Leadership | Southwest Gas Holdings

Karen S. Haller is President and Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. and CEO of Southwest Gas Corporation, the Company’s gas utility. She is a director of the Company and several of its operating subsidiaries. As leader of Southwest Gas’ regulated and unregulated businesses, Ms. Haller is responsible for improving financial and operational performance and implementing the Company’s strategy, growth initiatives and investment plans. Ms. Haller served in multiple leadership positions during her 27-year tenure with the Company, most recently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal and Administrative Officer. Prior to joining Southwest Gas, Ms. Haller worked as a lawyer in private practice, focused primarily on commercial litigation, business transactions, and corporate law. She is a member of the State Bars of Arizona, California, and Nevada. Ms. Haller serves on the boards of directors of the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, and the American Gas Association.

Rob is Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer of Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. and Southwest Gas Corporation. He oversees Accounting, Tax, Internal Audit, Treasury, Investor Relations, Corporate Development, and the Aviation Department. Rob is responsible for Southwest Gas’s financial function overseeing all financial activities including capital markets activity, credit rating management, financial reporting, planning, cash management, tax, investor relations, pension investments and mergers and acquisitions. In the four years prior to joining Southwest Gas, Rob served as the Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer of PECO, Exelon’s Philadelphia based gas and power utility with a rate base of approximately $10 billion. Prior to PECO, Rob served for six years as Vice President of Corporate Development at Exelon, where he was responsible for the identification and execution of merger, acquisition, and divestiture opportunities. Before joining Exelon, he led strategic investments in North America, Europe, and South Africa for Caterpillar’s Corporate Development Group. Prior to his corporate development work, Rob provided strategic and capital markets advisory services to major corporations for eight years while serving as an investment banker at Citigroup and Marathon Capital. Earlier in his career, Rob served as an officer in the United States Navy. He was commissioned in 1996 and attended flight school. He served on active duty from 1996 to 2003 and earned several designations, including mission commander, instructor, and aviation safety officer. Rob is active in the community and previously served on the board of the Urban League of Philadelphia. Rob received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

Lori Colvin is the Vice President/Controller/Chief Accounting Officer of Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (“SWX”) and Southwest Gas Corporation. As the principal accounting officer, she oversees financial reporting, Sarbanes-Oxley (“SOX”) Section 404 compliance, income taxes, and more than a dozen functions in total (with more than 50 individuals). Lori oversees compliance with rules/regulations of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), Internal Revenue Service, regulatory commissions and others. Areas of focus include those involving significant interpretation or judgment; complex transaction support; quality information for investors; debt/equity raises; advisory services to leaders throughout the organization; company accounting/tax positions; and administration of significant balances related to utility rate base, gas purchases/other regulatory mechanisms, and deferred taxes. In addition to filings with the SEC and state/federal agencies, she oversees financial statements of the company’s various employee benefit plans and its charitable foundation. Lori worked at Nevada Power Company and Deloitte & Touche LLP before joining Southwest in 1999. She has held various management roles, including Assistant Controller, before assuming her current role in 2018. Career highlights include implementing the company’s inaugural SOX program; acting as key leader to facilitate strategic initiative of the SWX Board of Directors, including acquisitions/dispositions; and appointment to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (“AICPA”) Power & Utilities Task Force on Revenue Recognition, leading to published industry guidance. Lori received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting with high distinction from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is a Certified Public Accountant and member of the AICPA. She serves on the Board of Directors of Communities in Schools of Nevada (“CIS”); holds Chair positions on the Accounting Leadership Council of the American Gas Association (“AGA”) and the CIS Finance & Audit Committee (incoming); and is former Chair of the AGA’s Accounting Principles Committee.

