SPOKANE, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/21/17 -- Connie Hulbert has been named president and general manager of Alaska Electric Light and Power Company (AEL&P), a subsidiary of Avista Corp.(NYSE: AVA), effective July 1, 2017. Current President and General Manager Tim McLeod will retire on July 1 after 34 years with the Juneau utility.

Hulbert joined AEL&P in 1996 as controller, and she was named to her current position of vice president and secretary/treasurer in 2002. Previously, Hulbert worked in accounting and IT operations at Echo Bay Alaska. She also worked as an accountant for Klukwan Forest Products and R&M Engineering. She has extensive experience in financial management and reporting, as well as in state utility regulatory affairs. Hulbert is a long-time resident of Juneau, having grown up in Juneau and graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School. She received her bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and completed additional classes in accounting at the University of Alaska Southeast.

Tim McLeod joined AEL&P in 1983 as assistant transmission and distribution engineer. In 1989 he was promoted to vice president and transmission engineer, and in 2001 he was appointed vice president and secretary/treasurer. McLeod was named president and general manager of AEL&P in 2002. He has been active in the Juneau community for many years as a member and leader of numerous community organizations, including the Juneau Chamber of Commerce, the Alaska Committee, First Things First and the Glacier Valley Rotary Club. Prior to joining AEL&P, McLeod managed the engineering department for Mountain Parks Electric, Inc. in Granby, Colorado.

"We are very pleased that Connie has accepted the new challenge of leading AEL&P," said Dennis Vermillion, senior vice president of Avista Corp. and chairman of the board of AEL&P. "Her broad experience in finance and utility regulation is a sound complement to the operational experience of the other members of the leadership team. Since acquiring AEL&P in 2014, Avista has been committed to supporting the local presence of the utility, and we believe Connie is an excellent choice to lead AEL&P and continue to provide the level of reliability and service customers have come to expect.

"We'd also like to thank Tim McLeod for his dedicated service to AEL&P and the Juneau community for so many years. Tim has been instrumental in bringing about numerous projects and initiatives that have made a significant difference for AEL&P customers, including adding Lake Dorothy to the hydroelectric generation portfolio and restoration and recovery of service following the 2008 avalanches that impacted the community so intensely," Vermillion said. "Tim's leadership in utility operations has created a solid, reliable power system that carries forward the utility's 124-year-old legacy of being an integral part of the Juneau lifestyle."

About Avista Corp.

Avista Corp. is an energy company involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities is the operating division that provides electric service to 377,000 customers and natural gas to 340,000 customers. Its service territory covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.6 million. Alaska Energy and Resources Company is an Avista subsidiary that provides retail electric service in the city and borough of Juneau, Alaska, through its subsidiary Alaska Electric Light and Power Company. Avista stock is traded under the ticker symbol "AVA." For more information about Avista, please visit www.avistacorp.com.

About AEL&P

Alaska Electric Light and Power Company, a subsidiary of Avista Corp., was incorporated in 1893. Today it serves nearly 17,000 customers in the City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska with clean, renewable hydroelectric power.

Contact:
Avista 24/7 Media Line
(509) 495-4174

Media:
Jessie Wuerst
(509) 495-8578
jessie.wuerst@avistacorp.com

Investors:
Lauren Pendergraft
(509) 495-2998
lauren.pendergraft@avistacorp.com

Source: Avista Corp.