About Us | Chattanooga Gas
Chattanooga Gas provides retail natural gas sales and transportation services to approximately 69,000 customers in Hamilton and Bradley counties in southeast Tennessee. The Chattanooga Gas service area includes the communities of Chattanooga, Cleveland, Red Bank, East Ridge, Lookout Mountain and Signal Mountain.
Pedro Cherry
President and Chief Executive Officer, Atlanta Gas Light and Chattanooga Gas
Pedro Cherry is president and CEO of Atlanta Gas Light and Chattanooga Gas. In this role, Cherry oversees all aspects of operations for the two southern region natural gas utilities, which serve approximately 1.8 million customers in two states.
Formerly executive vice president of Customer Service and Operations (CSO) for Georgia Power, Cherry led 5,000-plus employees in the CSO organization with responsibility for the company’s customer service efforts, power delivery, sales, pricing and planning, regional external affairs, renewable development and corporate services. Named to the role in
February 2017, Cherry was responsible for operating and maintaining an electric system serving 2.6 million customers in all but four of Georgia’s 159 counties.
Cherry began his career with Southern Company in 1997 at Southern Energy Inc., the subsidiary that later became Mirant Corp., where he held positions of increasing responsibility, including chief financial officer of international division, vice president of international finance and vice president of planning and performance management. He returned to Southern Company in 2006, serving as finance manager for Southern Generation/Southern Power and then as assistant to the chief financial officer of Southern Company.
In 2010, Cherry became Metro West Region manager for Georgia Power and was named vice president of community and economic development in 2012. Cherry also served as senior vice president of Metro Atlanta Region, with responsibility for the company’s operations, sales, customer service, economic and community development and external affairs activities for
1.2 million customers across metro Atlanta.
Before joining Southern Company, Cherry worked as an engineering and business analyst for Carolina Power and Light Corp.
Cherry is committed to serving the community through leadership positions in a number of organizations, including being a member of the board of directors of Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation, Rotary Club of Atlanta, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Higher Education Savings Plan, board of trustees for Boys and Girls Club of America – Southeast Region, board of governors for the Georgia Chamber, and board of Councilors of The Carter Center. He is also a member of the board of directors for Synovous and chairs the audit committee. Cherry currently serves as the 2024 Chairman of the Georgia Chamber.
He holds a NACD Directorship Certification, a Diligent ESG Leadership Certification, and is also a CFA Charter holder and member of the CFA Institute. In addition, Cherry is also a member of Auburn University’s Alumni Engineering Advisory Council.
Cherry earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and an MBA in operations management and finance from Auburn University. He is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta, Leadership Georgia and the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute.
Cherry resides in Atlanta with his wife and children.
Company History
|
Year |
Event |
|
Late 1800s |
Chattanooga's first gas company is established shortly after the Civil War to light the streets of the city. |
|
1890 |
Chattanooga’s two competing gas companies merge to form the Mutual Gas Company. |
|
1900 |
Chattanooga’s gas distribution system has grown to 50 miles with a capacity of 700 thousand cubic feet of gas per day, and Mutual Gas’ transportation system is making the transition from horses and mules to trucks. |
|
1907 |
Mutual Gas Company is purchased by United Light and Power Company and given its current name -- Chattanooga Gas Company, with offices on East Sixth Street, between Market and Cherry streets, in the basement of the Old James Building, Chattanooga's only public building and home to all local school graduation ceremonies. In the coming years, the company expands its reach to new communities including St. Elmo, Alton Park, Brainerd and North Chattanooga. |
|
1915 |
The gas company stops manufacturing gas and begins buying byproduct gas. |
|
Early 1900s |
Chattanooga Gas Company expanded to reach new communities including St. Elmo, Alton Park, Brainerd and North Chattanooga. In addition, Chattanooga's strong industrial growth as the appliance manufacturing center for the region helped the company to grow. |
|
1940 |
The United Light and Power Company sells Chattanooga Gas Company to Federal Water and Gas Services. Three months later, Chattanooga Gas Company is sold again to Southern Natural Gas Company. |
|
1950 |
The Equitable Securities Corporation buys all common stock of the Chattanooga Gas Company and issues the stock for public sale. After the public offering, Chattanooga Gas Company has 3,800 stockholders throughout the country. The same year, underground pipes arrive in Chattanooga, offering residents a cleaner and cheaper alternative to manufactured gas. Natural gas availability sparks a boom for Chattanooga Gas Company and in a single decade, the number of customers doubles and consumption of natural gas increases 2,500 percent. |
|
1973 |
Chattanooga Gas Company makes a significant investment in a liquefied natural gas plant that would prove to be essential to the company for years to come. Later this decade, Jupiter Industries buys all outstanding shares of Chattanooga Gas Company. |
|
1988 |
Atlanta Gas Light buys Chattanooga Gas Company and makes major investments to modernize the company’s gas distribution system and other facilities. In just a few years, Atlanta Gas Light's investment in Chattanooga quadruples. |
|
1996 |
Formation of AGL Resources, our parent company. |
|
July 2016 |
AGL Resources becomes Southern Company Gas, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Company. |
|
Today |
As part of the Southern Company Gas family, we continue to deliver safe and reliable natural gas. |
