ONE Gas, Inc. announced that John W. Gibson, 73, will retire from the board and as chair after the Company's Annual Meeting for Shareholders next May. Mr. Gibson has served as chair since ONE Gas' inception in 2014. The board of directors has elected Deborah A.P. Hersman, 55, as chair of the Board, effective May 21, 2026, following a comprehensive succession planning process.
Hersman, a seasoned leader, joined the ONE Gas board in 2023. She currently serves as the chair of the Corporate Governance Committee and has played an integral role in shaping governance initiatives. Hersman is the former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, former chief executive officer of the National Safety Council and most recently served as the chief safety officer of Waymo, Google's self-driving car project.
Hersman's election further strengthens the board's diversity of experience and strategic focus. Ms. Hersman joined the ONE Gas board of directors in 2023. Since 2019, she has also served as a director of NiSource, an electric and gas utility serving 3.5 million consumers across six states.
From 2019 to 2020, she was Chief Safety Officer /Senior Advisor to Waymo, Google's self-driving car project, a leading company in the mobility sector. Ms. Hersman was the Chief Executive Officer of the National Safety Council from 2014 to 2019. The NSC is America's foremost nonprofit safety advocate focused on eliminating the leading causes of preventable death in workplaces, on the road and in communities.
She served as a Board Member of the National Transportation Safety Board from 2004 ? 2014 and as NTSB Chairman from 2009 ? 2014.
The NTSB is internationally recognized for investigations across all modes of transportation. Both President Bush and President Obama nominated her, and she was unanimously confirmed by the Senate four times. She also served as a senior staffer focused on transportation issues in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate from 1992 ?
2004, contributing to milestone legislation such as the Transportation Equity Act of the 21 Century, the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act, the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act and the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act which created a new modal administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Ms. Hersman earned a B.A. in political science and a B.A. in international studies from Virginia Tech, as well as an M.S. in conflict analysis and resolution from George Mason University.
