AEP Retirees & Alumni

• 62-year-old 1,590-MW Conesville Plant retires May 31
• Conesville’s Unit 2 began operation Dec. 26, 1957

For 62 years, Conesville Plant has sat along the banks of the Muskingum River, approximately 10 miles downriver from Coshocton, Ohio. For decades, its stacks rising like beacons to those who live and work in the area. The water vapor a sign you were close to home.

When the last of the coal pile is depleted, the familiar steam plumes will fade away. Conesville’s last operating unit, Unit 4, will retire May 31, and the lights will be turned off for the final time.

From that first day in 1957 to today, Conesville employees, will all tell you that the plant is more than just a place to work. You will hear variations of: “We are family.”  “My coworkers are my brothers and sisters.” They were always ready to lend a hand when needed.

They were also very much about giving back to their community. They pride themselves on the relationships that were built over the years. This is evident in the successful Earth Day Celebrations, involvement in the local Boy Scout camp and working to reclaim abandoned mine land nearby, to name just a few.

Some facts about Conesville Plant throughout the years:

• At the time Unit 4 began operation, it was jointly owned by Cincinnati Gas and Electric (a forerunner of Duke Energy), Columbus Southern Ohio Electric and DP&L. In 2014, Duke Energy sold its stake in Conesville to Dynegy. Three years later in 2017, Dynegy sold its stake in Conesville. DP&L continues to hold a minority ownership of Unit 4 with AEP.
• Conesville’s five subcritical units, 1, 2, 3, 5 & 6, were re-engineered to either be black start capable or capable to load reject, or both, in order to be ready if the electrical grid would go down.
• Plant employees hosted countless tours for the community and school children, welcoming 2,000-3,000 people a year.
• Conesville was an early adopter of the LEAN process. Using the learnings from the process improvement initiative to improve the overall competitiveness and culture of the plant.

The Great Blizzard of 1978

On January 25, 1978, Ohio experienced the worst snowstorm in its history. Conesville Plant continued operation with a skeleton crew for five days, working 12 hours on and 12 hours off. Due to closed roads, these employees were snowed in at the plant during this time. The snow was so bad the employees had to dig out the coal to keep the plant running. When Dave Leppla, plant manager, first arrived at the plant during the storm, he also brought his wife, Wanda and groceries. Both Dave and Wanda stayed the five days and Wanda cooked for the employees who were working to keep the lights on.

Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation

Conesville Power Plant partnered with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio State University, and the Ohio Coal Development Office to use the plant’s flue gas desulfurization (FGD) material to eliminate an abandoned mine land (AML) site and improve the environment in Coshocton County.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR)-approved AML project will reclaim this nearly three-fourths mile strip of land from its coal mining past. The project is a partnership between AEP, ODNR, Ohio State University and the Ohio Coal Development Office. This was later expanded into several successful projects and adopted in other parts of the state.

Earth Day Celebrations

For 20 years, Conesville Plant held an outdoor educational event, for students in fifth and sixth grades. Over the years, plant employees and retirees alike assisted with the event. “We’ve always taken a lot of pride in being involved in the community,” said Tom Seward, superintendent of operations. “The Earth Day Celebrations were a way for the plant employees to reach out and make a local impact.”

The largest event was the plant’s last one. In 2019, more than 900 students and teachers participated in activities in and around the plant, Wills Creek Dam and Muskingum County Boy Scout Reservation. Activities over the years included dam tours, demonstrations from the Coshocton County Sheriff’s Office, electrofishing with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, viewing of eagles with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, learning about the plant and its recycling efforts and many more.

Memories from the Conesville Family

“My first assignment at AEP involved a technology demonstration project at Conesville. It was the first coal plant I had ever seen. I had the privilege of working with very talented and dedicated people. I gained an appreciation for Conesville’s proud history and close ties to the community that is common among AEP’s plants.” – Paul Chodak, EVP – Generation

“I remember my first trip to Conesville. It was in the late ‘80s and I had just been named to a new position at Tanners Creek Plant. The Conesville leadership team was kind enough to spend a day and a half sharing with me how they managed the plant on a daily basis. That helpful culture has been a hallmark of the Conesville team for a long, long time.  Most notably, the entire team’s response to Ohio deregulation was outstanding. They lived the kind of ‘can do’ culture that drives successful organizations, despite the overwhelming odds against them. So inspiring. Thanks for the memories Conesville!” – Mark McCullough, EVP – Transmission

“This is a very difficult time for everyone at Conesville. They have worked incredibly hard since becoming a competitive plant in 2014 to bring value to AEP. Their commitment to lean processes, employee engagement, innovation and Zero Harm are to be commended. I know I speak for leaders across AEP when I say that we greatly appreciate all they have done to provide electric supply to their stakeholders in the most reliable and professional manner. All of us at AEP say ‘Thank You.’” – Chuck Zebula – EVP Energy Supply

“I had limited familiarity with the Conesville team prior to the facility becoming part of the unregulated fleet in 2014. The challenges were so big, and yet the response from the team was bigger. Conesville employees became an example for the rest of the fleet in focusing on what they could control and achieving significant results. Clearly there was a long history of accomplishments at Conesville before that time; yet, what I admire most is their legacy of setting fleet standards all the way to closure.“ – Dan Lee, SVP – Fossil & Hydro Generation

“I hold a very special place in my heart for all the employees and contractors I worked with at Conesville Plant. When we moved into the unregulated side of the business into full competition and started our Lean Transformation initiative, the employees fully embraced the challenge and I was able to be a part of the largest culture transformational effort I’ve ever seen. During our culture transformational initiative, I had several employees come to me and tell me we could write books about what was taking place at Conesville, and that was the truth – the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” – Mike Zwick, former plant manager and current managing director for the competitive Fossil Hydro fleet

“Wow! My career at Conesville began over 35 years ago, but in some ways it seems like just yesterday! We’ve had times of great sadness and times of great celebration. I’m proud to say I was a part of the CV Team.” – Susan Shuck, administrative supv.

“My heart aches for our retirees and business partners. We had plans to have a large celebration with all of our former co-workers and business partners who had an impact on making Conesville Plant the gem it is. However, with the COVID-19 impact on gatherings, we will not be able to assemble and share stories and a meal one last time. Our message to all of those great people who passed through this plant as important contributors, ‘thank you!’ We really wanted to get together one last time and want you to know it hurts that it will not happen. On to the next chapter.” – Erich Skelley, a retiree who came back to work as a safety and health consultant

“I was hired at Conesville Plant as an environmental technician. It was an amazing place to learn and grow. The people there were welcoming and took the time to teach me everything I wanted to know. I always thought I would retire from Conesville. When an offer came to transfer to AEP Engineering, I was very unsure if it was the right move but a few of the men I really looked up to advised me that it would be a great opportunity. As usual, they were right and I am grateful, but I often miss working there. It is personally very sad for me to see Conesville shutting down. I will always be grateful for the time I was privileged to work there and the many people who helped me become a better person, engineer and leader.” – Gary Spitznogle, vice president – Environmental Services

“I loved working at Conesville, It was a great place to work, a great place to learn how to better yourself, a great place to realize we are better as a team, and a great place to be part of a family. In the 90s, our plant manager, Dan Lambert, started a cultural transformation that had a positive impact across all of AEP Generation. The focus started with a simple book about building trust, which has had a lifelong impact on me personally, ‘Managing from the HEART’ by Hyler Bracey and Jack Rosenblum. Dan also had us focus on real teamwork and our processes. This really helped finalize the cultural transformation. Before Dan left Conesville, his leadership and our hard work were recognized with the Baldrige Ohio Governor’s Award for Excellence. This was a very proud moment for all of us at the plant. It was in the middle of our culture transformation, when I was inspired to write a song. Earl Duck and myself talked Dan Lambert into letting us perform it for our new boss, Bill Sigmon. Bill must have been ok with it since Earl and I are still employed.” – Brian Scragg, director performance improvement

“When I started in 1989, there were roughly 525 employees at Conesville. We did everything ourselves when it came to outage work; and since Conesville had six units, it seemed like we were always in an outage or planning for one. The better part of my career was on the maintenance side, outage season was our busy time, which meant spending long hours working weekends together. This also meant we spent more of our awake time with coworkers than our families. You learned fast, or the hard way that you have to get along with your coworkers and value their strengths. I will miss the people more than the place when it comes to Conesville!” – Ron Borton, gen apps support spec lead

“I went to work at Conesville upon graduation from college and it was my first real job. I was so nervous to go and start my job there in the chemistry lab. I remember those who worked in the lab at first joked that they had socks older than me, but very quickly accepted me and began to teach me about the plant and their jobs. I will never forget my chem lab family.” – Kimberly Chilcote, fuel buyer staff

“I am happy to say I worked at the plant. It was a tremendous place to work. They were good to me and my family. There’s been really good people, from the leadership on down, although I may be slightly partial to the current manager (Ryan Forbes, current plant manager, is Gary’s son). They are all about safety. They want to make sure when you walk through the door that you go home through that door. We truly are a family. – Gary Forbes, retired material handler

