FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Promotes David B. Hamilton to Site Vice President at Perry Nuclear Power Plant

AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), has promoted David B. Hamilton to site vice president at the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Perry, Ohio.  In this position, he is responsible for overall management, direction and coordination of operation of the Perry Plant.  Hamilton succeeds Ernie Harkness, who has elected to retire.

In a related move, Frank Payne has been named general plant manager at Perry, the position most recently held by Hamilton.  Payne is responsible for overseeing the Operations, Radiation Protection, Chemistry and Maintenance activities at the plant.

"Under Ernie and David's leadership, Perry has continued to strengthen its safe, reliable operating record and made significant strides toward achieving top industry performance in all areas," said FENOC President and Chief Nuclear Officer Samuel Belcher.  "I am highly confident Perry will build on this momentum under David's continued guidance and further benefit from the skills and perspectives Frank brings to the management team."

With more than 23 years of experience in the nuclear power industry, Hamilton came to FENOC in 2012 as director of Fleet Project Management.  He was promoted to director of Site Operations at Perry – the position now known as general plant manager – in July 2013.  Prior to FENOC, Hamilton served as director of Nuclear Safety Assurance at Entergy's Waterford Plant in Killona, La.  He also has served as general manager of Plant Operations at Entergy's Palisades Plant in Covert, Michigan, and worked at Exelon's Limerick and Peach Bottom Generating Plants in Pennsylvania and Quad Cities Generating Station in Illinois. 

Hamilton received a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering from Penn State University and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Delaware.  He also holds a boiling water reactor senior reactor certification from the Limerick Generating Station in Limerick, Pa.

Payne joins FENOC from Duke Energy, where he was most recently the Work Control Manager at the Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant in Southport, NC.  He also has held Radiation Protection, Planning, Scheduling, Work Control and Operations leadership positions at Exelon's Nine Mile Point Plant in New York.  A veteran of the United States Navy, Payne began his career as an instructor and engineering laboratory technician.

Payne earned a bachelor of science degree in Nuclear Technology from Excelsior College in Albany, NY, and an associate degree in radiation therapy.

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company headquartered in Akron, Ohio.  Its FENOC subsidiary operates the Beaver Valley Power Station, the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station and the Perry Nuclear Power Plant.  More information about FENOC is available at www.fenoc.com.  Follow the Perry Nuclear Power Plant on Twitter at @Perry_Plant.  

Editor's Note: Photos of Hamilton and Payne are available on Flickr.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

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