Two Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc. executives have been promoted, while the company founder intends to focus on mentoring and driving innovation.

Dave Whitehead, CEO of the Pullman, Washington-based maker of power grid-protection systems, is taking on the added title of company president at the request of SEL namesake Ed Schweitzer.

As Schweitzer relinquishes the president role, he has requested that the corporation's board formally appoint him to the position of founder of the 41-year-old company.

Joey Nestegard, SEL’s chief business and financial officer, is assuming the role of executive vice president.

“Dave and Joey are already doing an excellent job leading SEL, and at this point, I want to be contributing more as a mentor, inventor, collaborator, and teacher,” Schweitzer says in a press release. “Their promotions recognize their leadership and our teamwork.”

Whitehead joined SEL in 1994 as a hardware engineer. He led its research and development division for more than a decade before taking on the roles of chief operating officer and then CEO.

Nestegard joined the company in 2002 as a finance professional. He was named chief business and financial officer in 2017. He managed SEL’s transition to 100% employee ownership in 2009.