Dominion Energy’s Diane Leopold is AGA’s new chair
Diane Leopold, executive vice president and co-chief operating officer of Dominion Energy, has been named chair of the American Gas Association Board of Directors.
Upon taking this role, Leopold knew that 2020 would be filled with challenges for the natural gas industry, and that was before COVID-19 changed everything. But what has become evident is that this industry veteran is the right leader at the helm during a difficult time. As our nation navigates this unprecedented pandemic, her vision for our industry will carry us through, and we will emerge stronger.
“I am incredibly honored to assume this position during these challenging times,” said Leopold. “The coronavirus pandemic has put our industry to the test, and we are rising to the challenge. I have been so encouraged by the swift action of our members to safeguard the health of our employees, meet the urgent needs of our customers and support those facing financial hardship. Our employees, our customers and our communities are looking to us for leadership, and we have answered their call with clear, decisive action.
“Once our nation recovers from the pandemic, I believe we can and must demonstrate the same leadership on the climate as we have displayed throughout this public health crisis,” Leopold continued. “We have made enormous progress on emissions, energy efficiency and renewable natural gas. But, if we want to demonstrate that we are an essential part of the solution to a clean energy future, there is much more we can and must do. I look forward to working with all of our members to take bold action to accelerate the progress we’ve made and continue building a clean, sustainable energy future for our country.”
At Dominion Energy, Leopold oversees three operating segments: gas transmission and storage, consisting of 15,900 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipelines, gas storage operations and the Cove Point LNG facility; gas distribution, which has four gas local distribution companies serving nearly 3 million customer accounts in Idaho, North Carolina, Ohio, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming; and Dominion Energy South Carolina, a natural gas and electric utility serving 1.1 million customer accounts. She has been at Dominion Energy for 25 years.
“Diane Leopold is a strong voice for our industry, leading by example through her steadfast vision for how our industry can continue to be clean energy leaders in the coming decades. We are incredibly fortunate to have her stepping into this role at this time as we focus on pathways to achieve our shared goal of reducing emissions while maintaining the quality of life that Americans enjoy,” said AGA President and CEO Karen Harbert.
On Feb. 19, CenterPoint Energy Inc. announced that Scott M. Prochazka stepped down as president and CEO. He served as chair of the AGA Board of Directors prior to that date. Under AGA’s bylaws, first vice chair Leopold became AGA’s chair. The AGA Board then elected David H. Anderson, president and CEO of NW Natural, based in Portland, Oregon, as the new first vice chair. Kimberly Greene, chair, president and CEO of Southern Company Gas, based in Atlanta, was elected as AGA’s second vice chair.
“As a member of our Board of Directors and as chair of AGA, Scott Prochazka moved the industry forward with a relentless commitment to our environment, our economy and the many millions of homes, businesses and industries that depend on natural gas,” said Harbert. “We thank him for his many years of service to our organization.”