James Lyles

Director, Distribution Region Operations

James Lyles, director of Distribution Region Operations, leads a team that oversees the construction, operation, maintenance and emergency restoration of the Distribution system and Distribution Dispatch Center to provide safe, timely and reliable service to customers.

His role involves ensure Distribution assets are planned and operated in compliance with all applicable safety and reliability standards, contractual and tariff obligations, and all federal, state, and local regulations and laws. His new role also involves overseeing the coordination of contractors and administration of resource planning/work scheduling, risk identification/mitigation, business continuity planning, and crisis management.

Lyles began his career in 2005 as a Distribution dispatcher. He was promoted to a system operator two years later and a supervisor in 2010. In 2015, Lyles became the reliability manager, a position in which he oversaw line contractors, forestry department, and risk and reliability of the system. Since 2017, he has been the DDC manager.

Lyles completed AEP’s Leadership Targeted Development Program in 2015 and has served as a SWEPCO representative on the Achieving Excellence Program, which enhances existing budgeting processes and leverages the skills, knowledge, and creativity of employees to drive down costs.

He was involved in leading the implementation of the initial ARCOS callout platform for SWEPCO. These digital tools make it easier to capture field data and track resources. And he assisted in storm recovery efforts in Puerto Rico in 2018. He also is a member of SWEPCO’s Customer Experience team.

Lyles has a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La. He played collegiate baseball first at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark. and later at NSU.

Lyles lives in Benton, La. with his wife, Candace, and their three children.