“I have many memories of the plant. I was three years old when my dad first started working at the plant. As kids, we would fish and swim in the ash ponds. In the winter, the employees would shovel off the snow we’d all ice skate and roast hot dogs. I also remember driving to Columbus at Christmastime with my family to see Lazarus and all the lights. My dad would explain to my brother John and me that it was because of Conesville Plant that the lights were on. We were too young to understand at the time. My dad was really proud of that fact.” – Dave Leppla, retired plant operator

“Everybody that worked there was family. They’re the finest men I’ve ever worked with. If somebody needed something, it was taken care of for them. We would tease one another like you would tease your own family members. I could laugh, a full blown, belly laugh every day. That’s what I miss the most since retiring. I miss the funny moments that would happen throughout the day. I could write a book about it. It was unbelievable. Thirty-eight years seems like it flew by.” – John Leppla, retired instrument and control tech

“I don’t know what life without Conesville Power Plant looks like and neither do my wife and kids. All being natives of Coshocton, Ohio, it’s always played a meaningful role in our lives. Frankly, we can’t escape being emotionally impacted from the situation. However, ‘appreciation’ is most of what I’m feeling right now. For more than 62 years, it has given us pride of worthy jobs, stability in local commerce, and really, a sense of belonging. It’s a unique and special bond with the locals, and I’m confident the memories will continue giving. Many area residents have a gravitating connection to the plant and almost all have only a very small degree of separation. Our legacy is going to be a good mix of contribution, loyalty and humor. As not only plant manager, but local community member, I very sincerely thank all who have built the Conesville family and I’m honored to sign off Conesville Power Plant with employees that have a long list of accomplishments and successes of which we are proud!” – Ryan Forbes, plant manager

CONESVILLE PLANT KEY DATES:

Dec. 26, 1957: Conesville Unit 2, 125 MW, began operation with 52 employees.

1959 – Unit 1, also 125 MW, comes on line.

1963 – 165 MW Unit 3 begins operation.

1973: Unit 4, with 780 MW comes on line.

1976: Unit 5, with the first scrubber in Ohio, goes on line.

1978: Conesville reaches full capacity of 1,590 MW with the addition of Unit 6.

1981: American Electric Power purchases Columbus Southern Ohio Electric Co., including Conesville Plant.

1985: Offsite residual waste landfill built to accept by-products from the plant.

Late 1990s: Partnership with Conesville Elementary School wins grants and awards for building state-of-the-art science lab.

2001: Conesville Plant receives Governor’s Award for Excellence.

2004: Innovative project begins to reclaim Abandoned Mine Land (AML).

2005: Units 1 & 2 retire.

2009: Unit 4 goes commercial with a retrofitted Jet Bubble Reactor Scrubber.

2012: Conesville Plant embarks on a Lean Manufacturing transformation journey.

2012: Unit 3 retires.

2014: Conesville Plant moves to competitive generation market.

May 2019: Units 5 & 6 retire.

May 31, 2020: Conesville Unit 4 retires.

Have a memory of Conesville Plant? Share your memories in the comments below.

Current Conesville Plant Contributors: Jeanne Bannister, Carolyn Barr, Mary Daugherty, Earl Duck, Ryan Forbes, Tom Seward, Susan Shuck, Erich Skelley, Dennis Werner.

Arkansas

Billie McDonald, 81, Fayetteville, Fayetteville, AR, died 10/13/2019 

Phillip Shafer, 76, Fayetteville Operations, Fayetteville, AR, died 12/4/2019 

Brenda James, 69, Nashville, Nashville, AR, died 8/13/2019 

Glenn Gay, 72, Dyess Substation, Springdale, AR, died 12/5/2019 

Dale Barnes, 58, Greenwood, Greenwood, AR, died 10/19/2019

California 

Richard Nerzig, 61, San Diego Office, San Diego, CA, died 12/14/2019

Washington, D.C.

Bruce Beam, 85, Governmental Affairs, Washington, DC, died 7/26/2019 

Indiana

Darrell Gillispie, 66, Rockport Plant, Rockport, IN, died 1/7/2020 

Carl Titzer, 57, Rockport Plant, Rockport, IN, died 11/16/2019 

Houston Hogg, 71, Rockport Plant, Rockport, IN, died 1/2/2020 

Patrick Hale, 64, Rockport Plant, Rockport, IN, died 12/24/2019 

William Voit, 73, South Bend Service Center, South Bend, IN, died 12/31/2019 

Russell Abel, 94, Muncie Office, Muncie, IN, died 9/2/2019 

John McHolland, 92, Muncie Service Center, Muncie, IN, died 8/5/2019 

Todd Zimmerman, 50, Spy Run Bldg. #3, Ft. Wayne, IN, died 12/2/2019 

Maxine Peck, 93, One Summit Square, Ft. Wayne, IN, died 11/7/2019 

Carl Rynearson, 91, South Bend Office, South Bend, IN, died 8/15/2019 

Troy Head, 80, Marion Service Center, Marion, IN, died 11/29/2019 

Alice Shoemaker, 96, Decatur Office, Decatur, IN, died 7/29/2019 

Thomas Yurkovic, 100, One Summit Square, Ft. Wayne, IN, died 8/2/2019 

Linda Demorrow, 77, South Bend Office, South Bend, IN, died 10/22/2019 

Steuben Cain, 92, Breed Plant, Fairbanks, IN, died 11/11/2019 

Wanda Housel, 86, Winchester Service Center, Winchester, IN, died 8/20/2019 

Mark Cowans, 48, Dale Station Headquarters, Dale, IN, died 10/13/2019 

Kentucky

Simon Lunce, 73, Hazard Service Center, Hazard, KY, died 8/28/2019 

Edward Bolt, 67, Big Sandy Plant, Louisa, KY, died 12/24/2019 

James Boyer, 84, Ashland Office, Ashland, KY, died 9/27/2019 

William Frazier, 79, Ashland Office, Ashland, KY, died 11/26/2019 

John Turnley, 94, Pikeville Service Center, Pikeville, KY, died 9/17/2019 

Kendrick Brashear, 91, Hazard Office, Hazard, KY, died 10/22/2019 

Charles Miller, 71, Paducah Training Center, Puducah, KY, died 12/11/2019 

Louisiana

Tony Santoro, 97, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 12/15/2019 

Melvin Morris, 87, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 8/7/2019 

Oscar McCarty, 89, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 9/16/2019 

Helen Moses, 92, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 11/12/2019 

Max Salter, 84, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 8/27/2019 

William Owsley, 94, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 7/26/2019 

Edith Sloane, 92, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 11/25/2019 

Donsald Huckabee, 87, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 8/5/2019 

Carl Stephens, 86, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 10/10/2019 

Sally Mebane, 80, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 10/7/2019 

James Heard, 78, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 11/22/2019 

Catherine Olender, 61, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 12/3/2019 

Francine Smith, 92, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 11/3/2019 

Derrick Ellis, 53, Shreveport Office, Shreveport, LA, died 9/30/2019 

Michigan

Michael Zantello, 57, Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, died 10/21/2019 

Bernard Clark, 58, Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, died 8/6/2019 

Stephen Fulton, 68, Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, died 10/3/2019 

John Ripak, 81, Buchanan Nuclear Office, Buchanan, MI, died 10/19/2019 

Daniel Scheffler, 82, Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, died 1/13/2020 

Guy Caple, 67, Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, died 12/23/2019 

Leonard Shell, 92, Buchanan Office/Service Center, Buchanan, MI, died 7/20/2019 

Frank Granzotto, 93, Three Rivers Service Center, Three Rivers, MI, died 8/31/2019 

Marie Jakubowski, 103, Three Rivers Service Center, Three Rivers, MI, died 12/3/2019 

Maurice Wickett, 79, Three Rivers Service Center, Three Rivers, MI, died 12/25/2019 

L.G. Wallace, 85, Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, died 10/21/2019 

Donald Roach, 75, St Joe Office & Service Center, Benton Harbor, MI, died 1/12/2020 

Kevin Aldridge, 49, Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, died 12/2/2019 

Missouri

Betty Weber, 87, AEP River Operations, Cape Girardeau, MO, died 6/26/2019 

Floyd Bowers, 72, AEP River Operations, Cape Girardeau, MO, died 9/8/2019 

New York

Rita Malavasi, 104, Rockefeller Center, New York, NY, died 10/26/2019 

Ohio

Chad Orwig, 43, Delaware Service Center, Delaware, OH, died 10/22/2019 

Philip Ball, 73, Socco-Meigs Mine, Albany, OH, died 1/12/2020 

Charles Williams, 70, Arena Building, Columbus, OH, died 9/1/2019 

Cecil Brinager, 79, Athens Office & Service Center, Athens, OH, died 9/22/2019 

Arlene Clark, 80, John E. Dolan Lab, Groveport, OH, died 7/25/2019 

Deborah McCutcheon, 64, Muskingum River, Waterford, OH, died 9/18/2019 

Lowell McCoy, 70, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 9/27/2019 

Raymond Humphrey, 77, Mound St Service Center, Columbus, OH, died 10/2/2019 

Dominador Panaligan, 77, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 12/23/2019 

