Shannon O. Pierce and
Steven M. Murphy appointed to senior
vice president roles for Southern Company Gas; Pierce also
appointed president of Virginia Natural Gas
ATLANTA, Sept. 26,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Company Gas today
announced executive leadership changes as the company continues its
focus on building the future of energy and providing best-in-class
service and value for customers.
Shannon O. Pierce, vice
president of strategy and chief administrative officer for the
company's Virginia Natural Gas subsidiary, has been appointed
senior vice president of Southern Company Gas and president of
Virginia Natural Gas, effective September
28. Robert Duvall,
current president and chief executive officer of Virginia Natural
Gas, will continue to serve as CEO until his retirement on
April 1, 2025. Pierce will assume the
role of CEO upon Duvall's retirement.
Steven M. Murphy, vice
president of engineering and construction for Southern Company Gas,
has been appointed senior vice president of Southern Company Gas,
effective September 28. Murphy will
assume the role of chief operating officer for Southern Company Gas
upon the retirement of current Executive Vice President and Chief
Operating Officer Jay Sutton
on April 1, 2025.
"We are incredibly grateful for Robert and Jay's leadership and
significant contributions to our company, customers and communities
over decades of service and continuing into next year," said
Jim Kerr, Southern Company Gas
chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Shannon and Steve
bring extensive and unique leadership experiences into their new
roles, which align with the company's values and will help to build
on Robert and Jay's legacies of success. As our customers' needs
continue to grow and evolve, these transitions will strategically
position Southern Company Gas, Virginia Natural Gas and our other
subsidiaries to enhance the value and quality of service our
customers expect and deserve."
Pierce has 20 years of experience within Southern Company Gas,
serving in leadership roles with increasing responsibility in
legal, regulatory and external affairs, and commercial and utility
operations. In her current role, Pierce serves as a strategic
advisor to the president and CEO, leading the development of growth
and external affairs strategies and overseeing financial
performance and planning for Virgina Natural Gas, which delivers
natural gas service to more than 310,000 customers in southeastern
Virginia.
A leader closely engaged in communities throughout Virginia and Georgia, Pierce's involvement in the community
and professional associations includes membership in the Virginia
State Bar, the American Association of Blacks in Energy and the
Workforce Development Executive Council of the Center for Energy
Workforce Development. Additionally, she is a member, former board
member and past president of the Energy Bar Association Southern
Chapter. She has also served on boards for various not-for-profit
organizations focusing on education and economic equity, and is a
member of Lead Virginia Class of 2024. Pierce is also a member of
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Pierce received both her undergraduate and law degrees from the
University of Virginia and is an
emeritus member of the board of managers for the school's alumni
association.
With a focus on engineering and operations, Murphy has more than
32 years of company experience. In his current role, Murphy is
responsible for all aspects of engineering, construction and
project management for the Southern Company Gas enterprise,
including storage assets and new pipeline and related
infrastructure for the company's four distribution companies:
Atlanta Gas Light, Chattanooga Gas, Nicor Gas and Virginia Natural
Gas, where he oversees an annual capital budget of more than
$1.7 billion.
Murphy has held numerous leadership positions since joining
Southern Company Gas in 1992, including managing director of
operations services and managing director of engineering
management. In this position, he directed design engineering for
Southern Company Gas' distribution companies, geographic
information system support services, compliance and system
integrity, and the Office of Corporate Engineering.
Murphy currently serves on the board of directors of Southern
Natural Gas, a 7,000-mile natural gas pipeline system supplying one
of the fastest-growing natural gas demand regions in the United States. He is a member of the
American Gas Association's Operations & Engineering Committee
and has previously served on the Southern Gas Association's
Pipeline Operations and Engineering Section Managing Committee, the
Virginia State Corporation Commission's Damage Prevention Advisory
Committee, and the advisory board of the Hampton Roads, Virginia, Salvation Army.
Murphy earned a civil engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a master's
degree in business administration from Georgia
State University. He is certified by the National Society of
Professional Engineers and has completed the Northwestern University Kellogg School of
Management Executive Development Program.
About Southern Company Gas
Southern Company Gas is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO),
America's premier energy company. Southern Company Gas serves
approximately 4.4 million natural gas utility customers through its
regulated distribution companies in four states and more than
600,000 retail customers through its companies that market natural
gas. Other nonutility businesses include investments in interstate
pipelines, asset management for natural gas wholesale customers and
ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. For more
information, visit southerncompanygas.com.
About Virginia Natural Gas
Virginia Natural Gas is one
of four natural gas distribution companies under Southern Company
Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO).
Serving over 310,000 customers in southeast Virginia, Virginia Natural Gas was again named
a Top Workplace in 2024. The company has earned recognition for its
safety, reliability and customer focus among natural gas service
providers, consistently ranking in the top quartile for customer
satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information,
visit virginianaturalgas.com and connect with the company
on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Southern Company