Tom is Vice President/General Counsel/Corporate Secretary of Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. and Vice President/Corporate Secretary/Legal Counsel of Southwest Gas Corporation. He oversees legal and governance initiatives for the parent company and supports the directors and senior management with policy development, board meeting preparation, management of subsidiary companies, and the Company’s work with the New York Stock Exchange and other entities. He is also primary counsel on financing projects, corporate and securities law, and other legal matters. Tom joined Southwest on April 1, 2019. From 2008 to 2019, he served as Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary with Eaton Corporation, a global industrial manufacturer. In that role he advised Eaton’s board and executive team on company governance, securities law, mergers and acquisitions, entity management, fiduciary responsibility, insurance, and related topics. Before joining Eaton, Tom had several assignments within the law department of The Dow Chemical Company. Tom received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Colgate University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. He is a member of the State Bars of California, Texas, Nevada, and Michigan; the Society for Corporate Governance; and the American Corporate Counsel Association. Tom is a long-time leader of child and animal welfare organizations.

Justin serves as Vice President/Investor Relations/Treasurer of Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. and Southwest Gas Corporation. Justin joined Southwest in August 2023. From 2010 to 2023, he served in various accounting and finance roles at IDACORP, Inc. and Idaho Power Company, most recently having served as Director of Investor Relations & Treasury from 2016-2023, and as President of IDACORP Financial Services, Inc., an investor in affordable housing and other real estate tax credits, from 2016 – 2023. Before joining IDACORP, Justin worked at Deloitte’s Seattle and Boise offices from 2003 through 2010, having extensive experience with publicly traded companies across several industries, with a focus on banking, manufacturing, and consumer business companies. Justin received master’s and bachelor’s degrees in accountancy from Brigham Young University. Justin completed the University of Idaho's Energy Executive course in 2019, is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Idaho, and a member of the AICPA and of the National Investor Relations Institute. Outside of work, Justin spends extensive personal time on various initiatives, including refugee services, self-reliance and employment training, youth ministry, and welfare assistance.

Justin is President of Southwest Gas Corporation, where he leads the company’s utility business, as well as Great Basin Gas Transmission Company. He leads the Company’s commitment to delivering safe, reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy service to its nearly 2.2 million customers, across its three-state service territory of Arizona, California, and Nevada. In his position, Justin is responsible for all core utility functions, which include regulatory strategy and planning, operations, human resources, legal, administration, and sustainability. Justin and his team are committed to delivering results that benefit all stakeholders by ensuring the company is committed and focused on its customers, employees, and regulators, with the goal of exceeding their expectations. Justin joined Southwest as Senior Counsel/Legal Affairs in 2004 after time spent with Smith Larsen and Wixom as a commercial litigation attorney and at Deloitte and Touche in its tax department. He was promoted to Associate General Counsel/Legal Affairs in 2006, and then left Southwest for a brief period to pursue other opportunities at PacifiCorp (a Berkshire Hathaway Energy company). Justin returned to Southwest in February 2008 as Assistant General Counsel/Legal Affairs where he focused primarily on regulatory support and strategy. He was named Vice President/Pricing in 2012, Vice President/Regulatory Affairs in 2013, Senior Vice President/General Counsel in 2018, and was promoted to his current position of President in 2022. Justin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Southern Utah University and a Master of Business Administration from Gonzaga University, where he also earned his Juris Doctorate. Justin remains engaged with various key industry organizations, including the American Gas Association and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, as well as numerous community-based programs across the company’s service territory. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Vegas Chamber. He also volunteers as a Pro Bono attorney as part of the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada Children’s Attorneys Project.

