Williams (NYSE:   WMB)<br /> today named Donald R. Chappel as senior vice president and chief financial<br /> officer.<br />     "Don Chappel brings considerable, relevant experience to Williams as we<br /> continue to strengthen our finances and refine our focus on integrated natural<br /> gas businesses," said Steve Malcolm, chairman, president and chief executive<br /> officer.  "Don has a well-earned reputation for his ability to step into<br /> difficult situations and contribute to restoring credit, investor confidence<br /> and shareholder value.  I'm confident that he will play an important role in<br /> Williams' future."<br />     Chappel, 51, most recently founded and served as chief executive officer<br /> of a development business in Chicago.<br />     His previous experience includes serving twice in the late 1990s as chief<br /> financial officer of Waste Management, Inc. during periods before and after<br /> its 1998 merger with USA Waste Services.  On those occasions, a board-led<br /> management team comprised of a former Securities and Exchange Commission<br /> chairman, a fund manager/shareholder activist, and a financial-turnaround<br /> specialist recruited Chappel as chief financial officer.  In that role,<br /> Chappel is credited with successfully leading the company's financial-recovery<br /> efforts and building a solid foundation for the future.<br />     "Bringing in someone who's played an instrumental role in rebuilding<br /> credibility with the financial community is a clear advantage for Williams,"<br /> Malcolm said.  "Don knows what it's like to be a part of the solution. For<br /> Williams, our solution is all about rebuilding our financial strength and<br /> refocusing our company.  We are well on our way to achieving those goals.  Don<br /> increases our momentum with his hands-on experience leading successful<br /> transformations."<br />     In addition to his financial leadership, Chappel's experience at Waste<br /> Management encompassed comprehensive business-process re-engineering, related<br /> information-technology transformation and implementation of a shareholder-<br /> value-based financial management system.<br />     "Williams' management already has made major strides in the process of<br /> rebuilding the company," Chappel said.  "It's a credit to the strength of the<br /> leadership team and the board that they have moved this company into a<br /> position where there is growing evidence, and confidence in many quarters, of<br /> Williams' ability to survive and succeed.  I'm ready to dive into this<br /> position and contribute to the company's continued execution of what is a very<br /> appropriate business and financial strategy."<br />     Chappel joined Waste Management in 1987 as vice president and controller<br /> of a newly formed operating subsidiary.  From there he served in a number of<br /> financial positions of increasing responsibility in operating subsidiaries,<br /> leading to his appointment as chief financial officer by the company's board<br /> of directors.<br />     During the period between his two tours as chief financial officer, he<br /> served as senior vice president of operations and administration, a role in<br /> which Chappel led operations targeted for divestiture and successfully<br /> divested those operations.<br />     Prior to Waste Management, Chappel served in financial leadership roles at<br /> Beatrice Companies and a major public accounting firm.  He earned his<br /> bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Illinois in Chicago.<br /> He is a certified public accountant.<br />     Chappel succeeds Jack McCarthy, who retired at year-end 2002 after 10<br /> years as chief financial officer.  Gary Belitz, who had served as acting chief<br /> financial officer since the beginning of this year, will continue to serve as<br /> the company's controller and chief accounting officer, his role at Williams<br /> for the last 10 years.