American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) has named Leigh Anne Strahler president and chief operating officer of Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), effective today. Strahler succeeds Peggy Simmons, who was appointed AEP’s executive vice president of Utilities.

Strahler will be responsible for all aspects of PSO’s service, including customer service, distribution operations, safety, communications, external affairs and regulatory functions. She will report to Simmons, who in her new role leads the activities of all AEP utility operating companies and customer support.

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“It’s been an honor to work with my talented colleagues at PSO, community leaders and all other stakeholders in our service territory to power communities across Oklahoma, and I’m proud of the great things we’ve accomplished,” Simmons said. “Leigh Anne brings a diverse operations background and expertise in the industry’s unique regulatory climate to PSO. Her leadership will help ensure we can continue providing the excellent service that customers have come to expect. Leigh Anne’s knowledge and creativity will strengthen PSO’s efforts to deliver innovative energy solutions that create value for customers.”

“PSO achieved the highest customer satisfaction scores in company history in 2021 for both residential and commercial customers, while also bringing more clean energy to customers through the North Central wind projects,” Strahler said. “I look forward to working with the PSO team to continue this positive momentum and build upon our tradition of engaging in our communities and delivering clean, reliable energy and superior customer service.”

Strahler most recently served as vice president of Regulatory and Finance for PSO’s sister company, AEP Texas, where she was responsible for directing regulatory and financial activities. She previously was director of Business Operations Support for Appalachian Power, another PSO sister company. Strahler joined AEP in 2006 as a senior cost control analyst in AEP’s Generation organization. She also held leadership positions in AEP’s Operations and Performance Transformation group with responsibility for implementing process improvements across the company. Before joining AEP, she worked at Limited Brands and IBM Global Services. Strahler received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Bethany College and a master’s in business administration from The Ohio State University. She completed the G100 Women’s Leadership Acceleration Program and the AEP/Ohio State Strategic Leadership program. She is a graduate of Leadership Columbus and past president of the Junior League of Columbus. Strahler is chair of the board for the Purple Door, a domestic violence shelter headquartered in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Simmons was president and COO of PSO for more than four years. During her tenure, she was active in numerous nonprofit organizations and served on the board of trustees for the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust and Tulsa Community Foundation; the board of directors for the State Chamber of Oklahoma, Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce and Tulsa Area United Way; as well as the advisory council to Healthy Minds, Meals on Wheels Metro Tulsa and Tulsa African American Leadership Academy. Additionally, Simmons serves on the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) Members Committee and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Economic Advisory Council.

About PSO

PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP), is an electric utility company serving more than 568,000 customer accounts in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma, powering a cleaner, brighter energy future for its customers and 232 communities.  Based in Tulsa, PSO has approximately 3,800 megawatts of diverse generating capacity that primarily includes wind and natural gas.  It maintains and operates more than 24,000 miles of distribution lines and 3,700 miles of transmission lines and is one of the largest distributors of wind energy in the state.  Find news releases and other information at www.PSOklahoma.com.  Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, NextDoor and Instagram @PSOklahoma.

About American Electric Power (AEP)

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 31,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including more than 7,100 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.

Media Contact:                                                          

Wayne Greene

PSO Corporate Communications                                          

(918) 521-1474

lwgreene@aep.com