Press Releases

Peabody Energy today announced several organizational changes to expand the company's continuous improvement initiatives.

Walter J. Scheller III has been named Senior Vice President and Group Executive of Colorado Operations, which include the Twentymile Mine and related facilities near Steamboat Springs. Scheller will be responsible for the day-to-day operations activities of the mine, including safety, continuous improvement, environmental management, and the review of strategic growth opportunities in Colorado. He reports to Group Vice President of Western Operations Kemal Williamson.

Scheller joined the company in 2006 as Senior Vice President of Strategic Operations Improvement. He has more than 20 years of experience in operations and mining engineering and is a graduate of West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering. He holds a Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University School of Law and a master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

In addition, Larry B. Ellgen has been named Group Controller for the Colorado Operations, reporting to Scheller, effective Sept. 1. Ellgen has nearly 20 years of coal industry experience in various financial functions. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Brigham Young University.

Charles F. Meintjes will join the company as Senior Vice President of Operations Improvement, replacing Scheller. In this position, Meintjes will be responsible for leading the company's operations continuous improvement initiatives and implementation of standard operating procedures across Peabody global operations. He will report to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Eric Ford.

Meintjes has a strong mining industry background and has managed financial and technical functions, large re-engineering programs, IT system implementations, and large industrial construction projects. He most recently served as a consultant to Exxaro Resources Limited in Pretoria, South Africa, and is the former Executive Director, board member and Executive Vice President of Support Services of Kumba Resources Limited, one of the largest iron ore, coal, zinc and heavy minerals mining companies in South Africa. He also has senior management experience in continuous improvement and information services with Iscor Limited (now Mittal Steel) and Alusaf Limited in South Africa.

Meintjes holds Bachelor of Commerce degrees in Accounting from both Rand Afrikaans University and the University of South Africa. He is a Chartered Accountant in South Africa.

In addition, several management changes have been made in the finance and commercial organizations.

  -- Lina A. Young has been named to the new position of Senior Vice
     President of Marketing Commercial Services, effective Sept. 24.  Young
     will report to COALSALES President Bryan A. Galli.  Reporting to Young
     will be Curtis P. Tichenor, Vice President of Commercial Analytics and
     Contract Management; F. Andrew Roberts, Director of Market Analysis;
     and Leah A. Bennett, Senior Accounting Manager.  Lisa M. Cantwell has
     also been named Director of Contract Management, effective Sept. 1,
     reporting to Tichenor.
  -- Robert L. Reilly has been named Senior Vice President of Business and
     Resource Development, reporting to Chief Financial Officer and
     Executive Vice President of Corporate Development Richard A. Navarre.
     Reilly replaces Charles A. Ebetino, who will become Senior Vice
     President of Corporate Development at such time as a spinoff or other
     transaction occurs to create Patriot Coal Corporation.  Reporting to
     Reilly are Vice President of Resource Development James C. Sevem and a
     shared Business Development Resource group.
  -- Walter L. Hawkins has been named Senior Vice President and Treasurer,
     also reporting to Navarre.  Reporting to Hawkins are Director of
     Insurance and Enterprise Risk Management Ryan W. Brown, Director of
     Credit Management Matthew S. Davis, Manager of Treasury Operations John
     F. Busch and an Assistant Treasurer.  The Risk Management function,
     headed by Thomas B. Swaykus, will now also report to Hawkins.
  -- Michael C. Crews has been named to the new position of Vice President
     of Operational Planning, reporting to Executive Vice President and
     Chief Operating Officer Eric Ford.  Reporting to Crews will be Jeffrey
     D. Timmermann, Director of Operational Planning.
  -- Bradley E. Phillips replaces Crews as Vice President of Financial
     Planning and Analysis, also reporting to Navarre.  Reporting to
     Phillips are James F. Gardner, Director of Capital Planning, and Amy B.
     Schwetz, Director of Financial Planning.  Schwetz replaces Phillips as
     Director of Financial Planning.  Reporting to Schwetz are Daniel E.
     Heath, Senior Manager of Financial Planning and Carolyn G. Bowles,
     Manager of Financial Planning.
  -- Debra A. Drake has been named to the new position of Vice President of
     Trading and Administration, reporting to COALTRADE President Stephen L.
     Miller.  Reporting to Drake are Director of Trading Robert E. Carswell
     and Senior Manager of Sales and Marketing Victor H. Soto.
  -- Robert W. Bland, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, will now report
     to COALTRADE President Stephen L. Miller.
  -- Barbara E. Busby, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, will now
     report to Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Powder
     River Basin James C. Campbell Jr.

Peabody Energy is the world's largest private-sector coal company, with 2006 sales of 248 million tons of coal and $5.3 billion in revenues. Its coal products fuel approximately 10 percent of all U.S. electricity generation and more than 2 percent of worldwide electricity.

  Contact:
  Beth Sutton
  (505) 287-2636

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SOURCE: Peabody Energy