FLOWOOD, Miss. – Aug. 8, 2022 – Atmos Energy, the largest investor-owned gas utility in Mississippi, has announced that current Mississippi Division President David Gates will retire, and taking over for him effective Sept. 1 will be Matt Davidson, currently the company’s vice president for rates and regulatory affairs.
“David Gates has more than 37 years of experience in the natural gas industry, demonstrating strong leadership in a variety of roles,” said Kevin Akers, President and CEO of Atmos Energy. “He has contributed to the company’s success in so many ways that benefited both our customers and our workforce. We will miss David and wish him and his family the absolute best in this new chapter of life.”
As president of the Mississippi division for over a decade, David’s dedication to employees and customers can be felt in nearly every community throughout the Mississippi service territory.
Like any Atmos Energy employee, David Gates dedicated himself to his community and his board service outside of Atmos Energy is extensive. Notably, he is a longtime Board Member of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, currently serving as past chair. David has also chaired the Mississippi Economic Council and Mission Mississippi, and has been honored by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) for his work including as chair of their annual “Walk to Cure Diabetes.”
“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to lead the Mississippi division,” said Gates. “I’m so proud of our employees’ embrace of our culture and the professionalism they exhibit day in and day out to provide safe, reliable natural gas service. I’m excited for Matt and the leadership he will bring, further positioning Atmos Energy to deliver more value to our customers and communities in Mississippi.”
An Alabama native, Matt began his career as an analyst in New Orleans with Atmos Energy Marketing in 2004. In that role he purchased and scheduled natural gas and ultimately led teams responsible for forecasting natural gas pipeline capacity needs. As director of gas supply, Matt was responsible for structuring and negotiating contracts with natural gas pipelines and storage facilities, in addition to leading the financial hedging program.
Matt joined the Mississippi division in 2018 as vice president of marketing, leading the team and working with local and state economic developers. In 2019 he moved into his current role as vice president of rates and regulatory affairs, responsible for communicating the Mississippi division’s position on business and regulatory matters to various governmental authorities. Matt served more than two years as chair of the Marketing Leadership Team, leading Atmos Energy’s enterprise strategic marketing efforts.
“I am honored to have been trusted to lead the men and women of the Mississippi Division,” said Davidson. “David Gates leaves a legacy of leadership over his past 15 years as President, and I look forward to building on that foundation.”
Matt holds a Bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Alabama and a Master’s in Business Administration from Tulane University. He and his wife, Aimee, live in Madison with their three children.
About Atmos Energy
Atmos Energy Corporation, an S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, is the country’s largest natural gas-only distributor. We safely deliver reliable, affordable, efficient and abundant natural gas to more than 3 million distribution customers in over 1,400 communities across eight states located primarily in the South. As part of our vision to be the safest provider of natural gas services, we are modernizing our business and infrastructure while continuing to invest in safety, innovation, environmental sustainability and our communities. Atmos Energy manages proprietary pipeline and storage assets, including one of the largest intrastate natural gas pipeline systems in Texas.
Find us online at http://www.atmosenergy.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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