New Jersey Resources
NEW JERSEY RESOURCES ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE PROMOTIONS
01/28/2008 - For Immediate ReleaseKathleen T. Ellis, senior vice president of corporate affairs and marketing, will become the executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO) at NJNG. In her new role, she is one of the highest-ranking female utility executives in the state. Ms. Ellis joined the company in 2004 and has been responsible for corporate communications, government relations, regulatory, environmental affairs, customer and community relations and marketing. Prior to NJR, she served as Director of Communications for Governor James E. McGreevey and held the same position at Public Service Electric & Gas. Recently, she was one of only two dozen women out of 158 worldwide leaders who attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, the school’s flagship 2-month executive leadership program. In her new role, she will also be responsible for energy delivery and customer service.
“Kathy’s knowledge and insight have been invaluable additions to our leadership team since she joined our company,” said Laurence M. Downes, chairman and CEO of NJR. “It’s a great honor to name her as the first woman to serve as the chief operating officer of New Jersey Natural Gas.”
Joseph P. Shields, senior vice president at NJR Energy Services (NJRES), the company’s wholesale natural gas subsidiary, will also become executive vice president and COO at NJRES. Mr. Shields joined NJR in 1983. As head of the energy services business unit, his responsibilities have included natural gas supply acquisitions, negotiating transportation agreements and monitoring natural gas control activities, as well as regulated wholesale marketing activity for NJNG. He has led NJRES during its formation through many years of strong growth, including record earnings in fiscal 2007.
“Over the past 12 years, Joe has been an integral part of the team that built NJR Energy Services literally from scratch into a business that has driven earnings at NJR in recent years,” said Downes. “His expertise continues to help the company to grow in both new and existing areas.”
Mariellen Dugan, vice president and general counsel at NJR, will become a senior vice president and general counsel. Ms. Dugan, who joined NJR in 2005, is responsible for all legal matters, as well as corporate governance, compliance, insurance and rights of way and claims. Prior to joining NJR, Ms. Dugan served prominent roles in the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, first as Chief of Staff and then as First Assistant Attorney General. A veteran litigator, she was an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey and was of counsel to the law firm of Marino & Associates in Newark, New Jersey.
Jay Buth, controller at NJR Service Corporation, will become a vice president while maintaining his position as controller. Mr. Buth joined the company in 2006 and is responsible for accounting, financial planning and analysis. Prior to NJR, he was the Director of Finance at Allegheny Energy where he oversaw all finance activities for the company’s three utilities. Additionally, he served as Vice President at AES Corporation and a Senior Manager at Deloitte and Touche.
New Jersey Resources (NYSE:NJR), a Fortune 1000 company and a member of the Forbes Platinum 400, provides reliable retail and wholesale energy services to customers in New Jersey and in states from the Gulf Coast to New England, and Canada. Its principal subsidiary, New Jersey Natural Gas, is one of the fastest-growing local distribution companies in the United States, serving more than 478,000 customers in central and northern New Jersey. Other major NJR subsidiaries include NJR Energy Services and NJR Home Services. NJR Energy Services is a leader in the wholesale energy services market, providing customer service and management of natural gas storage and capacity assets. NJR Home Services offers retail customers heating, air conditioning and appliance services. NJR’s progress is a tribute to the more than 5,000 dedicated employees who have shared their expertise and focus on quality through more than 50 years of serving customers and the community to make NJR a leader in the competitive energy marketplace. For more information, visit NJR’s Web site at njliving.com.
Contact:
Michael Kinney, Media
732-938-1031
Dennis Puma, Investors
732-938-1229
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