GAHANNA, OH, May 16, 2008 - - -Terri Flora has been named director – AEP Ohio Corporate Communications, effective May 30, 2008.  Flora is currently manager- regulatory support for Customer and Distribution Services. 

In her new capacity, she will be responsible for driving thought leadership and implementation of communication strategies through public relations outreach, anticipating stakeholder issues, identifying and delivering regulatory support needs, leading proactive media relations, leading branding/image management, directing customer messages, leading internal communication and culture messaging.  Flora will also have oversight of AEP Ohio’s communications activities for internal and external audiences including media relations, employee communications, public policy advocacy, crisis communications, philanthropic activities and advertising.

Flora began her American Electric Power (AEP) career in 1991 as a staff writer.  She has held various positions in the communications field since that time, including editor, communications manager and region communications manager, before being named to general manager – Corporate Communications for Ohio, Indiana and Michigan.  In 2004, she was named general manager – Community Affairs and Communications for AEP Ohio and assumed the manager - regulatory support position in 2005.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Dayton, with emphasis in public relations.  Flora completed the AEP Strategic Leadership Program at Ohio State University in 2002.

She serves as executive secretary and member of the board of directors for the American Red Cross of Greater Central Ohio.  She also serves as a board member for the Northern Columbus Athletic Association.

AEP Ohio provides electricity to nearly 1.5 million customers of major AEP subsidiaries Columbus Southern Power Company and Ohio Power Company in Ohio, and Wheeling Power Company in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power.

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