Environmental & Energy Executive Moves: GE, First Solar, Chesapeake, ULI, Power Assure, Ecolab

General Electric: Sixteen-year company veteran Andy Holt has been named general manager of renewable energy services at GE Energy. Holt will lead the growing wind and solar services segment of GE’s renewable energy business.

First Solar: James Hughes has been appointed CEO at the solar company. Hughes succeeds Mike Ahearn, First Solar’s founder and chairman, who has been serving as interim CEO since October 2011.

Aquion Energy Inc: Karen Tichenor is to take up the position of vice president of quality and environmental health and safety at the batteries and energy storage company.

Chesapeake Energy Corp: The energy company is to name an independent chairman to replace chief executive officer Aubrey McClendon. The former CEO used an incentive scheme to build personal stakes in thousands of company-owned wells, Fuel Fix reports.

Urban Land Institute: Helen A. Gurfel has been named executive director of the ULI’s Greenprint Center for Building Performance. She was most recently a director of GE Capital Real Estate’s global sustainability group.

NAIMA Canada: The trade body for fiberglass, rock wool, and slag wool insulation products manufacturers has named Jay Nordenstrom as executive director. Jay joins NAIMA Canada from the Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers.

Pasteurization Technology Group: Glenn d’Eon and David Bell have joined the water disinfection company as national sales manager and senior engineer respectively.

Power Assure Inc: The data center infrastructure and energy management services provider has named Paul De Martini, managing director of Newport Consulting Group, and Ashley Davis, a university lecturer and global specialist in the design, build and operability of data centers, to its board of directors.

ZeaChem Inc: The biorefineries developer has named Peter H. Cheesbrough as the company’s chief financial officer. Cheesbrough joins from Denver-based IT consultancy Ciber Inc.

Ecolab: Leslie S. Biller, Jerry A. Grundhofer, Michael Larson, Victoria J. Reich and John J. Zillmer have been selected as five directors of the clean water technology firm, for a term ending in 2013. Each nominee received more than 90 percent of the shares cast.

Solar Electric Power Association: The nonprofit recently held elections for two of its three officer positions. Ervan Hancock, manager of renewable and green strategies for Georgia Power, was elected to the position of vice chairman. Matthew Cheney, CEO of CleanPath Ventures, was elected as treasurer. David Rubin, director of service analysis for Pacific Gas and Electric Company, continues in his role as chairman.

Amyris Inc: The renewable chemicals and fuels company has announced the realignment of its senior leadership team. Three members of the management team will be departing the company: Mario Portela, president of global operations; Tamara Tompkins, executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary; and, Neil Renninger, chief technical officer. Dr. Renninger will remain as a member of Amyris’s board of directors.

Amyris also announced the following changes to the management team: Peter Boynton will lead business development activities; Paulo Diniz will continue to lead Amyris Brasil while expanding his responsibilities in strategic partnerships; Gary Loeb will serve as Amyris general counsel and corporate secretary; Steve Mills became CFO; Mark Patel is being promoted to senior vice president of commercial operations, responsible for leading products strategy and sales growth; Ramesh Raman is being promoted to senior vice president of global manufacturing; and Christine Ring will lead legal technology strategy and intellectual property.