William C. Bradford, Jr., a lawyer from Shreveport, has been named vice president of External Affairs at SWEPCO. He begins March 11. In his new role, he will be responsible for supervising community relations, corporate communications, economic development, and public policy issues, particularly those impacting AEP SWEPCO's operations within the changing electricity industry landscape. Bradford will report directly to Brett Mattison, SWEPCO president and Chief Operations Officer.

Bradford takes over from Brian Bond, who retired March 1 following a successful 41-year career at SWEPCO.

"I would like to express my gratitude to Brian for his friendship, guidance, and dedication to our customers. Brian has been a source of support and wisdom for many individuals not just at SWEPCO but throughout AEP. We all extend our warmest wishes for a well-deserved retirement and extend a SWEPCO welcome to William," Mattison said.

Before joining SWEPCO, Bradford worked at the law firm Blanchard, Walker, O’Quin & Roberts, where he was named a partner and served on the firm’s executive committee as the vice president of marketing and practice development. He brings experience in regulatory, public finance, economic development, government relations, transactional, real estate, and municipal law.

"William is a leader who shares our commitment to serving our customers across Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas,” Mattison said. “He brings a wealth of experience in navigating government policies and fostering collaboration between private and public sectors. He also has a background in public policy at various levels. I have full confidence in his ability to provide strong leadership to meet or surpass stakeholder expectations."

Throughout Bradford’s career, he has been involved in numerous organizations, showcasing his commitment to public service. He has served as the City Attorney for the City of Shreveport, Louisiana and is an active member of the Bar Associations for Shreveport and the state of Louisiana. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Caddo Parish Industrial Development Board, Vice-Chair of Public Policy for the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, is an executive committee member for the North Louisiana Economic Partnership, and board member on the Military Affairs Council and more.

"I am excited to join the SWEPCO family, a team dedicated to excellence,” William Bradford, Jr., said. “I intend to build on the successes of my predecessor so that SWEPCO can continue to shape equitable energy policies and intelligent deployment of our resources. We will continue to strengthen our relationships with community stakeholders and work to better our customer's experience each day."

His civic engagement extends beyond the legal realm. William has served as a Chairman of the Board for the United Way of Northwest Louisiana and currently sits on the local board for the Volunteers of America.

“William is a passionate leader and is committed to making our communities stronger - a value we share at SWEPCO. I look forward to seeing how he and his team will continue to bring to life SWEPCO’s focus on taking care of our customers and being easy to do business with - everywhere we operate,” Mattison added.

Bradford received an undergraduate degree in English from Dillard University in New Orleans and earned his Juris Doctor (JD) degree in 2009 from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge. He and his wife Dr. Sonja Gennuso-Bradford make their home in Northwest Louisiana and are the proud parents of two beautiful children.