STEEL COMMISSION WELCOMES NEW MEMBER FROM AK STEEL

COLUMBUS, Ohio (August 15, 1996) –  Ohio Gov. George V. Voinovich has appointed John G. Hritz, recently named vice president, general counsel and secretary of AK Steel Corp. in Middletown, to the Ohio Steel Commission. Hritz is one of 16 members of the Commission.

Hritz became vice president, general counsel and secretary this summer and before that was vice president-employee relations for AK Steel. He joined the company in 1989 as counsel in the law department and previously served as assistant general counsel and assistant secretary. In his new capacity, he will continue to be responsible for employee relations functions.

He began his corporate career in 1973 with U.S. Steel Corp., where he held various managerial and engineering positions. In 1980 he joined Commercial Intertech Corp. in Youngstown, Ohio, as a senior project engineer and later became corporate attorney.

Hritz holds a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Youngstown State University and a law degree from the University of Akron School of Law.

AK Steel, headquartered in Middletown, is one of the nation's largest integrated steelmakers, supplying top-quality flat rolled, low carbon steels for the automotive, appliance, construction and other markets. AK employs about 5,700 and has been a member company of the Steel Commission since the Commission was established in 1991.

The Ohio Steel Commission is a public-private partnership to strengthen ties among the steel industry, the state of Ohio and its citizens. The Commission's member organizations are AK Steel Corp., Armco Inc., CSC Ltd., LTV Steel Co., Republic Engineered Steels, Inc., The Timken Co., USS/KOBE Steel Co., WCI Steel, Inc., Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp., the United Steelworkers of America, the Ohio Legislature, the Ohio Department of Development, The Ohio State University and Youngstown State University.