John Park, 69, Gavin, Cheshire, OH, died 10/22/2019 

Arthur Degroff, 64, AEPOH 700 Bldg Gahanna, Gahanna, OH, died 12/13/2019 

Susan Gibbons, 71, Canton Eastern Region Office, Canton, OH, died 9/3/2019 

George Pabin, 70, Conesville Plant, Conesville, OH, died 10/23/2019 

Barbara Kissler, 84, 825 Tech Center Bldg, Gahanna, OH, died 8/10/2019 

Thomas Riley, 71, Minerva Annex, Columbus, OH, died 10/23/2019 

David Callander, 69, Telecommunications, Groveport, OH, died 9/16/2019 

Thomas Leeth, 72, Fremont Service Center, Fremont, OH, died 11/20/2019 

Bernice Cole, 69, 850 Tech Center Bldg, Gahanna, OH, died 9/13/2019 

Gary Morris, 72, Columbus NW Service Center, Columbus, OH, died 8/17/2019 

Carl Mani, 74, Canton South Service Center, Canton, OH, died 12/18/2019 

Richard North, 73, Muskingum River, Waterford, OH, died 8/1/2019 

John Beachman, 73, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 12/4/2019 

Donald Fout, 74, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 12/3/2019 

William Waters, 76, Tiffin Service Center, Tiffin, OH, died 12/29/2019 

James Henderson, 73, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 9/9/2019 

Lionel Gilmore, 78, Gavin, Cheshire, OH, died 10/22/2019 

William Drayton, 76, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 11/24/2019 

Jere Shough, 78, Mound St Service Center, Columbus, OH, died 12/6/2019 

Linda Cunningham, 80, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 10/4/2019 

Eugene Davis, 80, Lima Service Center, Lima, OH, died 1/13/2020 

Tommy Huff, 81, N Philadelphia Service Bldg, New Philadelphia, OH, died 12/26/2019 

David Beresford, 79, Cardinal Plant, Brilliant, OH, died 8/25/2019 

Francis Batchelder, 97, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 12/30/2019 

Richard Byron, 87, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 11/14/2019 

David Diamond, 81, 850 Tech Center Bldg, Gahanna, OH, died 8/27/2019 

Randall Hevener, 64, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 9/13/2019 

Carl Nay, 84, Canton Eastern Region Office, Canton, OH, died 12/12/2019 

Lawrence King, 86, Gavin, Cheshire, OH, died 10/12/2019 

Jerry Bruhn, 86, Portsmouth Service Center, Portsmouth, OH, died 8/3/2019 

James Rudol, 80, Lancaster Office Bldg, Lancaster, OH, died 12/24/2019 

Earl Icard, 83, John E. Dolan Lab, Groveport, OH, died 9/8/2019 

Joe Daristotle, 87, Lancaster Office Bldg, Lancaster, OH, died 10/14/2019 

Dana Gibson, 87, Cardinal Plant, Brilliant, OH, died 11/19/2019 

Robert Casto, 88, Muskingum River, Waterford, OH, died 8/14/2019 

Robert Redd, 82, Minerva Annex, Columbus, OH, died 8/10/2019 

Jack Pyles, 90, Gavin, Cheshire, OH, died 12/8/2019 

Roger Bechdolt, 81, Lima Service Center, Lima, OH, died 12/17/2019 

Howard Ball, 85, Muskingum River, Waterford, OH, died 11/20/2019 

George Moore, 90, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 11/1/2019 

Gerald Doyle, 74, Findlay Service Center, Findlay, OH, died 10/30/2019 

Robert Fick, 91, Chillicothe Office, Chillicothe, OH, died 11/11/2019 

Cordelia Armstrong, 94, Portsmouth Service Center, Portsmouth, OH, died 10/8/2019 

Vergil Kelley, 89, Hillsboro Service Center, Hillsboro, OH, died 8/2/2019 

Harold Osborne, 86, Gavin, Cheshire, OH, died 12/19/2019 

Daniel Harness, 82, Chillicothe Service Center, Chillicothe, OH, died 1/12/2020 

Bonnie Stickdorn, 95, Zanesville Office, Zanesville, OH, died 11/22/2019 

Macklin Christy, 79, Chillicothe Service Center, Chillicothe, OH, died 11/23/2019 

Cyril Stickel, 94, Picway Plant, Lockbourne, OH, died 10/26/2019 

William Palmer, 81, Conesville Plant, Conesville, OH, died 12/17/2019 

Charles Unger, 94, Canton Eastern Region Office, Canton, OH, died 9/13/2019 

Marilyn Hughes, 89, Wellston Office & Service Center, Wellston, OH, died 11/5/2019 

Sherman Leach, 86, Mound St Service Center, Columbus, OH, died 12/10/2019 

Darwin Dickinson, 96, Zanesville Office, Zanesville, OH, died 1/19/2020 

Betty Paul, 90, Canton Eastern Region Office, Canton, OH, died 11/1/2019 

Richard Spencer, 87, Gavin, Cheshire, OH, died 12/28/2019 

David Dearth, 80, Chillicothe Office, Chillicothe, OH, died 8/14/2019 

Michael McKenzie, 66, Conesville Plant, Conesville, OH, died 12/9/2019 

Robin Jones, 86, Conesville Plant, Conesville, OH, died 12/28/2019 

Rennard Patterson, 77, Canton South Service Center, Canton, OH, died 1/14/2020 

Wayne Yeater, 75, Canton South Service Center, Canton, OH, died 7/25/2019 

Raymond Thomas, 87, Canton Eastern Region Office, Canton, OH, died 7/23/2019 

David Cain, 90, 850 Tech Center Bldg, Gahanna, OH, died 10/18/2019 

Lois Richardson, 89, Steubenville Service Center, Steubenville, OH, died 12/7/2019 

Harry Ward, 83, Gallipolis Service Center, Gallipolis, OH, died 9/8/2019 

Harold Plant, 95, Steubenville Service Center, Steubenville, OH, died 12/12/2019 

Virgil McKnight, 91, Athens Office & Service Center, Athens, OH, died 11/1/2019 

Jan Beery, 79, Columbus SW Service Center, Columbus, OH, died 1/3/2020 

Albert Drozda, 99, Canton Eastern Region Office, Canton, OH, died 11/1/2019 

Donald Snyder, 88, 850 Tech Center Bldg, Gahanna, OH, died 1/3/2020 

Garnet Ayers, 90, Central Ohio Coal, Cumberland, OH, died 9/8/2019 

Arnold Dingess, 86, Conesville Plant, Conesville, OH, died 12/30/2019 

Patricia Poling, 83, 850 Tech Center Bldg, Gahanna, OH, died 9/13/2019 

Harriett Carter, 82, Columbus Region Office, Columbus, OH, died 9/1/2019 

Oral Burton, 90, Lancaster Office Bldg, Lancaster, OH, died 11/30/2019 

James Hayes, 75, Chilicothe Station & Meter/T&D, Chillicothe, OH, died 8/18/2019 

Tommie Lipson, 84, 850 Tech Center Bldg, Gahanna, OH, died 11/15/2019 

Robert Mockler, 87, 850 Tech Center Bldg, Gahanna, OH, died 12/23/2019 

Denzil Southall, 75, Socco-Meigs Mine, Albany, OH, died 8/16/2019 

Robert McAllister, 90, Conesville Plant, Conesville, OH, died 9/30/2019 

Christopher Jones, 48, Mound St Service Center, Columbus, OH, died 10/28/2019 

James Jauert, 74, Central Operations Center, Groveport, OH, died 8/22/2019 

Oklahoma

Harold Collins, 80, General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 1/7/2020 

William Ed, 74, General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 12/20/2019 

Frank Harwick, 77, Mid Metro, Tulsa, OK, died 8/10/2019 

Judy Price, 75, General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 8/25/2019 

Elizabeth Letters, 96, General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 7/25/2019 

James Lewis, 88, General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 11/6/2019 

Gary Long, 85, General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 8/13/2019 

William Magness, 78, Okmulgee Operations, Okmulgee, OK, died 9/23/2019 

Joe Nicely, 89, General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 1/20/2020 

Benny Schaum, 82, General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 12/17/2019 

Audrey Moore, 69, General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 8/30/2019 

Frances Volock, 96, General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 12/11/2019 

Harold Wadley, 74, Square One, Tulsa, OK, died 10/11/2019 

Robin Lawson, 63, Southwestern Station, Washita, OK, died 11/10/2019 

Linda Hudson, 71, General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 7/24/2019 

Susan Williams, 55, General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 11/26/2019 

Texas

John Haynes, 79, Csw Center, Dallas, TX, died 8/20/2019 

Rudy Arevalo, 65, Pharr North Service Center, Pharr, TX, died 12/26/2019 

Charles Beken, 91, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 11/16/2019 

James Brown, 70, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 1/20/2020 

R.D. Cave, 91, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 7/29/2019 

Raymond Elledge, 75, Harlingen Area Office, Harlingen, TX, died 11/26/2019 

James Gallaway, 85, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 9/9/2019 

Elmo Garza, 61, Corpus Christi Service Center, Corpus Christi, TX, died 8/29/2019 

Wanda Stevens, 93, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 8/19/2019 

Adan Hernandez, 72, Lon Hill Service Center, Corpus Christi, TX, died 12/23/2019 

James Holcomb, 88, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 11/28/2019 

