AEP Retirees & Alumni

The Electric Highway Coalition (EHC) has doubled the number of companies committed to enabling long distance electric vehicle (EV) travel through a network of DC fast charging stations connecting major highway systems.

Membership in the EHC – which is committed to helping enable long distance all-electric travel by adding fast charging stations along U.S. highway routes – has now grown to include AVANGRID, Consolidated Edison, DTE Energy, Eversource Energy, Exelon, FirstEnergy Corp., ITC Holdings Corp., and National Grid. Formed in March 2021, EHC began its membership with American Electric Power, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Entergy Corporation, Southern Co., and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Together, the 14 members – representing 29 states and the District of Columbia and serving more than 60 million customers – are committed to growing corridor EV charging solutions within their service territories and working with other members to ensure the charging resources enabled EV drivers convenient charging options and seamless travel routes.

In addition to expanding membership, the EHC has further defined its goals and objectives while beginning cooperation in pursuit of their shared objective. The members have agreed to work together to ensure efficient and effective fast charging deployment plans that enable long distance EV travel, avoid duplication among coalition utilities, and complement existing corridor fast charging sites. Ideally, EHC members are pursuing sites that are easily accessible for drivers located less than 100 miles apart. The EHC is also committed to providing a positive charging experience for drivers, including having at least two charging stations with universal vehicle compatibility, and additional features where feasible, such as real-time status reporting for drivers and convenient payment collection. DC Fast charging stations are typically capable of getting drivers back on the road in 20-30 minutes. However, the member companies are working closely with stakeholders in their service territories to determine the best approaches to support effective EV charging buildout. Additionally, each member company will determine its own specific pricing models and select their own charging equipment providers.

“AEP helped bring the initial members of the Electric Highway Coalition together. In just a few months we have been able to more than double the number of companies who want to be part of this unprecedented effort,” said Nicholas K. Akins, AEP’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Every major car maker has announced production of EVs for every lifestyle – from pickup trucks to performance cars – and our industry is prepared to ensure that drivers can travel wherever the road takes them. Through the EHC, we can make sure that our nation’s charging infrastructure is built to enable travel and make the most efficient use of the energy grid.”

AEP has committed to replacing its 2,300 cars and light-duty trucks with EV models by 2030. Additional medium- and heavy-duty vehicles will transition to hybrid or electric alternatives as models become available. The charging network announced today also will enable AEP employees to use EVs to travel throughout the company’s 11-state service territory. AEP also is working with select customers across its service territory to help them understand the benefits of electrifying their own vehicle fleets or business processes.

Across its service territory, AEP is working with regulators to create programs that benefit all customers and support EV adoption, such as off-peak charging programs, incentives for charging station installations, energy efficiency rebates, and consultative services to encourage electrification.

In 2018, AEP Ohio launched a $10 million program to deploy 375 charging stations in partnership with local governments, workplaces and multi-family dwellings to increase publicly available charging sites and demonstrate the benefit of public-private partnerships as part of the Smart Columbus initiative. The program included a requirement to locate 10% of the charging stations in low-income areas, a benchmark that was exceeded.

In 2020, Indiana Michigan Power began offering its IM Plugged In program to address residential, multi-family dwelling, fleet and workplace charging, as well as corridor fast charging. The program offers customers rebate programs that reduce EV charging infrastructure costs and EV-specific off-peak rates.

Appalachian Power offers a residential off-peak charging program for Virginia customers. Customers also receive credits for EV charging that takes place during off-peak periods, such as overnight.

Additionally, residential customers of Public Service Company of Oklahoma and Southwestern Electric Power Company in Louisiana and Texas are eligible for energy efficiency rebates on qualified EV chargers.

The Electric Highway Coalition welcomes interested utilities to join as it seeks to extend the reach of network. Additionally, it supports, and looks forward to working with, other regional utility transportation corridor electrification initiatives.

