Arizona Public Service Company (APS) has appointed Mark A. Schiavoni as senior vice president (SVP) of fossil operations, effective April 13, 2009. Schiavoni succeeds John Denman, APS SVP of fossil operations, who has announced his retirement effective year-end. Most recently, Schiavoni served as SVP of Exelon Generation and president of Exelon Power.

At APS, Schiavoni will be responsible for overseeing all facets of the company’s non-nuclear generation operations and maintenance, including nearly 7,000 megawatts of fossil and renewable energy, outage and work management, plant engineering and technical support, and operational oversight of co-owned facilities.

To ensure a seamless leadership transition, Denman will work alongside Schiavoni for a few months, after which he will work on several key projects through the remainder of the year.

John Denman’s leadership has yielded a track record and plant performance that is among the industry’s best, said APS chief executive officer Don Brandt. Under John, our coal plants consistently produce top-quartile capacity factors, and our natural gas fleet provides us a flexible, cost-effective means of providing power to our customers when it’s needed most. APS and our customers have benefited from John’s dedicated service.

Schiavoni, who will report to APS president and chief operating officer Don Robinson, brings broad perspective and extensive leadership experience to his new position. He worked as a nuclear plant maintenance director for both Florida Power and Centerior Energy Corp. prior to joining Exelon in 2000 as a nuclear plant manager. Subsequently, he earned senior executive positions overseeing Exelon’s fossil, hydroelectric and renewable facilities, as well as the construction and integration of new generation assets. Prior to his utility experience, Schiavoni spent 22 years in the U.S. Navy’s nuclear program.

We are very fortunate to secure the experience of a seasoned and capable leader who is respected throughout the industry, said Robinson. At a time when the energy generating business is facing substantial change and new environmental pressures, Mark’s knowledge provides our company with the strategic and operational talent needed to ensure continued top-tier performance and industry leadership that benefit our customers and shareholders.