Brad Nielsen named future president of Pennsylvania American Water

CAMDEN, N.J., Oct. 8, 2026 // -- American Water (NYSE: AWK) announced today that Brad Nielsen will become President of Pennsylvania American Water upon the closing of American Water's proposed merger with Essential Utilities (NYSE: WTRG). Nielsen will lead all the operations within the state of Pennsylvania and will report to Justin Ladner, who will serve as Senior Vice President, State Operations, for Pennsylvania, Missouri and Illinois. "Brad is a proven leader with deep operational experience and a strong commitment to our customers, employees and communities," said Cheryl Norton, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of American Water. "His track record of leading high-performing teams and delivering safe, clean, reliable and affordable water service positions him well to lead Pennsylvania American Water into its next chapter." Nielsen currently serves as President of Iowa American Water, a position he has held since July 2024. He joined Iowa American Water in 2019 as Vice President of Operations, leading a team of 80 employees who provide high-quality, reliable water service to approximately 225,000 people across Iowa. Nielsen brings more than 20 years of operations and leadership experience. Before joining American Water, he spent 17 years with Aramark Uniform Services, where he held several leadership positions, including Vice President of Operations. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance and in business administration and management from Mount Mercy University in Iowa. American Water will begin the process of naming Nielsen's successor as President of Iowa American Water and will share additional information when the selection is finalized. The all-stock merger between American Water and Essential Utilities, announced October 27, 2025, will create a combined company serving more than 4.7 million water and wastewater customer connections and more than 740,000 gas customer connections. The combined company will operate under the American Water name and be headquartered in Camden, New Jersey. The merger is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2027, but remains subject to customary closing conditions, including, among others, obtaining required regulatory approvals, including approval from the remaining applicable public utility commissions. For additional details regarding the transaction, please visit americanwateressentialutilitiesmerger.com. About American Water American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886 and celebrating 140 years in 2026, We Keep Life Flowing(R) by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to approximately 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 19 military installations. American Water's approximately 7,000 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national size and scale to a