AEP Announces Organizational, Executive Leadership Changes

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Electric Power has made organizational and executive leadership changes to support the company's strategic and executive succession goals, according to Michael G. Morris, AEP's chairman, president and chief executive officer.

All the changes are effective Jan. 1, 2008.

Carl English, currently president - AEP Utilities, will become the company's chief operating officer, reporting to Morris. Robert P. Powers, currently executive vice president - AEP East Utilities, will take English's post, serving as president - AEP Utilities, reporting to English. Brian Tierney, who currently serves as senior vice president - Commercial Operations, will assume the role of executive vice president - AEP East Utilities and will report to Powers. Tom Hagan, executive vice president - AEP West Utilities, will also report to Powers.

Barbara Radous, currently vice president, Commercial and Financial Analysis, will become senior vice president - Commercial Operations, reporting to Powers. Regulatory Services, under Senior Vice President Craig Baker, will continue to report to English.

"This organizational change takes maximum advantage of Carl English's exceptional operational knowledge of the utility business by bringing several groups under his leadership," Morris said. "By moving Bob Powers into the utility president's job and adding Brian Tierney to AEP's utility business, we have significantly strengthened the utility management team and provided these executives with the opportunity to broaden their experience."

In selecting Radous to succeed Tierney, Morris said "the company is taking advantage of the opportunity to build our next generation of senior leaders from within our existing talent pool."

Dennis Welch, currently senior vice president - Environment, Safety & Health, will become executive vice president, Safety, Environment, Health and Facilities, and will report to English. According to Morris, "this move underscores the critical importance of safety and environmental sustainability to the company's future and the increasing stature of AEP as a leader in corporate sustainability.

"Through Dennis Welch's leadership, AEP has made huge progress in improving its environmental and safety performance, and in establishing AEP as a company that 'walks the walk' of responsible environmental practices. Joining facilities with Dennis' existing organization will further ensure that facilities operations are effectively coordinated with our sustainability goals."

Morris also announced that Susan Tomasky, currently executive vice president - Shared Services, will move to a newly created position as president, AEP Transmission, reporting to Morris, and will assume responsibility for Transmission operations and new transmission business ventures. Michael Heyeck, senior vice president - Transmission, will report to Tomasky.

"The functional separation of our transmission business from distribution is a necessary first step in maximizing our potential to grow our transmission business both within and beyond the AEP footprint," said Morris. "Through the efforts of Mike Heyeck and others, we have made great progress in establishing AEP as a leader in meeting the nation's critical need for new transmission infrastructure. Susan's experience in multiple roles within the company and as a former federal policy maker provides her with exactly the right background to build on that effort and provide seasoned leadership to our transmission organization going forward."

Stephen P. Smith, currently the company's treasurer, will succeed Tomasky and serve as senior vice president - Shared Services, with responsibility for Information Technology, Human Resources and Business Logistics. He will report to English.

Dale Heydlauff, who has been on a special assignment leading the company's efforts to redevelop the Scioto Mile, will become vice president, Corporate Communications. Heydlauff will continue to oversee AEP's Scioto Mile efforts as a part of his new responsibilities, and will report to Morris.

"These moves provide two more of our talented leaders the opportunity to build on the expertise they have developed in other assignments across the company and help us realize our goal of cross training executives so that they are ready to meet a broad range of challenges in the future," Morris said.

Morris also announced other significant new assignments. Kevin Walker, who currently serves as president of AEP Ohio, will become the company's chief information officer. Joe Hamrock, who currently heads the Information Technology organization, will become president of AEP Ohio. "This is a move that makes perfect sense for both Kevin and Joe, and for the company," Morris said.

Noting that AEP's leaders need to understand the challenges at both operating company and corporate levels, Morris said, "Kevin Walker has had several years of experience in the field and can now bring the knowledge he has gained in the utility business" to one of the company's most challenging and important corporate center jobs.

"Getting it right in the IT world - from projects such as GridSMART to the challenging areas of cyber security - is increasingly important to our company," Morris said. "The IT organization will benefit greatly from the business understanding that Kevin brings from the front lines of the organization. Similarly, Joe Hamrock will bring his corporate experience in distribution operations and IT to the operating company with great benefit."

Succeeding Smith as treasurer will be Julie Sloat, currently vice president - Investor Relations, whose responsibilities will include both Treasury functions and investor relations.

Stephan Haynes will move from his post as assistant treasurer to chief risk officer and vice president - Strategic Initiatives. Haynes' new position will have consolidated responsibilities for all risk management functions and strategic analysis for new business opportunities.

"We continue to challenge all our executives to take on new challenges," Morris said, "and I am confident that both Julie and Steve will bring their energy and ability to these new positions to produce the best possible outcomes for AEP."

American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation's largest generators of electricity, owning more than 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation's largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP's transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP's utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP's headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.