Julie Williams is Senior Vice President/Continuous Improvement and Optimization of Southwest Gas Corporation. She is responsible for driving long-term positive change throughout the organization and accelerating the Company’s pursuit of excellence. Julie partners with executive stakeholders to develop and execute strategy for continuous improvement in safety, quality, customer service, operational performance and cost management. Julie is passionate about building a culture of engagement and learning where leadership and employees work together to advance the Company through innovation, continuous quality improvement, and strategic implementation of technology. Julie most recently served as the Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer where she led the five operating areas serving over 2.2 million customers in Nevada, Arizona and California, along with the centralized operations support and engineering, metrics and benchmarking, customer contact center and billing. Julie has played an instrumental role in delivering operational excellence while advancing public safety, quality, the customer experience, integrity management, and field technical and leadership development. Julie joined Southwest in 1997 and held various engineering and operations management roles. She was appointed Vice President/Northern Nevada Division in 2010, Vice President/Southern Arizona Division in 2014, and Chief Operating Officer in 2022. Julie has provided valuable leadership on multiple transformational projects that delivered growth, reliability and sustainable natural gas for the energy future. An alumnus of Arizona State University, Julie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and an Executive Master of Business Administration. Julie currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Western Energy Institute and the American Gas Association Operations Managing Committee. Outside of work, Julie enjoys traveling, hiking and spending time with her family.

Amy Timperley is Senior Vice President/Chief Regulatory Strategy & Planning Officer. Amy is responsible for all regulatory activities at Southwest Gas Corporation, the Great Basin Gas Transmission Company gas scheduling and regulatory functions, and provides leadership, guidance and direction in the alignment of the Company’s regulatory strategy. Amy is also responsible for the Company’s short and long-range customer demand forecasts and the gas resource planning function. She serves as a subject matter expert witness in regulatory proceedings, ensures technical accuracy and regulatory compliance, and is responsible for ensuring the Company has positive relationships with all regulatory stakeholders. After joining Southwest in 2000 as Coordinator in Billing Control, Amy has held various positions, including Analyst/Billing Control in 2003, Analyst II/Accounting in 2006, Analyst/Revenue Requirements in 2007, Analyst II/Human Resources in 2009, Analyst III/Human Resources in 2010, Administrator/Compensation in 2012, Administrator/Revenue Requirements in 2013, Regulatory Manager in 2014, Director/Regulation & Energy Efficiency in 2018, Vice President/Regulation & Energy Efficiency in 2021, and Senior Vice President/Chief Regulatory & Financial Planning Officer in 2022. Amy holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Strayer University and received her Master of Business Administration degree from Grand Canyon University. Amy serves on the Board of Trustees of the Discovery Children’s Museum, a non-profit organization.

Randy Gabe is Senior Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer of Southwest Gas Corporation. He is responsible for overseeing Engineering Staff, Administration, and the Enterprise Project Management Office. The Administration area includes key departments such as Gas Supply, Supply Chain, Centralized Operations, and Real Estate & Facilities. Randy’s journey with Southwest Gas began in 1993 when he joined the Accounting department. During his career, he held positions of increasing responsibility in the areas of Accounting, Financial Planning, Resource Planning, Key Account Management, and Gas Supply. He was promoted to Vice President/Gas Resources in 2012 and his current position in 2022. Randy reports to Justin Brown, President/Southwest Gas Corporation. Randy is a proud alumnus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he earned both his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and his Master of Business Administration degrees. Beyond his professional endeavors, Randy is committed to giving back to the community. He actively supports the Leadership Las Vegas program through the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Board of Directors of the Grant a Gift Autism Foundation. Randy is also the executive sponsor of the RISE employee resource group, championing the advancement and empowerment of women in the workplace.

Albert is Vice President/Human Resources of Southwest Gas Corporation. He oversees the Human Resources function. Albert is responsible for overseeing all aspects of human resource strategy and execution for more than 2,000 employees across Arizona, California, and Nevada. Albert joined Southwest in June 2023. From 2013 to 2023, he served as Vice President of Human Resources with Kinder Morgan, Inc. In that role, he was responsible for compensation, payroll, and human resources information systems (HRIS). Before joining Kinder Morgan, Albert served in various human resources roles at FMC Technologies, Hewlett Packard, and Halliburton. Albert holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Stephen F. Austin University. He serves as a board member for Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada.

