FLOWOOD, Miss. – Aug. 8, 2022 – Atmos Energy, the largest investor-owned gas utility in
Mississippi, has announced that current Mississippi Division President David Gates will retire, and taking
over for him effective Sept. 1 will be Matt Davidson, currently the company’s vice president for rates and
regulatory affairs.
“David Gates has more than 37 years of experience in the natural gas industry, demonstrating strong
leadership in a variety of roles,” said Kevin Akers, President and CEO of Atmos Energy. “He has
contributed to the company’s success in so many ways that benefited both our customers and our
workforce. We will miss David and wish him and his family the absolute best in this new chapter of life.”
As president of the Mississippi division for over a decade, David’s dedication to employees and
customers can be felt in nearly every community throughout the Mississippi service territory.
Like any Atmos Energy employee, David Gates dedicated himself to his community and his board service
outside of Atmos Energy is extensive. Notably, he is a longtime Board Member of the Greater Jackson
Chamber Partnership, currently serving as past chair. David has also chaired the Mississippi Economic
Council and Mission Mississippi, and has been honored by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
(JDRF) for his work including as chair of their annual “Walk to Cure Diabetes.”
“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to lead the Mississippi division,” said Gates. “I’m so proud of our
employees’ embrace of our culture and the professionalism they exhibit day in and day out to provide
safe, reliable natural gas service. I’m excited for Matt and the leadership he will bring, further positioning
Atmos Energy to deliver more value to our customers and communities in Mississippi.”
An Alabama native, Matt began his career as an analyst in New Orleans with Atmos Energy Marketing in
2004. In that role he purchased and scheduled natural gas and ultimately led teams responsible for
forecasting natural gas pipeline capacity needs. As director of gas supply, Matt was responsible for
structuring and negotiating contracts with natural gas pipelines and storage facilities, in addition to
leading the financial hedging program.
Matt joined the Mississippi division in 2018 as vice president of marketing, leading the team and working
with local and state economic developers. In 2019 he moved into his current role as vice president of rates
and regulatory affairs, responsible for communicating the Mississippi division’s position on business and
regulatory matters to various governmental authorities. Matt served more than two years as chair of the
Marketing Leadership Team, leading Atmos Energy’s enterprise strategic marketing efforts.
“I am honored to have been trusted to lead the men and women of the Mississippi Division,” said
Davidson. “David Gates leaves a legacy of leadership over his past 15 years as President, and I look
forward to building on that foundation.”
Matt holds a Bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Alabama and a Master’s in Business
Administration from Tulane University. He and his wife, Aimee, live in Madison with their three
children.