Edith Naegele Joins AGA as Vice President, Membership and Strategic Development

News ReleaseDecember 03, 2021

Washington, D.C. - The American Gas Association (AGA) today announced that Edith Naegele has joined the organization as Vice President, Membership and Strategic Development replacing Vice President and Corporate Secretary Gary Gardner who is retiring after 27 years at AGA. Naegele joins AGA from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where she spent 18 years, most recently as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development.

"Edith brings deep knowledge of the private sector and extensive experience delivering results for member-driven organizations like AGA," said Karen Harbert, AGA President and CEO. "Edith is the right person for this moment, and we are excited to have as part of the team."

As Vice President, Membership and Strategic Development, Naegele and her team are charged with improving the value of AGA membership and increasing member engagement and retention, especially during these COVID challenging times. The team will continue to ensure AGA delivers best-in-class in-person and hybrid meetings. Importantly, Naegele will direct and expand AGA's financial community outreach program that represents the interests of AGA members to investors, analysts, bankers, and other members of the financial community

At the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Naegele was part of a development team supporting revenue of more than $180 million annually through multi-year and annual advancement plans aligned with the organization's policy goals. She identified and recommended new funding models and opportunities and set the strategic direction for research to increase member engagement, satisfaction and retention.

Earlier in her career, Naegele gained experience with the energy industry working for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and attended the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy within what is now the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Naegle also attended the Annual Regulatory Studies Program at Michigan State University's Institute of Public Utilities. She graduated with honors from the University of Oregon and received a Master of Arts in Science, Technology and Public Policy from George Washington University.

"We are grateful for Gary's many years of service to the industry and to AGA and wish him the best in his retirement. Gary held many different positions at AGA and excelled at each. While we are sad to see Gary leave, we know he is excited spend more time with his wife, children, and grandchildren," said Harbert.

The American Gas Association, founded in 1918, represents more than 200 local energy companies that deliver clean natural gas throughout the United States. There are more than 76 million residential, commercial and industrial natural gas customers in the U.S., of which 95 percent - more than 72 million customers - receive their gas from AGA members. Today, natural gas meets more than thirty percent of the United States' energy needs.