SWEPCO President Malcolm Smoak, third from the right, and Director of Grid Modenrization Henry Brown, far right, present representatives of three historically black colleges in SWEPCO”s serice territory $250,000 each as part of the AEP Foundation’s Delivering on the Dream: Social and Racial Justice Program. A fourth college in Bluefield, Vigirnia also received $250,000.

The American Electric Power Foundation has awarded $1 million in grants to four historically black colleges and universities. Three of the four institutions are in communities served by SWEPCO – Southern University in Shreveport Foundation in Shreveport, La., Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, and Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, Texas. The fourth is Bluefield State College in Bluefield, W.Va., served by Appalachian Power.

The gifts are part of the foundation’s Delivering on the Dream: Social and Racial Justice grant program, which is a five-year, $5 million commitment to fund organizations with programs dedicated to advancing social and racial justice in communities served by American Electric Power. The company is encouraging its workforce to make personal commitments as allies and to act as catalysts for change.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion continue to be critical components of our company culture, but the past year has proven we still have work to do, both at AEP and in our communities,” said Janelle Coleman, vice president, Philanthropy and Community Engagement, and president of the AEP Foundation. “The Delivering on the Dream grant program puts our words into action. AEP and its Foundation are proud to partner with these organizations dedicated to empowering equity for our customers, neighbors and employees of color.”

The Southern University at Shreveport Foundation will use the $250,000 grant to create the STEM Academy to provide academic credits, hands-on experience and scholarships to encourage both high school students and adults of color to pursue a career in a STEM field. The Academy will have a track for high school dual enrollment students and for unemployed or underemployed adults.

“Bluefield State College is profoundly grateful for the very timely and substantial support of the American Electric Power Foundation,” said Robin Capehart, president of BSC. “The $250,000 grant awarded to the BSC Foundation will enable our College to enhance educational opportunities for minority students through STEM education. The American Electric Power Delivering on the Dream grant will dramatically elevate the career trajectory of many promising minority students at Bluefield State College.”

Wiley College will utilize the $250,000 gift to improve its STEM academic program, including renovating its science building, updating the campus internet network and improving its STEM curriculum. The grant also will help update campus safety and security through lighting and emergency communication enhancements.

Jarvis Christian College will use the funds to develop and implement a Summer Science Academy for 9^th to 12^th graders to expand the pipeline of minority students who pursue STEM degrees at the college.

“These grants from the AEP Foundation will enable SUSLA, Wiley College and Jarvis Christian College to expand their STEM programming, creating more opportunities for minority students to excel in school and beyond,” said Malcolm Smoak, president and chief operating officer of SWEPCO, that provides funding to the AEP Foundation. “SWEPCO also is dedicated to building brighter futures for the communities where we live and work and remains committed to advancing justice and equity for our neighbors of color.”

The other organizations to receive funds include: the YWCA Columbus, the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, and Youth Services of Tulsa.

Pete White led American Electric Power the way he lived his life, as a service to others, and as a steady, effective chief executive officer. White, who served as chairman and CEO from 1976 to 1991, died on July 4 in Murfreesboro, Tenn. He was 94.

Described as gracious, thoughtful and a calming presence as CEO, White led AEP through some difficult and complex times, such as finalizing the purchase of Columbus and Southern Ohio Electric; the move of the corporate headquarters from New York City to Columbus; and the successful transition of the Zimmer plant project from a nearly complete nuclear reactor to a coal-fired power plant.

“The entire AEP family mourns the passing of this truly great person,” said Nick Akins, chairman, president and chief executive officer of AEP. “Pete’s dedication to his family, his profession and his community were obvious to all who knew him.

“I always enjoyed my visits with Pete. He was a walking history of AEP, and a true gentleman in every sense,” Akins said. “AEP would not be the company it is today without his steady leadership for so many years. Whenever we talked, he was always amazed by the changing environment we face, while I always marveled at what he dealt with and the amount of change during his time with the company. I will truly miss his warm personality and the rich conversations that we shared. Our hearts go out to his family.”

