Robin Watson

2026 West Virginia Chapter Chair

Robin has been employed with American Electric Power since June of 2012. Her current role is as Customer Service Representative for the Huntington District. Her previous role was Operations Lead with the Hurricane Operation Center.

Robin received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Southern New Hampshire University. She has been a member of WiNUP since 2017.

Robin resides in Winfield, WV.

Courtney Newsome

2026 West Virginia Chapter Vice Chair

Courtney Newsome serves as the local customer service representative for Appalachian Power in southern West Virginia, a role she has held for three years. She brings more than 15 years of experience in customer service, giving her a strong foundation for working closely with customers to support their needs. Whether she’s addressing everyday service concerns, coordinating municipal street lighting, or assisting with seasonal community projects like Christmas lighting displays, Newsome is committed to helping customers bring their ideas to life.

She holds an associate degree in Business from Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College and is currently enrolled at Franklin University to complete her bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, a path that strengthens her professional expertise and long‑term goals. She has also completed Logan Leadership and is an active member of the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce, deepening her engagement in regional development and community collaboration.

Outside of her professional work, Newsome is active in volunteer efforts and enjoys spending time outdoors. You can often find her riding ATVs with friends or holding down first base on the softball field—a spot that reflects her competitive spirit and love for teamwork.

Judy Hurd

2026 West Virginia Chapter Treasurer

Judy has been employed by American Electric Power since July 1989 and has held a variety of positions in Marketing and Customer Services. She is currently a Business Services Account Manager Senior for Appalachian Power Company. Her prior roles include Customer Accounting Supervisor in satellite offices throughout the Company’s Charleston, WV footprint, Billing and Accounting Lead, Customer Services Account Representative, and Business Services Account Manager. In her current role, Judy assists medium demand commercial and industrial customers from 100 to 750kW throughout a seven-county territory in West Virginia. She has also served as net metering/solar lead for the State. She enjoys meeting new customers and collaborating with her team members and other stakeholders.

Judy received an Associate in Applied Science/Computer Science and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Management with a minor in Spanish from West Virginia State University. She received her Master in Industrial Relations from West Virginia University College of Graduate Studies. At AEP Judy has served on the Safety Steering Committee, Customer Transformation Initiative, Open Mike, and numerous other teams throughout her career. She is a current member of Appalachian Power Company’s Employee Activity Kilowatt Club, WELD – Women’s Economic Leadership and Development, and Charleston Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni Association. She is a past member of Charleston Area Alliance’s Leadership Charleston and United Way’s Loaned Executive and Fund Allocations Committees.

Judy is the current International Executive Committee Treasurer and served in that role last year too. She chaired the WiNUP Professional Development Committee in 2024, served as Executive Committee mentor for Budget and Finance and Ways and Means committees in 2025, and is serving as EC Mentor for those committees again this year.

She is a member of Member Development and Retention, Ways and Means, and Social Media committees and has served on the Nominating Committee. She also served as Co-Chair of the Charities/Door Prizes/Silent Auction Committee for WiNUP’s 100^th Anniversary conference and was Co-Chair of the 2025 conference in Pittsburgh, PA.

She currently chairs WiNUP WV Community and Outreach, Social Networking, and Membership Committees. She also serves on the Fundraising, Guidelines, and 2026 International Conference Planning Committees. She has served as Vice-Chair, Chair, Immediate Past Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and International Board Rep for her chapter.

In her personal time, Judy enjoys volunteering, playing with her dogs Daisy and Noka, gardening, and reading. She is a life-long resident of Charleston, WV.

Janet Hewitt

2026 West Virginia Chapter International Board Representative

Janet Hewitt is a retiree from American Electric Power Company. She joined AEP in 1982 as a performance Engineer at Mitchell Power Plant and retired in 2024 as an Enterprise Process Improvement manager. During her 42 year career, she held several different positions within AEP.

Janet holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Grove City College.

Janet joined WiNUP in 2010 as part of the WV Chapter, she has been the Chapter Vice Chair and Chapter Chair as well as chairing several chapter committees. Her international Officers include Treasurer, Vice President and 2020 President and CEO. She is currently part of the Past Presidents Council. Janet has chaired or been on almost all international committees.

Janet lives in Moundsville WV and is on the board of the Wheeling YWCA and Laughin Memorial Chapel. She has two children and two granddaughters.

Trena Riffle

2026 West Virginia Chapter Secretary

Trena is very fortunate to have enjoyed one year of retirement from American Electric Power after a 35-year career in plant engineering and transmission operations engineering.

Trena received her bachelor of science in electrical engineering from West Virginia Institute of Technology, now part of WVU.

Trena attended her first WiNUP conference in 2016 and joined West Virginia Chapter in 2017. She has served as chapter vice chair, chair and international secretary. She was co-chair for the 2023 WiNUP conference in Niagara Falls, N.Y. She continues to support WiNUP in retirement.

Trena is also chapter regent for French Colony Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In her spare time, she enjoys flower gardening, hiking, biking, kayaking and letterboxing, often incorporated into daytrips with friends. Her latest passion is volunteering as a narrator on the train from Charleston, West Virginia to Clifton Forge, Virginia, for the Trails & Rails program, a partnership between the New River Gorge National Park Service and Amtrak.

Brenda Fisher

2026 West Virginia Immediate Past Chair

Brenda began her employment with American Electric Power in May 2006 through Manpower as an Admin at the Central Machine Shop. She was hired permanently in March 2007 and in 2011, she was trained in the storeroom operations at CMS, and then split her time between the front office and the storeroom until she became the Stores and Admin Coordinator in November 2016. In this role she coordinates and oversees the storeroom operations, accounting functions, building and equipment maintenance, prepares service agreements/contracts for all of S&TS, among other duties. She has also been the Wellness Champion for her site for several years.

Brenda received her Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Management from West Virginia State University. She has been a member of WV WiNUP for 10 years and has served on the WV Chapter STEM committee and Program/Professional Development Committee.

Brenda loves to travel, going to flea markets/antique shops and loves spending time with her 2 cats and 2 dogs.

Brenda is a lifelong resident of Sissonville, WV and has one daughter.