Oak Ridge, TN, February 2021 – ORUD Natural Gas, a natural gas utility provider serving Anderson and Roane Counties for nearly 70 years, is announcing the promotion of one of its long-time employees, Jeff Patterson, to the position of President and General Manager. The ORUD Board of Commissioners made this announcement on Wednesday, February 24^th after their monthly board meeting. Patterson succeeds Sue Kristjansson, who left in December 2020.

Patterson has 27 years of experience at ORUD, ranging in various roles and management positions within the Operations Department. Most recently he held the title of Vice President of Operations. He has been a part of the internal Leadership Team for many years now. He’s played an essential role in developing the company’s culture that supports and encourages employees, promotes safety, and holds customer service as an important metric of our work.

“I am honored and excited to be selected as ORUD’s President and General Manager. Since 1951, ORUD Natural Gas has consistently delivered a quality product with excellent customer service and we have an exceptional team to continue our tradition. My goal in leading this organization is to build on the achievements of the past and seek opportunities to innovate and grow to meet the demands of our diverse customer base,” said Patterson.

Along with his history at ORUD Natural Gas, Patterson has been active for many years in industry organizations, serving as co-chair of the Natural Gas Distributors Association of East Tennessee (NGDAET) and former chair of the Distribution and Operations Committee of the Tennessee Gas Association (TGA). Patterson also serves on various committees of the American Public Gas Association (APGA) and the American Gas Association (AGA).

Patterson’s appointment is effective March 1.  

#  #  #

About ORUD Natural Gas

ORUD Natural Gas became an independent non-profit utility chartered in 1951. For almost seven decades, ORUD has been delivering natural gas to the families and businesses in Anderson and Roane counties. With offices in both Oak Ridge and Kingston, we proudly serve our almost 14,000 customers by providing an affordable, reliable energy source as well as offering appliance sales and installations. To learn more about ORUD visit: www.orud.org.