PP&L, Inc.'s board of directors recently elected Robert F. Saunders as vice president-Nuclear Site Operations and George T. Jones as vice president-Nuclear Engineering and Support. Both appointments are effective June 15, 1998.

Saunders, who is coming to PP&L, Inc. from Virginia Power, will be responsible for the oversight of PP&L's Susquehanna nuclear power plant. He will be located at the plant.

"Bob has demonstrated outstanding professional leadership ability in his 20 years of experience in nuclear executive management in Virginia Power's nuclear program," Robert G. Byram, PP&L's senior vice president-Generation and chief nuclear officer, said. "His extensive work in the nuclear utility industry makes him an excellent choice for this position. We are extremely pleased that he has decided to join the PP&L team.

"PP&L is committed to having a highly capable, motivated organization to oversee and manage the functioning of all its generating plants," said Byram. "These two vice president positions will help ensure that we continually improve performance at our Susquehanna nuclear plant."

The vice president-Nuclear Site Operations position was created in December 1997 to improve the focus on operational improvement at the facility. Jones, vice president-Nuclear Operations, was performing the duties of the position on a temporary basis.

"George has done an outstanding job in establishing the site vice president position while we searched for a candidate," Byram said. "With his experience in nuclear executive management, he was ideally suited to temporarily fill this position. We were fortunate to have someone of his caliber to step into this newly created position."

In his new position, Jones will be located in Allentown starting June 15. Jones and Saunders will report to Byram.

Saunders has been vice president-Nuclear Engineering and Services at Virginia Power since November 1996. As vice president, he is responsible for overseeing all of engineering for the company's Nuclear Business Unit.

He joined Virginia Power in 1975 and became station manager of the Surry nuclear power plant in July 1984. In April 1988, he was appointed manager-Nuclear Licensing and Programs. Saunders became assistant vice president-Nuclear Operations in November 1990, and vice president-Nuclear Operations in June 1994, before advancing to his current position.

Saunders, a native of Newport News, Va., holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He served as lieutenant in the U.S. Navy from 1970 to 1973.

Jones joined PP&L in 1991 as manager-Nuclear Engineering. He was named vice president-Nuclear Engineering in 1993. Prior to coming to PP&L, Jones worked for Entergy Operations Inc., Jackson, Miss., as general manager of engineering. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Alabama.

The Susquehanna plant, jointly owned by PP&L, Inc. and Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc., is located about five miles northeast of Berwick along Route 11.