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2020 Barnhardt Seminar on Ethics: Tom Skains

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Tom Skains was Chairman, President, and CEO of Piedmont Natural Gas until his retirement in October 2016, upon the close of the merger of Piedmont into Duke Energy. He spent his entire 35-year career in the natural gas industry, joining Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation in Houston, Texas as a corporate energy attorney in 1981 […]

Categories: Barnhardt Seminar

Tom Skains was Chairman, President, and CEO of Piedmont Natural Gas until his retirement in October 2016, upon the close of the merger of Piedmont into Duke Energy. He spent his entire 35-year career in the natural gas industry, joining Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation in Houston, Texas as a corporate energy attorney in 1981 before being promoted to Vice President, and then Senior Vice President. In 1995, he relocated his family to Charlotte to join Piedmont as Senior Vice President before being promoted to President and COO, and then Chairman, President, and CEO in 2003.

Mr. Skains served in many industry leadership roles over his career, including the boards of the American Gas Foundation, Gas Technology Institute, Southern Gas Association (Chair in 2006), and American Gas Association (Chair in 2009). In Charlotte, Tom has actively served his community through service on the boards of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce (Chair in 2015), Charlotte Center City Partners, the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council (Founding Member), the Charlotte Sports Foundation, the Belk Bowl (General Chairman 2011-2015), Champions for Education, Trees Charlotte, the United Way of Central Carolinas, the Charlotte Metro Heart Walk (Co-Chair 2004-2005), the Arts and Science Council, Johnson and Wales University, and Providence Day School (Chair 2005-2007).

Mr. Skains has been recognized in the state and community, and by the natural gas industry through numerous awards that include the American Gas Association’s 2014 Distinguished Service Award, the Charlotte Business Journal’s 2010 Energy Leadership Award and 2015 Business Person of the Year Award, the Charlotte Chamber’s 2013 Citizen of SouthPark Award, the American Diabetes Association’s 2010 Father of the Year Award, and the North Carolina Chamber’s 2017 Distinguished Citizenship Award. Tom and his wife Sherry reside in Charlotte and he currently serves on the boards of Truist Financial Corporation, Duke Energy Corporation, and National Fuel Gas Company.