Thomas Hubble, 90, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 11/6/2019 

Peggy Hurt, 81, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 8/27/2019 

Max Keller, 87, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 12/21/2019 

Julian Lopez, 95, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 11/7/2019 

James Mosley, 76, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 11/3/2019 

Thomas Patterson, 61, Harlingen Service Center, Harlingen, TX, died 12/17/2019 

W.E. Pickering, 76, Lon C Hill Power Station, Corpus Christi, TX, died 12/20/2019 

Arnold Rivas, 69, EleCenteric System Ops, Corpus Christi, TX, died 9/7/2019 

Anita Schulz, 62, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 9/13/2019 

W.T. Shelton, 82, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 7/29/2019 

David Wright, 88, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 12/20/2019 

Paul Franklin, 66, Pirkey Plant, Hallsville, TX, died 1/7/2020 

Goldie Baker, 80, San Angelo Services, San Angelo, TX, died 11/18/2019 

T.C. Bell, 70, Fort Phantom Power Plant, Abilene, TX, died 8/14/2019 

Brent Bruneau, 58, T & D Operations, Abilene, TX, died 12/9/2019 

Don Condron, 86, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 11/22/2019 

Donald Derrick, 81, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 7/24/2019 

R.S. Harrison, 83, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 8/19/2019 

Don Haynes, 80, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 11/23/2019 

Joyce Jay, 86, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 1/15/2020 

Lajuana Mills, 91, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 11/25/2019 

Barbara Neie, 87, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 10/31/2019 

Kenneth Odell, 88, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 8/9/2019 

J.E. Peiser, 89, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 10/27/2019 

Beverly Speckels, 77, Ballinger, Ballinger, TX, died 9/15/2019 

Virginia

Jackie Gurley, 61, Rocky Mount Office & Service Center, Rocky Mount, VA, died 12/16/2019 

Sarah Wright, 56, Roanoke Main Office, Roanoke, VA, died 9/22/2019 

Kenneth Meadows, 61, Glen Lyn Plant, Glen Lyn, VA, died 10/7/2019 

Larry Bowers, 64, Glen Lyn Plant, Glen Lyn, VA, died 8/27/2019 

Donald McGhee, 70, Fieldale Office, Fieldale, VA, died 12/30/2019 

James Maile, 86, Roanoke Main Office, Roanoke, VA, died 8/21/2019 

Eugene Coltrane, 92, Pulaski Service Center, Pulaski, VA, died 1/15/2020 

Alvin Leavelle, 88, Rocky Mount Office & Service Center, Rocky Mount, VA, died 12/13/2019 

Alonza Hardy, 100, Grundy Office & Service Center, Grundy, VA, died 10/21/2019 

Garland Hackney, 90, Clinch River Plant, Cleveland, VA, died 8/15/2019 

Adelene Newman, 90, Pulaski Office, Pulaski, VA, died 12/28/2019 

Donald Dickerson, 79, Roanoke Service Bldg., Roanoke, VA, died 12/8/2019 

Gordon Parker, 75, Roanoke Main Office, Roanoke, VA, died 9/15/2019 

Fielden Anderson, 86, Galax Office & Service Center, Galax, VA, died 9/8/2019 

John Blankenship, 87, Abingdon Service Center, Abingdon, VA, died 11/7/2019 

Lloyd Jackson, 85, Glen Lyn Plant, Glen Lyn, VA, died 12/5/2019 

Ray Eskew, 92, Abingdon Service Center, Abingdon, VA, died 10/6/2019 

Glenn Reynolds, 89, Roanoke Main Office, Roanoke, VA, died 11/5/2019 

James Witt, 89, Glen Lyn Plant, Glen Lyn, VA, died 12/10/2019 

Lee Vaught, 85, John W. Vaughan Center, Roanoke, VA, died 11/10/2019 

James Loving, 94, John W. Vaughan Center, Roanoke, VA, died 10/6/2019 

West Virginia

Joe Boyd, 65, River Trans Division, West Columbia, WV, died 1/14/2020 

Reid Strader, 64, Amos Plant, Winfield, WV, died 12/16/2019 

James Walters, 65, Kammer, Moundsville, WV, died 8/10/2019 

Gregory Casto, 68, Mountaineer Plant, New Haven, WV, died 7/30/2019 

Darrell Stone, 73, Amos Plant, Winfield, WV, died 11/17/2019 

John Miller, 73, Kammer, Moundsville, WV, died 9/22/2019 

Robert Bowman, 75, Kammer, Moundsville, WV, died 8/14/2019 

Lenders Oxyer, 75, Milton Office & Service Center, Milton, WV, died 11/12/2019 

Carl Gibson, 77, Bluefield Service Center, Bluefield, WV, died 11/10/2019 

Linda Hess, 72, Bluefield Office, Bluefield, WV, died 9/29/2019 

Cecil Gibson, 76, Amos Plant, Winfield, WV, died 10/24/2019 

Shirley Price, 80, Hurricane Call Center, Hurricane, WV, died 8/28/2019 

Gary Bailey, 69, Huntington Service Center, Huntington, WV, died 12/22/2019 

Max Knopp, 72, Sporn Plant, New Haven, WV, died 11/6/2019 

Frederick Garcia, 78, Kammer, Moundsville, WV, died 8/31/2019 

Sharon Smith, 79, River Trans Division, West Columbia, WV, died 7/25/2019 

Roger Todd, 76, Kammer, Moundsville, WV, died 9/9/2019 

Thomas Kincaid, 83, Huntington Office, Huntington, WV, died 12/16/2019 

Wilmer Grubb, 99, Amos Plant, Winfield, WV, died 1/10/2020 

Kenneth Keatley, 92, Beckley Service Center, Beckley, WV, died 9/26/2019 

Nancy Bailey, 90, Huntington Office, Huntington, WV, died 9/5/2019 

Cledith McCallister, 91, Huntington Office, Huntington, WV, died 1/8/2020 

Theodore Payne, 87, N Charleston Service Center, Charleston, WV, died 8/6/2019 

Fred Ensminger, 91, Mitchell Plant, Cresap, WV, died 9/8/2019 

Richard McKinney, 89, Bluefield Office, Bluefield, WV, died 10/9/2019 

John Sigman, 84, River Trans Division, West Columbia, WV, died 12/4/2019 

Arnold Yost, 96, Beckley Service Center, Beckley, WV, died 8/17/2019 

Charles Burchett, 84, Williamson Service Center, Williamson, WV, died 8/26/2019 

Lynda Browning, 81, N Charleston Service Center, Charleston, WV, died 10/30/2019 

Wesley Morrison, 82, Cross Lanes Office, Cross Lanes, WV, died 1/21/2020 

John McCracken, 88, Amos Plant, Winfield, WV, died 12/11/2019 

Lewis Burns, 81, N Charleston Service Center, Charleston, WV, died 9/22/2019 

Ronald White, 77, N Charleston Service Center, Charleston, WV, died 10/7/2019 

Luther Mills, 96, Welch Service Center, Welch, WV, died 7/27/2019 

Michael Fotos, 87, Huntington Office, Huntington, WV, died 12/31/2019 

Cecil Owens, 89, Mitchell Plant, Cresap, WV, died 12/12/2019 

Arkansas

Michael Boersma retired 1/3/2020 from Greenwood, Greenwood, AR, after 42 years

Frank Duffy retired 1/4/2020 from Flint Creek Plant, Gentry, AR, after 39 years

Indiana

Brian Sauter retired 12/1/2019 from Rockport Plant, Rockport, IN, after 35 years

Diana Furrow retired 1/1/2020 from Northeast Service Center, New Haven, IN, after 28 years

Diana Heishman retired 1/8/2020 from Muncie Service Center, Muncie, IN, after 16 years

Louisiana

Rickey Pellegrin retired 1/8/2020 from Central Maintenance Facility, Shreveport, LA, after 38 years

Jessie Bohannon retired 1/9/2020 from System Control Center, Shreveport, LA, after 17 years

Cynthia Youngblood retired 12/1/2019 from Shreveport Office, Shreveport, LA, after 27 years

Michigan

John Rogers retired 1/24/2020 from Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, after 28 years

Charles Springman retired 1/1/2020 from Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, after 35 years

Rick Weich retired 1/1/2020 from Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, after 12 years

Henry Truer retired 1/1/2020 from Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, after 11 years

John Lidstrom retired 12/6/2019 from Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, after 18 years

Ohio

Kent Fritzler retired 1/11/2020 from Alliance, Alliance, OH, after 40 years

Philip Lewis retired 1/16/2020 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 37 years

Paul Pennino retired 1/16/2020 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 36 years

William Pratt retired 1/1/2020 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 36 years

Tracy Elich retired 1/1/2020 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 43 years

Daniel Holmes retired 12/28/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 35 years

Jeffrey Ward retired 12/17/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 27 years

Terry Hemsworth retired 12/6/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 36 years

Davey Miller retired 12/1/2019 from Gavin, Cheshire, OH, after 40 years

William Eads retired 12/20/2019 from John E. Dolan Lab, Groveport, OH, after 35 years

Keith Gregory retired 1/3/2020 from Steubenville Service Center, Steubenville, OH, after 30 years