Raied Stanley is Vice President/Information Services and Chief Information Officer of Southwest Gas Corporation. Raied provides vision and leadership for technology strategies that support Company objectives. In his role, Raied is focused on leading all aspects of information technology, information security, data and analytics. Raied joined Southwest on January 20, 2020. Most recently, Raied held the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Metropolitan Utilities District located in Omaha, Nebraska. In this role, he led the Information Technology organization where he was responsible for developing and maintaining core applications, network, computing, server, storage, collaboration and infrastructure solutions across the enterprise. Before that, he led the IT Business Systems organization where he managed the computing application systems that supported Finance, Human Resources, Corporate and Commercial Engineering Business Units, as well as the organization’s internal systems. Prior to joining Metropolitan Utilities District in 2009, Raied was Senior Director of Applications at ConAgra Foods where he held roles of increasing responsibility in the areas of program management, infrastructure engineering and operations, application development, portfolio management and process reengineering. Raied holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Finance from Temple University, as well as a Master’s Degree in Business from Morehead State University. He is also an active mentor of P4K (Partnership for Kids), a group mentoring program that builds hope for under-served students and helps them create a foundation for success.

Cathy is Vice President/General Counsel and Risk, Safety & Compliance Officer of Southwest Gas Corporation. Cathy directs all external and internal legal services. She also oversees the Environmental Health & Safety and Risk Management functions and leads the Company’s efforts in developing occupational safety, claims management, and compliance strategies, and identifying processes and protocols to mitigate operational and enterprise risks in a manner that supports the Company’s objectives. Cathy joined Southwest Gas as Senior Counsel in 2010, after eight years in private practice. She was promoted to Associate General Counsel in 2012, Assistant General Counsel in 2016, and Managing Counsel/Regulation & Litigation in 2018, before being named to her current position in 2022. Cathy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she also earned her Juris Doctorate. She is admitted to practice law in Arizona and Nevada. Cathy is a member of the American Gas Association’s Legal Committee and Legal Executive Committee, Occupational Health and Safety Committee, and Environmental Regulatory Action Committee. Cathy serves on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Nevada and is a member of the Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys, the Nevada Latino Bar Association and the Clark County Bar Association, where she is also a Past President.

Dr. Laura Nelson is Vice President/Sustainability and External Affairs for Southwest Gas, a dynamic energy company providing safe and reliable service to over two million customers throughout the Arizona, Nevada, and parts of California. Laura is responsible for leading the Company’s sustainable business practices, public policy initiatives, communications strategy, and emerging technology and innovation efforts, while supporting the Company’s commitment to maintaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace, and elevating communities to inspire environmental, educational, and social impact for a better quality of life for all. Laura serves as the Company’s chief sustainability executive and subject matter expert, responsible for advancing Southwest’s sustainability commitments and raising stakeholder awareness for the Company’s ESG efforts; evidenced by the inclusion of sustainability metrics in the Company’s performance objectives. She is focused on shaping strategies for the ever-evolving energy system and developing and executing initiatives to help minimize the Company’s environmental impact while helping our customers achieve their environmental goals through sustainable energy solutions and creating long-term value for stockholders. Laura believes that leadership is about vision, partnership, and creating an environment that empowers all employees to innovate solutions towards a sustainable future. She is leading the effort to establish a strong sustainability culture and integrate sustainable practices and values across all aspects of Company operations. Departments reporting to Laura include Public Affairs, Community Affairs, Sustainability and Energy Efficiency, Emerging Technology and Innovation, and Corporate Communications. Laura joined the Company on May 2, 2022. She is a nationally recognized energy leader and economist with over 20 years’ experience in energy and natural resources, driving clean energy and sustainability solutions; and speaks nationally on sustainability and environmental and economic justice. Before joining Southwest Gas, she was Vice President of Consulting Services at Strategen and a Special Advisor to the Green Hydrogen Coalition. Laura served as an energy advisor to governors, held high-level positions within government agencies, and leadership positions on various clean-energy or utility-related boards and organizations. Laura holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Utah.

