People

New Positions:

AEP named John D. Harper vice president of general services. Harper has been with AEP since 2000, most recently as vice president of corporate technology development.

Paul M. Barbas joined the senior management at Chesapeake Service Co., taking on the role of president. He also becomes vice president of Chesapeake Utilities Corp. Barbas previously was executive vice president of Allegheny Power.

Southern Union Co. appointed David W. Stevens president and COO of its Panhandle Energy subsidiary. Prior to his appointment, Stevens was executive vice president of utility operations for Southern Union and president and COO of Energy Worx Inc.

The U.S. Department of Energy named John Kotek the new deputy manager for its Idaho Operations Office. Kotek has been a senior manager with the Argonne National Laboratory since 1999.

Puget Sound Energy named Phil Bussey , president of the Washington Roundtable, a public policy group, as its vice president of regional and public affairs.

ROME Corp. appointed former Reliant Resources Chief Risk Officer Eddie R. Meche vice president of strategy.

Southwest Gas Corp. split the functions of company president and CEO, appointing Jeffrey W. Shaw president and retaining Michael O. Maffie as CEO. Shaw has been with Southwest for 15 years, most recently as senior vice president of gas resources and pricing.

NorthWestern Corp. named Gary G. Drook president and chief executive and Michael J. Hanson as chief operating officer. Drook was named interim chief executive in January and has led the company's turnaround efforts. Hanson will continue to head the company's core electric and natural gas utility operations. He will also oversee the strategic direction of the utility business and assume additional responsibility for human resources management. William M. Austin , who was named chief restructuring officer in April, will assume additional responsibility for cash-management activities, while overseeing noncore asset sales and debt restructuring efforts. Austin will continue as lead executive of Expanets, the company's communications services business. The company said it would seek to fill the chief financial officer position externally. In the interim, the finance department's leadership will report to Chief Executive Drook.

Resigned:

Brian N. Dickie resigned as executive vice president of TXU Energy. Thomas L. Baker will assume Dickie's responsibilities.

Christopher Bakken resigned as head of AEP's nuclear operations. He will return to PSEG Nuclear, where he will be responsible for day-to-day management of PSEG Nuclear's Salem Generating Station and Hope Creek Generating Station in New Jersey. Bakken replaces Timothy O'Connor , who moved to a rotational assignment with the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations.

Retired:

Steve Naeve , vice chairman of Reliant Resources Inc., will retire in mid-September. Naeve joined the company in 1972.

Alfred C. Koeppe , president and COO of Public Service Electric and Gas Co., will retire in October of this year, concluding eight years of service with the company. Ralph Izzo will succeed Koeppe.

Robert Saunders , president and chief nuclear officer of FirstEnergy's Nuclear Operating Co. subsidiary (FENOC), will retire effective Feb. 1 next year. FENOC Executive Vice President Gary R. Leidich will assume Saunders' duties beginning Sept.