Laurence M Downes

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company since September 1996 and President and Chief Executive Officer since July 1995; Director and past Chairman, American Gas Association; Member, Natural Gas Council; Trustee, American Gas Foundation; Chairman, New Jersey Commission on Higher Education; Member, Board of Directors and Chairman of Audit Committee, New Jersey Schools Development Authority; Member, Governor's Economic Growth Council; Member, Center for Energy Workforce Development; Chairman of Finance Council, Catholic Diocese of Trenton; Trustee, Iona College.