COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb.
22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ben Fowke, former chairman of
Xcel Energy, and Lewis "Lou" Von
Thaer, president and CEO of Battelle Memorial Institute,
have been elected to the American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP)
Board of Directors.
"Ben and Lou bring valuable experience in energy transformation,
energy policy, technology and security to our board as we continue
to make progress on our strategy to provide cleaner energy and a
smarter, more resilient and more reliable system for our
customers," said Nicholas K. Akins,
AEP chairman, president and chief executive officer.
"Ben has been a visionary leader in our industry and delivered
strong results for Xcel shareholders while managing Xcel's
aggressive transition to clean energy resources. He has expertise
in navigating the unique regulatory and public policy issues that
impact investor-owned utilities and a strong background in finance,
financial reporting and shareholder outreach," Akins said.
"Lou leads the world's largest independent research and
development organization and has experience in global research,
manufacturing and extensive governmental experience. He also has
expertise in cyber and national security issues. We welcome Ben's
and Lou's engagement and insights as part of our board," Akins
said.
AEP also named Sara Martinez
Tucker lead director following the resignation of
Steve Rasmussen from the board for
personal reasons.
"I want to sincerely thank Steve for his significant
contributions during the decade that he has been on our board. His
experience and insights have been extremely valuable, and we wish
him all the best," Akins said.
"Sara already has taken a leadership role on our board and
chairs our Human Resources Committee. Her experience on other
corporate boards and her executive positions in education,
government and the highly regulated telecommunications industry
have brought incredibly valuable perspectives to AEP. We're very
excited to have her take on this role," Akins said.
Fowke, 63, was chairman and CEO of Xcel for more than a decade
until his retirement as CEO in August
2021. He remained executive chairman of the Xcel board until
December 2021. Fowke held a variety
of leadership roles at Xcel including chief operating officer and
chief financial officer. He also was CEO of Xcel's utility
subsidiaries Northern States Power Co., Public Service Co. of
Colorado and Southwestern Public
Service. Fowke has a bachelor's degree in finance and accounting
from Towson University and obtained his
CPA in 1982. He is on the board of Securian Financial and Energy
Insurance Mutual and former chair of the board of Edison Electric
Institute.
Von Thaer, 61, has been president
and CEO of Battelle since October
2017. Before joining Battelle, he was CEO of DynCorp
International. He began his technology career with AT&T Bell
Laboratories, worked at General Dynamics and at Leidos Inc. as
president of their national security sector. Von Thaer has a bachelor's degree in electrical
engineering from Kansas State
University and a master's degree in electrical engineering
from Rutgers University. Von Thaer is board chair of Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory and AmplifyBio, co-chair for UT-Battelle
(operator of Oak Ridge National Laboratory) and a board member of
Ambri Inc., Defense Science Board, Nationwide Children's
Hospital, National Veterans Memorial and Museum, and TAPS (Tragedy
Assistance Program for Survivors). He also is a member of The
Ohio State University Board of
Trustees.
Tucker, 66, is former CEO of the National Math and Science
Initiative. She has been a member of the AEP Board of Directors
since 2009. She is a retired executive of AT&T and a former
Under Secretary of Education in the U.S. Department of Education.
Tucker is a board member of Service Corporation International and
Nationwide Insurance, as well as a member of the University of Notre Dame's Board of Trustees and
Board of Fellows.
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is powering a cleaner,
brighter energy future for its customers and communities. AEP's
approximately 16,700 employees operate and maintain the nation's
largest electricity transmission system and more than 224,000 miles
of distribution lines to safely deliver reliable and affordable
power to 5.5 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is
one of the nation's largest electricity producers with
approximately 30,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity,
including more than 6,100 megawatts of renewable energy. The
company's plans include growing its renewable generation portfolio
to approximately 50% of total capacity by 2030. AEP is on track to
reach an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2000 levels
by 2030 and has committed to achieving net zero by 2050. AEP is
recognized consistently for its focus on sustainability, community
engagement, and diversity, equity and inclusion. AEP's family of
companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power
(in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in
Tennessee), Indiana Michigan
Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power
Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas
Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, which provides
innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. For more
information, visit aep.com.
![(PRNewsfoto/American Electric Power) (PRNewsfoto/American Electric Power)](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/476288/American_Electric_Power_Logo.jpg)
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aep-names-fowke-von-thaer-to-board-of-directors-301487615.html
SOURCE American Electric Power