Essential Utilities Inc. Announces New Communications Director

BRYN MAWR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE: WTRG) announced the appointment of Erin O’Donnell as the communications director responsible for external and internal communications for the company. She will oversee all communications activities for Aqua and Peoples.

O’Donnell brings more than 18 years of utility related communications experience to Essential. She started her career with Dollar Energy Fund as a trainer for the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s Energy Choice program. She has worked for Peoples, the natural gas division of Essential Utilities, for 10 years. Most recently, she served as the interim communications director of Essential Utilities and the manager of communications and community relations at Peoples.

O’Donnell will report to Brian Dingerdissen, vice president, chief of staff, investor relations and communications for Essential.

“I welcome Erin to the Essential Utilities team,” said Dingerdissen. “She will be responsible for leading a transparent approach to corporate communications while ensuring the company communicates in a manner consistent with our values of respect, integrity and the pursuit of excellence.”

“Over the past several months, Erin has led the communications team through the transition as Peoples joined Aqua under Essential Utilities,” said Dingerdissen. “Our communications teams at Aqua and Peoples came together just as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. Erin and her team led the internal and external COVID-19 communications effort to ensure we continued to communicate effectively with our employees and customers.”

O’Donnell earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

About Essential

Essential is one of the largest publicly traded water, wastewater and natural gas providers in the U.S., serving approximately 5 million people across 10 states under the Aqua and Peoples brands. Essential is committed to excellence in proactive infrastructure investment, regulatory expertise, operational efficiency and environmental stewardship. The company recognizes the importance water and natural gas play in everyday life and is proud to deliver safe, reliable services that contribute to the quality of life in the communities it serves. For more information, visit http://www.essential.co.

WTRG (General)