SPOKANE, WA--(Marketwired - November 09, 2015) - Avista Corp. (NYSE: AVA) today announced changes in its officer team, approved by the Board of Directors. Don Kopczynski, vice president, Energy Delivery and Customer Service, has announced plans to retire on Dec. 1, 2015, after serving the company and its customers for 36 years. Heather Rosentrater, currently Avista's director of Electrical Engineering and Grid Modernization, has been selected to fill Kopczynski's role upon his retirement. Rosentrater will have responsibility for Avista's electric and natural gas engineering, operations and customer service.

"We are proactive and rigorous in the development of leaders, and we are well-positioned to continue meeting our business objectives in this dynamic energy industry environment," said Avista Corp. Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Morris. "We want to thank Don for his 36 years of service to Avista. His leadership has led to important advances in our company and the utility industry across broad areas of energy operations, engineering, safety and leadership development. We appreciate his service and we wish him the very best in his retirement.

"Heather's proven engineering and leadership experience paves the way for a smooth transition. She is a valuable addition to the officer team as we continue moving forward with new technologies and company growth."

Rosentrater has worked for Avista for 19 years in various leadership roles on some of the company's most important grid modernization initiatives. She received a degree in electrical engineering from Gonzaga University and in recent years has served her community as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Gonzaga, to train young people in power engineering. She also serves on the advisory council for Washington State University's School of Engineering and Computer Science and on the boards of the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery and the West Valley Education Foundation.

About Avista

Avista Corp., incorporated in 1889 and based in Spokane, Wash., is an energy company involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities is the operating division that provides electric service to 371,000 customers and natural gas to 330,000 customers. Its service territory covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.6 million. Alaska Energy and Resources Company is an Avista subsidiary that provides retail electric service in the city and borough of Juneau, Alaska, through its subsidiary Alaska Electric Light and Power Company. Avista stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "AVA." For more information about Avista, please visit www.avistacorp.com.

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