GAS PREZ EXITING
Pols: Columbia move ‘overdue,’ falls short
Columbia Gas of Massachusetts will soon be under new leadership — something that local officials are saying isn’t a fix-all solution for the company that has consistently come under fire since the Merrimack Valley gas explosions in September.
Steve Bryant, current Columbia Gas of Massachusetts president, will retire in May and be replaced by Mark Kempic, who most recently served as the chief operating officer of the company.
Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera said a new leader for the company is “long overdue.”
“Mark Kempic played an important role during the recovery. That he will be a good leader going forward is yet to be seen,” said Rivera.
“While this clarifies who will be in charge, the question about who will be held responsible and how they will be punished or disciplined for the gas disaster of 9/13 is still unresolved,” he said.
U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey, who played an important role in demanding answers about the gas disaster during a congressional hearing, isn’t sold on the change in management.
“The solution isn’t one executive leaving his employment. What is needed isn’t a golden parachute for one individual but rather a wholesale change in corporate culture for Columbia Gas,” said Markey.
“Columbia Gas has embraced a corporate culture where cutting corners on staffing and safety measures lead to the death of one young man and billions in damage to our Merrimack Valley.”
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who partnered with Markey during the congressional hearing, said, “A change in leadership can be a move in the right direction, but this disaster wasn’t caused solely by one person. We need Columbia Gas and its parent company NiSource to stop putting profits over safety and to completely overhaul their work programs to ensure this never happens again.”
Former North Andover Town Manager Andrew Maylor said that he has worked with Kempic for about two months and found him to be “accessible” and “professional.” He placed more emphasis on communication efforts than the turnover in management.
“The company needs to focus on improving their communication with their customers and the broader communities that they serve, and they need to develop a disaster response plan that incorporates the lessons learned from the 9/13 event and is available for key stakeholders to review,” Maylor said.
Kempic will work with customers, stakeholders and local leaders in addition to helping move the next phase of recovery along in the Merrimack Valley, said Pablo Vegas, NiSource executive vice president and president of Columbia Gas Group.