OREANDA-NEWS. January 25, 2016. CMS Energy announced today that

Melissa Gleespen, the company's vice president and corporate secretary, has also been named chief compliance officer for the company and its chief subsidiary, Consumers Energy. Gleespen takes over this responsibility from

David Mengebier, senior vice president for governmental and public affairs, and she will continue to report to

Cathy Reynolds, the company's senior vice president and general counsel.

"I'm incredibly proud of the commitment leaders and employees have shown to ethics and compliance at CMS Energy and Consumers Energy, a commitment to doing business the right way that goes back to our founding more than a century ago," Mengebier said. "I'm pleased that

Melissa Gleespen will continue to build on our recent accomplishments and keep our commitment to ethics at the forefront of our company's work."

"A strong ethical culture helps form the backbone of CMS Energy's work to provide energy safely and reliably," Reynolds said. "We are pleased that

Melissa Gleespen will take on this important role to help us maintain our performance as an ethically sound, world-class company."

"The strong ethical culture at CMS Energy and Consumers Energy is one of the many reasons I was drawn to this company," Gleespen said. "I'm looking forward to meeting more employees in the company and embracing this new role."

Gleespen joined CMS Energy in 2013 and is responsible for securities law matters, corporate records, investor services and corporate secretary functions. She has extensive background in corporate governance, disclosure regulations, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reporting and compliance.

Mengebier has been chief compliance officer since 2006. He will continue to oversee state and federal governmental affairs, internal and external communications, community affairs and corporate giving, and he will continue to serve as president of the CMS Energy and Consumers Energy foundations.

During recent years, CMS Energy has been recognized as a leader nationally for its compliance programs.

New York Stock Exchange Governance Services, a subsidiary of the New York Stock Exchange, named the company as a finalist among its peers the last two years in its Governance, Risk & Compliance Leadership Awards for the best governance, risk and compliance program.

CMS Energy also was honored with a Corporate Secretary Corporate Governance Award in 2013 its governance, compliance and ethics program.

CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS) is a Michigan-based company that has an electric and natural gas utility, Consumers Energy, as its primary business and also owns and operates independent power generation businesses.