NW Natural Vice President Announces Retirement
Vice President of Engineering and Utility Operations, Jon Huddleston, announces retirement from NW Natural after 32 years at the company, which names new Vice President
PORTLAND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jon Huddleston’s retirement will come after spending 32 years at NW Natural in a variety of roles and locations. He began his NW Natural journey as a Design Engineer and over the years has led engineering, technical training, business systems support, business analytics, technology implementation and federal pipeline safety compliance for NW Natural. In his most recent previous role as Senior Director, Utility Operations, he oversaw transmission and distribution construction, gas operations and maintenance, storage and plant operations, and gas control.
“It would be almost impossible to overstate Jon’s contribution to our company’s operational successes,” said Sr. Vice President of Operations, Kim Rush. “No matter his title or set of responsibilities, Jon and the teams he managed helped set the industry bar on system safety and reliability.”
In his career at NW Natural, Jon played a part in a multi-year initiative to standardize operations across company locations, essentially redesigning how NW Natural operated. He also worked with the Western Regional Operations Group in designing a peer-reviewed employee safety program that was soon employed nationally by the American Gas Association and is still used today. “I’m proud that just a handful of us designed something that has made a difference in safety for so many employees at utilities across the country,” said Jon.
As Jon departs this spring, the NW Natural Board of Directors has named Joe Karney to the position of Vice President of Engineering and Utility Operations. Joe will join the officer team, beginning April 1, 2023.
“Jon leaves what will be a lasting legacy of operational excellence and an unrelenting focus on our core value of safety,” said NW Natural CEO David Anderson. “And with Joe Karney, we are excited to elevate a proven, dedicated professional who we know will continue the great work of his predecessor and lead our operations teams into an exciting new chapter for the company.”
Joe started his career with Colonial Pipeline in Georgia, and then joined NW Natural as an Integrity Engineer. He has held positions in Integrity Management, Construction Operations, Code Compliance, and Engineering and is currently Sr. Director of Utility Operations.
“Joe is a perfect fit for this role. His experience with the company is both deep and broad, covering areas including operations, compliance and engineering,” said Rush. “He has also built a terrific rapport with his colleagues throughout the company and will be a very welcomed addition to the officer team.”
About NW Natural
NW Natural, a part of Northwest Natural Holding Company, (NYSE: NWN) (NW Natural Holdings), is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and has been doing business for more than 160 years. NW Holdings owns NW Natural, NW Natural Renewables Holdings (NW Natural Renewables), NW Natural Water Company (NW Natural Water), and other business interests.
NW Natural is a local distribution company that currently provides natural gas service to approximately 2.5 million people in more than 140 communities through more than 790,000 meters in Oregon and Southwest Washington with one of the most modern pipeline systems in the nation. NW Natural consistently leads the industry with high J.D. Power & Associates customer satisfaction scores.
We have a longstanding commitment to safety, environmental stewardship, and taking care of our employees and communities. Learn more in our latest ESG Report.
Contacts
Stefanie Week, 503-739-9902, media@nwnatural.com
