Matt Davidson will become Mississippi Division President
Atmos Energy, the largest investor-owned gas utility in Mississippi, has announced that current Mississippi Division President David Gates will retire effective September 1st.
Matt Davidson, currently the company’s vice president for rates and regulatory affairs, will assume the role of Mississippi Division President.
“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, the company says Gates’ dedication to employees and customers can be felt in nearly every community throughout the Mississippi service territory.
Like any Atmos Energy employee, Atmos says 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. Gates 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.”
Davidson, Gates’ successor, is an Alabama native who 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, Davidson was responsible for structuring and negotiating contracts with natural gas pipelines and storage facilities, in addition to leading the financial hedging program.
Davidson 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. He 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.”
