PPL Corp. (NYSE: PPL) announced Monday (2/28) that one of its long-time directors is retiring and another is resigning from the board, effective April 28.

Retiring is Norman Robertson, former senior vice president and chief economist for Mellon Bank, who has served on the company's board of directors for 30 years.

Resigning, citing competing professional responsibilities, is Marilyn Ware, chairperson of American Water Works Company, the nation's largest water utility holding company. She has served on the board for two years.

"On behalf of all the present and past members of the PPL Corp. board, I thank Norm Robertson for his extraordinary service to our company," said William F. Hecht, chairman, president and chief executive officer of PPL Corp. "He has been an superb adviser and a very good friend, who has played an integral role in the transformation of our company into a global enterprise. We wish him well."

"It is with regret that we accept Marilyn's resignation. She provided excellent insight to the board, especially in the integration of Penn Fuel Gas into the PPL family of companies," said Hecht. "We are disappointed to see her leave the board, but we understand her reasons for doing so." Ware joined the company's board of directors in December 1997, as PPL was acquiring Penn Fuel Gas, of which she was a major shareowner.

Robertson and Ware also will resign from the PPL Electric Utilities Corp. board of directors, effective April 28.

Hecht noted that two new directors are expected to join the PPL board as of the company's annual meeting in April. They are John W. Conway, president and chief operating officer for the Crown Cork and Seal packaging company, and W. Keith Smith, who has more than 30 years of banking and finance experience.

With the two new directors joining in April, the board will continue at its current size.

Based in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation is a FORTUNE 500. company that delivers electricity and natural gas to more than 1.3 million customers in Pennsylvania; sells wholesale and retail energy in 43 U.S. states and Canada; generates electricity at power plants in Pennsylvania, Maine and Montana; delivers electricity to 1.4 million customers in southwest

Britain; and delivers electricity to more than 800,000 customers in Chile, Bolivia and El Salvador.