The Transmission Operations Center in New Albany bears White’s name. He helped cut the ribbon to dedicate the facility in 2008. Under White’s leadership the first TOC was developed at 1RP in the 1980s. White also oversaw the doubling of the miles of AEP’s 765 kV transmission lines.

He spent his entire professional career at AEP, from his start as an assistant engineer in 1948 to his retirement as chairman in 1992. He served in management roles in New York, Virginia and Ohio.

White was an assistant to Philip Sporn, who was then president of AEP, and as a promising young executive was sent to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Sloan Fellow. In 1961 he moved into management in Lynchburg, Va. – an assignment White recalled, “as satisfying a job as I ever had.” He became executive vice president and COO of Appalachian Power in 1969. White moved back to headquarters in New York in 1973 as senior executive vice president of operations.

“Everyone liked (Pete White). I don’t know anybody, anybody who didn’t like Pete White,” said John Dolan, former vice chairman and chief engineer of AEP, in the book “A Century of Firsts.”

Born in 1926 in Chesapeake, Va., Willis S. “Pete” White attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute majoring in electrical engineering. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1945 before the end of World War II. He was an amateur musician and played the trombone and piano. He was a member of Virginia Tech’s marching band and sang with the AEP choir when he worked for the company in New York. He was a supporter of the Roanoke and Columbus symphonies.

Service was a big part of White’s life outside of AEP. He was a campaign chairman for the United Way of Franklin County, chairman of the Greater Columbus Convention Center Board of Trustees, a trustee of Children’s Hospital, an emeritus trustee of Riverside Methodist Hospital, a board member of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, and a board member of OhioHealth. He was the first American chairman of CIGRE (the International Council on Large Electric Systems, headquartered in Paris), a director of several companies and organizations including the Bank of New York Mellon, Irving Trust Company, the Edison Electric Institute, the National Association of Manufacturers, and chairman of the Board of Trustees of Battelle Memorial Institute. President George H. W. Bush appointed White as a private-sector representative to the U.S. Presidential Economic Delegation to Poland.

White also served on the board of the Ohio Methodist Theological Seminary, the Board of Visitors at Virginia Tech and as director of the Virginia Tech Foundation, and trustee of Randolph-Macon College. Virginia Tech awarded him the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award, the Ruffner Medal for service, and the College of Engineering’s Distinguished Service Award. The College of Engineering named its Chair for Innovation in Engineering Education in White’s honor. 

Mr. White is survived by his wife, Adele McComas White, and her children, Cathleen McComas and Patrick McComas of Columbus; his brother Norman T. White of Chesapeake, Va.; his children, Willis S. White III, of Jacksonville, Fla., Marguerite W. Spangler and her husband Dr. Pat W. Spangler of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Cynthia White-Haight of Ponte Vedra, Fla.; as well as grandchildren Dr. M. Lee Spangler, II of Waterford, Va., Nicholas W. Spangler of Brentwood, Tenn., Alexander J. Haight and Charles Z. Haight of Kent, Ohio, and two great grandchildren, Owen and Collins Spangler. In addition to his parents, his first wife, LaVerne B. White, and his sister, Doris White Jones, preceded him in death.

A Celebration of life, and burial will be held in Columbus. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Kobacker House Hospice, Trinity United Methodist Church in Columbus, and Alive Hospice in Murfreesboro.

How do you remember Pete White? Please leave a memory in the comments.

Pete White, former chairman and chief executive officer of American Electric Power, died July 4 in Murfreesboro, Tenn. He was 94.

White’s obituary can be found here: Obituary | Willis S. “Pete” White, Jr. of Columbus, Ohio | Woodfin Funeral Chapel (woodfinchapel.com)

White was chairman and CEO from 1976 to 1991. He led AEP during the move of the headquarters from New York City to Columbus and the successful transition of the Zimmer plant project from a nearly complete nuclear plant to coal-fired power.

American Electric Power is making changes to expand the skills and experience of the company’s leadership team. These changes are effective July 31, 2021.

