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Edward Vallejo - Vice President, Investor Relations
Abbey Barksdale - Senior Manager, Investor Relations & ESG
Michael Tavani, CFA - Senior Manager, Investor Relations
Kelley Uyeda - Executive Assistant, Investor Relations

856-566-4005
ir@amwater.com

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Walter J. Lynch, President and Chief Executive Officer

Walter Lynch is President and Chief Executive Officer of American Water Works, Inc. (NYSE: AWK), the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility. Lynch leads a team of 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide service to 15 million people in 46 states.

American Water’s regulated businesses operate in approximately 1,600 communities in 16 U.S. states and provide water and wastewater utility services to residential, commercial, industrial and other customers. The company's market-based businesses include Military Services Group providing water and wastewater services for military installations across the U.S.; and Homeowner Services providing warranty services to homeowners and smaller commercial establishments to protect against the cost of repairing broken or leaking water pipes and clogged or blocked sewer pipes on their property, and other related service plans.

The company is a member of the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Utility Average (DJUA), the Philadelphia Utilities Index (UTY), and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI).

Lynch has more than 25 years of experience in both the regulated and market-based water and wastewater industry. In his previous role as Chief Operating Officer, Lynch was responsible for the successful performance of American Water’s 16 regulated states, serving approximately 12 million people in more than 1,600 communities. He also led operational excellence across the company’s footprint, as well as system-wide engineering, health and safety, and the company’s Military Services Group.

He previously served as executive vice president of a multistate division; as president of New Jersey American Water and New York American Water; and as a group president of the company’s market-based businesses. He joined American Water in 2001.

Lynch has also served as president of the National Association of Water Companies and has served for several years on the board of directors and on its executive committee. He also serves on the Water Research Foundation’s board of trustees.

He has attended executive education programs at Oxford University in England and IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland, and completed the Advanced Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he holds a bachelor’s degree in general engineering and attained the rank of captain before his departure from the U.S. Army in 1990.

Susan Hardwick, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Susan Hardwick is executive vice president and chief financial officer of American Water, the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. Ms. Hardwick joined American Water on June 3, 2019 and became Chief Financial Officer on July 1, 2019. In this role, Ms. Hardwick has responsibility for all aspects of financial management and strategy, including directing finance strategy, investor relations, treasury, financial planning, accounting, internal audit, risk management, supply chain and control functions.

Most recently, Hardwick served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Vectren Corporation, prior to the sale to CenterPoint Energy, Inc. Vectren delivers natural gas and electricity to more than one million customers in nearly two-thirds of Indiana and about 20 percent of Ohio and operates a major infrastructure construction business and an energy services company. In her CFO role at Vectren, Hardwick was a member of the executive leadership team responsible for development and execution of business and financial strategy for both the regulated utility businesses as well as the market-based subsidiaries. She also led the development and execution of the company’s regulatory strategy and investor relations, and was responsible for numerous financing transactions, including a total of over $2 billion in long term debt financing.

Notably, Hardwick led the execution of the definitive agreement with CenterPoint Energy for the sale of Vectren for $8.5 billion, the second highest multiple paid for a natural gas distribution company.

Hardwick has served in leadership positions on a variety of community boards, including St. Mary’s Medical Center, Fifth Third Bank (Southern Indiana), the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science, the Evansville Celebration of Diversity Distinguished Lecture Series, Gilda’s Club of Evansville, and the Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series, among many others over the course of her career. Appointed by the governor, Hardwick also served two terms as an Arts Commissioner for the state of Indiana. She was also the recipient of the Athena Award in 2009 by the Chamber of Commerce of Southwestern Indiana, the Sara B. Davies Leadership Award in 2016 presented by Leadership Evansville, and the Torchbearer Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 presented by the Indiana Commission on Women. Also, in 2016, she was named by the Indianapolis Business Journal as CFO of the Year Honoree and received the Mayor’s Arts Award in 2017.

She has also held numerous leadership and committee roles with the American Gas Association and the Edison Electric Institute, is a CPA and holds an accounting degree from Indiana University.

Cheryl Norton, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Cheryl Norton serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for American Water. Ms. Norton is responsible for the successful performance of our regulated states. She also leads customer service across the company’s footprint, including our two national Customer Service Centers, as well as systemwide Engineering, Health and Safety, and Environmental and Regulatory Compliance.

Previously, Ms. Norton served as president of New Jersey American Water, where she was the principal external contact for American Water in New Jersey, serving approximately 2.7 million people. Additionally, she served as senior vice president of the company’s Eastern Division, which is comprised of New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Maryland. Ms. Norton was also the company’s Chief Environmental Officer, overseeing environmental leadership and compliance across American Water’s regulated and market-based businesses.

