Itron Gets New Board Chairman

Johnny Humphreys has resigned as chairman of Itron Inc. after 12 years with the Spokane-based company.

Michael Chesser, Itron’s president and chief executive officer since last June, will succeed Humphreys.

Also, Executive Vice President S. Edward White will become vice chairman of the board, a new position.

Humphreys, 62, has headed Itron almost from its inception as a spinoff of Avista, then called Washington Water Power Co. He joined the company in 1987 as president and chief executive officer. He was named chairman two years ago.

Humphreys was president of Datachecker Systems Inc., a subsidiary of National Cash Register, prior to joining Itron.

White, 49, was the president of Utility Translators Systems Inc. when the company was bought by Itron in 1996. He has stepped down as executive vice president at Itron.

Humphreys and White have been retained as consultants, said Itron spokeswoman Mima Scarpelli.

She said their resignations will bring the reduction in Itron’s executive corps to 25 percent under a restructuring plan Chesser initiated.

Overall, the company’s work force has been reduced by 200, or 15 percent, she said.

Itron makes automatic meter-reading devices and other information-gathering equipment for the utilities industry.