Jeffrey Smith retired 12/6/2019 from Canton General Service Center, Canton, OH, after 17 years

Arleen L’Ecuyer retired 1/1/2020 from AEP Transmission HQ, New Albany, OH, after 39 years

Richard Hoffman retired 12/6/2019 from AEP Transmission HQ, New Albany, OH, after 41 years

Oklahoma

Claude Smith retired 1/11/2020 from Tulsa General Office, Tulsa, OK, after 35 years

Glen Rind retired 1/11/2020 from Tulsa General Office, Tulsa, OK, after 35 years

Shellie Reider retired 1/7/2020 from Tulsa General Office, Tulsa, OK, after 32 years

Texas

Bryan Johnson retired 1/11/2020 from Victoria Service Center, Victoria, TX, after 38 years

Robert Lutes retired 1/1/2020 from Southwest District, San Angelo, TX, after 26 years

Omar Dominguez retired 12/6/2019 from Refugio Area Office, Refugio, TX, after 26 years

James Crittenden retired 1/8/2020 from Center, Center, TX, after 34 years

Glenda Williams retired 1/14/2020 from Matador, Matador, TX, after 34 years

Paul Salone retired 1/11/2020 from Sinton Area Office, Sinton, TX, after 21 years

Glen Kelley retired 1/4/2020 from Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, after 36 years

Glenn Martin retired 1/9/2020 from Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, after 33 years

Donald Lewis retired 1/1/2020 from Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, after 40 years

Teresa Whitt retired 12/18/2019 from Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, after 21 years

Virginia

Ricky Holmes retired 1/11/2020 from Clinch River Plant, Cleveland, VA, after 40 years

James Thrasher retired 1/18/2020 from Roanoke Main Office, Roanoke, VA, after 30 years

Donald Stull retired 1/18/2020 from Roanoke Main Office, Roanoke, VA, after 29 years

Billy Carroll retired 1/18/2020 from Smith Mountain Hydro, Sandy Level, VA, after 37 years

Robert Wagner retired 1/25/2020 from John W. Vaughan Center Mtr/Str, Roanoke, VA, after 39 years

West Virginia

Taylor Tomblin retired 1/4/2020 from Logan Service Center, Logan, WV, after 41 years

William Osborne retired 1/4/2020 from Mountaineer Plant, New Haven, WV, after 42 years

Andrew Vaughan retired 12/28/2019 from Mountaineer Plant, New Haven, WV, after 36 years

Arkansas

Timothy Denman retired 9/27/2019 from Rogers, Rogers, AR, after 34 years

Florida

Bradley Galford retired 10/5/2019 from Home Worksite, FL, after 39 years

Indiana

Darrell Whitt retired 8/1/2019 from Rockport Plant, Rockport, IN, after 35 years

Ronald Moorman retired 9/17/2019 from Rockport Plant, Rockport, IN, after 32 years

Robert Hayden retired 9/21/2019 from Rockport Plant, Rockport, IN, after 36 years

Eric Morris retired 8/3/2019 from One Summit Square, Ft. Wayne, IN, after 34 years

Mccellus Mays retired 10/1/2019 from Rockport Plant, Rockport, IN, after 35 years

Deborah Vanderklok retired 8/1/2019 from South Bend Service Center, South Bend, IN, after 29 years

Constance Meyers retired 10/1/2019 from One Summit Square, Ft. Wayne, IN, after 39 years

Vincent Macias retired 9/21/2019 from Northeast Svc Center, New Haven, IN, after 33 years

Kevin Jenkins retired 10/16/2019 from Spy Run Building. #3, Ft. Wayne, IN, after 42 years

Laura Gigli retired 8/1/2019 from Baer Field Service Center, Ft. Wayne, IN, after 41 years

Kenneth Hyndman retired 8/1/2019 from Baer Field Service Center, Ft. Wayne, IN, after 40 years

Jessie Gadson retired 10/1/2019 from One Summit Square, Ft. Wayne, IN, after 45 years

Patrick Hale retired 9/1/2019 from Rockport Plant, Rockport, IN, after 42 years

Robert Little retired 11/13/2019 from Decatur Service Center, Decatur, IN, after 17 years

Kentucky

Mark Hamilton retired 8/24/2019 from Big Sandy Plant, Louisa, KY, after 29 years

James Mullins retired 8/31/2019 from Hazard Service Center, Hazard, KY, after 43 years

Gregory Justice retired 8/1/2019 from Pikeville Service Center, Pikeville, KY, after 42 years

Wayne Christian retired 8/31/2019 from Hazard Service Center, Hazard, KY, after 45 years

Louisiana

Steven Mullins retired 8/20/2019 from System Control Center, Shreveport, LA, after 38 years

Terry Beard retired 11/30/2019 from System Control Center, Shreveport, LA, after 34 years

William Robinson retired 11/8/2019 from Shreveport Operations, Shreveport, LA, after 33 years

Michigan

Jennifer Ahrens retired 9/27/2019 from Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, after 35 years

Dennis Dady retired 11/30/2019 from Cook Material Center, Bridgman, MI, after 28 years

Samuel Partin retired 8/3/2019 from Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, after 35 years

Craig Allee retired 8/6/2019 from Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, after 43 years

Robert Gacsko retired 8/6/2019 from Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, after 19 years

James McKinnon retired 11/30/2019 from Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, after 20 years

Robert Kerhin retired 8/16/2019 from Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, after 17 years

Tobi Gottlieb retired 8/20/2019 from Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, after 10 years

Ohio

Larry Leider retired 10/12/2019 from Alliance, Alliance, OH, after 40 years

Lamanul Siddiqi retired 9/11/2019 from Transmission Ops Center, New Albany, OH, after 32 years

Amy Schuler retired 11/2/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 22 years

William Gorder retired 8/31/2019 from Transmission Ops Center, New Albany, OH, after 39 years

Spanish McGee retired 8/10/2019 from Canton Eastern Regional Office, Canton, OH, after 34 years

Garland Bills retired 11/30/2019 from South Point Office and Service Center, South Point, OH, after 42 years

Matthew Norman retired 10/24/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 32 years

Linda Johnson retired 8/1/2019 from Columbus SE Service Center, Columbus, OH, after 41 years

Rodney Bradley retired 8/1/2019 from 700 Building Gahanna, Gahanna, OH, after 35 years

Michael Ickes retired 9/5/2019 from Canton Eastern Regional Office, Canton, OH, after 29 years

Michael Beech retired 10/1/2019 from Hillsboro Service Center, Hillsboro, OH, after 43 years

Patricia Morris retired 8/1/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 36 years

Kenneth McDonough retired 11/30/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 36 years

Mark Snyder retired 10/1/2019 from Conesville Plant, Conesville, OH, after 43 years

Timothy Williams retired 10/5/2019 from Newark Office Building, Newark, OH, after 37 years

John Blair retired 10/5/2019 from Newark Service Building, Newark, OH, after 27 years

Curt Cooper retired 11/1/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 29 years

Kathy Mossbarger retired 9/26/2019 from Canton Eastern Regional Office, Canton, OH, after 39 years

Teddy Ward retired 9/7/2019 from Belmont Office & Service Building, St. Clairsville, OH, after 38 years

Bette Rozsa retired 10/1/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 38 years

Paul Prater retired 10/1/2019 from Zanesville Service Center, Zanesville, OH, after 40 years

David Davis retired 8/31/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 37 years

Katherine Bettis retired 8/9/2019 from Transmission Ops Center, New Albany, OH, after 24 years

Thuy Nguyen retired 9/7/2019 from AEP Transmission HQ, New Albany, OH, after 40 years

Brent Bachelder retired 9/19/2019 from Fremont Service Center, Fremont, OH, after 33 years

Timothy Weinmann retired 8/24/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 39 years

David Powell retired 10/5/2019 from 825 Tech Center Building, Gahanna, OH, after 35 years

Christopher Decker retired 10/5/2019 from Tiffin Service Center, Tiffin, OH, after 39 years

David Reinhart retired 10/1/2019 from Canton General Service Center, Canton, OH, after 31 years

Randall Risher retired 8/31/2019 from AEP Transmission HQ2, New Albany, OH, after 49 years

Jeffrey Salway retired 11/5/2019 from Arena Building, Columbus, OH, after 39 years

Charles Powell retired 11/23/2019 from 850 Tech Center Building, Gahanna, OH, after 31 years

Timothy Tench retired 9/1/2019 from Racine, Racine, OH, after 34 years

Michael Kelly retired 10/12/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 35 years

Franklin Wirsing retired 9/4/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 27 years

Ashok Ralhan retired 11/2/2019 from AEP Transmission HQ2, New Albany, OH, after 17 years

Betsy Duncan retired 8/1/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 13 years

Peter Wendland retired 9/7/2019 from AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, after 13 years

Oklahoma

Judith Maumus retired 8/10/2019 from Tulsa General Office, Tulsa, OK, after 30 years

M Bettinger retired 10/1/2019 from Tulsa General Office, Tulsa, OK, after 42 years

Floyd Crane retired 11/28/2019 from North Division Operations Center, Bartlesville, OK, after 35 years

Brian Dillard retired 9/21/2019 from Tulsa Transmission Office & SC, Tulsa, OK, after 28 years

