Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline has announced that Shawn L. Patterson, currently Chief Operations Officer, will become President and Chief Executive Officer effective Oct. 1. Patterson succeeds Jimmy D. Staton, who left the Company on Feb. 28.
Patterson will assume day-to-day leadership of the company and will also join their board of directors.
“Southern Star is an incredible company with dedicated and talented employees that are focused on safety, customer service and innovation,” Patterson said. “I am humbled and privileged to be appointed as the next CEO of Southern Star and am looking forward to transitioning into this new role and leading the Company to continued success.”
Patterson has extensive experience in the energy sector and has served as the company’s COO since June 2017. Prior to joining Southern Star, he served as the Senior Vice-President, U.S. Operations for TransCanada as well as the Chief Operations Officer and Executive Vice-President of Columbia Pipeline Group that TransCanada acquired in 2016. Before that, Patterson served as the General Manager for Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Maryland, as well as in various leadership positions at NiSource.
“We are truly fortunate to have a talented and experienced leadership team at Southern Star, and the board of directors is pleased that we have an internal candidate that will take the company to the next level,” said Julie A. Dill, Executive Chair. “Shawn has been integral in positioning the company as an industry, market and community leader, and the board is confident he is the right leader to continue to execute on our strategic plans.”
Patterson is active in industry organizations including the Interstate Natural Gas Association Foundation, the Southern Gas Association, One Future, as well as the national Cyber Security Task Force for the natural gas industry.
He is also an active member in the Owensboro community, serving on the boards of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, Wendell Foster, and the Regional Water Resource Agency. Patterson received his undergraduate degree from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
