AEP's Dennis E. Welch Joins National Urban League Board

The National Urban League (NUL)has announced that Dennis E. Welch, left, Executive Vice President - Environment, Safety & Health and Facilities of American Electric Power has joined its Board of Trustees. Mr. Welch is a senior executive with a wealth of experience in the energy sector, accumulated over five years at American Electric and more than 40 of years in the energy field.

As the Executive Vice President - Environment, Safety & Health and Facilities for American Electric Power, Mr. Welch leads all of AEP’s environmental, safety and health activities, including compliance with all federal, state and local regulations, as well as international, federal and state public policy initiatives and advocacy. In addition, he has responsibility for forestry, real estate transactions, all corporate travel and facilities management.

Mr. Welch was previously President and Chief Operating Officer of Yankee Gas & Yankee Energy System, an operating subsidiary of Northeast Utilities (NU) in Berlin, CT. During his tenure at Yankee Energy, Mr. Welch chaired the Northeast Gas Association for two years. A 20-year veteran of NU, Mr. Welch served as Vice President of Environmental, Safety & Ethics at NU for four years immediately prior to his position at Yankee Gas & Yankee Energy.

A native of New Albany, Ind., Mr. Welch earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental, health and safety management from Indiana State University at Terre Haute and a master’s degree in business and human resource management from the Hartford Graduate Center of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also completed the Executive Environmental Leadership Program at Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Mr. Welch lives in New Albany, Ohio, with his wife Elizabeth Monahan. He has a daughter, Danielle, who lives in Maryland.

American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 39,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765-kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP’s utility units operate as 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 and east Texas). AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.