DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE: ATO) today announced two important promotions to its senior management team, effective January 1, 2017. Kevin Akers who is currently President of the Kentucky/Mid-States Division has been promoted to the position of Senior Vice President, Safety and Enterprise Services, replacing Marvin Sweetin who will retire December 31, 2016. The company also promoted Matt Robbins, currently Vice President, Human Resources to Senior Vice President, Human Resources. Both positions will report directly to Mike Haefner, President and Chief Operating Officer, and serve on the company’s Management Committee.

“Atmos Energy is fortunate to have two outstanding leaders like Kevin Akers and Matt Robbins to assume these expanded roles,” said Mike Haefner, President and Chief Operating Officer. “They both have proven track records of collaborative high-performance leadership and their deep knowledge of our business will benefit all our stakeholders.”

Akers joined Atmos Energy in 1991 as an engineer and held several leadership roles in the regulated utility, serving as President of the Mississippi Division from 2002 to 2007 and as President of the Kentucky/Mid-States Division since May 2007. Akers will have overall responsibility for pipeline and distribution safety and compliance, business processes and change management, new technology evaluation and deployment, as well as supply chain and facilities management. Kevin holds a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Alabama.

Robbins joined the company in May 2013 as Director of Compensation and Benefits and was promoted to Vice President, Human Resources in February 2015. Robbins will now be responsible for all human resources functions across the enterprise. Before joining Atmos Energy, Robbins had 20 years of employee benefits experience, including eight leadership roles. Matt holds a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and a bachelor’s degree from Abilene Christian University.

About Atmos Energy

Atmos Energy Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, is the country's largest natural-gas-only distributor, serving over three million natural gas distribution customers in over 1,400 communities in eight states from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West. Atmos Energy also manages company-owned natural gas pipeline and storage assets, including one of the largest intrastate natural gas pipeline systems in Texas and currently provides natural gas marketing and procurement services to industrial, commercial and municipal customers primarily in the Midwest and Southeast. For more information, visit www.atmosenergy.com.

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