Atmos Energy Corporation has announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Executive Vice President Kevin Akers to become president and CEO of Atmos Energy and a member of the board after Mike Haefner announced his intention to step down from that role. Haefner will retire Jan. 1, 2020, from the company and the board. Kim R. Cocklin, formerly CEO of Atmos Energy, will continue as executive chairman of the board.
At Avista Corp., Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Karen Feltes will retire from the company on Feb. 1, 2020. In other management changes, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Mark Thies has been promoted to executive vice president and CFO. Vice President of Energy Delivery Heather Rosentrater is senior vice president of energy delivery. Vice President of External Affairs and Chief Customer Officer Kevin Christie has been promoted to senior vice president for external affairs, where he will also retain his responsibilities as chief customer officer. senior vice president and chief distribution officer, becomes senior vice president of customer delivery and services. Doug Esamann, Duke’s president of the Midwest and Florida regions and executive vice president of energy solutions, has been tapped to lead the company’s natural gas business and oversee its natural gas operations in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Sasha Weintraub, senior vice president and chief commercial officer, becomes senior vice president of the natural gas business, taking on additional operational and regulatory responsibilities. Senior Vice President of Enterprise Strategy and Planning Peter Toomey becomes senior vice president of strategic regulatory initiatives. Cari Boyce, senior vice president of stakeholder strategy and sustainability and president of Duke Energy Foundation, replaces Toomey. Louis Renjel is adding stakeholder strategy and sustainability to his duties and becomes senior vice president of federal government and corporate affairs. Duke Energy Foundation Vice President and Chief of Staff Shawn Heath becomes the foundation’s president.
Columbia Gas of Kentucky has announced that Kimra H. Cole is president and chief operating officer, replacing Herbert A. Miller Jr., who has retired.
Duke Energy Corp. has announced that Lloyd Yates, executive vice president of customer delivery operations and president of Duke Energy’s Carolinas region, and Frank Yoho, executive vice president and president of the company’s natural gas business, have retired. Michael Callahan, vice president of investor relations, has assumed the role of South Carolina state president, replacing Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, who has been named executive vice president and chief legal officer. Ghartey-Tagoe replaces Julie Janson, executive vice president of external affairs and chief legal officer, and Janson has become executive vice president of external affairs and president of the Carolinas region. Bryan Buckler, director of finance for the Carolinas, replaces Callahan as vice president of investor relations. Brian Savoy, senior vice president of business transformation and technology, becomes chief administrative officer. Harry Sideris,
Middle Tennessee Natural Gas Utility District has announced that Mike Davidson is assistant CEO.
Laurence Downes has retired as chairman and CEO of New Jersey Resources Corp. after 34 years with the company. Steve Westhoven, president and chief operating officer of New Jersey Resources, has succeeded Downes as CEO while keeping his role as president.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company has appointed Andrew M. Vesey as CEO and president. He reports to the board, while working closely with and taking direction from PG&E Corporation CEO and President Bill Johnson.
Mary Kipp has left El Paso Electric Co. as president, CEO and a director to become president of Puget Sound Energy Inc. and Puget Energy Inc. She is expected to succeed Kimberly Harris as CEO of the Puget companies upon Harris’ retirement in January 2020.