The Boards of Directors of NW Natural Holding Company and NW Natural Gas Company announced they have approved a number of senior management promotions effective May 25, 2023. Justin B. Palfreyman has been appointed president of NW Natural Holdings and NW Natural. David H. Anderson remains chief executive officer of NW Natural Holdings and NW Natural.

Over the last seven years, Justin has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and that he has the experience and talent to add great value to NW Natural's core operations, customers and shareholders while helping to set the course for the company's future. Justin will now be responsible for the bulk of day-to-day operations of the company and will continue to report directly to David H. Anderson. Previously, Palfreyman served as NW Natural's senior vice president, strategy and business development since February 2023, and vice president of strategy since 2017 and business development since joining NW Natural in 2016.

In addition, Palfreyman remains president of NW Natural Water, a position he has held since 2018. Prior to joining the company, Palfreyman served as a director in the Power, Energy & Infrastructure Group for Lazard, Freres & Co. and worked in the Infrastructure Investment Banking Group at Goldman Sachs in New York.

Palfreyman currently serves as president of the Board of CASA for Children. He graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelor of Business Administration. He also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from The University of Chicago Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy.

The board approved three additional senior management promotions. Frank H. Burkhartsmeyer, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer was promoted to executive vice president strategy and business development and remains the chief financial officer of NW Natural Holdings and NW Natural. Burkhartsmeyer has been with the company since 2017 and will continue reporting to Anderson.

Prior to that, Burkhartsmeyer served as president and CEO of Avangrid Renewables and senior vice president of finance at Iberdrola Renewables Holdings US. Kim Rush senior vice president operations and chief marketing officer was promoted to senior vice president and chief operating officer of NW Natural. Rush has served as senior vice president of operations since 2018; her career at NW Natural began in 1998.

Ms. Kim H. Rush, who is 53, to Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of NW Natural. Ms. Rush previously held the position of Senior Vice President, Operations and Chief Marketing Officer of NW Natural since 2018. Prior to that she held other positions, including Senior Vice President, Communications and Chief Marketing Officer, Vice President, Communications and Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer and Chief Corporate Communications Officer, as well as other roles, since joining NW Natural in 1998.Ms. Rush is a member of the Board of Directors for all of NW Holdings' and NW Natural's wholly owned subsidiaries.

Ms. Rush received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications at the University of Iowa, and a Master of Science in Communications at Northwestern University in Illinois. Kathryn M. Williams vice president of public affairs and sustainability was promoted to vice president, chief public affairs and sustainability officer of NW Natural. Williams has been with the company since 2019.

Prior to that, Williams was the state affairs manager at the Port of Portland and has also worked at Imeson & Carter, a public affairs consulting firm. Rush, Williams and Mike Kotyk, President of NW Natural Renewables, will report to Palfreyman.