SHREVEPORT, La. (September 30, 2022) – Southwestern Electric Power Co., an American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) company, today announced Brett Mattison will succeed Malcolm Smoak as president and chief operating officer (COO) of Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO), effective Jan. 1, 2023. Smoak will retire at that time after 38 years of service with AEP.
“Malcolm has dedicated his career to serving SWEPCO customers, and we appreciate the energy and effort that he has put into his work,” said Peggy Simmons, AEP executive vice president, Utilities. “His retirement is well deserved, and we wish him all the best when he begins that new chapter in January.”
Mattison, who will report to Simmons, will be responsible for all aspects of SWEPCO’s service, including customer service, distribution operations, safety, communications, external affairs and regulatory functions. Most recently, he served as president and COO of AEP’s Kentucky Power subsidiary. Mattison, however, has a long history with SWEPCO, beginning his career at the company in 1990.
“Brett will be a familiar face for SWEPCO employees and our stakeholders,” added Simmons. “He has cultivated relationships that will allow him to hit the ground running. His customer-centered approach has been a hallmark of his leadership. SWEPCO customers can expect that he will carry on that same commitment when he returns.”
Prior to his role at Kentucky Power, Mattison was the director of Customer Services and Marketing for SWEPCO from 2004 to 2019. His responsibilities included the management of SWEPCO's largest customers, wholesale customers, as well as all aspects of meter reading and meter services, energy efficiency and process improvement. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business finance from Louisiana Tech University and a commercial banking degree from the American Institute of Banking.
During Smoak’s tenure, SWEPCO, along with sister company Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), completed construction of the 1,484-megawatt North Central Energy Facilities (NCEF), three wind farms that produce nearly 6 million megawatt-hours of clean energy each year. Power produced at NCEF provides benefits to SWEPCO customers in Arkansas and Louisiana in addition to PSO customers.
About Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO)
SWEPCO, an American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) company, serves more than 543,000 customers in Northwest and Central Louisiana, Northeast Texas and the Texas Panhandle, and Western Arkansas. SWEPCO’s headquarters are in Shreveport, La. News releases and other information about SWEPCO can be found at SWEPCO.com. Connect with us at Facebook.com/SWEPCO, Twitter.com/SWEPCOnews, Instagram.com/swepco, Youtube.com/SWEPCOtv and LinkedIn.com/company/swepco.
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 5,900 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 achieve an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2000 levels by 2030 and has committed to achieve 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.