[BETA] Fortnightly

Peter R. Thomas was hired from Sprint as v.p. of American Electric Power's new communications subsidiary, AEP Communications, Inc.

Central Illinois Light Co. hired Todd Severson as human resources v.p. He comes from Remco, a subsidiary of Thorn Americas.

Scott A. Neitzel, a member of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission since January 1992, has resigned. Neitzel chaired the PSC's electric utility industry restructuring committee.

Ohio Edison Co.'s board of directors elected chairman and CEO Willard R. Holland as its chairman. Holland will continue to serve as chairman/CEO of Pennsylvania Power, a subsidiary. H. Peter Burg also was promoted, from senior v.p./CFO to president/COO. Anthony J. Alexander, senior v.p. and general counsel, was named executive v.p.

Consolidated Hydro, Inc.'s CEO, James T. Stewart, was elected chairman. Edward M. Stern, formerly executive v.p. and general counsel, was named president and COO.

Craig S. Glick, a senior v.p. of law and corporate services at Gulf Canada Resources Ltd., was promoted to senior v.p. of corporate services and chief financial officer.

Victor A. Fortkiewicz, v.p. of central utility services for National Utility Investors Corp. (NUI), was named president of Elizabethtown Gas Co., NUI's largest division. He replaces Robert Kenney, who retired. Fortkiewicz also chairs the New Jersey Utilities Rates and Regulation Committee.

Portland Natural Gas Transmission System has hired Michael A. Minkos from Bay State Gas Co. to be president of a planned $271-million Maine pipeline. Minkos held various positions at Bay State (em among these, president at Natural Gas Development Corp.

MCN Corp. made two corporate-level promotions: Sebastian Coppola moved from v.p. and treasurer to senior v.p.-finance and treasurer; John C. Elzerman moved from executive director of human resources to human resources v.p.

New Jersey-American Water Co. has hired Colleen M. McCann and Charles E. Larry. McCann, once an aide to former congressman and governor Jim Florio, is director of government affairs and communications. Larry, formerly a director of consumer information services at Nabisco, Inc., is customer relations director.

Lori L. Epperson joined Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association, Inc. as a communications specialist. She was an editor at Interfax-America, Inc.

Middlesex (NJ) Water Co. elected two new directors: John C. Cutting and John P. Mulkerin. Cutting is a senior engineer at Science Applications Corp. Mulkerin is president and CEO of First Savings Bank.

Carl Kunasek, a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission, was named to the Committee on Water of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.

The American Gas Association elected a new chairman and top officers. Thomas L. Fisher, chair, president, and CEO of Northern Illinois Gas Co., was elected A.G.A. chairman. David W. Biegler, chair, president, and CEO of ENSERCH Corp., is A.G.A.'s first vice chair. Richard E. Terry, chair and CEO of Peoples Energy Corp., was elected second vice chair. Terry also received the 1996 Distinguished Service Award.

Florida Public Service Commissioner Julia L. Johnson was appointed to the Federal Communications Commission's North American Numbering Council. Johnson will represent the interests of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.

Consolidated Natural Gas Co. promoted one executive and hired three others. Roger