Corporate Governance

NiSource Inc.

Robert C. (Bob) Skaggs, Jr., is president and chief executive officer of NiSource Inc. He is responsible for the strategic direction of the company as well as for overseeing its day-to-day operations. Mr. Skaggs was named president in October 2004 and added the CEO responsibilities effective July 1, 2005.

Prior to October 2004, Mr. Skaggs was executive vice president, Regulated Revenue, for NiSource, responsible for developing regulatory strategies and leading external relations across all of the corporation's 10 energy distribution markets as well as its extensive interstate pipeline system. He also led regulated commercial activities including large customer and marketer relations and energy supply services, as well as federal governmental relations.

Mr. Skaggs joined the law department of Columbia Gas Transmission in 1981 and served in various management positions until he became president of Columbia Gas of Ohio and Columbia Gas of Kentucky in 1996. Effective with the November 2000 merger of NiSource and Columbia Energy Group, he added the responsibilities of president of Bay State Gas and Northern Utilities. In December 2001, his role was further expanded to include the duties of president and CEO of the Columbia companies in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. He was promoted to executive vice president, Regulated Revenue, for NiSource in October 2003.

Mr. Skaggs is past chairman and current director of the American Gas Association's board of directors. He also has served on the board of directors of the Southeastern Gas Association and is a member of the Midwest Energy Association, the American Bar Association, the Energy Bar Association and the West Virginia Bar Association. He is a trustee of the NiSource Charitable Foundation, and also has served in leadership roles for a variety of charitable, community and civic efforts.

Mr. Skaggs earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Davidson College, a law degree from West Virginia University and a master's degree in business administration from Tulane University.

He is based at NiSource's corporate headquarters in Merrillville, Ind.

Stephen Smith is executive vice president and chief financial officer of NiSource Inc. He is responsible for the company's corporate finance functions, information technology, supply chain services, and real estate and facilities management.p>Smith has more than 16 years of experience in financial leadership roles in the regulated energy industry. He has held senior-level positions with American Electric Power Co. (AEP) and the Columbia Energy Group (CEG).

At AEP, Smith served as senior vice president of Shared Services, where he had responsibility for Business Logistics, Human Resources, Information Technology and Telecommunications. From 2003 to 2007, he was senior vice president and treasurer for AEP, leading the Accounting, Budgeting, Planning, Risk Management, Strategy, Tax and Treasury functions.

Before joining AEP, Smith served in a progression of finance and executive leadership roles at CEG and NiSource Corporate Services Company, where he managed shared services functions and oversaw the integration of corporate functions following the merger of NiSource and CEG.

Smith earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. He serves as a Director and Audit Committee member of Natural Resource Partners, L.P., a publicly traded master limited partnership engaged in owning and managing coal properties in Appalachia, the Illinois Basin and the Powder River Basin regions of the United States.

Smith is based in Columbus, Ohio.

September 2011

NiSource Inc.

Carrie J. Hightman is executive vice president and chief legal officer for NiSource Inc. and serves as a member of the company's senior management team. Her responsibilities include all legal functions, ethics, compliance, and environmental health and safety. Prior to joining NiSource, Hightman served as President of AT&T Illinois (formerly SBC). In that position, she was responsible for all regulatory, legislative, governmental and external affairs activities, as well as community and industry relations throughout Illinois. During her tenure at AT&T, Hightman led the company through a series of important public policy initiatives that helped AT&T evolve from a traditional telephone company into a provider of diversified communications and entertainment services.

Prior to joining AT&T, Hightman practiced telecommunications and energy law for more than 17 years. She was a partner in the Chicago law firm of Schiff Hardin, where she led its Energy, Telecommunications and Public Utilities practice group. Hightman began her career in the public sector in 1983, serving as Staff Counsel at the Florida Public Service Commission and then as associate counsel at the Florida Office of Public Counsel, handling a variety of public utility cases on behalf of consumers.

Hightman is Vice Chair of the Telecommunications Committee of the Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law Section of the American Bar Association and past Chair of the Public Utility Law Section of the Chicago Bar Association.

Hightman earned her B.A. from the University of Illinois and her juris doctor from Florida State University. Hightman serves as Chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois State Universities Retirement System. She also serves on the boards of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Urban League, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation and the Chicago Area Foundation for Legal Services.

Hightman is based at NiSource's headquarters in Merrillville, Ind.

Joe Hamrock serves as Executive Vice President and Group CEO for NiSource's Gas Distribution segment, which includes local gas distribution companies in Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. In this role, he has profit-and-loss responsibility for all operations, regulatory and commercial functions at NiSource's gas distribution operations. In coordination with leadership teams across each of these areas, he focuses on driving the company's long-term growth plan, premised on executing a steady stream of infrastructure improvements and growth investments, synchronized with complementary regulatory and customer program initiatives.

