumenthal Senior Energy Supply Analyst See bio
Sean Fitzgerald Energy Specialist / Customer Liaison See bio
Timothy Fouche Deputy Comptroller See bio
Jay Kline Finance Accounting Manager See bio
Paul Martin Systems Accountant See bio
Arlene Paton Customer Service & Credit Manager See bio
James Rood Comptroller See bio
Daniel Howard, General Manager
Daniel Howard became the eleventh General Manager of Westfield Gas & Electric in April 2009. He began his career at the utility in 1984 as an Electrical Engineering Aide, becoming Construction Superintendent in 1992, and Operations Superintendent in 2002.
Dan oversees all aspects of the operation and management of the gas, electric, and telecommunications systems of the utility. Recently, he supervised the expansion of the Buck Pond Substation, which effectively doubled its capacity, meeting the growing demand for electricity on the north side of the city. He also coordinated the design and installation of the Southwick Lateral gas main installation, providing the WG&E distribution system with a second natural gas supply from the Tennessee Gas Pipeline. Under his leadership, Westfield Gas & Electric was recognized by the American Public Power Association as a Reliable Public Power Provider in 2010.
Dan has a B.S. from American International College, a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.B.A. from Western New England College. He is a Director of the Westfield Gas and Electric Cooperative and the Western Massachusetts Public Utilities Council.
Andrew Banas, Chief Business Officer
Andrew has been the Chief Business Officer of Westfield Gas & Electric since 1997. Prior to that, he served as Assistant Gas Superintendent. Andrew also held several engineering positions, including that of Chief Engineer. He has earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from The University of Arizona and an M.B.A. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is a Registered Professional Engineer.
Aaron Bean, Operations Superintendent
Aaron has been Operations Superintendent since September 2009. His previous positions include Operations Engineer, which he held for nine years, and Gas Engineering Aide. He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Hartford in 1998 and an M.B.A. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2005.
Beth Burns, Human Resources Coordinator/Records Manager
Beth became HR Coordinator/Records Manager in March 2010. She came to WG&E as a Customer Service Clerk, advancing to Administrative Aide in 2003. In her current capacity, she is responsible for the coordination of all communications, reports, and filings relative to the General Manager's Office and the Municipal Light Board.
Anthony Contrino, Energy Supply Manager
Tony became WG&E's Energy Supply Manager in September 2009. He joined the organization in 2001 as Operations Supervisor. Previously, he held engineering and energy supply management positions within the utility industry. Tony has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Western New England College and is also a Certified Utility Safety Administrator.
Thomas Balukonis, Information Systems & Telecommunications Manager
Thomas has been WG&E's Information Systems Manager since 1984, and has managed the Telecommunications Division since its inception in 1999. He earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts in 1984 and an Associates Degree in Business Studies from Holyoke Community College.
Dana Bein, Operations Supervisor
Dana began his career at the WG&E in 1984 as an apprentice lineman. After three years in the apprentice program, he became a lineman/trouble man, and he remained in that position until 2002. He was a Utility Foreman until 2010, when he accepted his current position as Operations Supervisor.
Kathy Black, Energy supply Analyst
Kathy Began her career at Westfield Gas and Electric in 1996 as the Assistant Electric forecaster in the Electric Rates and Supply Division. She became the Energy Supply Analyst in September 2011.
Susan Blumenthal, Energy Supply Analyst
Susan is currently an Energy Supply Analyst. Since joining the organization in 1987, she has also provided administrative assistance to the Customer Service Department, the Gas Supply Manager, and the General Manager's Office. She is a graduate of Westfield High School and earned a B.A. from Elms College.
Sean Fitzgerald, Energy Specialist / Customer Liaison
Sean joined the Energy Department in October of 2010. He brings more than ten years of experience in the industry with previous employment at ISO New England and MMWEC (Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company.
Timothy Fouche, Deputy Comptroller
Tim joined Westfield Gas & Electric with six years of accounting experience in the utility and insurance industries. He earned his B.S. in Accounting and his M.B.A in Finance from Western New England College.
Jay Kline, Fiance Accounting Manager
Jay joined Westfield Gas & Electric in March of 2012. He brings over twenty years of utility and finance experience, having held previous positions at MMWEC (Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company) and several investment banking organizations. He earned a B.S. in Finance from the University of Connecticut and an M.B.A. from New York University. Jay is a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) charterholder.
Paul Martin, Systems Accountant
Paul accepted the position of Systems Accountant in 2006 after a twenty year career in business software consulting. He received a B.S. in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1967 and an M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts in 2009.
Arlene Paton, Customer Service Manager
Arlene began her career as a Customer Service Clerk in 1982. After working several years in the Business Division and Electric Rates and Supply Division, Arlene was promoted to Customer Service Manager in 1994. As the Customer Service Manager she is responsible for the Customer Service and Call Center divisions.
Jim joined WG&E as the Deputy Comptroller in 1984, after more than ten years of experience in the private and public sectors in the areas of accounting, manufacturing development, and marketing. He has served as Comptroller since 1987. Jim has a B.S. in Accounting from Westfield State College and numerous industry certificates of advanced learning.
