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Learn from incident, Progress CEO says in memo
By LOUIS HAU
Published April 24, 2006
Progress Energy Inc. chairman and chief executive Robert McGehee has been busy firing off companywide memos of late. In March, it was to deny rumors that the Raleigh, N.C., parent of Progress Energy Florida of St. Petersburg was seeking to be bought out.
On Tuesday, McGehee sent out a memo on an altogether different topic: allegations that a Progress employee had embezzled about $250,000.
Paula McCowan, an administrative assistant in Progress' corporate communications in Raleigh, is accused of using management passwords to forge approvals of expense reports and check requests, McGehee said.
McCowan, 26, was placed on administrative leave Jan. 31 and fired Feb. 20. A Wake County, N.C., grand jury indicted her last week on one count of embezzlement. Vonsuala Rountree, a Progress employee and McCowan's sister, was fired Feb. 21 after she was accused of receiving some of the stolen money and failing to report it to the company.
McCowan, Rountree and McCowan's attorney couldn't be reached for comment.
"Over the years, you have helped us achieve an outstanding record of integrity at Progress Energy," McGehee said in his memo to employees. "This incident is a reminder that we must always be vigilant."
[Last modified April 24, 2006, 01:40:15]
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