NW Natural Names New VP of Finance and Regulation


PORTLAND, OR--(Marketwire - March 2, 2009) - NW Natural (NYSE: NWN), the largest independent gas utility in the Northwest, today announced the promotion of Alex Miller to Vice President, Finance and Regulation, in addition to his role as Assistant Treasurer.

Miller, formerly General Manager of Rates and Regulatory Affairs, joined the company in 2002. His responsibilities include regulatory affairs and corporate financial planning for NW Natural and its subsidiaries. Miller will continue to report to David Anderson, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

"Alex has been instrumental in working with our regulators to find innovative, win-win solutions for the company and our customers," said Gregg Kantor, NW Natural President and CEO. "He brings a wealth of financial expertise to the regulatory side of our business, and his diverse background will be of great value to the growth of our company."

Prior to joining NW Natural, Miller was Vice President of Business Development at PacifiCorp and spent 17 years at Southern California Edison holding several positions including Vice President and Treasurer.

Born and raised in Allentown, PA, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oregon in 1980 while living in Junction City. He completed his MBA at the Claremont Graduate School in 1984.

Miller currently serves on the board of the Westside Economic Alliance in Portland. Past affiliations include Friends Committee of Guide Dogs for the Blind, Site Council at Mabel Rush Elementary School, Portland Center Stage and Director of the SCE Credit Union. He lives in Newberg, Oregon with his three sons.

About NW Natural

NW Natural is a 150-year-old company headquartered in Portland, Ore., and serves about 662,000 residential and business customers in Oregon and Southwest Washington. It is also the largest independent natural gas utility in the Pacific Northwest. For more information about NW Natural, please visit nwnatural.com.

Contact Information: Contact: Jenna Cooper-Gross NW Natural 503-721-2440 or jcg@nwnatural.com