“Helen, Stewart and Craig each possess extraordinary amounts of experience in customer service and distribution,” said Heydlauff. “Their detailed knowledge of the processes and systems necessary for AEP to provide efficient and effective service to our customers will be critical for providing the centralized support necessary for AEP’s regional utility divisions to achieve their objectives.”
Murray’s focus will be centralized customer interface, including oversight of AEP’s call centers, billing, collections, and customer service support as well as responsibility for the distribution and customer operations information technology systems designed to support AEP’s regional utility divisions.
Murray, 56, has been director - billing and credit operations since January 2004. She joined AEP’s Indiana Michigan Power subsidiary in 1977 as a programmer in Fort Wayne, Ind. After promotions to positions of increasing responsibility in programming, Murray was promoted to administrative assistant for the South Bend, Ind., division manager in 1992. Murray was named St. Joseph/Benton Harbor, (Mich.) district manager in 1994 with responsibility for distribution, customer services and community affairs for 52,000 customers. Murray transferred to AEP Service Corporation in 1996 to take over management of the implementation of a centralized customer information system. She joined the Customer Operations group in 2000 as director - business systems support and has held positions of increasing responsibility in Customer Operations since that time.
Murray has a bachelor’s degree in computer technology from Purdue University and a master’s of business administration degree from Notre Dame University. She completed AEP’s Executive Management Development Program at The Ohio State University and the Economic Development Training program at Ball State University. Murray serves on an Information Technology Advisory Committee for Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio, and belongs to Beta Gamma Sigma National Honor Society.
As vice president of asset management, Ramsay will provide leadership and oversight of AEP’s distribution asset management program, including working with the company’s regional divisions to develop capital and operation and maintenance plans and to ensure that investments in the company’s asset base and systems contribute to AEP’s corporate operational and financial objectives.
Ramsay, 45, joined AEP in February 2004 as vice president - distribution asset management. Before joining AEP, he was a senior vice president at UMS Group, a global management-consulting firm where he was responsible for the growth of UMS Group’s Asset Management and Performance Management business units. He also served as managing director of UMS’ operations in the United Kingdom. Before joining UMS, Ramsay held a leadership position at R.W. Beck, a nationally ranked consulting engineering firm, where he was responsible for planning, design and construction management of generation, transmission and distribution facilities.
Ramsay graduated with a bachelor’s of science in electrical engineering from Northeastern University. He earned professional engineer registration and is the author of technical papers and presentations on asset management concepts and industry trends. He has more than 24 years of experience working in the utility industry working directly with more than 200 utilities in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.
As vice president of distribution, Rhoades will oversee AEP’s centralized distribution support services, including distribution dispatching, distribution equipment repair, underground facility screening and locating services, network system engineering, easement services, engineering best practices support, distribution technical skills training, mutual assistance and emergency restoration planning and joint-use pole attachment services.
Rhoades, 43, was most recently vice president - circuit performance improvement project, where he was responsible for leading AEP’s efforts to improve service quality on distribution circuits. He began his AEP career in 1982 in Fort Wayne, Ind., as an electrical engineer. He has held positions of increasing responsibility at AEP in the areas of engineering, marketing, customer service and operations management.
Rhoades graduated with a bachelor’s of science in electrical engineering from the University of Toledo. He completed the AEP’s Executive Management Development program at The Ohio State University, the Economic Development Training program at Ball State University and the Executive Program at the University of Michigan School of Business.
Rhoades is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Central Ohio Chapter of Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He also is a member, usher and past chair of the board of trustees for the Trinity United Methodist Church in Marble Cliff, Ohio.
American Electric Power owns and operates more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States and select international markets and is the largest electricity generator in the U.S. AEP is also one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with more than 5 million customers linked to AEP’s 11-state electricity transmission and distribution grid. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio.
Melissa McHenry
Manager, Corporate Media Relations
614/716-1120
Manager, Corporate Media Relations
614/716-1120