Daniel Hobson retired 9/16/2019 from Northeastern Station 3&4, Oologah, OK, after 45 years

Harvey Knecht retired 8/31/2019 from Alsuma Meter & Substation, Tulsa, OK, after 37 years

James Patro retired 9/26/2019 from Tulsa Power Station, Tulsa, OK, after 39 years

Victor Weatherly retired 8/2/2019 from Elk City, Elk City, OK, after 26 years

Rick Wooten retired 8/29/2019 from Energy Control Center, Tulsa, OK, after 41 years

Gail Panula retired 8/17/2019 from Tulsa General Office, Tulsa, OK, after 17 years

Johnnie Byrom retired 9/7/2019 from Tulsa General Office, Tulsa, OK, after 16 years

Mark Rooney retired 8/10/2019 from Grove, Grove, OK, after 13 years

Lonnie Oller retired 8/6/2019 from Wilburton, Wilburton, OK, after 13 years

Edward Yonkers retired 8/15/2019 from Mid Metro, Tulsa, OK, after 13 years

Donald Pyle retired 10/19/2019 from Comanche Station, Lawton, OK, after 13 years

Tennessee

Gary Bunch retired 9/28/2019 from Kingsport Service Center, Kingsport, TN, after 38 years

Johnny Taylor retired 8/1/2019 from Kingsport Service Center, Kingsport, TN, after 30 years

Texas

A.N. Hakimi retired 11/2/2019 from Renaissance Tower, Dallas, TX, after 39 years

Roland Cantu retired 8/3/2019 from Aransas Pass Svc Center, Aransas Pass, TX, after 27 years

Denise Smith retired 11/30/2019 from San Benito Service Center, San Benito, TX, after 38 years

Felix Guajardo retired 8/31/2019 from Lon Hill Service Center, Corpus Christi, TX, after 34 years

Larry Goree retired 11/30/2019 from Pirkey Plant, Hallsville, TX, after 40 years

Bradly Roach retired 11/13/2019 from Longview Operations, Longview, TX, after 39 years

Keith Durrett retired 10/18/2019 from Welsh Plant, Pittsburg, TX, after 35 years

Terry Weeks retired 11/30/2019 from Renaissance Tower, Dallas, TX, after 34 years

L McBride retired 11/16/2019 from Abilene 4th & Plum, Abilene, TX, after 45 years

James Whitlock retired 9/4/2019 from Abilene Distribution, Abilene, TX, after 34 years

Enrique Molina retired 8/24/2019 from Los Fresnos Service Center, Los Fresnos, TX, after 14 years

Gary Langford retired 9/7/2019 from Welsh Plant, Pittsburg, TX, after 10 years

Virginia

Johnny Tipton retired 11/7/2019 from Gate City Office and Service Center, Gate City, VA, after 33 years

Larry Cannon retired 10/1/2019 from Abingdon Service Center, Abingdon, VA, after 40 years

Glenn Fifer retired 9/17/2019 from Lynchburg Service Center, Lynchburg, VA, after 38 years

Vickie Baker retired 11/1/2019 from Clintwood Service Center, Clintwood, VA, after 29 years

Harry Stanley retired 11/1/2019 from Clintwood Service Center, Clintwood, VA, after 40 years

Gary Adkins retired 8/13/2019 from Woodlawn Service Center, Woodlawn, VA, after 35 years

Michael Ingoe retired 11/30/2019 from Wytheville Service Center, Wytheville, VA, after 39 years

Tracy Murray retired 10/1/2019 from Glade Spring Service Center, Glade Spring, VA, after 32 years

David Barger retired 9/7/2019 from Roanoke Service Building., Roanoke, VA, after 49 years

Brent Washburn retired 9/1/2019 from John W. Vaughan Center, Roanoke, VA, after 28 years

West Virginia

Michael Dawson retired 9/4/2019 from Huntington Service Center, Huntington, WV, after 42 years

Donald Spradling retired 8/3/2019 from Amos Plant, Winfield, WV, after 30 years

Arthur Barker retired 9/1/2019 from Logan Service Center, Logan, WV, after 26 years

Daryl Swecker retired 8/13/2019 from Bluefield Service Center, Bluefield, WV, after 41 years

James Archer retired 11/30/2019 from Bluefield Service Center, Bluefield, WV, after 43 years

Jerry White retired 9/25/2019 from Ripley Office and Service Center, Ripley, WV, after 39 years

Danny Sanders retired 9/15/2019 from N Charleston Service Center, Charleston, WV, after 40 years

Charles Mathews retired 11/1/2019 from Amos Plant, Winfield, WV, after 30 years

Debra Tygrett retired 10/1/2019 from APCO Headquarters, Charleston, WV, after 45 years

Peggy Wysong retired 10/1/2019 from St Albans Office and Service Center, St. Albans, WV, after 24 years

Robert Legg retired 9/20/2019 from Marmet Hydro, Marmet, WV, after 44 years

Dennis Harris retired 10/1/2019 from Mountaineer Plant, New Haven, WV, after 45 years

Charles Moody retired 10/15/2019 from Beckley Service Center, Beckley, WV, after 18 years

Denise Otte retired 11/30/2019 from Wheeling Service Building, Wheeling, WV, after 30 years

Joseph Suchan retired 9/28/2019 from Moundsville Office and Service Center, Moundsville, WV, after 39 years

Billy Garnes retired 8/1/2019 from Mountaineer Plant, New Haven, WV, after 33 years

John Davis retired 10/1/2019 from Pt Pleasant Office and Service Center, Pt. Pleasant, WV, after 41 years

Randy Young retired 11/3/2019 from Mountaineer Plant, New Haven, WV, after 45 years

Charles Shrader retired 8/24/2019 from Beckley Service Center, Beckley, WV, after 38 years

David Derenberger retired 10/12/2019 from Pt Pleasant Office and Service Center, Pt. Pleasant, WV, after 34 years

Ricky Brewer retired 11/5/2019 from Williamson Service Center, Williamson, WV, after 24 years

Sanford Cunningham retired 10/1/2019 from Amos Plant, Winfield, WV, after 29 years

Bonnie McCord retired 11/1/2019 from N Charleston Service Center, Charleston, WV, after 22 years

Mark Lineberry retired 11/21/2019 from Bluefield Service Center, Bluefield, WV, after 35 years

Gregory Atkins retired 11/5/2019 from Amos Plant, Winfield, WV, after 11 years

Peter Sutton retired 11/30/2019 from N Charleston Service Center, Charleston, WV, after 11 years

The American Electric Power plant in Conesville might be closing May 31, but its legacy is targeted to live on.

Following current renovations at the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum in Roscoe Village, a new exhibit focused on manufacturing in Coshocton is slated to be installed. This will date back to Coshocton’s time as a major player in the advertising art field to current industrial giants like McWane Ductile and Kraft-Heinz. The coal-fired plant that opened in 1957 will also have a significant spot.

Continue reading the story in the Coshocton Tribune…

Even as the American Electric Power plant in Conesville plans to shutdown at the end of May, a camaraderie and loyalty to the company among employees still exists.

This can be seen in several retirees who have returned to get the coal-fired plant that opened in 1957 through its waning days. As other employees get new jobs or move to new positions in AEP, the local facility still has to operate and hiring new employees or bringing in workers from other plants certainly isn’t feasible. Those moving to other positions in the company would have to stay if there wasn’t someone to take their place.

Continue reading the story in the Times-Reporter…

Arkansas

Dale Barnes, 58, Greenwood, Greenwood, AR, died 10/19/2019

Brenda James, 69, Nashville, Nashville, AR, died 8/13/2019

Billie McDonald, 81, Fayetteville, Fayetteville, AR, died 10/13/2019

District of Columbia

Bruce Beam, 85, Governmental Affairs, Washington, DC, died 7/26/2019

Indiana

Russell Abel, 94, Muncie Office, Muncie, IN, died 9/2/2019

Steuben Cain, 92, Breed Plant, Fairbanks, IN, died 11/11/2019

Mark Cowans, 48, Dale Station, Dale, IN, died 10/13/2019

Linda Demorrow, 77, South Bend Office, South Bend, IN, died 10/22/2019

Wanda Housel, 86, Winchester Service Center, Winchester, IN, died 8/20/2019

John McHolland, 92, Muncie Service Center, Muncie, IN, died 8/5/2019

Maxine Peck, 93, One Summit Square, Ft. Wayne, IN, died 11/7/2019

Jr. Rynearson, 91, South Bend Office, South Bend, IN, died 8/15/2019

Alice Shoemaker, 96, Decatur Office, Decatur, IN, died 7/29/2019

Carl Titzer, 57, Rockport Plant, Rockport, IN, died 11/16/2019

Thomas Yurkovic, 100, One Summit Square, Ft. Wayne, IN, died 8/2/2019

Kentucky

James Boyer, 84, Ashland Office, Ashland, KY, died 9/27/2019

Kendrick Brashear, 91, Hazard Office, Hazard, KY, died 10/22/2019

William Frazier, 79, Ashland Office, Ashland, KY, died 11/26/2019

Simon Lunce, 73, Hazard Service Center, Hazard, KY, died 8/28/2019

John Turnley, 94, Pikeville Service Center, Pikeville, KY, died 9/17/2019

Louisiana

Derrick Ellis, 53, Shreveport Office, Shreveport, LA, died 9/30/2019

James Heard, 78, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 11/22/2019

Donsald Huckabee, 87, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 8/5/2019