“Leadership development and succession planning are critically important for the ongoing success of our culture and company. These changes provide opportunities to expand the experience of this talented team of leaders and will bring new insights and creativity to strategic parts of the business. This is critical as we continue our transformation to clean energy resources and investing in smarter, more efficient infrastructure to serve customers,” said Nick Akins, chairman, president and chief executive officer of AEP.

• Toby Thomas, currently president and chief operating officer for Indiana Michigan Power, has been named senior vice president, Energy Delivery. He will report to Lisa Barton, executive vice president and chief operating officer. These individuals will report to Thomas:
  • David Ball, managing director, Energy Delivery Operations
  • David Ferguson, managing director, Energy Delivery Finance
  • Scott Moore, vice president, Energy Delivery Projects & Construction
  • Darren Shepard, vice president, Energy Delivery Engineering
  • Scott Smith, senior vice president, Transmission Field Services
• As an element of the company’s succession planning efforts, Mark McCullough, executive vice president, Energy Delivery, is retiring.

“I want to thank Mark for his 40 years of service and leadership at AEP. He has spent his entire career working to enhance the culture and effectiveness of AEP’s generation and transmission organizations. His many contributions include developing very strong leadership teams to continue those efforts. We wish Mark and his family all the best,” Akins said.

Additional leadership and organizational changes include:

• Steve Baker, vice president, Distribution Region Operations, PSO, has been promoted to president and chief operating officer for Indiana Michigan Power.
• Jennifer Leber, director, Reliability & Grid Modernization, PSO, will succeed Baker as vice president, Distribution Region Operations, for PSO.
• Raja Sundararajan, president and chief operating officer for AEP Ohio, has been named to a new position – senior vice president, Regulatory and Customer Solutions, reporting to Charles Patton, executive vice president, External Affairs. Phil Dion, vice president and interim Chief Customer Officer, and Matt Satterwhite, vice president, Regulatory Affairs, will report to Sundararajan.
• Marc Reitter, vice president, Regulatory & Finance for AEP Ohio, has been promoted to AEP Ohio president and chief operating officer.
• Lisa Kelso, director, Regulatory Services for AEP Ohio, will succeed Reitter as vice president, Regulatory & Finance.
• Communications & Marketing and AEP’s Washington Office will continue to report to Patton. Human Resources and Labor Relations also will report to Patton until a new chief human resources officer is selected.

• Karen Ashley, chief diversity and inclusion officer, has decided to leave the company after five years of service.“AEP remains committed to our diversity and inclusion efforts. Building on our differences and similarities makes us stronger as a company. Karen’s leadership has helped us to continue creating a culture where everyone feels valued, respected and has a sense of belonging. She’s helped us strengthen our skills, have open, transparent conversations and learn more about each other’s perspectives. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors,” Akins said.
• Janelle Coleman, vice president, Corporate Philanthropy & Community Engagement, has been named to a new, expanded role – vice president, Community Engagement, Diversity & Inclusion. Coleman will assume responsibility for AEP’s Diversity and Inclusion program in addition to her current oversight of AEP’s philanthropic engagement and her role as president of the AEP Foundation. Coleman’s new position will be part of the Human Resources organization. She will report to Patton until the new chief human resources officer is selected.
• AEP’s Ohio-based External Affairs team will be realigned to report to Patton.
  • Maria Haberman has been promoted to managing director, Ohio Governmental Affairs, reporting to Patton.
  • Tom Froehle, vice president, External Affairs, is retiring from AEP after 11 years of service.

“Tom has enhanced our working relationship with Ohio lawmakers over the last decade as we managed the transition to competitive markets and other challenges. We wish Tom and his family all the best,” said David Feinberg, executive vice president and general counsel. Oversight of Corporate Sustainability and NERC Compliance will report to Feinberg.

