Thomas E Skains

Mr. Skains was elected Chairman of the Board by Piedmont's Board of Directors in December 2003, CEO in February 2003 and President and Chief Operating Officer in February 2002. Previously, Mr. Skains served as Senior Vice President - Marketing and Supply Services and directed Piedmont's commercial natural gas activities since joining the company in April 1995. Prior to joining Piedmont, Mr. Skains was employed by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation in Houston, Texas as Senior Vice President - Transportation and Customer Services. He joined Transco in 1981 as an attorney and served as corporate and senior attorney before being named Vice President in 1986 and Senior Vice President in 1989. Mr. Skains has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Sam Houston State University and a Doctorate of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Houston Law School. He was recently elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Gas Association for 2009 and was Chairman of the Southern Gas Association in 2006. In Charlotte, he has served on the Boards of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Central Carolinas and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Providence Day School. He has also served as co-chair of the 2004 & 2005 American Heart Association Charlotte Metro Heart Walks and the 2006 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Arts and Science Council Annual Fund Drive. Mr. Skains is an inactive member of the State Bar of Texas.