John W. Rowe is Chairman Emeritus of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation, an electric utility serving Chicago, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
Rowe led Exelon from its formation in 2000 through the completion of its acquisition of Constellation Energy in 2012. Rowe previously held chief executive officer positions at the New England Electric System and Central Maine Power Company, served as general counsel of Consolidated Rail Corporation, and was a partner in the law firm of Isham, Lincoln & Beale. Rowe is the past chairman of the Nuclear Energy Institute and the Edison Electric Institute. He was co-chairman of the National Commission on Energy Policy and served on the Secretary of Energy’s Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, a panel to provide recommendations on managing used nuclear fuel and waste. He is the lead independent director of the Northern Trust Company and a member of the board of directors of The Allstate Corporation and SunCoke Energy.
CIVIC AND CHARITABLE COMMITMENT
Rowe serves as chairman of the Illinois Institute of Technology, New Schools for Chicago and the Field Museum and as president of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. He is a former chairman of the Commercial Club of Chicago and the Chicago History Museum. He is a member of the board of the Illinois Holocaust Museum, the Morgridge Institute for Research, the Northwestern University Settlement House, The Chicago Shakespeare Theater and OneChicagoFund. The Rowe Family Trust has founded the Rowe Professorship of Architecture and the Rowe Chair in Sustainable Energy at IIT, the Rowe Professorship in Byzantine History and the Rowe Professorship in Greek History at the University of Wisconsin, the Rowe Professorship in Virology at the Morgridge Institute and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and the Curator of Evolutionary Biology at the Field Museum. The Trust co- founded the Rowe-Clark Math and Science Academy and the Rowe Elementary School. The Rowes serve as patrons of the Pope John Paul II parochial school on Chicago’s southwest side.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Rowe has been widely recognized for his civic and professional leadership. Recent awards include the United States Energy Award (2012) from the United States Energy Association, the “Hat’s Off” award from the Building & Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO (2012), the Distinguished Board Service Award from the Kellogg School of Management (2012), The Spirit of Shakespeare Award from Chicago Shakespeare Theater (2011), the Misericordia Heart of Mercy Award (2010), the Edison Electric Institute Distinguished Leadership Award (2009), election as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (2009), the Chicago Council on Global Affairs Global Leadership Award (2009), the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce’s Daniel H. Burnham Award for Business and Civic Leadership (2008), Illinois Holocaust Museum’s Humanitarian award (2008), the National Latino Education Institute Corporate Leadership Award (2008), University of Arizona’s Executive of the Year Award (2007), the Union League of Philadelphia’s Founder’s Award for Business Leadership (2005), the American Jewish Committee’s Civic Leadership Award (2004), El Valor’s Corporate Visionary Award (2003) and the City Club of Chicago’s Citizen of the Year Award (2002).