Kellye L. WalkerVOORHEES, NJ, Jan. 6, 2010 -- American Water Works Company Inc., the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company, has named Kellye L. Walker its senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. Effective today, Walker will be replacing George Patrick, who is retiring after serving the company for more than a decade.
"It was important for us to fill this vital position in our company in a timely manner and we are pleased to be able to bring someone with Kellye's experience to American Water," said Don Correll, president and CEO of American Water. "Kellye's knowledge in regulatory and enterprise compliance, corporate governance and many other legal matters makes her an excellent fit for our company."
Walker most recently served as senior vice president and general counsel at Diageo North America Inc., which is part of the multinational Diageo, Plc, a NYSE- and LSE-listed company with revenues of $20 billion. Her responsibilities included corporate and commercial legal matters such as mergers and acquisitions, human resources and labor relations, procurement and regulatory compliance.
Walker also served as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary at BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. One of her major accomplishments at BJ's was to design and create an enterprise-wide compliance program shortly after the enactment of Sarbanes-Oxley. Prior to joining BJ's, Walker was a partner with the law firm of Hill & Barlow in Boston, Mass. She also was a partner and/or an associate with the firms of Chaffe, McCall, Phillips, Toler & Sarpy in New Orleans, La., and Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry in Nashville, Tenn.
Walker is a graduate of Emory University School of Law, where she was named the 1992 Outstanding Woman Law Graduate, and of Louisiana Tech University. She also is the chair of "Stakeholder 100," which mentors top-performing law firm associates across the country to help them achieve their fullest potential.
Walker is replacing George Patrick, who has decided to retire. Patrick joined American Water in 1999 and led its law department since 2007.
"George led our Law Department during a critical and historic time for our company, as we conducted our initial public offering and eventually were divested by RWE, " said Don Correll, president and CEO of American Water. "There was an enormous legal aspect to that process and George, along with his team, provided excellent counsel throughout that period. I sincerely thank him for his service to American Water and wish him all the best."
Prior to joining American Water, Patrick was a partner with the law firm of Dechert Price & Rhoads for 23 years. He has practiced in the areas of federal securities law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and international law.
Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 15 million people in 32 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.
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