Walton retires after 24 years with HWE

NORTH BALTIMORE — George Walton has announced his retirement as president and chief executive officer of Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative after 24 years of service. His retirement takes effect Jan. 3. Walton began his career with the cooperative in 1998, managing operations and engineering. In 2000, the board of trustees named Walton as the cooperative president and CEO. In 2001, he was also appointed as president and chief operating officer of Prism Propane Services of Ohio, LLC, a subsidiary of Hancock-Wood Electric. Walton previously had a 15-year career working in various engineering and management positions at Appalachian Power Co. Later, he was appointed as a corporate business development manager at American Electric Power (AEP). Throughout his career at AEP, he held positions in electrical distribution and substation engineering areas, area supervisor, region administrator, energy services supervisor, meter supervisor, and worked in the transmission design engineering department. Walton received the AEP Award of Excellence for his performance. Under Walton's leadership, the cooperative has grown from 10,838 members to 13,432 members. Operating revenue increased from $18 million to approximately $46 million over his 24-year career and the total value of HWE's electric plant increased more than 250%. The cooperative also constructed a new corporate headquarters in 2008. William Barnhart has been selected as the interim president and CEO. Barnhart has been with Hancock-Wood Electric since 1998 and previously served as the vice president of engineering and operations.