AUTOS
Obama liaison in Cleveland today Ed Montgomery, President Barack Obama's liaison to communities hurt by the struggling auto industry, is coming to Cleveland today to meet with Gov. Ted Strickland, Mayor Frank Jackson and other local leaders, the White House said. Montgomery, White House director of recovery for auto communities and workers, will listen to their concerns and ideas for economic recovery, which could include tax credits, new infrastructure, worker training, new industry or other potential ways the federal government could help. The White House characterized the meeting, which will be closed to the public and the news media, as introductory and not intended to result in immediate solutions. UTILITIES
FirstEnergy names new CFO
FirstEnergy Corp.'s board of directors on Wednesday elected Mark Clark, the Akron company's executive vice president for strategic planning, as chief financial officer, effective May 1. Clark replaces outgoing CFO and Senior Vice President Richard Marsh, who will retire July 1. Both men are company veterans. Clark joined FirstEnergy's predecessor, Ohio Edison, in 1976 and has served as treasurer, manager of an operating division and marketing director. Clark will continue to head strategic planning, rates and regulatory affairs and related areas while taking on CFO job responsibilities, including investor relations, corporate risk and corporate financial oversight. Marsh, CFO since 1998, joined Ohio Edison in 1980. He oversaw the company's financial divisions through two mergers that led to the creation of FirstEnergy in 1997 and its expansion to New Jersey and additional areas of Pennsylvania in 2001.
LABOR
AFL-CIO launches Web site for jobless
The AFL-CIO has launched UnemploymentLifeLine.com, a Web site of resources for the unemployed. The site includes information about everything from food banks to job-training programs to how to apply for extended unemployment benefits. It includes a forum for sharing experiences about being laid off and tells visitors how to get involved politically, such as lobbying for the Employee Free Choice Act. The site is sponsored by the AFL-CIO and Working America, the labor organization's affiliate for workers in nonunion workplaces.
RETAIL
Indians open 7th Team Shop
The Cleveland Indians opened a Team Shop Wednesday at 6698 Strip Ave. N.W., North Canton. It is the Indians' seventh store and is second in size only to the main store at Progressive Field. The Team Shop offers a complete assortment of Indians merchandise and souvenirs as well as items for Cavaliers, Browns and Buckeyes fans. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