Ms. Norton has also served as president of Missouri American Water for three years, and in the same role for Kentucky American Water for five years. A native of Missouri, Ms. Norton started her career with American Water in 1988 as a microbiology research technician at the company’s central laboratory in Belleville, Ill., which provides services for American Water subsidiaries across the country. From 2000 to 2007, she served as the laboratory’s director overseeing companywide chemical compliance testing. In 2007, Ms. Norton was appointed Vice President of Operations for Illinois American Water.

Ms. Norton serves on the boards of Choose New Jersey, The Cooper Health System, Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, the New Jersey Utilities Association and The Water Research Foundation.

Ms. Norton received a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in environmental studies from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

Michael A. Sgro, Executive Vice President and General Counsel

Michael A. Sgro is executive vice president and general counsel of American Water, the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. In this role, Mr. Sgro serves as American Water’s chief legal officer, providing oversight, guidance and direction regarding corporate governance and board matters, as well as providing legal advice and overseeing the legal team responsible for all aspects of legal affairs for the company.

Prior to being named to this position in February 2015, Mr. Sgro was general counsel of American Water’s Northeast Division, and was also serving as American Water’s interim general counsel since early January 2015.

Mr. Sgro joined American Water in 1993 as secretary and corporate counsel of New Jersey American Water, eventually becoming the Northeast Division’s general counsel, which includes American Water’s New Jersey and New York subsidiaries. In this role, he was responsible for all legal matters, including acquisitions and other business development opportunities, real estate and regulatory matters, various contract and commercial matters, and corporate governance. Mr. Sgro also recently led New Jersey American Water’s government affairs efforts.

Before joining American Water, Mr. Sgro was an Associate with Dechert (Philadelphia and Princeton offices) on the firm’s Business Team. Prior to graduating from law school and joining Dechert, he held various business positions with CertainTeed Corporation, a building materials manufacturer located in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Sgro received his law degree from Temple University School of Law in 1989 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from Saint Joseph University in 1980.

Mr. Sgro is a member of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of the South Jersey Chamber of Commerce and Treasurer of the National Association of Water Companies New Jersey Chapter. He is also a member of the American Corporate Counsel Association and the bar associations of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Melanie M. Kennedy, Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer

Melanie Kennedy serves as senior vice president, chief human resources officer for American Water, the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. In this role, Kennedy is responsible for overall human resources strategy, talent acquisition, leadership development, organizational design and cultural development, compensation and benefits, HR operations and technology, employee and labor relations, and employee education and development. She also serves as the executive sponsor of the company’s Inclusion and Diversity council. As a member of the executive leadership team, Kennedy contributes directly to the long and short term strategic objectives of the company. She was named SVP, HR in March 2017 and made chief human resources officer in December 2020.

Previously, Kennedy served as the vice president of Human Resources. In this position, she had responsibility for all field human resources as well as labor relations, managing the relationships with 17 national union groups and over 70 local collective bargaining agreements. Kennedy also served in human resource director roles for corporate and for the largest division of the company, which included New Jersey and New York. During this time, she led the transformation of the human resources team to develop centers of expertise in talent management, talent acquisition and labor. Kennedy also led the hire to retire team for the company’s business transformation as it implemented SAP.
Since joining the company in 2007, as associate employment and labor counsel, Kennedy quickly progressed to the chief employment and labor counsel role. Prior to joining American Water, Kennedy spent nine years as a labor and employment attorney in large law firms in New Jersey and Philadelphia. She is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Kennedy holds a JD from Rutgers University School of Law, N.J., and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island. Kennedy formerly served as a trustee for the Medford Education Foundation, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that raises money to support the Medford Township school district teachers through grants and related support. Kennedy enjoys spending her free time at the shore or travelling with her husband and three children.
In addition, Kennedy is on the board of the Cooper Health System Finance Committee, as well as the Board for the Health Transformation Alliance, and is a member of the CHRO Council for Consumer Engagement.

Ms. Kennedy was also selected by the Philadelphia Business Journal as one of the 2019 Women of Distinction.

William Varley, Chief Growth Officer

William Varley is chief growth officer of American Water, the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. In this role, he will lead our corporate Business Development team and will work together with corporate leadership and our state presidents as well as with our market-based businesses to help our company continue to provide water and wastewater solutions across the United States.

Most recently, Varley served as our deputy chief operating officer. In this role, he supported the development and mentorship of the company’s divisional leads and state presidents, with a focus on growth, regulatory matters and leadership skills. He also led our customer service organization.

Previously, Varley served as senior vice president of American Water’s Midwest Division, comprising of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. Prior to that, he was president of New Jersey American Water, where he was the principal external contact for American Water in New Jersey. He also served as senior vice president of the company’s Northeast division, president of New York American Water, vice president and manager of its predecessor Long Island American Water, as well as vice president of Business Development for New Jersey and New York.