Hamrock is a member of NiSource's executive management council, joining NiSource in May of 2012 after serving in a variety of senior executive positions with American Electric Power (AEP), including roles in engineering, transmission and distribution operations, customer service, marketing and information technology. Most recently he served as president and chief operating officer of AEP Ohio.

Hamrock began his energy industry career as an electrical engineer in transmission and distribution planning at AEP in Steubenville, Ohio. He went on to work in commercial and industrial customer services, and held leadership roles in commercial marketing and customer services, strategic development and other executive roles. Prior to becoming president of AEP Ohio, Hamrock was senior vice president and chief information officer in AEP's Shared Services organization from 2003-2007, and from 2002 to 2003 was senior vice president - General Services.

He received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Youngstown State University in Ohio and a master's degree in business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, where he was a Sloan fellow. He is a registered professional engineer in Ohio.

He is based in Columbus, Ohio.

Jim L. Stanley is Executive Vice President and Group CEO for NiSource’s Indiana gas and electric utility, Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO).  In this role, Stanley oversees all regulatory, operations and project management, and is responsible for execution of the business unit’s capital investment and growth strategies.

NIPSCO serves more than 786,000 natural gas customers and 457,000 electric customers across the northern third of Indiana and is the largest natural gas distribution company and the second largest electric distribution company in the state.

Stanley is a member of NiSource's executive management council, joining NiSource in October 2012.  He comes to NiSource after serving in a variety of senior executive positions in the utility industry, most recently as senior vice president and chief distribution officer for Duke Energy's U.S. electric business.  In this role, he had oversight of the electric distribution system for the company's five-state service area.  Previously, he served as president of Duke Energy Indiana, the state's largest electric service provider.  His 35-year career with PSI Energy, Cinergy and Duke Energy includes assignments in a variety of departments from accounting to human resources to operations management. 

Stanley has served in leadership roles in a number of Indiana community and business organizations, including the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Central Indiana, Indiana Manufacturing Association and the Indiana Energy Association.  He also serves on the executive advisory board of the Miller College of Business at Ball State University. 

Stanley attended Ball State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

He is based at NiSource's corporate headquarters in Merrillville, Ind.

Updated October 2012

Jimmy D. Staton is Executive Vice President and Group CEO, Columbia Pipeline Group. He is responsible for executing the company’s growth strategy for its interstate natural gas pipeline and storage companies and midstream assets.

Staton oversees all commercial, regulatory, operations and project development functions of Columbia Gas Transmission Corp., Columbia Gulf Transmission Co., Crossroads Pipeline Co. and NiSource Midstream Services LLC. Together, the Columbia Pipeline Group companies operate a 15,000-mile network of natural gas pipelines, 37 storage fields and serve some of the nation's largest and fastest-growing energy markets in the Northeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Staton is a member of NiSource's executive management council, joining NiSource in March of 2008 after serving in a variety of senior executive positions in the energy industry, including at Dominion Resources, Inc., Consolidated Natural Gas Company and CNG Transmission Corporation.

He began his energy industry career as a petroleum engineer at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. After leaving the public sector, Staton held several rate, regulatory and strategic planning positions with Arkla Energy Resources and Consolidated Natural Gas Company (CNG). In 1996, Staton was named Vice President, Pricing, Planning and Financial Services for CNG Transmission Corporation where he served as the company's chief financial officer. In 1999, Staton became President, Asset Operations, for CNG's Regulated Businesses.

After CNG merged with Dominion Resources, Inc. in 2000, Staton was named Senior Vice President, Electric Delivery, where he was responsible for Dominion's electric distribution business serving more than two million customers in Virginia and North Carolina. In 2003, Staton was named Senior Vice President, Delivery Operations, where he was responsible for providing service to Dominion's four million gas and electric customers in six states.

Staton holds professional memberships with a number of associations such as the American Gas Association and Southern Gas Association. He earned a B.S degree in Petroleum Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1983.

October 2012

 

NiSource Inc.

Rob Campbell is senior vice president of Human Resources for NiSource Inc. He is responsible for leading NiSource's strategic human resources efforts and managing the NiSource human resources organization.

Campbell was named to this position in September 2005. Previously, he was employed at NiSource as vice president, Labor and Employee Relations and vice president, Human Resources from June 2001 through January 2004. In January 2004, he returned to the law firm of Schiff Hardin LLP as Of Counsel to oversee Schiff's professional development functions.

From 1986 through 2001, Campbell was with Schiff Hardin, first as an associate and then as a partner. His practice was in the area of labor and employment law.

Campbell earned his undergraduate degree from Oral Roberts University and his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University of Chicago. He served as law clerk to the Honorable Frank J. McGarr, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

With NiSource Inc. since 1979

Glen L. Kettering is senior vice president, Corporate Affairs at NiSource Inc., a position he has held since March 2006. He is responsible for leading the company's investor relations, communications and federal government affairs functions.

