Akins Elected CEO of American Electric Power; Morris to Remain Chair After Retirement

American Electric Power's AEP Board of Directors has elected Nicholas K. Akins chief executive officer, effective Nov. 12. Akins, who will retain the position of president he has held since Jan. 1, will replace Michael G. Morris when Morris retires as CEO Nov. 11. Akins, 51, has also been elected to AEP's Board of Directors. Morris, who will be 65 on Nov. 11, will continue as executive chairman of AEP's Board of Directors through Dec. 31, then serve as non-executive chairman of the board. Morris joined the company Jan. 1, 2004, as chairman, president and CEO. Carl English will retire as vice chairman, effective Dec. 31. "I'm excited by the opportunity to help continue the extraordinary legacy of AEP," Akins said. "This company has had more than a century of strong financial performance, engineering and operational excellence and public policy leadership. I look forward to working with our talented management team as we build on these characteristics to continue to provide quality service to our customers and an attractive return to our investors."