West Penn Power Adds New Line and Substation Employees from Power Systems Institute Training Program

GREENSBURG, Pa., June 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- West Penn Power, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. FE, has hired 29 new line and substation employees from the Power Systems Institute (PSI) training program as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance service reliability for customers in Pennsylvania.

The new employees include 19 line workers who are recent graduates of the company's Power Systems Institute (PSI), a utility training partnership established with Westmoreland County Community College in Youngwood, Pa. in 2012.  Three additional new line workers graduated from a partnering college outside the state.

The seven new substation electricians graduated from Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in Johnstown, Pa., and another partnering college outside the state.

"The PSI program is an effective pipeline for adding well-trained, highly skilled employees to our workforce," said David W. McDonald, president of West Penn Power. "By teaming with our veteran linemen and substation personnel, these new employees will help ensure reliable service for our customers, now and in the future."

The new West Penn Power lines employees listed by work location with their hometowns, are:

• Arnold – Ross Damico, Lower Burrell; Joseph Miller, Apollo; Tyler Nelson, Lower Burrell; Michael Ranalli, Gibsonia
• Butler – Keith Rundle, Pittsburgh; Isaac Terwilliger, Chicora
• Charleroi – Anthony Faloona, Irwin; Jason Tomich, Ruffsdale
• Jeannette – Corey Ames, Hunker; Ian Elms, Irwin
• Jefferson – Kyle Midkiff, Cyclone, W. Va.; Daniel Ruth, Vanderbilt; Dakota Toler, Oceana, W. Va.
• Latrobe – Matthew Koluder, Youngwood
• Pleasant Valley/Connellsville – Connor McClain, Normalville
• State College – Samuel Morgan, Belleville
• St. Marys – Hunter Defibaugh, Parker; Chase Williams, Butler
• Uniontown – Christopher Martin, Hopwood; John Springer, Vanderbilt
• Washington – Benjamin Louden, Pittsburgh
• Waynesboro – Ricky Fawks, Waynesboro.

The new West Penn Power substation employees listed by work location with their hometowns, are:

• Jeannette – Patrick Heskey, Latrobe
• Latrobe – Adam Golkosky, Acme; Robert Ulishney, Pleasant Unity
• Pleasant Valley/Connellsville – Daniel DeFrank, McClellandtown
• System Crew – Kevin Bowser, Johnstown; Tyler Lemmon, Butler
• Waynesboro – Zachary Garnes, Chambersburg.

PSI is an award-winning, two-year educational program originally developed by FirstEnergy in 2000 to help prepare the company's next generation of utility line and substation workers.

The PSI curriculum for lines employees requires two-and-a-half days each week spent at Westmoreland County Community College completing academic course work, with the remainder of the week spent at a West Penn Power training facility in Jeanette, Pa.  The PSI curriculum for substation employees requires a half week spent at Pennsylvania Highlands completing academic course work, with the rest of the week spent at a Penelec training facility in Johnstown, Pa.  All students focus on safe work practices and procedures in the electrical environment. The graduates earned an associate of applied science degree in Electric Utility Technology.

Since the program was developed in 2000, FirstEnergy has hired nearly 1,500 line and substation personnel who completed PSI programs in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and West Virginia.

For information about how to enroll in the PSI program, call 1-800-829-6801, or go to www.firstenergycorp.com/psi.

West Penn Power serves about 720,000 customers in 24 Pennsylvania counties.  Connect with West Penn Power on Twitter @W_Penn_Power and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WestPennPower.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.  Visit FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com.  Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.