Prior to joining American Water in 2000, Varley was the district manager for Layne Christensen Co., a large water supply contracting company, for 13 years. There he oversaw Layne’s Long Island well-drilling operations. He also worked for large consulting engineering firms Camp Dresser & McKee and Hazen & Sawyer as resident and design engineer for large wastewater treatment plant upgrades.

Varley is a past Chairman of the New York Chapter of the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC). He has also offered technical presentations for many industry organizations including the Long Island Water Conference, New York Section AWWA, New Jersey Section AWWA, Mid Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners (MACRUC), National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), the American Ground Water Trust and the Edwin C. Tifft Jr. Water Supply Symposium in New York.

Varley holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering technology from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Maureen Duffy, Senior Vice President, Communications and External Affairs

Maureen Duffy is the senior vice president of communications and external affairs for American Water, the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. In this role, Ms. Duffy is responsible for external and internal communications, Federal affairs, national regulatory affairs, government affairs and community development as well as positioning American Water for industry leadership.

Ms. Duffy recently served as the vice president of Corporate Communications and External Affairs. Prior to that, she served as the director of Corporate Communications and External Affairs, where she led internal and external communications, as well as corporate responsibility. She also served as the director of External Communications and led all aspects of American Water's external communication efforts, including national media relations. She acts as a key partner in increasing American Water's visibility and promoting its reputation. She also works closely with all other functions and operations across the business to align and integrate company messaging, as well as further position American Water as an industry leader on both a national and local scale.

Ms. Duffy is a results-oriented team leader with more than 25 years of experience in the communications field. She has served as director of Internal Communications for American Water. In this position, Ms. Duffy realigned American Water's internal communications team and drove its strategic direction thus ensuring consistent communications with all internal audiences. Ms. Duffy also served in the communications function for New Jersey American Water and Long Island American Water, where she was responsible for internal and external communications, as well as government affairs.

Ms. Duffy serves as the communications lead for the Health Transformation Alliance and as a Federal Affairs committee member for the National Association of Water Companies. She is also an active member of the U.S Water Alliance. She is also on the board of directors for NJTV.

Prior to working for American Water, Ms. Duffy produced and reported news for WNJN/WNET-TV, with audiences in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia. She is a graduate of the University of Delaware, where she received a bachelor's in communications.

Adam Noble, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer

Adam Noble serves as chief technology and innovation officer with a focus on developing and implementing digital solutions that will help American Water continue to be leader in employee safety, operational efficiency, and customer service.

Noble has more than 30 years of experience in delivering digital and business solutions to global organizations. He has experience in several industries including pharmaceutical, banking, manufacturing, telecommunications and chemical. Prior to joining American Water, he worked with GAF, Veritiv Corporation, JPMorgan Chase, Mars Incorporated, AlliedSignal Corporation, UPS, AT&T and Bristol Myers Squibb.

Noble is a Project Management Professional (PMP), a member of the Society for Information Management (SIM), participates on several IT executive advisory boards, is a mentor for the Columbia University Executive Master’s Program and a member of several industry organizations. He is also a Computerworld Premier 100 IT Leader and a 2019 Technology Executives to Watch award recipient.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Binghamton University and a master's degree in Management Systems Analysis from Kean University.

Kevin Kirwan, Senior Vice President and Chief Operational Excellence and Safety Officer

Kevin Kirwan is Senior Vice President and Chief Operational Excellence and Safety officer for American Water, the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company.

Kirwan began his career with American Water in 1985 and has held several key operational positions ranging from water production superintendent, regional operations manager, director of maintenance services, senior director of operations for coastal New Jersey and vice president of Operations for New Jersey American Water. Most recently, he held the role of vice president of operational excellence for American Water.

Prior to joining American Water, Kirwan was a supervisor of Research and Development for the Worthington Pump Corporation.

Kirwan earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York and holds multiple environmental licenses in water treatment, water distribution and industrial water treatment.

In his 34 years with the company, Kirwan has served as a leader and member for many teams and projects at American Water, including leading the National Union Benefits negotiations for 3,000 union employees, Hurricane Sandy Barrier Island Restoration project, several technology initiatives and Business Development teams.

Jim Merante, Vice President and Treasurer

Jim Merante is vice president and treasurer for American Water, the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company.

Prior to his current role, Merante was vice president, Internal Audit, and served as divisional chief financial officer for the company's Mid-Atlantic Division. Merante began his career in public accounting with “Big 4” accounting firm KPMG and held various executive positions in the media industry including vice president of operations and director of finance at a large publicly traded media company.

Merante earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Susquehanna University and is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania.

