Black Hills Corp. Announces Investor Relations Transition

RAPID CITY, S.D., Feb. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Hills Corp. (NYSE: BKH) today announced the promotion of Jerome Nichols to director of investor relations and corporate communications reporting to Lynnette Wilson, senior vice president of communications and investor relations, effective May 1, 2011. Nichols will replace Jason Ketchum, who is being promoted to director of customer engagement and market development reporting to Linn Evans, president and chief operating officer utilities.

During the next four to six months, Nichols will work closely with Ketchum as he becomes responsible for the company's interactions with market analysts, investors and other financial stakeholders as well as managing corporate media relations and non-regulated communications.

Nichols has a bachelor's degree in mining engineering from South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. He has been with Black Hills for a total of seven years and is currently an internal audit manager specializing in credit and commodity risk. Nichols also has significant experience in the energy industry and held previous positions in finance and banking.

Ketchum joined Black Hills in July 2008 and has served as the director of investor relations and corporate communications since that time. He has a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Missouri and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. In his new role in utility operations, Ketchum will lead the development and implementation of strategies that leverage various technology platforms to implement new utility customer interfaces for energy efficiency, demand side management, AMI and AMR, which will strengthen financial performance, customer satisfaction and engagement, and the overall partnerships within the communities where the Black Hills utilities provide service.

ABOUT BLACK HILLS CORP.

Black Hills Corp. — a diversified energy company with a tradition of exemplary service and a vision to be the energy partner of choice — is based in Rapid City, S.D., with corporate offices in Denver and Omaha, Neb. The company serves 754,000 natural gas and electric utility customers in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. The company's non-regulated businesses generate wholesale electricity, produce natural gas, oil and coal, and market energy. Black Hills employees partner to produce results that improve life with energy.

SOURCE Black Hills Corp.