Williamsburg, VA – Robert W. Best, chairman and CEO of Atmos Energy Corp. in Dallas, TX, today was presented with the American Gas Association’s (AGA) Distinguished Service Award at the association’s executive conference. The renowned award is bestowed on those individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the natural gas industry.
Mr. Best has spent 35 years advocating for the increased use of natural gas in the United States, heading up Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp., Texas Gas Transmission Corp and Consolidated Natural Gas Corp. before joining Atmos Energy in 1997. He has often been in the spotlight at regulatory commission hearings, on national news programs and testifying before Congress to convey the message that increased natural gas use is good for the economy and the environment.
“Bob has been a champion for the natural gas industry, its customers and AGA throughout his career. He embodies what AGA’s Distinguished Service Award seeks to recognize,” said David N. Parker, AGA president and CEO. “His message that natural gas is America’s most promising fuel has never wavered, and his infectious enthusiasm continues to this day.”
Mr. Best has long been active in civic, charitable and industry organizations. He is a past chairman and director of the American Gas Association, American Gas Foundation and the Southern Gas Association, and is a director of the Gas Technology Institute. He is the current chairman of the Dallas Regional Chamber and serves on the board of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, the board of the Greater Dallas Chamber, and the board of advisors of the Maguire Energy Institute in the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University, among others. Mr. Best hails from Nappanee, Indiana.