Reagan Monroe Jr. is Vice President of Customer Experience for Southwest Gas, a dynamic energy company committed to exceeding customer expectations for service, safety, and reliability. Reagan’s focus is on enhancing the overall customer experience and fostering sustainable customer growth throughout the Company’s service territory in Arizona, California, and Nevada. Reagan is responsible for optimizing customers’ experience by leveraging customer insights to shape strategies which enhance customer satisfaction and sustain growth. Reagan also heads up call center and back-office operations and drives process enhancements in the Company’s billing, payment and collections operations. He is also responsible for maximizing growth potential through collaborative relationships with residential builders and commercial developers, ensuring Southwest Gas remains the energy provider of choice. Departments reporting to Reagan include Customer Solutions, Energy Solutions, Key Accounts, and Customer Engagement. Reagan joined the Company in 2002 and has served in multiple leadership positions throughout his tenure. Most recently he served as Director for TRIMP, DIMP, and GIS, and was responsible for developing the Mapping Transformation Program, advancing the GIS platform, and advancing the Southwest Gas PSMS program. Previously as IT director of Business and Technology Support, he supported major applications, including the work management system, customer information system, and dispatch and field applications. In 2016, he served on the Customer Experience Working Group which delivered numerous improvements targeted at enhancing customer experience, including the Company’s first customer-facing mobile app, more time-efficient service windows and new customer notification channels. Reagan served as Chair on the American Gas Association Operation Risk Data Committee from 2021-2023 and is past co-chair of the Southwest Gas Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee. Reagan takes pride in being an inclusive leader and champions diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, an important component of the Company’s leading-edge workforce culture. Reagan also serves on the board of the Nevada Blind Children’s Foundation.Reagan holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland.

Brad Harris is the Regional Vice President/Arizona of Southwest Gas Corporation. He is responsible for the Company’s natural gas distribution and transmission operations throughout the State of Arizona. In his position, Brad is focused on implementing continual operational improvements to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable energy services to customers; and the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of natural gas systems that meet the Company’s exacting standards of safety, quality, integrity, and excellence. He also endeavors to ensure that all employees feel valued, have opportunities to pursue their aspirations, and feel safe, both physically and psychologically. Brad joined Southwest as a Corporate Accountant in 1988. Over the next 18 years, he was promoted to various positions within the Accounting and Finance departments. In 2006 he moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to assume the role of Director/Administration, with subsequent moves to Director/Gas Operations Support Staff and General Manager/Operations. He was promoted to Vice President/Southern California Division in 2012. In 2014, he became the Vice President/Northern Nevada Division, and was later named Vice President/ California and Northern Nevada Divisions in 2018. Brad returned to Phoenix in March 2023 to fill the role of Vice President/Central Arizona Division and in July 2023 became the Regional Vice President/Arizona. Brad graduated with honors from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting and a minor in Spanish. He is on the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross/Central and Northern Arizona Region and a member of Greater Phoenix Leadership. Brad is also a member of the Western Energy Institute and the American Gas Association.

Chris is the Regional Vice President/Nevada. In addition to having direct oversight of the Southern Nevada Division, the Southern California Division, Northern Nevada Division and Great Basin Gas Transmission Company also report to Chris. Chris’s responsibility for operations in Southern Nevada include the Las Vegas Valley, the expansion area of Mesquite, as well as Bullhead City District which serves the communities of Bullhead City, AZ, Laughlin, NV and Needles, CA. Chris is focused on enhancing safety, quality, and excellence throughout his areas of responsibility and with its contractors, while maintaining a positive customer experience. Key initiatives include enhancing emergency response, improving damage prevention, advancing SWG’s Pipeline Safety Management System, promoting continuous quality improvement, improving efficiency and cost management, and the execution of strategic projects intended to support long-term reliability and sustainability in the rapidly growing Las Vegas Valley. Chris began his career with Southwest in 1989 as an Engineer in the Southern Arizona Division. He held various Engineering positions in Southern Arizona, Engineering Staff, and Southern California until 1998 when he was promoted to District Manager/Valley District in Casa Grande, Arizona. Additional promotions include Manager/Technical Services in Southern Arizona in 2001, Director/Central Support in Central Arizona in 2006, and General Manager/Operations in 2008. Chris was promoted to Vice President/Southern Nevada Division in 2011 and to his current role of Regional Vice President in 2023. Chris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arizona. He is a graduate of the Greater Tucson Leadership program, a member of the Las Vegas Executives Association, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada.