Kettering joined the law department of Columbia Gas Transmission in 1979 and has served in a variety of legal, regulatory, commercial and executive roles, including President of Columbia Gas Transmission and Columbia Gulf Transmission.

Kettering earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from West Virginia University and a doctor of jurisprudence degree from the West Virginia University College of Law. He is a member of the Energy Bar Association and the West Virginia State Bar. He also serves as a trustee of the NiSource Charitable Foundation.

Kettering is based at NiSource's corporate headquarters in Merrillville, Ind.

July 2006

NiSource Inc.

Violet G. Sistovaris is senior vice president and CIO at NiSource Inc. She is responsible for providing leadership and direction to NiSource's supply chain services, information technology, real estate and facilities management.

Prior to her current position, Sistovaris served as vice president, Customer Contact Centers, since November 2003. While in this position, she was responsible for directing the operation of NiSource's customer contact centers and managing contacts with the company's 3.7 million residential natural gas and electric customers served by NiSource's energy distribution companies. In addition to these responsibilities, Sistovaris's 17 years of experience at NiSource also include positions in the areas of human resources, executive recruiting and management development.

Before joining NiSource in 1994, Sistovaris was vice president, Training & Development, at Centier Bank in Merrillville, Ind. Her banking experience centered in the areas of marketing, training and development and sales administration.

Sistovaris serves on the board of directors for the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, where she serves as a member of the finance committee. She earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Valparaiso University and a master's degree in business administration from Indiana University.

Sistovaris is based at NiSource's corporate headquarters in Merrillville, Ind.

September 2011

NiSource Inc.

Larry Francisco is vice president, Audit, for NiSource Inc. He is responsible for the corporation's internal audit and risk management functions.

Francisco joined NiSource in January 2005 in this role. He previously served as chief audit executive at Unitrin, Inc., a Chicago-based insurance and financial services firm. Throughout his career he has worked in a variety of audit, risk management, accounting, marketing, sales, technology and consulting roles with major companies including IBM Global Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Cinergy Corp.

Francisco earned a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance from Purdue University and a master's degree in business administration from Butler University.

July 2006

NiSource Inc.

Robert E. Smith is corporate secretary, vice president and deputy general counsel of NiSource Inc. He joined NiSource in 2008 and was named Corporate Secretary in April 2013. He is responsible for the corporation’s corporate governance, including the preparations for and proceedings of the NiSource board of directors, governance of NiSource’s subsidiaries and oversight of NiSource’s annual shareholder meetings. His office maintains stock and corporate governance records for the corporation and all of its subsidiaries, and also is responsible for shareholder services. Additionally, he oversees the legal department’s corporate group. 

Prior to joining NiSource, Smith provided legal counsel on general corporate matters, including governance, securities, compensation and compliance, at Progress Energy in Raleigh, N.C., and at Mirant Corporation in Atlanta, Ga. Smith began his career at the law firm of Dykema Gossett, where he served in the corporate and finance practice group.    

Smith serves on the board of directors of Global Action and is on the national board of the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professions where he is both chair of its Policy Advisory Committee and a member of its Executive Steering Committee.

Smith earned his B.A. from the University of South Alabama and his juris doctor from The Ohio State University. 

Smith is based at NiSource’s headquarters in Merrillville, Ind.

April 2013

NiSource Inc.

Dave Vajda is vice president, Chief Risk Officer and treasurer of NiSource Inc. He is responsible for all treasury and financing activities for the company. In addition, he is accountable for oversight of the credit risk, enterprise risk management, and corporate insurance functions.

Prior to being elected to his current position in January 2003, Vajda held various leadership positions within the organization, including general auditor, director of business and strategic planning, controller and vice president of finance for Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), a wholly owned subsidiary of NiSource. He joined the company as an accountant in 1977.

Vajda is chairman of the Finance Committee and on the board of the Lake Area United Way, serving Lake County, Ind. He is a certified public accountant in the state of Indiana and a member of the Indiana CPA Society.

Vajda earned a bachelor's degree in finance and accounting from Ball State University and a master's degree in management from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

He is based at NiSource's corporate headquarters in Merrillville, Ind.

July 2006

NiSource Inc.

Jon D. Veurink is vice president, controller and chief accounting officer for NiSource Inc. He is responsible for the company's financial reporting and accounting.

Prior to his current role, he was a vice president in the company's finance division.

Before joining NiSource, Veurink served as controller and chief accounting officer for Exelon Generation Company, LLC.

Veurink was an audit partner with Deloitte & Touche LLP prior to joining Exelon, where he served in a progression of leadership roles. He is a Certified Public Accountant who received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Alma College.

Veurink is based at NiSource's office in Columbus, Ohio.

February 2010