Steven Croley brings to Ford Motor Co. regulatory expertise in key role. : Ford Motor Co. has hired the former general counsel to the U.S. Department of Energy as chief policy officer and general counsel, the automaker announced Wednesday. Steven Croley, an expert in regulatory law who is licensed to practice law in Michigan, Illinois and Washington, D.C., will join the company on July 12 to "help the company further leverage and build on its strengths in government relations, sustainability, safety, legal and privacy" matters, Ford said in its news release.