Oscar McCarty, 89, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 9/16/2019

Sally Mebane, 80, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 10/7/2019

Melvin Morris, 87, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 8/7/2019

William Owsley, 94, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 7/26/2019

Max Salter, 84, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 8/27/2019

Edith Sloane, 92, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 11/25/2019

Francine Smith, 92, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 11/3/2019

Carl Stephens, 86, Shreveport General Office, Shreveport, LA, died 10/10/2019

Michigan

Bernard Clark, 58, Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, died 8/6/2019

Stephen Fulton, 68, Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, died 10/3/2019

Frank Granzotto, 93, Three Rivers Service Center, Three Rivers, MI, died 8/31/2019

Marie Jakubowski, 103, Three Rivers Service Center, Three Rivers, MI, died 12/3/2019

John Ripak, 81, Buchanan Nuclear Office, Buchanan, MI, died 10/19/2019

Leonard Shell, 92, Buchanan Office/Service Center, Buchanan, MI, died 7/20/2019

L Wallace, 85, Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, died 10/21/2019

Michael Zantello, 57, Cook Nuclear Plant, Bridgman, MI, died 10/21/2019

Missouri

Floyd Bowers, 72, AEP River Operations – Cape, Cape Girardeau, MO, died 9/8/2019

New York

Rita Malavasi, 104, Rockefeller Center, New York, NY, died 10/26/2019

Ohio

Cordelia Armstrong, 94, Portsmouth Service Center, Portsmouth, OH, died 10/8/2019

Garnet Ayers, 90, Central Ohio Coal, Cumberland, OH, died 9/8/2019

Howard Ball, 85, Muskingum River, Waterford, OH, died 11/20/2019

David Beresford, 79, Cardinal Plant, Brilliant, OH, died 8/25/2019

Cecil Brinager, 79, Athens Office & Service Center, Athens, OH, died 9/22/2019

Jerry Bruhn, 86, Portsmouth Service Center, Portsmouth, OH, died 8/3/2019

Oral Burton, 90, Lancaster Office Building, Lancaster, OH, died 11/30/2019

Richard Byron, 87, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 11/14/2019

David Cain, 90, 850 Tech Center Building, Gahanna, OH, died 10/18/2019

David Callander, 69, Telecommunications, Groveport, OH, died 9/16/2019

Harriett Carter, 82, Columbus Region Office, Columbus, OH, died 9/1/2019

Robert Casto, 88, Muskingum River, Waterford, OH, died 8/14/2019

Macklin Christy, 79, Chillicothe Service Center, Chillicothe, OH, died 11/23/2019

A Clark, 80, John E. Dolan Lab, Groveport, OH, died 7/25/2019

Bernice Cole, 69, 850 Tech Center Building, Gahanna, OH, died 9/13/2019

Linda Cunningham, 80, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 10/4/2019

Jr. Daristotle, 87, Lancaster Office Building, Lancaster, OH, died 10/14/2019

David Dearth, 80, Chillicothe Office, Chillicothe, OH, died 8/14/2019

David Diamond, 81, 850 Tech Center Building, Gahanna, OH, died 8/27/2019

Gerald Doyle, 74, Findlay Service Center, Findlay, OH, died 10/30/2019

William Drayton, 76, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 11/24/2019

Albert Drozda, 99, Canton Eastern Region Office, Canton, OH, died 11/1/2019

Robert Fick, 91, Chillicothe Office, Chillicothe, OH, died 11/11/2019

Donald Fout, 74, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 12/3/2019

Susan Gibbons, 71, Canton Eastern Region Office, Canton, OH, died 9/3/2019

Dana Gibson, 87, Cardinal Plant, Brilliant, OH, died 11/19/2019

Lionel Gilmore, 78, Gavin, Cheshire, OH, died 10/22/2019

James Hayes, 75, Chillicothe Station and Meter/T&D, Chillicothe, OH, died 8/18/2019

James Henderson, 73, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 9/9/2019

Randall Hevener, 64, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 9/13/2019

Marilyn Hughes, 89, Wellston Office & Service Center, Wellston, OH, died 11/5/2019

Raymond Humphrey, 77, Mound St Service Center, Columbus, OH, died 10/2/2019

Earl Icard, 83, John E. Dolan Lab, Groveport, OH, died 9/8/2019

James Jauert, 74, Central Operations Center, Groveport, OH, died 8/22/2019

Christopher Jones, 48, Mound St Service Center, Columbus, OH, died 10/28/2019

Vergil Kelley, 89, Hillsboro Service Center, Hillsboro, OH, died 8/2/2019

Lawrence King, 86, Gavin, Cheshire, OH, died 10/12/2019

Barbara Kissler, 84, 825 Tech Center Building, Gahanna, OH, died 8/10/2019

Thomas Leeth, 72, Fremont Service Center, Fremont, OH, died 11/20/2019

Tommie Lipson, 84, 850 Tech Center Building, Gahanna, OH, died 11/15/2019

Robert McAllister, 90, Conesville Plant, Conesville, OH, died 9/30/2019

Lowell McCoy, 70, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 9/27/2019

Deborah McCutcheon, 64, Muskingum River, Waterford, OH, died 9/18/2019

Virgil McKnight, 91, Athens Office & Service Center, Athens, OH, died 11/1/2019

George Moore, 90, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 11/1/2019

Gary Morris, 72, Columbus NW Service Center, Columbus, OH, died 8/17/2019

Richard North, 73, Muskingum River, Waterford, OH, died 8/1/2019

Chad Orwig, 43, Delaware Service Center, Delaware, OH, died 10/22/2019

George Pabin, 70, Conesville Plant, Conesville, OH, died 10/23/2019

John Park, 69, Gavin, Cheshire, OH, died 10/22/2019

Betty Paul, 90, Canton Eastern RegionOffice, Canton, OH, died 11/1/2019

Patricia Poling, 83, 850 Tech Center Building, Gahanna, OH, died 9/13/2019

Robert Redd, 82, Minerva Annex, Columbus, OH, died 8/10/2019

Thomas Riley, 71, Minerva Annex, Columbus, OH, died 10/23/2019

Alice Samartgedes, 88, AEP Headquarters, Columbus, OH, died 6/26/2019

Denzil Southall, 75, Socco-Meigs Mine, Albany, OH, died 8/16/2019

Bonnie Stickdorn, 95, Zanesville Office, Zanesville, OH, died 11/22/2019

Cyril Stickel, 94, Picway Plant, Lockbourne, OH, died 10/26/2019

Raymond Thomas, 87, Canton Eastern Region Office, Canton, OH, died 7/23/2019

Charles Unger, 94, Canton Eastern Region Office, Canton, OH, died 9/13/2019

Harry Ward, 83, Gallipolis Service Center, Gallipolis, OH, died 9/8/2019

Charles Williams, 70, Arena Building, Columbus, OH, died 9/1/2019

Wayne Yeater, 75, Canton South Service Center, Canton, OH, died 7/25/2019

Oklahoma

Frank Harwick, 77, Mid Metro, Tulsa, OK, died 8/10/2019

Linda Hudson, 71, Tulsa General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 7/24/2019

Oren Kanada, 66, Okmulgee Operations, Okmulgee, OK, died 6/1/2019

Robin Lawson, 63, Southwestern Station, Washita, OK, died 11/10/2019

Elizabeth Letters, 96, Tulsa General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 7/25/2019

James Lewis, 88, Tulsa General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 11/6/2019

Gary Long, 85, Tulsa General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 8/13/2019

William Magness, 78, Okmulgee Operations, Okmulgee, OK, died 9/23/2019

Judy Price, 75, Tulsa General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 8/25/2019

Harold Wadley, 74, Tulsa Square One, Tulsa, OK, died 10/11/2019

Susan Williams, 55, Tulsa General Office, Tulsa, OK, died 11/26/2019

Texas

Goldie Baker, 80, San Angelo Services, San Angelo, TX, died 11/18/2019

Charles Beken, 91, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 11/16/2019

T Bell, 70, Fort Phantom Power Plant, Abilene, TX, died 8/14/2019

RD Cave, 91, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 7/29/2019

Don Condron, 86, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 11/22/2019

Donald Derrick, 81, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 7/24/2019

Raymond Elledge, 75, Harlingen Area Office, Harlingen, TX, died 11/26/2019

James Gallaway, 85, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 9/9/2019

Elmo Garza, 61, Corpus Christi Service Center, Corpus Christi, TX, died 8/29/2019

R Harrison, 83, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 8/19/2019

John Haynes, 79, CSW Center, Dallas, TX, died 8/20/2019

Thomas Hubble, 90, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 11/6/2019

Peggy Hurt, 81, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 8/27/2019

Julian Lopez, 95, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 11/7/2019

Lajuana Mills, 91, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 11/25/2019

James Mosley, 76, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 11/3/2019

Barbara Neie, 87, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 10/31/2019

