AGA American Gas Association : Scott M. Prochazka Named as AGA Chair for 2020

News ReleaseOctober 16, 2019

Chicago, IL - Today, during a meeting of the American Gas Association (AGA) Board of Directors, CenterPoint Energy President and CEO Scott M. Prochazka was elected as the Chair of the AGA Board of Directors for 2020.

'Affordable, reliable natural gas service is essential to livable communities, prosperous local economies and practical carbon reduction,' said Prochazka. 'America's natural gas utilities are committed to reducing emissions by using our nation's abundance of natural gas in a sustainable, environmentally responsible and safe way. I am proud to help lead AGA as we tell this important story to customers, policymakers and the millions of Americans who rely on affordable, efficient natural gas service in their homes and businesses.'

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, CenterPoint Energy is an energy delivery company with regulated utility businesses in eight states and a competitive energy businesses footprint in nearly 40 states. Through its natural gas distribution business, the company serves 4.5 million homes and businesses in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas.

Prochazka has been with CenterPoint Energy since October 2001. Prior to his current role, he served as chief operating officer, division president of Houston Electric and as a senior division vice president of Gas Operations. Prochazka currently serves on the board of directors of Governor Greg Abbott's Texas Economic Development Corporation and Enable GP, LLC; and as the chairman of the board of directors for each of Gridwise Alliance and Central Houston, Inc. Prochazka is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering.

'Scott is a recognized leader in our industry, and his guidance of our Board of Directors will be crucial as our industry continues to make great strides in the year ahead. I am eager to have him in this role and look forward to working together in raising the voice of natural gas and its critical role in our nation's energy story,' said AGA President and CEO Karen Harbert.

AGA's other board officers for 2020 will include: First Vice Chair Diane Leopold, EVP & President & CEO, Gas Infrastructure Group, Dominion Energy in Richmond, VA and Second Vice Chair David H. Anderson, President & CEO, NW Natural based in Portland, OR. James P. Torgerson, Chief Executive Officer, AVANGRID Inc. in Orange, CT who has served as Chair for 2019 will become Immediate Past Chair when Prochazka's term begins on January 1, 2020.

The following executives will serve on the AGA Board of Directors in 2020:

Kurt Adams, President & CEO, Summit Utilities, Inc. (Portland, ME)
Kevin Akers, President & CEO, Atmos Energy Corp. (Dallas, TX)
William J. Akley, President, Gas Operations, Eversource Energy (Berlin, CT)
Frank Almaraz, Chief Administrative & Business Development Officer, CPS Energy (San Antonio, TX)
David H. Anderson, President & CEO, NW Natural (Portland, OR)
David P. Bauer, President & CEO, National Fuel Gas Co. (Williamsville, NY)
Robert F. Beard, President & CEO, UGI Utilities, Inc. (Reading, PA)
Lonnie E. Bellar, COO, LG&E-KU, PPL Companies (Louisville, KY)
Adrian Chapman, President & CEO, Washington Gas (Washington, D.C.)
John S. D'Orazio, President & CEO, RGC Resources, Inc. (Roanoke, VA)
David M. Daly, President & COO, Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (Newark, NJ)
Linden Evans, President & CEO, Black Hills Corp. (Rapid City, SD)
Kevin Fletcher, President & CEO, WEC Energy Group (Milwaukee, WI)
Kimberly Greene, Chair, President & CEO, Southern Company Gas (Atlanta, GA)
Joseph Hamrock, President & CEO, NiSource Inc. (Columbus, OH)
Karen A. Harbert, President & CEO, American Gas Association (Washington, D.C.)
Jeffrey Harrison, President & CEO, Citizens Energy Group (Indianapolis, IN)
John P. Hester, President & CEO, Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (Las Vegas, NV)
Jeffry M. Householder, President & CEO, Chesapeake Utilities Corp. (Dover, DE)
Michael Innocenzo, President & CEO, PECO, An Exelon Co. (Philadelphia, PA)
Nicole A. Kivisto, President & CEO, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. (Bismarck, ND)
Sue Kristjansson, President & CEO, Oak Ridge Utility District (Oak Ridge, TN)
J. Bret Lane, Chair & CEO, Southern California Gas Co. (Los Angeles, CA)
Kent T. Larson, EVP & Group President, Operations, Xcel Energy Inc. (Minneapolis, MN)
James P. Laurito, EVP, Business Development, Fortis Inc. (St. Johns, NL)
Diane Leopold, EVP and & President & CEO, Gas Infrastructure Group, Dominion Energy (Richmond, VA)
Richard J. Mark, Chairman & President, Ameren Illinois (Collinsville, IL)
John McAvoy, Chair, President & CEO, Consolidated Edison, Inc. (New York, NY)
Jerry Norcia, President & CEO, DTE Energy (Detroit, MI)
Pierce H. Norton, II, President & CEO, ONE Gas, Inc. (Tulsa, OK)
Scott M. Prochazka, President & CEO, CenterPoint Energy (Houston, TX)
Patricia K. Poppe, President & CEO, CMS Energy Corp. (Jackson, MI)
David Robbins, Jr., President, South Jersey Gas Co. (Folsom, NJ)
Ian Robertson, CEO, Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (Oakville, ON)
Robert C. Rowe, President & CEO, NorthWestern Energy (Sioux Falls, SD)
Suzanne Sitherwood, President & CEO, Spire Inc. (St. Louis, MO)
T.J. Szelistowski, President Peoples Gas System, TECO Energy (Tampa, FL)
James P. Torgerson, Chief Executive Officer, AVANGRID Inc. (Orange, CT)
Ross W. Turrini, SVP, US Gas Engineering and Process, National Grid (Melville, NY)
Dennis P. Vermillion, President, Avista Corp. (Spokane, WA)
Charles S. Warrington, Managing Director & Executive Officer, Clearwater Gas System (Clearwater, FL)
Sasha Weintraub, SVP, Natural Gas Business, Duke Energy Corp. (Charlotte, NC)
Stephen Westhoven, President & CEO, New Jersey Resources (Wall, NJ)
Craig E. White, President & CEO, Philadelphia Gas Works (Philadelphia, PA)
Adam L. Wright, President & CEO, MidAmerican Energy Co. (Des Moines, IA)

The American Gas Association, founded in 1918, represents more than 200 local energy companies that deliver clean natural gas throughout the United States. There are more than 73 million residential, commercial and industrial natural gas customers in the U.S., of which 95 percent - more than 69 million customers - receive their gas from AGA members. Today, natural gas meets more than one-fourth of the United States' energy needs.