Matt is Vice President/Regulation of Southwest Gas Corporation. Matt is responsible for leading the regulatory initiatives in Arizona. He serves as a subject matter expert witness in the Company’s Arizona regulatory proceedings, ensures technical accuracy and regulatory compliance, and is responsible for ensuring the Company has positive relationships with all regulatory stakeholders in Arizona. After joining the Company in 2012 as an Administrator in Corporate Public Affairs, Matt has held various positions of increasing responsibility, including Regulatory Manager in 2014, and Director/Regulation and Energy Efficiency in 2018. Matt received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Arizona State University. He currently serves as a member of the McCormick Ranch Little League Board of Directors.

Frank Stanbrough is Vice President/Administration of Southwest Gas Corporation. He is responsible for overseeing the Company’s Gas Supply, Gas Control, Dispatch, Facilities, and Supply Chain activities. In his position, Frank is focused on: the effective planning, identification, and justification of the best mix of conventional and sustainable gas resources to meet customer requirements; representing the Company’s planning and gas supply interests in regulatory proceedings and settlement negotiations; negotiation and administration of all conventional and sustainable gas purchase contracts, transportation agreements, and storage agreements; administration of all facets of Gas Control and Dispatch functions for five operating divisions; oversight of the overall real estate and facilities operation for the enterprise-wide portfolio; and strategic sourcing and procurement operations, supplier relationship management, and materials management for the Company. Frank joined Southwest in 1994 as a Corporate Accountant II. He served in numerous accounting positions of increasing responsibility between 1994 and 2009. He was promoted to Director/Administration for the Southern Nevada Division in 2009 and Director/Corporate Human Resources in 2011. Frank became Director/Risk Management and Compliance Officer in 2013 and was appointed to Vice President/Risk Management and Compliance Officer in 2015. Frank assumed responsibility for his current role as Vice President/Administration in May 2022. Frank holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Insurance Advisory Committee of Energy Insurance Mutual, and the Renewable Gases Committee of the Western Energy Institute. Frank also serves as a board member and board secretary of Three Square, a Las Vegas based charity committed to providing wholesome food to hungry people, while passionately pursuing a hunger-free community.

Jerry Schmitz is Vice President/Engineering Staff at Southwest Gas Corporation. He is responsible for the Engineering Services, System Integrity, Gas Operations Support Staff, and Operational Quality Assurance departments. In his current position, Jerry is focused on developing and communicating technical strategies, policies, procedures, and solutions in support of safety, service, reliability, quality, and excellence. He also ensures the effective training and technical competence of individuals, the integrity of facilities, and compliance with industry pipeline safety regulations. In addition, he oversees the Company’s Research, Development and Demonstration Program. Jerry began his career with Southwest in 1989 as an Engineer. Subsequent promotions include Distribution Engineer in 1991, Supervisor/Engineering in 1993, Manager/Operational Quality Assurance in 1998, Director/Gas Operations Support Staff in 2003, and Director/Engineering Staff in 2004. He was promoted to his current position as Vice President/Engineering Staff in 2011. Jerry holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Genetics from the University of California at Davis. He holds certifications as a Certified Quality Auditor and a registered Professional Engineer in Arizona, Nevada, and California. Jerry serves on the American Society of Mechanical Engineers B31 Code for Pressure Piping Standards Committee. Jerry is a member of the American Petroleum Institute sponsored Pipeline Safety Management System (PSMS) Industry Team and member of the American Gas Association, where he serves on the Operations Section Managing Committee and the PSMS Executive Steering Committee. Additionally, Jerry serves on the Advisory Board of the University of Idaho’s Energy Executive Course.

