Mark R. Kempic, President, Columbia Gas of Maryland and Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania
Mark R. Kempic was appointed President of Columbia Gas of Maryland and Pennsylvania effective June 1, 2012. Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Inc. and Columbia Gas of Maryland, Inc. are subsidiaries of NiSource, Inc., a Fortune 500 energy holding company based in Merrillville, Ind.
In his role as president, Mark is responsible for designing and executing legislative, regulatory and external strategies with a focus on delivering safe, reliable and efficient natural gas customer service to more than 446,000 customers in Pennsylvania and Maryland through its engaged and committed employees.
Prior to assuming his current responsibilities, in 2009 Mark served as the director of rates and regulatory policy. In this role he was responsible for designing and executing rate and regulatory strategies for the companies with a focus on ensuring regulatory compliance and providing an array of low-income and customer programs.
Mark began his career with Columbia Gas in 1979 as a part-time night dispatcher and continued through the company as an engineering technician, operations research analyst, information center analyst, gas supply analyst and corporate planning coordinator. From 1992 to 1998, he represented large industrial consumers of electricity and gas as an associate attorney for Emens, Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter and served as a regulatory counsel for Centerior Energy Corporation, prior to returning to Columbia Gas as an attorney. In 2006, Mark was named assistant general counsel for NiSource Corporate Services where he managed a staff that provided substantive legal support in multiple jurisdictions and advised the presidents of regulated revenue and their staffs on various regulatory and legal matters.
Kempic holds professional memberships with a number of organizations including the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and The Energy Association of Pennsylvania and also serves on the board of the United Way of Washington County.
Kempic holds a bachelor's degree in computer and information science from the University of Pittsburgh, and an associate engineering degree in solar heating and cooling from the Pennsylvania State University.
In 1991, Kempic earned his Juris Doctor from Capital University School of Law. Kempic holds a license to practice law in four states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Massachusetts.
Robert M. Kitchell, Vice President and General Manager, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Columbia Gas of Maryland
Robert M. Kitchell is the vice president and general manager of Columbia Gas of Maryland and Pennsylvania. Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Inc. and Columbia Gas of Maryland, Inc. are subsidiaries of NiSource, Inc., a Fortune 500 energy holding company based in Merrillville, Ind. Kitchell was named vice president and general manager in May 2012.
In his current role, Kitchell is responsible for field operations, measurement and regulation, corrosion and leakage for the distribution systems that provide safe, reliable and efficient natural gas distribution service to more than 446,000 customers in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Prior to May 2012, Kitchell served as the director of operations integration where he was responsible for ensuring premier emergency response, appointments met and proficient scheduling and dispatching of work for NiSource's natural gas distribution companies.
Kitchell began his career with NIPSCO, a subsidiary of NiSource, in 1977 where he held a variety of operational and leadership roles of increasing responsibilities. Kitchell joined NiSource's gas distribution unit in 2004 as operations center manager for Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania's North and Central service areas prior to being named director of operations integration in 2009.
Kitchell holds an associate's degree in supervision from Purdue University and a bachelor's degree in organization management from Calumet College of St. Joseph. He also holds a professional membership with the Southwest Gas Association.