The Birmingham Times
John O. Hudson, III, president and CEO of Nicor Gas, will be retiring effective April 22 to become senior vice president for Entergy, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans.
He will direct the company’s Washington, D.C. office and spearhead resiliency funding opportunities.
Prior to serving as president and CEO of Nicor Gas, Hudson served as executive vice president and chief external and public affairs officer at Southern Company Gas. Before assuming that role, he served in several executive positions at Alabama Power.
“John is a respected leader who has been instrumental to several important company, customer and community initiatives that have been integral to our organizational evolution, growth and success,” said Kim Greene, chairman, president, and CEO of Southern Company Gas. “He has brought creative thinking and a passion for innovation to the forefront of our business, and I know he will continue to be successful in his new position with Entergy.”
With Hudson’s retirement, Wendell Dallas has been named president and CEO of Nicor Gas.
Entergy said Hudson will be responsible for several key groups focused on Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issues, sustainability and environmental policy, federal governmental affairs and corporate social responsibility.
“John brings proven executive level utility leadership and a wide range of critically important experiences to this role,” said Marcus Brown, executive vice president and general counsel, at Entergy. “We are excited to welcome John as a new leader. In particular, he will help us listen to and engage our stakeholders as he drives important conversations around federal policy related to the reduction of carbon emissions and investments in electric infrastructure and resiliency.”
Of particular importance will be Hudson’s strategic direction of a recently established team directing the company’s efforts to secure infrastructure funding through the federal government’s $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, according to Entergy. The law includes $62 billion targeted specifically for clean energy and resiliency investments that could further serve as an economic development engine for the communities in Entergy’s service areas.
“A major component of implementing this law will be stakeholder engagement and coordination,” added Brown. “John will oversee those vital efforts and partner with senior leaders, technical team members and others throughout the company to ensure alignment and accountability as we serve our customers across the Gulf South region.”
Hudson received an MBA from Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, a Juris Doctor from Miles College School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Alabama A&M University. He also completed the executive accounting and finance program at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and the Young American Leaders Program at Harvard Business School.
Entergy serves three million utility customers across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. It has approximately 12,500 employees.
