Paul Chodak III, President and Chief Operating Officer for Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), announced changes to the executive leadership team for the subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP) that serves over 582,000 customers in Indiana and Michigan.

Changes to the I&M executive team include: Jeffrey J. Armstrong, manager, safety and health; Sarah L. Bodner, director, communications and community relations; Cynthia K. Lambeth, region manager, human resources; Dan V. Lee, vice president of generating assets; Carla E. Simpson, director, business operations support; and Barry O. Wiard, director, customer services and marketing.
 
  “Jeff, Sarah, Cynthia, Dan, Carla and Barry have established track records as leaders in their respective fields and they are joining a strong core team at I&M,” said Chodak.
 
Jeff Armstrong provides safety and health support for all departments that make up the I&M organization and to some AEP organizations based in Indiana and Michigan. He has over 16 years of experience in environmental health and safety (EHS) management through his work in the chemical, electronics, manufacturing and consulting industries. His experience includes risk and industrial hygiene assessment, safety and health regulatory compliance, and program development, implementation and training. Armstrong began his career with the BASF Corp., working on safety audit and corporate emergency response teams. At LG. Philips, Corp., he led the team responsible for the ISO14000 management system implementation and certification, as well as the development and training for related safety and health programs.  He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in hazardous materials management and industrial hygiene from the University of Findlay.
 
As director of communications, Sarah Bodner directs the internal and external communications efforts of I&M, including community relations and economic development. Her responsibilities include media relations, advertising, policy and issue communication, employee communication, community relations, philanthropic activities and economic development programs. Bodner previously was an organization development consultant based in Dallas, Texas. She has extensive experience in the areas of change management, collaborative work systems, strategic planning teams, and leadership development. Prior to joining AEP in 2006, she worked as a consultant to companies in the chemical, manufacturing, and banking industries that were undergoing large scale transition to high performance organizations. Bodner holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in industrial/organizational psychology from the University of North Texas and a B.A. in psychology from McMurry University.
 
Cynthia Lambeth brings over 24 years of experience to her new assignment as human resources regional manager. Prior to joining AEP in 2006 as an organization development consultant, she worked in human resources for a variety of publicly traded companies including The BISYS Group, Sterling Commerce Inc., and Progressive Companies. Lambeth received an MBA from Franklin University and holds a bachelor’s degree in business communication from The University of Toledo.  She served as chairperson for business networking with the Society for Human Resources Management in Atlanta, Georgia, and vice president for membership with the Columbus, Ohio Chapter of the American Society for Professional Training and Development.
 
As vice president of generatng assets, Dan Lee is responsible for the operational, regulatory and financial performance of I&M’s fossil fueled generating assets. Lee was plant manager of the Flint Creek Plant, Gentry, Arkansas, since 2000, and was responsible for management and operations of the Harry D. Mattison Plant since the plant went on line in 2007. Lee’s experience includes work at the San Angelo Power Station and with the Central and Southwest (CSW) Fossil Generation Engineering organization in Dallas, Texas. Lee was with Babcock and Wilcox Co. prior to joining the CSW organization at Central Power and Light in 1989.  Lee holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Nebraska and received an MBA from Angelo State University. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas.
 
As director of business operations, Carla Simpson is responsible for I&M´s financial plans and the coordination of those plans with AEP organizations that directly impact financial and operational results. Prior to her current assignment, Simpson was the manager of meter revenue operations for I&M. She began her career with AEP in 1988 in Lima, Ohio, and later became a customer service supervisor. From 2004 to 2008, Simpson worked as a business support analyst for I&M. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Northwestern Ohio and attended AEP´s Management Development Program at Ohio State University.
 
As director of customer services and marketing, Barry Wiard is responsible for key account management, competitive retailer relations, meter services, as well as relations for residential, commercial, industrial and wholesale customers. Wiard was the interim manager of distribution systems for I&M’s Fort Wayne district since March 2009. Prior to that, he was I&M´s customer services supervisor, working with customer service representatives and customers service account managers. Wiard earned a bachelor´s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University, an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University and completed AEP´s Management Development Program at Ohio State University.
 
All of the new I&M executive leadership team members will be based at the company’s home office in Fort Wayne, Indiana.