Verl R. Topham, PacifiCorp's top official in Utah, announced Monday that he will retire May 1 after a 27-year career with the company and its predecessor.
Topham, who will continue to serve on the PacifiCorp board of directors, is the company's senior vice president and general counsel.He will be replaced by Richard Walje, PacifiCorp's vice president for distribution, who was named vice president for Utah on Monday.
Oregon-based PacifiCorp, the parent company of Utah Power, has about 585,000 customers in Utah. The company is in the process of seeking approval for a merger with U.K.-based ScottishPower, and Utah Power spokesman David Eskelsen said ScottishPower officials are "apprised and supportive of" the executive change.
Topham joined Utah Power in 1972 as an attorney and rose to become executive vice president of the company.
He played a leading role in the 1989 merger of Utah Power with PacifiCorp, after which he was named executive vice president of operations for the Utah Power division. In 1990, he was elected president and chief executive officer for the division, and in 1994 he rose to his current position and was elected to the PacifiCorp board of directors.
Topham has represented both companies in the community and served in the group that helped run Salt Lake's bid for the 2002 Winter Games. Topham resigned as a Salt Lake Organizing Committee trustee earlier this year when the board was reorganized in the wake of the Olympic bribery scandal.
Walje, who will be headquartered in Utah, will retain his responsibilities as head of the distribution business after taking his new position.
"As a native Utahn, I'm excited to be returning to Utah to help ensure our customers and communities have the representation they need in their interactions with PacifiCorp and Utah Power," Walje said in a press release.
The release said Walje will represent the company in Utah's cultural, civic, economic development and philanthropic activities.
Walje joined Utah Power in 1986 but began his electric utility career as a journeyman lineman in Utah in 1972. He has electrical engineering and master's of business administration degrees from the University of Utah.