Former Arkansas natural gas executive Todd Jacobs is back in the state as chief operating officer of Summit Utilities, Arkansas’ largest gas utility.
Jacobs has 18 years of experience in the energy sector, excluding a stretch as senior vice president of growth and strategy at Black Hills Corp., where he led operations in Arkansas and Kansas.
A former active duty officer in the U.S. Army, Jacobs said he was thrilled to return to Arkansas and to join Summit.
“This is an exciting opportunity to build on Summit’s strong foundation and continue advancing a customer-focused approach that ensures reliable, safe and innovative energy solutions,” Jacobs said in a statement. “I look forward to contributing to the company’s future success and working closely with our customers and communities across the region.”
Summit serves about 525,000 homes and businesses in Arkansas, Oklahoma and the Texarkana area.
Praise From Leaders
Summit CEO Kurt Adams praised Jacobs’ record of leadership and innovation, especially in Arkansas and the region. He also cited Jacobs’ “commitment to operational excellence.”
Kevin Crass, a member of the utility’s board, said Jacobs will play a crucial role in shaping Arkansas’ energy future. “We are glad to have Todd Jacobs back in Arkansas,” Crass said in a company news release.
Jacobs will be based in Little Rock. He earned a law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He also graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and an advanced management program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
Jacobs succeeds Jason Weekley, who had served as COO since 2018.
“Jason Weekley has been a driving force behind Summit’s growth and success for the past several years,” Adams said. “Under Jason’s leadership Summit has earned a reputation for its strong safety culture and as an innovator within our industry.”
As executive vice president and COO, Jacobs will oversee operations, construction, engineering, asset integrity, external affairs and gas supply. Before joining Black Hills, he worked at Spire and Missouri Gas Energy.
Summit Utilities is based in Centennial, Colorado. It serves about 650,000 meters in Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. It bought Centerpoint Energy’s Arkansas and Oklahoma operations for $2.15 billion, closing the deal in January 2022.
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