Paul Chodak III is moving into a new role at American Electric Power Company headquarters in Columbus, Ohio and that makes way for a new President & Chief Operating Officer at Indiana Michigan Power Company in Fort Wayne. That new leader is Toby Thomas, a native of Waveland, Indiana, who will take the reins on New Year's Day.
Thomas is a graduate of Rose Hulman Institute of Technology, and he will succeed Chodak on January 1, 2017. Chodak has served as I&M’s President and COO since 2010.
Thomas will lead the 2,450 I&M employees in Indiana and Michigan in the utility’s mission of providing reliable and affordable power to its 589,000 customers through its extensive power generation fleet that includes nuclear, coal, solar, wind and hydroelectric resources.
Thomas comes to I&M after serving as the vice president of AEP Competitive Generation, where he was responsible for AEP’s competitive generation fleet in Ohio. Prior to that, Thomas was vice president of AEP Ohio, Joint Venture, and Wind Generation, and previously held generation leadership positions at AEP’s operating unit of Kentucky Power and at AEP’s corporate headquarters.
Robert Powers is Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at American Electric Power. He says, “Toby has been identified as one of our talented leaders.” Powers adds, “His proven leadership skills and extensive experience in a variety of roles in our Generation Business Unit made him an excellent choice to lead Indiana Michigan Power.”
For his part, Thomas says, “I am looking forward to being back home again and serving the customers and employees of Indiana Michigan Power.” He adds, “There are many challenges facing the energy sector in our nation, and I look forward to leading I&M as the company works to continue providing the quality of service and reliability of power our customers desire.”
Chodak continues his service to AEP customers in his new role as executive vice president of AEP Utilities, where he will have corporate management duties over its operating companies located in eleven states.
Regarding his successor, Mr. Chodak says, "Toby’s considerable experience in operational management through his various positions with AEP has provided him with a solid foundation to successfully lead I&M.” He also says, "I have the utmost confidence that Toby is the perfect leader to take I&M and its customers to the next level of utility customer service and to help I&M continue its vision as the energy services company of the future.”
Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its 2,450 employees serve more than 589,000 customers. It operates 2,600 MW of coal-fired generation in Indiana, 2,160 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan and 22 MW of hydro generation in both states. The company’s generation portfolio also includes 450 MW of purchased wind generation and, by the end of 2016, approximately 15 MW of large-scale solar generation.
