Duke Energy names new state president for South Carolina

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Oct 16, 2024, 09:59 ET

Tim Pearson will manage state and local regulatory and government relations, and community affairs
Mike Callahan will become senior vice president and treasurer

GREENVILLE, S.C., Oct. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy today announced that Tim Pearson will become South Carolina state president, effective Nov. 1. He will succeed Mike Callahan, who has been promoted to senior vice president and treasurer of the company following the retirement of Karl Newlin.

Pearson, 42, will manage state and local regulatory and government relations in South Carolina. He will work closely with the corporate and regulatory strategy team to advance legislative, rate and regulatory initiatives in the state. His team also leads community relations and infrastructure engagement for Duke Energy across the Palmetto State.

"Tim has a unique set of skills that are critical to how we address challenges facing the utility industry in new ways in South Carolina," said Lynn Good, chair and CEO of Duke Energy. "He is well-positioned to lead the conversation and collaboration with our stakeholders and policy makers to deliver on the state's needs as we work to build a smarter energy future for the Palmetto State."

Pearson, who was a valuable part of the Duke Energy team first as an advisor and consultant, joined the company full time as vice president of government affairs in 2023. In that expanded role, Pearson has been integral in advancing the conversation around energy policy that is taking place in South Carolina.

A resident of Columbia, Pearson lives with his wife Ashton, daughter Myers and son Wills. He has more than a decade of experience in government and policy in South Carolina. Before joining Duke Energy, Pearson served as an advisor to multiple governors in the state, most recently as general consultant for Henry McMaster's successful campaigns in 2018 and 2022. He served as chief of staff for Nikki Haley during her tenure as governor, and as executive director of her transition team. He also served as Mark Sanford's senior communications advisor.

Callahan, 49, will return to the financial side of the corporation after leading the company's efforts in South Carolina for the past five years as state president. Prior to that, he was vice president of investor relations, overseeing Duke Energy's investor relations and shareholder services organizations. He also served as director of regulated utilities forecasting for Duke Energy, where he was responsible for preparing and consolidating regulated utility forecasts to support financial planning and strategic decision-making activities. Callahan joined Duke Energy in 2002.

"I am proud of the many accomplishments Mike and his team have achieved in South Carolina," said Julie Janson, executive vice president and CEO for Duke Energy Carolinas. "Over the past five years, he spearheaded Duke Energy's efforts to support communities and customers during the pandemic. He also guided critical grassroots community relations initiatives and helped lead company engagement with numerous state and local organizations during storm restoration efforts, including most recently when Helene battered the state."

Tigerron "Tiger" Wells, 45, currently state government affairs director, will succeed Pearson as vice president of government affairs and will manage the company's legislative strategy in South Carolina. A South Carolina lawyer and former partner with the law firm of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, Tiger was a litigator for a decade before branching out to the Municipal Association of South Carolina government affairs team. For the past five years, Tiger has played a critical role in the company's lobbying efforts at the State House and has advanced the legislative and regulatory interests of Duke Energy before various South Carolina governmental bodies.

Also reporting to Pearson will be Heather Shirley Smith, vice president of regulatory and policy who will continue to focus on regulatory matters and policy enactment and Rick Jiran, vice president of government and community relations and infrastructure engagement, who will continue his role focused on local government relations, community relations and new infrastructure stakeholder engagement.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

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SOURCE Duke Energy