Kenneth Odell, 88, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 8/9/2019

J Peiser, 89, General Office, Abilene, TX, died 10/27/2019

Arnold Rivas, 69, EleCenteric System Ops, Corpus Christi, TX, died 9/7/2019

Anita Schulz, 62, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 9/13/2019

W Shelton, 82, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 7/29/2019

Beverly Speckels, 77, Ballinger, Ballinger, TX, died 9/15/2019

Wanda Stevens, 93, Home Office, Corpus Christi, TX, died 8/19/2019

Virginia

Fielden Anderson, 86, Galax Office & Service Center, Galax, VA, died 9/8/2019

John Blankenship, 87, Abingdon Service Center, Abingdon, VA, died 11/7/2019

Larry Bowers, 64, Glen Lyn Plant, Glen Lyn, VA, died 8/27/2019

Ray Eskew, 92, Abingdon Service Center, Abingdon, VA, died 10/6/2019

Garland Hackney, 90, Clinch River Plant, Cleveland, VA, died 8/15/2019

Jr. Hardy, 100, Grundy Office & Service Center, Grundy, VA, died 10/21/2019

James Loving, 94, John W. Vaughan Center, Roanoke, VA, died 10/6/2019

James Maile, 86, Roanoke Main Office, Roanoke, VA, died 8/21/2019

Kenneth Meadows, 61, Glen Lyn Plant, Glen Lyn, VA, died 10/7/2019

Gordon Parker, 75, Roanoke Main Office, Roanoke, VA, died 9/15/2019

Glenn Reynolds, 89, Roanoke Main Office, Roanoke, VA, died 11/5/2019

Lee Vaught, 85, John W. Vaughan Center, Roanoke, VA, died 11/10/2019

Sarah Wright, 56, Roanoke Main Office, Roanoke, VA, died 9/22/2019

West Virginia

Nancy Bailey, 90, Huntington Office, Huntington, WV, died 9/5/2019

Robert Bowman, 75, Kammer, Moundsville, WV, died 8/14/2019

Lynda Browning, 81, N Charleston Service Center, Charleston, WV, died 10/30/2019

Charles Burchett, 84, Williamson Service Center, Williamson, WV, died 8/26/2019

Lewis Burns, 81, N Charleston Service Center, Charleston, WV, died 9/22/2019

Gregory Casto, 68, Mountaineer Plant, New Haven, WV, died 7/30/2019

Fred Ensminger, 91, Mitchell Plant, Cresap, WV, died 9/8/2019

Frederick Garcia, 78, Kammer, Moundsville, WV, died 8/31/2019

Carl Gibson, 77, Bluefield Service Center, Bluefield, WV, died 11/10/2019

Cecil Gibson, 76, Amos Plant, Winfield, WV, died 10/24/2019

Linda Hess, 72, Bluefield Office, Bluefield, WV, died 9/29/2019

Kenneth Keatley, 92, Beckley Service Center, Beckley, WV, died 9/26/2019

Max Knopp, 72, Sporn Plant, New Haven, WV, died 11/6/2019

Kenneth Landers, 77, Amos Plant, Winfield, WV, died 7/20/2018

Richard McKinney, 89, Bluefield Office, Bluefield, WV, died 10/9/2019

John Miller, 73, Kammer, Moundsville, WV, died 9/22/2019

Luther Mills, 96, Welch Service Center, Welch, WV, died 7/27/2019

Lenders Oxyer, 75, Milton Office & Service Center, Milton, WV, died 11/12/2019

Theodore Payne, 87, N Charleston Service Center, Charleston, WV, died 8/6/2019

Shirley Price, 80, Hurricane Call Center, Hurricane, WV, died 8/28/2019

Sharon Smith, 79, River Transportation Division, West Columbia, WV, died 7/25/2019

Darrell Stone, 73, Amos Plant, Winfield, WV, died 11/17/2019

Roger Todd, 76, Kammer, Moundsville, WV, died 9/9/2019

James Walters, 65, Kammer, Moundsville, WV, died 8/10/2019

Ronald White, 77, N Charleston Service Center, Charleston, WV, died 10/7/2019

Arnold Yost, 96, Beckley Service Center, Beckley, WV, died 8/17/2019

Simmerer had a concussion after hitting the roof of his garage.

It was a fair November day four years ago when Brad Simmerer decided it was time to clean out the gutters on his two-story home north of Columbus.

Ridding his gutters of leaves was a task that Simmerer, network analyst lead for Telecommunications, completed many times before. He set up his 24-foot extension ladder, his wife serving as a spotter, and followed the rules of ladder safety – maintaining three points of contact, extending the ladder above the roofline, ensuring it was on stable, level ground.

Simmerer, who was 48 at the time, expected this to be a routine day of home maintenance.

After cleaning a few sections of gutter, Simmerer’s wife went inside to check on one of their children. Instead of waiting for her to come back, he decided to carry on without her spotting the ladder; after all, he had done this for years.

Simmerer doesn’t remember exactly what happened next, but he knows that as he was 20 feet in the air, the ladder slid out from under him. The crash came without warning, and it was unlike anything he expected. He did not fall sideways or backwards, as he always feared he might.

“I rode the ladder down,” he said. “I never thought the ladder would go out from under me.”

The ride down was not smooth, Simmerer crashed into the garage roof, bounced off and landed in the driveway.

Neighbors, who saw or heard the ladder fall, rushed to help.

“I thought I broke my shoulder. My back was also in a lot of pain,” Simmerer said. “I was hoping I wasn’t paralyzed. But then I could move my legs.”

An ambulance took him to a local hospital where doctors found that he had broken his left wrist and 10 ribs on his left side. There was also a large bump and cut on his head that led to a further diagnosis of a concussion.

“It put me out of work for six weeks,” he said, adding that it could have been much, much worse. “I got lucky.”

A neighbor made Simmerer this cookie as a ‘get well’ present.

Recovery wasn’t easy. Brad had to sleep in a chair for almost a month because he couldn’t get in and out of bed due to his broken ribs. He said it was at least six months before he felt fully recovered.

Brad wants everyone at this time of year, when people take out their ladders to clean gutters and hang holiday decorations, to take a moment and think about safety.

“Don’t be complacent,” he said. “I had done it for years without incident. You can get to the point where you think it won’t happen to me – it did.”

Ladder Safety Tips

Always inspect ladder prior to use.

• Hold or secure ladder
• Do not rest rungs against a round surface
• Use three points of contact when climbing or descending.
• Face the ladder, one person at a time on a ladder
• No material in your hands
• Belt off to a secured ladder if both hands are required to perform the task.
• Do not lean off of ladder; keep the center line of your body inside the rails of the ladder and always face the ladder.
• Beware of line of fire or changes of force that could cause the employee or ladder to fall.
• Always use a hand-line or rope. Never throw objects off or up the ladder.
• When pulling on lines such as service conductors, cable or rope, use limited force to avoid losing your balance if the line breaks, slips, or other equipment failure occurs. This situation poses the highest risk of injury.
• If bees or wasps are present, step safely down from the ladder.
• When working from a ladder where your feet are 12 feet or greater above the ground or the ladder support surface, a chin strap should be worn to keep your hard hat in place. This will reduce the risk of head injury if a fall does occur.

More than 140 electric, water and natural gas utilities and their trade associations across the US and Canada are working together to raise awareness of common utility imposter scams.

AEP has joined Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS), along with more than 140 electric, water and natural gas utilities and their trade associations across the United States and Canada to help raise awareness of common utility impostor scams.

The Consumer’s Guide to Imposter Utility Scams is designed to help you better protect yourself, your neighbors and your loved ones from the harmful impacts of a utility impostor scam. Please share this information with those in your community so that we can all work together to raise awareness of utility impostor scams — not just on Utility Scam Awareness Day, but all year long. Visit www.utilitiesunited.org for more information and tips about how you can protect yourself from scams.

Utility Scam Awareness Week, Nov. 17-23, will focus on “It Happened to Me, Don’t Let it Happen to You.”

Scammers typically use three tactics – phone, in-person or online – to target the money, property and personal information of electric, natural gas and water utility customers. Some helpful information you will find in the guide includes:

Signs of potential scam activity:   

• Threat to disconnect: Scammers may aggressively tell a customer his or her utility bill is past due and service will be disconnected if a payment is not made. Typically, the scammer will tell the customer that a disconnection will come within an hour.
• Demand for immediate payment: Scammers may instruct a customer to purchase a prepaid card. The scammer will ask the customer to return a call for immediate bill payment.
• Request for prepaid card: When the customer returns the scammer’s call, the scammer asks the customer for the number on the prepaid card. This allows the scammer to gain instant access to the card’s funds.

How customers can protect themselves:

• Customers should never purchase a prepaid card to avoid service disconnection or shutoff. Utility companies do not specify how customers should make a bill payment, and they always offer a variety of ways to pay a bill, including online, phone, automatic bank draft, mail or in-person payments.
• If someone threatens immediate disconnection or shutoff of service, customers should hang up the phone, delete the email or shut the door. Customers with delinquent accounts receive an advance disconnection notification, typically by mail and included with their regular monthly bill.
• If customers suspect a scammer, they should double check by calling their local utility and not the phone number the scammer provides. If customers ever feel that they are in physical danger, they should call 9-1-1.