Avista Corporation Company Culture

Mr. Mark T. Thies has been Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Avista Corporation since September 2008 and as its Treasurer since January 2013. Mr. Thies served as Chief Financial Officer of Black Hills Corp. from March 2000 to January 2008, Executive Vice President from April 2003 to January 2008, Principal Accounting Officer until January 2008, Senior Vice President from March 2000 to April 2003 and also as its Controller from May 1997 to March 2000. Mr. Thies also served as Chief Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer and Executive Vice President of Black Hills Power Inc., a subsidiary of Black Hills Corp. From 1990 to 1997, he served in a number of accounting positions with InterCoast Energy Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company. Mr. Thies studied BA in Accounting and Business Administration from Saint Ambrose College and he attained a Certificate in Public Accounting (CPA) in 1987.

Ms. Marian M. Durkin has been Chief Compliance Officer of Avista Corporation since November 11, 2005. Ms. Durkin has been Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Avista Corporation since August 1, 2005 and has been its Company Secretary since May 16, 2016. Ms. Durkin joined Avista from UAL Corporation, where she served from 1995 to August 2005 and also served as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary since November 11, 2003 and prior to that, she served as its Deputy General Counsel. In her expanded role, Ms. Durkin oversaw the day-to-day administration of UAL's Legal department. She had responsibility for corporate finance, aircraft purchasing and sales, securities law, purchasing, international and employee benefits, among other responsibilities. She joined UAL in 1995 as Senior Counsel where she provided counsel for the employee stock ownership plan and all other company-sponsored employee benefit programs. Prior to joining UAL, Ms. Durkin was Partner of Briggs and Morgan. She is a Member of both the Minnesota and Illinois Bars. She is active in a number of community organizations and is a frequent Lecturer at legal conferences. She serves as Director of Energy Insurance Mutual Limited Company.She earned both a Law degree and a Master's of Law degree in Taxation from William Mitchell College of Law in Saint Paul, Minn. Ms. Durkin earned a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y.

Mr. Dennis P. Vermillion has been the President of Avista Corp. (???Avista???) since January 01, 2018 and President of Avista Utilities since 2009. Mr. Vermillion also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Avista subsidiary Alaska Electric Light and Power Company. Mr. Vermillion joined Avista in 1985 and has held various staff and management positions. His experience covers a broad range of activities, including leadership, energy trading and marketing, risk management, scheduling, resource operations, power/transmission contracting, resource planning and coordination, regulatory issues and production cost modeling. Previously, he served as Vice President of Energy Resources for Avista Utilities and prior to that, as President and Chief Operating Officer for Avista Energy from February 2001 until its sale in June 2007. He is a 1985 graduate of Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. He currently serves as a Board Member for the Spokane County United Way and the Avista Foundation.

Mr. Ryan Krasselt has been Principal Accounting Officer, Vice President and Controller at Avista Corporation since October 1, 2015. Mr. Krasselt served as Director of Risk Management and Assistant Treasuer at Avista Corp. since May 5, 2014. Mr. Krasselt provides the benefits and incentive opportunities as other vice President since 2015, which includes incentive opportunities under the Executive Officer Annual Cash Incentive Plan and the Long-Term Incentive Plan. From 2011 to 2014, he served as the Director of Finance and Assistant Treasurer at Avista Corp. Mr. Krasselt also eligible to participate in the Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan and the Executive Deferred Compensation Plan. Krasselt holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in accounting and finance from the University of Idaho and is a certified public accountant (CPA). In addition, he completed the Utility Executive Course at the University of Idaho.

Mr. Grant Forsyth has been Chief Economist at Avista Corp. since July 2012. Mr. Forsyth provides economic forecasts in Avista's three-state service territory for electric and natural gas usage.

Mr. David J. Meyer has been a Vice President and Chief Counsel for Regulatory and Governmental Affairs of Avista Corporation since February 2004. Mr. Meyer served as the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Avista Corp. from September 1998 to February 2004. Mr. Meyer served as Attorney - Paine Hamblen Coffin Brooke & Miller from 1978 to September 1998. He is a graduate of Valparaiso University, where he received political science and economics degrees. He is a 1978 graduate of Cornell University Law School.

Mr. Jason R. Thackston has been Senior Vice President at Avista Corporation since January 2014. Mr. Thackston has been Senior Vice President of Energy Resources - Avista Utilities at Avista Corporation since January 2014 and served as its Vice President of Energy Resources - Avista Utilities since December 2012. Mr. Thackston serves as a Vice President of Customer Solutions at Avista Corp. Mr. Thackston served as Vice President of Energy Delivery at Avista Corp. from April 2011 to December 2012. He served as Vice President of Finance at Avista Corp. from June 2009 to April 2011. He held various other management and staff positions at Avista Corp. since 1996. He serves on the board of trustees of Whitworth University as well as on the boards of the YMCA of the Inland Northwest and the Health Sciences and Services Authority of Spokane County. Mr. Thackston holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Whitworth University with a major in international studies and an emphasis in business management. He earned his Master of Business Administration degree from Gonzaga University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Whitworth University with a major in international studies and an emphasis in business management

Mr. James M. Kensok has been Chief Information and Security Officer of Avista Corporation since January 2013 and has been its Vice President since January 1, 2007 and served as its Chief Information Officer since January 1, 2007. Mr. Kensok joined Avista in 1996 and served as its Internal Information Systems Auditor, Manager, Chief Security Officer and Director of Information Systems. Mr. Kensok served as the Chief Information Officer of Avista Corp. from February 2001 to December 2006. Prior to Avista, he served as the Director for an Information technology Professional Services Practice and Manager of Technology Support Services for a large international financial services software and computer hardware development company. Mr. Kensok has more than 25 years of national and international experience in developing and managing information systems, network communications, strategic sourcing and executive leadership of advanced enterprise technology environments. He is active in community and industry associations. He serves as a Vice Chairman and Director of the University of Idaho's Utility Executive Course Advisory Board. He serves as an Advisory Board Member of Eastern Washington University's College of Science, Health and Engineering and Foundation. Mr. Kensok serves as a Member of the Western Energy Institute's Corporate Services Program Development Team and Edison Electric Institute Technical Advisory Board. Mr. Kensok holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in MIS Design from Eastern Washington University and holds an executive MBA from Washington State University.

Mr. Edward David Schlect, also known as Ed, founded Advantage IQ Inc. (now known as Ecova, Inc.) in 1995 and served as its Executive Vice President of Corporate Development. Mr. Schlect has been Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Avista Corporation since September 8, 2015. He served as Vice President of Corporate Business Development at Advantage IQ, Inc. Mr. Schlect served as Chief Operating Officer of Advantage IQ Inc. since September 2009. Mr. Schlect served as Vice President of Corporate Development of Advantage IQ, Inc. until September 2009 and also as its Interim President from September 2009 to December 1, 2009. Mr. Schlect served as Vice President of Consulting Services and Product Development for Advantage IQ, Inc. He has more than 20 years of utility experience, including the development of alliances and new products. His design experience in civil, mechanical, electrical and process control systems in power generation facilities has given him a broad perspective on technology issues. A founding member of Avista Advantage, Mr. Schlect is a Licensed Professional Engineer and Certified Energy Manager, with an emphasis on project management and construction contracting. Mr. Schlect earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and did postgraduate work in engineering at Washington State University.