EPRI Announces New Officers and Members of the Boa

PALO ALTO, CALIF., April 5, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Electric Power Research Institute announced the election of a new chair and vice chair of the Board of Directors, three new members, term extensions for two directors, and interim appointments to fill two vacant seats. These actions are effective immediately. Director Warner L. Baxter, Chairman, President and CEO of St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation, was named Chair and Director; Jeffrey J. Lyash, President and CEO of Ontario Power Generation, was named Vice Chair. Newly-elected members who will serve four-year terms are: Barbara A. Nick, President and CEO of Dairyland Power Cooperative, Scott Prochazka, President and CEO of CenterPoint Energy and Steven E. Strah, Senior Vice President and President, Utilities of FirstEnergy Corporation. Nick has served as CEO of Dairyland since 2014. Prior to Dairyland Power Cooperative she worked for Integrys Energy Group for 33 year years. Her roles with Integrys Energy Group included President of Michigan Gas Utilities Company, Minnesota Energy Resources, Upper Peninsula Power Company, and Senior Vice President of Energy Delivery and Customer Service for Wisconsin Public Service Corporation. Prochazka has served as President and CEO of CenterPoint Energy since 2014. Prior to his current role, Prochazka served in several leadership positions after joining CenterPoint Energy in 2001, including Chief Operating Officer with responsibility for all business units and several key functions, Division President of Houston Electric and Senior Division Vice President of Gas Operations. Strah is Senior Vice President and President, Utilities Business, of FirstEnergy and is responsible for 10 regulated electric utility operating companies in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York, as well as the company's transmission assets and investments. Interim board members elected by the membership to serve four-year terms are Nicholas A. Brown, President and CEO of Southwest Power Pool and Enrico Viale, Director of Global Thermal Generation at Enel SpA (Italy). The two interim board appointees are Stanley (Stan) W. Connally, Jr. and Kwansup Lee. Connally is Chairman, President and CEO of Gulf Power, which provides electricity and energy services in Northwest Florida. He began his career at Southern Company, Gulf Power's parent company, as a co-op student at Georgia Power and has served as Senior Vice President and Senior Production Officer for Georgia Power. Kwansup Lee is President and CEO of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP). Previously, he was 1st Vice Minister in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Lee also served as Deputy Minister for the Office of Industrial Policy and Deputy Minister for the Office of Energy and Resources. "The experience of these board members will serve us well as we work toward achieving a more flexible, reliable and integrated energy network." said Michael W. Howard, EPRI President and CEO. "Their knowledge will help guide our research activities on integrating new technologies into the evolving electric industry." About EPRI:

The Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI, www.epri.com ) conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public. An independent, nonprofit organization, EPRI brings together its scientists and engineers as well as experts from academia and industry to help address challenges in electricity, including reliability, efficiency, affordability, health, safety and the environment. EPRI's members represent approximately 90 percent of the electricity generated and delivered in the United States, and international participation extends to more than 30 countries. EPRI's principal offices and laboratories are located in Palo Alto, Calif.; Charlotte, N.Car.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Lenox, Mass.

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