Chris Anderson is the Vice President of Northern Nevada Division for Southwest Gas Corporation. In this role, he oversees all operational aspects for the Division, including distribution operations across the three Southwest Gas Rate Jurisdictions, in addition to all transmission operations associated with Great Basin Gas Transmission Company. Chris joined Southwest Gas in 2007 as an Engineer with Paiute Pipeline Company. With more than 15 years as a Southwester, he has held a variety of positions with increasing responsibility in the Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada Divisions to include Supervisor, Manager and Director. Chris most recently served as the Director of Gas Operations for Great Basin Gas Transmission Company. The Northern Nevada Division continues to see major expansion and the conversion of customers to natural gas in Spring Creek. Chris’ knowledge of both transmission and distribution operations is an asset to the Division and further ensures the safety of our infrastructure in Northern Nevada and our commitment to exceeding customer expectations. Prior to joining Southwest Gas, Chris was a Store Manager with Starbucks Coffee Company in the Reno and Carson City area while putting himself through college. He received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics from the University of Nevada, Reno. He currently serves as Treasurer for the Boys & Girls Club of Western Nevada in Carson City.

Melanie Rice is Vice President/Southern Arizona Division of Southwest Gas Corporation, responsible for overseeing operations throughout Southern Arizona. The Division’s headquarters are in Tucson, with district operation centers located in Yuma, Sierra Vista, Casa Grande, Douglas, Thatcher, Willcox, and Globe. Melanie drives operational excellence in all areas of gas operations, overseeing all facets of gas delivery to Southern Arizona customers through effective construction, customer service, measurement and control, LNG storage, renewable natural gas delivery, engineering, and administrative operations. Melanie joined Southwest Gas in 2008 as an Engineer in Southern Arizona Division and subsequently held positions of increasing responsibility in Engineering, including Distribution Engineer and Supervisor/Engineering. In 2015 she was promoted to Manager/Operations and oversaw the engineering, procurement, and construction of the Tucson LNG plant. With her promotion to Manager/Engineering in 2018, she was instrumental in advancing company capital budget and forecasting standardization, as well as the division’s Distribution Pipeline Integrity Program to ensure compliance with company guidelines. As Director/Gas Operations, Melanie was responsible for leading Engineering, Technical Services, LNG, Compliance, Quality, Administration, and Budget for the division. An alumna of Louisiana Tech University, Melanie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Arizona. Prior to Southwest Gas, she worked for two years in oil and gas field operations support and nine years in civil engineering consulting, where she was responsible for project management of municipal infrastructure improvements. Melanie is a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, the Site Council for Emily Gray Junior High School, and a past president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Southern Arizona Branch. Melanie is a graduate of Southwest’s Ignite leadership development program and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Arizona’s Leadership in Engineering Administration Program.

Sam is Vice President/Southern California Division of Southwest Gas Corporation, leading operations teams to deliver safe, cost-effective, and resilient energy. Sam is responsible for developing and executing strategies to implement technology, efficiencies, and innovations to continually optimize the gas infrastructure to provide reliable energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He is focused on continually improving the safety-first culture, championing the development and well-being of employees, building trust with customers, regulators, and community partners, and actively engaging in sustainability initiatives. Sam joined Southwest in 2011 as an Engineering Supervisor in the Southern California Division. He held positions of increasing responsibility and was promoted in 2014 to General Manager of Operations in Southern California, and to his current position in 2023. Before joining Southwest, Sam was involved in the research and development of advanced composite materials for nuclear fusion technology. Sam received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University. He serves on the Executive Board for the Victor Valley College Foundation and on the Board of Directors of the California Utilities Emergency Association.