American Electric Power is making several executive leadership changes to better support the company’s strategic priorities. These changes will take effect July 1, 2021:

• Therace Risch has been promoted to executive vice president and chief information & technology officer. Steve Swick, chief security officer, and the cybersecurity and physical security teams will now report to Risch.
• Chuck Zebula has been named executive vice president, Portfolio Optimization. In his new role, he will be responsible for AEP’s corporate asset strategy and operational and performance management functions. Previously, he served as executive vice president, Energy Supply. Steve Haynes and his team will now report to Zebula.
• Greg Hall has been promoted to executive vice president, Energy Supply. In his new role, he will oversee AEP’s competitive businesses including AEP Generation Resources, AEP Energy, AEP OnSite Partners, and AEP Renewables. Previously, he was president of AEP Energy Partners.
• In addition, the position of Brian Tierney, executive vice president, Strategy, is being eliminated and he will be leaving AEP after 23 years of service. He currently is responsible for strategic initiatives and operations and performance transformation. Previously he was chief financial officer, responsible for corporate accounting, finance, fleet services, investor relations, planning and strategy, procurement/supply chain, and risk management. He has held a variety of management positions across the company.

“I want to thank Brian for his leadership. He has helped AEP build a strong financial foundation and improve shareholder value through his strategic focus, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” said Nick Akins, AEP chairman, president and chief executive officer.

“These changes allow us to expand the experience of our leadership team in key areas of the business and ensure we have the right technologies, competitive solutions and strategic direction to enhance service for customers, ensure grid security and support ongoing earnings growth.”

Before joining AEP in 2010, Dave Gray was a regional manager at a concrete company. Gray lost his job when the business went under. He bounced back by landing a maintenance apprentice position at the Conesville power plant and envisioned a stable job there for the rest of his career.

“Driving into work very my first day at AEP I remember talking to my father,” Gray said. “He said I’d never have to worry about that again. Everybody needs electricity. That plant will be there forever. And then ten years later it happened again.”

Dave Gray joined AEP in 2010 as a maintenance apprentice. He later went on to become a maintenance supervisor at Conesville Plant, leading a team of as many as 30 employees.

Gray and Les Davis were among the employees affected when the facility closed in May 2020. Gray – a maintenance supervisor with a team of as many as 30 – and Davis – an electrical team leader who joined AEP in 2006 as a control technician and worked his way up to frontline supervisor – were two of the last to walk to out of the plant.

Ryan Forbes, who was plant manager at Conesville before joining AEP Ohio, had worked alongside Gray and Davis for more than a decade. The plant reduced its workforce from over 230 in recent years to as low as 80 when operations ceased, and Forbes said it took resilience to be a leader during those times. He saw the value and impact Gray and Davis could bring to any group fortunate enough to have them.

Les Davis was an electrical team leader at Conesville Plant. He joined AEP in 2006 as a control technician and worked his way up to frontline supervisor.

“Dave and Les were meaningful to the plant and our culture as we neared closure. They kept their teams focused and managed morale,” Forbes said. “They were some of the last leaders remaining. They hung in there until the job was done and I respected that very much.”

A new home eventually came in our Project Management Office (PMO). Though Forbes says Gray and Davis are quick studies as project managers, the transition has not been easy. At Conesville they grew accustomed to a controlled environment where every single variable was located inside the perimeter fence. They were self-sufficient and were able to orchestrate most planning on their own. Now they are dealing with many different entities across the state and establishing new relationships from the ground floor.

“Distribution is a totally different business than generation. There are very few similarities,” Forbes said. “It’s almost like working for a totally different company. That’s how big the learning curve is.”

The change has been especially tough during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gray and Davis have yet to step foot inside an AEP Ohio facility; they haven’t met anyone they work with in person (including their supervisors); they’ve only experienced their co-workers buttoned-up online personas. According to Davis, it’s hindered his ability to learn and fully understand the culture and personality of AEP Ohio.

“It’s definitely been difficult. Sometimes I’ve been a nervous wreck,” Davis said. “I used to be only a five-minute walk from everyone I worked with. You start to realize how much you take human contact for granted.