Brad Okoniewski, Vice President, Safety Leadership

Brad Okoniewski is vice president of Safety Leadership for American Water, the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. In this role, Okoniewski is responsible for leading the company’s continual safety performance improvement strategy on its journey to zero injuries, which is a critical area of American Water’s performance.

Prior to joining American Water, Okoniewski served as global environmental, occupational health and safety (EOH&S) director for Campbell Soup, based in Camden, N.J., where he had corporate leadership responsibility for development and implementation of the EOH&S strategy and activities for Campbell’s worldwide operations.

He held similar leadership roles at Carpenter Technology in Reading, Pa.; and at Cabot Corporation in Limerick, Pa., where he was responsible for driving environmental, health and safety performance improvement across all businesses and functions. He began his career with Occidental Chemical Corporation in process engineering and later environmental engineering roles of increasing responsibility.

Okoniewski has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Houston.

Edward D. Vallejo, Vice President, Investor Relations

Edward D. Vallejo is vice president of Investor Relations for American Water, the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company.

Mr. Vallejo, who has extensive experience in corporate finance, capital markets and investment banking, most recently served as the vice president of Financial Strategy, Planning and Decision Support for American Water. He was hired as vice president of Investor Relations in April 2006 to create a comprehensive investor relations program in preparation of the company’s initial public offering in April 2008. Prior to rejoining American Water, Mr. Vallejo served as the chief financial officer of Thames Water Chile, where he was responsible for all aspects of financial strategies, processes and operations.

From 1999 to 2005, Mr. Vallejo held various positions of increasing responsibility with American Water, including vice president of Mergers & Acquisitions and Treasurer. He began his career in the utilities sector in 1994 as an investment banker for PaineWebber, covering electric, gas and water companies, completing numerous equity, debt and M&A transactions.

Mr. Vallejo holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from New York Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in business administration from New York University.

Melissa K. Wikle, Vice President and Controller

Melissa K. Wikle is vice president and controller at American Water, the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. In this role, Ms. Wikle leads the company’s corporate accounting, external financial reporting, Securities and Exchange Commission compliance, tax, payroll and accounts payable functions.

Ms. Wikle has deep experience in both market-based and utility industries. She has almost 30 years of finance and accounting experience, most recently as corporate controller and chief accounting officer at Columbus McKinnon Corp., a public company and a global manufacturer. Previously, she was the vice president of SEC reporting at MetLife, one of the largest insurance and financial services companies in the U.S.

Ms. Wikle has a wealth of utility experience as well. She worked for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for more than 10 years, holding a variety of financial and accounting positions including director of regulatory relations. She also served as director of corporate accounting at Pacific Gas & Electric, where she led the department responsible for external reporting, technical accounting research and operational accounting. Prior to that, she was with Northwest Natural Gas in Portland, Ore.

Early in her career, Ms. Wikle was an auditor with Deloitte. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Alabama. She is a certified public accountant and certified internal auditor.

Jeffrey M. Taylor, Vice President, Chief SEC Counsel and Secretary

Jeffrey M. Taylor is vice president, chief SEC counsel and secretary for American Water. In this role, Mr. Taylor is responsible for all aspects of American Water’s securities law, corporate governance, and corporate law compliance, and oversees the corporate secretary function.

He is also responsible for preparing or assisting in the preparation of American Water’s SEC filings and other public disclosures, corporate governance matters, legal compliance for debt and equity financings and other securities offerings as well as loan, credit and hedging transactions, overseeing compliance with New York Stock Exchange listing rules, and general corporate law matters.

As corporate secretary for American Water and several of its subsidiaries, Mr. Taylor oversees board matters and subsidiary management functions for these entities. He also serves as a counselor and legal advisor to various constituencies and functional units within American Water, including the board of directors, accounting, treasury, investor relations, corporate communications, risk management and insurance, human resources, and business development.

Prior to joining American Water in June 2015, Mr. Taylor was an associate general counsel and assistant secretary at Pepco Holdings, Inc., one of the largest energy delivery companies in the mid-Atlantic region. Prior to joining Pepco Holdings, he was a partner in the Public Companies and Capital Formation practice group in the Philadelphia office of international law firm Blank Rome LLP and devoted over 17 years in private practice to the representation of domestic and foreign clients in a wide array of industries in securities, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and capital raising, corporate governance, executive compensation and business and corporate law matters.

Mr. Taylor received his law degree, with honors, from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 1995 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Northwestern University in 1992.

Mr. Taylor currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Society for Corporate Governance and is Chair of its Audit and Finance Committee. He is also a three-term Past President and a member of the advisory committee of the Middle Atlantic Chapter of the Society.

He also served as Vice/Co-Chair of the Securities Regulation Committee of the Business Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association from May 2009 to July 2011. Mr. Taylor is a member of the American Bar Association and the Association of Corporate Counsel and is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania, and as in-house counsel in New Jersey.