BRIDGMAN, Mich., February 22, 2002 -- Joseph E. Pollock has been named site vice president for American Electric Power´s (NYSE: AEP) Cook Nuclear Plant, according to A. Christopher Bakken III, senior vice president - nuclear generation. Pollock is currently plant manager at Cook. The site vice president position has been vacant since last October when Bakken was named senior vice president and chief nuclear officer. Michael J. Finissi, currently attending senior reactor operator training at Cook, will become plant manager and assume those duties in the fall when his training is complete.

“Joe demonstrated his leadership and industry experience through restart, unit operation, and recently during our excellent refueling outage,” said Bakken. “Mike really distinguished himself as our restart director. That, coupled with his soon-to-be completed operations training, makes him a great candidate to follow and learn from Joe.”

Pollock, 49, joined Cook as director of performance assurance in July 1999 and was named plant manager that November. His over 25 years of experience at nuclear plants includes a variety of positions at New Jersey-based Public Service Electric & Gas Company’s Salem and Hope Creek Stations, where he also completed his senior reactor operator’s certification. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Glassboro State College and completed Columbia University’s Senior Executive Business Program.

Finissi, 40, joined the AEP Service Corporation in Columbus, Ohio, in 1985 as an electrical engineer. He transferred to Cook in 1996 as electrical systems manager and was named restart director in 2000. In May 2001, he began the 18-month senior reactor operator training program. Finissi is a licensed professional engineer in Ohio and Michigan. He holds a Master of Business degree with distinction from Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, and a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from Ohio State University.

American Electric Power is a multinational energy company based in Columbus, Ohio. AEP owns and operates more than 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity, making it America’s largest generator of electricity. The company is also a leading wholesale energy marketer and trader, ranking second in North America in wholesale electricity and wholesale natural gas volume. AEP provides retail electricity to more than 7 million customers worldwide and has holdings in the U.S. and select international markets. Wholly owned subsidiaries are involved in power engineering and construction services.