“Whenever ninety-five percent of meetings happen on Webex, everyone is very professional all the time. You start to wonder, ‘Does anyone ever have any fun around here?’ I can’t wait for that to happen in real life.”

As COVID restrictions ease and a sense of normalcy returns, it’s only a matter of time before Gray and Davis hit their stride. They knew it wouldn’t be a simple transition but placed faith in Forbes’ confidence in them.

“Dave and Les are highly engaged employees and will do what it takes to make any of our business units successful,” Forbes said. “They didn’t have to stay. But when the chips were down they did. Their loyalty and inner strength were qualities we wanted to keep at our company.”

North Central Wind is being developed in Oklahoma as part of AEP's renewable energy investments.

American Electric Power is proud to issue our 2021 Corporate Accountability Report, an annual assessment of our performance as a public company and a community partner. This Report marks AEP’s 15th year of sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure, demonstrating our commitment to reporting on the company’s progress towards a sustainable energy future.

The report’s theme, “Building a Clean Energy Future Together,” highlights our work in delivering clean, reliable and affordable energy to our customers and empowering change in the communities we serve.

“More than ever, we are committed to delivering a sustainable energy future that is inclusive, reliable and clean,” said Nick Akins, chairman, president and chief executive officer of AEP, in the report’s introduction. “We are amplifying our advocacy for social justice in our communities and supporting change and equity through visible actions. No matter the challenge, our plan puts people first. Together, we will achieve environmental sustainability, and work to actualize economic empowerment and social justice. Together, we will transition to a clean energy future.”

“I am proud of AEP’s longstanding commitment to sustainability and ESG disclosure,” said Sandy Nessing, managing director, corporate sustainability. “I’ve witnessed the evolution of our sustainability journey since its inception in 2006. We have made tremendous progress through the years to empower customers to use energy more efficiently while reducing our carbon footprint and building stronger communities. AEP’s transformation to a clean energy future comes down to our people, the choices we make, and our commitment to engaging stakeholders for the best outcomes. There is still work to be done but we have a lot to be proud of.”

Highlights of the 2021 Report include:

• Future Forward Strategy – Our new Future Forward strategy to transform our generating capacity portfolio from a majority coal-fueled resource base to a majority renewable portfolio by 2030. We are proposing to add nearly 16,600 megawatts of new, clean wind and solar generation, growing our renewable generating portfolio to 51% of our total capacity.
• Zero Harm – 2020 ranks among our best years for safety performance. Our five-year safety and health transformation achieved a 34% reduction in our DART rate (Days Away, Restricted or Job Transfer). We celebrate these achievements – zero employee fatalities and improved safety performance – as we continue our relentless pursuit of Zero Harm. 
• Response, Support & Resilience to COVID-19 – The strength, resilience and agility of our employees and company met and exceeded the unprecedented challenges of 2020. Our workforce remained committed to keeping our economies and communities connected as efficiently and safely as possible, while remaining dedicated to continued operational excellence, zero harm and financial discipline. 
• Addressing Racism & Bias – We launched “Seize the Moment” in 2020 to accelerate the achievement of our diversity, equity and inclusion goals. This included frank conversations about racism, organized town hall webcasts and safe space conversations, among other efforts.
• Social & Racial Justice Grant – Announced the launch of a $5 million Delivering on the Dream: Social and Racial Justice grant program through the AEP Foundation. The program funds organizations that are doing meaningful work to advance equity and racial justice in our communities. 
• ESG Data Center – AEP’s ESG Data Center includes 250+ of the most relevant metrics we are commonly asked to disclose. In addition to the Data Center, we developed an ESG Strategy & Performance Report that features how we manage our ESG performance, disclosure and governance. In addition, it’s a collation of our Data Center, SASB report, GRI report and access to our Climate Impact Analysis Report – a TCFD report.

View the 2021 Corporate Accountability Report and learn more about AEP’s sustainable development strategy.